Meal Plan. What would you do?

[tgropp]

I intentionally booked a one bedroom unit at BCV for Dec 8-10 and another one bedroom unit at BCV for Dec 10-13 for the purpose of getting the DDP for the first two nights and then eating at the various holiday booths for the last three nights. When I made the reservations I explained to the cast member on why I was doing the reservations this way. She said that was a great idea and that she would link the reservations as not to have to move. One month after the reservations were made I get an email from DVC that they cancelled my original two night reservation and made a new five night reservation thus eliminating my chance at the dining plan. I don’t imagine that Disney will give me a two day meal plan so my only other option is to phone and try to rebook the reservations with the risk of not getting them. Hence, what would you do?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Was the dining plan free with your booking?
If not then I would not even bother with the dining plan.
Just eat what you want when you want. There's isn't much advantage to getting the dining plan in my opinion unless it was free.
You can still eat where you wanted the first two nights and then eat at the food booths the other three nights.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

first, remember that nothing is "free" with disney. You are paying full rate for the room, vs 35 to 40 percent off the room with either discounts or annual pass rate. Many times I do buy the dining plan, but in all honesty, it is cheaper to pay out of pocket than use the "free" dining. I would keep the room if you have discounts, and purchase disney gift cards from either target, BJ's or cosco at 5 to 10% off and pay for meals with those

 

[mort1331]

I would call back and explain what was done, They should be able to unlink the 2 reservations. Now if they do they may not be able to promise not to move rooms. But what is more important to you,,,staying in the same room, or DP for first 2 nights.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I agree, was it worth the hassle for the dining plan? If you think it is, you probably should have put 2 different primary names on the DVC reservations so they didn't get merged and mess up your plans of the DDP for just a couple days. I don't know for sure if MS will 'undo' that, but you should call to explain. BUT, if they're not merged, you could run the risk of having to change rooms. Once she linked the reservations to be one, so you wouldn't have to move, I believe it then became a single, longer reservation - so your hope for a couple days of DDP goes away. Probably 2 choices - 2 reservations with a couple nights of DDP, or a single reservation knowing you don't have to change rooms.

 

[J-Dog]

I would also call and ask to "unmerge" the reservations, but then have them put a note in to request that you don't move rooms. It won't be guaranteed that you don't move rooms, but we request that we don't have to move from our un-merge-able FW reservation and the days we add-on to it, and they have never made us move.

We actually do the same thing - add the DDP to a day or two, then don't add it to our FW reservation. So, as long as they don't merge them, it should work fine.

 

[tgropp]

I would also call and ask to "unmerge" the reservations, but then have them put a note in to request that you don't move rooms. It won't be guaranteed that you don't move rooms, but we request that we don't have to move from our un-merge-able FW reservation and the days we add-on to it, and they have never made us move.

We actually do the same thing - add the DDP to a day or two, then don't add it to our FW reservation. So, as long as they don't merge them, it should work fine.

The cast member did that at the beginning as it was explained to her. I did this at Christmas for three nights on a nine night stay. The fact that it was changed after four weeks had me wondering

 

[tgropp]

first, remember that nothing is "free" with disney. You are paying full rate for the room, vs 35 to 40 percent off the room with either discounts or annual pass rate. Many times I do buy the dining plan, but in all honesty, it is cheaper to pay out of pocket than use the "free" dining. I would keep the room if you have discounts, and purchase disney gift cards from either target, BJ's or cosco at 5 to 10% off and pay for meals with those

The reservation was using DVC points. They don’t offer free dining

 

[tgropp]

Was the dining plan free with your booking?
If not then I would not even bother with the dining plan.
Just eat what you want when you want. There's isn't much advantage to getting the dining plan in my opinion unless it was free.
You can still eat where you wanted the first two nights and then eat at the food booths the other three nights.

No free dining. We usually do this as the get the free mugs for the entire stay and to eat at some nicer restaurants and save some money…..and yes we save a bit of money

 

[dvc lover 1970]

The reservation was using DVC points. They don’t offer free dining

Lol. We do the same I have different use years so i book the first two nights one one use year and the next night on the other

 

[tgropp]

Update….. I phoned member services and they split the reservations back to the original and I paid for the dining plan for the two nights so they won’t merge the reservations again. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!!

 

[SL6827]

If you were to have added the dining plan to the first two nights to begin with, could Disney had then not been able to merge the reservations?

 

[tgropp]

The CM today told me that there are notes on file that the two reservations can not be merged

 

[Pooh12863]

The CM today told me that there are notes on file that the two reservations can not be merged

They can be linked as a continuing stay, so you perhaps don't need to move. They usually try to accommodate this because they don't have to clean the room as often.

 

[Sandisw]

Update….. I phoned member services and they split the reservations back to the original and I paid for the dining plan for the two nights so they won’t merge the reservations again. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!!

Be aware that you risk a chance of having to move rooms because you want them to be kept as indivual for dining plan purposes, which means not to link.

It was something that they stopped allowing years ago. So, I’d go in and be prepared for that possibility you will be forced to move rooms.

Your situation was the exact reason they did it. People were booking indivual nights, doing the deluxe DDP every other night.

So, now, unless the rooms is a different type, this situation isn’t supposed to work and still be in the same room.

But, hoping it does for you.

 

[SL6827]

Be aware that you risk a chance of having to move rooms because you want them to be kept as indivual for dining plan purposes, which means not to link.

It was something that they stopped allowing years ago. So, I’d go in and be prepared for that possibility you will be forced to move rooms.

Your situation was the exact reason they did it. People were booking indivual nights, doing the deluxe DDP every other night.

So, now, unless the rooms is a different type, this situation isn’t supposed to work and still be in the same room.

But, hoping it does for you.

Wow, interesting!

 

[J-Dog]

Be aware that you risk a chance of having to move rooms because you want them to be kept as indivual for dining plan purposes, which means not to link.

It was something that they stopped allowing years ago. So, I’d go in and be prepared for that possibility you will be forced to move rooms.

Your situation was the exact reason they did it. People were booking indivual nights, doing the deluxe DDP every other night.

So, now, unless the rooms is a different type, this situation isn’t supposed to work and still be in the same room.

But, hoping it does for you.

I have a FW contract and a few small contracts which I specifically use to purposefully add a few days on at the beginning or end of the FW. Since they can't be merged to the FW by definition, I have requested that they make a note to "link" them, and so far (3 times) they have accommodated.

I have also added the DDP to the FW and not the "add-on" days or vice versa, and so far, no one has had an issue with it when I call to request it that way. Of course, that's not say that I couldn't be forced to change rooms, but that seems counterproductive, since it just means that they are cleaning more rooms.

 

[Sandisw]

I have a FW contract and a few small contracts which I specifically use to purposefully add a few days on at the beginning or end of the FW. Since they can't be merged to the FW by definition, I have requested that they make a note to "link" them, and so far (3 times) they have accommodated.

I have also added the DDP to the FW and not the "add-on" days or vice versa, and so far, no one has had an issue with it when I call to request it that way. Of course, that's not say that I couldn't be forced to change rooms, but that seems counterproductive, since it just means that they are cleaning more rooms.

Good to hear first hand experience that they didn’t make you change rooms.

It certainly seems like it would be a good thing but as I said, they had said st one time they don’t want owners booking multiple nights in the same room and not combining to get around the all or nothing aspect of the dining plan.

 

[tgropp]

Be aware that you risk a chance of having to move rooms because you want them to be kept as indivual for dining plan purposes, which means not to link.

It was something that they stopped allowing years ago. So, I’d go in and be prepared for that possibility you will be forced to move rooms.

Your situation was the exact reason they did it. People were booking indivual nights, doing the deluxe DDP every other night.

So, now, unless the rooms is a different type, this situation isn’t supposed to work and still be in the same room.

But, hoping it does for you.

We spent nine nights at BRV over Christmas and had split reservations and had the meal plan for three nights and did not have to move. Splitting reservations to get the Deluxe DP May have been an issue for Disney Bean Counters but I wouldn’t think that splitting a reservation to enjoy the basic DP would concern them but then again with Disney, you never know. As previous posters had said it doesn’t tie up housekeeping by keeping the same room.

 

[Sandisw]

We spent nine nights at BRV over Christmas and had split reservations and had the meal plan for three nights and did not have to move. Splitting reservations to get the Deluxe DP May have been an issue for Disney Bean Counters but I wouldn’t think that splitting a reservation to enjoy the basic DP would concern them but then again with Disney, you never know. As previous posters had said it doesn’t tie up housekeeping by keeping the same room.

Thanks for another experience that maybe they no longer care and are allowing it.