Military Discount & Dinning Plans

[RMAMom]

I am going to book two rooms using the 40% discount for military.

Can I add the DDP or the DxDP? (not sure which one we want yet)

Do I have to add dining at the time I book or can I call and add later, if so how much later?

 

[mbanks21]

I think I recall that being possible for the military offer. Although I remember reading that the deluxe dining was not offered, just the standard dining. It must be added at least 72 hours from travel

 

[LadyZolt]

Are you getting a package (with tickets and room) or are you just getting the room and then doing the special military ticket deal where the service member gets a free ticket and can buy up to five companion tickets for family/friends at $99 per ticket? I ask because if you're not doing a package and are instead going to get the special military tickets, then you have to add dining when you make your ressie. If you do a room-only ressie, they'd have to cancel it and then re-book to include the dining. So, I highly recommend figuring out if you want dining before you call because it is a pain to change. I know -- I booked a room-only and then changed to add dining. LOL!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

Lady Zolt has a lot more "Disney Knowledge" than me, but here's my experience...

I called to book a room-only ressie with the 40 % off military discount. Got the resort ressie I wanted then.... "Thank you Ms. X. Would you like to add tickets? No thank you, we are using the Armed Forces Salute special tickets. No problem Ms. X. Would you like to add dining? You can add the regular disney dining plan or the quick service plan to this room only discount...the deluxe dining plan is not available to this special room only discount. Hmmm...I'm not sure. Well Ms. X, you can add a dining plan any time up to three days before your arrival date. " Then they took my one nights stay deposit and said I would pay the rest upon arrival.

So I am under the distinct impression that I can add the dining plan to military special room rate at any time up to three days before we are scheduled to arrive. They did not say anything about having to cancel and rebook (which was apparently what LadyZolt's experienced)!!!

The question that I did not think to ask, and I have been thinking about it since, if I DO call to add the dining about a week in advance, will they consider that just like all packages, and therefore have to pay the entire dining plan amount and the rest of the room amount immediately (since we would be less than 45 days before arrival)??? I am thinking the answer would be yes, but not sure. Was that what you had to do LadyZolt???

HTH

 

[LadyZolt]

I think that "room only" is completely different in Disney's computer system than "room and package deal." My experience was that I called and found out what was available for the 40% discount in my time frame and made my choice (GF). They asked if I wanted dining and I said I wasn't sure and would book it without dining since I wanted to lock in the rate at that moment. The CM charged a one night deposit to my credit card, and then I called back after discussing what I'd done with DH (LOL! -- but he agreed, so all's well) and had her charge the whole thing to the card. Then I researched the dining plan and called back to add it, whereupon the CM said I couldn't just add it to a room-only reservation. I had to cancel the room-only one and book a "package" one. So, before canceling the existing one, she went through and made sure I could keep the rate I already had and just add the dining plan (I chose the regular dining plan and had already done the math so I knew what the final number should be). Once she told me that I could keep the rate I had, I went ahead and booked that. She then said she couldn't just apply the monies already placed on the first ressie to the new one. She had to cancel the existing one and credit back the money to the credit card and also charge a minimum amount to the new ressie. I went ahead and had her pay off the entire new ressie and within a few days my credit card had been charged back the original amount. I was not within 45 days, but I just like having it paid off well before we go and DH had set the money aside to pay it off when the credit card bill came. So I would imagine that if you do call back and get a dining plan, you would have to pay it off if you're in the required time frame to pay it in full.

That said, adding the dining plan also got me all the "package" benefits, like the Sea Raycer voucher, and the Planet Hollywood voucher, etc., whereas the "room only" ressie didn't. And unlike other Disney packages where you have to buy at least a one day ticket, with this military discount, you don't. They figure a lot of folks are using the military ticket deal. So it is very nice. I would, however, call back to make sure you can indeed add dining to a room-only ressie because, as I said, every indication I've seen shows that packages and room-only ressies are handled in two totally different ways. Hope this helps!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[RMAMom]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly the info I was looking for. I will say I am disappointed that they won't allow the deluxe dining plan but I guess its just one less decision to make!

 

[dogodisney]

Are you getting a package (with tickets and room) or are you just getting the room and then doing the special military ticket deal where the service member gets a free ticket and can buy up to five companion tickets for family/friends at $99 per ticket? I ask because if you're not doing a package and are instead going to get the special military tickets, then you have to add dining when you make your ressie. If you do a room-only ressie, they'd have to cancel it and then re-book to include the dining. So, I highly recommend figuring out if you want dining before you call because it is a pain to change. I know -- I booked a room-only and then changed to add dining. LOL!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

I ws basically told the same as this:

Lady Zolt has a lot more "Disney Knowledge" than me, but here's my experience...

I called to book a room-only ressie with the 40 % off military discount. Got the resort ressie I wanted then.... "Thank you Ms. X. Would you like to add tickets? No thank you, we are using the Armed Forces Salute special tickets. No problem Ms. X. Would you like to add dining? You can add the regular disney dining plan or the quick service plan to this room only discount...the deluxe dining plan is not available to this special room only discount. Hmmm...I'm not sure. Well Ms. X, you can add a dining plan any time up to three days before your arrival date. " Then they took my one nights stay deposit and said I would pay the rest upon arrival.

So I am under the distinct impression that I can add the dining plan to military special room rate at any time up to three days before we are scheduled to arrive. They did not say anything about having to cancel and rebook (which was apparently what LadyZolt's experienced)!!!

The question that I did not think to ask, and I have been thinking about it since, if I DO call to add the dining about a week in advance, will they consider that just like all packages, and therefore have to pay the entire dining plan amount and the rest of the room amount immediately (since we would be less than 45 days before arrival)??? I am thinking the answer would be yes, but not sure. Was that what you had to do LadyZolt???

HTH

I was told the same thing, except I was told I had only had 5 days not 3.

Another case of different CM's relaying different info.

 

[mbanks21]

Technically its 3 days but some CM's will say 5 or 7 days just to keep people safe. That way they dont wake up one morning and say "oh crap its 3 days until disney and I forgot to add dining". If you book the military deal as a room only and decide to "add" dining later your room only will be cancelled and refunded and they will make you a new res with a room only plus dining package. Thats the way it is even without the military offer.