New Policy for Adding Dining Plan

[Tiger926]

The only answer I can give you to that question (bold) is because that's the way the system was designed. The dining plan has to be attached to an entire segment of a reservation which Disney calls an "accommodation." So if you want the dining plan for part of the stay, those dates must be part of a unique "accommodation."

It probably has to do with pooling the credits over a series of dates. That "accommodation" determines the period over which the dining credits are valid.

All of that said, I do think we're getting bogged-down in the details a bit too much. All of this is just a necessity of the computer system to make sure that the reservation is set-up correctly. If you've ever looked closely at your cable TV (satellite) or cell phone bill, you will probably see multiple line items with cryptic codes that don't necessarily mean much on their own. In the end it should all add up to the price you were quoted.

This is a similar situation. All a DVC member needs to say is "I want to book July 1-7 but only want the Dining Plan for July 2-6." The Member Services rep will take care of the rest.

If you give DVC all of that information when the room is first booked, you'll have no problems. You do NOT need to actually add the Dining Plan and pay for it 11 months out (or whenever you book.) But getting the reservation structured properly will make it easier to add the Dining Plan months later.



Not really. Until now dining plans were supposed to be all or nothing. Members were supposed to buy it for the entire length of stay (at a single resort) and for the highest weekly occupancy of the villa. (i.e. if you have 6 people in the room for a couple nights and only 4 people for the rest of the stay, you would still have to buy 6 dining credits for every night of the stay.)

You might have been able to find a rep willing to split up a stay at one resort, but doing so was going against Disney policy. And in that case the reservations could not be truly "linked" together, meaning that you would have to check-in twice, would get two sets of room keys and there was some risk of having to change villas mid-stay.

Thanks for the info! I guess we'll have to see how it shakes out.

I do not think it is correct that you have to break up your reservation.

I was originally told about the new changes to the dining plan because I was breaking up my reservation into three parts. The MS representative then kindly told me that under the new system this would not be necessary. I could just add the DP to any days that I wanted.

I have since spoken to MS again and asked whether I would risk losing my reservation when I added the DDP to part of my stay. I was told no, that it is simply a modification and does not require cancelling and rebooking.

In addition, TJ was told that you could not add the dining plan for less than all in your party. I was told that you could by two different MS reps. This is not really a debate between me and TJ, but rather an internal debate at member services because they themselves are giving out conflicting information.

However, when I spoke to MS about adding less than everyone in the room to a plan, we had a very detailed discussion. The rep said that with this new flexiblity would come an additional change to the DP: credits could not be shared at a given meal. If two people in your room have the meal plan and two do not, when your family eats at a restaurant you will only be able to use the credits for two meals. The representative seemed to really know what he was talking about, given the level of detail he went into.

Thanks for this info as well. It will be interesting to read an official release about the actual parameters of the new changes.

Tiger

 

[alldiz]

Excited to hear I can add DxDDP to part of my stay while keeping basic DDP rest of stay....without fear of losing my accomodations in the process.
Kerri

 

[HappyontheLake]

We are very excited about getting the DxDDP.

We prefer TS meals -- too many dietary restrictions to really eat Quick Service for the most part. Also -- it is easier for us to eat a large buffet breakfast and a small lunch. By booking A Signature meal and eating breakfast at Boma on a departure day we will only be using one meal credit at a QS location.

We are staying at Kidani Village for three nights after a Disney Dream 4 night.

 

[Sammie]

I am confused as to what y'all mean by having to break up your reservation.

One of the features of the new system will be that you will have one reservation for your entire stay even if you change resorts.

For example. the Jones family, 2 adults and 2 kids are staying at SSR from Jan. 16-23 but only want the plan for 3 nights. You simply let MS know what 3 nights you want it for. For example lets pick Jan. 17, 19, 21. So on those 3 nights you have the DDP for 2 adults and 2 kids as that is occupancy on those dates.

Now If you were having grandparents come and stay with you for a few nights, If the grandparents are going to be there on the nights you have chosen to have the DDP, they too must get the dining plan.

On the days you chose to have the DDP everyone in your group has to have it.

I have spoken again with management about the fact that some MS agents are advising guests they can add it for some of the group. I was told again by management that is not accurate and they are trying very hard to get everyone on the same page and please just be patient.

 

[jakenjess]

Excellent! That's what I was hoping for. Can we do this now?

 

[lauralw]

Excellent! That's what I was hoping for. Can we do this now?

We can add partial DP as soon as they change the system next week. I do not know, however, whether it only applies to vacations starting in 2011 or whether you can do this for the rest of 2010 as well.

Also, someone at member services recommended that I wait until January before adding the DxDDP to my March vacation because it might be a while before the new system is running smoothly.

You should also consider that the sooner you add dining, the sooner you will have to pay for it.

 

[Sammie]

Excellent! That's what I was hoping for. Can we do this now?

As to when, the only thing I have been told is that on October 14, members will be required to pay for the DDP when they book it.

I have also been told the system will not be online at every resort on the same dates. That for all to be fully functional might take into the new year.

 

[Sammie]

We can add partial DP as soon as they change the system next week. I do not know, however, whether it only applies to vacations starting in 2011 or whether you can do this for the rest of 2010 as well.

Also, someone at member services recommended that I wait until January before adding the DxDDP to my March vacation because it might be a while before the new system is running smoothly.

You should also consider that the sooner you add dining, the sooner you will have to pay for it.

I think that is excellent advice. I would actually wait and add it even in Feb, as long as you add it 48 hours prior there is no advantage to adding it early.

 

[lauralw]

I am confused as to what y'all mean by having to break up your reservation.

Before this change, one would have to have to break up a reservation into two or more separate reservations to get the dining plan on less than your full stay in a given hotel. If you tried to break up your reservation at a time when there is no availability, you would risk losing your days because they have to cancel and rebook the segment of your reservation that you want to separate.

When TJ spoke with MS, they said that under the new system this is basically what MS would do when you asked for the dining plan for less than your full stay. Even though you would have one reservation, behind the scenes in the computer your reservation would be broken up.

Based upon TJ's conversation, I called MS and asked them if I could break up my reservation now, rather than wait until later when the risk of losing my reservation would be greater. The representative told me that I did not have to do that and that adding the dining plan is just a modification and will not break up the reservation. I am seriously hoping this is right, because I will be taking this risk when I call back to add the dining plan. Otherwise, my 1 BR at BCV might soon be up for grabs.

 

[Sammie]

Before this change, one would have to have to break up a reservation into two or more separate reservations to get the dining plan on less than your full stay in a given hotel. If you tried to break up your reservation at a time when there is no availability, you would risk losing your days because they have to cancel and rebook the segment of your reservation that you want to separate.

When TJ spoke with MS, they said that under the new system this is basically what MS would do when you asked for the dining plan for less than your full stay. Even though you would have one reservation, behind the scenes in the computer your reservation would be broken up.

Based upon TJ's conversation, I called MS and asked them if I could break up my reservation now, rather than wait until later when the risk of losing my reservation would be greater. The representative told me that I did not have to do that and that adding the dining plan is just a modification and will not break up the reservation. I am seriously hoping this is right, because I will be taking this risk when I call back to add the dining plan. Otherwise, my 1 BR at BCV might soon be up for grabs.

My understanding is the same as what I have bolded. I have been told nothing about having to change any part of your room reservation.

Now the only problem is that until the system is fully operational which will be much later, possibly even in Jan. If you are staying at two resorts and one is online with the new system and one is not, then Yes you will have to deal with two different situations. And certainly with anything this new getting everyone on the same page at Disney is going to be a challenge. It already is.

But based on what I was told by an upper level manager, that after it is fully up and running that as you were told, it will simply be a modification, and nothing will need to be changed.

I would never cancel and rebook. Since your trip is not until March I see no reason to add it now.

 

[tjkraz]

[/B]

My understanding is the same as what I have bolded. I have been told nothing about having to change any part of your room reservation.

When I inquired about what is involved in adding the DDP to just a portion of the stay for EXISTING reservations, here is how it was communicated to me:

"Members that know they want to have accommodations with and without dining should book the accommodations in that manner, [even] if they intend to add the Dining Plan at a later date. 'Splitting' the reservation is not simple to do, as the reservation has to be cancelled and then rebooked. When that happens, there is a risk of losing the inventory."



In my desire to get accurate information, I went to a long-time PR contact who took it to the appropriate parties within Member Services--presumedly a manager--to respond to my inquiries. My experiences have shown that these channels tend to be more reliable than front-line CMs--in this case, CMs who may not even be trained on the new system.

If the above quote ends up being wrong, then it's wrong. I certainly don't want to spread false information and will do what I can to correct any errors if it turns out I have been mislead. But in this case, I'm working from info given to me by sources who have proven their reliability time and time again.

Assuming the above description is accurate, I do think the odds of the inventory being lost are extremely small. The CM handling these adjustments would know exactly what he/she needs to do and would be working very quickly. By comparison, a second CM performing a search for another member would be moving much slower and the process would entail a greater amount of back-and-forth communication between the two.

The second CM may see the availability pop-up in a search, but it is very likely to be gone (re-booked for the original member) before that second CM can complete his/her transaction.

 

[Sammie]

Ok I just realized you are talking of

exisiting reservations

. That would make a difference.

But if anyone is not going before Jan, why would anyone want to book DDP now and take the risk.

Personally between now and Jan, I would not be doing any cancelling and rebooking. Until this system is up and running for a couple of months, regardless of how wonderful it is, you are going to have user errors.

 

[lauralw]

Assuming the above description is accurate, I do think the odds of the inventory being lost are extremely small. The CM handling these adjustments would know exactly what he/she needs to do and would be working very quickly. By comparison, a second CM performing a search for another member would be moving much slower and the process would entail a greater amount of back-and-forth communication between the two.

The second CM may see the availability pop-up in a search, but it is very likely to be gone (re-booked for the original member) before that second CM can complete his/her transaction.

If adding the DP at a later date requires the CM to cancel and rebook, my concern would be that the room goes directly to someone on the waitlist. I do not know how the waitlist works but if it is automatic, this would be a big problem.

Sammie, the reason I was trying to cancel and rebook now (break up my reservation) is that I wanted to do it while there is still inventory -- just in case TJ's "informants" are right and the CMs I spoke with are wrong. Given that I might lose my reservation now anyway and the fact that the CM told me that there was no need to break it up, I decided I would take my chances later.

 

[Sammie]

If adding the DP at a later date requires the CM to cancel and rebook, my concern would be that the room goes directly to someone on the waitlist. I do not know how the waitlist works but if it is automatic, this would be a big problem.

Sammie, the reason I was trying to cancel and rebook now (break up my reservation) is that I wanted to do it while there is still inventory -- just in case TJ's "informants" are right and the CMs I spoke with are wrong. Given that I might lose my reservation now anyway and the fact that the CM told me that there was no need to break it up, I decided I would take my chances later.

I too would wait.

 

[kdzgon]

I'll see if I can find out next week.



Yes and no.

OFFICIALLY, all stays at a single resort were supposed to be processed by Member Services as a single reservation with one Dining Plan election for the entire length of stay.

You might have been able to find an agent who would actually split the trip into two segments (one with DDP and one without), but they were not supposed to be doing that. And the old (current) system would require multiple check-ins and room keys for each portion of that stay.

As another poster illustrated, as of October 14th we could conceivably have different room occupancies and dining plan elections for every single night of a 6 night stay. One check-in...one set of room keys. I don't think you can really compare that to the current process of checking-in 6 separate times...assuming you can even get an agent to configure such a trip.

Never realized it was not allowed. I never intentionally split a reservation, but I have had multiple reservations thanks to wait lists coming through, and I have chosen to not link them and use a dining plan on one but not the other. I have never been told this was not allowed or even discouraged, and we have never had to switch rooms doing this. We did have to check in again but that was never a big deal for us.

I didn't say there were no changes, just that IMO (I believed) the ability to have different DP options in one stay was always possible. Also, much more info has been provided here since my post.

I agree the new option will be better, assuming it will work well. We have had DDP issues on more than one occasion - meals charged instead of credits used, wrong number of credits charged, etc, all with simple parameters. Adding so many potential options might well increase the odds for errors. Even so, I have always wanted to try the DxDP, but not for any length of time so this will allow us to try it out for a limited time.

 

[lilpooh108]

Apparently not - it looks like everyone in the room still has to have the same dining plan. You can switch dining plans between "accommodations" which now means you can switch them without having to change resorts, including adding and removing people from the room for different "accommodations," but everyone registered in the room on any given night still must have the same plan.

Unfortunately, I called MS and was given conflicting information Here is our situation. 2 adults, 1 child under 3. I asked if for our May 2011 trip I can call next year and add the DxDP for the adults and the regular DDP for the baby (we like to order her separate meals rather than share even tho she's under 3). I was told yes. Guess we'll wait and see

 

[PMDR59]

Patiently waiting for the actual "details" to come out. I have 2 stays booked in 2011. We have NEVER done the DDP. For our family it just never worked $$$ wise. . Especially to have to pay Adult prices for our DS's. If we are allowd to mix & match with DDP we may get it. Probably would only do 2A plans for 2 or 3 days of a week long stay. In our case Disney would make money, since we spend so little of our Food money on property, this would get us into the resturants at least a few nights. I am sure we are not the only ones who do alot of their eating in the Villas or off property beacuse the $$$ for the DP for the whole LOS is just tooo much.

 

[Tiger926]

We are patiently awaiting this news as well. We've done DxDp and Regular DP many times, but went back to TIW in 2009 and 2010 as we found it suited our needs better, especially since kids eat adult meals. That being said, there are still some drawbacks to TIW, one being the mandatory gratuity (hubby doesn't like to be told what to do), and paying buffet upcharges/surcharges during peak times. We tried to eliminate character meals, but realized it wasn't fair to our young children as that is one of the things that makes WDW so much fun, especially for the kids. Hubby and I realized that just because we are burned out on character meals, it's not fair to take them away from kids. So, this means more expense for our next trip as we are incurring surcharges yet again.

Hubby has always liked the DxDP, but not the amount of ADRs or cost, but now that there is a possiblility that we can order it for only certain days, this looks like an even better solution for us as we would save money over getting TIW again. We like to eat most breakfasts in villa, and some lunches or dinners too, but if we can spread it out over 2 days, this would be great! Since we get appetizers, there is plenty of food for all, so the kids would do very well, and we'd have plenty of snacks, which we normally use for ice cream or pastries. We'd also still be able to eat in our villa too!

With going for approx. 2 weeks, we like to mix things up, so we are excited to hear this news as well!

Tiger

 

[brookelizabeth]

Anyone hear anything about this yet?

 

[Laurabearz]

Hmmm interesting!