Number Crunching - need advise

[jillmc40]

I have a GF RO reservation for 10/4-10/8. I have a 10% AAA rate on the room. I was really hoping for an AP rate but like many of you, I am getting nervous it won't be offered. FD is available for my dates at GF and I was thinking about switching to that until the AP discounts came out, just in case my dates weren't offered, so that I would at least get some sort of discount.

Here are my problems. If the RO discount comes out after 8/20, then I will have to pay a change fee because it is within 45 days...50.00 (as long as I add the ddp and pay for it), not too bad. BUT, I also have to buy 2 2day park tickets, 1 for me, 1 for dd5 and they expire by Dec 2013. We will not renew our ap's since we won't go back until 2015, after our Feb 2013 trip(I know, the horror!!!). I can use dd5's for my ds in february (he was 2 when we went so I have to buy him a ticket, the rest of us have ap's) but I don't know what to do with mine. It's only 176.00, but what is the point?

What would you do...I need some advice because my head is stuck in the castle now...Thank you for any info, insight!

We will have friends with us...Is there anyway to get the park tickets off of my KTTW card? That would make it a little easier...

 

[Tltorrez]

I have a GF RO reservation for 10/4-10/8. I have a 10% AAA rate on the room. I was really hoping for an AP rate but like many of you, I am getting nervous it won't be offered. FD is available for my dates at GF and I was thinking about switching to that until the AP discounts came out, just in case my dates weren't offered, so that I would at least get some sort of discount.

Here are my problems. If the RO discount comes out after 8/20, then I will have to pay a change fee because it is within 45 days...50.00 (as long as I add the ddp and pay for it), not too bad. BUT, I also have to buy 2 2day park tickets, 1 for me, 1 for dd5 and they expire by Dec 2013. We will not renew our ap's since we won't go back until 2015, after our Feb 2013 trip(I know, the horror!!!). I can use dd5's for my ds in february (he was 2 when we went so I have to buy him a ticket, the rest of us have ap's) but I don't know what to do with mine. It's only 176.00, but what is the point?

What would you do...I need some advice because my head is stuck in the castle now...Thank you for any info, insight!

We will have friends with us...Is there anyway to get the park tickets off of my KTTW card? That would make it a little easier...

There seems to be very little chance the discounts will come out by 8/20. lots of CMs are now reporting the end of Aug or beginning of Sept. so I would assume that constraint.

There is also a not insignificant chance that some of Oct is not covered by the RO discount. This happened last year with the GP discounts. Even if the discount applies there's always the question of availability at your resort/room type. In other words, you can't count on a discount showing up.

With regard to your situation I'm not clear on how much you'd be saving by using FD. Is it more than the 10%? Will you be buying the DDP if you don't have FD or will you be paying OOP. Does the DDP work for your family? I can tell you that even if no RO discount available for us, we wouldn't be taking FD. We just don't eat in a way that works with DDP and the hassle of the tickets would make it a nightmare. Just something to think about.

 

[jillmc40]

I think in typing out the message it made it clear to me that FD is not actually free for us at all...This is what I came up with

Current Reservation:
AAA Discount of 10%
2200.00 (down from 2441.00)

FD Offer:
2800.00
340.00 of this is for park tickets so take that off
Room is then 2460 (the price it was originally)
if you subtract the ddp cost from that it comes to 2182.00! The same darn price as I am paying now with the 10% discount!!!

I have never done the DDP and don't think I want to start now. I have a TIW card and think I will just go with that. Sheesh, sorry for making everyone read all that but maybe I helped someone else figure this out as well

 

[Tltorrez]

I have never done the DDP and don't think I want to start now. I have a TIW card and think I will just go with that. Sheesh, sorry for making everyone read all that but maybe I helped someone else figure this out as well

No worries. I had the same brief thought myself -some discount must be better than no discount, right? But we're all buying APs for this trip so the tickets would be a total waste. And since we eat more apps than desserts and drink a lot of wine - the DDP would just be a PITA. Too much food we won't eat and not enough of what we do. And I'd have to change dates. Not happening. The TIW card will work out much better.

Of course this is a good lesson in why Disney promotes FD much more heavily than RO. I know it saves money for some but I'm sure here are a lot of people that stop their analysis at the word FREE.

 

[Singinglizzie]

I think you should factor in the cost of your meals while at WDW to truly compare your bottom line costs. Unless you plan to eat in your rooms with food you bring it, food at WDW is expensive. You should be able to look at some of the menus and figure out what you might spend. I did this with the last trip and figured out that we would be better off eating OOP. Well in the end, I would have saved $$ with the DDP since we ate way more snacks and meals than I figured and the grocery store run cost way more than I budgeted. Every family is different but it might be that the DDP could be a hassle free way to go. Best of Luck.

 

[RMAMom]

I think in typing out the message it made it clear to me that FD is not actually free for us at all...This is what I came up with

Current Reservation:
AAA Discount of 10%
2200.00 (down from 2441.00)

FD Offer:
2800.00
340.00 of this is for park tickets so take that off
Room is then 2460 (the price it was originally)
if you subtract the ddp cost from that it comes to 2182.00! The same darn price as I am paying now with the 10% discount!!!

I have never done the DDP and don't think I want to start now. I have a TIW card and think I will just go with that. Sheesh, sorry for making everyone read all that but maybe I helped someone else figure this out as well

I think your math is off completely! In the first example you only have a room
in the second example you have a room, and food for the same price. How does that make the first one better. You can still use your TIW for anything not included in the DDP, any alcoholic drinks at meals, if you want apps or if there is a side you would like to try in addition to your DP meal.

 

[sumertime]

Why would your tickets expire in Dec. 2013? I thought unused tickets never expired.

 

[vicki_c]

Why would your tickets expire in Dec. 2013? I thought unused tickets never expired.

That is correct, so I don't know what that meant in the OP's post. Tickets from a free dining package would not expire if not used.

 

[MMS1125]

FD is a bigger savings than 10% off the room. Don't forget to factor in your meal costs in your original math.

If you go with FD have the resort take the tickets off your KTTW card and save them for your AP renewal or a new AP in 2015. As long as they are unused they won't expire.

Also in your 2nd bit of math the DDP is more than the $300 you subtracted.

Room is then 2460 (the price it was originally)
if you subtract the ddp cost from that it comes to 2182.00!

Basically if you go with Free dining you will be paying 10% more for your room and 2 day base tickets which will be your bigger expense.

Do you have any table service ADRs planned?

 

[jillmc40]

The CM told me that they put in a new policy that tickets from a package will expire by Dec 2013! Maybe I should call back.

Either way I don't have room and food for the same price in the second example. Room and food is 2460 (no 10% discount), room only is 2197(with 10%). For me and dd5 the ddp was going to cost 214.00 for me and 64.00 for dd (4 nights). That is 278.00. The price difference between the room is 263.00.

I have a ton of TS adr's, a few that cost 2 credits and I think the ddp would just stress me out. I don't eat much cs. Then I was thinking of the DXDP but in the end I would rather just order what I want and not worry about it, especially when it isn't saving me any money. If all 4 of us (DH and DS3) were coming then I would probably do it.

 

[MMS1125]

oohh so it's just you and your 5yr old? hmmm

I'm torn because with a deluxe a room discount is almost always a greater savings. But you only have 10% which is basically what the cost of the DDP would be for you and your daughter. Do you think you'll spend more than 270 in food for this trip? If so it's probably better to take the DDP and just save the tickets. I'd have them removed off your card so you they don't accidentally get used. You can then use your dd's ticket on your son when you go then save a little $$ off a new AP in 2015 if you get another one then

 

[TheRatPack]

I agree with the other posters, I'd check out the menus on All Ears and estimate what I planned on spending for food, drinks and snacks. I think you'll spend more on food than what the dining plan is costing you. Don't forget to factor in the refillable mugs and snacks. And if you use the TS meals for a 2TS ADR, you can use a snack the next day to get a pastry for breakfast, fill up your mug and have breakfast if you run out of TS meals...although you still have QS meals too. You can arrange the dining credits any way you want.....to make it the best fit (financially and time wise) for your trip.

 

[jillmc40]

Even if I had the ddp I would still have to pay for food because I have way more adr's than I do credits My ever fear is that I am going to get to Le Cellier for dinner and only want soup and salad or something (because I stuffed my face at F&W - haha!)...I am pretty good at estimating how much I will spend when I go since I always pay oop. I just don't think the ddp would work for us and more wanted to try it if it was free as a novelty type thing. But in our case the free dining wasn't really free at all. If I had dh and ds with us then it would be a different story all together.

Plus, I still haven't had a CM tell me that the tickets from a package don't expire on Dec 2013!!! They both said it was a new policy. SO, anyone planning on using them later than Dec 2013, make sure you verify that you can!

I really just want a darn AP discount but they are taking for...ever!

 

[Tltorrez]

Even if I had the ddp I would still have to pay for food because I have way more adr's than I do credits My ever fear is that I am going to get to Le Cellier for dinner and only want soup and salad or something (because I stuffed my face at F&W - haha!)...I am pretty good at estimating how much I will spend when I go since I always pay oop. I just don't think the ddp would work for us and more wanted to try it if it was free as a novelty type thing. But in our case the free dining wasn't really free at all. If I had dh and ds with us then it would be a different story all together.

Plus, I still haven't had a CM tell me that the tickets from a package don't expire on Dec 2013!!! They both said it was a new policy. SO, anyone planning on using them later than Dec 2013, make sure you verify that you can!

I really just want a darn AP discount but they are taking for...ever!

I would post the ticket question as a separate thread. There are some ticket experts including a CM on the Theme Park board.

 

[vicki_c]

Even if I had the ddp I would still have to pay for food because I have way more adr's than I do credits My ever fear is that I am going to get to Le Cellier for dinner and only want soup and salad or something (because I stuffed my face at F&W - haha!)...I am pretty good at estimating how much I will spend when I go since I always pay oop. I just don't think the ddp would work for us and more wanted to try it if it was free as a novelty type thing. But in our case the free dining wasn't really free at all. If I had dh and ds with us then it would be a different story all together.

Plus, I still haven't had a CM tell me that the tickets from a package don't expire on Dec 2013!!! They both said it was a new policy. SO, anyone planning on using them later than Dec 2013, make sure you verify that you can!

I really just want a darn AP discount but they are taking for...ever!

We already discussed this thread on the Theme Parks board regarding the expiring tickets and came to the conclusion that is some FL tickets that do expire then (I believe it was 6 months or 12/18/13 whichever came first).

Are you booking a FL resident offer?

 

[jillmc40]

We already discussed this thread on the Theme Parks board regarding the expiring tickets and came to the conclusion that is some FL tickets that do expire then (I believe it was 6 months or 12/18/13 whichever came first).

Are you booking a FL resident offer?

I had no idea this was discussed somewhere else. Nope, I am in NJ. I was talking to the CM about changing from regular AAA discount to free dining and that is what she told me. Then I talked to another cm but he was a little short with me and I think he wanted to get off the phone from the start.

 

[vicki_c]

I had no idea this was discussed somewhere else. Nope, I am in NJ. I was talking to the CM about changing from regular AAA discount to free dining and that is what she told me. Then I talked to another cm but he was a little short with me and I think he wanted to get off the phone from the start.

If you weren't trying to book a FL package, I think you were misinformed. Someone on the Theme Parks board posted about you being told the tickets were expiring yesterday and that was everyone's best guess. Cheshire Figment, our DIS ticket CM and guru said he had not heard of any expiring tickets like that other than the FL resident ones.