Online: Using Dining Plan instead of Credit Card! Help!

[disneydownunder]

EDIT: I apologize if this is in the wrong section. This is my first post, sorry if this is to be in the Reservations section but it features the Dining Plan too, Thanks.
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Hi!

I have a 2 week holiday in February 2011, I booked Pop Century and upgraded to a Magic Your Way plus Dining, instead of the Quick Service free deal. I have 14 days with the Dining Plan.
I payed the 200 USD deposit, Got my Confirmation number, waited over 24 hours. Went to book both Cinderella RT and Aloha Dinner Show using the online reservation for early Feb, Dinner times and dates are available not a problem, however it only wants to charge my credit card. They are both apart of the 2011 Dining Plan as well!.
I 'Retrieved Reservation' carefully, as it said to do with a Dining Plan, it brought up my dates but there is no option to Use the Dining Plan. I went to the very, very last step where it asks for your credit card number. Fine, they want it for safe keeping. I understand. Next Screen, they will charge 96 bucks for 2 adults, Straight Away!. Very Strange. My reservation I have triple checked and it includes the upgraded Dining Plan. It had no option regarding Dining Plan whatsoever!.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is it because I havent paid off the full amount of the holiday yet? (not due until Xmas)
I am writing from Australia so contacting Disney Reservations by Phone is expensive! This will be my first ever trip to WDW
Any help would be fantastic, suggestions, anything would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

[stichy]

Charging your credit card is a just incase you don't show up. I just booked Spirit of Aloha not using dining credit and was a bit ticked that my card was being charged the day I booked. I can understand taking the card number and only charging if we are a no show but for me to have to pay for the meal 6 months in advance is a bit excessive in my opinion.

 

[disneydownunder]

thanks for the reply. How can you tell they are not going to charge the CC?. On the last stage/screen is explains they will charge your card immediately for 2 adults. No Mention of the Dining Plan that I have, or anything about that its purely a hold unless cancelled at the last minute...

I have been hearing rumors of an infamous 'glitch' in booking online res for Dining Plans that require 2 TS vouchers.....I hope it isnt true!

 

[plutolovr]

Charging your credit card is a just incase you don't show up. I just booked Spirit of Aloha not using dining credit and was a bit ticked that my card was being charged the day I booked. I can understand taking the card number and only charging if we are a no show but for me to have to pay for the meal 6 months in advance is a bit excessive in my opinion.

You were charged because all Dinner Shows require payment upfront as well as CRT. This has been Disney's way for many years.

OP, you may just have to call Disney Dining and make those ADRs. I'm not sure there is a way on the online site to make those ADRs and not be charged. I don't believe it's set up that way. In any case, if you decide to do it online you will be charged. When you're at your resort and pick-up your tickets for those dinner shows, you can explain that you are on the Dining Plan and they will reverse those charges and deduct the points from your DP.

 

[TDC Nala]

The online system does not always work the way it is supposed to. Many times, even those who have a dining plan on their reservation and have linked the reservation are asked to pay in full for CRT or dinner shows at the time of booking.

The best way to prevent this is to call WDW Dining to make the reservation, but that isn't a lot of help to those calling internationally, which the OP is doing. That call will cost a bit.

The only other way to handle it is to pay for the meals, then get them refunded when you show up and change your payment to dining credits. (This, however, can be problematic when you are dealing with a currency conversion. Depending on the fluctuations in the currencies, in six months you may end up getting back less than you paid.)

This has nothing to do with CRT or dinner shows costing two credits on DDP. It's because these are the only restaurant reservations that require full payment at the time of booking, and because the online system is not working the way it is supposed to work in these cases.

 

[sndral]

Hopefully Cafeen will jump in here and explain, he's the online dinning ADR guru IMO. I booked a 2 TS signature dinning (SOA and CG) on line. I'm on the dinning plan. My credit card was not charged - although I put the number, etc. in. My trip was not yet paid off. Make sure you associate your reservation number - the 2 ts places are still on the old reservation system, so you have to associate your reservation number twice. The last screen before you are done should show a $0 balance on your cc charge - if it shows an amount being charged, stop and try again later.

 

[TDC Nala]

Even if you input your reservation and you have a dining plan on the reservation, it doesn't always allow you to book a dinner show or CRT without paying in full for it. It's supposed to, but it doesn't always work. If you do it twice as shown above it might.

this could go either way but I will move it to the Reservations board in case more answers can be had there.

 

[disneydownunder]

thanks for all the posts, I appreciate the help!

Have gone to bed here in Australia, woke up, same thing happening.It wants 94 bucks straight away.

Regarding logging in twice, I believe I am. I can only see 2 places where you can. One is logging in to the main site where it says WELCOME top left hand corner. The 2nd being 'Retrieve Reservation' just before you search for your reservation time.

Looks like I might have to call ($$$) Disney, thanks again for any tips. Keep them coming!

 

[Cafeen]

Hopefully Cafeen will jump in here and explain, he's the online dinning ADR guru IMO. I booked a 2 TS signature dinning (SOA and CG) on line. I'm on the dinning plan. My credit card was not charged - although I put the number, etc. in. My trip was not yet paid off. Make sure you associate your reservation number - the 2 ts places are still on the old reservation system, so you have to associate your reservation number twice. The last screen before you are done should show a $0 balance on your cc charge - if it shows an amount being charged, stop and try again later.

I've been busy , thanks for jumping in.

thanks for all the posts, I appreciate the help!

Have gone to bed here in Australia, woke up, same thing happening.It wants 94 bucks straight away.

Regarding logging in twice, I believe I am. I can only see 2 places where you can. One is logging in to the main site where it says WELCOME top left hand corner. The 2nd being 'Retrieve Reservation' just before you search for your reservation time.

Looks like I might have to call ($$$) Disney, thanks again for any tips. Keep them coming!

As mentioned above, if it's asking for payment, your alternatives are to either:

1. Pay now and be refunded when dining (see Nala's note about currency conversion though
2. Make the reservations over the phone

Unfortunately, Disney is not know for good website development (or QA!) and their online systems tend to have "some" issues. This is one of them. The system does not always "see" the dining plan associated with the resort reservation. It's sporadic but seems to stick per reservation.

Also, it has nothing to do with them being 2 TS, there are several other 2 TS locations that do not require any sort of CC confirmation. It's just specific to CRT and the Dinner Shows.

 

[molfrog]

Charging your credit card is disney's policy if you dont show up. If you have the ddp, your card will not be billed if you show up.

 

[Kathy Z]

Welcome to the DISboards, disneydownunder. I'm sorry that your introduction has to be under such frustrating circumstances.

 

[Cafeen]

Charging your credit card is disney's policy if you dont show up. If you have the ddp, your card will not be billed if you show up.

Policy-wise, this is true. Technologically-wise, not so much. (See aforementioned website issues listed above).

 

[disneydownunder]

Thank you all very much for this info. I bought an international phone card today and rang up Disney Reservations, had to enter my 11 digit pin card, 7 digit Customer Number, USA Country Code, Area Code, Disney Dining phone number and I think number 2 for Reservations!!
Was a long number!

The person at Disney Dining was so helpful and friendly if this is how America is with customer service I am moving to the USA!. Booked Cinderella and Fantasmic Dining with Hollywood Vine Buffet, not a problem.

Again, thank you all so much for your help with this issue I hope to be a frequent visitor to these boards with postings with the lead up to my big trip.

 

[Cafeen]

Thank you all very much for this info. I bought an international phone card today and rang up Disney Reservations, had to enter my 11 digit pin card, 7 digit Customer Number, USA Country Code, Area Code, Disney Dining phone number and I think number 2 for Reservations!!
Was a long number!

The person at Disney Dining was so helpful and friendly if this is how America is with customer service I am moving to the USA!. Booked Cinderella and Fantasmic Dining with Hollywood Vine Buffet, not a problem.

Again, thank you all so much for your help with this issue I hope to be a frequent visitor to these boards with postings with the lead up to my big trip.

Glad you had a good experience, especially after dialing all those numbers. Glad you got a good CM too, they seem to be hit or miss from reading this boards lately (although, most of the misses seem to be on the resort reservation side and not dining, other than lack of information/knowledge).