Passholder and dining plan question...

[YayDisney!]

Our family is beginning discussion of splurging on 2 WDW vacations next year - one in early June, one in mid-December. We are tossing around the idea of getting one annual pass,hoping that we'll be able to upgrade our hotel choices to a mod for one trip and possibly the Poly for our December trip. We also have AAA, so we'll be comparing discounts that may be offered.

My question is, if one of us has the annual pass, how do you book a package through Disney that would include the dining plan? Since we would only need tickets for myself and daughter, would they just add the cost of the dining plan over the phone, or are pass holders allowed to get the plan without buying extra park days?

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

If you use an AP rate you cannot add the dining plan. You would have to book a Magic Your Way package with tickets and dining for all 3 people. However, with an AP you can order the Disney Dining Experience card which is good for 20% off all table service locations. Since I am an AP holder and can't add the dining plan this is what we do.

 

[YayDisney!]

Thank you very much! That answers my question entirely!!

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Thank you very much! That answers my question entirely!!

You're welcome. It's kind of a bummer that we can't add the dining plan, but I guess we make up for it with discounted rooms and the DDE card.

 

[LindyN]

To get the dining plan you must book a package with at least a one day basic ticket on it. You don't need to have a length of stay theme park ticket and can use the AP for your theme park admission.

If other folks in your travel party need a longer ticket then just upgrade the one day tickets to the time that they need, and you can use the AP.

Can't count on AP discounts. Get the AP because you're going back, not because you want a discount (although discounts are nice). Breakeven point is about 14 days with the AP (it used to be about 10).

 

[YayDisney!]

To get the dining plan you must book a package with at least a one day basic ticket on it. You don't need to have a length of stay theme park ticket and can use the AP for your theme park admission.

If other folks in your travel party need a longer ticket then just upgrade the one day tickets to the time that they need, and you can use the AP.

Can't count on AP discounts. Get the AP because you're going back, not because you want a discount (although discounts are nice). Breakeven point is about 14 days with the AP (it used to be about 10).

This is useful information. Thank you very much! We are trying to squeeze 2 trips in next year, so the annual pass may be a plus. There are a lot of numbers to look at! Thank you so much for your help!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

You might want to consider renting points from a DVC member. You don't have to purchase any ticket media to add the dining plan when staying at a DVC resort. For your trip in June, you'd probably be able to spend a week in a studio at Old Key West for less than $1000 (which might be better than any deal you could secure on a moderate). You'd have two queen beds (mods. only have doubles) along with a kitchenette and free laundry facilities.

 

[MacAddict]

When we were planning our trip (4 days!!!) we looked at several ways to go...we looked into renting DVC points for a villa in OKW, then AP rates where out, but we really wanted to experience the dining plan.

When they released the general fall pkg discounts, it nailed it for us. We purchased AP's for the two of us, and then booked a MYW pkg with 1 day tickets and the dining plan. We saved a chunk of cash instead of using the AP rate and are quite happy with how things turned out.

In fact we were going to stay at ASMu and then changed to POR, then when they had some openings we decided to go for a new hotel for us and are now going to be at CSR. Never having been there, we are looking forward to exploring and staying there.

Good luck with your decision

Mike

 

[YayDisney!]

Thank you so much for all of your responses!

We did think about renting points for OKW, that's what we did our very first trip to WDW. We loved it there! I guess we'll just have to create the spreadsheet of all cost variables and see where the best deal lies. We'll keep the AP in mind and see how it will work in the long run. Even though it's a little bit of work to gather the information, it IS planning for a WDW vacation, so it's FUN at the same time!!

Thanks again!!