Question about Free Dining and Extra days at Hotel

[glitzybabes]

My family and I are going to Disney during free dining and we need some extra food credits because of 2 point TS places. Would it be wrong to book and pay for extra days at the hotel just to get the extra food credits? It would be cheaper that way than to just pay out of pocket for more food that we will need. Could we even do this? We would pay for 10 nights but check out after our 8th night. Would it hurt anyone? Would it be dishonest? What are your Thoughts???

 

[smartestnumber5]

I think this is a very good idea.

I don't see how there could be anything objectionable about it. It's no different than if you booked 7 days at a Disney hotel and on day 5 went to visit relatives in Tampa and stayed with them for the night. You still payed for the hotel for the night which entitles you to the free dining for that night to be used anytime during your trip.

Have a good trip!

 

[bmoncher]

Personally I think it is dishonest and discourteous.
You are holding a room that could be used by someone else.
Is the cost of 2-3 extra hotels nights that much cheaper them paying out of pocket for the meal?

 

[glitzybabes]

Personally I think it is dishonest and discourteous.
You are holding a room that could be used by someone else.
Is the cost of 2-3 extra hotels nights that much cheaper them paying out of pocket for the meal?

We would check out after the 8th night so the room would be free to rent to someone else. It is cheaper. It would only be $185 more to stay in hotel for 2 more nights. Plus we receive 8 extra snacks and 8 CS

 

[ElizabethB]

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion. No one says you have to stay in a room just because you booked and paid for it!! As far as the argument that it's discourteous to others because you booked it but you're not staying in it, that's silly. There are people on these boards who book a value resort to get the free dining and then stay at a far more comfortable off-site condo. Nothing wrong with that either. You book and pay for a room, you're entitled to use it (or not!) in any legal manner. And, WDW is going to be more than happy if you pay for a room you don't use -- no expense for maid service, hot water, towels and the like.

I think it's a great idea. Unfortunately, we're booked at the Grand Floridian, so it doesn't make sense for us -- the night's room rate is more than the cost of the dining package.

 

[bookgirl2632]

We would check out after the 8th night so the room would be free to rent to someone else. It is cheaper. It would only be $185 more to stay in hotel for 2 more nights. Plus we receive 8 extra snacks and 8 CS

I'm pretty sure that Disney has something to counteract this. If you check out early, I wouldn't be surprised if they make you pay for the two days of dining that you used before checking out.

 

[glitzybabes]

I'm pretty sure that Disney has something to counteract this. If you check out early, I wouldn't be surprised if they make you pay for the two days of dining that you used before checking out.

Right. I was thinking about that. So do I have to check out if I don't have a bill or anything. How can I do that?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, you’re staying at a Value resort and have either:
Two actual adults and two “Disney adults” (kids between 10 and 17), or
Two adults, one “Disney adult”, and one child, or
Two adults and two children
(because any other scenario of four Guests in a room would cost you more than the amount you state)
So you’d be saving between $5 and $60 per night, depending on your specific resort.

The primary problem with your plan is, it doesn’t matter how long your reservation is – your dining credits expire at midnight of the day you check out.

Couple of suggestions:
ºOº Change your dining plans to match your dining credits
ºOº Pay out-of-pocket for a couple of the lower-priced one credit meals, or for the lower valued two credit meal.

You asked for thoughts: My thoughts are, you are attempting to use the DDP in a manner other than that in which it was designed. Please don’t.

 

[ElizabethB]

You don't need to check out if you don't want or need a copy of your bill. If you leave a credit card number, all charges will simply go to your card. You'll need to trust that the charges are correct.

 

[ElizabethB]

The OP doesn't care if the credits expire at midnight on the date of checkout. The OP plans to use all of the credits before checkout.

 

[smartestnumber5]

Right. I was thinking about that. So do I have to check out if I don't have a bill or anything. How can I do that?

I don't know what the deal with check out is. I "checked out" the last two trips and I believe all they did was give us a list of charges to check to see if they were correct; it was really just a waste of standing in line. I assume if you hadn't charged anything on your room card or didn't care about looking over the charges there'd be no point in "checking out" and thus they'd have no way to know whether you were actually at the hotel or not.

What does a hotel do if someone doesn't "check out" on the day they are supposed to? I assume they just charge the credit card for any charges made and a few hours after the check out time assume the guests have left and prepare the room for the next guests.

 

[LizinSTL]

Right. I was thinking about that. So do I have to check out if I don't have a bill or anything. How can I do that?

We've left hotels early that we've booked through expedia and priceline (non-refundable)- not disney but others.

What we've done is check with the desk regarding charges on the room before leaving, then we ask that our final statement be mailed to us rather than slid under the door.

Since you have free dining, I don't think it's really going to be a problem from a reservation standpoint. It's just up to you if you feel like you want to do it from an ethical standpoint, I guess.

 

[DiZneEChIcK]

We would check out after the 8th night so the room would be free to rent to someone else. It is cheaper. It would only be $185 more to stay in hotel for 2 more nights. Plus we receive 8 extra snacks and 8 CS

Disney cannot rent the room out to other travelers if you are supposed to be staying in it. They cannot "double book" a room that is already paid for that people are supposed to be staying in.

I would suggest just paying for a rather inexpensive meal OOP and not be unfair to other people who are looking for rooms during free dining.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I agree, more an ethical question here.
I have never gone on a line to check out. They would normally leave the bill for you on your door, so instead, when you check in ask if you can have the final bill sent home instead of on the door. They likely would not think twice about it.
Could Disney FIGURE OUT if you left earlier than you originally stated? Sure, but Would they? And whats the point anyway. They were paid for the room and your credits would have already been used. I really can't imagine them billing you for those credits IF they figured it out.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[disneymom06]

The DDP allows you to use the credits as needed for the persons on the plan. So now you won't have to check out at 11am on the eighth day and will be able to leave the resort at your leisure, which will be the ninth day. It is your business if you paid for a tenth day and didn't use the room. You have paid for the rooms and you are entitled to the perks that go with that reservation. I see nothing wrong with your situation. The room is yours to do with as you please. Enjoy the perks that come with the rack rate room!

 

[eeyore45]

I get confused when talking Disney math...

but we book a couple of 2TS places, and just made it work, by sharing meals.

We share CS meals - we'll get the dbl cheeseburger lg coke no ice - get a glass of ice and pay for a bun - or in Tomorrowland there is this huge combo rib chicken meal - and we share that for lunch or dinner - we'll use a snack credit for breakfast, or pay out of pocket for a "side of bacon" (for protein) or scrambled eggs - or split a big breakfast platter meal (or save the fruit and have a banana for breakfast)

So we use our CS meals to free up a TS credit. Sometimes our dd would rather eat at McD chicken nuggets in Epcot and only eat a dessert at LeCellier - so we share that... and free up a TS credit...

we never share at buffets - and we do a lot of character buffets (she is an adult under Disney DP) Sometimes we pay out of pocket for a Buffet - like the Breakfast buffet at Ohana's I believe is $17 or $18 per person, so we'll pay out of pocket and $36 for one meal is cheaper than one night at the value resort - for us - so we tweak the eating to fit our choices...

Its a lot of food (app, meal, dessert) so sometimes we're just not that hungry! and I'm glad we've added the 2TS places!

 

[iluvdisnee]

You could always go to the desk on the day you plan to leave and ask for a summary of charges but dont say anything about "checking out".

 

[ElizabethB]

I guess I'm confused. What is the ethical problem here? You pay for a room, you get what comes with that room.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Let me see if I've got this.
You're getting the Dining Plan free.
You've booked (or plan to book) so many two-credit Table Service meals that it'll be cheaper for you to pay for two additional hotel nights, than to just pay cash for a couple of one-credit meals? Or to determine if either or both of your two-credit choices are a poor use of credits and pay for cash for one of them instead?

 

[glitzybabes]

We have decided just to pay the difference in the cost than to book extra nights. I wouldn't want to do anything wrong that might hurt the free dining program. Thanks for everyones thoughts and opinions.