Segmenting Reservation for DDP

[goofy4wdw2]

After reading info on the boards, we are thinking of segmenting our reservation to purchase the DDP for less days than our reservation. I just want to be sure I'm thinking through this correctly. If we stay for 7 nights and 8 days can we do the following for the cost of 4 nights on the DDP?

-Day 1: arrival, no DDP
-Day 2: DDP
-Day 3: DDP
-Day 4: No DDP (but we will have access to the credits from Day 2 & 3 if not yet used)
-Day 5: DDP
-Day 6: DDP
-Day 7: No DDP (but we will have access to the credits from Day 5 & 6 if not yet used)
-Day 8: no DDP

If it is ok to work it this way, would we need to tell MS at the time of booking the reservation, or can we decide if we want to segment and which days we want to segment after we've made the reservation?

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[deerislemaine]

We segmented our stay on our last visit (January 2011) and for our upcoming trip in January 2012. In January we did a one night stay and did the DDP. The deluxe plan gave us free mugs which we could use throughout our 8 night stay. We used the TIW card after the first night. We used the DDP because we did 3 character meals over two days.

Your schedule also looks good and will allow you to use up unused meal credits. It would also allow you to do some special meals that take two table credits.

For our upcoming reservation, we just told the CM what we wanted to do in terms of segmenting. We first made the reservation for 7 nights at 11 months out. We then called back two days later and had it segmented. She had to check with a supervisor to make sure that we didn't lose our January 1, 2012 night, but they were able to work it out. We just explained what we wanted, and the CM worked it out for us.

We've also found that if we don't get a CM that understand how to segment we just call back.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I am interested in segmenting our upcoming trip. How would you suggest we do this. I am thinking one day of DDP and the other remaining QSP. Our trip is as follows:

Arriving Weds 8:30 am at MCO and leaving Sunday 6:15 pm MCO. We want to do one Character Breakfast, one Dinner in Epcot. I was thinking this

Day 1 - QSDP
Day 2 - Chef Mickey's - DDP
Day 3 - Dinner at Epcot- DDP
Day 4 - QSDP
Day 5 - Out of pocket or QSDP?

Does this seem too much?

 

[Doug7856]

I had segmented our July trip but when I went to make my dining reservations, I could only book by segment at the six month point. Just keep that in mind when planing your dining. The other option would be to segment after the dining reservations have been made.

 

[cvjw]

Keep in mind that you will have to check in/check out each morning that your dining plan changes - you are supposed to be able to keep the same room. That seems like alot of segmenting to me. I have segmented our next 3 vacations, but done it for consecutive days - so there is less confusion.

 

[Doug7856]

Keep in mind that you will have to check in/check out each morning that your dining plan changes - you are supposed to be able to keep the same room. That seems like alot of segmenting to me. I have segmented our next 3 vacations, but done it for consecutive days - so there is less confusion.

With the new system, you keep the same reservation and you are not supposed to check in/out, but there have been reports of problems.

 

[beachwarmer]

We had trouble with the dinning plan in Feb. I had DlxDP for two nights at OKW then moved to VWL for 7 without any. The new system was just starting and we got the parking pass with last check out date at VWL from OKW. The Key to World cards were for the entire stay as well, however they only worked for snacks and never at table service. I had to go to the front desk to have them charge back every meal we ate. OKW were terrible about it, to the point of being rude. I even had to go back to the WL desk to get them to fix our last day of meals, but they were quite nice about it.

The Key to the World cards confused the staff because they were coded for multiple resorts and did not have the traditional dining plan info on the bottom of the card.

I hope they have trained the restaurant staff better now it is more common. We wasted so much time even in the parks.

Good luck for all doing it soon.

 

[cvjw]

With the new system, you keep the same reservation and you are not supposed to check in/out, but there have been reports of problems.

I was told by every CM that I talked to while segmenting my next 3 trips that you would indeed have to go to the front desk every time you had a change to your dining plan situation - they said new keys would have to be issued each time. I haven't done it personally - our first segmented trip is May. That is just the info I have been given very consistently by the CM's at member services.

 

[Doug7856]

I was told by every CM that I talked to while segmenting my next 3 trips that you would indeed have to go to the front desk every time you had a change to your dining plan situation - they said new keys would have to be issued each time. I haven't done it personally - our first segmented trip is May. That is just the info I have been given very consistently by the CM's at member services.

I think there are two issues here: training of cast members and many technical problems. If you have one segmented reservation, you should not have to check in again with new cards. It is frustrating that there is no consistency in communicating to members.

 

[palaemon]

I thought you could only use the DDP on the days you pay for it. It looks like the OP is paying for less days than his or her entire stay, but planning to use them throughout the entire stay?

I know the stay is segmented, but I thought that just meant that you could just have the DDP on specific days.

Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Sandisw]

I had segmented our July trip but when I went to make my dining reservations, I could only book by segment at the six month point. Just keep that in mind when planing your dining. The other option would be to segment after the dining reservations have been made.

I had no trouble booking reservations for my entire trip at the 180 day mark using my segmented reservation #'s. I was able to book out for 10 days from my check in date, even though my August trip is segmented into 4 segements--night 1, night 2, night 3, and nights 4/5.

 

[Sandisw]

I thought you could only use the DDP on the days you pay for it. It looks like the OP is paying for less days than his or her entire stay, but planning to use them throughout the entire stay?

I know the stay is segmented, but I thought that just meant that you could just have the DDP on specific days.

Correct me if I am wrong.

No, you are correct. I think what the OP is staying is that if the first segment is for nights 2 and 3, but the credits would still be valid until midnight of night 4 since that would be the "check out" day for that segment.

For example, we are getting the DxDDP for night two of our August trip--August 11th. Those credits will be valid for August 11th and August 12th. My plan is to use 1 TS and 1 CS on August 11th and 1 TS on 2 snacks on August 12th.

 

[Deb & Bill]

After reading info on the boards, we are thinking of segmenting our reservation to purchase the DDP for less days than our reservation. I just want to be sure I'm thinking through this correctly. If we stay for 7 nights and 8 days can we do the following for the cost of 4 nights on the DDP?

-Day 1: arrival, no DDP
-Day 2: DDP
-Day 3: DDP
-Day 4: No DDP (but we will have access to the credits from Day 2 & 3 if not yet used)
-Day 5: DDP
-Day 6: DDP
-Day 7: No DDP (but we will have access to the credits from Day 5 & 6 if not yet used)
-Day 8: no DDP

If it is ok to work it this way, would we need to tell MS at the time of booking the reservation, or can we decide if we want to segment and which days we want to segment after we've made the reservation?

Thank you very much in advance!

You probably want to segment after the fact. Or they won't let you book the second and third stays until you are 7 or 11 months out from the start of that stay. It's separate reservation.

 

[palaemon]

No, you are correct. I think what the OP is staying is that if the first segment is for nights 2 and 3, but the credits would still be valid until midnight of night 4 since that would be the "check out" day for that segment.

For example, we are getting the DxDDP for night two of our August trip--August 11th. Those credits will be valid for August 11th and August 12th. My plan is to use 1 TS and 1 CS on August 11th and 1 TS on 2 snacks on August 12th.

That is great news (to me)!

 

[Doug7856]

I had no trouble booking reservations for my entire trip at the 180 day mark using my segmented reservation #'s. I was able to book out for 10 days from my check in date, even though my August trip is segmented into 4 segements--night 1, night 2, night 3, and nights 4/5.

Good to know! Maybe they have solved the problem or they just don't like me!

 

[dairyqueenmom]

I sent my request by email, I had heard people were having problems finding a CM who understood segmenting. I saw people were having sucess with the email route. I havn't heard back yet.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

Thank you so much everyone for your replies and tips! I really appreciate the help so I'm prepared when it's time for us to book our reservation