Should I add a day to get the Free Dining Plan?

[codytrahan]

I need expert advice! And I know I've come to the right place!
Here's the deal: We're flying in on 12/18/09 and staying at Pop until 12/23/09. The Free Dining Plan is offered up until 12/17! I'm one day short. I called Disney tonight and got a price to change my arrival date to 12/17 and upgrade the Free Counter Service plan to the Dining Plan. Comes to $95 a person for the 6 Days we will be there - Sounds Great! Downside: The CM said that Magic Express would not be able to pick us up from MCO on 12/18 though because our reservation would start on 12/17.

Has anyone heard of doing this? If I do change the reservation to 12/17 and do not check in until 12/18 will that be a problem??

How can I get to Pop from MCO?

THANK YOU!!

 

[Avonlady1001]

Are you sure you would get the Free Dining if you don't check in until the 18th? Are you sure your reservation would still be there or would they consider you a no-show & cancel out your res completely?? I'd be scared to do this...

I, personally, wouldn't do it unless I could actually get there on the 17th (which I would try to do...I LOVE free dining). And not unless I was assured by 100,000 CM's that this will work. LOL I'd probably need it in writing, too.

If you're comfortable w/ this, you can get to POP several ways from MCO...you can rent a car, or take a cab or car service...

 

[wolf2961]

Completely agree with Avonlady, I'd be very wary of this. Getting from MCO is the easy part, with choice depending on how many in your party. You can rent a car from Alamo and return on WDW property, or use a towncar, bus or taxi.

 

[Shagley]

I'm pretty sure that you have to physically check in by the 17th in order to get free dining. Even if you have a reservation for the 17th, checking in on the 18th wouldn't allow you to get free dining (and they would probably cancel your entire reservation as a no show).

 

[Faldred]

And not unless I was assured by 100,000 CM's that this will work. LOL I'd probably need it in writing, too.

I'd strongly suggest getting it in writing, as well. The CMs might not always know the ins and outs of policy, but a written confirmation from WDW will go a long way to soothing any potential problems.

 

[mbanks21]

you think disney isnt wise to people booking rooms the day before to get a promo and not showing up until the day after? Your room WILL be cancelled if you dont check in on the 17th, I believe they give you a window up until like 5 or 6 am the next day but if you think you can do this you are crazy

 

[Mickey country]

I would change my flight and go a day early and get FREE dining! You are going to spend several hundred on food, why not get it free.

 

[clanmcculloch]

About the only way you can check in on the 18th is if you fly in on a red-eye and check in during the wee hours of the morning. This is technically still the 17th from a room perspective.

If you tell them that you're arriving in the middle of the night then they will keep your room. They also understand about flight delays. I wouldn't push it though to fly in any later on the 18th. You're taking a huge risk of losing your entire reservation.

Is there a reason you can't go a day early?

Disney can (and has) cancelled entire reservations when people haven't checked in on their check-in date.

I know it's not a huge discount at Pop, but have you looked at the room only discount rates that are currently available? They're available through the 24th. You don't say how many are in your party so it's impossible for us to tell if this would be much of a price difference for you (room discount and pay for DDP).

I'm also arriving on December 17. As much as I'd like to start my vacation a few days later, I know I won't be able to get free dining if I do and that makes a huge difference in price for me so I have to arrive on the 17th.

 

[WETWHISTLE]

The only way I would do this is if I was actually checking in on the 17th.

Otherwise, forget it. Sounds waaaay too risky.

 

[codytrahan]

About the only way you can check in on the 18th is if you fly in on a red-eye and check in during the wee hours of the morning. This is technically still the 17th from a room perspective.

If you tell them that you're arriving in the middle of the night then they will keep your room. They also understand about flight delays. I wouldn't push it though to fly in any later on the 18th. You're taking a huge risk of losing your entire reservation.

Is there a reason you can't go a day early?

Disney can (and has) cancelled entire reservations when people haven't checked in on their check-in date.

I know it's not a huge discount at Pop, but have you looked at the room only discount rates that are currently available? They're available through the 24th. You don't say how many are in your party so it's impossible for us to tell if this would be much of a price difference for you (room discount and pay for DDP).

I'm also arriving on December 17. As much as I'd like to start my vacation a few days later, I know I won't be able to get free dining if I do and that makes a huge difference in price for me so I have to arrive on the 17th.

There are 3 in my party. I cannot change my flight with AirTran which is set to arrive for 12/18. The change fees alone will make this whole thing worthless. I have the MYWP with Room+Park Tickets. It could be cheaper to do Room Only and separate tickets?? Thank you

 

[marciemi]

Has Air Tran changed your flights at all? If you go over to the Transportation Board, you'll see that in general if they change your flight times (which they seem to do ALL the time), that you can usually book a different flight/time or even day without penalty. You might go back and check and see what your original flights were and check online and see if they're different. People have reported being able to change them with even just a few minute change, but of course this isn't guaranteed. If you have any changes, I'd just call them several times until you got someone who let you change to the 17th! If not, I might still book that night as room only and hope they change the flights in the next few months. I booked our Air Tran flight 5 months out and the times changed 3 times (fairly significantly) in the first month, but then never after that. Good luck!

 

[dogodisney]

I was in your same situation as far as arriving on the 18th and then adding the extra day to get FD. When I made my ressie I asked the CM if I could still get the credits if I didn't check in until the 18th and she said they would hold the ressie until 3 pm on the 18th.
We have since decided to go ahead and arrive on the 17th so we can have a day before it gets too crowded.

 

[Missytara]

I would get that in writing from a supervisor.....I cannot believe they would hold a reservation for an entire day just so you could get the free dining.

 

[Sandisw]

What time on the 18th will you be there? Would it even be before the 11:00 am check out time? You certainly can't check in after check out has occurred.

I would not chance it as I do not think that your reservation would still be there.

ME will typically allow someone to use it at a different time if it is some of your party. We went in Dec 2007 and my DD and I did not arrive until 2 days after my DH and other DD did. We were able to set up the use of ME for us to take us to the resort even though DH never used it as he picked up and used a rental car (which we all used for the rest of the trip so didn't use ME to go back to the airport).