Some FREE DINING Info & Guidelines

[DMRick]

You will not be able to access your dining credits until you physically checkin for your package stay, only your park tickets.Does that make sense?

Really? We are getting there Nov 29th but we added the two days at the front of our reservation and are staying at a value, then switching on the 1st to POR. We have free dining, because we booked through the UK (my son lives in Ireland) starting the 1st. Are you saying, when we check in on the first two nights, we can arrange to have our tickets start early? That would be great, since we have 14 day tickets and several were going wasted (they cost the same as 7 day, so we really wouldn't have used all the days, but the price was the same), and we were not going to go into the parks until the 1st when we got them.

 

[mom2rtk]

Really? We are getting there Nov 29th but we added the two days at the front of our reservation and are staying at a value, then switching on the 1st to POR. We have free dining, because we booked through the UK (my son lives in Ireland) starting the 1st. Are you saying, when we check in on the first two nights, we can arrange to have our tickets start early? That would be great, since we have 14 day tickets and several were going wasted (they cost the same as 7 day, so we really wouldn't have used all the days, but the price was the same), and we were not going to go into the parks until the 1st when we got them.

Yes, really. We stayed at the Pop Century last year and actually got to pick up our park tickets early right there at the resort. This, in spite of being told point blank (when I didn't even ASK) that I could not pick up park tickets early.

 

[DMRick]

Thank you! Would we have to go over to POR to get them, since we aren't staying there the first two nights?

Yes, really. We stayed at the Pop Century last year and actually got to pick up our park tickets early right there at the resort. This, in spite of being told point blank (when I didn't even ASK) that I could not pick up park tickets early.

 

[smitch425]

Thank you! Would we have to go over to POR to get them, since we aren't staying there the first two nights?

You can pick up your package tickets at Guest Relations at whatever park you want to go to first.

 

[twinmom1107]

What you would do is book a room only reservation for the first part of your stay, and then book a package with free dining beginning on the 9th. You can get the total number of park days you need for your entire trip with the free dining package, and just pick them up on the 6th at any guest relations office at any of the parks. You will not be able to access your dining credits until you physically checkin for your package stay, only your park tickets. Also, you cannot purchase a dining plan for the first stay because the purchase of a dining plan requires at least a 1 day ticket for everyone on the reservation. You would just pay out of pocket for the first stay's food.

Does that make sense?

Makes sense and thanks so much for the info!

 

[mom2rtk]

Thank you! Would we have to go over to POR to get them, since we aren't staying there the first two nights?

Hmmmm.... not sure. Our room only was at Pop and so was our FD package. I'd ask when you check into your first resort and see if they can get them for you. If not, you can just get them at the park you go to first.

 

[loricdietzel]

So I just want to verify it is 14 DAYS and not 14 NIGHTS for free dining. We are currently booked for Oct 19-Nov 2 so that is 14 nights. Would we therefore not be eligible for free dining or would we just have to drop a day?

 

[smitch425]

So I just want to verify it is 14 DAYS and not 14 NIGHTS for free dining. We are currently booked for Oct 19-Nov 2 so that is 14 nights. Would we therefore not be eligible for free dining or would we just have to drop a day?

It is 14 nights. You are good to go! :

 

[loricdietzel]

Thanks! Glad to know we don't have to change our dates! Now just have to hope we can get the room we want (well, our second choice since we were booked in LM which is not eligible for fd.)
I know this isn't a free dining question, but if we do 14 nights with our 10 day park ticket (we go once a year max so an annual pass is not worth it for us) is there anyway we can go to the park on the first AND last day of our trip? I know tickets expire 14 days after you first use them. So does that mean they technically last 14 days or 15?

 

[Lehuaann]

I know this isn't a free dining question, but if we do 14 nights with our 10 day park ticket (we go once a year max so an annual pass is not worth it for us) is there anyway we can go to the park on the first AND last day of our trip? I know tickets expire 14 days after you first use them. So does that mean they technically last 14 days or 15?

Disney will tell you that day 1 is considered 'day of first use', thus tickets must be used within 14 days total.

However, it has been reported in the past that some have had access to day 15.

But then again, with the recent ticket changes, I am not sure if it has changed...

 

[twinmom1107]

Earlier I was trying to devise a way to get free dining by doing a split stay. Some peeps said it was possible 3 days ahead from guest services (and may be if you know the right Mouse) but here's what Disney said:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Please note theme park tickets can only be picked up when you check in
at the resort on the day your package starts. We are sorry that our
response is not a more favorable one, but we thank you for
understanding.

We hope this information will be of help to you and we look
forward to your stay with us and hope that your stay will be magical.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Stan Palmer
WDW Online Communications

Not sure what to do now....

 

[twinmom1107]

Earlier I was trying to devise a way to get free dining by doing a split stay. Some peeps said it was possible 3 days ahead from guest services (and may be if you know the right Mouse) but here's what Disney said:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Please note theme park tickets can only be picked up when you check in
at the resort on the day your package starts. We are sorry that our
response is not a more favorable one, but we thank you for
understanding.

We hope this information will be of help to you and we look
forward to your stay with us and hope that your stay will be magical.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Stan Palmer
WDW Online Communications

Not sure what to do now....

^ ^^I wanted to see if I could pick up park tickets early...........

 

[smitch425]

Earlier I was trying to devise a way to get free dining by doing a split stay. Some peeps said it was possible 3 days ahead from guest services (and may be if you know the right Mouse) but here's what Disney said:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Please note theme park tickets can only be picked up when you check in
at the resort on the day your package starts. We are sorry that our
response is not a more favorable one, but we thank you for
understanding.

We hope this information will be of help to you and we look
forward to your stay with us and hope that your stay will be magical.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Stan Palmer
WDW Online Communications

Not sure what to do now....

Unless something has changed VERY recently, you CAN get them early. If you go to the ticket sticky on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies forum (here on the Disboards) you will find the info. I think it is in post #15 section "I". I am using the Disboards app on my phone at the moment so I can't say for sure that I have the specific section correct, but is IS there. I think it even says something about CMs being wrong in telling people that it cannot be done. The author of the sticky is currently a ticketing CM, so trust him over ANYONE else. His name is Cheshire Figment, and he is very helpful. He updates it whenever the slightest change in procedure is made.

 

[Akess]

^ ^^I wanted to see if I could pick up park tickets early...........

This makes me very nervous as I was thinking of doing the same thing: split stay to take advantage of free dining our last four nights. We are traveling Nov. 20-27, so I was hoping to do a room only reservation with our current 10% AAA discount Nov. 20-23, then a package with free dining Nov. 23-27. After reading this I am nervous about doing this, then NOT being able to pick up our tickets three days early once I get to Disney.

 

[mom2rtk]

Unless something has changed VERY recently, you CAN get them early. If you go to the ticket sticky on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies forum (here on the Disboards) you will find the info. I think it is in post #15 section "I". I am using the Disboards app on my phone at the moment so I can't say for sure that I have the specific section correct, but is IS there. I think it even says something about CMs being wrong in telling people that it cannot be done. The author of the sticky is currently a ticketing CM, so trust him over ANYONE else. His name is Cheshire Figment, and he is very helpful. He updates it whenever the slightest change in procedure is made.

This makes me very nervous as I was thinking of doing the same thing: split stay to take advantage of free dining our last four nights. We are traveling Nov. 20-27, so I was hoping to do a room only reservation with our current 10% AAA discount Nov. 20-23, then a package with free dining Nov. 23-27. After reading this I am nervous about doing this, then NOT being able to pick up our tickets three days early once I get to Disney.

I had the same fears last year before our trip. When I called to add free dining, I didn't even ASK about getting my tickets early. But they went out of their way to TELL me that I could not get park tickets early. This would have represented a substantial policy change. I sweated that up until the day we checked in at Pop Century and I asked about our tickets and they said "sure, no problem! We can do that for you right here." Whew...... HUGE relief. But none of the regular CM posters here who work in ticketing have reported any change in the front line policy.

So I'd say to think abou how you'd handle it if you showed up and they said no, but know going into it that the odds of it happening are pretty slim.

For example, on our trip this year, we're already doing a resort day on our first day already. The next day we're doing the MK and staying through to the party. If things change, we'll just wait and go in with the party only ticket at 4. Our package starts the next day, so we'd be good from then forward.

Last year our plan was to swap over and do Universal if we had any trouble. I also had decreased our package tickets to 2 days only so I could have chosen to buy new tickets at the gate the first day,then save the 2 day package tickets to use another time if we had to. We then just upgraded out tickets from 2 days to 10 days later.

Thankfully we didn't need our backup plans, but it helped me feel a little more in control of the situation. Then I'd say don't sweat it. I'm sure all will be fine.

***** I bet if you called or emailed Disney, they'd probably also tell you (wrongly) that you can't get in at 4 with a party ticket. It's just the nature of this beast.

 

[DMRick]

I talked with someone at Disney today and was told that because I got a 14 day ticket (through the UK), I can start using my tickets at any time, but they are only good for 14 days. She also said, if I had gotten my tickets as part of a package such as free dining, where the tickets are tied to the dining and staying, I would not be able to use them until I checked into the hotel for the stay they were purchased for..as part of a package. I know people get told different things, but this is what I was told today.

 

[Brave]

^ ^^I wanted to see if I could pick up park tickets early...........

This is one of those "unwritten" policies, like letting people in at 4:00 p.m. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party or Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, restaurants exchanging TS credits for CS credits, or (until recently) WDW accepting Fastpasses after the printed return time.

You can pick up your package tickets up to 3 days early at Downtown Disney or any of the customer service desks in any of the 4 WDW parks. This is not a policy that any CM over the reservations line will share with you, but you CAN pick up your tickets up to 3 days early.

 

[Brave]

I talked with someone at Disney today and was told that because I got a 14 day ticket (through the UK), I can start using my tickets at any time, but they are only good for 14 days. She also said, if I had gotten my tickets as part of a package such as free dining, where the tickets are tied to the dining and staying, I would not be able to use them until I checked into the hotel for the stay they were purchased for..as part of a package. I know people get told different things, but this is what I was told today.

The reservationd CMs go by the verbage in front of them - they have no idea the policy they are actually using in the parks. You can PM Cheshire Figment, here on the Dis, he is a current ticket/gate CM at Magic Kingdom and he can confirm this policy for you or you can read his sticky at the top of the Themeparks & Strategies Board her on The Dis.

 

[viajeromagico]

I have a question about some response i recieved from Disney when i asked about de early ticket pick up, this is what i get:

"Dear Nicolas, Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort. We are sorry to say that you wouldn't be able to get your theme park tickets until you check into your resort on December 11,2012"

Is there any change of policy maybe because of the free dining promotion.

Thanks in advance and sorry for my english (im from Argentina)

 

[smitch425]

I have a question about some response i recieved from Disney when i asked about de early ticket pick up, this is what i get:

"Dear Nicolas, Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort. We are sorry to say that you wouldn't be able to get your theme park tickets until you check into your resort on December 11,2012"

Is there any change of policy maybe because of the free dining promotion.

Thanks in advance and sorry for my english (im from Argentina)

First of all,

Please read section "I" in this post...

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25022943&postcount=15

Note the part about the call center giving people incorrect info. The author of that post is currently a ticketing employee. Trust him over anyone you get an email from.