Split Stay help!

[eyeorenut]

Hi, I have just phoned the uk disney booking number to enquire about a stay during free dining period. I want to stay for 9 nights at POFQ then 3 nights at AKL, with free dining and 14 night ultimate tickets for the price of 7. I was told that I can not do this, apparently this would have to be booked as 2 seperate bookings and to get the dining plan free I would have to book the tickets for each booking eg 14 night tickets for the first 9 night stay and 14 night tickets for the 3 night stay, even though I am staying for 12 nights total!!!!!! I asked about just paying for the dining plan for the last 3 nights but the lady said i can't do that either. You can only have the dining plan if you buy the tickets

Can anyone tell me if this is correct please. I was really looking forward to spending a few nights in AKL

 

[2Tiggies]

Unfortunately that is correct and it works the same in the US.

I also canned the idea in light of this policy. However there may be a way around it. You could book the first 9 nights with the 14 day tix through DIsney UK. Then have a look at booking the last 3 nights with Disney US. Disney US only requires a one day base ticket per person to get free dining. If free dining is added to the period of your stay after you have paid for the DDP on the US booking, they will credit you with it once the offer becomes public.

Re. the one day US ticket, you won't need to use it and it doesn't expire until it has been used so you could keep it and upgrade it/use it any time in the future.

 

[eyeorenut]

Unfortunately that is correct and it works the same in the US.

I also canned the idea in light of this policy. However there may be a way around it. You could book the first 9 nights with the 14 day tix through DIsney UK. Then have a look at booking the last 3 nights with Disney US. Disney US only requires a one day base ticket per person to get free dining. If free dining is added to the period of your stay after you have paid for the DDP on the US booking, they will credit you with it once the offer becomes public.

Re. the one day US ticket, you won't need to use it and it doesn't expire until it has been used so you could keep it and upgrade it/use it any time in the future.

Thats great, can I book for just 3 nights?

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

I too was going to do this and was told the same thing - the american lady on the phone was really nice and said "if Disney are gonna give you something free, then something else has gotta give, that's the way they work!"
She sympathised with my situation but sadly could do nothing to help me.

 

[2Tiggies]

With Disney US? Yes, you can book as many or as few nights as you like. Just make sure you are able to convert your currency before you book, so that you know what it will cost you. Depending when you want to go - I am currently finding that for the dates I have been searching US converts to a cheaper price - but for the trip I have booked for October UK is still cheaper. I would recommend checking carefully and don't rush into anything.

By the way we are also staying at POFQ. We will be there in October - 2nd to 16th. When are you looking to go?

 

[eyeorenut]

With Disney US? Yes, you can book as many or as few nights as you like. Just make sure you are able to convert your currency before you book, so that you know what it will cost you. Depending when you want to go - I am currently finding that for the dates I have been searching US converts to a cheaper price - but for the trip I have booked for October UK is still cheaper. I would recommend checking carefully and don't rush into anything.

By the way we are also staying at POFQ. We will be there in October - 2nd to 16th. When are you looking to go?

Hi there, i want to go 3rd November. I have priced on us site but for 3 nights in AKL, 1 base ticket and dining plan it is $1450!!!! thats a lot of money for 3 nights - about £900.

 

[2Tiggies]

It could be to do with the fact that it is still quite a long time away. Because the US site is aimed at those living there, they tend not to release special offers for the whole year ahead - rather they do it in stages. The current deals are pretty good and those offers run up to June. It depends how long you are willing to wait.

I booked through Disney UK and I do know that there is no amendment fee for INCREASING the cost of your holiday. So you could book the first 9 nights and leave it open to decide how best to book the last three. If nothing better comes out through the US deal a few months away from your departure, you could still add an extra three nights on your existing package.

As with everything though, I would confirm that this is possible beforehand. Don't tell them you want to do Disney US. Just ask what the policy is if you decide to add an extra three days. Tell them you may want to, but can't commit to it yet ...

 

[eyeorenut]

Could i do this - book 14 nights at POFQ then during my stay upgarde to move my last 3 nights to AKL. Will that be ok since i will have 14 night Ultimate tickets and have paid to upgrade free QS Dining plan to Dining plan?

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

I was told that for the DP, you needed the same ticket at the same hotel whether you got the plan free or paid for it. So if you switch hotels, you need a new ticket to start when you check into the new hotel in order to be allowed DP - crazy but true!

 

[wayneg]

Could i do this - book 14 nights at POFQ then during my stay upgarde to move my last 3 nights to AKL. Will that be ok since i will have 14 night Ultimate tickets and have paid to upgrade free QS Dining plan to Dining plan?

That would not work as you have to check out of POFQ to move to AKL, as soon as you check out of POFQ the DDP ends at midnight that day, can't be transferred to another resort. You would have to buy new tix plus your stay at AKL would have to be minimum of 5 days.
As far as I know no-one has found a way around moving hotels with free DDP.

 

[eyeorenut]

That would not work as you have to check out of POFQ to move to AKL, as soon as you check out of POFQ the DDP ends at midnight that day, can't be transferred to another resort. You would have to buy new tix plus your stay at AKL would have to be minimum of 5 days.
As far as I know no-one has found a way around moving hotels with free DDP.

Oh well, guess i won't be staying at Animal Kingdom

 

[2Tiggies]

Are you not willing to stay at AK without the DDP? If you make sure you do all the special/expensive meals in the first day, you could pay OOP for the last three. You sounded like you really wante to stay there. It would be a shame to be so close, but so far.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Are you not willing to stay at AK without the DDP? If you make sure you do all the special/expensive meals in the first day, you could pay OOP for the last three. You sounded like you really wante to stay there. It would be a shame to be so close, but so far.

Yep, that's what I would do too.

 

[Lil_Me]

The way I got around this last year was to book 14 nights at POP with a 14 day tickets and DDP. Then I booked 2 nights at AKL. We had a card registered with POP so we didn't need to physically check out.

So we technically had 2 rooms for the last 2 nights, but it was the only way we could work it. We used our KTTW from POP for getting into the parks and the DDP and the KTTW from AKL was just a room key.

Obviously you then need to factor in the the cost of POFQ for 3 extra nights, but it probably works out cheaper than 2 bookings.

 

[2Tiggies]

Clever! I guess the OP now needs to get a pen, a calculator and a big pot of coffee!