Split stay using DDP...any better?

[DanenRox]

What seems to be the procedure for using DDP in part for a DVC stay? Will we have to get new room keys when the plan switches? I know for awhile the process was sometimes messy...any improvement? Also, if for example you're staying 6 nights, has anyone gotten the deluxe dining plan every other night? In my mind, that seems to make financial sense but in reality it might be impossible. Just wondering...

 

[bub]

Good question. We're going soon and I'm wondering the same thing...is the potential inconvenience worth the cost savings?

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I just had a segmented stay at OKW for 3 nights, with the DxDDP added to the middle night. I had no problems--didn't have to check out and check in, original keys worked the whole time. I've still heard of people having problems, but I think they are gradually working the kinks out.

I plan on doing a segmented stay again in December. DxDDP for the first 2 nights, then no plan on our 3rd night. Hopefully, it will go just as smoothly. If so, I will definitely do the every other night thing on future trips. I'm with you, it just makes sense financially.

Good luck if you try it!

 

[cemeb4dk]

I'm not trying to hijack this at all, but if I am reading your post right, you want to do DDP for only part of your stay? Is this now allowed? Previously when we used it, it had to be length of stay and for everyone on reservation.

 

[DanenRox]

I'm not trying to hijack this at all, but if I am reading your post right, you want to do DDP for only part of your stay? Is this now allowed? Previously when we used it, it had to be length of stay and for everyone on reservation.

I can't quote the policy exactly but if it's a DVC stay you are allowed to break up the dining plan. I think the change is about a year old.

 

[DenLo]

I think it started after the October 2011 computer upgrade, but it may have been one of the later upgrades. You can now segment your reservation so that you can have the dining plan during part of your stay. However it still holds true that your dining plan credits expire at midnight the day the segment ends.

So you are staying for a week in a 1BR at BCV. But for days 3 and 4 your want the deluxe dining plan. So MS segments your reservation into three portions, days 1-2, 3-4 and 5-7.

 

[Red Sox]

We just got back from a 8 day trip. We spent the first 3 nights at AKL and the next 4 at the BCV. We had the regular dining plan for all 7 nights. When we got to AKL they only gave me the credits for the first three nights. When we checked into BCV we still had several snacks and 1 quick dine left. They transferred the remaining snack credits and quick dine credit to our new keys. No problems at all.

 

[hmillerbarilla]

I just had a segmented stay at OKW for 3 nights, with the DxDDP added to the middle night. I had no problems--didn't have to check out and check in, original keys worked the whole time. I've still heard of people having problems, but I think they are gradually working the kinks out.

I plan on doing a segmented stay again in December. DxDDP for the first 2 nights, then no plan on our 3rd night. Hopefully, it will go just as smoothly. If so, I will definitely do the every other night thing on future trips. I'm with you, it just makes sense financially.

Good luck if you try it!

I'm glad this worked for you! We're segmenting a bit on our upcoming trip and I'm nervous.

Your keys would not have had any type of DDP listed on them, rigth? If you checked in with NO plan and then had the plan a day later you would have had to remember which day your plan started and ended right? I know I could handle that, but did your key magically know which day it was supossed to have the credits available???

I'm nervous!

 

[cemeb4dk]

Thanks, we were there last year over Halloween. We had to do it length of stay at that time, it may have been when we made reservations though. So if I understand you guys right if I am doing an 8 night stay I can just get the regular dining plan on say night 3 and 6 and thats it? If thats the case I may do that we are only doing 2 ADR's this trip and if I can do that,that will be cheaper than the restaurant cost. Plus I'll get the snack and counter service that day. Does this have to be pre paid now, or still when you check in?

Thanks in advance, and once again sorry if I hijacked. Always learnign something new on the Disboards.

 

[DanenRox]

You would pay for the dining plan when you add it to your reservation. On these boards, I often here about people doing a segmented stay for a series of days during their stay. In my crazy mind, I play with the idea of doing an every other day plan (using the deluxe...I think this is genius!) but I don't hear alot about whether every other day is doable, reasonable and easy.

 

[csmommy]

You would pay for the dining plan when you add it to your reservation. On these boards, I often here about people doing a segmented stay for a series of days during their stay. In my crazy mind, I play with the idea of doing an every other day plan (using the deluxe...I think this is genius!) but I don't hear alot about whether every other day is doable, reasonable and easy.

That is pretty much what we have planned for our August trip. DH & I talked it out & we are willing to give it a try, eventhiough there might be problems (I am more nervous about it than he is!). Our stay looks like this:

Day 1: DDxP
Day 2: DDP
Day 3: none
Day 4: DDxP
Day 5: DDP
Day 6: none
Day 7: DDxP
Day 8: DDP
Day 9: none

Call us CRAZY but are giving it a whirl & will report back.

 

[DanenRox]

Wow! What a plan! Very aggressive and brave of you! Please, please, please let us know how this works out! Now, for my own curiosity may I ask...the nights you don't have any meal plan, is it because you'll still be able to use the meal plan from the day before? (i.e. Day 2's credits don't expire until MN of Day 3). In my mind, every other day of just DDxP would provide for a TS every night with an additional lunch or breakfast every other day. Just wondering. I learn alot from you folks!

That is pretty much what we have planned for our August trip. DH & I talked it out & we are willing to give it a try, eventhiough there might be problems (I am more nervous about it than he is!). Our stay looks like this:

Day 1: DDxP
Day 2: DDP
Day 3: none
Day 4: DDxP
Day 5: DDP
Day 6: none
Day 7: DDxP
Day 8: DDP
Day 9: none

Call us CRAZY but are giving it a whirl & will report back.

 

[hakepb]

I am of the informal opinion that the segmented DDP will work correct if everything is entered correctly (ie names matching) on all segments. The system was not really designed for segmented dining, it just happens to be a side benefit of some system changes.

Chances of human error are introduced with each "touch" (especially if you have a waitlist, or made changes to an existing reservation). I think each segment is another "touch", and thus the more you segment a reservation, the more chances there are for human error.
If a human error occurs, the system has no checks or balances at entry time, then you can spend hours at front desks getting those errors mitigated, but there is no real correction possible.

I know I had a wait last fall to stay in the same room, and there was a name issue(DDP was no problem because I started DDP then "dropped it") and I've read a nightmare where a name issue was mentioned.

 

[Eeyore1928]

We are staying 6 nights and doing DXDP every other night. That way we can do this:

check in DXDP-Chef mickeys
2nd day Hoop De doo
3day DXDP- Boma
4day- Luau
5day DXDP-San Angel Inn and Coral Reef
6day- Ohana


What do you think?

We will use snacks for lunches most days and have food in room for bfast...staying at BLT

 

[DanenRox]

I think that's perfect and exactly what I've been thinking about! Again, please let me know how this works! I suppose the only tricky part is remembering to use your snack credits before each segment ends. Good for you!

We are staying 6 nights and doing DXDP every other night. That way we can do this:

check in DXDP-Chef mickeys
2nd day Hoop De doo
3day DXDP- Boma
4day- Luau
5day DXDP-San Angel Inn and Coral Reef
6day- Ohana


What do you think?

We will use snacks for lunches most days and have food in room for bfast...staying at BLT

 

[castleri]

I just added one night DXDP to a reseration and they now show two reservations for that stay but with the same number. She had to put me on hold to do it. If you plan to do this I would let them know when you make the original reservation so they segment it at that time. Then there is no chance they could lose part of it if they have to segment it later. The only drawback for some people is that you have to pay for the DDP when you set it up and they would rather wait until a couple of days before arrival. We had the QSDP for a couple of days in Dec when they were doing the computer changeover and had to check in and out twice since it was in the middle of the stay. We did not have to change rooms but I am glad they have apparently got some of the glitches out of the system so we won't have to do that again.

 

[csmommy]

Wow! What a plan! Very aggressive and brave of you! Please, please, please let us know how this works out! Now, for my own curiosity may I ask...the nights you don't have any meal plan, is it because you'll still be able to use the meal plan from the day before? (i.e. Day 2's credits don't expire until MN of Day 3). In my mind, every other day of just DDxP would provide for a TS every night with an additional lunch or breakfast every other day. Just wondering. I learn alot from you folks!

I did it so we could have appitizers some meals & the DDxP 3 TS make it easy to split things up at a good price. For $1500 we are eating at 11 restaurants, 1 is a signauture meal & we will most likely split the QS & have snacks to fill in. Fingers crossed it ALL works out!

Day 1 - DDxP dinner at Cal Grill
Day 2 - DDP - QS lunch - dinner Whispering Canyon
Day 3 - none - QS lunch - dinner Mama Melrose F!
Day 4 - DDxP - Teppan Edo lunch - Biergarten dinner (waste of an app but couldn't work it out any other way)
Day 5 - DDP - QS lunch - Kona dinner
Day 6 - none - QS lunch - Crystal Palace dinner
Day 7 - DDxP - LeCellier lunch - France dinner (DD's b-day!)
Day 8 - DDP - QS lunch - WPC dinner
Day 9 - none - 1900 Park Fare

 

[bastraker]

We just came back from a 12 night stay at BLT (6/29-7/11) with lots of segementing. This is the 3rd time we have segemented a stay, but this trip had lots more segementing because it was a long trip.

As long as you are prepared for frequent trips to the front desk for checking in and out, you will be okay.

We did 1 night no plan, 3 nights deluxe, 1 night no plan, 3 nights regular dining, 1 night deluxe, 1 night no plan, 1 night deluxe, 1 night no plan. We also liked the idea of deluxe every other night. It's cheaper than the regular meal plan everyday, plus you get appetizers.

We did have problems. On our second day, we got locked out of our room and we had to wait about a half hour while they cancelled and rebooked the room. We had this same problem with our trip in April. The manager says they have this problem frequently with segementing.

Also, housekeeping gets really screwed up. I basically had to call and get the services we were suppose to get. They never came when they were suppose to. On 3 separate occasions, they were knocking on my door telling me that we were checking out, when we weren't.

We like segementing because it works for our family, but it does take a toll on you. We had to go to the front desk a lot, some times twice a day because there were problems with the keys or the dining credits. I will wait and see what we do in October.

 

[mrsR123]

I'm considering segmenting our stay next month and would appreciate hearing members' experiences doing so at SSR.

 

[DanenRox]

Uggh. That's what I am afraid of. At the moment, that information might be enough to keep us from segmenting even though it holds quite an appeal otherwise. I soooo appreciated your post. And I admire you making what could be a very big deal sound like something just slightly inconvenient...very generous of you. Thanks again, and wishing you better luck next time.

We just came back from a 12 night stay at BLT (6/29-7/11) with lots of segementing. This is the 3rd time we have segemented a stay, but this trip had lots more segementing because it was a long trip.

As long as you are prepared for frequent trips to the front desk for checking in and out, you will be okay.

We did 1 night no plan, 3 nights deluxe, 1 night no plan, 3 nights regular dining, 1 night deluxe, 1 night no plan, 1 night deluxe, 1 night no plan. We also liked the idea of deluxe every other night. It's cheaper than the regular meal plan everyday, plus you get appetizers.

We did have problems. On our second day, we got locked out of our room and we had to wait about a half hour while they cancelled and rebooked the room. We had this same problem with our trip in April. The manager says they have this problem frequently with segementing.

Also, housekeeping gets really screwed up. I basically had to call and get the services we were suppose to get. They never came when they were suppose to. On 3 separate occasions, they were knocking on my door telling me that we were checking out, when we weren't.

We like segementing because it works for our family, but it does take a toll on you. We had to go to the front desk a lot, some times twice a day because there were problems with the keys or the dining credits. I will wait and see what we do in October.