When can you buy the dining plan

[Leanne07]

I was looking at a discount travel website and the prices are really good but they don't offer the dining package or the park passes. I know I can get the park tickets separately, and at any time, but how do I add the dining plan separately?

 

[maslex]

I have yet to purchase the dining plan, BUT from my understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong)

You have to pay full price for your hotel (no discounts) in order to be able to purchase the dining plan.

So I don't think you'd be able to get the dining plan with your discounted hotel/ticket package.

And like I said, I haven't purchased one yet, but I'm assuming you'd buy it if you were to purchase your whole package through Disney. Not sure where else you'd buy the dining plan.

 

[mnasf]

We have used the DDP on two different trips.

In order to get the DDP you must book a package (room, atleast one day of park tickets, and the dining plan). The only discount on the room is if you book your trip through AAA. The AAA discount is relativley small.

 

[got2travel]

Its not necessarily paying full price for your hotel that allows you to get the Dining Plan. But what is required is that you purchase a package that includes hotel and park tickets. The park tickets don't have to match your hotel stay, so you could just buy 1 day tickets no matter how long you are staying. Another requirement is that you purchase the Dining Plan for everyone in your party and it must equal the number of nights you are staying in the hotel. You can add the DP up until 5 days before your arrival.

 

[Leanne07]

the discount website and then contact disney about booking tickets and the dining plan separately?

 

[powellrj]

no. You have to book your room through a travel agent or disney itself to add the dining plan. You can't use the discount travel sites to book your room and then add your tickets and dining plan later. You have to book your room at rack or AAA rate, buy at least one days admission as a package to buy the dining plan.

You can't use expedia or some other discount site to book your room and then get park tickets and dining plan. You have to use a regular travel agent or just call disney and book the package yourself. The key word is package.

 

[paulh]

also you can only book for a max of 10 nights,so if you want to stay longer you have to book 2 reservations.If you do the first lot of DDP credits expire on check out day of first rservation and you can not combine credits from second on 1st day of 2nd reservation with the last day of 1st reservation.We have 2 stays of 7 noghts and have contacted disney direct regaring this and that is what they informed me
Paulh

 

[connie85]

I have reservation hotel only. Can I just add park tickets and dining plan when I check in or does the dining plan have to be in advance?

 

[kaytieeldr]

So, I can book through
the discount website and then contact disney about booking tickets and the dining plan separately?

I have reservation hotel only. Can I just add park tickets and dining plan when I check in or does the dining plan have to be in advance?

No. You have to book the package (room plus tickets) up front in order to be eligible to purchase the Dining Plan. You can book through AAA or another Travel Agency (such as Disney Specialists like Small World Travel, Dreams Unlimited, etc., or an all-purpose agency like Vacation Outlet, Liberty Travel, etc.) or directly with Disney. You can, apparently, add the Dining Plan to this package up to five days before you arrive.

 

[aubriee]

In order to get the dining plan you must pay rack rate for your room and buy the same type park ticket for everyone in that room. The ticket doesn't have to be for the entire length of stay though and may just be a one day base ticket (about $67.00, I believe).

For example last Sept alot of annual passholders gave up the room discounts in order to get the free dining. We had to also buy at least a one day base park ticket for everyone in the room. When you got there you could go to guest relations and upgrade the one day ticket for what everyone needed or even save the one day ticket to use at a later date. In my case I bought us all 7 day tickets. My son and D-I-L used theirs, while I used my AP, saving my 7 day ticket to use sometime in the future. As long as you never put your ticket into a turnstyle it is good for life and you won't need the nonexpiry option. Once they're placed into a turnstyle park tickets expire within 14 days of first use (unless you buy the nonexpiry option).

 

[Ilovestitch]

When I've called Disney, they said you can add the dining plan to your package any time up until 72 hrs before your trip. They ask you to try to add it at least a week in advance though so Disney can mail you new documents that say that you have the dining plan.

 

[Disney_Freak56]

When I've called Disney, they said you can add the dining plan to your package any time up until 72 hrs before your trip. They ask you to try to add it at least a week in advance though so Disney can mail you new documents that say that you have the dining plan.

This may be true, but in order to receive the free dining package, you would have to book it by June 4. The free dining promotion starts August 13 and runs through September 30, so waiting until 72 hours prior to arrival, would not work for the free dining promotion.