Dining Plan and Land/Sea Package

[mickeddie]

Hello everyone,

We are going to WDW in October and I just heard about this website. I am going to be VERY busy the next 3 and 1/2 months looking through all these forums for good information.

I do have a quick question, however. We are doing the 4 nights land/3 nights sea package and have added on one more day on land in the beginning. We were told that we are not allowed to purchase the Disney Dining Plan because we have a land/sea package. Is that true? Can I ask why?

If we are at the parks for 5 days, just like any other family there for 5 days, why can't we purchase the Disney Dining plan for that period of time? I feel as if we are being punished for taking advantage of a land/sea package.

Thanks so much and I look forward to reading up on everything on these boards.

Michelle

 

[Monty]

I don't know the answer, but if you PM JPVonDrake on these forums, he's usually very reliable for ferreting out the right answers.

PM = Personal Message

EDIT: And BTW Welcome to the Boards!

 

[JPVonDrake]

How the World of Disney works.

Glad to be of help! :sohappy:

First Michelle, welcome to the boards! (Please check your Private Message Mailbox for my response.)

First, you were given correct information in that you will not be able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan for your Disney Cruise Line Land & Sea Package.

The Disney Dining Plan is not sold separately, but is part of a Disney Vacation Package created by the Walt Disney Travel Company. This package includes a Disney Resort room, a Magic Your Way Ticket of your choice and the Disney Dining Plan for the length of your Resort stay.

Now the answer to why you can’t add this to a Land & Sea Package may be a bit confusing so you may wish to take notes, as there will be a short quiz at the end of class. :drevil:

First remember that the Walt Disney Company is really a conglomerate of several separate business units and divisions, each with different product offerings.

When you book a Disney Vacation Package you are booking with the Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company but separate from the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line.

When you book a Disney Cruise Vacation Package you are booking with Disney Cruise Vacations (DCV) another wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company but is completely separate from the WDTC and the Walt Disney World Resort.

When you book a Disney room-only reservation, (or a discounted room-only reservations such as Passholder or FL Resident offers) you are booking with the Central Reservation Office (CRO), a direct part of Walt Disney World but again separate from WDTC and DCV.

When you purchase Magic Your Way Theme Park tickets you are purchasing them from WDW Ticket Services, another direct part of Walt Disney World.

How packages work is each unit (WDTC or DCV) purchases blocks of rooms from CRO, and tickets from WDW Ticket Services. They then bundles these items with their own products and services as a package, and then resells the packages to Guests.

The Disney Dining Plan is a product of WDTC is currently not sold separately by CRO or DCV. The Disney Cruise Line is a product of DCV so it is not sold separately by CRO or part of WDTC packages.

Now for all you Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Members, you are booking your point stays from DVC Member Services, yet another wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company but again completely separate from the WDTC and the Walt Disney World Resort. DVC has decided to purchased units of the Disney Dining Plan from WDTC to resell to it’s members.

Hope that explains it all, and I hope everyone passes the test!:lol:

 

[JimboJones123]

do you save much w/land and sea pkg, or are you better off booking seperate?