Free Dining Sep 2013 with Annual Pass question

[Black Pearl]

How does one get the best deal for Free dining in Sept when you don't need the tickets tacked on and only want the hotel and free dining? I called Disney and they pretty much gave me the numbers I found myself online, but couldn't seem to get me anything better with my annual pass.

 

[Black Pearl]

No free dining with Annual pass. You have to purchase a package with tickets and lodging. Your only option is to purchase the dining plan... Or pay for your meals OOP...

excuse my ignorance but how does one purchase the dining plan separate? I found a deal on hotel rooms only for the same time frame that we are considering, and might consider doing it that way if possible. If not, the food may not add up to the cost of the dining plan that we would get, because I remember how we were racking our brains for how on earth we were going to use all of our meals in Sept when we got married there.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

@Black Pearl, I believe you'd need to book a room-only AP discount room in order to add the DDP. Another option is to book the free dining package with the minimum number of days for the ticket. While there on the free dining trip do NOT use your room key ticket media from the package. Do not throw away your room key after the trip. Then, after your current AP expires when you return to WDW again bring that old key back, go to guest relations, and upgrade the unused park tickets to a new AP. Its a roundabout way of getting the full quarter's worth on the free dining promo but it works.

 

[Black Pearl]

@Black Pearl, I believe you'd need to book a room-only AP discount room in order to add the DDP. Another option is to book the free dining package with the minimum number of days for the ticket. While there on the free dining trip do NOT use your room key ticket media from the package. Do not throw away your room key after the trip. Then, after your current AP expires when you return to WDW again bring that old key back, go to guest relations, and upgrade the unused park tickets to a new AP. Its a roundabout way of getting the full quarter's worth on the free dining promo but it works.

would they just deduct the full amount paid from the unused tickets from the annual pass prices?

 

[Master Yoda]

Let me see if I can answer a few questions.

@Black Pearl To get free dining with an AP you have to book a package with the minimum ticket requirement (2 day base. This is also why the sample you tried online did not apply free dining) you can then hold onto those tickets and apply them to your AP renewal or just use them at a later date.

To purchase the DDP separate with an AP you must book a stay at a Disney resort at an AP discount or at an AP annual rate (full price). You can not purchase the DDP with an AP if you book using any other promotional room rates (eg AAA, GP room only discount) without buying tickets.

 

[luv]

Yup!

If you want free dining, you need to pay for it. It's the whole package or nothing.

You can add a dining plan when booking your room with the AP.

I have found that it is MUCH cheaper to take the AP room discount and use TiW than any dining package, "free" or not.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

would they just deduct the full amount paid from the unused tickets from the annual pass prices?

Yes, the unused ticket media that you hold is deducted from the AP price and you pay the difference.

 

[Poofiesdream]

We book a room package with free dinning and 2 day tickets. We use our weekday annual passes for the parks. We save our room keys with the 2 day tickets on for a weekend visit or turn it in for credit against our annual passes the following year. Works out great for us!

 

[Monty]

"Free" dining isn't remotely free.

Because it's either just me or me and my son, we barely break even if we stay at a Value and upgrade the supposedly free QS dining to the TS/QS/Snack package over using the AP discount on the room and a TiW card for dining. Room-only with the AP discounts can save enough in a week at a Deluxe to cover the cost of the AP, a TiW card, a MYW ticket for my son and everything we eat/drink for the duration.

If we're at a Moderate or Deluxe we lose a lot by getting "free" dining.

Since we enjoy TS more than QS and can't really use all the credits they provide, we're much better off avoiding the dining plans altogether.