Questions about dining package and tickets

[ndbulsu]

Here is the situation. I have 2 reservations, one by using a friend's DVC points at BCV for the first two nights of our trip, and as a guest (regular rate) for the last three nights. I would like to get the park hopper ticket with the dining option. How do I accomplish this ? Buy two different packages? Can I get the dining option separate from the package?

[CleveRocks]

Here is the situation. I have 2 reservations, one by using a friend's DVC points at BCV for the first two nights of our trip, and as a guest (regular rate) for the last three nights. I would like to get the park hopper ticket with the dining option. How do I accomplish this ? Buy two different packages? Can I get the dining option separate from the package?It's complicated.

The rules for buying the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) are different depending on your DVC status. If you are DVC, there is no requirement to buy any park tickets. If you are not using/renting DVC points, then in order to purchase the DDP you must also purchase at least a 1-day park ticket (for each person in the room), or you are not permitted to buy the DDP.

So at first something would seem obvious - buy tickets as part of your "regular guest" package but start using them prior to that, when you are staying on points (since no ticket purchase is required when staying on points). HOWEVER, that won't work. Since you'd be buying the tickets as part of your SECOND reservation, you won't have access to those tickets until your second reservation starts (tickets bought as part of a package can't be activated until the morning of check-in day).

So here's the deal. You'd have to buy at least a 2-day hopper for your first stay (since you'll want to go to parks) and a 3-day hopper for your second stay. This will cost you a total of $440.92.

A BETTER PLAN would be to buy a 4-day hopper with your first (DVC) stay (because you CAN buy more days of park tickets than nights you are staying on a reservation) and then buy the minimum 1-day NON-HOPPER with your second stay. This will cost you a total of $334.42, more than $100 cheaper than doing it the other way. This would also mean that you can't park hop on either your last day or next-to-last day. You could buy a 1-day hopper, but ask yourself if it will be worth the extra $47 to hop for just ONE DAY.

I know it's complicated, but this is the only answer I can give you.

And not to confuse you more, but the DDP isn't part of the park tickets. It sounded like you thought so, by your wording "I would like to get the park hopper ticket with the dining option." No such thing as a park hopper with dining or a park hopper without dining. Park tickets are one thing. DDP is another thing. But in order to buy the DDP you also need to buy at least a 1-day park ticket.

Like I said ... complicated.:teach:

[r4kids]

You could just skip all that and buy your tickets at a Disney store location and have them with you when you went down. We buy our tickets at the Disney store or at Intercot's sponsor since the are currently offering a free day with some of their tickets. You can then add the dining
plan to one or both of your ressies. Look on Disneyworld.com or at Intercot's sponsor. :mickey:

84 days!!!

[DizneyRox]

You could just skip all that and buy your tickets at a Disney store location and have them with you when you went down. We buy our tickets at the Disney store or at Intercot's sponsor since the are currently offering a free day with some of their tickets. You can then add the dining
plan to one or both of your ressies. Look on Disneyworld.com or at Intercot's sponsor. :mickey:

84 days!!!

Unfortunately, you ARE required to buy at least a one day ticket in order to get the DDP on non DVC stays.

Personally, what I would do is get a 5 day hopper with the DVC stay and "eat" the cost of the one day non-hopper on the second stay. You'll get another hopper day for next to nothing, and just save that one day ticket for a future stay. You never know when it will come in handy, a quick weekend getaway is much more affordable when you don't have to purchase tickets. You can always upgrade it later too! It will never expire.

[CleveRocks]

You could just skip all that and buy your tickets at a Disney store location and have them with you when you went down. We buy our tickets at the Disney store or at Intercot's sponsor since the are currently offering a free day with some of their tickets. You can then add the dining
plan to one or both of your ressies. But the problem is that you can't just add the DDP unless you buy a package that ALSO includes the minimum of a 1-day park ticket. You just simply can't add on the DDP a la carte.

Unless your past experience has been staying on DVC points, then I'll bet that you haven't bought the DDP when you've bought your tickets from any source other than WDW.

[r4kids]

We are staying in a DVC resort and we are buying the tickets without a package and still adding the dining plan. We traded in through II. Maybe because we traded in?:confused: It just seems so complicated to have to do it that way.

[r4kids]

Unfortunately, you ARE required to buy at least a one day ticket in order to get the DDP on non DVC stays.

Personally, what I would do is get a 5 day hopper with the DVC stay and "eat" the cost of the one day non-hopper on the second stay. You'll get another hopper day for next to nothing, and just save that one day ticket for a future stay. You never know when it will come in handy, a quick weekend getaway is much more affordable when you don't have to purchase tickets. You can always upgrade it later too! It will never expire.

I agree this makes the most sense.

[CleveRocks]

We are staying in a DVC resort and we are buying the tickets without a package and still adding the dining plan. We traded in through II. Maybe because we traded in?:confused: It just seems so complicated to have to do it that way.

Right. Your stay is considered a DVC stay, and thus you are not required to buy tickets to be eligible to buy the DDP.

Someone NOT on a DVC stay doesn't have that same option. Disney is very clear in its rules.