What if your stay overlaps with free dining?

[disneyfan369]

We are going to Disney August 19th-28th. If it is offered for the 26th, do we qualify for it? Any comments would be appreciated!!!

[King Triton]

I assume you mean:Suppose they have a free dining plan that starts on the 26th?

What you might have to do is split your reservation for the first 7 nights without the dining plan, then another reservation for the 3 nights starting the 26th. You wouldn't actually have to vacate your room on the 26th, but you might have to "re-checkin".

[disneyluva]

A friend of mine went last Sept. when free dining was offered. Their stay overlapped into the first few days of October, and the free dining was given to them for those days as well.

Good luck!

[faline]

Basically, if free dining is offered and you arrive before the offer ends, you can stay on the free dining plan until the end of your trip. It's all based upon when you check in.

If you arrive before free dining begins, you would not get the free dining for your trip.

You can get it for a portion of your trip by scheduing two reservations as King Triton suggested.

[DizneyRox]

Carefully frun the numbers before you take the plunge if you are thinking of splitting your reservation.

Splitting the stay will require TWO reservations, so you will need TWO MYW tickets. The first stay would probably be a 7 day MYW ticket (add park hopping probably +$45) and then you'll need another set of MYW tickets for the second stay (add another $45 for the park hopping on those too probably), etc. Room rate will probably also go up for the "free" dining for those last three days, etc.

I'm sure there's a way to minimize the costs, but it really could end up costing you more money in the end. Do the math!

[Tick-Tock]

Carefully frun the numbers before you take the plunge if you are thinking of splitting your reservation.

Splitting the stay will require TWO reservations, so you will need TWO MYW tickets. The first stay would probably be a 7 day MYW ticket (add park hopping probably +$45) and then you'll need another set of MYW tickets for the second stay (add another $45 for the park hopping on those too probably), etc. Room rate will probably also go up for the "free" dining for those last three days, etc.

I'm sure there's a way to minimize the costs, but it really could end up costing you more money in the end. Do the math!

I agree to do the math. But here's a thought -- Couldn't you get whatever number of days you want on the first ticket (and add hopping to that), then just get a one-day ticket (no hopping) to qualify for the package for the second portion of the stay? I've always understood that your park tickets don't have to match your number of nights when you do a package...

[disneyfan369]

It's all right if we don't get the free dining. I figure that checking out and then checking back in will be too complicated, and it will take time away from the parks. I was just wondering if we would get it, since we would be there during the time that the promotion ran, just not after it started. I think it will be less crowded before the promotion starts, which is most definitely the important thing.

[SBETigg]

It's all right if we don't get the free dining. I figure that checking out and then checking back in will be too complicated, and it will take time away from the parks. I was just wondering if we would get it, since we would be there during the time that the promotion ran, just not after it started. I think it will be less crowded before the promotion starts, which is most definitely the important thing.

We're going from the 8-19 to the 29th, so I know exactly how you feel. I just missed the free dining on my last trip, too. We checked in three days before it was offered and missed out for the entire trip. They wouldn't let us get it unless we rebooked as separate trips (which was too much of a pain, not worth it) or rebooked to arrive later. We ended up deciding that it didn't matter-- we were in WDW, and we had all the ADRs we wanted booked in advance.

[DizneyRox]

... Couldn't you get whatever number of days you want on the first ticket (and add hopping to that), then just get a one-day ticket (no hopping) to qualify for the package for the second portion of the stay? I've always understood that your park tickets don't have to match your number of nights when you do a package...

Currently, yes, this is one way around the system. It's not really an exploit, more of a creative solution. However, there are rumors that Disney will soon be enforcing MYW tickets to match reservation days, just like they do for the dining plan.

[CleveSJM]

I would think 8/19 would be comfortably within any discount period Disney will offer. Notice how they moved the value season back to the first week of August this year? I also heard when they offered 2007 free dining to UK/European travelers it started earlier in August 2007 than it did in August 2006.

I'm also guessing we'll hear about the summer low season discounts within two weeks!!!