Tacking on an extra day stay after a Dining Package Stay. Problem encountered!

[ryanpatricksmom]

I scheduled a trip in August to take advantage of free dining. We're staying for 4 nights at CS with the deluxe dining. We're staying for 2 nights at ASM without the package before our stay. No problem there. I decided to make another reservation at CS for a 5th night at the tail end, room only, because we are attending MNSCHP. I called today to see if it was possible to request that we keep the original room by linking the reservation. The cast member noted the request, and explained that it could not be guaranteed, and suggested that I also let them know during the first part of our stay at CS. Everything fine so far....

Then she said that any dining credits that I still had available (which should expire at midnight of the 5th day) would be lost as soon as I checked in for the final night. She was adamant that if check-in for the 5th night took place before my credits were used, they would be lost.

Now I'm freaking out!!!! I don't see anywhere where that would be the case, but obviously if that's what will happen, I'll cancel the extra night and stay elsewhere because we have 2 TS meals to use the fifth day.

Has anyone heard of this?

 

[siren0119]

I have a similar situation (Dining package stay on the first leg of my trip, room-only reservation for the 2nd leg with check-out/check-in on the same day). When I had called to ask some questions about the dining plan, the CM told me that our dining credits were good until midnight of checkout day for our Dining package stay. I would call back and see if you get a different answer from a different CM, hopefully someone who's done this kind of reservation before can also chime in. It seems pretty common that the CMs answering the phones don't actually know a ton about how things work LOL

 

[sharonabe]

Then she said that any dining credits that I still had available (which should expire at midnight of the 5th day) would be lost as soon as I checked in for the final night. She was adamant that if check-in for the 5th night took place before my credits were used, they would be lost.

Now I'm freaking out!!!! I don't see anywhere where that would be the case, but obviously if that's what will happen, I'll cancel the extra night and stay elsewhere because we have 2 TS meals to use the fifth day.

She's wrong. They expire at midnight of your check-out day that coincides with the dining plan stay. It doesn't matter where you go for that night.

If you're still worried, just make a stop at the front desk on package check-out day and get a print out of your remaining dining credits. This way you have a paper trail should anything happen.

 

[Moliphino]

That CM is just confused. It's right on the Dining Plan pages that they expire at midnight on check out day, split stays don't change that.

You can redeem your meals and snacks in any order during your stay, until the number of meals and snacks associated with your package has been depleted. All unused meals and snacks and the ability to use your refillable mug expire at midnight on your package reservation checkout date.

 

[Faldred]

The CM is probably confused with the split stay issues when using the dining plan on both stays. In that case, you can't start using credits on the second stay until the first stay's credits are fully used up or expire.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

Thanks all! That's how I always understood it. I sent an e-mail to Disney to get written confirmation. This will be the first time that I ever did this particular scenario. We usually fly out after dinner on our last day, but this time we're driving, so when the Halloween Party dates opened up, I figured why not? I can't imagine that Disney would do anything to encourage people to stay off-site even for a single night, so I thought that she was mistaken....nothing worse than when someone inserts doubt into your well laid Disney plans, LOL!

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

UPDATE! I got a written response which did not address my issue at all. After much contemplation, and reading several reports where guests did have issues (which involved spending valuable vacation time trying to sort those issues out), I decided that for peace of mind I would just add a day to our package. I'm a worrier and envisioned being in the parks that last day with a Memory Maker that stopped working, and lost dining credits that I would have to argue for. Not the way that I want to end my vacation. Apparently there is an issue that allows for only one active reservation within Disney's system, and some magic has to happen behind the scenes to allow for some types of split stays. Tickets are unaffected, but other things attached to the length of stay are an issue. I know that it's not how it is supposed to work, and I have every confidence that Disney fixes the problem when it occurs....I just don't want to have it happen to me, LOL! Now we have our same hotel room guaranteed until we leave Disney, and I will do two additional Signature meals and have lunch on checkout day (and have one last opportunity to use snack credits at Disney Springs to bring home). It definitely cost me a bit more than it would have to just add the day and pay out of pocket for lunch, but what the heck....I almost never go "Signature" so it will be new and different. I would recommend that if you have this scenario that if you're traveling with others, the second leg of your stay be in their name instead. It seems like that may be an option.

 

[Micharlotte]

UPDATE! I got a written response which did not address my issue at all. After much contemplation, and reading several reports where guests did have issues (which involved spending valuable vacation time trying to sort those issues out), I decided that for peace of mind I would just add a day to our package. I'm a worrier and envisioned being in the parks that last day with a Memory Maker that stopped working, and lost dining credits that I would have to argue for. Not the way that I want to end my vacation. Apparently there is an issue that allows for only one active reservation within Disney's system, and some magic has to happen behind the scenes to allow for some types of split stays. Tickets are unaffected, but other things attached to the length of stay are an issue. I know that it's not how it is supposed to work, and I have every confidence that Disney fixes the problem when it occurs....I just don't want to have it happen to me, LOL! Now we have our same hotel room guaranteed until we leave Disney, and I will do two additional Signature meals and have lunch on checkout day (and have one last opportunity to use snack credits at Disney Springs to bring home). It definitely cost me a bit more than it would have to just add the day and pay out of pocket for lunch, but what the heck....I almost never go "Signature" so it will be new and different. I would recommend that if you have this scenario that if you're traveling with others, the second leg of your stay be in their name instead. It seems like that may be an option.

I've done 3 split stays where the first portion of our trip had free dining and then we check in to a value for our last night as we travel early that day. I've never had an issue with credits and my daughter was redeeming our last snack credits while I was checking in to the hotel. After check in, around 11:45 pm, we went over to the qs and ordered our last few meals and remaining snack credits. I understand where you're coming from and wouldn't want to waste valuable vacation time either and hope we don't have this problem on our upcoming trip.

 

[gillep]

I've done 3 split stays where the first portion of our trip had free dining and then we check in to a value for our last night as we travel early that day. I've never had an issue with credits and my daughter was redeeming our last snack credits while I was checking in to the hotel. After check in, around 11:45 pm, we went over to the qs and ordered our last few meals and remaining snack credits. I understand where you're coming from and wouldn't want to waste valuable vacation time either and hope we don't have this problem on our upcoming trip.

I would not be worried at all, and I would not change my plans. Sure, issues happen but those are out of the norm can easily be fixed, although I don't think you will have an issue at all.

 

[smadath]

She's wrong. They expire at midnight of your check-out day that coincides with the dining plan stay. It doesn't matter where you go for that night.

If you're still worried, just make a stop at the front desk on package check-out day and get a print out of your remaining dining credits. This way you have a paper trail should anything happen.

Unless I'm misreading OP, she has a 4 day package with the Dining Plan at CS, and then added a 1 day Room Only at CS for the 5th day. So the Dining package would end at midnight on the 4th day, and no credits would be available for the 5th day, since it is not part of the package. Is that correct?

 

[sharonabe]

Unless I'm misreading OP, she has a 4 day package with the Dining Plan at CS, and then added a 1 day Room Only at CS for the 5th day. So the Dining package would end at midnight on the 4th day, and no credits would be available for the 5th day, since it is not part of the package. Is that correct?

You are either misreading or misquoting. They don't have a 4-day package, they have a 4-NIGHT package and a 1-NIGHT room only. Credits would expire at midnight of the 5th day, their check-out day of the package and check-in day of the room only.

 

[smadath]

You are either misreading or misquoting. They don't have a 4-day package, they have a 4-NIGHT package and a 1-NIGHT room only. Credits would expire at midnight of the 5th day, their check-out day of the package and check-in day of the room only.

Oohhhh… that's right. I always forget it's nights, not days. Kind of an important distinction! Thanks!

 

[Turksmom]

We did a split stay Poly/ CBR in May. DDP Poly, none at CBR. We checked in early at CBR, so we wouldn't have to interrupt our time at the parks (had a car) and we were still able to use our dining credits throughout the day with no issues.