Dining Plan with tickets not bought through Disney

**Thumper10** · 01-25-2010, 08:01 PM

My family is hoping to be able to head down to WDW this September and planning on doing the free dining plan if it becomes available at that time again this year. On every past vacation we've been on, we've bought our Magic Your Way Package through Disney directly. We had planned on doing that again for this trip, but today I got my mousesavers newsletter and it had a deal on Disney tickets through Undercover Tourist. The deal it offered would save my family over $100 on park tickets if we bought them from there (this is just an idea we're tossing around, I'm a little iffy about buying tickets not directly from Disney, but have heard good things about Undercover Tourist). My question is, if we did go ahead and buy our park tickets through Undercover Tourist, and still booked our hotel through Disney, would we be eligible for free dining if it comes out this year? Or is it somehow set that you have to buy your park tickets directly from Disney in order to recieve the DP? We've never used the dining plan before so I'm not exactly sure how that would work.

Thanks for any help in advance!

**doconeill** · 01-25-2010, 08:28 PM

The Free Dining promotions require that you purchase a package that includes at least a 1-day base ticket. You don't need to USE that ticket - you could save it for use on another trip if you wanted. It doesn't expire until 14 days after first use.

**disneycrazy1956** · 01-25-2010, 08:51 PM

I've used undercover tourist in the past with a room only reservation and saved alot of money on park tickets. It was about $20 a person on 7 day park hoppers at the time(summer of 2008). Last September we booked a package with mousefan travel including the free dining plan and it was cheaper to do our 6 day park hoppers with the package then get a 1 day ticket and get park hoppers from undercover tourist but you can price it out. Loved the dining plan especially since it was free. We were pretty much a counter service kind of family until that last trip with maybe one table service or buffet mixed in, but know I know we will do more table service in the future and maybe even the dining plan; free or not. We missed out on the appetizer and tip being included but it was still a great value and we tried some restaurants we probably never would have eaten at if not for the plan. ie--- Yachtsmans, Narcoossees.

**Thumper10** · 01-25-2010, 10:39 PM

Okay, so what you guys are saying is that I would have to purchase at least the one day base ticket FROM Disney, correct? We wouldn't be able to use the tickets from Under Cover tourist for the dining plan because they weren't bought from Disney, right?

Sorry I'm just trying to figure out the best way to save money.

**doconeill** · 01-26-2010, 07:19 AM

Nope, that's not what I am saying.

To get the free Dining Plan, you MUST purchase a package with at least a 1-day MYW base ticket FROM Disney.

You do NOT need to USE this ticket. You can use whatever ticket you want. AP holders use their APs.

You can SAVE the 1-day ticket for a future trip.

However, since you already have to pay for the 1-day ticket as part of the package, you will have to decide whether you are really saving much at that point by going to UT or any other discount broker, especially if you will not be returning for some time.