Meal plan tier

Elodie · 24 Jul 17, 12:07 PM

Just asking out of curiosity, really. I've just seen a reply in another thread, saying that you can book any tier of meal plan and it doesn't need to match your hotel. How does that work? I'd considered doing that in our next holiday, but it ended up being better to get the premium plan for DLH, mainly because of breakfast. Now I'm wondering if there is a way to make that work for future trips.

So, for example, say you were staying in a Plus level hotel and got the Premium plan. I'm guessing it would just mean that you'd overpaid for breakfast (i.e. paid for a Premium breakfast but get a Plus breakfast in your hotel) but then you'd get Premium main meals so maybe it could still work out financially?

But what if you got the Standard plan in a Plus hotel? Would you completely forfeit your breakfast vouchers, or could you use them in the parks? Is it true that you can get a buffet breakfast in the park? Is that just while the Cheyenne is being refurbished? Would they let you do that?

I know breakfasts still seem to be evolving and more changes could be ahead, but I was just curious after seeing someone say about doing this, and wondered how it would work.

**Peter H** · 24 Jul 17, 02:36 PM

I am a little confused by your question. PThe plan you get matches your hotel. If you want higher you either have to pay up to a higher plan or you use the voucher at face value and pay the extra. Breakfast as you point out is still evolving

sammykitten · 24 Jul 17, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Elodie

Just asking out of curiosity, really. I've just seen a reply in another thread, saying that you can book any tier of meal plan and it doesn't need to match your hotel. How does that work? I'd considered doing that in our next holiday, but it ended up being better to get the premium plan for DLH, mainly because of breakfast. Now I'm wondering if there is a way to make that work for future trips.

So, for example, say you were staying in a Plus level hotel and got the Premium plan. I'm guessing it would just mean that you'd overpaid for breakfast (i.e. paid for a Premium breakfast but get a Plus breakfast in your hotel) but then you'd get Premium main meals so maybe it could still work out financially?

But what if you got the Standard plan in a Plus hotel? Would you completely forfeit your breakfast vouchers, or could you use them in the parks? Is it true that you can get a buffet breakfast in the park? Is that just while the Cheyenne is being refurbished? Would they let you do that?

I know breakfasts still seem to be evolving and more changes could be ahead, but I was just curious after seeing someone say about doing this, and wondered how it would work.

honestly I have no idea what happens with the "breakfast" portion of a paid half board meal plan, its so confusing.

Unless the rules have changed because of all this breakfast malarkey, you can phone DLP and add any tier of half board plan you like if you're paying for it, as an addition to your existing onsite package booking.

stephen2203 · 24 Jul 17, 08:34 PM

If it's a free plan, you can't upgrade to a higher tier plan and your breakfast will be a quick service in the park so the hotel you are staying at is irrelevant.

I have no idea how this would work if its a paid plan. You do get a discount on your meal plan if staying at club level (as this includes breakfast) so perhaps it works the other way around and you would have to pay a supplement.

The breakfast situation really is ridiculously confusing. So much conflicting information doing the rounds!

Elodie · 24 Jul 17, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Peter H

I am a little confused by your question. PThe plan you get matches your hotel. If you want higher you either have to pay up to a higher plan or you use the voucher at face value and pay the extra. Breakfast as you point out is still evolving

Haha, I think we must be talking at cross purposes as I'm confused now!

Another poster definitely said on another thread that the meal plan you buy does not have to match your hotel. My question was just me being curious about how that would work for breakfasts, but if you're right and the plan DOES have to match the hotel, then I guess my question is pointless.

But then you said that you can pay more for a higher tier, so presumably you mean that your hotel and meal plan DON'T have to match? Did you mean that they do have to match or that they don't?

I did wonder if you might be thinking of the free dining offers (where the free plan automatically matches your hotel), but I understand you can't upgrade a free plan to a higher level anyway, so that's probably not what you meant. (But just to clarify, my question was about booking / paying for a meal plan, not getting a free one.)

Elodie · 25 Jul 17, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by sammykitten

honestly I have no idea what happens with the "breakfast" portion of a paid half board meal plan, its so confusing.

Unless the rules have changed because of all this breakfast malarkey, you can phone DLP and add any tier of half board plan you like if you're paying for it, as an addition to your existing onsite package booking.

Same here! Totally no idea about how that would work for breakfasts, but just wondered if anyone knew.

I'll have to have a look to find the other thread and see who it was that said it was possible - maybe they'll know how it works. Our next holiday and meal plan are both already booked anyway, but it would be handy to know for the future.

Elodie · 25 Jul 17, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by stephen2203

If it's a free plan, you can't upgrade to a higher tier plan and your breakfast will be a quick service in the park so the hotel you are staying at is irrelevant.

I have no idea how this would work if its a paid plan. You do get a discount on your meal plan if staying at club level (as this includes breakfast) so perhaps it works the other way around and you would have to pay a supplement.

The breakfast situation really is ridiculously confusing. So much conflicting information doing the rounds!

Yes, I was wondering about the paid plan, as that's what I'd seen someone mention doing on the other thread. I knew it wasn't possible to change the tier of a free plan, but apparently you can have a different level paid plan. I just can't understand how that works when you wouldn't have vouchers for breakfast in your hotel. It's so confusing while they keep changing the rules!

LufcDeb · 25 Jul 17, 08:51 PM

If you pay for the meal plan you can choose which level you want. You'll get a buffet breakfast in your hotel.

Best thing to do is, do a booking online and add the meal plan and see if the price changes depending on the hotel. Not sure if it will but you can check. I know if you stay at club level the meal plan will be cheaper as you'll only be needing the lunch/dinner

Elodie · 26 Jul 17, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by LufcDeb

If you pay for the meal plan you can choose which level you want. You'll get a buffet breakfast in your hotel.

Best thing to do is, do a booking online and add the meal plan and see if the price changes depending on the hotel. Not sure if it will but you can check. I know if you stay at club level the meal plan will be cheaper as you'll only be needing the lunch/dinner

I didn't think of checking with a dummy booking, good idea!

Are you thinking that maybe, for example, people could book the DLH, get the standard plan, but pay extra to upgrade the standard hotel breakfast to Inventions? I could imagine that would work for both visitors and Disney, if it's not too complicated for them to allow. It would explain why the other poster had said that you can pay for any tier meal plan and it doesn't have to match the hotel, too.