It is on! Free Dining is back!
The promotion, which is an extremely popular one, allows each Guest in the room on the reservation to receives one of the Disney Dining Plans for free with the purchase of a Walt Disney World Resort package. (A package includes the resort room and tickets.) Here’s what you need to know about the promotion for 2017!
Walt Disney World Free Dining Details
Guests can receive Free Dining when they purchase a non-discounted 5 night/6 day vacation package that includes your room at a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel and tickets. In addition, Guests must book a minimum 2-day Magic Your Way ticket with Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus Option.
Guests who stay at a Value or a Moderate Resort will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free (Keep in mind that you can choose to upgrade to the standard or deluxe dining plans by paying the difference in cost per night). This is a change from last year, as previously Guests who stayed at Moderate Resorts received the regular Disney Dining Plan. Those who stay at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort will receive the standard Disney Dining Plan. (Again, if you would like, you can upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan by paying the difference in cost per night).
Free Dining is valid for most nights on the following dates:
- August 13 through September 30
- November 14 through November 20
- November 25 through November 27
- December 8 through December 23
Here are a few things that you should know. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. In addition, a few resorts are blocked from the Free Dining offer all-together. While a resort may be included in the promotion, Free Dining is based on availability, so not every room category will be available for every single night. Resorts that are blocked out include:
- Campsites
- 3-bedroom villas
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Bungalows
- Disney’s All Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside from November 14-20, November 25-27 and December 8-23
Walt Disney World tickets and other options must be used within 14 days of first use. Children ages 3 to 9 must order from the kid’s menu, if available.
It is a smart move to have your dining reservations already booked, so you should book them ASAP, as some table-service restaurants may have limited or no availability.
In order to take advantage of Free Dining, you must book your package by July 7, 2017!
In addition, Disney has also released a room only reservation. Guests considering booking a trip should seriously take a look at which reservation may be better for their family. Sometimes it’s actually cheaper to book with a room only reservation and pay for the Disney Dining Plan. It’s all about the math. Make sure to take a look at all of the discounts that are currently available for Walt Disney World vacations.
What Else Should I Keep In Mind With Free Dining?
- Free Dining isn’t necessarily Free. Even with Free Dining, you do have pay a gratuity to your table service server, which is not included in the Dining Plan.
- The Dining Plan is not based on the number of days you have tickets for; instead, it is based on the number of nights you are staying. Any unused dining credits will expire at midnight on your resort check out day.
- Your Disney Dining Plan credits can be utilized at any time throughout your stay. That means if you want to use 6 of your snack credits on one day, you can.
- Don’t worry about keeping track of your credits. If you do loose track of what you’ve used, take a look at your receipt; it shows the total number of credits remaining.
- Buffets, especially character buffets, are some of the most expensive meals on Disney property. Therefore, they are some of the best uses of Disney Dining Plan credits. We have a list of the Best One Table Service Credit Restaurant options to consider.
- For those looking to maximize their dollars, look for snack credit options that are unusual and expensive. For example, during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, you can use your snack credits at many of the Marketplace Booths! Also, you can choose to get a tall latte or a venti latte at Starbucks and both count as one credit, so go for the venti!
If you are looking to book the Free Dining promotion, please consider contacting one of the agents from The Magic For Less Travel. They are a partner of ours and their goal is to get you the best deal possible. Oh and The Magic For Less Travel is a fee free agency. You don’t pay them, Disney does! Click to request your no-obligation quote today!
Are you excited about Free Dining? We certainly are!
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