On Wednesday, there was an announcement of the possible dates for Free Disney Dining coming out this year, and it got a lot of people excited. Some people appeared confused though, and that is perfectly understandable if you’re not familiar with the popular promotion so with that, let…
Doctor Disney Explain – Free Disney Dining
What is Free Disney Dining?
It’s exactly what it says it is. When booking a Walt Disney World vacation package, you can get free quick service or regular dining. Now, there are a number of restrictions and exclusions, but those change with each year’s promotion so you’ve got to pay close attention to details when it is announced.
Many people have done the “math” before and don’t believe it to truly be free Disney dining, but it has been known to save numerous guests a considerable amount of money.
When is Free Disney Dining?
Now, that varies each and every year with the promotion even though the dates are usually similar. Give or take a few days, you’ve got to be sure to check when they are.
Here are the rumored and likely dates for 2014:
- Aug. 31 – Oct. 3
- Oct. 26 – Nov. 1
- Nov. 9 – Nov. 20
- Dec. 12 – Dec. 23
Is my trip eligible for Free Disney Dining?
This is one of the biggest questions and you’ve got to make sure that your trip meets the eligibility requirements in order to get it. A few things to remember:
- Your check-in date must fall within the Free Disney Dining dates in order for your trip to be eligible for the promotional discount. If your trip starts and then halfway through, the Free Disney Dining dates kick in…your trip is NOT eligible.
- You must stay the minimum amount of nights required. It is usually three, but is subject to change.
- Usually, a certain amount of days for your park tickets are required…most of the time, it is two or three.
- A Walt Disney World vacation package must be purchased. You can’t just get room and dining or tickets and dining.
- DVC and Annual Passholders are not eligible for Free Disney Dining unless otherwise noted by Disney.
Can I combine the Free Disney Dining offer with other discounts?
No, you can’t. Offers and discounts cannot be combined.
If my vacation is already booked, can I add Free Disney Dining to it once it is released?
Yes, you can. The thing is that you will have to make sure your trip falls into the dates and eligibility requirements. You will need to call into Disney and have the promotion/discount applied to your trip. It is not possible to be done online with trips already in place.
Let it be known that on the day that Free Disney Dining is announced, the reservations/booking line for Disney is very, very busy. Hold times can go in excess of 10 hours at times, and that is even if you are on the phone at 6:00 a.m. EST once the phone lines open.
You may not want to wait though because there is an allotment of rooms available at each Disney resort for the promotion. If you wait too long, that allotment may be gone and you could miss out on the discount. Just because you have a room or package doesn’t mean you will end up with the Free Disney Discount promotion.
Are all Walt Disney World Resorts included in the promotion?
No, they aren’t. Each year, there are certain resorts excluded from the promotion. You’ve got to make sure that your resort is not excluded from Free Disney Dining or you will not be able to get it. Likely resorts included and excluded for 2014 are:
Value Resorts – Quick Service Plan Included
- All-Star Movies
- All-Star Music Resort
- All-Star Sports Resort
- Art of Animation (Family Suites)
- Pop Century Resort
Moderate Resorts – Regular Plan Included
- Caribbean Beach Resort
- Coronado Springs Resort
- Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
- Port Orleans Resort Riverside
Deluxe Resorts – Regular Plan Included
- Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
- BoardWalk Inn
- Contemporary Resort
- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Polynesian Resort
- Wilderness Lodge
Deluxe Villa Resorts – Regular Plan Included
- Bay Lake Tower
- Animal Kingdom Villas
- Beach Club Villas
- BoardWalk Villas
- Old Key West Resort
- Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Villas at Disneys Wilderness Lodge
- Fort Wilderness Cabins
Exclusions for Free Disney Dining to be expected are:
- Fort Wilderness Campsites
- 3-Bedroom Villas
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Art of Animation – Little Mermaid rooms
Is it a good idea to book my vacation ahead of time, and then move it to the eligible dates once Free Disney Dining is announced?
This is a mixed bag question. Some say that it is a good idea to book a vacation for the fall or winter, and then simply call in to move your trip around and add the Free Disney Dining promotion once the dates are announced. While this gives you a better chance of guaranteeing yourself a booking without missing out, it can end up causing some issues in the future.
There have been rumblings for a while now that Disney will be getting rid of the Free Disney Dining promotion, but it hasn’t happened just yet. Should Disney hit a year and they see the majority of rooms already booked in fall and winter before a promotion comes out…well, then Disney won’t find the need to release a promotion (such as Free Disney Dining) to fill rooms.
You listed 4 moderate sites as being included and the campsites as being excluded but what about the cabins? I didn’t see them listed anywhere? Any idea if they would be included or excluded from the free dining? *if* it’s released?
Most of the time, they are included.
And the cabins are indeed listed under Deluxe Villas.
Would it be wise for me to book a hotel now for 11/10-11/15 for the contemporary hotel garden view and book 3 theme park tickets in case they run out of rooms when the dining plan announcement is made? And once they do announce it, is it just as simple as calling the reservation line and letting them know?
It’s not so simple to just call in because you may be on hold for hours and even the whole day. Booking it now is a start, but you still have to be able to reach in and get your discount applied.