Summary of Current Walt Disney World Deals and Discounts
By Dave Shute
CURRENT DEALS AND DISCOUNTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
DISNEY WORLD DEALS AND DISCOUNTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Several Disney World deals for the general public are out for 2026:
- Disney World Free Dining for Kids in all of 2026
- Disney World Room Percentage-Off Deal for May 1 through July 29, 2026
- Disney World Room Percentage-Off Deal for July 30 through October 3, 2026
- Disney World Free Dining for much of June 28 through December 21, 2026
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!
82 comments
Hi Dave,
Family of 4 (2adults, 2kids (age 10), May 5/20-5/24 (flexible dates), 1st Disney trip…I would like to know which is better for 1st timers on/off grounds and should we choose a dinner plan/wing it?…
Hi Lenita, my advice would vary a bit depending on whether or not you would be able to return later in a year or so. If so it doesn’t much matter; if not, I’d both stay on site and try the dining plan. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-stay/ and also this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/how-to-eat/
Dining plan in the long run will save you money and allow you to try restaurants that you probably won’t if you are paying out of pocket.
Hey Dave,
I am taking my wife and two kids to Disneyworld from January 30 – February 9th. In the past we have gotten a free dining package, but have never stayed for this long. On the site, it says that dining packages are good for 7 day/6 night stays. Does this mean at least 6 nights or only 6 nights? If a dining package is offered, we are hoping to get it for our whole stay.
Hi Andy, there’s minimum stays associated with the deals, but so long as your arrival dates fits, you can stay as long as you wish and not only can get the deal for the full length of your stay, but are required to! They put up the 7/6 stuff to encourage people to longer stays, not because it’s the only length you can buy!
Great, thanks!!! You are very helpful and I appreciate the tips and fast responses!
Andy, you’re welcome, glad to help!
Will be taking family (two U10 kids) in Spring 2013. Will be staying off-property 4/24-4/28 to do some other area attractions first, then transferring to a WDW Resort 4/29-5/5. Am looking at Beach Club or BC-Villas (stormalong for kids & Epcot area convenience key drivers). Renting DVC points to get 1-bed villa is about the same price as standard BC room, however believe Disney might come out with discounts later this year for this time given past history. Will have a car while staying off property initially, but plan on losing it & using resort transportation while on property. Have been to parks a couple years ago, and will likely return in a couple more years. Did not go to TL or BB last time – would these even be needed if Stormalong is available to the kids?
Should I book the 1-bed villa now to guarantee, or play chicken with potential discounts? Would love to hold out and grab discounted club level at BC or free dining plan. Any thoughts (or alternate ideas) on any portion of this greatly appreciated
Carl, that’s a tough call…the 1 bed is so much more comfortable than a standard room–and BVC points so hard to rent–that if I were in your shoes I’d rent points for the villa.
Stormalong Bay is a great pool, but it’s not a substitute for a waterpark unless your kids have never been to one…
Our preference would actually be the BC std room with a dining plan over the villa without the plan (at least for the same $$) – we don’t spend many (awake) hours in the room & dining plan beats groceries/cooking hands down for convenience. What are the odds of Disney offering discounts for this time period? From looking at your chart, they would not announce until Oct-Dec of this year anyway.
Thanks,
C
Carl, odds are tough to quote–I think there’s been some discount or other for the equivalent week every year for several years now, but Disney by policy is cutting back on the number and scope of discounts it offers.
If I had to bet, I’d bet better than 50-50 that there will be a discount…
Dave, do you think that there will be any discounts in the month of December 2012. My husband and I are going for our anniversery. I have only been one other time and we would like to stay on property this time. Any ideas? We have season passes and are Flordia residents.
Hey Jennifer, there’s already one out–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/07/12/free-dining-plan-disney-world-fall-2012/ I’d expect to see another room rate discount out as well…perhaps announced soon!
Dave,
First of I want to say I love your site. I’ve been to Disney multiple times but this is the first time I am going around Christmas and your site has helped tremendously. My soon-to-be husband and I are going for our Honeymoon :). We were planning on going from 12/6/12-12/16/12 because that seems to be the least crowded according to your calendars and recommendations. However, if we check in on 12/10 and stay until 12/20 we could get the free dining plan. I was just wondering what you think would be a better idea. Less crowds or the free dining plan. We looked into paying for the Dining plan the earlier week but think we’d spend less money in just purchasing food than we will on the Dining plan. Resort wise we are still between an All Star to save money or splurging a little and staying at the Caribbean Beach. Any input you have would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Hi Tina and thanks! I don’t see crowds really building until the 20th itself–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/07/17/disney-world-crowds-2013-christmasnew-years-crowds-20122013/ –so you should be fine moving your date!
If you do end up in a value resort, among the All-Stars shoot for Music, but I think you’ll likely find Pop or Art of Animation better than any of the All-Stars. For why Music, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/08/24/personal-favorites-the-value-resorts/ and this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/06/26/the-most-romantic-walt-disney-world-resorts/ For more on the value resorts in general, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/08/04/the-value-resorts-at-walt-disney-world/
I have been waiting for 2013 deals to be released for the January/February timeframe but no word yet. I have been reading blogs saying they may not be offering deals early next year because they are usually released in August. Is there any truth to this?
Hey Andy, there’s not really much “usually” when it comes to Disney.
For example, going back to 2008 announcement for Jan 2009, January deals have been announced in December, November, September, and August. You can see this here: http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codetrends
That said, if I were Disney I’d delay January deals this year until I had a clear sense of the impact of the New Fantasyland on early 2013 bookings… which suggests they may not come out for a while….
Hi Dave,
I am very happy to have stumbled upon your site. I have a couple of questions. My husband, daughter (7 yrs old) and I are heading to Disney World Nov.28-Dec.10. We are currently booked at the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista for the 12 days. I just found out that the Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms have recently opened up. We stayed at the Holiday Inn for our last (first Disney trip) visit and enjoyed the hotel & staff. The hotel deal we got includes breakfast and the shuttle to the Disney parks. I understand that the Mermaid rooms only offer two double beds. My husband is 6’4 tall. Do you think he will he be able to fit on a double bed if I share the other bed with my daughter? How big are those rooms? My dilema is should we change our reservation to stay all 12 nights in the Mermaid room, split the nights between the two hotels or just leave us at the Holiday Inn. What is your feeling about the Mermaid rooms? Does the resort offer enough to keep my daughter happy? I think there are movies every night. My daughter is absolutely crazy about mermaids. It is all she talks about. She has never seen a Disney hotel–only the plain Holiday Inn. Do you think it is worth it to switch?
Thanks
Hi Annette! I’ll be publishing a review of these rooms tomorrow, but they are small–certainly smaller than those in the holiday inn. That said, they, and their general environment, are deeply themed–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/09/19/little-mermaid-rooms-art-animation-not-girly-not-far/
On the bed size question–sure he can. The beds are 6’3″ long, but the diagonal measure–if he puts his head in one corner and his feet in the other–is 7 feet, 8.5 inches!
I would switch just so you can test the Disney resort experience at a low cost!
Hi Dave, my son and his girlfriend (both21) are travelling to WDW next week. The holiday is a present and they are travelling from England but don’t want to drive in Florida as they are used to driving on the left side of the road. How easy and safe is it to call for taxis? I assume they can get the hotel reception desk to call cabs/taxis? They want to go to Universal and Seaworld, possibly some shopping and I am nervous that they haven’t got their own transport.
Hi Tanja, cabs are easy to call. If they are staying at WDW hotels, each has a cab rank near the front!
Thanks Dave, we have stayed in the Saratoga and Key West before and somehow I can’t remember cab ranks there. But I might have been to excited to be here and didn’t pay attention!
Hi Dave
Hoping you can help me, on the disney world website it has an ad saying stay and play package on one of the pictures that flash up at you. when you go into this it has a package called Room ticket and dining for 6 nights at $2771. could you please help in anyway as I have tryed to call disney and they no nothing about it. It falls in the dates that we are going but when I try and do the price on there website it gives me the same price I was looking at a couple of weeks ago. This is so frustrating that disney don’t even know what they have on there website they were not very helpful, so hoping you may know somthing. Thanks Love your website
Stacey, I’m not sure what’s going on, but one possibility is that the hotel you’ve picked has sold out for this deal for your dates. Rooms made available for deals are limited and do sell out. Disney’s website does not go way out of its way to tell you this–it just prices based on regular prices, not deal prices.
There’s only once current deal, and it’s here: http://bookwdw.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/specialOfferDetails?name=Promo&promotionCode=fy13q1room&market=fy13q1room
Hi Dave,
My family is excited about planning our first trip to Disney…..son 6yrs old and daughter 4 yrs old. Excited but a bit overwhelmed. After reading your site I think we would like to stay at the Polynesian. We intend to visit Disney in May 2013, when do you think we should consider booking the trip? Also, my son has several food allergies do you have insight into which resorts are more accommodating for people with food allergies or does Disney overall try to accommodate no matter where you stay?
Hi Ro, Disney is probably the best vacation spot in the world regarding food allergies, both in the parks and at all its hotels… suggest you get a copy of this so you find out how to work with them ahead of time: PassPorter’s Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line: Easy Access Vacations for Travelers with Extra Challenges Regarding booking, the Poly is quite popular, so I’d book as soon as you can…
We are coming to Disney World Feb. 10th-16th 2013. We are taking our grandchildren ages 4 girl and 6 boy, and their parents, so there will be 6 total. They have never been, and are counting down the days. We are on a fixed income and want this to be a memorable vacation. What would be a good value for us as a family. We would love to have a 3 bedroom condo. Thanks.
Hi Louise! On WDW property it’s very hard to find 3 bedroom space that is also affordable. The best match at lowest cost is the Treehouses at Saratoga Springs. See https://yourfirstvisit.net/2009/08/16/review-the-treehouses-at-disneys-saratoga-springs-resort-and-spa/ and the floor plan. Pretax rates for your period begin at $709/night but shoot up later.
All less expensive WDW options for six have only two sleeping spaces–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/12/15/lower-priced-options-for-large-families-at-walt-disney-world/
Hi!! I am really really wanting to bring my family to disney. I am thinking may 26-31 2013, but i am not seeing any free dining plan for the art of animation or if i would have to stay at one of the others just to get the free dining. Would you happen to know if disney will have any kind of discounts or free dining for a tight budget. Thanks!!
Hi Shelley–there are no discounts out now for dates beyond early March. More will likely come out in a month or so–and they may include free dining–but the current deal set does not, so I would not bet on it. Memorial Day week is also a crowded period…take a look at this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2009/12/21/the-tightwads-guide-to-when-to-go-to-walt-disney-world/
Got an e-mail that there’s a new deal available for Disney Visa cardholders, that will be available to the general public starting Jan 3 2013. Its for up to 30% off WDW resort hotels, stays 2/18-3/23 and 4/2-6/14/2013.
Thanks a million, Terri!!! I’ll post about that tomorrow–with a tip of the hat to you!
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for this site, it’s very helpful! I’d like your advice about where to stay for our upcoming trip 1/21-1/23. This will be our 2nd trip to disney – last time we did MK and Epcot, this time we want to see AK and perhaps MK for the updated Fantasyland (worth it?). Family is 2 adults and 3 kids (7,7,5). I see you recommend Poly – would that still be the case if we were doing a full day AK and a second day MK? I’ve looked at AKLodge, but for a family of 5 pricing seems very high for a quick visit…
Thanks!
Hi Deb!
Fantasyland is worth it, especially Enchanted Tales with Belle, whihc you should see first thing. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/12/26/review-enchanted-tales-belle/
There are no hotels near AK that can fit a family of five unless you want to pay a ton for a DVC one bedroom villa at AKL. Standard AKL rooms only fit 4.. The only room that fits five but doesn’t break the bank is the Alligator Bayou section of POR. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/11/19/review-port-orleans-riverside-alligator-bayou-rooms/ It’s not near either, but is half or less the price of deluxes like the Poly that fit 5…
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
Does anyone know if free dining will be back for this fall/winter 2013. We are looking to coming Nov. 30th – December 8th. We are military and normally stay at Shades of Green but this year we are looking into more options for our family.
Julie, no one knows except Disney. My guess is not…
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
Leave a Comment | Ask a Question | Note a Problem