Free Dining

By Dave Shute

Note: the Disney Dining Plans have been paused since the pandemic started. On May 8, 2023, Disney World announced that such plans would return for stays beginning January 9th, 2024.

Free Dining is the favorite deal of many Disney World fans, and I get questions about it all the time.

In an unusual attempt to actually provide good answers, a while ago I put heads together with DISboards.com legends Smitch425 (Sarah) and Black562 (Joe Black–Joe’s also on Facebook here; Sarah’s shy).

We–well, mostly they–came up with the following FAQ. I’ve updated it for 2020.

WHAT IS FREE DINING AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Q: What is free dining?
A: Free dining is a Disney World deal where, if you buy other stuff, you can get one of the Disney World dining plans for free. Most recently, eligible folk staying at an eligible value resort or moderate resort have gotten the quick service dining plan for free, and those staying at eligible deluxe resorts have gotten the regular dining plan for free.

Q: Is this a big deal?
A: For many families, it really is. The regular Disney Dining Plan costs $78.01 for people ten or over, and $30.50 for kids 3 to 9.

So a typical family of four with one younger kid and one older who would have otherwise paid cash for the dining plan will save more than $260 per night.

Recently, you have had to buy tickets and also the Park Hopper ticket add-on to be eligible for the deal. If you hadn’t planned on buying one of these add-ons, you have to deduct the extra costs from your free dining savings to see if it’s a good deal still. The hopper cost is $85.20 per person (not per night) extra, depending on the length of the ticket.

Savings are less but still substantial for the quick service plan that’s free for value and moderate resort stays —at $55/26, the same family would save ~$190/night.

Q:  Blah blah blah on that typical family–how much would my family save?
A: See the tables below, which EXCLUDE the cost of the Park Hopper

Q: Is it the best deal?
A: Not always.

The value of any deal is the difference between it and your next best option. A room rate deal is out that covers the same dates as free dining, and for some families—especially smaller families with younger kids staying in more expensive rooms who do not want hoppers—the room rate discount saves more money than free dining.

The least expensive Grand Floridian rooms during late August 2020 at 25% off generate savings of about $180-$190 a night. From Regular Plan part of the chart above, you can see some family types will do better here at 25% off than they would from free dining, especially if they had not been already planning to buy a hopper.

Moreover, Disney lately has seemed to offer for free dining largely the higher priced room options within a given resort–rooms with better views, closer access to the main services, or special theming. If you had not already planned on one of these higher-priced rooms, then their extra costs will also get in the way of your savings.

Q: What’s the Disney Dining Plan, anyway?
A: See this!

HOW TO GET FREE DINING

Q: OK, I’m sold. Now what?
A:  Until last year, the deal came out in late April, and a lot of resorts sold out almost immediately. In 2019 it came out in two parts, first released in early January for summer arrival dates into September, then in mid-July for additional November and December arrival dates.

In 2020, Free Dining for a total of 16 days in June, July, August and September was released on January 2. It remains to be seen whether any more free dining will be released for 2020.

You have to be willing to stay at an eligible resort, with an arrival date within the announced deal’s eligible dates, for likely a minimum of  four nights, and you likely will have to buy a minimum of three days of hopper tickets for all in the room 3 and older.

Q: I already have a reservation just like that! Will Disney automatically convert it to the deal?
A: Disney don’t do nothin’ automatically.

If you already have a reservation, to get the deal if/when it is offered you have to try to change your reservation online, or call and change your current reservation, or make a new free dining reservation online and then call when that’s set to cancel your old reservation.

Simpler is to make your reservation through Kelly B, the long-time travel agent partner of this site. Contact her using the form below.

If you’ve booked with Kelly, once the deal comes out she’ll move heaven and earth to get you into it.

Q: Tickets? But I already bought tickets!
A: That’s a whine, not a question.

But yes, to be eligible for free dining, a new minimum 3 day hopper will be required for each person on the reservation age 3 and up.

Q: Are all resorts and rooms in the deal?
A: All recent Disney World deals have excluded some resorts and room types—mostly those for which demand is high enough that no deal is needed to get heads in beds at full prices.

Recently, most commonly excluded have been Little Mermaid standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, All-Star Movies, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and one or the other of the Port Orleans resorts, most commonly French Quarter. For 2020, both Port Orleans resorts are in the deal.

Moreover, even when not excluded, it seems that a limited inventory of rooms at resorts is made available for the deal–with a particularly limited inventory of the least expensive view types.

It’s always best to have a backup resort and room type in mind should your desired location be excluded or sold out.

Q: When should I book?
A: As soon as you hear about the deal.

Since there are a limited number of rooms in the free dining inventory at each included resort, the sooner you book once a deal goes live, the better your chances are of getting your preferred location.

The easiest way to do this is to turn over your visit to my travel agent friend Kelly B, and let her take care of booking the best deals for you. See the form above.

Q: My arrival date is before free dining but part of my stay is during it! Boo!
A: If you check in prior to a free dining promotion, you can do what is referred to as a “split stay.”

For example, if you check in the day before free dining begins, you can book a room only stay for the first night, and a free dining package to begin the following day.

This would require you to check out and check back in, and it is possible that you would have to switch rooms. However, Disney can link the two reservations, and they will do everything possible to avoid a room switch.

Q: When is free dining offered?
A: The most common time for free dining is September, but recently arrival dates  both earlier and later in the year have been eligible as well.

For 2020, eligible arrival dates (so far) are

• 6/27 and 6/28/2020
• 7/5 – 7/8/20
• 8/29 – 9/8/20

More arrival dates may be released later.

Q: When is it announced?
A: See this for the variety of recent announcement dates.

Q. I’m a proud DVC point owner! Can I get free dining?
A: Sorry—DVC rooms booked using points (either by the point owner, or for someone who is getting DVC rooms by renting points) aren’t eligible. However, DVC rooms paid for by cash are eligible.

Q: Can I upgrade from the quick service to the regular plan, or to the deluxe plan?
A: Yes, you may. Simply pay the difference between the plans and you can upgrade all you wish.

Q: Should I book in advance for free dining?
A: Don’t book early in the hope of getting free dining later.

Rather, book only if you are committed to a certain resort and set of dates, whether or not free dining emerges.

• First, if bookings are up, Disney has no reason to offer a discount at all.
• Second, if people book up certain resorts, they are more likely to be excluded.

Having an advance reservation has no benefit in any way over a new booking on release day. It doesn’t hurt you—but it doesn’t help.

Q: Can I have a puppy?
A: Perhaps. Our puppy, Belle, is below.

WHAT’S THE DISNEY DINING PLAN, ANYWAY?

The full scoop on the Disney Dining Plans is here.

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