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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, I put heads together with DISboards.com legends Smitch425 (Sarah) and Black562 (Joe Black–Joe’s also on the web here and here; Sarah’s shy) and we–well, mostly they–came up with the following FAQ.

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, those staying at a value resort have gotten the quick service dining plan for free, and those staying at moderate or 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 $64.58 for people ten or over, and $20.48 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 $210 per night. Savings are less but still substantial for the quick service plan that’s free for value resort stays—at $44.72/$17.07, the same family would save $150/night.

Q:  Blah blah blah on that typical family–how much will my family save?
A: See the table below:

Q: Is it the best deal?
A: Not always. The value of any deal is the difference between it and your next best option. Room rate deals are usually out for the same dates as free dining, and for some families—especially smaller families with younger kids staying at more expensive deluxe resorts—the room rate discount saves more money than free dining. The least expensive Grand Floridian rooms during the September 2014 value season at 30% off generate savings of $165-$175 a night. From the chart above, you can see many family types will do better here at 30% off than from free dining.

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

HOW TO GET FREE DINING

Q: OK, I’m sold. Now what?
A: First Disney has to announce the deal. Then you have to be willing to stay at an eligible resort, with an arrival date within the announced deal’s eligible dates, for (most likely) a minimum of three nights, and you have to buy (most likely) a minimum of two days of 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. To get the deal, you have to either 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.

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 2 day Magic Your Way base ticket is typically required for each person on the reservation age 3 and up. However, you can save your tickets for a future trip–Magic Your Way tickets which have not been activated by first use will remain valid forever. Annual Pass holders can use the un-activated extra 2 day ticket toward renewal costs when it is time to renew. Or you can just use both tickets to get 6 FastPass+ per day.

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 the campsites at Fort Wilderness, Little Mermaid standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and one or the other of the Port Orleans resorts. Moreover, even when not excluded, it seems that a limited inventory of rooms at resorts is made available for the deal. 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. Note that because so many know this, people can be on hold for hours when these deals are first released.

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 through later in the month. For 2014, the current guess is eligible arrival dates will be late August–e.g. August 31th or so through very early October–e.g. October 3. As part of its strategy for recovery from the recession, 2009 through 2011 Disney offered free dining many other months. The last couple of years, this has been wildly scaled back. Select dates after September have been available through 2013. Rumors are that we’ll see this in 2014 again. If later 2014 is offered, it likely will exclude at least the two weeks surrounding Columbus Day and dates around Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Q: When is it announced?
A: See this for the variety of announcement dates. It’s widely expected that free dining for September 2014 will be announced in  early May—current forecasts are for free dining for September 2014  to become available to the general public May 5 or May 7.

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 in the hope of getting free dining later. 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. Third, if you book in advance, you must add the discount by phone, not online. Disney’s website has been known to go live before the phones even open, sometimes many hours ahead. Then callers can be on hold for hours. This means new reservations made online are grabbing the limited free dining inventory ahead of those who must call in. 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.

WHAT’S THE DISNEY DINING PLAN, ANYWAY?

The following is an excerpt from my and Josh’s The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit from Theme Park Press:

Disney World dining is expensive. For some guests, it may even be the priciest component of the vacation, eclipsing the cost of lodging and theme park tickets. The three versions of the Disney Dining Plan (Quick Service, Regular, and Deluxe) are a way to prepay some of these dining expenses.

Years ago, when the Regular Dining Plan had a lower price and included an appetizer and tip at sit-down restaurants, you could actually save some money by buying these plans. These days it’s hard for us to recommend them–unless you get them for free!

• The Quick Service Dining Plan is priced so high that it’s only possible to break even or come out ahead if you use the credits solely for lunch and dinner. From there, you’ll need to order only the most expensive items to eke out a potential savings of a dollar or two per day.
• At a cost north of $64 per adult per day, the Regular Dining Plan is expensive and saving money with it requires planning only the most expensive meals.
• The Deluxe Dining Plan comes with three quick or table service meals per day at a cost of more than $115 per day per adult. Users either spend three or more hours per day eating table service meals or use their credits on faster quick service meals, in turn reducing the value of each credit.

With only a couple of exceptions, we suggest skipping the dining plans. Exceptions include:

• If you take comfort in pre-paying some of your dining expenses as a budgeting tool (even if this means you spend more money), the Quick Service or Regular plans may make sense for you—the cash loss may be worth the budget comfort. It’s nice knowing that food is pre-paid and users are free to order whatever entrees and desserts that they like, even if those prices are higher than they’re accustomed to paying. As an alternative, consider loading a Disney gift card with the amount of money you plan to pay for meals.
• Pricing on the Regular Plan is advantageous for groups with kids under the age of ten that plan multiple buffets and character meals. The cost of a child buffet at many character meals exceeds the child cost of the Regular Dining Plan for that day.
• Getting it for free!!

With or without a dining plan, the typical family eating their meals on property should budget $35-60+ per adult per day for dining, and somewhere between $15 and $40/day for the kids–depending on their ages and appetites.

DINING PLAN CREDITS AND WHAT THEY COVER

The Dining Plans are only available to guests staying at Disney owned and operated resorts. All guests on a single reservation (except children under three—not covered on any plan) must opt for the same Dining Plan if you elect to purchase it. There’s no such thing as having four people on a room reservation and only three people on the Deluxe Plan. And it isn’t possible for one person to purchase Deluxe, while the other chooses the Regular. Everyone over the age of nine must pay the adult rate, regardless of how much they plan to eat. And kids three to nine must order from restaurants’ Kids’ Menu if they offer one.

Those on the Dining Plan receive a number of credits based on the number of nights they’re staying. The Dining Plan and credits are not connected to theme park tickets or anything else – just the number of nights on the reservation. The credits are usable as soon as the guest checks in through midnight on the checkout day. Credits can be used in any order on any of these days. On a three night stay, a guest could conceivably use all their credits on the first day, the last day or space them out.

Quick service meals generally consist of one entrée or combo meal, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage. Virtually every quick service on property participates in the Dining Plan and all quick service meals cost one credit.

Table service meals, comprised of one entrée, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage, cost one or two credits. Two credit meals are signature experiences at the most expensive dinner shows, buffets, and restaurants like Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, Cinderella’s Royal Table and California Grill. The Deluxe Dining Plan credits also include an appetizer, in addition to the entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. Snack credits can be used on most food items under $5.49. Examples include ice cream bars, pastries, and bottles of water and soda.

The credits don’t always cover everything you might want at a meal and no credits cover alcohol (except beer and wine at the dinner shows) or tips. Most guests have some additional dining expenses, in addition to the cost of the Dining Plan.

THE QUICK SERVICE DINING PLAN

Quick Service Dining Plan includes per person, per night:

• Two quick service meals, and
• One snack

In addition, each guest receives a Refillable Mug for use at the resort quick service and, if available, pools.

So a family of four staying for five nights would receive ten quick service meals, five snacks, and a refillable mug each. At press time, after-tax pricing is:

• $44.72 per night for those ten and older
• $17.07 per night for kids ages three to nine

Adult quick service entrees are typically $8 – $11 in the theme parks. Add a $3 fountain beverage and a $4 carrot cake and your average meal comes to around $17. Eat two of those, in addition to a $4 Mickey Ice Cream Bar, and add about $2.50 for a day’s worth of the refillable mug, and you’ve come out just about even. Kids’ Picks generally come in around $7 each. Eat two and add a $3 popsicle and the use of the refillable mug and you’ve covered the day’s cost.

While technically possible to eke out a savings of a dollar or two per day, those savings evaporate whenever you eat breakfast, when prices are usually lower and dessert isn’t included, or whenever someone is forced to order something they ordinarily wouldn’t. It also makes it difficult to schedule a table service meal or character buffet since they aren’t included on the Plan. You can pay cash for such meals, but if doing so pushes you to using a credit for breakfast—or worse, ending your vacation with unused credits—the Quick Service plan will cost you money.

THE “REGULAR” DINING PLAN

The “Regular” Dining Plan—often known simply as the Disney Dining Plan—includes per person, per night:

• One quick service meal
• One table service meal
• One snack

In addition, each guest receives a refillable mug for the duration of the stay.

At press time, after-tax pricing is:

• $64.58 per night for those ten and older
• $20.48 per night for kids ages three to nine

Child pricing is advantageous with a cost just $3.50 more than the Quick Service Plan. With several character buffets priced over $20, it’s relatively easy for kids to come out ten dollars or more ahead each day they dine at such a venue. For those older than 9, the price of $20/per day more than the Quick Service is harder to justify. There are meals where you do well—Akershus for dinner, after tax, is around $50. A day for family members older than 9 with a typical counter service lunch, a snack, and Akershus for dinner will cost less under the dining plan than cash. Dinner at the Crystal Palace approaches this cost, as does Chef Mickey’s.

Outside of buffets, it’s difficult to find restaurants with average entrée and dessert prices high enough to cover the cost of the Plan. Let’s assume you’re spending the day at Hollywood Studios and select 50’s Prime Time Café for dinner. You select the second most expensive entrée, the $22 pork chop, in addition to the most expensive dessert (Traditional Warm Apple Crisp A la Mode for $7.49) and order a $5 milkshake as your beverage. With tax, the meal comes out to $36.75. That puts you $27.83 away from covering the cost of the Dining Plan with just a quick service meal and snack to go. At our recommended Studios’ quick service, Studio Catering Co., the most expensive quick service meal you could put together is $19 with tax. Add a $4 Mickey Ice Cream Bar as a snack and you’re still $5 away from covering the cost of the Dining Plan after already ordering the most expensive items.

The economics of two-credit meals are even worse. Signature restaurant prices generally are about 1.5x the cost of regular restaurants, but cost twice the number of credits, resulting in a lower per-credit value. For example, the most expensive meal you could put together on the Dining Plan at California Grill is a $49 Bone-In Veal Chop, $13 Pudding Cake, and $4 Coke. That’s $66 or just $33 per credit for the most expensive meal at one of the most expensive restaurants on property. To compare, Teppan Edo in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot offers several entrees for $28 – $32. Add dessert and a drink and your single credit has a value of about $10 more than California Grill.

THE DELUXE DINING PLAN

The Deluxe Dining Plan includes per person, per day:

• Three meals per day – either quick service or table service. Table service meals include an appetizer where applicable.
• Two snacks

In addition, each guest receives a refillable mug for the duration of the stay

At press time, after-tax pricing is:

• $116.65 per night for adults
• $31.19 per night for kids ages three to nine

On paper, there is a lot of value potential here, particularly for kids under the age of ten. To maximize that value however, you could be spending more than three hours a day dining—even more if you avoid two-credit meals– and building an itinerary largely around being at specific restaurants at specific times. And let’s not forget the actual cost. A family of two adults, a 15-year old, and a seven-year old would cost a whopping $380 per day. For that, Josh and Dave will cook and serve your family of four both lunch and dinner, while intermittently breaking out into song and dance. A word to the wise though: Josh’s specialty is Hot Pockets and Dave’s favorite ingredient is Sriracha.

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OVERVIEW: NOVEMBER 2014 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews November 2014 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Mid-November has some of the best times of the year to visit Disney World, with cooler weather, low crowds, low prices, and fun special events.

The beginning of the month is not so good, with moderate crowds from Jersey Week, and Thanksgiving week, with high crowds and higher prices than the rest of the month, should be avoided.

[Read more →]

THANKSGIVING 2014 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Thanksgiving week at Walt Disney World is busy–particularly Wednesday through Saturday.

While not as crowded as some other holiday weeks–Easter and Christmas, for example–it can be very challenging, and the material below gives some hints on how to deal with it.

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DISNEY WORLD’S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY IN 2014

While Christmas itself is December 25 of course, Walt Disney World provides a special Christmas celebration at the Magic Kingdom many nights in November and December.

This celebration is called “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or “MVMCP” for short.

At the party, many of the Magic Kingdom’s rides are open, and cookies and hot chocolate, special events, and slightly different Christmas parades and fireworks, and even snow (!) are offered.

The official Disney World page for this event (where you can also buy tickets) can be found here.  For a review of MVMCP, see this.

MORE ON MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY

[Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 12 TO APRIL 20, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic.

For more on April 2014 at Walt Disney World, see this.

[Read more →]

With the 50th anniversary of it’s a small world today, the Orlando affiliate of National Public Radio, 90.7 WMFE, reached out for an interview.

A couple of parts of the interview are being broadcast in Orlando this morning, and you can also listen to one from the “Play Audio” link here.

(As unlikely as it seems, this is not an April Fool’s joke. My April Fool’s post for this year is here.)

I had fun chatting with reporter and host Amy Kiley about the ride, and even more fun preparing for the interview.  It’s an easy ride to take for granted–it’s been at WDW more or less unchanged since its 1971 opening, and at least for adults doesn’t have a high re-ride factor.

But on this site, I try to look at things from the perspective of first time visits by families, and small world really is a good ride for kids.  

• First it’s about the only Disney ride I can think of that is about its audience.  Other rides are about fictional characters or settings.  The basic gaze of it’s a small world is kids looking at kids.
• Second, it’s got most of the elements kids enjoy–miniatures, music, movement, color, toys, etc.
• Third, there’s the song.  It is clearly a children’s song–a round–and the familiarity of the genre broadens its appeal to kids. Plus, as any parent knows, little kids in particular like repetition.

The appeal of the ride is thinner for adults–but they can be impressed by how well it achieves what it sets out to do. In the olden days, critics used to talk about “unity”–about how the chosen and crafted parts of an aesthetic object created and contributed to its whole effect. By this standard, it’s a small world is remarkable. I could go on and on about this–I did work on a PhD in English literature, you know, before I came to my senses and got an MBA–but just a quick point:

The narrative of it’s a small world comes from setting expectations and then fulfilling them in delightful and surprising ways.  At first, the visuals and song carry their plain meaning, but with repetition, and the song appearing in many languages, the deeper points of the ride–celebration of both similarity and difference, and finally celebration of similarity because of similar differences–emerge.

On the first ride, adults can simply enjoy the show; on their second ride, they can marvel at how well it is crafted. Some of the best ever worked on it–Walt Disney himself, Mary Blair, Rolly Crump, Alice Davis, Marc Davis, Blaine Gibson–and you can tell.

And then there’s that song–I did admit to NPR that it was “catchy.”

More than any other attraction I can think of, the song makes the whole thing work, both carrying and reinforcing the meaning.  Literally unforgettable, the only way I’ve been able to make its presence absent when it enters my head is to transform it–singing the lyrics of small world to a different melody, the bass line of “Love Shack.” (You’ll need to add some “Baby” and “Baby Baby”s to make it scan.) Try it yourself!

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