We have been hearing rumors, that we since have substantiated, that Disney World will be releasing Magic Your Way package discounts to the general public on April 10, 2008. So, I know what you are asking yourself, will this be the free dining discount everyone is hoping for, or something completely different?
Since the Disney Dining Plan was introduced in 2005, Disney World has offered it for free as a “discount” during some parts of August and September each of the past three years. Here are the travel dates for the past free dining offer:
- August 21 – October 4, 2005
- August 13 – September 30, 2006
- August 26 – September 22, 2007
Based on discounts released late last year for travel during 2008, which offered the dining plan for free, we believe Disney will release the free dining discount again in 2008. Here are the travel dates for those discounts:
- UK Resident Free dining: August 10 – September 27, 2008
- Bounceback offer for WDW guests: August 30 – September 27, 2008
While it is possible that Disney may release another discount, and not the free dining, we fully expect to see the free dining released on April 10 to the general public. Expect the following time line:
- April 7, 2008 – Free dining to be released to Disney VISA cardholders
- April 10, 2008 – Free dining to be released to the general public
- August 30 – September 27, 2008 – Travel dates for free dining
So, with the free Disney dining coming up, here is what we suggest you do:
- Book your package now for the resort and dates you want during the expected availability dates. We suggest you use an experienced Disney only travel agent like Mouseketrips. Please note that in order to get the free dining (assuming it is released), you must book a Magic Your Way package that includes the Disney resort and park passes. The park passes can be as short as 1 day passes, but they must be included.
- Pay the$200 deposit on the reservation. If the availability dates change, or the discount ends up not being what you expected, you can cancel up until 45 days before your start date and get your deposit money back.
- On April 10, let your travel agent rebook the reservation for you, getting you the free dining added to your reservation. If you are working with an experienced Disney travel agent, they will take care of that for you, and notify you of the changes. It will probably all happen before you wake up.
- Start making your dining reservations, as you will be within the 180 day window. You can do this before April 10, but if you cancel your reservation, you will have to call back and cancel any reservations.
[Update 4/7/08] – Disney World has released the free dining program as we expected, currently to Disney VISA cardholders, and on April 10 to the general public. For more information, please see the Disney VISA free dining deal.
I am really hoping this is true. We go to WDW every year, and the last 3 out of 4 trips we have used the free dining promo. We just booked a trip with a stay at the Poly (a special treat for my 30th bday) for the second week of September.
I already booked the MYW + Dining option. My question is…if the free dining promo is announced and we drop the cost of the dining plan from our ressie, would we still be able to upgrade to the deluxe dining plan and just pay the difference? Anybody have any ideas?
Crystal
It is very unlikely you would be able to do this. In the past, on the free dining offers and other discounts, you have not been able to upgrade. This is the first year that the deluxe dining plan has been around, so I guess there is always a possibility that you can either get the basic dining plan free or a discount on the deluxe plan. We will just have to wait and see.
Is this only for Disneyworld? I am planning to go to Disneyland.. This is my first time there so I’m not sure what it applies to. thanks!
Krissy
Yes, this discount has been historically for just Walt Disney World. Disneyland has never, and most likely will never have free dining, as their dining programs are much different than at WDW.
What is the mininum days of stay to get this free dining ?
Katherine
Historically, the minimum stay has been three nights for any WDW package discount, and that should be the same this time around. You must also have at least a one day park pass on the package to qualify.
thks.
We booked the bounceback last Sept with regular dining. We then decided to do deluxe dining, and called to see if I could just pay the difference between regular and deluxe….CM said no, needs to be a special code for deluxe, which there wasn’t. But I’m stubborn and kept calling (I need to call them every day for clients anyway) and finally got a GREAT CM (wish I had written his name down) and changed my file over to deluxe. I just paid the differential between the basic dining and deluxe. So if you want deluxe, deal with a Disney Specialist agent who can keep calling until they get a CM who knows how to do it, or is willing to dig….or keep calling Disney yourself. It can be done!!!
I hope those dates are going to be accurate. The first year we went we were able to get the dining plan during the food and wine festival, which just makes Epcot so much fun. It looks like they have shrunk back the dates each year since then. Howevere it looks like if the above dates are true, then it will overlap for the first 2 days of the Food&Wine. So my question is, since a plan I am formulating is to overlap the free dining with the 2 days it looks available during the Food and wine. let’s say I planned a 7 night vaca, with 5 of it being on the meal plan, 23rd through the 29th. I imagine I will only get the free dining until the 27th, (since I read they are compartmentalizing each day now instead of in the past where you could get the same rate on your first day, locked in for your whole stay, same I miagine with dining plan?) If I get the 5 free days worth of meal tickets, do I have to use them all before the 28th? Or since I will have them could I use them any day? Not sure if the free ones would exprire when the offer does.
Terry
While Disney has changed the pricing based on the nightly cost of the room, they have not done that with the discounts, so as long as you check in by the last day it is offered, you will get the discount for your entire stay. Since the dining plan is based on the number of nights you stay, there is no way for Disney to break up the dining plan, and only give it to you for a portion of your stay. If you are staying 7 nights, you will get 7 nights worth of dining plan. Please do not let the end date of the promotion make any difference in your planning, as long as you check in on that date or before, you will be fine for your entire stay.
perfect! ;] Thanks Keith.
Would it be fair to say (just to clarify) that you are speculating on the promo dates? NO ONE that we are aware of knows the dates for sure. The ones that you are posting are the bounceback free dining dates that were offered to visitors last Septmeber. Due to your posted dates, there has been a “ripple effect” across the internet. Yet no one but you have posted promo dates?
Not to mention, Disney instituted a policy late last year that prevents anyone from extending a promo past the end date. While they may handle free dining differently, there is no reason to assume that they will.
I am not trying to stir up trouble – just clarify any info you may be posting.
Just wanted to add to my above post – I am very sorry if it came across as harsh. I was affiliated with a large (think worldwide) travel agency for many years, and have heard “but I read it on the internet, it must be true” so many times when it comes to things like this. I’m just trying to make sure no one is disappointed in the end if things turn out differently than they thought they would. 🙂
Jennifer
I tried to be pretty clear in the post that the dates are unknown, and the promotion dates were an educated guess on my part. I do not know what dates will be covered.
Some clarification as to how I came to my dates may be in order.
In 2006, there were two offers made for free dining in 2007, for UK residents and the bouceback offer. Those dates covered were 8/5 – 9/29 and 8/12 – 9/29. The free dining dates for the general public ended up being 8/26 – 9/22, substantially shorter than what had been offered for the other two groups months before.
In 2007, two similar offers were made, covering the following dates:
UK Resident Free dining: August 10 – September 27, 2008
Bounceback offer for WDW guests: August 30 – September 27, 2008
Based on those dates, and historical evidence, it is very unlikely that Disney will make the general public offer for dates outside of what was offered before, and most likely, the dates will be shorter than what was offered to the other groups. The assumed offering dates of August 30- September 27 are based on what happened last year. Again, this is just speculation, nothing is known at this time on promotion dates, and in fact, we are not even sure if it is free dining or not.
Last year I was able to secure proof of the free dining, and promotion dates a few days before hand, I am hoping to be able to do the same thing this year.
I am sorry if it seemed as though I know the dates, I tried to be very clear.
To clarify on the “policy”, if the package discount involves a basic room discount, such as the current May discounts, the policy holds true, only the nights within the offer dates are discounted. However, with the recently expired discount that gave you the park hopping and water park fun and more upgrades for free, if you extended past the offer dates, you still received the upgrades on all your dates, not just a portion of them. That should hold true for the dining plan.
I guess we will all have to wait and see. If I do find proof of the free dining or the dates, I will post it here.
Thanks for clarifying how you came up with your dates. I just wanted to add that free dining for the general public has always included at least one week of August, so that may be a possibilty. The fact that Universal is now offering a free dining plan (though a bit limited in scope) from August 17 – October 9 may have some bearing on Disney’s dates, as well.
Last year, towards the end of the bounceback period, every person who tried to book beyond the promotion dates was denied. This was right around the time when Disney was instituting their new booking policies. People who traveled early on during free dining (myself included) were able to book past the end dates, but by the third week in September, it was no longer possible.
Good luck to all!
In the past, if Disney has offered the free dining plan – do they announce it a day or two ahead of when you can book? And on the day you can book – are you able to book right at midnight? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
Erica
On all Disney discounts, there is no formal announcement made, it is just released, and we usually see the press released sometime later. The discounts do not technically become available until the reservation center opens up at 7 AM EST. The online version usually follows shortly thereafter.
Keith and everybody else,
I inquired about Sept. 23-Oct. 7th and had asked about Free Dining and the possible ability to upgrade to the deluxe and pay the difference the CM (of course) said they had no idea if it would be offered, but then as we kept talking (and she was trying to convince me to make a “tentative” booking) she said that they had a meeting the week prior about free dining. She was really vague about what the meeting was about, but I got the impression she was trying to hint to me that it was coming, and I would be able to upgrade for a cost. Now, again- this is purely my own opinion and speculation, but regardless-they are having meetings about something involving the dining plan. So all we can do it keep our fingers crossed.
I am curious to know if free dining does happen and it does start on 4/10, then where is the first place we can get a confirmation of this, so we can be on the phones early 4/10?
Thanks for any info you have!
Lisa
Thanks for the update. I got the same impression when talking to my Disney rep. I have always been told though that CMs don’t know about upcoming discounts until they are released, but I do not know that for sure.
The discounts should be released on April 7 for Disney VISA cardholders, so you should know 3 days before what the discount will be, and what the dates will be.
I have a Disney Visa. Will I need to have a promotion code before I call Disney on 4/7 to make a reservation? If so, would I need to obtain that from the Disney Visa site? Also, I am staying on Disney property for the first three nights, then switching over to a time share for seven additional nights. I have been trying to determine if my dining credits will expire once I check out of the Disney resort or if I could spread them out over the rest of my stay since we are planning on getting a 7 day Magic Your Way base ticket?
They expire midnight checkout day.
Lisa
You may or may not need a code, depending on the CM you get on the phone. I will try to get them posted here as soon as I can just in case.
As Ben said, all of your dining credits expire at midnight the day you check out, so plan accordingly.
Hi Keith
Now with the hope of the release of the free dining dates, does this offer apply to all resorts by WDW or does it apply to moderate and deluxe resorts? Also do you know if any of the resorts do a special first-time anything for kids? Thanks so much.
I read the following on another board & wanted to pass along the info. I hope they are wrong as we are going 9/25-9;/30! cant believe I am the first to post this. My Mom is a travel agent. She recieved an email this morning from her Disney Rep. Here are the details for 2008 Free Dining. 08/24/08 – 09/20/08. Disney Visa holders can book on 04/07/08 with code AYG…General public opens up on 04/10/08…sorry she didnt give me hte code for this one, as I have been waiting for the Disney visa code.
Amy
The discount should apply to all resorts. We have yet to see a Disney discount that excludes a class of resorts, though there could always be a first time.
Nancy
Thanks for the info, sounds like I need a new Disney rep! 😉 This very well could be accurate, as the shift in dates would not surprise me. Disney wants to keep free dining away from the Food and Wine festival, which starts on September 26. By having the last check in date of September 20, most people will be gone by the first or second day or Food and Wine. The week earlier in August doesn’t surprise me either. Well, I got the April 7 and 10th date correct at least.
If I can find any further information, I will post it here.
We just booked our family of 5 trip for Oct. 15 – 21. Do you think we can cancel and reschedule for the time in which this free dining is offered, if they offer it?
Dawn
As with any Disney package reservation, you can make any changes you want to it, including moving dates, up until the 45 day point before you leave. Once the discount is released, just call back up to Disney and have them adjust the dates for you, shouldn’t take too long to do. They won’t have to cancel your reservation, they will just move the dates.
We have booked with Expedia for a Magic Your Way package for Sept 12th. If I’m reading correctly, that may be the exact time when DW is offering free dining. I do know that I can change my hotel for a minimal fee. Would that change be enough to create a new package if I do it after April 10th. (of course, if the offer happens:)I also have the option of completely cancelling and starting again but I’m not sure we want to do that as everything is booked. Any advice? Thank you!!
Will Disney allow a partial free dining package (ie, if we arrive on Aug 22nd and stay through Aug 29th – would we be able to get free dining for the Aug 24 through 29th portion)? Has anyone ever done this?
My question is similar to CJ- We’re planning on being at WDW 9/19 – 9/25 —- IF they do the free dining will it apply to our entire stay or just the days included in the promotion? When I called WD Dining this morning, the rep I spoke with said you can’t purchase the dining plan for 4 days if you’re staying for 6- it can only be purchased for your entire stay. Can anyone clarify for me how it would work if we arrive on the 19th but the free dining is only through the 20th? Thanks so much!
Veronica
I would call up Expidia on the 10th, armed with the code we will post here for the free dining, and ask them to apply to it to the reservation. If they are unable to do so, call a Disney Travel agent or Disney directly and book directly through them, and cancel the Expedia reservation.
CJ
As it stands right now, you are out of luck. If the discount starts on August 24, and you check in before that date, you cannot get a partial discount. You can either postpone your trip a few days, or make two reservations, with the second starting on 8/24. The second option is expensive and a pain, you will be much better off rescheduling.
Torie
Based on history, as long as you check in by the last day of the promotion, it is applied to your entire stay. DIsney did change their policy last Fall, whereby if the discount is a monetary discount, you only get the discount on the days you are there during the discount period. However, as you mentioned, there is no way to do a partial dining plan, so as long as you check in by September 20, you will get the dining plan for free for your entire stay.
Thanks Keith! I have learned more since my post. You can ONLY get the dining package (free or not) if you book through a WDW agent or a travel agent and book the Magic My Way. You will not be eligible for it if you use any of the online travel centres. What I did was cancel my room and WDW tickets with Expedia but kept my flights. I then booked the CRB and hopper tickets with WDW. The agent told me all I had to do if I heard about a promo was to call and they can amend my reservation to reflect it. I don’t have to make a new booking. I am so hopeful that this promo happens! THanks for all of your help.
Veronica
Just sharing our experience with the partial free dining. Last year we arrived the day before the promotion start date. I called WDW reservations and the rep was extremely helpful. She booked me 2 separate reservations — one for a single day (no promo)and one for the remaining 6 nights with the free dining! The cost was exactly the same as booking a 7 night res. We had no room change. All I had to do was check out and back in the next morning and we were all set. Not sure if they can still handle it this way, but it’s what we did last year. Good luck!
Hello I already have a timeshare reservation at Saratoga Springs for Sep 6 – 13. I’m wondering if I purchase my tickets through Disney (the Magic your way tickets with options) they will add on the free dining if it is offered during those dates?? This is my first time going to Disney. I cannot cancel my reservation and do it over as there are too many fees involved. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
Kyla
Sorry, in order to get the free dining, you must book a MYW package that includes both the resort room and park passes. You may want to figure out what the fees are to cancel, and if it is worth eating those fees to get the free dining or not. Usually staying on DVC points is a great deal, so it might be better for you to just pay for the dining plan at check in.
THANKS SOO MUCH for all the help & info! Hopefully the free dining will really happen & we’ll be set….. thanks again for all of the information- I’ve learned so much about WDW & will be a lot better prepared for our return trip in September!
Spur of the moment trip and I just saw that deadline passed to book for Free Dining. I have to ask: Is the deadline firm? We’re looking at going to Disney this Sept, but won’t if we can’t get the Free Dining Option.
Lisa
The deadline is 100% firm, unless Disney happens to extend a discount, which they did not do with the free Dining. There are some very good Magic Your Way package discounts for September, that may get you close to or a better discount than the free dining, depending on where you are staying and your party size.
hi,
we booked a MYW back in January with dining, do you think i can now cancel that dining plan and get it free? we will be there 9-5 to 9-13
Ronda
Unfortunately, the Free Dining offer expired back in June, so it is no longer available. There are Magic Your Way package discounts available for your date in September, while it may not be as good as the free dining, it will save you some money:
http://www.mousemisers.com/2008/august-september-2008-myw-package-discount/
If you booked your reservation directly through Disney, give them a call and ask them to apply the discount for you.
hello, I was wondering your opinion on the free dining for next year in Sept. Do you think it will happen again and do you think they will change it in anyway. I saw the restrictions for the UK free dining and was wondering if you think it will be like that for everyone again next year. We got the free dining with out trip that we just had is Sept and it was great and we were thinking of going again next sept.
Tawnie
At this point, it is really hard to stay, as we are 6 months out from an expected announcement date for 2009 free dining. Many things can change in the next 6 months, and the free dining, or any other promotion depends on park attendance, hotel capacity, etc. The UK free dining is a good indicator that we will see free dining, but again, many things can and will change. I would fully expect that if we do see the free dining, the same limitations would be in place for the general public (though we may see values included with moderates to get the free basic dining). I actually see the introduction of the basic dining as a great solution which allows Disney to continue to offer free dining for 2009.
If I had to guess, based on conditions today, I would say there is a 90+% chance we will see the free dining in some for for next September. Look for it to be announced in early April 2009. I will try to let everyone know when/if I find out anything further.
We have made plans to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary at WDW in April of 2009. We have already purchased our package – hotel, parks, dining plan. If discounts are announced between now and then, will we be able to take advantage of them and if so, how would we do that?
Assuming the discounts cover your travel dates, and there is availability, you will be able to get any discount released in the future applied to your reservation. If you booked through a travel agent, and they are decent, they will just get them applied for you automatically and let you know. If you booked through Disney, you will have to do it yourself, so keep an eye on future discounts, we will post them here, and once you see one that covers your dates, give Disney a call.
I visited Disney for the first time ever in April 2008, and there were no discounts that would apply towards my vacation. Are there ever any very good discounts for April? I have a larger family that’s still growing 🙂 so any discounts would be wonderful. I don’t want to pull my kids out of school just to catch a cheaper vacation which is my other problem. Thanks for the help!
Bonnie
During historically busy times, such as Easter, Disney rarely releases discounts. They have no need to, people come anyways. For 2008, there were discounts available for every night in April, my guess is we will see the same for 2009, though with Easter being later, there may be a few days that will not be discounted.
I would suggest subscribing to our email updates, you will be instantly notified of any Disney discount, April discounts should be coming in a few months.
Thanks for your response…I have another question though. I’m contemplating possibly going on a Disney cruise in 2010, then adding a few days on land to make up my own land/sea package. For some reason it’s cheaper when I look at the rates by booking separately as compared to booking a land/sea package. Anyway, I was wondering if you can tell me what the cheaper times of the year are to book a cruise. I wanted to take advantage of still being able to get 50% off the deposit while I can. Thanks!
Bonnie
Typically, January, September and early December are the least expensive times to cruise. Very similar to when value season is at WDW.
If you are going, book ASAP, the closer you get to the cruise date, the more expensive it becomes.
I am planning to travel with my family Sept 2009. If WDW offers Free Dinning when (just a guest) do you think the best dates will be to make sure we are there during the free dinning plan?
Sorry just read UK Free Dinning for 2009 and it mentioned that value resorts are not included. Does that mean you can’t stay at an Disney AllStar and receive the free dinning. Just checking because if same were to apply to the US my family is planning on staying at an AllStar resort.
Becky
Hard to say what we will see for 2009. If free dining is limited to August and September again in 2009, I would think anytime during the first two weeks of September will guarantee you will be able to get it (assuming we see it again for 2009). Chances are, based on the economy and bookings at WDW, we may see it offered during different periods of the year than what has historically been offered.
For the 2009 UK Free Dining, the value resorts were not included. Historically, the free dining has not always followed the UK deal, either in dates or offering, so I am not sure what we will see for 2009.
If we do see the free dining again in 2009, my guess is the value resorts would be included, but would receive the Quick Service dining plan, rather than the regular Disney Dining (moderates may fall into that category as well, we will just have to wait and see).
Does anyone know when Disney is planning to bring back the Military discount tickets (Military member free and family members $99)? It has been many years now and I had heard a rumor of 2010. Trying to figure out discounts that will be available when we get home Dec 09 so we can start getting the info to our Soldiers.
Thanks
I am planning on going on my honeymoon in May 2009. I was wondering if anyone knows if Disney offers any special prices or perks for honeymooners.
Kimber
Historically, it really depended upon luck. Sometimes, the resort did something for you, other times not. However, with the big push on celebrations this year, my guess is they are going to make a focus on making it a big deal for you.
No special prices though, but you should check out the 4 for 3 deal going on right now at WDW, it is really pretty decent.
I have a friend who got a Bounce Back offer for Free Dining Plan in 2009.
AND I saw that the UK residents are being offered Free Dining Plan up until Oct 3rd.
Has anyone heard about US residents being offered the Dining Plan in 2009?
We did the regular Dining Plan in Sept ’07 and Deluxe Dining Plan in Sept. ’08.
Deluxe was WAY too much food and not enough flexibility, constantly getting to the reservations.
I am still glad I tried it once, though. 🙂
Christina
No word of free dining yet for 2009, we will need to wait a few more months, that is typically released in early April. I will be sure to post anything on MouseMisers once I hear anything.