Newbie here. I want to know more:) Free dining?

[arcadiandj]

Please forgive my newbie status. Hoping I'm not asking a stupid question, but what is all this about free dining? It looks like an offer they throw out from time to time, but can any of you point me to a source or give me guidance to help me learn more? TIA

 

[sharonabe]

Here's a link to last year's offer: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/04/27/news-2015-disney-world-free-dining-offer-now-available/

If that doesn't answer all your questions, come back and ask away.

As of right now, there isn't a traditional free dining offer out there. There is a SUMMER value resort offer that gives you ONE free counter-service meal per person per night.

 

[arcadiandj]

Here's a link to last year's offer: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/04/27/news-2015-disney-world-free-dining-offer-now-available/

If that doesn't answer all your questions, come back and ask away.

As of right now, there isn't a traditional free dining offer out there. There is a SUMMER value resort offer that gives you ONE free counter-service meal per person per night.

So give me your thoughts if you have them. My wife and I are going to get a package that includes two dining packages. We believe that two plans will be too much food for us. So, we are thinking, if dining packages are free, 'Ok, we can do that!' But if not, then we'll have to either make two plans work without shortening our lifespans, or go without the dining plans. My question, what is the likelihood we will be able to get free dining? If so, what guidance do you have for helping us live long lives without being wasteful? Thank you so much for your response

 

[sharonabe]

By "two dining packages" do you mean each of you will get a dining package? I hope so, because that is the rule. Everyone in the room MUST be on the same package, so yes, you would have two dining packages because there are two of you.

The regular DDP is only two meals per night, one counter/quick service (QS) where you go up to the counter, order your food, and find a seat, and table service (TS) where you're shown to a table and order from a menu with a waiter. You also get one snack per night. Do you not normally eat 3 meals a day? How is it too much food? What do you typically eat for a meal when you're on vacation?

For my family, the dining plans do not work because we don't care for desserts and we prefer to drink water. So two entitlements (dessert and drink) are too much food for us. Even on vacation where we might splurge a little more, it's too much food for us, so we look for other discounts. However, if free dining is the best or only discount, then we don't worry about it and we get bottled waters or drink more coffee/tea than we really want, and my youngest (who LOVES sweets) gets to eat more dessert than even he can handle.

Free dining is up in the air for this year. The most common assumption is that there will be some kind of free dining for some dates from Sept-Dec, but it is expected to be fewer dates and fewer rooms available for it. You'll just have to keep a watch like everyone else to see what they do. The announcement for fall discounts usually comes in April or May.

 

[loves to dive]

And keep in mind nothing is free. Normally, the rooms that are available for free dining tend to be more than if you got a room discount and paid for your dining out of pocket. We've found it was too much food and too restrictive for us. There are nights we just don't want a full meal, days we just want to snack. And we never use the snack credits, we just don't eat that much.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Depends on when you are going. Unless you are British, traditionally the "free dining" offer is only for September and parts of October, November and December with a lot of blackout periods in the last three months. Blackout periods are now around Columbus Day, a week when a lot of schools have fall breaks, Jersey Week in November, Thanksgiving, and the first week or week and a half in December. Also , there have been far fewer rooms available than for past offers.

If you purchase DDP or get it free, EVERYONE on the same resort reservation must get the same dining plan. You cannot get a plan for one person in a room and not the others.

I would suggest that if you feel the dining plan will be too much food for the two of you, don't get the dining plan. Only get it if you are planning on a lot of buffets/AYCE because you will pay the same price for those no matter how much you eat.