2011 Free Dining is Extended! New dates as of 8/3

[jediagh]

Not sure if this has been posted or not as this thread has been going for a while. However got an email today about the FREE DINING for AUG-SEP 11 for the GENERAL PUBLIC. It will start on May 2, 2011.

I hope they continue this for 2012 which is when I'm planning on going again. Hope this helps those going in 2011.

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Travel Dates: August 28 – September 24, 2011

Walt Disney World has announced the “Free Dining” promotion for the seventh consecutive year. Currently, the discount is only available to Disney VISA cardholders, though it will be released to the general public starting on Monday, May 2, 2011. With the “Free Dining” promotion, Disney resort guests who book a Magic Your Way package that includes both your Disney resort room and your Magic Your Way park passes, will receive one of the Disney Dining plan add-on for free for all guest three and older in their party. There are a few requirements:

You must book at least a three night stay, and your stay cannot be longer than 14 nights
You must include at least a two day Magic Your Way base ticket
You must pay your $200 per room deposit at time of booking, you cannot “hold” a reservation
Guests staying at a Disney World value resort will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free. Guests will be able to upgrade to either the Disney Dining plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining plan by paying the price difference. To upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan, the increased cost will be $11 per adult night of your stay (there is no increase for kids 3 – 9). To upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, guests will pay $44 per adult and $10 per child per night of your stay.

Guests staying at a Disney World Moderate, Deluxe or Disney Villa resort will receive the Disney Dining Plan included for free. Disney World guests at moderate, deluxe and villa resorts will also be able to book the “Free Dining”, and upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining for the normal price difference, which is $33 for adults and $10 for children three to nine.

Availability is extremely limited, and must be booked by August 27, 2011. It appears that all suites have been excluded from this offer, though all resorts, including value resorts are included (All-Star Family Suites are included). To receive the Disney VISA cardholder discount, you must pay your deposit at time of booking with your Disney VISA, and you must pay the balance with your Disney VISA card as well, when due. As a reminder, this exact discount should be released on May 2 to the general public without the Disney VISA requirements.

Guests will also receive a Disney Photopass Photo Book included as part of their package at the special pre-order price of $99.95. The photo book must be included in the package, you cannot exclude it.

One thing to note that while the last date of travel is September 24, you will receive free dining for your entire stay, as long as you check in September 24 or before. As usual, this is subject to availability.

To book this special Disney VISA “Free Dining” vacation package, please contact our great sponsor Mouseketrips, and ask for the appropriate code:

I25 – Magic Your Way Quick Service Dining Plan (Value resorts only)
Y23 – Magic Your Way Disney Dining Plan (Value resorts only)
O2M – Magic Your Way Disney Dining Plan (moderate, deluxe and villa resorts only)
H2C - Magic Your Way Deluxe Dining Plan

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Not sure if this has been posted or not as this thread has been going for a while. However got an email today about the FREE DINING for AUG-SEP 11 for the GENERAL PUBLIC. It will start on May 2, 2011.

I hope they continue this for 2012 which is when I'm planning on going again. Hope this helps those going in 2011.

----
Travel Dates: August 28 – September 24, 2011

Walt Disney World has announced the “Free Dining” promotion for the seventh consecutive year. Currently, the discount is only available to Disney VISA cardholders, though it will be released to the general public starting on Monday, May 2, 2011. With the “Free Dining” promotion, Disney resort guests who book a Magic Your Way package that includes both your Disney resort room and your Magic Your Way park passes, will receive one of the Disney Dining plan add-on for free for all guest three and older in their party. There are a few requirements:

You must book at least a three night stay, and your stay cannot be longer than 14 nights
You must include at least a two day Magic Your Way base ticket
You must pay your $200 per room deposit at time of booking, you cannot “hold” a reservation
Guests staying at a Disney World value resort will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free. Guests will be able to upgrade to either the Disney Dining plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining plan by paying the price difference. To upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan, the increased cost will be $11 per adult night of your stay (there is no increase for kids 3 – 9). To upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, guests will pay $44 per adult and $10 per child per night of your stay.

Guests staying at a Disney World Moderate, Deluxe or Disney Villa resort will receive the Disney Dining Plan included for free. Disney World guests at moderate, deluxe and villa resorts will also be able to book the “Free Dining”, and upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining for the normal price difference, which is $33 for adults and $10 for children three to nine.

Availability is extremely limited, and must be booked by August 27, 2011. It appears that all suites have been excluded from this offer, though all resorts, including value resorts are included (All-Star Family Suites are included). To receive the Disney VISA cardholder discount, you must pay your deposit at time of booking with your Disney VISA, and you must pay the balance with your Disney VISA card as well, when due. As a reminder, this exact discount should be released on May 2 to the general public without the Disney VISA requirements.

Guests will also receive a Disney Photopass Photo Book included as part of their package at the special pre-order price of $99.95. The photo book must be included in the package, you cannot exclude it.

One thing to note that while the last date of travel is September 24, you will receive free dining for your entire stay, as long as you check in September 24 or before. As usual, this is subject to availability.

To book this special Disney VISA “Free Dining” vacation package, please contact our great sponsor Mouseketrips, and ask for the appropriate code:

I25 – Magic Your Way Quick Service Dining Plan (Value resorts only)
Y23 – Magic Your Way Disney Dining Plan (Value resorts only)
O2M – Magic Your Way Disney Dining Plan (moderate, deluxe and villa resorts only)
H2C - Magic Your Way Deluxe Dining Plan

This thread, along with the many other FD threads, has been BLOWN UP since yesterday at 7 a.m. due to this free dining announcement.

 

[mtuttle]

This thread, along with the many other FD threads, has been BLOWN UP since yesterday at 7 a.m. due to this free dining announcement.

So, if you do the free dining and you are at a value resort and want to upgrade to dining, you pay the extra $11 per day - then still have to pay for the photo book. Does that mean you still get the photo CD?

 

[TDC Nala]

Has anyone ever made free dining work in conjunction with homeschool days???

You won't be able to do this, unless you buy a package reservation with tickets. You cannot get free dining unless you buy a package reservation at full rack rate with at least 2 day full price park tickets. I am pretty sure there are discounted tickets on the homeschool program, so you should weigh out if a room-only discount (should one be available for your dates) plus discounted park tickets will be a better discount for you than free dining.

 

[TDC Nala]

So, if you do the free dining and you are at a value resort and want to upgrade to dining, you pay the extra $11 per day - then still have to pay for the photo book. Does that mean you still get the photo CD?

You must purchase the photo CD if you want it. The book is a separate purchase.

 

[mtuttle]

You must purchase the photo CD if you want it. The book is a separate purchase.

Thanks - I just wasn't sure if the CD was part of the "special $99.95". So in other words, if I want free dining - I have to spend an extra $100 for a photo book?

 

[lsherry]

I already have free dining, but called DW with the Visa code to see the price difference. With the DV offer, it's actually $90.90 more, so you really are not getting the book for free.

 

[mtuttle]

I already have free dining, but called DW with the Visa code to see the price difference. With the DV offer, it's actually $90.90 more, so you really are not getting the book for free.

We originally booked the Kids Stay and Play Free offer and added the quick service. If my calculations are correct and we do the free dining and upgrade because we are currently at a value resort, and purchase the mandatory photo book, we would save about $145, but then having to buy the CD sets us back another $100, so is it really worth all the hassle for only $45 savings?

 

[TDC Nala]

You don't have to buy the CD to go with the book unless you want the CD. There isn't a charge to have the photos taken, and you can review the photopass photos for free and put the ones you want in the book (this is what I have been reading about Photopass).

 

[mtuttle]

But if I want to be able to print the pictures out at home, then I have to purchase the CD, correct?

 

[vicki_c]

But if I want to be able to print the pictures out at home, then I have to purchase the CD, correct?

Yes, unless you want to just purchase a few digital download versions of photos - those cost about the same as a print. But then you would have them digitally.

 

[princssdisnygina]

But if I want to be able to print the pictures out at home, then I have to purchase the CD, correct?

But wouldn't that be an additional $100 cost anyway... no matter which deal you book?

 

[mtuttle]

I guess in the end it probably all comes out in the wash. I just don't want to pay for one thing (that I wouldn't have normally purchased) to get something else.

 

[Tikitoi]

For those at the Deluxe Resorts, are you finding this FD does not work for you.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

For those at the Deluxe Resorts, are you finding this FD does not work for you.

As a rule of thumb, a room discount is almost always a better discount than free dining if you are staying at a deluxe resort. Unless you have 3 or more children and they are all over the age of 9, then a room discount is almost always going to save you more money.

 

[I<3theMouse]

Hi. Our family is planning a trip the week of Thanksgiving. We will arrive early the week before and stay through the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I've seen some comments that free dining was offered last year & as long as you check in before the offer expires you'll get free dining for the entire stay. My question is- does anyone know when/if Nov free dining rates will be released? From doing some online "research", I do see that it was available last year.

We are also planning a trip at Christmas in 2012 (possibly including a Disney cruise if the dates work out). I noticed that there was an offer for free dining in Dec 2010 for 2011. So, could we possibly see free dining at Christmas time next year if we are able to book at the end of this year?

 

[Tikitoi]

As a rule of thumb, a room discount is almost always a better discount than free dining if you are staying at a deluxe resort. Unless you have 3 or more children and they are all over the age of 9, then a room discount is almost always going to save you more money.

I figured that. Was just hoping to get it since this will be our last for a bit. But $2k at AKL is good.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Hi. Our family is planning a trip the week of Thanksgiving. We will arrive early the week before and stay through the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I've seen some comments that free dining was offered last year & as long as you check in before the offer expires you'll get free dining for the entire stay. My question is- does anyone know when/if Nov free dining rates will be released? From doing some online "research", I do see that it was available last year.

We are also planning a trip at Christmas in 2012 (possibly including a Disney cruise if the dates work out). I noticed that there was an offer for free dining in Dec 2010 for 2011. So, could we possibly see free dining at Christmas time next year if we are able to book at the end of this year?

Free dining has been offered for select dates in October - December in 2009 and 2010. If they released free dining dates for October - December for this year, it probably won't come out until the summer, most likey July.

For the first time since the fall free dining plan started being offered in 2005, last fall Disney offered a number of free dining dates, that stretched into 2011. October - December was not offered in the fall 2010 promo/booking.

 

[Toeknail]

Sorry, but that is incorrect. Cheshire Figment has a section in his ticket sticky answering this question.

You CAN get your "park" tickets early. Not the dining.

Our original trip was going to be in May. Arriving on May 26th room only. And then our package to start on May 27th for Free Dining. I would have been able to get our park tickets on the 26th, even though our package was not to start until the next day. You can get your tickets up to 3 days in advance.

Ok, so to confirm... I already have a trip scheduled for August 27 to September 3 (arrival 1 day before the free dining offer kicks in). Flights are already booked. So to take advantage of the free dining (if we decide that works out for us), we would have to split the reservation into 2... 1 for the first night, room only, and the second for the remaining nights. If I understand the post above correctly, I can still get the 7-day park passes we originally wanted on the second reservation (the one with free dining), and would be able to use that on August 27, before the free dining offer? But, of course, we would have to pay for our meals out-of-pocket that first day.

So hypothetically - I would check in to the hotel for 1 night, explain that I also have a separate reservation at the same hotel starting the next day which includes free dining for the remainder of our trip, and get my park passes on day 1 via the day 2 reservation? This sounds a little wacky, but if it works (and works out financially), then maybe I will pursue.

If someone can confirm that my confusing, complex thinking above is the way it could work out, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[abminer]

Sigh. We can't arrive until Oct. 2.

Basically we're looking at 2 options - Pop if free dining comes out or a shorter stay at Swolphin. If there's no FD then trying Swolphin for the first time would give us a more "deluxe" type experience for much less than a deluxe and maybe even less than a mod. I'm just waiting right now for either to come out with an offer, but will waiting possibly to July for FD make it hard to get a ressie at Pop?