Anyone Know The Dates For Free Dining?

[ItaliaDisneyFan!]

Just wondering... Thinking of Planning a WDW Vacation When There is Free Dining!! But Don't Know When It is!! It Would Save us a Bundle! Thanks!

 

[yosh12]

Usually mid August to End of September.....thats when we are going next year.

 

[JimMIA]

First of all, "free" dining isn't free exactly. It's a package, not a menu item you can select or not, and both this year and last year, there were several "provisos." You had to pay rack rate for your onsite Disney room, and you had to buy at least a one-day base park pass for everyone on the ressie. As a practical matter, people who stayed in values saved good money, mods probably about broke even, and people staying in deluxe Disney resorts probably lost money on "free" dining, because the spread between normally available discounts and rack is so large.

Free dining has been offered for the last two years, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be next year. The offering to folks in the UK is certainly a good sign, but they also have to buy park tickets for all days of their stay. Nobody knows if that's the new deal for 2007.

It will probably be quite some time before we know about free DDP, but if they offer it, the mid-August through the end of September is the likely time because it's the hottest part of summer and the middle of hurricane season.

 

[laceemouse]

Just wondering... Thinking of Planning a WDW Vacation When There is Free Dining!! But Don't Know When It is!! It Would Save us a Bundle! Thanks!

We are also hoping that Disney will offer free dining for next fall, but we will not know if it will be offered again or not until probably next spring. If you book earlier and then free dining is announced you will probably be able to re-book. We will just wait and see if it is offered and what else you have to buy to get it (rooms, park tickets, ect.)

 

[Nbtstatic]

First of all, "free" dining isn't free exactly. It's a package, not a menu item you can select or not, and both this year and last year, there were several "provisos." You had to pay rack rate for your onsite Disney room, and you had to buy at least a one-day base park pass for everyone on the ressie. As a practical matter, people who stayed in values saved good money, mods probably about broke even, and people staying in deluxe Disney resorts probably lost money on "free" dining, because the spread between normally available discounts and rack is so large.

Free dining has been offered for the last two years, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be next year. The offering to folks in the UK is certainly a good sign, but they also have to buy park tickets for all days of their stay. Nobody knows if that's the new deal for 2007.

It will probably be quite some time before we know about free DDP, but if they offer it, the mid-August through the end of September is the likely time because it's the hottest part of summer and the middle of hurricane season.

About "breaking even" if we stay in a mod with free dining...

We always buy the dining plan, which costs us about 100 a day for my family. So do you know of a room discount that would save me 100 a day for a mod? I think not.

We're about to stay at CSR in a couple of weeks with free dining. I would have paid for the dining if it werent free, so that saves me 1k over 10 days.

 

[Castillo Mom]

We're staying at a Deluxe next trip so I have to agree with the previous poster about the breaking even point. If free dining is offered again, it would be a huge savings for me even if I have to pay rack rate for the room. I guess it really depends on your family size and eating habits. We'll have 5 in the room, 3 being teenage boys with a hearty appetite.

P.S. I did some quick math:

10 nights Polynesian @ rack rate- $3701.30 incl. tax
DDP x 4 adults - $1559.60

I didn't factor in the cost of dining of the 5th adult because my sister will be going with us and if there is no free dining offer, she'll pay for her portion of the DDP.

If the dining were free that would be approximately a 40% savings as long as I'm not required to get 10 day theme parks tickets as our neighbors in the UK are. We're planning on getting 7 day hoppers with the Water Park and More option. If I take into consideration the fact that we spent way more than $1559.60 for food last trip which was shorter, then it's an even sweeter deal.

 

[Twilight Terror]

We've just got back from Disney. It had been 5years before that since our last visit and we had seriously underestimated the cost of food. While we were on our holiday this year, we agreed that our next one would be onsite. It was going to be the beginning of June, but since I've investigated the DDP and the conditions of the free dining for next year, we've decided to opt for it so that we don't have to worry about ordering the cheapest thing on the menu and scimping on drinks (sharing 2 instead of each having 1) because we just didnt have the money.

The Free Dining Plan has been added to the Disney website (the UK version -www.disneyworld.co.uk), and it has the following conditions:

- you must be staying onsite for five-nights or more
- you must have a five-day or more Theme Park Ticket
- available for arrivals between August 12 and September 29, 2007
- all holidays must be booked between August 26 and November 6, 2006 in order to qualify for the free dining plan
- available to UK and Northern Ireland residents

On next year's plan, you get each of these per day, per person:

- 1 table-service meal including starter, main course, dessert (except at breakfast), non-alcoholic drink and gratuity/service charge.
- 1 quick counter-service meal, including main course and non-alcoholic drink.
- 1 snack such as a box of popcorn, a piece of fruit, a frozen ice-cream novelty or a medium fountain soft drink

Not quite sure how that all compares with last/this year's dining plan. It still looks very tempting to us. We didn't eat a whole lot, but this time we were on a serious budget. Next time, with the free dining plan, that wouldn't be an issue and we shall be able to survive on something more than a box of $1.50 cookies!!!!

 

[DiszyDeanette]

About "breaking even" if we stay in a mod with free dining...

We always buy the dining plan, which costs us about 100 a day for my family. So do you know of a room discount that would save me 100 a day for a mod? I think not.

We're about to stay at CSR in a couple of weeks with free dining. I would have paid for the dining if it werent free, so that saves me 1k over 10 days.

Same here. We had 7 days, 6 nights at CSR in November and were paying for the dining plan. Moving our reservation back to 9/30-10/8 allowed us at add 2 days and still save over $1000. I have yet to see a room discount that could match that. We're a party of four 'adults' because both our children are over 10, free DDP is the best deal for us, hands down.

 

[Tanya90210]

I sure hope they have it again next year... we saved soooo much this year and DH has agreet to go back ONLY if there's fre dining again...

 

[blue_river]

My DH said the same thing! I have my fingers crossed.......and double crossed

I sure hope they have it again next year... we saved soooo much this year and DH has agreet to go back ONLY if there's fre dining again...

 

[toocooltobeMom]

We have booked our trip next August already. The CM at the ressie center was super nice. We are getting the DDP for the length of our stay(8 nights) plus one-day base ticket for all 3 of us(have days left from this year's trip). The CM told us that if the Free DDP were to be published, we will be able to adjust everything. Since we will be staying at the value this time(having to have to pay for DDP), the value season starts at the first weekend of August for the POP. It is about $82.00+tax per room per night. Still not bad for the price, but we are constantly praying for the DDP to be free so it could save us more than $900 for 8 nights. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Keep in mind they lopped some days off the end this year. The first week they offered it, people reported activity brisk. That's probably going to be true of the last week as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they offered free dining again with more days lopped off the promotion. That will hurt us because we were barely able to catch the tail end this time. If they lop some more off, we won't.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

About "breaking even" if we stay in a mod with free dining...

We always buy the dining plan, which costs us about 100 a day for my family. So do you know of a room discount that would save me 100 a day for a mod? I think not.

We're about to stay at CSR in a couple of weeks with free dining. I would have paid for the dining if it werent free, so that saves me 1k over 10 days.

Correct. The only people I can see in a mod just about breaking even would be single travelers.

 

[bicker]

I think last year's end-date was a miscalculation -- I don't think they factored in how many folks would check in on the last valid date and stay for 10 nights. I suspect they may have actually wanted the deal to end on the end-date last year, rather than carry on for ten more days, so the reduction in duration this year accounts for that. While anything could change for next year (including no Dining Plan for Americans, at all, of course), I doubt that they'll change the end-date radically.

 

[Eventer98]

What were the dates of free dining this past summer?? Curious b/c we are debating whether to go in June at stay at SOG or 8/25-9/2 and stay at POFQ. But only if free dining was offered again. I know it's hard to tell when it will be next year but just looking for an estimate.

 

[Tanya90210]

They were august 13 till sept 30th


You had to book by june 25... I think they put the offer up at beginning of april