Can someone explain "free" dining plan?

[JenniBB]

I've read in a few places about Disney doing a "free dining" promo? I understand they are NOT offering one now, but what if they offer one for the time period that I have reservations for? Do I get refunded the $ I have paid for my DDP? Just trying to understand what everyone's talking about?


Thanks so much!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The short answer is that Disney will sometimes offer the dining plan (either the regular dining plan or the quick service dining plan) for free with a package that includes room and tickets. This is either offered to the general public during certain times of the year (typically late August and all of September) or may be offered to individuals who receive a unique PIN code through the mail or e-mail. The package must be booked with the discount code or with a PIN, and no other discounts apply (i.e. you pay rack rate for the room). It can be a good deal if you have four people in your room, or sometimes the room only discounts are a better deal (depends on the resort and your group).

If free dining is released, you must book the package with the free dining code. It is not automatic, and it is possible that your dates or your resort may not be available. If it is offered during your dates, you can rebook your package with the free dining code and pay the new amount. If you have already paid off your package, you would receive a refund of the difference, less perhaps a $50 change fee that Disney can charge if you are less than 45 days out.

 

[JenniBB]

The short answer is that Disney will sometimes offer the dining plan (either the regular dining plan or the quick service dining plan) for free with a package that includes room and tickets. This is either offered to the general public during certain times of the year (typically late August and all of September) or may be offered to individuals who receive a unique PIN code through the mail or e-mail. The package must be booked with the discount code or with a PIN, and no other discounts apply (i.e. you pay rack rate for the room). It can be a good deal if you have four people in your room, or sometimes the room only discounts are a better deal (depends on the resort and your group).

If free dining is released, you must book the package with the free dining code. It is not automatic, and it is possible that your dates or your resort may not be available. If it is offered during your dates, you can rebook your package with the free dining code and pay the new amount. If you have already paid off your package, you would receive a refund of the difference, less perhaps a $50 change fee that Disney can charge if you are less than 45 days out.

So with our trip that is planned for Aug 22-30 it is possible that a portion of what we've paid for our dining plan might be refunded? SWEET? Will they send us the PIN/CODE or will I just have to know about it in order to get the discount? Thanks for any info you have on WHERE I can locate this info?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

So with our trip that is planned for Aug 22-30 it is possible that a portion of what we've paid for our dining plan might be refunded? SWEET? Will they send us the PIN/CODE or will I just have to know about it in order to get the discount? Thanks for any info you have on WHERE I can locate this info?

Disney has offered free dining during that time period for the past several years. No guarantee that it will happen this year, but a lot of people are waiting for it. You would need to call Disney and request a package with the booking code (or request to modify an existing package with that code). You will find any info on this forum once it is released:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

And here is a thread that is watching for it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2401308

and another one:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2432710

 

[JenniBB]

Disney has offered free dining during that time period for the past several years. No guarantee that it will happen this year, but a lot of people are waiting for it. You would need to call Disney and request a package with the booking code (or request to modify an existing package with that code). You will find any info on this forum once it is released:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

And here is a thread that is watching for it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2401308

and another one:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2432710

Thanks a TON! Hopefully we'll get one this year - doesn't Disney KNOW that the $ I save on the dining plan will be spent on souveniers???

 

[MHSweb79]

Just to be clear, if you had a room discount (through AAA for example) you will have to pay rack rate for the room in order to get the "free" dining added to your package.

Last year I had to pay $40 per night additional to qualify for "free" dining. So I ended up getting dining for half price, not free, since there were two of us in the room. If we had been staying in a deluxe, the additional rate for the room would have cost more than the price of the regular dining plan.

 

[JenniBB]

Just to be clear, if you had a room discount (through AAA for example) you will have to pay rack rate for the room in order to get the "free" dining added to your package.

Last year I had to pay $40 per night additional to qualify for "free" dining. So I ended up getting dining for half price, not free, since there were two of us in the room. If we had been staying in a deluxe, the additional rate for the room would have cost more than the price of the regular dining plan.

We are staying at the POR and are not getting any discounts on the room...

 

[twokids0204]

Thanks a TON! Hopefully we'll get one this year - doesn't Disney KNOW that the $ I save on the dining plan will be spent on souveniers???

They sure hope so...

 

[JenniBB]

They sure hope so...

Well then tell them to hurry the heck up and send me my discount code!