Disney Dining Plan ?

[Netty]

Hi
Please can someone tell me whether the free or not ddp is an all year round thing or just certain months.
I was on the understanding it was only from 12 aug -29th sept next year.Or is this just for the uk tourists?
Thanks!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Not sure of the actual dates but I think the 'DAFT dining plan' runs for offpeak times in January, August and September.

 

[Netty]

The reason why i'm asking is that we have booked next years hols to avoid all of this!
As we found last August, the first week was relatively quiet and then the next 2 weeks were very busy with lots of queues at the food places etc.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

The reason why i'm asking is that we have booked next years hols to avoid all of this!
As we found last August, the first week was relatively quiet and then the next 2 weeks were very busy with lots of queues at the food places etc.

Exactly the reason why I called it the DAFT Dining Plan, you are restricted to go in the summer holidays, flight prices are high, temperatures in the 90s so the one thing you count on is the light crowds around the parks.
Unfortunatley certainly this year the DDP changed all that.

 

[CustardTart]

I think the DDP is an all year round thing but periodically Disney offers it for free which is presumably what makes the hotels/parks/restaurants busier than usual. We were there for the last two weeks of August this year and noticed levels of attendance were much higher than we'd experienced before. DD and I are trying the non-free DDP next October - as far as I know it's available to all visitors who book a WDW package.

 

[profolly]

MY DD and I are going next October and will be paying for DDP

profolly x

 

[natalielongstaff]

ddp is offered all year for a fee but then is also offered as a freebie at set times (usually to co-incide with low attendance levels)
hth

 

[Lizzy Lemon]

MY DD and I are going next October and will be paying for DDP

profolly x

Ditto, there are four of us. Not sure we've done the right thing booking it though. Ashley at 10 years old (11 when we go) eats a very limited diet and in small quantities, but we have to pay the adult price for him. The items on the childrens menus were fine for him but that looks like its all changing now. It appeals to us that the food and tips are already paid for in advance.

 

[AaronBernard]

DDP is free from the end of August to end of September next year for brits who book between 25 August and 6 November only. after that you will have to pay for it. As it has been said above, Disney offer it free certain times of the year when the parks are not so busy, therefore it is good business practise to offer the dining free to increase attendances during these times.

We used DDP last September and thought it was brilliant, we went to disney resturants that we would not normally go to eg Cally Grill, it also alowed us to go and see Hoop de Doo.

The list of resturants you are alowed to use is long and it is good to try differant ones each night.

We booked the Rose and Crown for around the time of the fireworks show, which ment we had our own vip area to watch the show, we had starters, our main meal, then went out to watch the show and then back in for pudding, The same at Cally Grill, we booked it for around the time of Wishes in MK, we had a couple of drinks at the bar while we waited for our table, then outside onto the roof of the contempary resort to watch wishes (music was piped out on the roof) back inside and our table was ready had prop the best meal ever in florida.

So take advatage of it, sit down well in advance and think where you would like to eat, make the ADR's when you can and enjoy it, we did

 

[Netty]

DDP is free from the end of August to end of September next year for brits who book between 25 August and 6 November only. after that you will have to pay for it. As it has been said above, Disney offer it free certain times of the year when the parks are not so busy, therefore it is good business practise to offer the dining free to increase attendances during these times.

We used DDP last September and thought it was brilliant, we went to disney resturants that we would not normally go to eg Cally Grill, it also alowed us to go and see Hoop de Doo.

The list of resturants you are alowed to use is long and it is good to try differant ones each night.

We booked the Rose and Crown for around the time of the fireworks show, which ment we had our own vip area to watch the show, we had starters, our main meal, then went out to watch the show and then back in for pudding, The same at Cally Grill, we booked it for around the time of Wishes in MK, we had a couple of drinks at the bar while we waited for our table, then outside onto the roof of the contempary resort to watch wishes (music was piped out on the roof) back inside and our table was ready had prop the best meal ever in florida.

So take advatage of it, sit down well in advance and think where you would like to eat, make the ADR's when you can and enjoy it, we did

But from what i can see,you can only have ddp if you stay in a disney hotel.

 

[AaronBernard]

Yep thats another thing you must stay on site to get DDP and buy an unlimted ticket for the length of your stay

 

[Amyrlin]

DDP is availble all year round, to buy it you have to have a package, meaning hotel and tickets booked with disney or with some of their agents (or without a 'package' for DVC members more recently). The usual price is about $38 per adult per night, and $10 for the children (under 9's).

For the last two years it has been offered free for about 6 weeks in aug/sept to the US market, the offer was usually made about April time. This year it has been made avaialbe to UK residents earlier. It may or may not be offered to the US market at a later date.

The offer for the UK needs a minimum ticket puchase of 5 days (not the length of stay) and I *think* a 7 night stay but that may be 5 nights. Most travel agents that are offering it are putting a 7 night minimim on their terms.

 

[mark&sue]

I read somewhere else that prevously to this Disney used to offer their hotels at much cheaper prices during this quite time, but with the free dining it is at full price.

However this would be very good for UK visitors as I guess the travel agents would already have high prices anyway as August is peak season for the UK. Therefore this is a great offer for UK visitors who have to travel in August and would like to stay on site.

Unfortunately for us we are DVC members who cannot get free dining but do have to go in August (as school holidays and next year I have been allocated the last two weeks in August at work)

We are now considering spending our last five nights (after our Disney Cruise) at Vero Beach to avoid the crowds. I am also aware that for our first week we will need to book all ADRs as soon as we can.

This truly does seem like an excellent offer to those who would be going anyway.

Hope all of you that can take advantage of it have a great time.



Susan

 

[PaulaSB12]

I am going during the free ddp period again. Did 15 days from 17th September and didn't have a problem with long queues for cs services. I had booked my adrs before I went, but was able to change my Garden Grill adr for one at Alfraedo's (which I liked so much will be doing that one again!). So September 8th I am flying out (virgin premium economy, I just KNEW I wouldn't want to go back to economy after doing it this year!) to POFR and staying for 21 days. Twenty one days of free ddp and I will be buying a new refillable mug!

 

[Netty]

I read somewhere else that prevously to this Disney used to offer their hotels at much cheaper prices during this quite time, but with the free dining it is at full price.

However this would be very good for UK visitors as I guess the travel agents would already have high prices anyway as August is peak season for the UK. Therefore this is a great offer for UK visitors who have to travel in August and would like to stay on site.

Unfortunately for us we are DVC members who cannot get free dining but do have to go in August (as school holidays and next year I have been allocated the last two weeks in August at work)

We are now considering spending our last five nights (after our Disney Cruise) at Vero Beach to avoid the crowds. I am also aware that for our first week we will need to book all ADRs as soon as we can.

This truly does seem like an excellent offer to those who would be going anyway.

Hope all of you that can take advantage of it have a great time.



Susan

All of us that stay in villas can't use ddp, and we find the crowds are really bad during ddp in the parks, so we have booked to go from 21 July for 3 weeks just to avoid this as much as we can.

 

[Netty]

I am going during the free ddp period again. Did 15 days from 17th September and didn't have a problem with long queues for cs services. I had booked my adrs before I went, but was able to change my Garden Grill adr for one at Alfraedo's (which I liked so much will be doing that one again!). So September 8th I am flying out (virgin premium economy, I just KNEW I wouldn't want to go back to economy after doing it this year!) to POFR and staying for 21 days. Twenty one days of free ddp and I will be buying a new refillable mug!

we have booked PE for the return journey! Our first time!!

 

[jtlover]

we have booked PE for the return journey! Our first time!!

We have too hoping it will help us to sleep better

 

[Netty]

We have too hoping it will help us to sleep better

and us!..