Free Dining & Rewards

[PoohPrincess76]

OK, so I am new to this board and trying to plan my first trip to WDW. I have seen several members post about free dining and rewards. How do I find out more about these and start earning?

 

[Adam1217]

well with the dining, Disney themselves started a dining package that you can get when you plan and buy your trip to the World. Therefore with the DDP, you will recieve 1 snack, 1 counter service, and 1 table service per person per day. So with that DDP, You can eat almost anywhere for dinner and lunch and it will be free!!!!!! Then as far as the rewards, I believe they are talking about the Disney credit card if I am correct, but I dont know much about that cause I do not have one at this current moment. Hope that helps a little bit!!!!

 

[PoohPrincess76]

well with the dining, Disney themselves started a dining package that you can get when you plan and buy your trip to the World. Therefore with the DDP, you will recieve 1 snack, 1 counter service, and 1 table service per person per day. So with that DDP, You can eat almost anywhere for dinner and lunch and it will be free!!!!!!

So it isn't really free, I pay for it as part of the package? I have seen the dining options for Disneyland, is it the same?

 

[Adam1217]

i dont know if its the same or not, but ya you do pay for it, but you save ALOT of money because you will spend like 30 or more a person for dinner at the restaurants, plus lunch at a counter service. I think its well worth it

 

[PoohPrincess76]

Thanks.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Actually, I think that the "free" dining that you see people referring to was a package promotion that Disney ran in 2005 and again in 2006 during late August and the month of September. It was the same program that Adam1217 is referring to but it was offered as a free addition to guests who booked packages at WDW with stays begiinning 8/13-9/30/06. There were only a set number of the special packages available and they had to be booked by mid-June in order to qualify for the free dining.

The rewards that you're reading about could be a number of different things. There is a Disney Rewards VISA, which is offered by Chase. You get 1% back on all purchases but it is in the form of Disney Dream Dollars, which can only be spent on Disney-related stuff...mostly at the U.S. theme parks or on the cruise, but also at the Disney Stores, disneyshopping .com and special purchases thru the Chase-DIsney website.

Another possibility is that you're reading about "rewards programs" like ebates.com, creationsrewards.net or sunshinerewards.com. You can learn more about how those programs work by checking the Rewards Board here on the DIS.

 

[Gabkatt]

In regard to 'Free'...Disney in an effort to get more people in WDW in the off season offered free dining for the end of August through the begining of Oct. but you had a window of only a few weeks to take advantage of this offer. You had to be booked by the 1st week in June to get it for this year. This is a great offer, but you then have to pay full price for your room with no discounts. This will make your total package price higher, but if you take advantage and order the high end meals you sould still come out ahead! My understanding is they will do this again next year so keep an eye out. This is what people are talking about when you hear 'free dining'