Free Dining

[mummabear]

Yay! Feeling nervous about being able to nab a room in a value resort.

 

[Stacymarie1216]

So it has happened in the past that free dining was offered as early as may? We've got an early June trip planned.

 

[Kbee]

So it has happened in the past that free dining was offered as early as may? We've got an early June trip planned.

I think its been announced but I'm pretty sure free dining is a promo to get people to the parks during slower times, that is why its offered in hurricane season LOL.

 

[somesong2sing]

There is a General Public offer that typically opens a few days after the offer opens to Disney Visa Card holders.
Pretty sure all you need is to HAVE a Disney Visa card to get the offer earlier than the General Public. I don't think you have to pay for it with that card. I could be wrong though.

Dan

You just have to put a $200 deposit down

 

[Mikie]

So it has happened in the past that free dining was offered as early as may? We've got an early June trip planned.

I think its been announced but I'm pretty sure free dining is a promo to get people to the parks during slower times, that is why its offered in hurricane season LOL.

Yes, it has been announced in May, but for trip dates in Sept-Dec. I'm not aware of free dining ever being offered for summer trips. In general, it's definitely to up sales in slow times, but last year's dates baffled me - they blacked out my week (Columbus day week in Oct) but Christmas was not blacked out - with level 10 crowds every day, I'm not sure what the reasoning was there. . .

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Have seen that also, but nothing is confirmed until Disney announces.

The December dates usually exclude guests checking in ON or right after the holidays who intend to stay a week. This is the busiest week of the year and a lot of guests spend Christmas itself at home, check in right after and stay through New Years. They'd like you to check in before Christmas Eve and stay a bit longer maybe.

General public free dining has been offered in May-June only once, in 2010. the check-in dates were May 27-June 2. I would not hold my breath for any dates earlier than August (and then no sooner than mid-August, but more probably late August).

 

[rwdavis2]

Yes, it has been announced in May, but for trip dates in Sept-Dec. I'm not aware of free dining ever being offered for summer trips. In general, it's definitely to up sales in slow times, but last year's dates baffled me - they blacked out my week (Columbus day week in Oct) but Christmas was not blacked out - with level 10 crowds every day, I'm not sure what the reasoning was there. . .

They jack up the prices for rooms during this time of the year. Maybe they make more money with higher priced rooms wih free dining.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

Oh ok. I was hoping for May. I figured my hope was more of a wishful thinking. Lol

Disney doesn't offer Free Dining in May. It's been around since 2007 and it's usually offered the end of August, entire month of September, first and last weeks of October and second and third weeks of November and December. Those dates can shift slightly depending on when some holidays fall.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

Early Sept most likely based on recent years.
http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codetrends
Dan

These are the historic WDW Free Dining Dates and Promo Release Dates for reference as to how the FD date patterns run each year:

Free Dining Promos/Discounts Released Spring of the Year Offered:
August 21 – October 4, 2005
August 13 – September 30, 2006
August 26 – September 22, 2007
August 30 – September 27, 2008
August 16 – October 3, 2009

July 27, 2009(First Time for quick service at values, free Disney Dining at moderate and deluxe resorts):
October 4 – December 17, 2009
*Thanksgiving week was the ONLY blackout for this promo.

May 3, 2010:
Free Dining released for travel from August 15 – October 2, 2010.

July 6, 2010:
Disney extended the Free Dining offer for travel through early fall 2011. Many dates were blacked out:

August 15 – October 7, 2010
October 22 – October 28, 2010
November 12 – November 18, 2010
November 27 – December 2, 2010
December 10 – December 21, 2010

January 1 - 5, 2011
January 9 - 13, 2011
January 21 - February 3, 2011
February 11 - 17, 2011
February 25 - March 3, 2011
May 27 - June 2, 2011
August 19 - September 29, 2011

March 2011:
Free Dining Discount released for August 28 - September 24, 2011

August 3, 2011:
Free Dining Discounts released for dates through early Spring 2012
October 1 – October 6, 2011
October 22 – November 3, 2011
November 12 – November 17, 2011
November 26 – December 1, 2011
December 10 – December 15, 2011
January 8 – January 12, 2012
January 21 – February 2, 2012
February 11 – February 16, 2012
March 3 – March 8, 2012
March 24 – March 29, 2012
*Disney Visa did not participate in this promo.

March, 2012:
August 25 - September 29, 2012

July 12, 2012:
September 30 - October 4, 2012
October 19 - November 1, 2012
November 9 - November 15, 2012
November 23 - November 29, 2012
December 10 - December 20, 2012

May 6, 2013:
September 2 - 25, 2013

August 1, 2013 (First time the offer went live on the website at midnight):
September 29 - October 2, 2013
October 18 - November 2, 2013
November 11 - November 23, 2013
December 12 - December 22, 2013

May 7, 2014:
August 31-October 3
October 26- November 1
November 9-November 20
December 12-December 23

*AoA suites, ASMo, PORFQ were initially blacked out of the discount, but some FD rooms were available about 2 days after the general public offer was released.
*Disney Visa did not participate in this promo.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

So it has happened in the past that free dining was offered as early as may? We've got an early June trip planned.

No, Free Dining is not offered in May, the dates for the fall/winter free dining offers are usually released in May or April.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

They jack up the prices for rooms during this time of the year. Maybe they make more money with higher priced rooms wih free dining.

No, that's not really correct. Free Dining is mostly offered during historically slow weeks at Disney, when the resort rates and crowd numbers are usually at their lowest. September has some of the cheapest room rates of the entire year and Free Dining is always offered in September. The only time the room rates are "jacked up" is when you are getting close to Christmas, but room rates have always been very high near the Christmas season, free dining or not.

 

[BudgieMama]

Disney doesn't offer Free Dining in May.

For guests from North America. I could book a package for May 2016 with Free Dining today if I wanted to, as a guest travelling from the UK.

 

[tlmadden73]

I would guess IF they offered Free Dining that it wouldn't start until August 28th (since their 30% off resort promotion is good through August 27th).

I am staying from August 26th - August 30th .. (and got a discount on our first two days because of that promotion) .. not sure how that would work with Free Dining.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

For guests from North America. I could book a package for May 2016 with Free Dining today if I wanted to, as a guest travelling from the UK.

U.K and U.S. Free Dining offers NEVER have the same dates or options.

 

[MagicalMomma6]

I would guess IF they offered Free Dining that it wouldn't start until August 28th (since their 30% off resort promotion is good through August 27th).

I am staying from August 26th - August 30th .. (and got a discount on our first two days because of that promotion) .. not sure how that would work with Free Dining.

Yes, the FD promo that will be released next week, will most likely start on August 28. To apply a Free Dining discount to your vacation stay your check IN day must fall within the FD promo dates, or you can not take advantage of the FD discount at all. On the flip side, if you check in by the last day of a FD promo, you can have the discount applied to your entire stay, up to 14 nights. It's all about your check IN date.

 

[kbuck]

Subscribing

 

[pmaurer74]

why is mid -October always blocked out, is it because of Food and wine festival?

 

[MagicalMomma6]

why is mid -October always blocked out, is it because of Food and wine festival?

Mid-October has a HUGE amount of visitors due to American school fall breaks - especially schools in the southeast - and a HUGE amount of on-property business conventions are always held during that time frame also. I'm sure Food & Wine plays a part also, but it goes from the end of September through the first week in November, so the black out in mid-October is more due to school fall breaks and business conventions.

 

[Disney44please]

You also have Columbus Day weekend, which people use to take a quick trip.

 

[DisneyFive]

These are the historic WDW Free Dining Dates and Promo Release Dates for reference as to how the FD date patterns run each year:

Free Dining Promos/Discounts Released Spring of the Year Offered:
August 21 – October 4, 2005
August 13 – September 30, 2006
August 26 – September 22, 2007
August 30 – September 27, 2008
August 16 – October 3, 2009

July 27, 2009(First Time for quick service at values, free Disney Dining at moderate and deluxe resorts):
October 4 – December 17, 2009
*Thanksgiving week was the ONLY blackout for this promo.

May 3, 2010:
Free Dining released for travel from August 15 – October 2, 2010.

July 6, 2010:
Disney extended the Free Dining offer for travel through early fall 2011. Many dates were blacked out:

August 15 – October 7, 2010
October 22 – October 28, 2010
November 12 – November 18, 2010
November 27 – December 2, 2010
December 10 – December 21, 2010

January 1 - 5, 2011
January 9 - 13, 2011
January 21 - February 3, 2011
February 11 - 17, 2011
February 25 - March 3, 2011
May 27 - June 2, 2011
August 19 - September 29, 2011

March 2011:
Free Dining Discount released for August 28 - September 24, 2011

August 3, 2011:
Free Dining Discounts released for dates through early Spring 2012
October 1 – October 6, 2011
October 22 – November 3, 2011
November 12 – November 17, 2011
November 26 – December 1, 2011
December 10 – December 15, 2011
January 8 – January 12, 2012
January 21 – February 2, 2012
February 11 – February 16, 2012
March 3 – March 8, 2012
March 24 – March 29, 2012
*Disney Visa did not participate in this promo.

March, 2012:
August 25 - September 29, 2012

July 12, 2012:
September 30 - October 4, 2012
October 19 - November 1, 2012
November 9 - November 15, 2012
November 23 - November 29, 2012
December 10 - December 20, 2012

May 6, 2013:
September 2 - 25, 2013

August 1, 2013 (First time the offer went live on the website at midnight):
September 29 - October 2, 2013
October 18 - November 2, 2013
November 11 - November 23, 2013
December 12 - December 22, 2013

May 7, 2014:
August 31-October 3
October 26- November 1
November 9-November 20
December 12-December 23

*AoA suites, ASMo, PORFQ were initially blacked out of the discount, but some FD rooms were available about 2 days after the general public offer was released.
*Disney Visa did not participate in this promo.

Thanks for consolidating all that!

Yeah, why I say early Sept this year for the start of FD is due to a number of things:

This is all stuff you know, but I'm just repeating...
1) The FD window has been starting later the last few years, sometimes starting late that last week of Aug, or 1st week of Sept.
2) Park attendance is up with the economy improving, so the incentive is for Disney to offer these discounts is lessening.
3) Since the first day of your stay needs to fall in the window, this can make a late Aug trip really tough bank on for FD this year. With Labor day being so late in 2015 (Sept 7th), many schools are still out until then, hence still time many to visit the parks without pulling kids out of school.

So, I'm guessing the FD window won't open until early Sept sometime. Hopefully I'm wrong for those who would like to take advantage of it with a late Aug trip.

We were lucky to get FD late Sept again this year with a bounceback offer. All 5 of our WDW trips have had FD. Simply put, we wouldn't visit without it. It's too much of an integral part of our vacation now, and I just won't pay the OOP amount for the same meals, or pay for the dining plan (which would be over $2000 for our family of 5, CRAZY!)

Dan