How to get free dining?

[debralynn]

This will be our 6th time returning since March 06 and never had has that offer. When do you get it, and do you have to book it there?

Help please! We are planning on going back in May 09 and Sept 09.

 

[MareSINY]

Chances are they will offer free dining again in September 09, so you should be able to take advantage of it then. They started offering free dining in 2005, it always starts towards the end of August and runs through most of September. This is the first year they've been offering it at other times, a few people have gotten emails stating they can book free dining between September - December (various dates) and now they just announced free dining for Disney Visa cardholders. Also between September and December.

Free dining is usually available to the general public and is usually announced in early Spring (I believe in April if I remember correctly.)

Just keep your ears out to the DIS boards and you'll definitely know when it's being announced!

 

[~Kik-Kik~]

What is it? You eat their food for free?

 

[SGMCO]

Free Dining has been offered to the GP in Early April.
Check Disney Website early April.
FD usually is offered for stays during Sept. (high hurracane
season) with the exception this year Disney has a
package special for times during Nov. and Dec.
and these are for Disney Visa Card holders.
We just returned last week from our FD stay
at POFQ and with all the hurricane worries I
can see why people are hesitant to stay during this
time of year. We had a wonderful stay and waits for
the rides were 5 min.most time we walked onto
rides.

 

[mountdew1]

To the OP, since your ticker shows you going down in a few weeks, they may still have the bounceback promotion going on. A few people have reporting having bounceback offers in their room for free dining. If you don't know what that is, bounceback means that you need to book a trip for a certain time period next year, BEFORE you leave the resort on your current trip. I do believe that Sept 09 was part of the time included in the current bounceback offer. So if you are lucky you may be able to get your free dining for Sept before you leave.

 

[mountdew1]

What is it? You eat their food for free?

The free dining promotion typically means you need to book the room at rack rate. When you do that, and buy a MYW ticket for at least 1 day (unless you have an AP) they will give you the dining plan for free. They have changed the dining plans each year, so no one really knows what plan they would offer next year. Some people have speculated the counter service plan, and others think it will stay with the current 1 CS and 1 TS meal. It can be a good promotion if you plan on eating on property for every meal, have enough people in your room to make up for paying rack rate (meaning 1 adults on free dining $35, 2 adults $70, etc when the room discount is say $60 bucks off, 2 people save money, but just 1 person would do better to get the room discount and pay out of pocket for food), and use all your credits.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The free dining promotion typically means you need to book the room at rack rate. When you do that, and buy a MYW ticket for at least 1 day (unless you have an AP) they will give you the dining plan for free.

For the Free Dining Promotion/BounceBack, it doesn't matter that/if you have an AP. The promotion requires the purchase of a Magic Your Way package including resort room at rack (not discounted) rate and the same park admission media for each person in your party. In other words, even with an AP, you MUST purchase park passes as part of the qualifications for this promotion.

 

[RMulieri]

Putting it as simply as I can...Free Dining is the Basic Disney Dining Pkg free when you book a regular, full priced,non-discounted disney pkg with resort Stay.Each pkg must include at least a 1 day park pass per person, and must include everyone in your party.No other discounts can be applied.

 

[mrzrich]

I highly reccommend that you get a Disney Visa card...even if you never use it. Disney Visa holders often get first crack at these offers. (The newest offer is currently for Disney Visa holders only) Then watch these boards, and mousesavers.com for news.

 

[cwostmark]

Has free dining ever been offered for the beginning of February?

 

[rlovew]

It has only been offered during hurricane seasons in the past- it is an incentive to go during hurricane season- February has beautiful weather in central Florida- they don't need the added incentive to get people there so I would never expect it at that time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Has free dining ever been offered for the beginning of February?

Well, no.... but until just a few weeks ago, nobody had ever been offered Free Dining in November or December... so, who knows? There's the random possibility that IF Disney decides to make the offer at other times of the year that those dates will coincide with a given Guest's plans or availability; plus the limited offers over the next few months are for either Guests who were/are randomly chosen by Disney, or Disney VISA holders.

 

[squirrel]

If by chance you forget to book the bounceback when you check out or before you check out try when you get home.

I had put a credit card down on my KTTW card and so I didn't need to check out. I did receive the paperwork on my door on our last day full day, but didn't really look at it as we were in a rush to get breakfast (10am) and get to the park. When I went to the front desk that evening, they were closed for the bounceback (10pm) so I was told to call the next morning as we are still guests until 11 am. Our flight was at 7:30 am and the # to call was only open from 7am -10pm. So we couldn't do the call in the morning either. We didn't have time to call until landing in Seattle at 12:30pm, but still didn't call as we just wanted to get home and we still had at least a 2.5 hr drive. I did finally manage to call today, a full day after leaving WDW and was able to book the bounceback offer.

I wouldn't recommend waiting to book the bounceback if you are interested. I don't know if we were just lucky or if they give everyone an extra day or two.

 

[kiwitinkerbell]

Do you think they will offer the free dinning to the general public (not just disney visa holders) for December? We are already booked for Dec 14-21.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Again, SOME random members of the general public have been getting an offer for free dining for CERTAIN dates in October, November, and December. There is no apparent rhyme or reason for how Disney decides to whom to make that offer - but the people who are getting it, get a PIN that can be used by ONLY them when booking the very limited free dining promotion,,, about ten to fourteen specific dates in each of those months.

You can go to the Codes board for more information, but there's no way to "get" Disney to make the offer to any specific person, or for any person without the PIN to book it.

 

[mountdew1]

For the Free Dining Promotion/BounceBack, it doesn't matter that/if you have an AP. The promotion requires the purchase of a Magic Your Way package including resort room at rack (not discounted) rate and the same park admission media for each person in your party. In other words, even with an AP, you MUST purchase park passes as part of the qualifications for this promotion.

I thought some of the recent ones had a AP option now that AP holders and DVC members can take advantage of the dining plan without having to book tickets.

 

[mrzrich]

I thought some of the recent ones had a AP option now that AP holders and DVC members can take advantage of the dining plan without having to book tickets.

Yeah, that's what I did. I priced out the free dining (I'd have to buy one day base ticket and pay rack rate for my room)

I then priced out the AP rate ($54 a night at ASMu ) and was able to add the dining plan without having to buy the base tickets. It came out much cheaper.

 

[debralynn]

Thanks for all the help I hope I can get a deal for when I return In May. We do plan on buying Ap when we return or while there. We just can't get enough of Disney.
I also have applied for a Visa rewards also.

Yea, on our way again in just a few weeks

Movies here we come

 

[kaytieeldr]

I thought some of the recent ones had a AP option now that AP holders and DVC members can take advantage of the dining plan without having to book tickets.

Not FREE Dining, though. Free Dining requires the purchase of a Magic Your Way Package, including the room at rack rate and the same ticket type/level/features for each person on your reservation.