Free Disney Dining Plan is a particular supply that’s an ideal Walt Disney World trip package deal low cost. This covers promo information, ideas for reserving, historic dates, predictions & rumors for 2024 Free Dining, and solutions to regularly requested questions together with whether or not Free Dining is “worth it.” (Updated May 16, 2023.)
Let’s begin with the dangerous information, which is that the Disney Dining Plan shouldn’t be out there for reserving with 2023 Walt Disney World trip packages. That means there is no such thing as a Free Dining–at the least within the conventional sense of the time period–this 12 months. The excellent news is that we lastly have official affirmation that Walt Disney World is bringing again the Disney Dining Plan in 2024!
As we’ll talk about in our predictions & rumors part under, rather a lot is altering and quick at Walt Disney World by way of pent-up demand, discounting, and promotions. Free Dining has not but been introduced for 2024, however the once-annual promotion was a large driver of resort bookings. If you need learn extra hypothesis about its return, proceed studying. If you’re simply searching for confirmed or official information and need to be notified instantly when Free Dining is introduced, join right here for our FREE Walt Disney World e-newsletter.
The excellent news is that normalcy is returning to Walt Disney World. Most eating places and resorts have now reopened, with solely a handful of inns and eating choices nonetheless shuttered. Those which have but to return doubtless will inside the subsequent few months, and we anticipate eating capability to largely be restored by late 2023.
The even higher information is that this restored normalcy contains the exhaustion of pent-up demand, and there are indicators of softness on the horizon for Walt Disney World. We’ve talked about repeatedly that Walt Disney World already has launched over a dozen completely different reductions for 2023, which is greater than have been out there for the whole lot of final 12 months.
More not too long ago, CFO Christine McCarthy warned of a slowdown at Walt Disney World within the coming quarters. This strengthened what we already knew (and confirmed that there are issues inside Disney about comfortable future bookings), because the slowdown has already began. We’ve been discussing the upper than regular post-spring break attendance drops in Sharp Shoulder Season Slowdown at Walt Disney World and Low Pre-Summer Crowds at Walt Disney World.
This is all related to the return of Free Dining in 2024 as a result of the deal shouldn’t be supplied out of company benevolence, however as an aggressive transfer to assist increase resort occupancy numbers. An enormous a part of the explanation why Walt Disney World didn’t deliver again the DDP (and by extension, Free Dining) within the final couple of years was as a result of it wasn’t needed. Pent-up demand was fueling report visitor spending, and numbers have been extremely sturdy even with out incentives.
That has modified in a rush over the past couple of months, and now Walt Disney World is pulling a number of “levers” to attempt to incentivize demand each within the near-term this summer season and for 2024 trip packages. One lever they’ve already pulled is new Annual Pass gross sales resuming. Another is the aforementioned improve in resort reductions. Most not too long ago, a summer season ticket deal has been launched for Floridians, one other is coming quickly with out reservations for most people, and Annual Passholder appreciation days additionally begin quickly.
On that word, listed below are some predictions concerning the return of Free Dining at Walt Disney World…
2023-2024 Free Dining Forecast & Rumors
Let’s begin with 2023 Free Dining. As indicated above, the promotion gained’t be introduced again within the conventional sense till the Disney Dining Plan returns, which isn’t occurring till January 2024. It thus stands to motive that there’ll not be Free Dining this 12 months–it could take a small miracle or one thing going terribly unsuitable, relying upon your perspective, for Walt Disney World to deliver again Free Dining in 2023 at this level!
With that in thoughts, Walt Disney World has already launched the “Free” Disney Dining Card Deal, with journey dates from the late summer season by way of September 2023. Unfortunately, that particular supply is now not out there–reserving concluded on March 27. That really ended atypically early, and there was no good rationalization for why the Free Dining Card Promo was minimize brief. There was loads of resort and room availability, so it wasn’t that.
All of this beforehand led us to invest that Walt Disney World would lengthen or re-release the Dining Card Promo. Exactly that occurred 4 years in the past when there have been three “waves” of Free Dining. It’s attainable Walt Disney World ended reserving early to create a false sense of shortage and encourage folks to e book promptly, and can launch extra or completely different dates for the Dining Card Promo within the coming months.
It’s additionally attainable that Walt Disney World will stick with room-only reductions for the rest of 2023. Since the Dining Card Deal ended, there have been a couple of resort room reductions launched for overlapping journey dates in late summer season and early fall. One risk right here is that Walt Disney World didn’t need to pressure restaurant capability, and that is definitely why the Free Dining Card Deal was dropped early–that it has nothing to do with synthetic shortage or creating a way of urgency.
Regardless, that low cost is not the “real” Free Dining. For many Walt Disney World trip planners, it was/is a greater supply than proportion financial savings on a room, nevertheless it was inferior to the total Free Dining in each sense. So a step in the precise route, however not nonetheless extra like “Diet” Free Dining than the unique formulation.
Looking ahead to 2024 Free Dining, we may really see it going both means. Assuming, for the sake of debate, that Free Dining does come again subsequent 12 months, it most likely won’t observe the traditional first week of January launch sample established within the final a number of years of its existence.
For one factor, though the Disney Dining Plan shall be bookable beginning in Summer 2023, nobody will really be utilizing it till January 2024 journey dates. So on the one hand, Walt Disney World will be capable of glean rather a lot from forward-looking bookings over the following a number of months. They’ll know utilization charges and ADR availability, amongst different issues.
On the opposite hand, reserving knowledge shouldn’t be the identical as precise implementation and visitor utilization. It’s exhausting to think about Walt Disney World rolling out the Disney Dining Plan for visitor utilization and launching Free Dining for future dates throughout the identical stretch of early 2024. It’s extra doubtless that the DDP will solely return in paid type for at the least a couple of months, giving Walt Disney World time to check and regulate this system and handle restaurant capability. Going from nothing to Free Dining is like having your first time driving being within the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Accordingly, there’s more likely to be a lag between the Disney Dining Plan really returning and Free Dining being supplied once more. If we needed to guess, there shall be a niche of at the least a couple of months. That would put the discharge of Free Dining round March 2024 on the earliest on condition that the Disney Dining Plan is coming again within the second week of January.
Even then, Walt Disney World will need to supply the least favorable particular gives attainable to fulfill occupancy targets. Again, the corporate gives reductions not out of generosity, however out of necessity. If occupancy projections are sturdy or Walt Disney World thinks it might “get away with” releasing a much less engaging low cost, they’ll.
Accordingly, it’s attainable that Walt Disney World will deliver again the aforementioned Free Dining Card Deal in 2024 or supply “Free Dining Lite” or “Half-Free Dining” as we’ve come to name Walt Disney World’s different advertising gimmicks that commerce on the title recognition of the Free Dining supply. Officially, these particular gives go by varied names, however the commonest are “kids eat free” or “stay, play, dine & save.”
However, as mentioned above, Walt Disney World is already seeing a big slowdown for Summer 2024. This is occurring in opposition to a backdrop of pent-up demand persevering with to exhaust itself (first with home vacationers, subsequent with worldwide guests), family financial savings reducing and debt hundreds rising, inflation stinging extra, and a possible financial slowdown.
As this occurs, shoppers will return to being extra cost-conscious and value delicate, and never as free-spending as they have been through the interval of “revenge travel.” No longer making up for misplaced time or financially in a position to afford breaking the financial institution splurging on journey, Walt Disney World will proceed returning to its 2019 “normal” to at the least a point.
Given all of that, it appears more and more doubtless that Walt Disney World will proceed to see even weaker forward-looking demand within the months to come back. That’s very true if the “levers” being pulled don’t do sufficient to buoy bookings.
In such a state of affairs, Walt Disney World could also be compelled to get aggressive and launch Free Dining in early 2024 for journey dates later within the 12 months to spice up bookings. For the explanations recognized above, this might not be considered as ultimate internally, and we aren’t suggesting that is what’s going to occur.
To the opposite, we expect it’s extra doubtless {that a} watered-down model of Free Dining shall be supplied early within the 12 months, with the Free Dining ‘classic formula’ popping out later within the spring or summer season. It simply appears extremely unlikely that Walt Disney World would go from “zero to Free Dining.” It’ll be extra incremental, with Disney making an attempt to supply the least engaging offers as attainable to full rooms. For just like the third or fourth time, Walt Disney World doesn’t supply offers out of generosity.
However, the atmosphere has already modified quick in the previous couple of months. Although there have been indicators earlier this 12 months that summer season bookings is likely to be weak, attendance was sturdy for spring break–after which it was like flipping a swap at the beginning of May 2023. Already this month, Walt Disney World has performed a ton to attempt to shore up demand…and there’s not but any indication whether or not all of that may work. Maybe it’ll, perhaps it gained’t.
In brief, it’s means too early to supply any form of credible predictions for 2024 Free Dining dates. There are so many transferring components and variables at play. There are just too many questions on demand and the broader financial system, in addition to to what extent the 5 main adjustments that Walt Disney World has already introduced for 2024 trip packages will transfer the needle.
With that stated, there are a few dates you would possibly need to pencil in in your calendar. The first is January 2, 2024 and the second is April 16, 2024. Based on historic knowledge, these two very particular dates are when Walt Disney World’s first spherical of offers are principally more likely to be launched. To the extent that it’s attainable to foretell when Free Dining (or different reductions) shall be launched subsequent 12 months this far out, these are the probably dates.
Past precedent is a robust indicator of Walt Disney World particular supply releases, making these dates the probably for the discharge of Free Dining in 2024. Of the 2 dates, we view April as way more doubtless, which might even be in step with the discharge sample of Free Dining up till 2018.
No matter when launched, we’re doubtless journey dates in Late 2024. Likely August by way of December 2024, with regular blockout dates and exclusions (see under) if launched in April. If launched in January, it’s additionally attainable that there are June and July 2024 journey dates included.
All of this relies upon what bookings and occupancy are like for later in 2024–and that’s unknown and unknowable proper now. There’s an opportunity that Walt Disney World might want to act quick in January 2024 to extend bookings, however there’s completely no current precedent to counsel that’ll occur. They’ve been very sluggish to react and never in the least proactive in the previous couple of years.
Again, we need to emphasize that that is not a rumor–it’s merely us analyzing resort bookings and previous precedent on reductions, and making an informed guess. Walt Disney World may go one other route totally, as the corporate has said repeatedly that they need to scale back discounting.
However, Disney additionally likes the present excessive degree of per visitor spending numbers, and no different particular supply helps obtain these excessive per caps like Free Dining. Despite “free” being within the title, it’s an advantageous promo from Disney’s perspective as a result of it locks friends into full-price inns and tickets. It additionally retains friends on-site for essentially the most half, since they’ve “free” meals at Walt Disney World. No different low cost accomplishes all of those vital objectives for the corporate.
Either means, shall be carefully monitoring the 2024 Free Dining state of affairs, retaining our ears open for extra information a couple of return of Free Dining. Should one thing–something–be launched or rumored, we’ll ship you an alert in the event you join our FREE Walt Disney World e-newsletter.
We’ve constantly notified e mail subscribers when Free Dining and different offers on the day they go reside at ~6 or 7 a.m., which is a 2+ hour head begin on Disney’s official announcement at 9 am. That makes a large distinction when reserving Free Dining–you gained’t have to attend on maintain for hours on the telephone.
Free Dining FAQ
Free Dining is Walt Disney World’s most complex promotion, and could be a large headache to e book. Between restricted availability and navigating a seas of guidelines and restrictions, it’s straightforward to make errors. This part of the put up covers the foundations, phrases and circumstances, and insurance policies that typically govern the Free Dining promotion.
We all the time suggest that Walt Disney World first-timers (or regulars who simply don’t need to take care of the trouble) request a FREE quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Travel Planner. No legit journey brokers cost for reserving Walt Disney World holidays (and also you don’t pay a premium for them–Disney pays them fee), in order that’s actually the simplest strategy to go.
With this particular supply, Walt Disney World friends reserving trip packages with non-discounted resort inns and park tickets obtain the Disney Dining Plan for every member of their celebration for no extra cost. For apparent causes (who doesn’t love free meals?!), the promotion is extremely fashionable and a few resorts that supply free eating are likely to promote out shortly.
Guests reserving the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion for Value or Moderate Resorts will obtain the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, with friends staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts receiving the usual Disney Dining Plan. Upgrading is feasible to the usual Disney Dining Plan or Deluxe Disney Dining Plan by paying the distinction in value.
There are some room exclusions for the Free Dining promo: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
These resorts and room tiers are all not eligible for Free Dining. Additionally, room stock is proscribed throughout all resorts. In apply, because of this while you go to e book, a specific class (normal view, backyard view, and many others.) might not be out there in your journey dates–or your journey dates might not be out there at a particular resort in any respect.
To reap the benefits of Free Dining, there’s additionally the requirement that friends buy tickets that embody both a minimal 4-day Park Hopper or the Park Hopper Plus choice. Additionally, a 4-night minimal keep is required with a most keep of fourteen nights.
This means you may’t buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets from a certified reseller, which we usually extremely suggest in our Walt Disney World journey planning recommendation. This is one thing to remember when doing the maths to find out if “Free Dining” is an effective worth for you.
When it involves Free Dining, doing the maths is extremely vital. Other reductions (similar to a room-only low cost) is likely to be higher for your loved ones. Remember, there is no such thing as a such factor as a free lunch; you’ve gotten forfeit an alternate low cost to qualify for Free Dining. We break down a few of the math in our “Is Free Dining Worth It?” put up.
If you’ve gotten already booked a trip package deal with an arrival date that qualifies for Free Dining, we suggest utilizing the “modify reservation” hyperlink in your reserving to use the promotion to your package deal. This is the quickest and best strategy to apply the promotion.
You would possibly see different recommendation that recommends calling to e book Free Dining. This is outdated. If you name Walt Disney World’s reservation line, you’ll doubtless wait on maintain for an hour (or hours) till you’re in a position to communicate to an agent. Booking or modifying your reservation on-line is far faster and simpler.
Even if the net system crashes (which has occurred) or strikes slowly attributable to all of the site visitors, it’s simpler to simply hold making an attempt on-line. Unfortunately, reserving on-line isn’t all the time attainable and technical errors do occur…so that you may need to name and wait on maintain.
If you might be questioning which resort to e book for the Free Dining promotion, try our new Best Walt Disney World Hotels for Free Dining put up. It offers our most popular choice for every resort tier. Oh, and don’t neglect to make some ADRs for one of the best and hottest Walt Disney World eating places.
With this Free Dining supply, Value and Moderate Resort friends obtain the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan through the promotion. Guests at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts obtain the usual Disney Dining Plan. Upgrading to greater tiers is feasible for an extra cost.
We extremely suggest making Advance Dining Reservations as quickly as attainable. Yes, even earlier than Free Dining is obtainable, in the event you can. Everyone gobbles up the nice ADRs shortly for Free Dining dates, so in the event you don’t e book early, you may be caught consuming counter service or unpopular eating places during your journey.
To reply another frequent questions: sure, you could buy tickets with the supply even when you have already got them (or an Annual Pass). No, bookings made with Disney Vacation Club factors should not eligible for the supply. No, you can’t “stack” this supply with a percentage-off room low cost (at the least not within the U.S.). For these questioning about different Walt Disney World reductions, try our Current Walt Disney World Discount Offers put up for what’s presently out there.
For particulars about which tier of the Disney Dining Plan contains or for suggestions about which eating places to e book to maximise your use of the Disney Dining Plan, please see our complete Disney Dining Plan Overview Page.
Note that the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion is all the time primarily based upon arrival dates. For instance, if Free Dining runs June 27 to June 28 and also you arrive on June 28 and keep till July 5, you are eligible for Free Dining–though it’s blocked out for July 5 arrivals. (You didn’t arrive on July 5 in that state of affairs–you arrived in June.)
However, if it’s supplied those self same dates and also you arrive on June 26 and keep for a similar dates, you should not eligible for Free Dining, though extra of your keep falls throughout an “eligible” interval than the primary instance’s. The work-around for that is doing a cut up keep, with the ineligible arrival nights a part of one trip and a second trip beginning on the first legitimate “arrival” date and persevering with thereafter. Again, arrival dates are what issues with Free Dining.
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Value and Moderate Resorts obtain the Quick Service Dining Plan through the Free Dining promotion, however are in a position to improve to the (normal) Disney Dining Plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan in the event that they pay the distinction. Guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts obtain the usual Disney Dining Plan and will improve to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan by paying the distinction, too.
The improve value to go from the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan to the usual Disney Dining Plan for Free Dining is $23.01 per grownup and $4.51 per youngster per night time. The improve value from the usual Disney Dining Plan to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan is $40.99 per grownup and $16.99 per youngster per night time. To improve from the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan to the Deluxe one, add the 2 improve prices collectively.
In the part under, now we have historic Free Dining dates for the previous couple of years. The remainder of what follows is historic details about the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion…
Historical Information
The following shouldn’t be pertinent to present bookings, however now we have discovered that readers discover it helpful to have particulars about previous Free Dining promos when planning for the long run and what to anticipate. Note that the dates are fairly constant from 12 months to 12 months, with slight shifts for holidays, weekends, and particular occasions, or different issues that could be excluded from the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion.
Last 12 months, there was no early reserving window for Disney Visa cardholders, however there was an expanded date vary (see under). The two years earlier than, Disney Visa cardholders did have an early reserving window. Exact dates are listed under. Most years, most people is ready to e book Free Dining packages 5 days after Disney Visa cardholders can e book.
In years previous, Free Dining has been introduced in late April, with reserving opening first for Disney Visa bank card holders and most people a couple of days later. The final couple of years, there was no early window for Disney Visa cardholders.
Here are the Walt Disney World Free Dining dates that have been out there from 2013-2020 for historic reference…
2020 Free Dining Dates (Cancelled):
- June 27 by way of June 28
- July 5 by way of July 7
- August 29 by way of September 8
2019 Free Dining Dates:
- July 5 – September 30*
- September 1 by way of September 18**
- November 17 by way of November 27**
- December 8 by way of December 23**
*First and second wave of Free Dining
**Third wave of Free Dining
2018 Free Dining Dates:
- August 20* — September 29
- November 24 — 27
- December 7 — 23
*Disney Visa Cardholders may e book for arrival dates starting August 2.
2017 Free Dining Dates:
- August 21* – September 30
- November 14 – 20
- November 25 – 27
- December 8 – 23
*Disney Visa Cardholders may e book for arrival dates starting August 13.
2016 Free Dining Dates:
- August 23* by way of October 1
- November 15 by way of 21
- November 26 by way of 28
- December 10 by way of 21
*Disney Visa Cardholders may e book for arrival dates starting August 14.
2015 Free Dining Dates:
- August 28 by way of October 2
- October 25 by way of October 31
- November 8 by way of November 19
- December 15 by way of December 21
2014 Free Dining Dates:
- August 31 – October 3
- October 26 – November 1
- November 9 – November 20
- December 12 – December 23
2013 Free Dining Dates
- September 2 to September 25
- September 29 to October 2
- October 18 to November 2
- November 11 to November 23
- December 12 to December 22
Other Free Dining Posts & Resources
If you propose on getting the Disney Dining Plan try these different Walt Disney World posts:
Want extra eating ideas? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. Planning different points of a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every little thing that you must know!
Your Thoughts
Do you suppose Free Dining shall be launched in January or April 2024, or will it take longer earlier than Walt Disney World “needs” to get that aggressive with offers? Are you a fan of the “free” eating promotion? Have any ideas at no cost eating rookies? If you’ve booked Free Dining, what did you concentrate on your expertise with the deal? If you have been unable to get it, the place/when have been you unsuccessful? Let us know what you consider the promotion and whether or not you’re planning on profiting from it within the feedback!