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Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World - Free Dining Promo Released

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 27th, 2018 2:51 pm
Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
604 upvotes

Walt Disney World - Free Dining Promo Released

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Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World has released their free dining promotion this morning. It is called "One Delicious Dining Offer"

Free Dining Details

For Canadians: Book through July 7, 2018 for arrivals most nights, August 2 through September 29, November 24 through November 27 and December 7 through December 23, 2018.
Explore Disney Resort hotels included in this non-discounted 5-night/6-day room and ticket package and the eligible Disney dining plan.

Note, you will also need to purchase the park-hopper option.

Disney Value and Moderates, get the Quick Service Dining plan (2 quick service or counter service meals/day + 2 snacks/day).
Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villas get Disney Dining Plan (1 quick service meal + 1 table service meal + 2 snacks/day)

As of this year all Quick Service and Table Service meals include one alcoholic drink with the meal

Note this is based on the arrival date. So if you arrive on Dec 23rd, for 7 nights, you would get free dining for Dec 23-30th. However, if your stay was Dec 1-7th, you wouldn't be eligible.

If you are thinking about it, you should book ASAP as room availability is limited. Note a package requires a $200 (US) deposit and is fully refundable until 30 days prior to your arrival date, so if you are unsure, can always book now and cancel later. Many people last year saw the deal and took a day or two to think about it, then went back and availability was gone.

Also note, Canadians are getting an extended window starting August 2nd. I think in the US, their dates start August 20.

There is also room only discounts. You need to do the math to see what is best for you. The best deals for FD are typically 4 people in a Value resort. Note that for deluxe resorts, the room only discounts can be a better deal then free dining. So do the math.
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48 replies
Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
604 upvotes
Note if you are trying to get online to book this morning, the site is really buggy. The promo released this morning around 5:30am and everybody just got up and is on the site trying to book packages. You will either need to be persistent (as any true RFDer is) or wait a few hours until things calm down.
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Jun 17, 2013
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Scarborough
danomed wrote: Page is already down?!
Stitch ate the page! It should get better as the day progresses.

Since the website is glitchy right now I recommended calling to book. Here's the phone number that was listed on the offer page: (407) 827-7162
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Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
604 upvotes
Yeap. I was able to get through around 6am. But since about 6:30am, the site won't load. Keep trying.

Also if there is no availability today for your dates/resort, keeping trying back ever few days. I think Disney releases inventory in blocks. So if people have a room and cancel it, it doesn't automatically go back into the pool. But a week or two later, Disney evaluates inventory and might release a whole block of rooms. Even 2 weeks or a month from now, there might be new availability that isn't showing by later today.
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Apr 30, 2006
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Been to Disney a couple times but never did this offer. So, assuming I can actually get into the site, I need to pick my dates, book the room, park tickets and select the dining offer?

Flight I book separately?

I haven't looked yet, but can this be purchased at Air Canada or some 3rd party booking site like Expedia?

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Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
604 upvotes
Yes you go on the site and select your dates and the number of people. Then it will find rooms. When the rooms come up, you select the "One Delicious Dining Offer" selection and then pick which room you want. Once hotel is selected, it will automatically move you through the park tickets screen (with the minimum ticket required for the package pre-selected), then you move through dining (which is free, but will give you options to upgrade to higher dining options if you want). Then checkout.

You will need to set up an MDE (myDisney) account to book the reservation through Disney.

Disney won't have anything to do with flights.

If you go to Air Canada, they might have some vacation packages that include free dining, booked through Air Canada, but it is completely separate.
Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
604 upvotes
Did Pop Century last summer on FD. Family of 4 - 2 adults + 2 teenagers. I totalled our food receipts up. Basically if we paid cash, we would have spent $135(US)/day for food. We were on the Quick Service Plan (2 meals/person/day + 2 snacks/person/day). We didn't go out and try and eat the most expensive meal. Just ate what we felt like. Now would we have gotten 2 snacks/day/person if we were paying out of pocket. I doubt it. But it was fun to have.

When I did the math last year, we figured the break-even for free dining was $80/day. If we spent less than $80/day on food, then we could have done better with a room only discount . So at $135/day we did much better. So it worked out for us.

Basically, FD works if you can stuff a lot of people in a cheap room. Using my example, if there were only 2 of us at Pop, we might have only spent $67/day (half of what we spent) on food, paying out of pocket. So in that case we wouldn't have hit the $80/day food minimum so the room discount would be better.

It all depends on which type of room, how many people, and how you like to eat. Everyone is different so you have to do your math.

Having said that the FD rooms will go fast, so there isn't anything wrong with booking now ($200US deposit) and then cancelling later (get full refund as long as it is 30 days before your arrival) if the math doesn't work out.
Jr. Member
Dec 15, 2007
156 posts
41 upvotes
jumped on it at 5:30 am this morning, got the free dining.
I already made the reservation 3 weeks ago, but was able to modify it, minus $700 us less for 6 nights at pop century
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Nov 11, 2011
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ROCKWOOD
cbrunett wrote: Did Pop Century last summer on FD. Family of 4 - 2 adults + 2 teenagers. I totalled our food receipts up. Basically if we paid cash, we would have spent $135(US)/day for food. We were on the Quick Service Plan (2 meals/person/day + 2 snacks/person/day). We didn't go out and try and eat the most expensive meal. Just ate what we felt like. Now would we have gotten 2 snacks/day/person if we were paying out of pocket. I doubt it. But it was fun to have.

When I did the math last year, we figured the break-even for free dining was $80/day. If we spent less than $80/day on food, then we could have done better with a room only discount . So at $135/day we did much better. So it worked out for us.

Basically, FD works if you can stuff a lot of people in a cheap room. Using my example, if there were only 2 of us at Pop, we might have only spent $67/day (half of what we spent) on food, paying out of pocket. So in that case we wouldn't have hit the $80/day food minimum so the room discount would be better.

It all depends on which type of room, how many people, and how you like to eat. Everyone is different so you have to do your math.

Having said that the FD rooms will go fast, so there isn't anything wrong with booking now ($200US deposit) and then cancelling later (get full refund as long as it is 30 days before your arrival) if the math doesn't work out.

@cbrunett is totally on point with doing the math!!!! Buyer beware...

This "free dining" offer makes you purchase hopper passes to the parks.

There are day only passes that are less expensive.

If you have been to WDW a few times then the hoppers kind of makes sense (lots of arguments for and against, depends on how you want to experience WDW)
but for me, the price of the hopper passes and the restrictions on the dining plan (not all items on the menu are included, not all restaurants are included etc) do not make this a "deal" for my family.
Sr. Member
May 18, 2017
596 posts
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Toronto, Ontario
First time disney goer, I bought a 4 day pass earlier this year . Planning to book the swan hotel with SPG points. Would this offer still apply to me?
Jr. Member
Nov 23, 2013
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whatyoulookinatbud wrote: First time disney goer, I bought a 4 day pass earlier this year . Planning to book the swan hotel with SPG points. Would this offer still apply to me?
No. You have to book at a Disney World hotel. Swan is not part of the Disney hotels, although there is some connection between the Swan and Disney.

There were I think room only discounts released today for WDW hotels. Could look at those and see if there is a good deal for you since you already have tickets.

You also have to buy a package to get FD. Must buy tickets and hotel together to get FD added.
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Jul 23, 2004
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Related question to whatyoulookinatbud, but I bought 10-day passes to WDW for the family during that Canadian 25% off promo. Can I still get free dining if I'm just booking the hotel now at a Disney hotel?

Side question, which is the best cheap hotel for a family of 5? We used to just squeeze our youngest in, but he's 9 now and it's not as easy -- also no one wants to sleep with him because he kicks. :-P

TIA
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Nov 23, 2013
178 posts
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Bishop8 wrote: Related question to whatyoulookinatbud, but I bought 10-day passes to WDW for the family during that Canadian 25% off promo. Can I still get free dining if I'm just booking the hotel now at a Disney hotel?

Side question, which is the best cheap hotel for a family of 5? We used to just squeeze our youngest in, but he's 9 now and it's not as easy -- also no one wants to sleep with him because he kicks. :-P

TIA
You can't use the Canadian ticket as part of the deal. You would need to buy a package that includes room, tickets, and then FD. That said, if you were planning on going to Disney World again, you can always save the ticket. Say buy the minimum ticket for the FD deal is 4 days. Buy a 4 day ticket as part of the FD package and then save it and use it for a later vacation. Nothing stopping you from doing that.

But with the discounted ticket, a room only discount might be a better deal.

If you are staying on Disney properties, a room of 5 is expensive. You need to get into a suite. If the disney site every becomes accessible again (still showing error messages) then you put in your 2 adults + 3 kids and it will spit out room options. But they will be a lot more.

My guess from your situation is unless you have your heart set on staying at a Disney property (and paying a premium), you could probably save a lot of money (since we are on RFD) by staying offsite (ie you already have Canadian discounted tickets + need a room for 5).
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Oct 21, 2015
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Only for Canadians? and is it for the adult as well or just Free dining for the kids?
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Thatdealguy wrote: Only for Canadians? and is it for the adult as well or just Free dining for the kids?
Canadians get additional dates the promo is valid for. Free dining applies to everyone staying in the room. Kids 3-9 need to select from the kids menu at table-service restaurants.
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Oct 23, 2007
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Not seeing room only discounts, are they aligned with same dates? I have the Canadian tickets from last year and wouldn't mind using them soonish.
Newbie
Apr 20, 2018
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Promo went up at 4am. I had booked my reservation already in advance and just went in and modified it. I had to change from a preferred room to a standard room in order to get the free dining. Dont understand why as preferred room host more but I switched to get the deal. Was done modifying my booking by 4:12 am.
Newbie
Apr 20, 2018
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The room only discounts are not for the same dates as the free dining promo. To check available room discount dates go on the WDW website and click on see all offers. There is a room 25% off discount offer there and you can check details for applicable dates.

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