Free Dining??

[Elpmet]

Hi All!

Has anyone heard any rumors about the free dining package making a return for 2024? I'm booking a trip for January 2024, but I'm nervous that after I book the package that Disney will announce free dining.
What are the chances? Do you think it will ever come back?

Thanks!!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Disney allows you to change your package at any time, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on new discounts that come along after you’ve booked. Usually you can hop online and just apply the new discounts. Other times you may have to call.

That being said, with dining packages just now coming back to start 2024, I would doubt they’d offer for free right out of the gate. I could see them adding a hotel discount with dining package tho. Not that it’s the same value tho

 

[scrappinginontario]

No rumours at this time. We’re here now and for 10 years in a row used to book a free-dining BounceBack but this year the offer is a room discount. Not nearly the savings FD was but any discount is welcome!

 

[Elpmet]

Thank you both for your comments! I will keep my eye out and hopefully they announce some kind of applicable discount for January . I had no idea we could apply these discounts after the fact, so thank you very much!

 

[focusondisney]

I doubt free dining will be back in the form it was before unless things get reeeally bad with the economy & tourism. It was probably 7-8 years ago Iger commented people were too dependent on discounts & needed to be “weaned off”. So I think they’ll try not offering any discounts they don’t need to.

Now that said, there was a dining gift card offer earlier this year. Not as good a deal for many people, but might be the go to dining offer from now on.

 

[Mle8308]

Hi All!

Has anyone heard any rumors about the free dining package making a return for 2024? I'm booking a trip for January 2024, but I'm nervous that after I book the package that Disney will announce free dining.
What are the chances? Do you think it will ever come back?

Thanks!!

The dining plan doesn’t even start until January 9, 2024, so not likely at all to have free dining the first month it’s back. I’d say about a zero chance for January- but never say never. Maybe a room discount, though!

 

[popy]

Free from Disney now days? Don't hold your breath.

 

[BrianL]

Free from Disney now days? Don't hold your breath.

Well, they do use it as an incentive to book rooms at non-dicounted rates. It was never "free" but it a good promotion. I think it likely they will use it again once the Dining Plans are back.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Well, they do use it as an incentive to book rooms at non-dicounted rates. It was never "free" but it a good promotion. I think it likely they will use it again once the Dining Plans are back.

Yep, you’ll probably see it return in the summer that seems to have started to become more of a slower season.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think we will see free dining again but it will be much less than before. They’ll give it out at the very slowest times of year which is less and less nowadays. Probably last two weeks of August. Maybe mid January but in 2025. I can’t think of any other slow times.

 

[tguz]

Hoping for Sept 2024.

 

[Chili327]

Free.!??

Wow, was that really a thing before?

 

[Pens Fan]

Free.!??

Wow, was that really a thing before?

Yes but you had to pay rack rate for your hotel room to get it. Whether or not it was a good deal depended on what hotel discounts were being offered at the time and your family size. For us, with just three people and usually staying in a deluxe resort taking the hotel discount usually made more sense. But if you have a larger family and were staying in a value or even moderate, the "free" dining could be the better discount. It was very popular.

 

[Mle8308]

Yes but you had to pay rack rate for your hotel room to get it. Whether or not it was a good deal depended on what hotel discounts were being offered at the time and your family size. For us, with just three people and usually staying in a deluxe resort taking the hotel discount usually made more sense. But if you have a larger family and were staying in a value or even moderate, the "free" dining could be the better discount. It was very popular.

Exactly! And you had to book tickets with the park hopper option, too. Not always a better deal.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Exactly! And you had to book tickets with the park hopper option, too. Not always a better deal.

not always a better deal, but if were brought back for next year, it would save us over 2k. that's a really good deal.

but, if someone is staying at a deluxe resort, i can see how a room only discount would save more.

 

[Mle8308]

not always a better deal, but if were brought back for next year, it would save us over 2k. that's a really good deal.

but, if someone is staying at a deluxe resort, i can see how a room only discount would save more.

I agree. That’s why I wonder if they would only bring it back for deluxe resorts. This fall they don’t seem to have problems filling the values as much as the deluxe. That’s why we’ve heard of people being offered upgrades to some deluxe resorts this fall at discounted rates. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I don’t think the plan is currently as popular as they thought it would be. They removed the restriction that you had to book tickets along with your room to buy the DDP. Now you can book just a room.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I agree. That’s why I wonder if they would only bring it back for deluxe resorts. This fall they don’t seem to have problems filling the values as much as the deluxe. That’s why we’ve heard of people being offered upgrades to some deluxe resorts this fall at discounted rates. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I don’t think the plan is currently as popular as they thought it would be. They removed the restriction that you had to book tickets along with your room to buy the DDP. Now you can book just a room.

if they do bring it back, the value will probably get the free counter service dining plan. or whatever they called that.

I cant see them giving the value resorts the table service meals.

 

[jcarwash]

Exactly! And you had to book tickets with the park hopper option, too. Not always a better deal.

With our very first free dining package in 2008, we stayed at Pop Century, had base tickets, and had the regular table service dining plan. The good old days.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

With our very first free dining package in 2008, we stayed at Pop Century, had base tickets, and had the regular table service dining plan. The good old days.

Four people in a value or moderate during free dining was the best deal. We did it twice and did mostly character meals and saved so much money. I think our packages in the 2008-2011 time range would be $2800-$3100 for 6-7 night stay, 7-8 day hoppers with dining for four people.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Four people in a value or moderate during free dining was the best deal. We did it twice and did mostly character meals and saved so much money. I think our packages in the 2008-2011 time range would be $2800-$3100 for 6-7 night stay, 7-8 day hoppers with dining for four people.

we honeymooned at disney in 2008. our first time to disney in years and didnt do a lot of research.

we didnt really know they did discounts, so we did a rack room rate for a week at POFQ. an entire week with food for the two of us, with park hoppers for 7 days, i believe it was a little over $2500.

miss those days.