Update: See below for information about recently-announced 2018 Free Dining for Kids!
It’s that time of year again – time to start placing your bets on when the 2018 Free Disney Dining Plan will be announced. We all know how popular free dining has become in recent years and we’re betting that this year won’t be any different!
Mickey Waffles!
The Disney World free dining offer includes a free Disney Dining Plan with the purchase of a Walt Disney World Resort hotel and ticket package. The “free” part of the name pulls you in, but just remember that you’ll be paying full price for your resort hotel room when you book free dining. And this year – for the first time ever – alcohol is included in the Disney Dining Plan, which might be a game changer as far as the offer is concerned!
In the past, free dining was announced for less crowded (non-peak) times during the year – late summer, early fall, and early winter (before the holiday season). But let’s be honest, there’s really no such thing as a non-peak season anymore. So if an offer comes out this year, we’re expecting the options will include more summer dates.
In 2017, free dining was announced in mid-April, so that could be when we can expect it this year. And, based on previous years, we’re thinking that check-in dates for 2018 might include mid-August through September, the second half of November (excluding Thanksgiving week), and some of December.
Brown Derby Lounge Margarita Flight
As we mentioned, the 2018 Disney Dining Plan now includes alcohol, which means guests ages 21 and older can can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) with their meal entitlement. This applies to the Quick Service, Standard, and Deluxe Dining Plans! The question is – does this impact Disney’s need to offer Free Dining? Will the dining plan be more popular with alcohol added? We’ll see!
Disney World Free Dining For Kids Package is Here!
In late-March, Walt Disney World announced the availability of the Free Dining for Kids Package! Booking is available through August 1, 2018, for most arrival dates from May 28, 2018, to August 30, 2018. All three Disney Dining Plans are eligible, but like all free DDP, Free Dining Plans for Kids are available only at select resorts.
How to Get Disney World Free Dining
The key to planning around the Disney Dining Plan dates is to book as soon as the offer is released. There is always a limited number of rooms available during free dining — and if recent years are any indication, they’ll go very quickly. Last year, guests staying at Deluxe resorts were offered the free Standard Disney Dining Plan, while guests at Moderate and Value resorts were offered the Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan for free.
A good tip is to book one of the resorts usually included in the offer ahead of time. When free dining is announced, simply add free dining to your vacation package (quickly — it does sell out).
We anticipate 2018 Free Dining information will be released this spring, perhaps in early-to-mid April. In years past the dates have been announced in late April or early May, but anything can happen. So stay tuned to DFB and the DFB Newsletter for details as soon as we have them.
The Disney Dining Plan can be a good deal, but we always recommend crunching the numbers, especially when “free” dining is involved. Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney Dining for a full chapter on whether it makes sense for your family.
If you want to stay on top of the Dining Plan info and release dates, sign up for our newsletter! We’ll let you know as soon as booking is available for free dining.
Are you planning on booking free dining this year? Let us know in the comments.
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We actually got free dining for our trip this coming August 2018 at the Poly. We called around November about a different offer and the cast-member we were working with got us set up. I don’t think I every saw it advertised. When we booked it was for particular levels of rooms (Pool/Marina View or better I believe, not sure how dates and length of stay factored in). I’m willing to bet it’s already snapped up, but wanted to share! We’re of course waiting to see what discounts on room prices come for our time at the resort, but we’re sort of excited to try DDP for the first time, and right now I think the value of free-dining is at least on par with other discounts we would become eligible for.
If you book a vacation in the tine frame but as a DVC member can you still qualify for the free dining plan?
We already have our stay at the Polynesian booked for week before Thanksgiving and we are hoping to get free dining when it’s announced. Last year the dates didn’t line up, so we missed out.
We have booked Port Orleans Riverside June 2-June 9 2018. With the quick service dining plan for 10 people.
Is it expected that this year Disney Visa holders will have the opportunity to book a couple days in advance before free dining comes out for everyone?
Janey, we haven’t heard that this will be the case, but it hasn’t been ruled out for 2018. Just need to keep an eye out for announcements!
Naomi, unfortunately it looks like Disney does not allow reservations made with DVC points to add free dining.
When we called Disney back in November to check for deals on our upcoming August trip, we got free dining with our Polynesian reservation. It required moving up to the “Pool/Marina View” room from standard.
We are staying at Pop 12/9-19th 2018 and already booked the package. Based on historical dates we’re hoping this lines up if it is offered. From what I found I didn’t think they usually offered a room discount during this time frame so we’d pay full rates anyway so fingers crossed for free dining. Question – has anyone added the free dining to an existing reservation in the past? I was wondering how to do it if and when it comes up. After I select “change reservation” there is a Vacation Offer “change” option that looks for available offers – would it be here or would I add a dining plan? Thanks for all the help! So far overwhelmed with DW as we’ve never been, but the more I read the more excited I get!
Jessica, that’s a good question! The most straightforward way to add Free Dining to an existing reservation is to call Disney Reservations as soon as you hear that Free Dining is released (and see if it coincides with your current dates!). Find reservations contact info here!
Is it possible to get free dining with a resort reservation if you are an annual passholder?
Judy, the rule of thumb for free dining is that you have to book a room and ticket package in order to qualify, so it’s available to you, but you’ll have to purchase tickets in addition to making a hotel reservation.
Unless something has changed, booking in advance will not guarantee you get free dining. The rooms allocated for free dining are separate, so you would still need to book a brand new room from that pool of rooms regardless of whether you already had a reservation there.
This, in fact, makes booking in advance counterproductive since Disney will base available dates and rooms on what is already booked, so if enough people have already booked your dates or resorts, even if they intend to cancel or change later, Disney may not offer free dining for those times/resorts.
Like I said, this is how it has been, so something may have changed, but as recently as last year we had to settle for a location we didn’t want at Caribbean beach that we had booked in advance because that room and section wasn’t part of the free dining pool of rooms. This has been the case for all our trips in the past.
Is there a way to add the free package through the website when it’s offered? Or do you have to call ?
Ashley, as far as I know, the only way to add free dining to an existing reservation is to call Disney directly.
I went last Sep. with the free dinning which was great! We did have are trip booked three months before the dates came out and had no problem adding it online, that is once we could get online ,the server and phones are very busy that day. I would get on as early as possible that day if I do it again there was a lot of anxiously waiting and hoping. But once on it took two seconds to add it.
Thanks for confirmation Ashley! We’re going regardless of free dining so we already booked – if it isn’t offered we at least get it booked before the package prices go up tomorrow. Any chance you remember what you selected to add it to existing reservation?
Hi! Is it better to call the day free dining is released or try to modify an existing reservation online? Thanks!
We already have a trip booked for Sept. Besides myself our vacation planner keeps watch when free dining is released
Susan, we have heard of people having luck modifying their reservations online, but if you want to cover all your bases, you could call and see if you can get through quickly and take a look at the options online at the same time. The Reservations number does get a little busy the day free dining is released, so if it works online, it would be worth it to try that too. Good luck!
I thought I would chime in and help those who are asking about adding free dining to existing reservations. I made my hotel and ticket reservations last December. When I found out about the free quick service dining plan, I immediately called and was able to add it in. I did not have to get another room, because I happened to already be in the hotel that the free dining plan was for! Whew! I didn’t Want to chance anything by doing it online, so my recommendation would be to call Disney directly and make sure that it is added to your reservation!
We took advantage of the offer for free Dining before we checked out of Pop last September.
Also in past years we’ve book our reservations and called once Free Dining was announced and added it to our existing reservation. We also paid the difference and upgraded from Quick Service to the standard Dining Plan.
do anyone have the free dining dates for the fall 2018
Linda, 2018 Free Dining hasn’t been announced yet. We’ll bring you the dates as soon as they’re released!
We have, for the past two years, modified our reservations online and been able to add the free dining. The phone lines will be overcrowded the day it drops. I usually get up and change our reservation as early as the offer drops. It’s also important to know that as long as your check in date is in the range of free dining, you can apply the offer for the rest of your stay, up to 10 nights. We travel Thanksgiving week annually and are able to get free dining for the holiday week as long as we check in before the offer cuts off. Fingers crossed we will be able to continue our fall tradition with free dining!
Hey, do you know if the green dibing is released for 2018 dates whether this is available for residents in the UK? Appreciate there was some free dining offered last year for 2018 but missed out !
Jayne, here’s the link to information about deals for residents of the UK. Free dining for UK residents was released some time last year, it looks like. But you can check out the current deals at the link.
I have our room reserved at then Grand Floridian starting November 29 for a week. WE have never done the Disney Dining plan but would like to give it a try. Keep me posted.
Please note you do not simply “add free dining” to an existing booking. There is certain inventory set aside for the plan and that must be searched and available. You cannot just add it to what you have if it’s not there.
Naomi Juarez, if you book with DVC points you don’t get free dining. If you book anything acceptable for free dining, it will be for cash. Free dining is just a way to fill rooms. DVC villas are already sold.
From my experience, there is no way to add free dining to an existing reservation. Simply because you will not be able to get through on the phone lines before the promotion sells out. Better to wait and book online the day of.
Disney just offered a free kids dining plan for the summer 2018, do you think that took the place of free dining for everyone?
Joyce, we’re waiting to see what happens with possible expanded Free Dining for all ages.
If I get the free basic plan can I upgrade to the deluxe for more money or would I be stuck with the basic plan?
Hi DFB!
We are planning to go the week of Sep 17 and staying at Contemporary. When free dining is announced, how do we sign up and apply the offer? Do we apply by updating our intinarary? Is the offer given via email? Thank you!
Truc, Free Dining is applicable for specific dates at specific resorts, so the best way to try to apply free dining to an existing reservation is to call Walt Disney Reservations directly (or try to add it online!) as soon as you hear that it’s been released. We alert our Newsletter readers as soon as we hear that Free Dining is available, so sign up for our Newsletter! Good luck, and enjoy your trip!
Aaron, in the past, guests could pay to upgrade. We would expect this to continue.
Is the Polynesian usually on the list of resorts for free dining?
Tammy, standard rooms and bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are usually excluded from free dining offers — but things are always subject to change, so you’ll have to read the fine print (if/when they announce Free Dining for 2018!).
We are planning on coming first or second week of December 2018. Will free dining be offered at that time?
Tina, in the past, Free Dining has been available for some December dates. But we haven’t heard anything official for 2018 yet.
You can apply a free dining offer online to an existing reservation if there are rooms available. You have to be prepared with a back up in case your first choice sells out. People do it all of the time. That’s also assuming that the system doesn’t shut down because of everyone else trying to do the same thing.
I hear they sell out quickly but how quickly. We are 3 hours behind Florida so 7am would be 4am here and my travel agents does not start until 8. Would they sell out that day? We are staying at the Boardwalk. Would your recommend making a new reservation and cancelling the old one? Or call and take a chance. I don’t want to miss out but cannot get any earlier. Thoughts?
Six of us booked for the week before Thanksgiving at all star music suite, fingers crossed for free dining!
Have past years had any consistency as to what time of day the offer is announced? I’m second guessing the worth of having my phone alerts going off all night.
Matthew, in the past couple of years, Free Dining was announced in the early morning hours — like 4:30AM/5AM eastern standard time.
We’re out of the running for this year. We have our hearts set on PO Riverside. Good luck to everyone vying for the package!
Do they typically offer free dining to Club Level Rooms at the Beach Club? Trying to plan for 2019.
Do you email Canadians when the free dining promotion goes out for them if subscribed? Also, is there a way to know which hotels have been included for the Canadian promotion in the past? Thanks!
Tina: We will publish a post regarding Canadian free dining (here’s our 2018 post) and email it out in the DFB Newsletter when the promotion goes live for Canadians — if it’s different from the one available generally. As for the hotels, I tried a Google Search with no luck. You could try calling Reservations to see if they know.