Walt Disney World

September 25 - October 2, 2010

Disney's Free Dining Offer…

Disney has a dining plan that offers one table service meal, one counter service meal, and one snack per day. (There's also a Counter Service dining plan - see next paragraph for more information about that.) The number of days of the dining plan is tied to the number of nights you spend at a Disney resort. If you stay five nights at Pop Century, for example, you'll get five days worth of dining plan credits. The plan usually costs $41.99 per day for each adult or junior (10-17) and $11.99 per day for each child (3-9). Children under 3 years old eat free at buffets, and from their parents' plates at non-buffet restaurants. The total includes tax, but not gratuity. It also does not include appetizers. If you work the credits right, you can spread the counter service credits over breakfast and lunch and every meal would be covered. (See the "dining plan" link above for strategies for making the most of the dining plan.)

If you are staying at a Value Resort (Pop Century, or the All-Stars), you'll get the Quick Service Dining plan (two quick service meals and two snacks per person, per night of stay, plus one refillable drink mug per person). You can upgrade this to the regular dining plan for $10 per day for adults, and $2 per day for children. If you're staying at a moderate or deluxe resort, you'll get the regular dining plan (one table service, one quick service, and one snack per day).

In order to participate in Disney's free dining offer, you must stay at a Disney resort.

Disney's least expensive resorts (the Values - All Star Music, All Star Sports, All Star Movie, and the newer Pop Century) cost around $82 per night during weekdays (the rate may jump up a little during weekend nights), plus 12.5% tax for Pop Century, and 13% tax for the All Star's. You may be able to get a discount off the full rate, but you won't be able to take advantage of Disney's free dining offer if you get a room discount. If you plan to stay at a value resort, choose Pop Century so your children can join others for group get-togethers several evenings during the week. I won't be able to plan group meetings at the other resorts.]

In addition to staying at a Disney resort, families can only get the plan as part of a package that includes Disney rooms and park tickets. They won't let us use our educational group park tickets as part of the "package" because they're already heavily discounted.

So, in order to get the free dining, you'll need to stay at one of the Disney resorts, and you'll need to purchase a two-day park ticket (in addition to the group 5-day or 8-day park ticket that I'll be getting for you). Since you're only buying this ticket in order to qualify for the free dining, get the cheapest 2-day ticket available ($166.14, including tax, for ages 10 and up; $141.65 for ages 3-9) for each person in your party. Children under age 3 get in free and don't need a ticket. [Note: the campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness campground are not included in the free dining offer. The cabins at Fort Wilderness are included.]

Remember, the 2-day park tickets you purchase are in addition to the 5-day or 8-day group park tickets I'll get for you. The only reason you're buying the 2-day tickets for everyone in your party is so that all of you can get the free dining. You'll pay for the 2-day tickets when you pay Disney for your rooms, and you'll pay me for the group park tickets and registration fees separately.

You can save the 2-day tickets and apply the purchase price toward a multi-day park ticket on a future trip to Disney, or a future annual pass, or use them while you're there for this trip. They'll be on your plastic "Key to the Kingdom" card, so make sure you don't use your card to enter a park if you don't want to use the 2-day ticket during this trip. Instead, use your educational ticket (it will be a separate paper ticket) to enter the parks. You'll use your "Key to the Kingdom" plastic card to enter your rooms and for your meals.

Free dining will reportedly be limited this year; each resort is allotted a certain number of packages. Make your reservations as soon as possible. Don't wait until the deadline because the free dining goes fast, especially for Disney's Pop Century value resort. If your choice of resort doesn't have any more packages when you call, try asking for "preferred" rooms (cost a bit more per night, but have a better location), or ask for another resort in your same price range. And remember to purchase the cheapest 2-day, no-frills park ticket as part of your package; your educational ticket will cover entry to the parks for 5 days or 8 days. The number to reserve Disney vacation packages is 407.939.7675. [Note: when you call to make reservations, make sure that trip insurance isn't automatically added to your total. If you want it, fine, but sometimes they'll include it without asking first.]

Once you call Disney to reserve your room and buy 2-day park tickets for each person in your party (age 3 and up), you'll need to research the different table service restaurants (read their menus) and call 407.939.3463 to make Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for your family for each night of your stay. (You'll be able to make reservations up to 180 days in advance). You don't need to make reservations for your counter service meals, but the popular table service restaurants are often booked solid and you won't get a seat if you don't reserve in advance. Having ADRs doesn't mean you'll be seated at the exact time on your reservation, it means that you'll be the next family seated around that timeframe. Make these reservations as soon as possible. Don't delay or you may not get reservations. They tend to fill up fast. Trust me on this!

If you're not sure if a specific restaurant will be suitable for your family, or would like to know if others think it's a good restaurant before you make reservations, please feel free to post on our message boards in our Traveling Homeschoolers forum. I (and others) can help you make your choices.

Disney's table service restaurants are located in the parks (many are in Epcot), in Downtown Disney, and at the higher end resorts. When you're planning your reservations, note where the restaurant is located. If it's located in Epcot or any of the other parks, you'll need to use one of your five or eight park days to get in the park before you can proceed to your restaurant. If you have a 5-day ticket and are staying five days or less at Disney, this won't be a problem. However, if you're staying six days or more, you need to make sure your park days coincide with the days you'll be eating at table service restaurants in the parks. If you're staying seven days, and all the table service restaurants you've chosen are in the parks, you'll need to use your extra 2-day ticket to get into the park on the 6th and 7th days, and purchase an extra ticket to get in the park on the 8th day. Instead, consider choosing some restaurants outside of the parks (in Downtown Disney or in the resorts) for the days you won't be going to the parks. The same goes for the 8-day tickets - make sure you choose restaurants outside of the parks if you don't want to use a park day on your ticket just to go to a restaurant.

Don't worry about the counter service restaurants (where you'll mainly be eating breakfast and lunch). They're located in all the resorts, in the water parks, Downtown Disney, and within the parks. You don't need reservations for these.

Is it worth it?

In previous years, definitely. We had to purchase only a 1-day park ticket and were offered the regular dining plan even at the value resorts. And before that, the dining plan included appetizers and gratuity. It was a great value. Now, it's much easier for most of our families to pass it up.

I recommend that you compare the cost of staying at a Disney resort (value, moderate, or deluxe, with or without the free dining plan) to the cost of staying at our off-property group hotel - then make your decision.

Because there are so many variables in comparing costs, you'll have to do the work on your end based on your own choices. Then compare it to the cost of staying at our group hotel:

For 5-day group tickets/hotel for 7 nights:

Family of four = $1,420

Family of five = $1,620

Family of six = $1,820

For 8-day group tickets/hotel for 7 nights:

Family of four = $1,510

Family of five = $1,730

Family of six = $1,950

These rates are good estimates, but may vary if you have children under 3 in your party and want to add extra educational programs, the Cirque du Soliel show, etc. Tickets include the hopper option, 5 or 8 passes to the water parks and Disney Quest, and one educational program. Hotel stay is Saturday to Saturday morning (Sept 25-Oct 2), with two additional nights on either end of our dates available at the group rate. Rates also include a full buffet breakfast each morning and transportation to the parks. These rates don't include lunch or dinner each day.

That's it! Let me know if you have any questions.

Still interested in going? Read our Important Things to Know page next.

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