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Free Dining Package Released for UK, US Coming Soon?

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4/24 Update: Rumors have it that free dining for the US will be released tomorrow! This is just a rumor at this point but some information has leaked:

  • Booking Dates: April 25, 2016 to August 31, 2016.
  • Valid for arrivals from August 14th – Oct 1st, Nov 15th – Nov 21st, Nov 26th – Nov 28th, and Dec 10th – Dec 21st
  • Minimum 3 nights, must be booked with a minimum 2 day Magic Your Way Ticket.
  • Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter excluded from the offer. 

Stay tuned, I’ll post full details if/when I hear any more information tomorrow. 

Original Post:

For those of you who are keeping their fingers crossed that Disney announces a free dining package for 2016, I possibly have some good news. Earlier this week, Disney rolled out a new free dining promotion, discount tickets + $200 Disney Gift Card promotion available in the UK only for dates in early 2017. For those of you who are in the UK – congrats!  I know that doesn’t do much for most of us here in the US but I would take it as a sign of good news that Disney is still actively rolling out free dining promotions.

This free dining promotion is a bit unique, let’s take a look at some of the details for hints of what we may possibly see.

UK Free Dining Package Details

This free dining package for UK visitors only has some unique benefits which we haven’t seen before. First is that if you book by July 7th of this year, you’ll get a bonus $200 Disney Gift card. That gift card can be used anywhere in the parks and resorts.

Usually with the previous free dining packages, when you book a value resort you get the quick service plan and moderates and up get the full dining plan. As you’ll see below, those tiers have shifted a bit.

Available Dates

Select dates between January 1st, 2017 – March 29th, 2017 and April 17th, 2017 and November 30th, 2017.

That’s quite a large date range that this promotion is available for, but as always this is just for select dates which may be limited. The number of rooms available is limited so dates will go quick!

I put together a fake booking for mid-January 2017 and was easily able to find most dates available.

UK Free Dining Sample Booking

UK Free Dining Sample Booking

Stay Requirements

A minimum of stay of 5 nights is required to be eligible for this promotion. To receive the free $200 Disney Gift card, you must book before July 7th, 2016.

Free Dining Tiers

Which free dining tier you get with your package depends on which type of resort you book.

  • Value Resorts
    • When you book a value resort you will only receive free breakfast. I’m assuming that your Disney Dining points will only be able to be used between certain times of the day (morning) and for certain breakfast items.
  • Moderate Resorts
    • For moderate resort stays, you will receive the quick service dining plan with a small change. Normally you receive 2 quick service meals, 1 snack and 1 refillable mug. With this package, you will get 2 snacks per person per day.
  • Deluxe Hotel or Villas
    • When booking a deluxe hotel or deluxe villa, you will receive the full Disney Dining Package. That includes:
      • 1 quick service meal
      • 1 table service meal
      • 2 snacks
      • 1 refillable mug

Park Tickets

A really nice perk that comes with this package is a 14-day Ultimate ticket for the price of 7-days which includes memory maker. You must choose the full 14-day ultimate ticket when going through the booking process, there are no lower day ticket discounts available. The ultimate ticket gets you into all four theme parks plus the two water parks.

Bottom Line

For those of you in the UK – this is a great deal that you should jump on if you’re planning to take a trip in 2017. The free dining, discount park tickets and $200 Disney Gift card make it a really valuable deal that can save you big on your trip across the pond.

For those in the US, we’ll continue to wait patiently to see if Disney gives us a free dining deal!

9 comments… add one
  1. Hoping the dates are wrong. Wife has a conference at the Hilton nov11 through 13, planning on checking in to art of animation on the 14th and going till the 20th.

    Reply
  2. Any idea what time of day they usually announce the promo? Midnight or not until phones open? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Definitely won’t be at midnight, most likely sometime in the morning.

      Reply
  3. On the rumors about free dining releasing tomorrow, do you think the free dining will be the same as the free dining offered to UK customers? Value resorts get free breakfast, moderate get quick service dining, etc?

    Reply
    1. That’s what I’m thinking but we can’t be sure until the official announcement.

      Reply
  4. Reply
  5. Tried to book today with free dining everything appears to be already sold out except the pricier hotels .

    Reply
    1. That’s a bummer, sounds like they didn’t have many available packages this year.

      Reply
      1. I put one of the moderate resorts in my “cart” but it took me awhile to get my charge card information ready and it was already sold out. I was able to get one of the value resorts, but they allowed me to upgrade my dining plan for less than I would have paid at the moderate resort so I was delighted.

        Thanks, Kevin, for the early alert.

        Reply

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