Disney World Free Dining 2018 Dates & Tips
Free Disney Dining Plan is a promotion Walt Disney World offers for fall and winter travel dates, and is typically a great vacation package discount. Free Dining for 2018 is NOW AVAILABLE for booking, and in this post we’ll cover info about the deal, tips for booking it, and offer answers to frequently asked questions (including whether Free Dining is “worth it”). For starters, Free Dining is available for the following arrival dates:
- August 20* – September 29, 2018
- November 24 – 27, 2018
- December 7 – 23, 2018
This promotion is valid for booking through July 7, 2018. Guests booking the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion for Value or Moderate Resorts will receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, with guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts receiving the standard Disney Dining Plan. One bit of good news–the 2018 Free Dining promo includes booze. With the 2018 Disney Dining Plan, alcoholic and specialty drinks are now included. (*Disney Visa cardholders can book travel dates beginning August 2, 2018.)
You can click here to check Free Dining availability directly on Walt Disney World’s website. Other important details, exclusions, and restrictions are as follows in our Free Dining FAQ below. Before we get to that, here are our latest updates…
For 2018, Free Dining availability is hit or miss. Even as of June 2018, some resorts still have a decent amount of availability, whereas others are low on inventory for standard rooms or only have upgraded room categories for most dates. Our advice if you can’t find what you want right away is to keep checking. More rooms being added, or existing reservations being canceled, could help you get what you want even now!
We’ll keep our newsletter subscribers (sign up here for our FREE Disney newsletter here) updated on Free Dining news and availability (usually there’s a second wave as Disney as more room inventory becomes available) and other promotions that might become available during the same Fall and Winter 2018 travel dates. We expect another room-only discount to be released in late June or July, and other Walt Disney World discounts are also likely. We’ll also send out info about the Free Dining bounce-back offer for 2018, but we won’t have dates and details on that until August.
If you need personalized help with planning any aspect of your vacation, or want someone to book the Free Dining promotion for you and provide other assistance along the way–we recommend contacting a no fee “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” (Disney’s term for a travel agent). Click here to request a quote from our recommended Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.
Other important details, exclusions, and restrictions are as follows in our Free Dining FAQ…
Free Dining FAQ
This section of the post covers the rules, terms and conditions, and policies that generally govern the Free Dining promotion. It’s been updated with changes to Free Dining for 2018.
With this special offer, Walt Disney World guests booking vacation packages with non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets receive the Disney Dining Plan for each member of their party for no additional charge. For obvious reasons (who doesn’t love free food?!), the promotion is incredibly popular and some resorts that offer free dining tend to sell out quickly.
There are a lot of room exclusions for the Free Dining promo this year, including all of the following: All Star Movies, Bay Lake Tower, both Port Orleans Resorts, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian Village Resort (villas & standard rooms), Contemporary Resort, Fort Wilderness campsites, Art of Animation Little Mermaid Rooms, Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian, and all 3-bedroom Villas. These resorts and room tiers are all not eligible for Free Dining.
To take advantage of Free Dining, there’s also the requirement that guests purchase tickets that include either a minimum 4-day Park Hopper or the Park Hopper Plus option. Additionally, a 4-night minimum stay is required with a maximum stay of fourteen nights.
This means you can’t purchase discounted Walt Disney World tickets from an authorized reseller, which is something to keep in mind when doing the math to determine if “Free Dining” is a good value for you. Speaking of which, doing the math is incredibly important, since other discounts (such as a room-only discount) might be better for your family. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch; you have forfeit an alternate discount to qualify for Free Dining. We break down some of the math in our “Is Free Dining Worth It?” post.
If you have already booked a vacation package with an arrival date that qualifies for Free Dining, we recommend using the “modify reservation” link in your booking to apply the promotion to your package. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply the promotion.
You might see other advice that recommends calling first thing in the morning to book Free Dining. This is outdated. If you call Walt Disney World’s reservation line, you will likely wait on hold for an hour (or hours) until you’re able to speak to an agent. Booking or modifying your reservation online is far quicker and easier. Even if the online system crashes (which has happened) or moves slowly due to all the traffic, it’s easier to just keep trying online.
If you are wondering which hotel to book for the Free Dining promotion, check out our new Best Walt Disney World Hotels for Free Dining post. It gives our preferred option for each resort tier. Oh, and don’t forget to make some ADRs for the best and most popular Walt Disney World restaurants.
With this Free Dining offer, Value and Moderate Resort guests receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan during the promotion. Guests at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts receive the standard Disney Dining Plan. Upgrading to higher tiers is possible for an additional charge.
We highly recommend making Advance Dining Reservations as soon as possible. Yes, even before Free Dining is offered, if you can. Everyone gobbles up the good ADRs quickly for Free Dining dates, so if you don’t book early, you will be stuck eating counter service or unpopular restaurants for the duration of your trip.
To answer some other common questions: yes, you must purchase tickets with the offer even if you already have them (or an Annual Pass). No, bookings made with Disney Vacation Club points are not eligible for the offer. No, you cannot “stack” this offer with a percentage-off room discount (at least not in the U.S.). For those wondering about other 2018 Walt Disney World discounts, check out our Current Walt Disney World Discount Offers post for what’s presently available.
For details about which tier of the Disney Dining Plan includes or for recommendations about which restaurants to book to maximize your use of the Disney Dining Plan, please see our comprehensive Disney Dining Plan Overview Page.
Additionally, if you’re looking for general Walt Disney World advice, we recommend reading our 2018 Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide and Requesting a FREE Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Video. We are big fans of that planning video, as it’s a great way to get hyped for your trip, and see a visual overview of everything that’s new at Walt Disney World!
Note that the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion is always based upon arrival dates. For example, if Free Dining runs August 20 to September 29 and you arrive on September 29 and stay until October 7, you are eligible for Free Dining–even though it’s blocked out for October arrivals. (You didn’t arrive in October in that scenario–you arrived in September.)
However, if it’s offered November 24 to 27 and you arrive on November 23 and stay until November 27, you are not eligible for Free Dining, even though more of your stay falls during an “eligible” period than the first example’s. The work-around for this is doing a split stay, with the ineligible arrival nights part of one vacation and a second vacation starting at the first valid “arrival” date and continuing thereafter. Again, arrival dates are what matters with Free Dining.
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Value and Moderate Resorts receive the Quick Service Dining Plan during the Free Dining promotion, but are able to upgrade to the (standard) Disney Dining Plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan if they pay the difference. Guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts receive the standard Disney Dining Plan and may upgrade to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan by paying the difference, too.
The upgrade cost to go from the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan to the standard Disney Dining Plan for Free Dining is $22.99 per adult and $4.00 per child per night. The upgrade cost from the standard Disney Dining Plan to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan is $40.67 per adult and $14.24 per child per night. To upgrade from the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan to the Deluxe one, add the two upgrade costs together.
In the section below, we have historical Free Dining dates for the last few years. The rest of what follows is historical information about the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion and is not pertinent to 2018…
Historical Information
The following is not pertinent to 2018 or any years beyond, but we have found that readers find it useful to have details about past Free Dining promos when planning for the future and what to expect. Note that the dates are pretty consistent from year to year, with slight shifts for holidays, weekends, and special events (like Pop Warner), or other things that may be excluded from the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion.
Last year, there was no early booking window for Disney Visa cardholders, but there was an expanded date range (see below). The two years before, Disney Visa cardholders did have an early booking window. Exact dates are listed below. Most years, the general public is able to book Free Dining packages 5 days after Disney Visa cardholders can book.
In years past, Free Dining has been announced in late April, with booking opening first for Disney Visa credit card holders and the general public a few days later. Last year, there was no early window for Disney Visa cardholders. However, that August 14 start date is arguably a better perk.
Here are the Walt Disney World Free Dining dates that were available for 2013-17 for historical reference…
2017 Free Dining Dates:
- August 21* – September 30
- November 14 – 20
- November 25 – 27
- December 8 – 23
*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 13.
2016 Free Dining Dates:
- August 23* through October 1
- November 15 through 21
- November 26 through 28
- December 10 through 21
*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 14.
2015 Free Dining Dates:
- August 28 through October 2
- October 25 through October 31
- November 8 through November 19
- December 15 through December 21
2014 Free Dining Dates:
- August 31 – October 3
- October 26 – November 1
- November 9 – November 20
- December 12 – December 23
2013 Free Dining Dates
- September 2 to September 25
- September 29 to October 2
- October 18 to November 2
- November 11 to November 23
- December 12 to December 22
Other Free Dining Posts & Resources
If you plan on getting the Disney Dining Plan check out these other Walt Disney World posts:
- Disney Dining Plan Tips & Info
- Top 10 Disney Dining Tips
- Top 10 Counter Service Restaurants
- Top 10 Table Service Restaurants
- Top 10 Themed Table Service Restaurants
- Magic Kingdom Counter Service Restaurant Rankings
- Best-Value Table Service Restaurants on the Disney Dining Plan
- Best-Value Counter Service Restaurants on the Disney Dining Plan
- Best-Value Character Meals on the Disney Dining Plan
- Best-Value Snacks on the Disney Dining Plan
- Drinking Around Epcot’s World Showcase Tips
- Snacking Around Epcot’s World Showcase Tips
Want more dining tips? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. Planning other aspects of a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Now, let’s hear from you. Are you a fan of the “free” dining promotion? Have any tips for free dining rookies? If you booked Free Dining for 2018, which resort and travel dates were you able to secure? If you were unable to get it, where/when were you unsuccessful? Let us know what you think of the promotion and whether you’re planning on taking advantage of it in the comments!
Just an FYI we stayed at pop century July 4-11 of 2017 and had free dining! It definitely takes some research to learn how it works so as not to waste it!
Question: Since we’ve previously been able to use a snack credit to get something to drink, and since alcohol is now a drink option on the dining plan, do you think we will be able to use a snack credit to get an alcoholic drink?
Stayed at port last year- not really crazy about it. We feel Coronado is a step up in lodging . Book Coranado. If u really wa t to stay st Port, go one day earlier just to see it and stay ther
I have searched the “fine print” in the official Disneyworld Dining Materials but didn’t find an answer for two specific questions, I am wondering it you have insight.
#1) If under 10 and on the dining plan does the child have to order off the kids menu?
#2)What specifically can you substitute a dessert for?
I’m pretty sure they can order like an adult, with the exception of alcohol ofcourse.
Hi! I do not know what the official stance is on children ordering off of the “adult” menu but, I do know that when we were in Disney in January we ordered our son whatever he would eat…sometimes off the kids menu and sometimes off of the adult menu. If I received push back, I planned to explain to the waiter or waitress that he didn’t want anything offered on the kid’s menu but, no one said a word about it.
As far as, what to substitute for dessert, I cannot help you. We always got the dessert!
In many of the table-service restaurants, you can swap a dessert for a salad or a bowl of soup. You have to ask your waiter exactly what is available. In most instances, the salad or bowl of soup that you will receive will not even be on the menu — because you will receive a salad slightly smaller (or not quite as fancy) as the ones that are listed on the menu. As for soups, you might receive a cup instead of a big bowl, or once again, a simpler type of soup that is not even on the menu. I have heard that some restaurants will even offer a smaller version of an appetizer (although I have never been able to work out a trade like that). If the restaurant that we are going to just does not have any dessert that tickles our taste buds, we always swap for a salad … then go somewhere else and use a snack credit for a really good dessert.
Any idea why port Orleans riverside is excluded from the free dinning plan during the dates I want to stay. sept 29-oct 5.
By any chance did you already book it with a different resort?
I haven’t booked just yet but only a select few resorts can sleep 5.
As of now, port orleans riverside is not elig. For free dining at all. HOWEVER, i booked coronado springs for end of September and because they are now doing even more construction around sept and october i called disney to see what they could do and they “opened up” port orleans riverside AND french quarter. So they moved me to riverside (i picked it) kept my room category AND free dining. Not sure if it will work for you, because i booked prior but you can always book at coronado or carribean with the free dining and then call them, tell them the situation and see if they could change it. Hope this helps!
Hi Jamie-
Wow! That’s great! So did they only “open it up” as a courtesy to you? Or can the public get Free Dining at Riverside also?
We have a room at French Qtr but would move to Riverside for Free Dining. Would it be only for your dates or possibly the November dates as well?
Thanks
Hi ksks,
Its only for those who booked at coronado for sure, and possibly carribean beach. They “opened up” for everyone at that resort bc of new construction. Its worth a shot but, if it were me i would change reservation to coronado get free dinning for sure, wait a day or two and call and say something about new construction and see what happens.
Oh okay, Jamie.
Oh man, we did have Caribbean Beach booked and then right before Free Dining [like 2 days before it came it out] we canceled it b/c I just read the construction on Old Port Royale was going to be longer than expected. So I messed that up…
Thanks for the quick reply and help, Jamie! This is my first time ever booking a Disney trip myself- still have so much to learn. We went to Disney 1 other time, but we had some help from a AAA travel agent.
Thanks Jamie! We are currently booked at Coronado at the end of September and received the email about the construction the other week. We are going to call and see if they can move us to Port Orleans.
Please let me know what happens!!
They would not allow us to change from Coronado to Port Orleans. The rep said it was not showing as “open” and we would have lost the free dining. She did say check back in case something changes. I am bummed. If anyone else has any luck please let me know. Port Orleans was our first choice.
hm, i dont believe that to be entirely true (on their end). I should have been more specific. I would call again and ask to be transfered to “guest services” they are the ones that can do something, not the people you originally speak to. State you received another email about new construction and that its not fair and what can they do about it while keeping free dining. That should do it, let me know
We tried guest services this morning and still could not change. Maybe after the construction email it was open for the time but they not any longer. We could move to a pirate room at Caribbean for an additional charge or they still had free dining rooms still available at Pop. We just kept Coronado. Thanks for the tip though. It was worth a shot and glad it worked out for you.
Anybody have insight as to whether or not Free Dining will be available next year? We booked for September this year, but are thinking we might want to cancel and go next year so that we can see the new Star Wars area. Our family are major Star Wars nerds!
Probably not…because of Star Wars. Disney will probably be nuts for the next ten years (plus) with the opening of Star Wars Land. If you’d prefer that, and you need to conserve money, cancel. Everything will probably be more expensive. A year will help with savings.
Is there a reason for the date gap in December? Why not the first week? We are looking at going the first week and wonder if that week is much busier than the week after which is why they wont offer the dining plan… Any thoughts to this?
It’s Pop Warner all the high school kids are going to be there
You can check the various crowd calendars, but one thing that I always factor in is whether or not kids are in school. If school is out, it’s going to be packed. And the weekends are always crowded. Aside from that you can check for special events that may increase the crowd size.
Hi, how will the crowds be at the end of August (8/23 – 09/01) as compared to the end of September (09/20 – 09/29)? I know everything says September will be less crowded but how much less? And also, won’t the crowds at the end of September be starting to ramp up for October? I’m trying to decide between these times for visiting. August would be better for the kids school year but if the crowds are significantly less in September, that may be the deciding factor.
Thanks.
I go that week also. I won’t lie to you it’s crowse and hot! I think anytime you go these days it seems pretty crowded
Hi Tara –
We went about 4 years ago late August into September (flew home the day after Labor Day) and it wasn’t too crowded… school starts back up for many state. Yes, it was hot, but I didn’t think the crowds were too bad. We’re going this September 18-22 and I’m hoping the crowds aren’t too bad then either! IMHO with little kids, it’s easier to deal with the heat and shorter lines/less crowds than longer lines/cooler weather.