2024 Free Dining at Disney World Dates & Info
The Free Disney Dining Plan is a great Walt Disney World vacation package discount. This covers info, tips for booking, current dates, predictions & rumors for future dates around Halloween & Christmas, and answers to questions including whether this deal is “worth it.” (Updated April 11, 2024.)
Let’s start with the good news, which is that Walt Disney World has brought back the paid Disney Dining Plan (DDP) in 2024! If you’re unfamiliar with the DDP, we’d direct you to our comprehensive Guide to the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. That covers the basics, what the DDP includes, whether the Disney Dining Plan (paid) is worth the money, and much more.
Free Dining is now available for travel dates from July 1 through December 21, 2024 thanks to a ‘second wave’ of the special offer released in April. If those dates don’t work for your vacation–as discussed below in the rumors & speculation section–we’re hopeful that there’s another wave of Free Dining for 2024. If you want to be notified immediately when more 2024 discounts are released, sign up here for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
We’ve consistently notified our subscribers when Free Dining and other Walt Disney World deals are going to drop. Either in advance of their release or on the day they go live at ~7 a.m., which typically gives you a 2+ hour head start on Disney’s official announcement. That may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference when booking–it means that you won’t have to wait on hold for hours on the phone or in a long virtual queue online.
In the last several months, Walt Disney World has released over a dozen different discounts, including some that run all the way through October 2024. There are even targeted deals available through December 25, 2024. This is a huge change as compared to 2021-2022, when many dates didn’t have discounts at all due to revenge travel and guest spending being so strong. That coupled with capacity is why the Disney Dining Plan took so long to return in the first place. Those are both non-factors now, and things are more or less back to 2019 norms.
This is all relevant to the return of Free Dining in 2024 because the deal is not offered out of corporate benevolence, but as an aggressive move to help boost resort occupancy numbers. That wasn’t necessary for the last couple of years due to pent-up demand. However, that has changed significantly in the span of about a year, and now Walt Disney World is pulling several “levers” to try to incentivize demand in 2024.
On that note, here are some predictions about subsequent waves of 2024 Free Dining at Walt Disney World…
2024 Free Dining Forecast & Rumors
In the last year or so, Walt Disney World has released a couple of different discounts that we’d categorize as Free Dining “adjacent.” They are the same types of promos and are meant to appeal to those would’ve been inclined to book Free Dining, but they generally are not as good. The most notable examples are the “Free” Disney Dining Card Deal for 2024 and the 50% Off Tickets & Dining Plans Discount for Kids in Spring & Summer 2024.
These discounts can be very good for some families, but they are not the “real” Free Dining. For many Walt Disney World vacation planners, the above offers are still a better offer than percentage savings on a room. For almost everyone, they’re inferior to the full Free Dining. So a step in the right direction, but not still more like “Diet” Free Dining than the original formula.
The good news is that, as mentioned above, Free Dining is now available for the following arrival dates:
- July 1 to July 31, 2024
- September 1 to September 7, 2024
- December 9 to December 21, 2024
You can book the deal directly via Walt Disney World’s official site here.
Rather than doing the work yourself, we’d recommend requesting a FREE no obligation quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having those travel agents book for you. They’ll assist you with the planning process, help you choose the most economical dates, best add-ons, etc.
Equally as important, they’ll help you with discount comparison shopping. There are a ton of different discounts currently available for Walt Disney World in 2024, and that number is only going to grow! So what you see now isn’t necessarily everything that’ll be available for your travel dates.
Some of you have asked about the likelihood of Free Dining for additional dates in 2024. We’ll start with the bad news, which is that there’s almost zero chance of Free Dining for travel dates before July 2024. I guess there’s an outside possibility if hotel occupancy numbers remain really soft and Walt Disney World gets desperate.
I’d put the chances of that at under 1%, though. Disney is pretty good at forecasting resort occupancy, and if the numbers or projections were bad between now and June 2024, the company would’ve already offered Free Dining for those dates. Suffice to say, if you’re traveling before the start of the current wave of 2024 Free Dining dates, you should book a different special offer ASAP.
About the only reason there’s even a ~1% chance of Free Dining before July 2024 is in the event of a sudden recession or cataclysmic economic occurrence that results in Walt Disney World needing to act aggressively ASAP to shore up business. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, as such a scenario would obviously have negative real world implications far beyond Free Dining.
With that in mind, we previously predicted that Free Dining would be released in between two and three waves, with the first promos being released in early January and late March or April. As it turns out, both were correct. But that doesn’t necessarily close the door on Free Dining being released again in 2024.
At this point, it wouldn’t be completely surprising if there’s a third wave of Free Dining, just as was the case in 2019. Normally, special offers occur on a timeline–and the second wave of Free Dining includes travel dates in December–the 12th month of the year. That alone would seem to close the door on a third wave of Free Dining.
However, Walt Disney World has been toying with discounts this year, pulling and reinstating them in a ‘Disney Vault’ style strategy to create a false sense of urgency. This approach seems to have three goals: getting people to book earlier, for longer durations, and to fill unsold rooms relatively last minute.
The only reason I could see a third wave this year is if Walt Disney World occupancy targets end up falling short of expectations for August through November, and they need to scramble to offer something last minute. Given the dates for the second wave of Free Dining and this strategy, there’s a definite possibility of a third wave of Free Dining.
The best month of eligibility being the closest one (July 2024), skipping August entirely and having limited dates in September–the two slowest months of the year–and then having availability again in December is suggestive of this approach. To be clear, this doesn’t meant that it definitely will happen. Whereas we thought a second wave was all but certain, a third wave is about 50/50.
It just doesn’t seem like the dates have been chosen on the basis of actual occupancy projections. It looks more like there’s near-term urgency to fill rooms in July, which is fast-approaching, followed by a desire to entice in December. Another wave of Free Dining for August through September (and maybe bits of October and November) doesn’t seem the least bit far-fetched. But it’s equally possible they’ll stick to room-only deals for those timeframes, or roll with another novel discount.
For those wondering (since it’s a common question), the main reason Walt Disney World would not yet release discounts for October 2024 and beyond also relates to resort occupancy numbers. Again, the company is really good at projecting hotel bookings, but it’s just like a weather forecast–more accurate as dates draw nearer and less accurate further into the future. Walt Disney World only wants to offer discounts as necessary to fill hotel rooms, so they release discounts in phases.
This rolling nature of Walt Disney World special offers isn’t really a prediction–it’s what happens consistently year in and year out. The company typically releases its first batch of discounts in early January, next set in late March or early April, and another during the summer (our guess would be June 18, 2024 for the next special offer release). Aside from the early January release, none of these dates are really set in stone–they’ve been inconsistent in the last few years.
What we also know is that Walt Disney World has been following the familiar formula of 2019 discounts. It might seem odd that they’d go back 5 years to replicate a special offer strategy, but that’s precisely what’s happening. That’s in part because things have been abnormal at Walt Disney World for a while–2024 is the first year of Free Dining since then–and in part because the post-pent-up demand economic environment is very similar to 2019.
If you look back to the 2019 playbook, there were three waves of the discount released–to different groups (general public vs. Disney Visa) and different date ranges. Back then, the third wave of Free Dining–which was the one that included dates for September, November and December–was released in mid-July.
It’s possible that Walt Disney World will replicate that strategy exactly, releasing a second wave of Free Dining in early April and then the final set of dates in the summer. It’s possible these offers will be targeted, either to Disney+ subscribers or Disney Visa cardholders, meaning Free Dining might not be offered to the general public at all.
In any case, there’s a reasonable chance of another wave of Free Dining for additional travel dates between July and December 2024. If that turns out to be accurate, I’d also bet on it being released before the beginning of July 2024. Even though Walt Disney World is pulling from the 2019 playbook, they’re doing it earlier and more aggressively. It’s hard to see them waiting until that late in the summer for another round of Free Dining.
Obviously, this is only a prediction–the actual dates could vary a little or lot, and it’s entirely possible that nothing is released at all!
Again, we want to emphasize that this is not a rumor–it’s simply us analyzing resort bookings and past precedent on discounts, and making an educated guess. Walt Disney World could go another direction entirely, as the company has stated repeatedly that they want to reduce discounting.
However, Disney also likes high levels of per guest spending numbers, and no other special offer helps achieve these high per caps like Free Dining. Despite “free” being in the name, it’s an advantageous promo from Disney’s perspective because it locks guests into full-price hotels and tickets. It also keeps guests on-site for the most part, since they have “free” meals at Walt Disney World. No other discount accomplishes all of these important goals for the company.
Either way, will be closely monitoring the 2024 Free Dining situation, keeping our ears open for more news about a return of Free Dining. Should something–anything–be released or rumored, we’ll send you an alert if you sign up for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
We’ve consistently notified email subscribers when Free Dining and other deals on the day they go live at ~6 or 7 a.m., which is a 2+ hour head start on Disney’s official announcement at 9 am. That makes a huge difference when booking Free Dining–you won’t have to wait on hold for hours on the phone.
Free Dining FAQ
Free Dining is Walt Disney World’s most complicated promotion, and can be a huge headache to book. Between limited availability and navigating a seas of rules and restrictions, it’s easy to make mistakes. This section of the post covers the rules, terms and conditions, and policies that generally govern the Free Dining promotion.
We always recommend that Walt Disney World first-timers (or regulars who just don’t want to deal with the hassle) request a FREE quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Travel Planner. Most legit travel agents do not charge for booking Walt Disney World vacations (and you don’t pay a premium for them–Disney pays them commission), so that’s really the easiest way to go.
With this special offer, Walt Disney World guests booking vacation packages with non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets receive the DDP 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.
Guests booking the Free Dining 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.
There are some room exclusions for the Free Dining promo: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
These resorts and room tiers are all not eligible for Free Dining. Additionally, room inventory is limited across all resorts. In practice, this means that when you go to book, a particular category (standard view, garden view, etc.) may not be available for your travel dates–or your travel dates may not be available at a specific resort at all.
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 we normally highly recommend in our Walt Disney World trip planning advice. This is something to keep in mind when doing the math to determine if “Free Dining” is a good value for you.
When it comes to Free Dining, doing the math is incredibly important. 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 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. Unfortunately, booking online isn’t always possible and technical errors do happen…so you might have to call and wait on hold.
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.
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 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 DDP, please see our comprehensive Disney Dining Plan Overview Page.
Note that the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion is always based upon arrival dates. For example, if Free Dining runs June 27 to June 28 and you arrive on June 28 and stay until July 5, you are eligible for Free Dining–even though it’s blocked out for July 5 arrivals. (You didn’t arrive on July 5 in that scenario–you arrived in June.)
However, if it’s offered those same dates and you arrive on June 26 and stay for the same dates, 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.
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…
Historical Information
The following is not pertinent to current bookings, 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, 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. The last couple of years, there was no early window for Disney Visa cardholders.
Here are the Walt Disney World Free Dining dates that were available from 2013-2020 for historical reference…
2020 Free Dining Dates (Cancelled):
- June 27 through June 28
- July 5 through July 7
- August 29 through September 8
2019 Free Dining Dates:
- July 5 – September 30*
- September 1 through September 18**
- November 17 through November 27**
- December 8 through December 23**
*First and second wave of Free Dining
**Third wave of Free Dining
2018 Free Dining Dates:
- August 20* — September 29
- November 24 — 27
- December 7 — 23
*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 2.
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
Do you think a third wave of Free Dining will be released in June 2024, or will it take longer before Walt Disney World “needs” to get that aggressive with deals? Are you a fan of the “free” dining promotion? Have any tips for free dining rookies? If you’ve booked Free Dining, what did you think about your experience with the deal? 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!
So now you have to stay at a Deluxe resort in order to get the standard dining plan? That’s such a jip! So lets see, you spend full rack rate at a moderate resort ($250+ p/ night) and they reward you with fast food the entire week you’re there. What is this, six flags?
When I compared the prices on the Disney website with and without the free dining plan, the prices for tickets/room are increased by about $320 when the free dining plan is added. That’s for 7 days in December at the Art of Animation resort. So I’m not quite sure how to interpret the “free” part. Am I missing something?
Ok, thanks for asking this because I noticed the same. I believe that the increase for me was that the promo requires park hopper and when I did w/o dining I just chose base tickets. Hope that helps.
Just thought I would share a recent Chat I had with a Disney Cast Member regarding the $75 GC at CBR:
Rachel at 14:49, Apr 28:
Could you please confirm that I still qualify for the $75/gift card at the Caribbean Beach Resort as I have recently modified my reservation?
Latrice at 14:50, Apr 28:
Was your original reservation booked at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort before March 20?
Rachel at 14:50, Apr 28:
Yes!
Latrice at 14:51, Apr 28:
You are all set then, you still qualify and will still receive that when you arrive.
Rachel at 14:52, Apr 28:
Thank you. Also, can you tell me if the gift card will be given in one lump sum or $75/each day?
Latrice at 14:53, Apr 28:
I believe it is all in one
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the chat transcript!
While Disney Cast Members on the booking side are being careful to make sure people still qualify for the gift cards, I have a feeling once people start checking in, there will still be some sporadic, relatively isolated problems. Hopefully, management at Caribbean Beach is prepared for this, and will accommodate guests with the gift cards as appropriate.
Cool- thanks
I had the same question –
Thanks for the update, I was wondering about this.
Funny? I just spoke to a Disney cast member and was told the exact opposite. If I modify my reservation in any way after March 2oth I forfeit my GC.
I had a chat as well with a Disney agent
She did confirm the $75.00 per day gift cards
Thanks Tom and Sarah
I just want to sincerely thank you Tom for posting the free dining tip on Wednesday. I checked back and around 6am this morning was able to modify our December stay to include free dining. I had no idea about the travel agent courtesy holds. I love your blog and thanks again for sharing.
I was JUST able to get the coveted standard room at Caribbean beach resort AND keep my $75 gift cards!! I can’t believe it! I’m on cloud nine. Thanks Tom! The suggestion in your newsletter really helped!
Sign up for his newsletter everyone, this guys knows his stuff!
I completely agree with you that Tom absolutely knows his stuff! It’s like secret Disney Blogger Sleuth stuff! I wasn’t able to “modify” my $75 GC room, maybe it was in how I originally made the reservation (I didn’t include tickets or dinning in mine) but I was able to create a new reservation for FD at CBR that wasn’t the dreaded “pirate” rooms. Maybe I can get someone at the switchboard to convert (or combine?) reservations to keep the $75 GC, who knows? At this point it’s worth a shot. I feel like I got a second chance at this, we’ll see. Thanks so much Tom!
All the hotels say not available. My travel agent (Be Our Guest) wasn’t able to add to my existing booking I had at Caribbean…
I must say booking through an agent was quite frustrating as during the day yesterday I saw availability but I couldn’t modify my reservation. Now the availability has gone again
Thank you for your advice! We ended getting Pop Century for 9 night Sept into Oct!
Does anybody know if you have a trip booked for a bounce back offer can you switch the dates? November was not available when i originally booked it.
Thank you Tom….because of you I booked at 7:30am on Monday morning and get our entire stay at All Sports with FREE dining. I upgraded us to the Dining plan with 1 table service meal each day….saved me $1300 bucks!!! Love, love your blog…We are going in November and cannot wait! Thanks again for your blogs…I am taking all of your advice!
I just wanted to post a thank you for your tip about getting up early to book the Free Dining Plan. Me and my mom were up at 5:30am and were able to book exactly what we wanted. Without your superpowers of inside information, me and my family probably would have missed out! Thanks again!
Beth of Be Our Guest Vacation was amazing! She got the Free Dining promotion for our previous reservation at Coronado Springs, and when I asked her to change resorts (I agree Moderates are not convenient anymore, too bad…), she moved us to All Stars Music and was able to keep the promotion.
For a family of 4 Disney-adults (including a teen nephew who eats more than a T-Rex!), the difference in price between a Moderate and a Value more than pays for the dining plan upgrade. Looking forward to December!
And thanks Tom for this blog, it’s truly helpful!
Unless you have the CBR gift card promo in conjunction….the NEW free dining deal is horrible. For a moderate hotel Quick Service. I’ve been doing the fall free dining for the past three to four years, this year I’ll do an island resort instead.
We had to adjust our dates from our original sept 30 date to Sept 28. I’m a little bummed as it puts us checking in on a Thursday and out on a wed. My husband says it’s fine but I’m wondering if I should keep checking to see if our original date opens. By the time I got through on the phones (2 hr wait after trying to get on hold for 4 hours!) All the availability for the cabins had sold out. It wouldn’t let me adjust it online…grrr….
Thank you for all the advanced warning on Free Dining. It was great. I called WDW Monday morning at 7am and all circuits were busy. They were busy for nearly 2 hours after hitting redial… Redial…. Redial…. (you get the jist). I finally got through at 9am and they said due to higher call volume, wait time was approximately 2 hours. So I waited on hold for nearly 90 minutes. But all of this was worth it. I got the free dining, and upgraded to the mid range Dining Plan and just paid the difference. I saved alot of money and they gave me free park hopper as well. This advanced tip was huge. For a family of six, we are going to be saving alot. Thanks again!
I was staying Kidani this week and was told by the concierge that they could NOT help me with anything regarding dinner reservations that day (Monday) as the phones were so tied up from the promotion they could not even call and make changes to existing dinner reservations and the app was not cooperating either.
I’m leaving Friday morning for “My Happy Place” on a girls trip!! Can’t wait!! My family Rand I will be flying back to see Mickey in September and we did get the free dining!!! Thank U Mollie for all your hard work and help !! U are awesome !!!! Love the free dining, especially when U are traveling with children. It really adds up on the savings !! Thanks again Mollie !
Thank you Tom! We are new to WDW (second trip this December!). Reading and rereading your blogs gave me the information we needed to book at Colorado Springs w free dinning! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! 🙂
We booked thru AAA in January for a September visit at Pop Century and purchased the Quick Service meal plan. But we were denied getting it free because we were told there were only so many rooms allocated for the plan and they were for new bookings. I called Disney direct and they wanted to help, but could not because we booked thru an agent.
Lesson learned. I will never use an agent for my Disney trips again. Had I gone thru Disney, I would be saving over $900 on food.
You need to find an official Disney Travel Agent. My TA doesn’t charge anything for her services and she saved her clients tons of money when the free dining promo came out.
I booked through AAA a few weeks before the free dining was announced and our AAA travel agent spent over three hours on hold in order to talk with Disney and get the free dining applied to our trip. we also are staying at pop century but in December.
I would say your travel agent didn’t want to do the work for you. I’m a travel agent in Ontario, Canada that specializes in booking Disney and I can tell you that I have done this many times for my clients. Yes sometimes it doesn’t work out but if the agent is persistent than they can usually find something that would work for you. Unfortunately the agent you have dealt has created a bad name for agents in general and I am sad to hear of this. Travel agents work hard to ensure trips are booked properly and thoroughly and I am sorry this was not the case for your booking. I would be calling your agent back and speaking with their supervisor if it isn’t already to late to change your plan.
I think I know the answer to this, but I’ll ask in case I’m wrong. I booked CBR with free dining for a week in December. I can’t ask and request the gift card due to the construction because it had to be booked before 3/20, right? Or has anyone had success asking for any level of compensation when booking after 3/20?
They are being super strict on this. I had a vacation booked through Disney for CBR, made back in November. Got the e-mail regarding the gift card and decided to re-book through my credit card points instead. Because the new reservation was made after 3/20, they wouldn’t give me the gift cards. No gift cards on new reservations, even if you had proof that you were simply transferring the reservation. I spent HOURS on the phone with Disney and my credit card’s travel departments and nada. So sad!!
Bummer! Thanks for letting me know. It’ll save me from sitting on the phones 😉
We have reservations at CBR that we’re made prior to 3/20 but in order to get free dining you have to modify the reservation. If you modify, you lose the gift cards. So we had to decide between the gift cards and the free dining. I’m sure they did it this way so there is no “double dipping”.
This is an inaccurate statement. I have both the Free Dining and the gift cards for CBR (with the emails for proof). I would HIGHLY recommend calling the hotel (not reservations) and checking in to it – speaking with someone different.
I, was able to modify my reservation to include free dining and got to keep my gift cards, since I booked prior to the cut off date., as did my sister, we also confirmed this upon modifying our reservation.
As long as you don’t CANCEL the original reservation (made prior to March 20th) and you just MODIFY it, the original reservation number should stay the same. If you received the e-mail saying you were going to get the gift cards, you’ll still get the gift cards. I’ve been told by multiple Disney cast members that the gift cards are “attached” to the reservation number.
Thanks! I’ll try calling. Travel agent said we would lose the gift cards.
Wasn’t there a link here yesterday for DIsney Visa card holders to make reservations? I can’t find it now :o(
Here you go, happy booking!
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-parks-stay-dine-visa-package/