Free Disney Dining Plans Available for 2019, Save $200+ Per Night
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
It is time -- cue the celebrations as the free dining packages at Walt Disney World have returned.
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the 2019 version of the annual free dining at Disney World promotion is valid earlier in the year than normal. Likely thanks to the much-anticipated fall opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the 2019 free dining offer is valid for eligible trips starting July 5 and running through Sept. 30, 2019. This means that free Disney dining can be used for family summer vacations, whereas in recent years Disney's free dining dates didn't kick off until late August. Free dining plans are a huge deal as they normally cost $52 - $75 per adult and $23 - $27 per child, per night. That means that for a family of four, a regular Disney Dining Plan would normally cost more than $200 per night -- free is obviously a much better price.
There are some caveats to the free dining at Disney World offers, including that it isn't valid at every single resort, and you must stay at least five nights on a non-discounted rate with a park hopper or park hopper plus ticket included. In other words, these trips with 'free' dining are still going to be pricey, likely to the tune of $2,900+ for a family of two adults and two kids staying for five nights at a value resort.
Those booking eligible trips at Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas will enjoy the full Disney Dining Plan, while those booking trips to the Value and Moderate Resorts will get the Quick-Service Dining Plan.
The full Disney Dining Plan includes one quick-service meal, one table-service meal and two snacks per person, per night of your stay (it's a lot of food - you could probably even feed a friend or grandparents a few times). You can even use the table-service meals for character dining, though note that some of those meals require more than one table-service credit. You also get one resort refillable drink mug per person, per package. Parents may appreciate that both levels of the dining plan do now include adult beverages (though sadly not in that refillable mug).
Those enjoying the Disney Quick-Service Dining plans will get two quick service meals (including entrée or combo meal and beverage) and two snacks per night. You also get one resort refillable drink mug per person, per package.
You get access to all of your credits beginning on the first day of your trip, so you can use them as fast or slow as you want, with any unused credits expiring after the last day of your trip.
Disney World's definition of a "snack" is pretty liberal. We've seen our fair share of parents buying a half dozen bags of cotton candy from a resort gift shop on the last day of a trip to use up their remaining snack credits. Not a course we'd necessarily recommend, but know that you should have plenty of opportunities to use up those snack credits.
Eligible Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney's Beach Club Resort
Disney's BoardWalk Inn
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Eligible Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village
Disney's Beach Club Villas
Disney's BoardWalk Villas
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Eligible Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
Eligible Disney Value Resort Hotels
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Art of Animation Resort - Family Suites only
Disney's Pop Century Resort
There are exclusions to resorts offering the free dining offer including: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
Tips for Maximizing Free Disney Dining
If you want in on the free dining offer, you must book by Feb. 10, 2019, valid for arrivals most nights July 5 through Sept. 30, 2019. You can book Disney dining reservations 180 days prior to arrival. Currently, we are 180 days away from July 1, so be ready to book dining reservations ASAP for arrivals at the beginning of this promotion as some of the best Disney Dining experiences will sell out (which is true even without free dining days).
Some of our favorite one-credit dining experiences are: 'Ohana, Chef Mickey's, Via Napoli, Storybook Dining at Artist Point (new), Boma Flavors of Africa and 1900 Park Fare. 'Ohana offers solid all-you-care-to-enjoy meals, with characters joining at breakfast. Crystal Palace offers a surprisingly good (by Disney World standards) buffet in Magic Kingdom and gives kids the chance to greet Winnie The Pooh and his friends while parents relax in air-conditioning. Chef Mickey's is a good buffet with characters at the Contemporary. And while we generally don't love the food at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, it is a pretty good value with a full dining plan as it only costs one credit to dine with princesses while Cinderella's Royal Table costs two credits.
To save a little money on the free Disney dining offers, you can pay for these packages with discounted Disney gift cards. As these vacation packages will code as travel, we recommend paying with the credit card you have that awards the largest bonus in the travel category such as 3 points per dollar via the Chase Sapphire Reserve or 2 points per dollar with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Your annual $300 travel credit that comes with the Chase Sapphire Reserve should also count toward this charge, potentially saving you $300 if you haven't yet used this year's credit.
Free isn't a word you hear frequently at Disney World, but if you want your meals to be free (or rather, included) make a booking by Feb. 10!