Dining Plans returned January 9, 2024 and “Free Dining” has come back (twice!) this year, too. In this post we’ll discuss what we know about Disney World Free Dining promos in 2024. Read on to learn more about what has been announced and what we expect from Free Dining in 2024. (If you need an introduction to Disney Dining Plans first, we have that too.)
[New] Disney Visa Free Dining Promo
Beginning April 9, holders of the Disney Chase Visa credit card will be able to book free dining as part of packages covering select dates in July, September, and December. You’ll find details on the Disney offer page.
To inquire about booking a trip, get a quote from Lauren Quirk, the travel agent we work with, at Travel With Character LLC.
While Free Dining promos can be good, they’re not as good for every guest as you might think right off the bat. Free Dining often occurs at the same time other room or room-and-ticket package discounts are offered, and it requires a lot of nitty gritty math to figure out what the best deal for your trip will be. But math is no fun, and “Free Dining” certainly sounds good, so it’s easy to see why it works as a promotional gimmick.
Indeed, for 2024, an “up to 30% off” room-only discount is expected to be offered alongside the next Free Dining deal. Since you can only choose one or the other, you’ll have to do the math to see which is better for your family.
When Was 2024 Free Dining announced?
The last three Free Dining promos, in 2019, 2020, and 2024, were announced on January 2. The initial Free Dining promo usually covers July and August, with parts of June and September sometimes included.
Promos often get expanded, and after a hiatus from mid-February to early April, the 2024 promo “returned” (with new eligibility rules) for select dates in July, September, and December.
Will there be a Free Dining promo for everyone else?
The initial free dining offer in 2024 required a Disney+ subscription. The subsequent offer required you to be a Chase Disney Visa cardholder.
At this point, the odds of a more general offer are shrinking, and more importantly the available dates for such an offer are limited. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a summer announcement that covers November and December, something that’s happened in the past. Such an offer would hopefully be available to everyone.
Free Dining at Disney World Basics
The Disney World free dining promotion is a special offer that pops up every so often that allows guests booking visits during certain dates to get a free Disney dining plan during their Walt Disney World vacation. For the uninitiated, you can read our complete guide to the Disney World dining plans here.
Free dining packages are typically only sold for a limited time, in limited quantities, and availability is restricted by your arrival date. When free dining is available, it’s common for Disney to offer guests room-only discounts as an alternative, which is why it may not always be in your best interest to book free dining (the room-only discount might have more value).
While free dining is most commonly offered to the general public, there are times when it might only be offered to select groups, like Disney Visa cardholders or as a bounceback offer for guests currently at the resort.
The value of the dining plan varies family by family. If you eat at lots of table service restaurants and can get a Walt Disney World vacation package that includes a dining plan covering those restaurants, you might find a lot of value in free dining. And you might just get a lot of enjoyment of getting to your vacation and thinking “oh yay, free food.”
One nice thing about free dining is that the dining packages aren’t tweaked or restricted in any way for the free dining offer. Pretty much all the restaurants at the parks—Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—are covered, as are most at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels. If it’s covered by the dining plan, it’s included in the free dining.
Modifying Existing Reservations
If you booked If you have an existing reservation during the Free Dining travel dates, you can modify either by visiting your My Disney Experience account or calling Disney reservations at (407) 939-4357.
Expired Free Dining Offers (For Reference)
These are example of some of the historical free dining offers Disney offered.
[Ended] Disney+ Free Dining Promo
As expected, Free Dining returned in 2024. And, as expected, it was announced on January 2, the same date as Free Dining in 2019 and 2020. Here are the details, starting with the big restriction:
available only to Disney+ subscribers
booking starts January 3, 2024
must be at least a 4-night, 4-day package booked through Disney (including hotel and park hopper ticket)
available for arrivals most days July 1 through September 30
[Expired] Free Dining Now Available For 2020 Dates!
Disney has released a new free dining offer for 2020 dates. The offer page is here, but here’s a quick look at the details:
Book by January 16, 2020
Arrivals most nights June 27 through 28, July 5 through 7, and August 29 through September 8, 2020
Deal applicable on 5-night/6-day vacation package
Select Deluxe and Deluxe Villa hotels get free standard dining plan
Select Moderate and Value hotels get free quick service dining plan
[Expired] 2020 Bounceback Free Dining Dates
In mid-2019, a bounceback deal was available for free dining for the following dates:
May 26 to June 2
June 26 to September 12
December 9 to December 24
While this deal has since expired, it could be an indication of potential Free Dining dates in 2020.
[Expired] 2020 UK Free Dining Dates
A UK offer for free dining previously covered these dates in 2020:
January 1 to March 29
April 19 to October 3
[Expired] Terms for Free Dining 2019
The Disney website currently specifies that the offer applies to 5-night / 6-day stays and to ask about stays of other lengths. We’re awaiting word on what the exact terms are, and I’ve seen reports of a 4-night stay minimum.
Guests at Deluxe resorts receive a free (standard) Disney Dining Plan. Guests at moderate and value resorts will receive a free Quick Service Dining Plan. You can read more about those in our complete guide to the Disney World dining plans here.
Certain hotels are excluded, most notably: Port Orleans - French Quarter, Port Orleans - Riverside, Art of Animation Little Mermaid Rooms, and All-Star Movies.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.