Don't Worry. This Free Disney Dining Plan Hack Feels Illegal, but It Isn't!

There is so much happening in Disney World right now!

Magic Kingdom

There are tons of changes, like new attractions, fan-favorite attractions saying goodbye, and the return of free Disney dining! We’re excited to see some of these changes, and we will mourn some, but either way, we are constantly searching for the best way to navigate these changes. In fact, we just found a major hack for the Disney Dining Plan!

In case you haven’t heard just yet, the Disney Dining Plan is bringing back free dining in 2025, and we couldn’t be more excited! It returned briefly in 2024, but only for a select group of people. Thankfully, this time around, anyone can enjoy this Disney hotel perk — with a few caveats.

Yak and Yeti full spread!

If you’re trying to get some free dining on your Disney trip, you’ll need to start booking those vacation packages now! Anyone booking their summer vacations between January 2nd and February 10th, 2025 can opt into this exclusive perk. If you’re staying on Disney property between May 27th, 2025, and June 26th, 2025, or July 7th, 2025, and August 6th, 2025 and you book a Disney Vacation Package that includes park hopper tickets, you’re good to start snacking for FREE!

Art of Animation!

Not every hotel is included in this perk, but you can find the full list of every participating hotel right here. So there are a few specifics you have to hit to grab this deal, but everyone has access to it, which is a great change in our book. What’s even better is we’ve found a way to extend your free Disney dining! If you book your trip to begin on the last day of these open windows, you can still get this offer.

©Disney

To avoid any confusion, if your trip begins on June 26th or August 6th, you can extend the time you get free dining. We walked through the booking process online, and if you want to book, first select the dates and resort where you’re staying. After that, you’ll spot the special offers that you qualify for, and this is when you will select the one that includes the Dining Plan.

©Disney

Once you select your room type and the special deal, it’s as simple as walking through the process. Depending on which resort you select, you will have the offer of the Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan. Value and Moderate resorts have access to Quick Service Dining, and Delux or Delux Villa resorts have access to the Standard Disney Dining Plan. If you’re booking on those last days of the deal, you have access to free dining for the entire length of your stay, up to 14 days.

©Disney

This is a huge hack if you’re staying just outside of the windows of time when summer free dining is being offered. The booking window is only open for a little over a month, and free dining will only be available for around two months. It’s no secret Disney World can be pretty pricey, so any chance to save some cash, we’ll take it!

A little something to snack on

If you aren’t sure which dining plan is right for you, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s pretty straightforward. With the Quick Service Dining Plan, each guest gets 2 quick-service meals and 1 snack per night. The Standard Disney Dining Plan comes with 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal, and 1 snack per person per night. Both plans also give each person a refillable resort mug, which is one of our favorite little perks.

Refillable Mug

The Disney Dining Plan is available all year (just not the free one), and if you decide to pay, it’ll cost you. Here is a breakdown of the pricing:

Quick Service Disney Dining Plan:

$59.14 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$24.70 per night per child (age 3-9)

Standard Disney Dining Plan:

$97.70 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$30.78 per night per child (age 3-9)

Gaston’s Tavern — Warm Cinnamon Roll

We are super excited to see this offer coming back in summer 2025! The Disney Dining Plan isn’t the best way to save money, but Free Disney Dining? That’s a totally different story. If you’re trying to decide if the DDP is for you, we have a full chapter to help you break down if it’s right for you and your family in our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book. You can get your own copy here! You can also find our full guidebook focusing on how to Maximize the Disney Dining Plan to break down the pros and cons of this offer.

Don’t forget to keep following the Disney Food Blog for all your dining plan tips and tricks!

Find out more about the Free Disney Dining Plan here!

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WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Will you be taking advantage of this offer? Tell us in the comments!