5 things you can do to get Disney’s Free Dining in 2017

By far, the most popular discount Disney offers is the Free Dining discount.  It’s the #1 discount everyone wants, waits for, plans around, and asks me about.

I have a lot of the same questions pop up as we wait for free dining, usually with the same theme: “What’s our best shot of getting free dining?”

While there’s never a guarantee that free dining will be released, if it is, here’s the top 5 things YOU can do to better your chances of getting your food for free when you vacation in Disney World in 2017:

TOP 5 things YOU do to get FREE DINING 2017:

1.  Know when to go & where to stay

Paying attention to the historical free dining information of years really helps you decide when to go and where to stay to give you the best shot of getting a free dining discount for your 2017 Disney vacation.

Normally, it’s announced in late April/earlyMay.  In 2016, Free Dining was released on April 25, 2016.

Here are the Walt Disney World Free Dining dates that were available for booking in 2016, which should give you some insight into what will be offered in 2017:

• August 23 – October 1
• November 15 – 21
• November 26 – 28
• December 10 – 21

Here were the room exclusions for 2016 (and I would expect to see the same for 2017):  All suites, campsites and 3 bedroom villas have been excluded from this offer, as were the Little Mermaid rooms at the new Art of Animation Resort, Port Orleans French Quarter, All-Star Movies, Villas at the Grand Floridian Resort and the new Villas and Bungalos at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. All other Disney resorts, including value resorts were included in the offer.  And Port Orleans Riverside was only available for arrivals August 23 through October 1, 2016.

Trying to plan your trip with a check in date that coincides with the previous year’s free dining discount dates & staying in a resort that wasn’t excluded last year helps a lot!

  2. Book your vacation NOW.

There is no reason to wait for free dining to be released before you book your trip.  If you know you want to go, and you’ve decided on dates that have a good chance of being included in free dining, then book your trip!

Disney World vacations only require a $200 deposit to book and that deposit is 100% refundable up until 30 days before your departure date.  Since we expect free dining to be released at the end of April and we’ll know all the details of Fall 2017 then, there is NO risk to you to book now.

Having your trip booked in advance is SO helpful for something else I highly recommend: making Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) as soon as possible (ADRs can be booked 180 days in advance of your check in date). Yes, even before Free Dining goes live. Everyone reserves the good ADRs quickly for potential Free Dining dates, so if you don’t book early, you can be stuck eating counter service or unpopular restaurants for the duration of your trip if you don’t plan ahead.

  3.  Be flexible, as much as you can

Historically, Free Dining has been a fall/early winter promotion and based on past promotions, you can plan your visit to give you a good chance of being included in 2017’s free dining discount.  But predictions are obviously just that, and all of this is subject to change based on occupancy trends and projections.  Being flexible with your travel dates and where you stay helps increase your chances of a great free dining discount!

   4.  If you have a Disney VISA card, use it for your $200 deposit

It’s not necessary to have a Disney Visa card to get free dining.  But if you do already have a Disney Visa card, I recommend using it for the deposit just in case being a Disney Visa cardholder helps your chances of securing free dining.

Last year, there was no early booking window for Disney Visa cardholders, but there was an expanded date range. The two years before, Disney Visa cardholders did have an early booking window.  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, Disney Visa cardholders were able to book free dining starting August 14 vs. the general public start date of August 23rd.

   5. Book your vacation with me or Email me to be notified about free dining 🙂

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–I recommend contacting me, a no fee “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” (Disney’s term for a travel agent) to get a quote and to help you plan.

I am not just saying this to get your booking, but having your trip pre-booked with a good travel agent (such as myself), helps get the discount for your preferred dates/resort. 

I receive my commission from Disney, so I will never charge you extra for booking your trip and helping you get the most our of your vacation, discounts, planning, etc..

Last year I worked tirelessly for all my clients to get the discount applied to their vacations.  In order to grab the free dining discount, I checked very very early in the morning (3-4am) & had emailed all my pre-booked clients before I moved to new bookings & quote requests.  The longer it takes to book/apply the discount, the less availability there is.  Being pre-booked made the process go much faster!

Have questions?  Email me with any & all questions, I am SO happy to help

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Thinking about a trip to Disney World?  I’d love to help!  As a travel specialist working for an authorized Disney travel agency, my services are completely free to you!  Disney pays my commission directly, which means that you can take advantage of my planning and advice absolutely free of charge!  If you have questions or want to chat more about this, you can email me anytime!

Email:  fairytalejourneysbysara@gmail.com

Seven Dwarves Mine Train Video

 

Taking a break from Disney discounts – there was a new video released of the completed roller coaster in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland.  I can’t wait to ride this fun, new ride.

There’s no official opening date yet, but rumor has it Disney is holding a Press Review of Seven Dwarf Mine Train from April 30th – May 2nd. I suspect we will see the ride open soon after this preview event!

Here’s the video:

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Thinking about a trip to Disney World?  I’d love to help!  As a travel specialist working for an authorized Disney travel agency, my services are completely free to you!  Disney pays my commission directly, which means that you can take advantage of my planning and advice absolutely free of charge!  If you have questions or want to chat more about this, you can email me anytime!

Email:  sarad@fairytalejourneys.com

Name this Ride!

I’ve not posted in awhile because I am in Disney World this week!  🙂

I couldn’t be happier – spending a whole week eating myself sick & enjoying the wonderful Disney attractions.

Speaking of Disney attractions – bonus points to whomever can name the attraction this picture was taken from:

 

I’m off to the pool!

http://www.fairytalejourneysbysara.com

Disney Park Favorite Sit Down Restaurants:

Animal Kingdom Restaurants

 

1. Yak and Yeti – an Asian restaurant with yummy Chinese foods (egg rolls, pot stickers, stir fry, tempura, etc..).  I love this place!  The kids menu is more American foods (mini burger, chicken tenders, lo mien, etc..).  (1 credit)

1. Rainforest Cafe – This is a chain restaurant, but the food is good and the atmosphere is a lot of fun, for both kids and adults.  (1 credit)

1. Tusker House – This is a character buffet at breakfast & lunch (featuring Donald Duck, Daisy, Goofy & Minnie) and just a buffet with no character at dinner.  The cuisine is American and Asian.  (1 credit)

Hollywood Studios Restaurants

1. Sci Fi Dine In – This restaurant fare is typical drive in food (shakes, burgers, onion rings, etc) but the atmosphere is amazing!  You sit at tables fashioned to look like cars, there’s actual movies playing, and you feel you’re actually at a drive in theater.  I love this place – but the lighting is very low, just so you know.  (1 credit)

1. 50’s Prime Time Cafe – the atmosphere is themed to make you feel like you are eating at your mom’s and you are just one of the family.  The food, meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast, spaghetti & meatballs, etc…, are classics and the servers are known for teasing you to get your elbows off the table or finish your veggies.  (1 credit)

1. Mama Melrose’s – a classic Italian spot with yummy Italian food and good service.  (1 credit)

1. Hollywood Brown Derby – A very nice meal, with some guest favorites, including cobb salad, grapefruit cake, and American Bison.  (2 credits)

Epcot Restaurants

1. Coral Reef – a mostly seafood restaurant, although their NY strip steak is good!  You eat your meal with aquariums surrounding you, which is really cool.  It makes you feel like you are under water.  There’s just something about watching fish swim by while you eat a fish 🙂  (1 credit)

1. Garden Grill – The food here is served family-style, or they bring you platters of food and put it on the table and you can order more of whatever you want.  Food includes steak, chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetable, rolls, etc..  This is a character dinner where you can usually meet chip & dale, mickey, & pluto.  The restaurant itself actually (very slowly) rotates so you can watch the scenery go by.  (1 credit)

1. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – A character buffet with princesses.  This buffet is located in the Norway section of Epcot, so some of the food is a little more unusual but there are also American food offerings.  This is a great alternative to Cinderella’s Castle if you don’t want to use 2 credits to see Princesses, or you can’t get a reservation at the Castle.  (1 credit)

1. Le Cellier Steakhouse – located in Canada, this steakhouse is a personal favorite of mine.  All the steaks here are amazing!  This is a more expensive place as it is considered a signature dinner.  (2 credits)

1. Rose and Crown Pub – located in United Kingdom, a pub that serves English food favorites like bangers and mash, scotch eggs, fish and chips, Sunday roast, and cottage pie.  (1 credit)

1. Via Napoli – located in Italy, this wood fire Italian place is really yummy!  The pizza is thin crust and the pastas are good.  (1 credit)

Magic Kingdom Restaurants

1. Cinderella’s Royal Table – the best Princesses character meal around, since you get to eat in the castle!  I still love going here as an adult.  All parties will get their picture taken with Cinderella and complimentary photo packages will be delivered to you during your meal.  (2 credits)

1. Crystal Palace – This is a buffet meal located on Main Street of Magic Kingdom.  Any meal here is good, although breakfast is the best, in my opinion.  This is another character meal – you can meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet.  I really like this character meal.  (1 credit)

1. Be Our Guest Restaurant – This is the newest restaurant in Disney World, themed like the ballroom of Beauty and the Beast.  It’s beautiful!  You can eat here at lunch without reservations and it’s more informal, or you need reservations for dinner with more formality.  At dinner, you sometimes get to meet the Beast and get your picture taken with him.  This restaurant is part of the new Fantasyland that Disney has been advertising.  (1 credit)

1. Liberty Tree Tavern – Lunch is my favorite meal here – the pot roast is wonderful, the fried cheese app is very good, and the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake dessert is really not to be missed.  If you eat here for dinner, you meal is served family style, or you get platters of Thanksgiving-type foods, with a cobbler for dessert.  (1 credit)

1. Tony’s Town Square – This restaurant serves typical Italian foods with a Lady and the Tramp theme and decor.  It’s right off Main Street, too, with a nice view of all comings and goings.  (1 credit)

1. Plaza Restaurant – This small ice cream parlor (on Main Street) is a great lunch place!  The sandwiches are great, the milkshakes are classic, and the atmosphere is wonderful.  A fun place for a meal.

 

http://www.fairytalejourneysbysara.com

 

These are a few of my favorite (Disney) things….

Sometimes I miss Disney things more than other times….today it was on my mind alot as I worked through a few vacation quotes for clients.  Here are a few of my favorite things I’m looking forward to.

The Winnie Pooh ride in Fantasyland:

The newly renovated Dumbo ride with the beautiful fountains:

The twilight zone – Tower of Terror!

Rock N’ Roller Coaster:

Plastic cheese dipping sauce with a Casey’s Corner dinner:

A cream cheese pretzel (yum!):

Carmel corn from Karamell Kuche in Epcot:

A corn dog from Disneyland:

 

The newest (and best in my opinion) fantasyland ride:

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

http://www.fairytalejourneysbysara.com

Be Our Guest Restaurant – a review

The most anticipated lunch of my trip back in December was by far the one I would wait almost an hour in line for – Be Our Guest Restaurant.  It officially opened the same time as the new Fantasyland, on Dec 6th.  I ate there on Dec 11th.

The atmosphere was simply breathtaking.  It’s worth every minute in line to see the ballroom, the west wing, the enchanted rose, the talking suit of armor, etc…  It feels like you are in the classic movie, Beauty & the Beast.

Some pictures of the outside of the restaurant:

 

 

 

The talking suits of armor:

 

 

The ballroom:

 

The west wing:

 

 

 

The Rose Gallery:

 

 

Even if the food hadn’t been good, it would have been worth it to see all the beautiful things in the restaurant.  But as it turns out, the food was excellent!  The desserts were just ok, but the entree – yum!

My grown-up ham and cheese sandwich was very tasty.  The fries were just ok – I needed some plastic cheese from Casey’s Corner to make them more than ok 🙂

Croque Monsieur – Grilled sandwich of carved ham, Gruyere cheese, and bechamel with Pommes Frites. $10.99

 

My mom love her meal – she scraped the plate clean!

Braised Pork (Coq Au Vin style) – eight-hour slow-cooked pork with mushrooms, onions, carrots and bacon served with mashed potatoes and green beens jardiniere $11.99

 

And for dessert we had 2 kinds of cupcakes.  These don’t hold a candle to Starring Rolls Cafe (in Hollywood Studios) cupcakes.  Not a candle.  Plus these were hard to unwrap.  But we were on the dining plan, and sweetness after a meal is always welcome.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake – vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icinng $2.99

 

Lemon Meringue Cupcake – Vanilla sponge cake, lemon custard filling, flamed merinque icing and crunch $2.99

 

As you leave, you see a few decorations….

 

 

All in all – a wonderful meal!  I’ve got a dinner reservation for June and am looking forward to it!

http://www.fairytalejourneysbysara.com

Christmas time at Disney World

My most recent trip to Disney World was during December.  I’ve always wanted to visit at Christmas time and I was truly amazed at the scale of the festivities and decorations.  Disney has always felt magical and fairytale but throw in some Christmas lights, food, and decor and it’s enchanting.

A few Christmas highlights of my trip:

 

We took a short monorail ride over to the Grand Floridian resort and saw the ornate gingerbread house they build each year.

 

We spent an evening at Hollywood Studios and wandered around the Streets of America enjoying the Osborne family spectacle of dancing lights.  This display of Christmas lights, synchronized to music every 5 minutes or so, was my second favorite Christmas display (the first being Cinderella’s Castle decked in icicle lights).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots of holiday foods to enjoy while you’re touring your way through the parks.  You can buy gingerbread people, hot cocoa, candy canes, etc..   I bought a gingerbread cupcake at Starring Rolls Cafe in Hollywood Studios.  It was my favorite holiday treat.

 

 

But like I said before, my favorite holiday display was the icicle lights on Cinderella’s Castle.  I could sit and stare at the castle for hours when it’s dressed up like that.

 

 

 

 

I stayed at Art of Animation Resort and enjoyed checking out Disney’s newest resort – they had a nice Christmas tree, too!

 

 

http://www.fairytalejourneysbysara.com