Over the weekend, Disney released a Free Dining Recovery Discount for guests whose vacations have been impacted by the Coronavirus. Let’s take a look at the details and how this discount stacks up.
DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING RECOVERY DISCOUNT DETAILS
Here are the details of this deal according to Disney:
We recognize the impact these uncertain times have had on our Guests. If your recent Walt Disney World reservation was affected, then you may be eligible to enjoy a special summer vacation package offer. After all, summertime is the perfect time to make the kind of cherished memories that we all need—now more than ever.
Eligible Guests can take advantage of a vacation package offer that includes accommodations at a select Disney Resort hotel, park admission and a Disney dining plan—valid for arrivals most nights June 1 through September 30, 2020 when you book through May 31, 2020. This offer is valid only for Guests who previously booked a vacation package or room reservation to stay at a Disney Resort hotel at Walt Disney World Resort for travel dates March 16 to May 31, 2020. Offer not valid for reservations travelling these dates that were cancelled before March 1, 2020.
This offer is subject to availability. Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package. Theme park tickets valid for admission beginning on date of check-in and must be used within a limited number of days, depending on length of stay and ticket.
HOW DOES THE DISNEY FREE DINING RECOVERY DISCOUNT STACK UP?
How this discount stacks up really depends on your feelings and experience with the Free Dining Discounts in the past. If you’re a fan of the convenience and simplicity of the dining plans, then this is probably a big win for you. If however, you’re looking strictly at the cost, this may not be as good of a deal as it seems at first glance. You’ll want to spend a few minutes actually crunching the numbers to see if it makes sense for you and your family. Remember with the Free Dining Discount, you will be paying full rack rate for your room, and potentially missing out on some sizable room only discounts in the future if Disney reopens and struggles to fill rooms. You’ll also want to keep in mind that value and moderate resort hotels will receive the Quick-Service Dining Plan, while deluxe resort hotels will receive the Disney Dining Plan that includes Table Service meals that require gratuities that will need to be paid out of pocket. Over the years, I have done Walt Disney World vacations with and without the dining plan, and being a small eater, I have always found a room only discount to be a much bigger cost savings while paying for my meals out of pocket. To get pricing for your vacation if you qualify for the Free Dining Recovery Discount, please call 407-939-4251 directly. This discount cannot be booked online at this time.
WHAT I AM DOING ABOUT MY UPCOMING TRIPS
In my recent posts Disney World Is Closed – Now What?, When Will Disney World Reopen, and Disney World Closed Indefinitely, I shared what I am doing about my upcoming Walt Disney World vacations that I have scheduled throughout the rest of 2020.
As a quick update, I am still hanging on to my early and mid summer trips for now. I did reschedule my April trip to September and added an August trip while I was at it. I have several Frontier Airlines flight vouchers that are going to expire by October 1 so I am trying to use as many of them as possible, knowing that is very unlikely Frontier will extend them. As quickly as things are changing now, I currently plan on waiting until a couple of weeks before each trip to decide whether or not to go, unless something else decides for me, like Disney World still being closed, Frontier cancelling my flight, a CDC travel advisory, or the mandatory quarantine of 14 days still being in place when arriving in Florida.
I would love to be able to visit Walt Disney World this year, but looking at the big picture, this really is not a major concern. The most important thing right now, is that we all do what we can to save lives, stay well, and slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Eventually life will return to normal, and we will all be enjoying the magic in person once again!
WHAT’S NEXT?
In the meantime, I will continue to share the latest Walt Disney World news and information here. You can still expect to see several posts a week, filling you in on all of the fun things coming up at the most magical place on earth once it reopens!
Please stay safe and well, and I will see you in the parks real soon!
Heading to Disney World?
If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:
- Check out my book UPDATED FOR 2020 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation for secret insider tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else!
- View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Disney World Enthusiast 