2025 Free Dining At Disney World Dates & Info

The Free Disney Dining Plan is a great Walt Disney World vacation package discount. This covers info, tips for booking, current dates, predictions & rumors for future dates around Halloween & Christmas, and answers to questions including whether this deal is “worth it.” (Updated March 12, 2025.)
If you’re unfamiliar with the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), we’d direct you to our comprehensive Guide to the 2025 Disney Dining Plan. That covers the basics, what the DDP includes, how it’s changed since returning last year, and more. It also breaks down the value of the Disney Dining Plan and whether the paid version is worth the money, and much more.
The good news is that Free Dining has already returned once this year, for travel dates in Summer 2025. The bad news is that the special offer is no longer available to book for the first half of the year. The other good news is that–as discussed below in the rumors & speculation section–we’re expecting a second wave of Free Dining for the second half of 2025. If you want to be notified immediately when more 2025 discounts are released, sign up here for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
We’ve consistently notified our subscribers when Free Dining and other Walt Disney World deals are going to drop. Either in advance of their release or on the day they go live at ~7 a.m., which typically gives you a 2+ hour head start on Disney’s official announcement. That may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference when booking–it means that you won’t have to wait on hold for hours on the phone or in a long virtual queue online.
In the last several months, Walt Disney World has released over a dozen different discounts, including some that run through Summer 2025. There are even targeted deals available through December 24, 2025. This is a huge change as compared to 2021-2022, when many dates didn’t have discounts at all due to revenge travel and guest spending being so strong. That coupled with capacity is why the Disney Dining Plan took so long to return in the first place. Those are both non-factors now, and things are more or less back to 2019 norms.
This is all relevant to the return of Free Dining in 2025 because the deal is not offered out of corporate benevolence, but as an aggressive move to help boost resort occupancy numbers. That wasn’t necessary for the last couple of years due to pent-up demand. However, that has changed significantly, and now Walt Disney World is pulling several “levers” to try to incentivize demand. With Epic Universe opening in Summer 2025, we’re only expecting this trend of increased discounting to accelerate.

As always, we’d recommend requesting a FREE no obligation quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having those travel agents book for you. They’ll assist you with the planning process, help you choose the most economical dates, best add-ons, etc.
Equally as important, they’ll help you with discount comparison shopping. There are a ton of different discounts currently available for Walt Disney World in 2025, and that number is only going to grow! So what you see now isn’t necessarily everything that’ll be available for your travel dates.
On that note, here are some predictions about 2025 Free Dining at Walt Disney World…
2025 Free Dining Forecast & Rumors

As noted above, Free Dining was previously released for May 27 through June 26, and July 7 through August 6, 2025. This promo was only bookable through mid-February, and is no longer available. However, there are a couple of curious things to note about the first wave of 2025 Free Dining.
The first is that it was only bookable for roughly one month. The second is that it was only offered through August 6, which is right around when schools start going back into session and before the early fall off-season starts. These are two atypically short timeframes for Free Dining.
The good news is that we have our first tease of the second wave of Free Dining as of March 12, 2025. Take a look:

On its official rewards website, Disney Visa announced today that a new offer for Walt Disney World Resort is coming soon: “Check back in the coming weeks to get a taste of what we have in store this summer.” (Emphasis added.)
There’s always the possibility this is something else, but given last year’s precedent and timing and the “taste” wordplay, we’d put the chances of this being Free Dining at about 90% or higher. It also lines up with our predicted release date for the second wave of Free Dining (see below).
The biggest questions at this point are whether there will be a companion Free Dining offer for the general public with Disney Visa cardmembers simply receiving a wider range of dates, or if Free Dining this is exclusive to Disney Visa. Regardless, we expect several other deals to be released on the same date as Free Dining.

This makes sense, as Walt Disney World needs to offer discounts to fill hotel rooms. Park attendance and hotel occupancy are both down. Executives have expressly stated as much during earnings calls, and the company expects this ‘demand moderation’ to continue through at least the first half of 2025.
On top of that, the parks and resorts are now seeing higher-spending Canadians cancelling their Florida vacations. There’s reason to believe declining consumer confidence and economic anxiety will result in a tourism downturn in the near future. Several major airlines just cut their forecasts due to soft demand.
To address this, Walt Disney World has been releasing more discounts. They’re doing it out of necessity. This is something we’ve documented, and we’ve repeatedly pointed out that they’re pulling from the 2019 playbook for discounts. That 2019 playbook included Free Dining.

The elephant in the room is Epic Universal opening down the road at Universal Orlando. There’s debate over whether this third gate will eat into Walt Disney World attendance or a “rising tide lifts all boats.”
That’s a separate conversation from hotel bookings. We fully expect Epic Universe to adversely impact Walt Disney World resort occupancy. That’s what really matters when it comes to the likelihood of Free Dining.
Universal Orlando is already attempting to push people wanting to visit Epic Universe towards vacation packages (it worked on us!), and they appear to have been quite successful at that. There are incentives for guests to stay on-site to more easily access Epic Universe, and package prices are cheap as compared to WDW. Beyond that, Universal Orlando has rolled out its own ‘Free Dining’ offer for 2025.

Given all of this, we fully expect a second wave of Free Dining for dates that are later in 2025.
The main reason Walt Disney World would not yet release discounts for beyond August 2025 relate to resort occupancy numbers. The company is really good at projecting hotel bookings, but it’s just like a weather forecast–more accurate as dates draw nearer and less accurate further into the future. Walt Disney World only wants to offer discounts as necessary to fill hotel rooms, so they release discounts in phases.
The most reliable set of dates for Free Dining are usually in August to late September 2025. Those dates are the slowest of the year at Walt Disney World, and have been the most common and consistent for Free Dining. Expect a second wave of Free Dining to encompass these dates during Fall 2025. It also might include portions of October, minus holiday weeks and fall break.
A scattering of November and/or December dates could be available again, and there’s likely to be a stretch in December after (but not including) the first week and running until as late as December 20, 2025.

This rolling nature of Walt Disney World special offers isn’t really a prediction–it’s what happens consistently year in and year out. The company typically releases its first batch of discounts in early January, next set in late March or early April, and another during the summer. Aside from the early January release, none of these dates are really set in stone–they’ve been inconsistent in the last few years.
Based on recent trends–when deals have been released earlier–it would make sense for the next wave of Free Dining to be released around April 8, 2025. We have a low degree of confidence in that date, though. If we look back to prior years, anytime between March 18, 2025 and April 15, 2025 would make sense.
Historically, Free Dining has been released in April more than any other month, and the second wave of Free Dining was released right around then last year. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t bet against March. Walt Disney World has been releasing discounts earlier than normal and there’s the pressure of Epic Universe.
In addition to encompassing different date ranges, the subsequent waves could offer different guest eligibility. It’s possible future waves of Free Dining will be available to the general public–or only Disney+ subscribers or Disney Visa Cardholders.

Obviously, this is only a prediction–the actual dates and details of future waves of 2025 Free Dining could vary a little or lot, and it’s entirely possible that nothing is released at all! But we highly, highly doubt it.
If anything, the opposite is more likely: that Walt Disney World releases a better or more aggressive version of Free Dining for its second wave. It’s entirely possible there are three waves, with the second being offered to the general public for August and September 2025 travel dates, and a third being targeted at Disney+ subscribers or Disney Visa cardholders for October through December 2025 travel dates.
Again, we want to emphasize that this is not a rumor–it’s simply us analyzing resort bookings and past precedent on discounts, and making an educated guess. August and September usually have the best discounts of the year since demand is lowest, and we’d expect that to be doubly true in the year when Epic Universe is opening at Universal and nothing new is opening at Walt Disney World. October through December are usually busier, hence the potential targeting of Free Dining during those dates.
Disney also likes high levels of per guest spending numbers, and no other special offer helps achieve these high per caps like Free Dining. Despite “free” being in the name, it’s an advantageous promo from Disney’s perspective because it locks guests into full-price hotels and tickets. It also keeps guests on-site for the most part, since they have “free” meals at Walt Disney World. No other discount accomplishes all of these important goals for the company.
Either way, will be closely monitoring the 2025 Free Dining situation, keeping our ears open for more news about a return of Free Dining. Should something–anything–be released or rumored, we’ll send you an alert if you sign up for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
We’ve consistently notified email subscribers when Free Dining and other deals on the day they go live at ~6 or 7 a.m., which is a 2+ hour head start on Disney’s official announcement at 9 am. That makes a huge difference when booking Free Dining–you won’t have to wait on hold for hours on the phone.
Free Dining FAQ

Free Dining is Walt Disney World’s most complicated promotion, and can be a huge headache to book. Between limited availability and navigating a seas of rules and restrictions, it’s easy to make mistakes. This section of the post covers the rules, terms and conditions, and policies that generally govern the Free Dining promotion.
We always recommend that Walt Disney World first-timers (or regulars who just don’t want to deal with the hassle) request a FREE quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Travel Planner. Most legit travel agents do not charge for booking Walt Disney World vacations (and you don’t pay a premium for them–Disney pays them commission), so that’s really the easiest way to go.
With this special offer, Walt Disney World guests booking vacation packages with non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets receive the DDP for each member of their party for no additional charge. For obvious reasons (who doesn’t love free food?!), the promotion is incredibly popular and some resorts that offer free dining tend to sell out quickly.
Guests booking the Free Dining promotion for Value or Moderate Resorts will receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, with guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts receiving the standard Disney Dining Plan.

There are some room exclusions for the Free Dining promo: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
These resorts and room tiers are all not eligible for Free Dining. Additionally, room inventory is limited across all resorts. In practice, this means that when you go to book, a particular category (standard view, garden view, etc.) may not be available for your travel dates–or your travel dates may not be available at a specific resort at all.
To take advantage of Free Dining, there’s also the requirement that guests purchase tickets that include either a minimum 4-day Park Hopper or the Park Hopper Plus option. Additionally, a 4-night minimum stay is required with a maximum stay of fourteen nights.
This means you can’t purchase discounted Walt Disney World tickets from an authorized reseller, which we normally highly recommend in our Walt Disney World trip planning advice. This is something to keep in mind when doing the math to determine if “Free Dining” is a good value for you.

When it comes to Free Dining, doing the math is incredibly important. Other discounts (such as a room-only discount) might be better for your family. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch; you have forfeit an alternate discount to qualify for Free Dining. We break down some of the math in our “Is Free Dining Worth It?” post.
If you have already booked a vacation package with an arrival date that qualifies for Free Dining, we recommend using the “modify reservation” link in your booking to apply the promotion to your package. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply the promotion.
You might see other advice that recommends calling to book Free Dining. This is outdated. If you call Walt Disney World’s reservation line, you will likely wait on hold for an hour (or hours) until you’re able to speak to an agent. Booking or modifying your reservation online is far quicker and easier.
Even if the online system crashes (which has happened) or moves slowly due to all the traffic, it’s easier to just keep trying online. Unfortunately, booking online isn’t always possible and technical errors do happen…so you might have to call and wait on hold.

If you are wondering which hotel to book for the Free Dining promotion, check out our new Best Walt Disney World Hotels for Free Dining post. It gives our preferred option for each resort tier. Oh, and don’t forget to make some ADRs for the best and most popular Walt Disney World restaurants.
With this Free Dining offer, Value and Moderate Resort guests receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan during the promotion. Guests at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts receive the standard Disney Dining Plan.
We highly recommend making Advance Dining Reservations as soon as possible. Yes, even before Free Dining is offered, if you can. Everyone gobbles up the good ADRs quickly for Free Dining dates, so if you don’t book early, you will be stuck eating counter service or unpopular restaurants for the duration of your trip.
To answer some other common questions: yes, you must purchase tickets with the offer even if you already have them (or an Annual Pass). No, bookings made with Disney Vacation Club points are not eligible for the offer. No, you cannot “stack” this offer with a percentage-off room discount (at least not in the U.S.). For those wondering about other Walt Disney World discounts, check out our Current Walt Disney World Discount Offers post for what’s presently available.
For details about which tier of the Disney Dining Plan includes or for recommendations about which restaurants to book to maximize your use of the DDP, please see our comprehensive Disney Dining Plan Overview Page.

Note that the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion is always based upon arrival dates. For example, if Free Dining runs June 27 to June 28 and you arrive on June 28 and stay until July 5, you are eligible for Free Dining–even though it’s blocked out for July 5 arrivals. (You didn’t arrive on July 5 in that scenario–you arrived in June.)
However, if it’s offered those same dates and you arrive on June 26 and stay for the same dates, you are not eligible for Free Dining, even though more of your stay falls during an “eligible” period than the first example’s. The work-around for this is doing a split stay, with the ineligible arrival nights part of one vacation and a second vacation starting at the first valid “arrival” date and continuing thereafter. Again, arrival dates are what matters with Free Dining.
In the section below, we have historical Free Dining dates for the last few years. The rest of what follows is historical information about the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion…
Historical Information

The following is not pertinent to current bookings, but we have found that readers find it useful to have details about past Free Dining promos when planning for the future and what to expect. Note that the dates are pretty consistent from year to year, with slight shifts for holidays, weekends, and special events, or other things that may be excluded from the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion.
Last year, there was no early booking window for Disney Visa cardholders, but there was an expanded date range (see below). The two years before, Disney Visa cardholders did have an early booking window. Exact dates are listed below. 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. The last couple of years, there was no early window for Disney Visa cardholders.
Here are the Walt Disney World Free Dining dates that were available from 2013-2020 for historical reference…
2025 Free Dining Dates:

May 27 through June 26
July 7 through August 6
???

2024 Free Dining Dates:

July 1 to September 30 (Disney+ Subscribers)
July 1 to July 31 (Disney Visa)
September 1 to September 7 (Disney Visa)
December 9 to December 21 (Disney Visa)

2020 Free Dining Dates (Cancelled):

June 27 through June 28
July 5 through July 7
August 29 through September 8

2019 Free Dining Dates:

July 5 – September 30*
September 1 through September 18**
November 17 through November 27**
December 8 through December 23**

*First and second wave of Free Dining
**Third wave of Free Dining
2018 Free Dining Dates:

August 20* — September 29
November 24 — 27
December 7 — 23

*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 2.

2017 Free Dining Dates:

August 21* – September 30
November 14 – 20
November 25 – 27
December 8 – 23

*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 13.
2016 Free Dining Dates:

August 23* through October 1
November 15 through 21
November 26 through 28
December 10 through 21

*Disney Visa Cardholders could book for arrival dates beginning August 14.
2015 Free Dining Dates:

August 28 through October 2
October 25 through October 31
November 8 through November 19
December 15 through December 21

2014 Free Dining Dates:

August 31 – October 3
October 26 – November 1
November 9 – November 20
December 12 – December 23

2013 Free Dining Dates

September 2 to September 25
September 29 to October 2
October 18 to November 2
November 11 to November 23
December 12 to December 22

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