Free Dining on an Annual Pass

[JROriole8Fan]

While we have Annual Passes and Tables in Wonderland, I'm often intrigued by the offers of "free dining". How do you do this with an Annual Pass? Do you have to stay On Property? How do they know your length of stay?

[WishingStar2006]

You can't get free dining with the annual pass. Free dining is part of a MYW package that includes at least one day park ticket and staying on property. Free dining is linked to the number of nights you stay in a Disney Resort.

[hel5165]

When the free dining offer becomes available, I book a pkg thru Disney i.e., hotel and a one-day base pass. That qualifies for free dining offer. We use our annual pass for the remainder of our stay. We've done this the past 3 years and it works out fine.

[JROriole8Fan]

So, do I understand that you have to buy a one day pass for everyone and then stay on grounds to determine your "free dining days"?

[WishingStar2006]

Exactly, everyone on the reservation must have the same package.

[megustamex]

You don't have to use your one day ticket on that trip. You can save it for future use, even towards future purchase of another annual pass. Ask the reservations agents about it - they'll tell you. It doesn't ever expire. You just save your room keys.

[MidnTPK]

And 'Free Dining' is a bit of a misnomer. The appropriate name for it would be: 'get the dining plan added to your MYW package for free if you are willing to pay full rack rate for your room'. Which is a good deal until you realize that at the time that 'free dining' is offered, there are usually deep discounts available on rooms.

The Unofficial Guide website did an analysis of free dining and found that sometimes it's a good deal, but sometimes the other discounts are much better. In general, free dining is better if you have lots of adults and stay at the values. Room discounts are better at deluxes and with smaller groups.

[megustamex]

Right. With an annual pass, and values as low as $55 per night including tax at AP rates, we paid about $90 a night for the value resort and "free dining". Disregarding the cost of the 1-day ticket we had to buy (since we will probably use this towards another annual pass in the future during a non-free dining time), we figure we paid $35 a night for the "free dining". Still a good deal since we usually budget a minimum of $90 a day for food in the park for 4 people (2 adults, 2 small kids).

[PittFan]

When the free dining offer becomes available, I book a pkg thru Disney i.e., hotel and a one-day base pass. That qualifies for free dining offer. We use our annual pass for the remainder of our stay. We've done this the past 3 years and it works out fine.

:ditto:

[KylesMom]

We've found that the Tables in Wonderland discount card for A/P holders & Florida residents works the best for us . . .

[CanadianWDWFan]

We've found that the Tables in Wonderland discount card for A/P holders & Florida residents works the best for us . . .
This is what we do usually. But we have booked the free dining just as others have said when it proves to be a better deal compared to what we have booked.