Saving money on a family vacation to any major destination can be an exercise in futility. Besides the standard tourist trap type activities, food is one of the major expense for a family. The folks at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida have addressed that concern by expanding the dates available for the Free Disney Dining Plan. The Free Quick Service Dining Plan is available on certain dates for anyone booking a vacation package at a Disney Value Resort, and a Free Disney Dining Plan is available for anyone booking a Disney Moderate, Deluxe, or Villa resort. Of course, Disney Value Resort Guests can upgrade their plan for a modest charge.
The deals are good for most arrivals on select dates in 2011-2012 including: October 2 to 8, October 23 through November 5, November 13 to 19, November 27 to December 3, and December 11 to 17 for 2011 and January 8 to 14, January 22 through February 4, February 12 to 18, March 4 through 10, and March 25 to March 31. As with any great deal, especially at Disney World, the offer has a limited number of rooms available and all packages must be booked by October 29, 2011.
Guests receiving the Free Quick Service Dining Plan get to enjoy two quick service meals and two snacks per night per person, and one resort refillable mug, and guests enjoying the Free Disney Dining Plan get one table service meal, one quick service meal, and one snack per person per night. Those can be some pretty hefty savings for any family. Plus, many character meals are included in the table service selections, which can increase the value tremendously.
While guest of the Value Resorts, such as any of the All Star Resorts and Pop Century, receive a free Quick Service Dining Plan, the upgrade to the traditional Disney Dining Plan runs a few hundred dollars. However, those deciding to purchase the upgrade will lose their resort mugs, but since drinks are included with every meal it is less of an issue.
The Free Disney Dining Plan is one of the best special offers the Disney World Resort has to offer. Instead of reaching into their wallets to pony up some cash for a meal, guests instead simply hand over their room key. Since snacks can include cotton candy, popcorn, and ice cream bars, the benefits really start to add up for parents and kids.
Jason Gallagher is a former travel professional and long-time Pennsylvania resident. These experiences give him a first-hand look at developing situations in the state and everything included in the travel industry from technology to trends.




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