Hi Kirsty!
Welcome to planDisney.
I am always happy to help my fellow guests from the UK.
I fully understand your disappointment about missing the
Free Dining & Drinks offer for holidays to Walt Disney World on select dates in 2025. I am in the same situation as you - in that we took advantage of the best offer available for our family holiday this year. The Dining & Merchandise Credit
is still a great deal! It was offered for select dates of the year, with variable amounts depending on your dates and choice of Disney Resort hotel.
There is no denying that Free Dining & Drinks is worth having!, but there are advantages to the Dining & Merchandise Credit for 2024. While this credit cannot be used towards buying a Disney Dining Plan, it does offer a little more freedom than a Disney dining plan in the way you can spend it.
You can use it however you please, with no restrictions on food items or how many drinks you are entitled to, for example. You can use it solely for buying all those essential souvenirs, or spend it all on dining, across the whole Resort - at Disney locations at the four theme parks, water parks,
Disney Springs, or at the Disney Resort hotels.
You will receive the total amount of your Dining & Merchandise Credit on the day you arrive at your Disney Resort hotel, and it will be emailed to you (possibly as soon as 30 minutes) after you have checked in. You can then store it on your phone for easy access, and will just need to show the bar code to the Cast Member at the point of purchase, who will also advise you of your updated balance remaining.
If you are looking for souvenirs, I highly recommend a visit to
World of Disney - the largest Disney store in the world! They have so much on offer - clothes, plush toys, Star Wars merchandise, Mickey Ears, homewares. You will be spoiled for choice! I also recommend a visit to the Emporium in Magic Kingdom Park, and Creations Shop in EPCOT.
Please come back and visit us again, we are always happy to help! Also, keep your eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for all the latest official updates on events that may be happening during your holiday.
Sue