DVC Members visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and past over the following month-plus could have the prospect to get pleasure from some wonderful freebies and perks, as Disney Trip Membership’s ‘Welcome House Weeks’ returns for a second 12 months. This lists the newest reductions and free issues at WDW, together with our commentary about these perks and why it has us longing for the long run.
Welcome House Weeks first debuted final 12 months, following within the footsteps of V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer time Days. Now it’s again as soon as once more, from August 14 by means of September 16, 2025! DVC Welcome House Weeks options free tasty treats, particular experiences, and further aggressive reductions only for eligible Disney Trip Membership Members.
That is along with the rising listing of Disney Trip Membership Membership Extras, which at present lists 317 Member Advantages in line with Disney. Don’t get too excited–no less than half of that listing is both nothing particular–however there are lots of useful perks. See our Checklist of the Prime 10 Disney Trip Membership Member Perks for those that are worthwhile.
First up is FREE ICE CREAM! This isn’t a drill!!! Deal with your self to a refreshing, complimentary Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar, ice cream sandwich or fruit bar at choose Walt Disney World areas.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Location: Tower of Terror Courtyard
- Dates: Mondays and Tuesdays, beginning August 18, 2025
- Occasions: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Location: Upcountry Touchdown in Asia
- Dates: Thursdays and Fridays, beginning August 14, 2025
- Occasions: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Magic Kingdom Park
- Location: Tomorrowland Terrace
- Dates: Wednesdays, beginning August 20, 2025
- Occasions: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Disney Springs
- Location: Gateway to Discovery – A Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Heart
- Dates: Mondays and Fridays, beginning August 15, 2025
- Occasions: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- EPCOT
- Location: Foyer of Dwelling Seas Salon
- Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning August 19, 2025
- Occasions: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Location: Disney Trip Membership Preview Heart
- Dates: Day by day, August 14 – September 16, 2025
- Occasions: 11:00 AM to five:00 PM
Members who’re eligible for Membership Extras might get pleasure from this profit. Legitimate park admission and park reservation required. Restrict of 1 ice cream bar, ice cream sandwich or fruit bar per particular person per week, per location. A legitimate Disney Trip Membership Digital Membership Card and picture ID are required.
Welcome House Wakeup
Mingle with fellow Members for espresso and a morning deal with at choose inns at Walt Disney World Resort:
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Modern Resort
- Location: Prime of the World Lounge
- Dates: Saturdays and Sundays, beginning August 16, 2025
- Occasions: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Location: Reunion Station
- Dates: Saturdays and Tuesdays, beginning August 16, 2025
- Occasions: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Restrict of 1 Welcome House Wakeup per week, per Member, whereas provides final. A legitimate Disney Trip Membership Digital Membership Card and picture ID are required at occasion check-in. The Member listed on the Digital Membership Card should be in attendance.
Eligibility: Members eligible for Membership Extras with a Resort reservation on the identical Resort the place the occasion is being held (on an occasion date) might attend, plus 4 Friends (or the variety of further Friends on the reservation).
Disney Character Closeups
Meet beloved Disney Characters at enjoyable occasions at Walt Disney World Resort:
- Location: Atlantic Dance Corridor at Disney’s BoardWalk
- Dates: August 25 by means of August 27, 2025, and September 8 by means of September 10, 2025
- Occasions: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Parking: There isn’t any Resort parking for this occasion. Members are strongly inspired to make use of Walt Disney World Resort transportation.
Eligibility: Members eligible for Membership Extras with a Resort reservation at Walt Disney World Resort, plus 4 Friends (or the variety of further Friends on the reservation). A legitimate Disney Trip Membership Digital Membership Card and picture ID are required at occasion check-in. The Member listed on the Digital Membership Card should be in attendance.
Free Doughnut
Cease by Everglazed Donuts & Chilly Brew at Disney Springs to obtain a complimentary Welcome House Weeks donut (whereas provides final).
- Location: Everglazed Donuts & Chilly Brew at Disney Springs
- Dates: Wednesdays, beginning August 20, 2025
- Occasions: Throughout regular working hours of Everglazed Donuts & Chilly Brew
- Eligibility: Members eligible for Membership Extras (one donut per Member, per week, whereas provides final)
Free Reusable Purchasing Bag
Go to choose Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Facilities for a complimentary, reusable bag to carry all of your goodies.
- Areas: Gateway to Discovery – A Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Heart at Disney Springs and Golden Vine Home – A Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Heart at Disney California Journey Park
- Dates: August 14 to September 16, 2025
- Occasions: Throughout regular working hours of Gateway to Discovery – A Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Heart and Golden Vine Home – A Disney Trip Membership Welcome House Heart
- Eligibility: Members eligible for Membership Extras (one buying bag per Member)
Copper Creek Sneak Peek
Cease by to see the refreshed Resort rooms at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
- Dates: To be introduced
- Occasions: To be introduced
Free Sweet
Obtain complimentary sweet at Motion pictures Below the Stars at choose Walt Disney World Resorts:
- Disney’s Modern Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Seaside Membership Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
- Disney’s Outdated Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resorts
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Dates: Varies by Resort. Please test with the Recreation workforce at every respective location.
- Occasions: Throughout regular working hours of Motion pictures Below the Stars
- Eligibility: Members eligible for Membership Extras (one collection of sweet per week, per Member)
40% Off Choose WDW Eating places
Take pleasure in 40% off meals and nonalcoholic drinks at choose Desk-Service eating places at Walt Disney Resort on choose dates:
- Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Tusker Home Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park (Lunch & Dinner)
- Toledo –Tapas, Steak & Seafood at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (Dinner)
- Boatwright’s Eating Corridor at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (Dinner)
- Cape Could Cafe at Disney’s Seaside Membership Resort (Dinner)
- The Diamond Horseshoe at Magic Kingdom Park
- Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Tiffins Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Coral Reef Restaurant at EPCOT
- Ale & Compass Restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Membership Resort (Breakfast & Lunch)
- Dates: Mondays by means of Thursdays from August 14 to September 16, 2025
- Occasions: Throughout regular working hours of taking part eating places. Low cost solely legitimate throughout sure meal durations at choose eating places (see listing of areas).
- Eligibility:
- Members eligible for Membership Extras, plus as much as 3 Friends, except in any other case famous
- Legitimate throughout every location’s common eating hours, except in any other case famous. Supply legitimate for dine-in clients solely and excludes to-go.
- Not legitimate on sure menu gadgets, particular occasions or packages and might not be mixed with every other low cost, provide or promotion.
- Low cost is off the common value of meals and nonalcoholic drinks, excluding tax and gratuity.
- Topic to vary with out discover.
- Legitimate at choose areas at Walt Disney World Resort listed above, Monday by means of Thursday solely.
- Legitimate park admission and park reservation required for in-park areas.
- To obtain the low cost, the Disney Trip Membership Member should present their Digital Membership Card and government-issued ID. Your Digital Membership Card will be discovered on the My Disney Expertise app and must be added to the digital pockets of your cell gadget.
Observe that this listing is nearly an identical to the lists from Annual Passholder Appreciation Days, and as such, our commentary is comparable. We took benefit of some reductions then, and can be doing the identical once more throughout DVC Welcome House Weeks.
There are some incredible eating places on this listing, together with some that make our listing of the 25 Greatest Eating places at Walt Disney World for 2025 (or are honorable mentions). Sadly, lots of our favourite eating places are additionally unpopular ones, which is why they’re getting this aggressive low cost.
Along with the eating places we spotlight, I’d additionally add that Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood was as soon as once more simply acknowledged by the 2025 Michelin Information Florida. This is likely one of the eating places we’ll be revisiting throughout VIPassholder Summer time Days.
I additionally need to spotlight that Toledo is just not open Mondays and Tuesdays. One thing I knew at one level, however forgot throughout a current keep at Gran Destino Tower after I opted to eat on the Poly on a Sunday, with the plan to do Toledo on Monday. Now my silly mistake seems like an act of 4D chess, as I’ll be staying at Coronado Springs very quickly beginning on a Wednesday!
Different eating places we’d advocate doing are Hollywood & Vine and Tusker Home. Character eating at 40% off is simply too good to move up, particularly at these areas. I’m shocked to see Tusker Home on the listing with out Boma additionally making an look–it turns into a no brainer to do the character ‘model’ of this meal for significantly lower than the full-priced possibility over at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine is considered one of Sarah’s absolute favourite character meals, and we’re particularly massive followers of Minnie’s Halloween Dine. Technically, you could possibly do Hollywood & Vine twice for 2 completely different character meals throughout Welcome House Weeks. Minnie’s Summertime Dine runs by means of August 15, and Minnie’s Halloween Dine begins on August 16, 2025. So you’ve gotten two days for Summertime Dine–act quick!
I’ve talked about this elsewhere, however the spotlight for me of V.I.PASSHOLDER Days was Tiffins Restaurant. It was completely incredible. Probably the greatest in-park meals I’ve had in years. So good that I’m planning on eating there once more throughout Welcome House Weeks (for analysis, after all–gotta have a pair meals for a extra complete new assessment).
It was additionally far and away the busiest I had seen Tiffins since its opening 12 months, and ADRs for the restaurant had been truly aggressive. Actually, in every single place I ate through the AP Appreciation Days was pretty busy, and I’m guessing that was largely the results of Annual Passholders, as a result of most different eating places had been not busy throughout my meals final month.
This actually makes me marvel why Walt Disney World isn’t doing one other tier to the low cost–and even together with extra eating places at 40% off. It’s unlikely that Olivia’s Cafe, Sanaa, Boma, Kona Cafe, Turf Membership, or different eating places with perpetual deep reductions for Solid Members have robust bookings for the following few months. And lots of of these are literally at DVC resorts, too!
I shared this identical sentiment again when V.I.Passholder Summer time Days was first introduced, and thought that certainly the 40% off was one tier, and as a part of the slow-trickle nature of the announcement, a 20% off vast low cost could be introduced later. Or perhaps even 25% or 30% off.
That thought was mistaken. In the long run, it was simply the 40% off, and solely at a smaller pool of choose eating places. And that smaller pool was very busy, as a result of demand wasn’t diluted throughout extra areas. In the meantime, these different areas–no less than the handful at which I ate–had been very gradual. I nonetheless don’t perceive Walt Disney World’s thought course of with this strategy, however I’m not complaining. I’ll simply focus my consideration on the 40% off areas.
Whereas we’re on the subject, I’ll reiterate that it’s odd that Walt Disney World nonetheless has not introduced again Tables in Wonderland. Demand for many Advance Eating Reservations has fallen off a cliff. The surroundings is just not what it was in 2021-2023, with robust pent-up demand colliding with decreased capability and staffing shortages.
ADRs are extra ample than anytime we’ve been monitoring them–not simply anytime within the final 5 years, however ever. I’ve eaten at a number of eating places within the final 12 months which have been eerily uncrowded. Even throughout Free Eating ‘season,’ which was once one of many busiest occasions of the 12 months, many desk service eating places are lifeless.
Relating to Tables in Wonderland, my greatest guess is that Walt Disney World has forgotten about it. Severely. (Because of this I hold posting about it periodically–as a “reminder” to these throughout the firm who is likely to be studying this.) I don’t know the way else to clarify why Tables in Wonderland hasn’t returned, at the same time as Walt Disney World in any other case pulls from the 2019 playbook.
Tables in Wonderland is a solution to improve demand for desk service eating places, which is badly wanted, whereas additionally monetizing it by way of an upfront income stream. Tables in Wonderland kills two birds with one stone, and feels prefer it’d scratch Walt Disney World management proper the place they itch.
When Disney Trip Membership first introduced Welcome House Weeks final 12 months, we speculated as to why they had been providing this perk. In its sophomore 12 months, DVC Welcome House Weeks is getting greater and higher, and we nonetheless have the identical query, albeit to a a lot lesser diploma.
Generalized visitor goodwill stays purpose primary. Disney used to do much more little issues that they name “shock and delight,” that are little sudden issues that each shock friends and delight them. Many of those had been on a person degree, and have largely vanished through the years. Some additionally occurred at a bigger scale. Welcome House Weeks is an occasion of that. Members visiting throughout these dates didn’t anticipate free ice cream or espresso, nevertheless it delights them in a approach that’s disproportionate to the fee for Disney.
The advantages of joyful DVC Members must be pretty apparent, however however, it’s one thing that Disney “forgot” to an extent from mid-2020 to early 2023 (roughly). Within the couple of years since, we’ve seen the pendulum begin to swing again within the different path, with Disney Trip Membership “realizing” {that a} joyful membership base is necessary. That is doubly true after they’re making an attempt to promote virtually a half-dozen completely different resorts, plus Disney Lakeshore Lodge on the best way quickly.
The second purpose, which is kind of touched upon above, is that mid-August by means of mid-September is the slowest time of 12 months at Walt Disney World. The growth of DVC Welcome House Weeks into eating reductions can principally be considered as a de facto extension of V.I.Passholder Summer time Days. Clearly, Annual Passholders who aren’t eligible for these restaurant reductions received’t really feel that approach, nevertheless it phrases of the sensible affect, the outcome can be related.
I’m actually shocked there isn’t extra like this, geared toward filling tables or nudging Annual Passholders to go to the parks. The ice cream is an effective instance of this, and maybe that’s considered as ok. There’s already the Discovering Nemo magnet for APs at Animal Kingdom, plus the DVC lounges in EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, and now the ice cream and restaurant reductions.
If all these issues received’t transfer the needle, perhaps the thought course of is that extra received’t, both. However it wouldn’t harm to make the free reusable bag additionally accessible at Animal Kingdom or do one thing else there to assist buoy attendance.
One other profit for Disney Trip Membership in the case of stuff like this, and even Moonlight Magic or the Member Lounges, is that it creates FOMO. That’s one other driver for gross sales. When non-Members see among the issues they may have in the event that they “simply” joined DVC, it helps push them off the fence. Particularly in the event that they’re diehard followers or regulars who may as properly make the leap.
Likewise, Membership Extras are a great way of shifting the needle on resales vs. direct gross sales, and will incentivize these on the fence to pay extra to purchase direct in order that they don’t miss out on any perks. If DVC Welcome House Weeks turns into an annual staple, it’s going to begin being talked about in evaluation of being instantly from Disney or by way of the resale market.
Suffice to say, it’s a stable gross sales technique from a holistic perspective. Even when nobody goes to purchase extra DVC due to free ice cream or no matter they get from Welcome House Weeks, this plus Moonlight Magic plus entry to the Member Lounges, and so forth., will tip the scales in combination. That’s exactly why these perks exist–and are a part of the advertising finances versus annual dues–within the first place!
In the end, I like that Disney Trip Membership is doing Welcome House Weeks and suppose it bodes properly for the long run. It may imply an growth and restoration of different perks, as Disney goals to each promote a ton extra factors and likewise entice followers to go to now that pent-up demand has pale.
The corporate recognizing that going above and past and making friends really feel heat and fuzzy about their visits is an effective factor that’s mutually advantageous and, hopefully, can be a philosophy that’s prolonged past simply Annual Passholders and Disney Trip Membership Members. If there are any doubts about this internally, maybe management ought to learn one of many many books written about delivering exemplary Disney visitor service and comply with their very own recommendation.
When you’re desirous about becoming a member of DVC, remember to learn our Final Information to Disney Trip Membership. This covers the professionals & cons, resale v. direct, how a lot cash you’ll save, and different necessary issues to know earlier than taking the plunge. When you nonetheless can’t resolve whether or not membership is best for you, “strive before you purchase” with the suggestions in Methods to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Lodging Renting DVC Factors.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on the DVC Welcome House Weeks? Excited this can be occurring throughout your journey, upset that you simply’ll miss it, or do you not likely care? Long run, are you optimistic that this bodes properly for Disney not off course with extra “shock and delight” choices and making an attempt to exceed expectations, or suppose that is only a one-off? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Share any questions, suggestions, or further ideas you’ve gotten within the feedback!