Choosing a Dining Plan for Your Walt Disney World Vacation
With over 200 dining locations throughout the Walt Disney World property, it’s hard to deny that the food is part of the Disney experience. If you’re planning a visit, take a moment to review this simple guide to choosing a dining plan.
A dining plan is a great way to prepay for your meals and enjoy a more “all-inclusive” feel. Plus, Disney’s dining plans are all designed to help save you money on the cost of your stay.
Of course, you could always make PB&J sandwiches in your room, but with so many incredible restaurants and foodie experiences, your Disney World vacation is the perfect time to treat yourself!
Let’s take a look at the three different dining plans Disney has to offer.
Quick Service Dining Plan
No reservations are required for this on-the-go plan! This is the perfect plan for families who will be enjoying the parks and do not want to worry about scheduled table service meals.
This plan includes 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per person, per night of stay.
Disney Dining Plan
Get the best of both worlds with this popular plan. Explore the parks as you’re on the run all day and then sit down and relax with a table service dinner in the evening. Or perhaps you’d like to start your day with a breakfast and then finish up your day with a quick service dinner so you don’t have to commit to a reservation later in the day.
This plan includes 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal, and 2 snacks per person, per night of stay.
Deluxe Dining Plan
This is the best plan for foodies! The Deluxe Dining Plan allows you to enjoy many top-notch dining experiences due to its flexibility and design. Meal credits can be used at table service locations or quick service locations. Many people on this plan will combine meal credits so they can enjoy signature dining locations such as Cinderella’s Royal Table, California Grill, or even a dinner show.
The Deluxe Dining Plan includes 3 meals and 2 snacks per person, per night of stay. Each meal on this plan includes an appetizer (where available), entree, dessert, and beverage.
The “deets”
Guests will find about 440 locations on Disney property to find something to eat. Restaurants and food carts are scattered throughout parks, water parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. The majority of these locations accept the dining plans.
When choosing a dining plan, keep in mind that dining plan credits are granted for each NIGHT of your stay. For example, checking-in on Monday and checking-out on Sunday is considered a 6-night stay and dining plan credits would be as follows:
- Quick Service Dining Plan – 12 quick service credits, 12 snacks per person
- Disney Dining Plan – 6 table service credits, 6 quick service credits, 12 snacks per person
- Deluxe Dining Plan – 18 meal credits (quick service or table service) and 12 snacks per person
Dining Plan credits can be used anytime from the moment you arrive at your resort until midnight on the day of check-out.
Guests can combine (2) Table Service credits to use toward a signature dining experience. If you find you have run over your credits, you can pay for any additional meals out of pocket, but it’s also recommended to look into the next tier of dining plans to be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck!
The Disney dining plans can only be added to reservations at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Guests age 2 and under eat for free and therefore are not allotted dining plan credits. This means they can have their own plate at a buffet and at table service locations they can share from someone else’s plate with no “plate fee”. You’re always welcome to purchase a child’s meal from the menu out of pocket if you’d like.
Each person on the dining plan (over the age of 2) will also receive a resort-refillable, souvenir mug. You are entitled to unlimited refills during your stay at any of the resort’s fill stations.
Make Your Reservations
As many of you know, you can begin making your dining reservations 180 days prior to checking-in at the Walt Disney World Resort. It is important to make reservations as early as possible in order to help you secure all the reservations you’d like.
If this seems like a lot of work or you have lots of questions, we recommend using a MickeyTravels Travel Agent. Not only do they have a few tricks up their sleeves to help you get all the reservations you want, but they’ll handle everything before you even get out of bed! And if you’re still undecided, a travel agent can also help you with choosing a dining plan that’s just right for your family.
Dreaming of a Disney World Vacation? Fill out the form for a FREE QUOTE and all the best Disney insider tips. For more information, you can also contact me at mnugent@mickeytravels.com, follow me on Facebook, or call (716) 393-8806. As a Travel Agent, I offer a full range of complimentary planning services for all Disney Destinations (Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Aulani). Let’s make your Disney dreams come true!
