The Ultimate Guide to the Disney Dining Plan

Disney's Dining Plan Finally Returns, But How Is It Changing? How does it stay the same? How can you get the most out of your purchase? Discover all these things and more today in the DFE Guide Hi everyone, I'm AJ for Disney Dining Blog The Disney Dining Plan has been keeping us on our toes for quite some time, teasing us with its return, but never officially giving us a return date so far, recently Disney announced that the Disney Dining Plan would return on January 9, 2024, and while that may still seem that way. is a long way off, you can start booking vacations for next year with the included

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right now, which means you need to know everything about the Disney

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now to know whether or not it will benefit you and your family more forward.

Now I know a lot. Many of you are new to this channel, you don't even know what the Disney Dining Plan is the last time you went to Disney World, if you went to Disney World it was since the Disney Dining Plan went away so yeah, its a big problem. We're all going to talk about it, so what exactly is the Disney Dining Plan? We have been told time and time again by so many of our viewers, readers and followers that you cannot and do not plan to plan a Disney vacation without the Disney Dining Plan, except for Anyone who is new to the Disney scene or has visited for the first time the DDP could be surprised.

What the heck is a Disney dining plan? Why have people been so uproar about it? most of your meals at Disney World in advance are somewhat similar to what you do on a cruise, except they are less all-inclusive and there is no unlimited ice cream, but now you can add the DDP to your Disney vacation package to make everything what you have to do. What you need to do when you arrive at Disney World is go to one of the restaurants listed on the Disney Dining Plan, eat there, and use your DDP. After you know which restaurants are included thanks to the Disney Dining Plan, make sure you have one towards the end of the

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dining plan in their previous heyday they stopped making one but they should print the actual restaurants online we'll see if not we usually have a pretty solid list on our website as well as of What is included and who is included in the dining plan when you purchase the Disney Dining Plan, you will receive a set number of credits;

Generally, one credit is equivalent to one meal or snack, but some restaurants, the higher-end ones, will require you to spend two of your credits to dine there each time you pay. a meal with the Disney Dining Plan, your remaining credit balance will print on your receipt so you never have to lose track of how many credits you have left, and maybe when you return it they'll have some fancy part of the My Disney Experience app. to keep track of those who are now eligible to add the Disney dining plan to their next trip; Those who are booking a Disney vacation package with a hotel and park ticket package will be able to add this feature to their total purchase, so if you're already planning to stay off property somewhere to save some money on your overnight stays and you are not booking a room directly with Disney, then you will not be able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan; however, if you are a Disney Vacation or Annual Passholder.

Club member, you will be able to purchase the dining plan and add it to your room only reservation or your DVC reservation. In the next few points, we will really explain the truth to you and determine if the DDP will be worth it. that's a hefty price tag for you and your family, but another great way to feel 100 percent confident in any decision you make is to check out the 2023 dfb

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to dining at Walt Disney World that we publish updated every year and we have a whole chapter on how to decide Whether the dining plan is worth it includes specific cost breakdowns, budget spreadsheets, top tips for saving on meals, side-by-side comparisons that will compare the Disney dining plan to what a typical family of four You would normally spend at the parks on food if they were out of pocket for an entire week along with additional Disney dining plan information, these

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s will also give you Disney's best kept dining secrets, our absolute favorite restaurants around the property , plus printable worksheets to help you keep track of all your advanced reservations and dining budget and much more, we also have specific snacking and festival guides that review hundreds of different savory and sweet options that you may want to try or avoid, and The best part is that you can bundle all of these guides together to save half the cost if you're just looking for one guide to help you maximize your Disney Dining Plan credits.

You can also pre-order our new Disney Dining Plan guide. We've been researching this recurring plan tirelessly so you don't have to. Just don't forget to enter the YouTube code before purchasing to save even more money on your overall purchase. We always appreciate your support of the channel and we are very proud of these guides, so I hope they help you too. How is Disney's dining plan changing well for all you DDP loyalists? They know that the Disney Dining Plan they once knew will not be the same as the Dining Plan that will come when the Disney Dining Plan returns, just two Dining Plans.

There are categories available to add to your Disney vacation package, the Quick Service Plan and the standard plan for the Quick Service plan. All members of your party ages 3 and up will receive two quick-service meals per night, you will also receive one snack per night and a refillable Resort beverage cup – these cups will provide you with unlimited soda fountain refills at most locations. Quick Service around Disney Resorts, but free refills will not be available inside the parks now that meals were considered breakfast, lunch or dinner will include an entrée and a non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage for guests 21 and older. years or more, meanwhile, quick-service restaurants, most outdoor carts, and select merchandise locations will have single-serve snack credit options that will look a lot like this — yes, plenty of dining options. take your pick, but snack credits have their limits.

You can't use them on items that contain more than one serving, such as a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter, which are served in a souvenir container. That is, they are considered refillable popcorn buckets. These can be merchandise such as bottle toppers or glow cubes or are considered special dining events offered at select table service locations. For the standard plan, everyone in your party will receive one table service meal per night, one Quick service per night and one snack per night. of your package stay along with a refillable Resort beverage cup. By the way, you can also use that refillable beverage cup from the Resort for coffee and tea, so let's discuss what a meal might look like.

Quick service meals remain the same as before the main course. one drink, but table service credits work differently if you dine during breakfast, you can have an entree and a drink or, depending on the restaurant setup, you get a buffet or family-style meal prefix along with your drink . Meals considered at brunch lunch or dinner are basically the same, except instead of choosing just a main dish on a drink, you will also add a dessert of your choice at this time. Room dining service is only available at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, but you can still use the Disney Dining Plan when you eat in your room.

You can also use one of your table service credits to get an entree, a dessert and a drink from the comfort of your luxurious Grand Floridian bed. Another option for in-room dining at several Resorts is pizza. Pick it up at select Quick Service locations and it looks like you'll also be able to pick up some zaw with the Dining Plan. You can stop by certain Quick Service locations to pick up a pizza. Meal that includes a large pizza and two individual non-alcoholic slices. beverages Two quick service meals will be redeemed for each pizza takeout meal. This is available at Disney's All-Star Movies All-Star Music All-Star Sports Disney's Art of Animation Disney's Caribbean Beach Pop Century Resort Port Orleans Resort French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside, so Standard and Quick Service dining plans are almost the same as before, so what is actually changing is that in the past there were other Disney dining plan options that you could also choose from, such as the deluxe dining plan, the premium dining plan, and the Platinum dining plan. and Dining Plan Plus, which never really took off, they simply announced it right before the coveted closures.

Now, based on the names alone, you can probably already tell that these were the flashiest options of the bunch, while the premium and platinum options are officially discontinued. the deluxe dining plan is staying quiet for now, it may or may not come back, we're still waiting to hear more and you'll be the first to know when we make another plan we're waiting to hear about is that Disney destination. Dining Plan Plus, which would originally launch for the first time in 2020 and would give guests the option of quick service and table service selections in any combination; However, due to historic closures, this plan was never implemented, but not Disney.

We haven't said yet whether they'll try to give it another chance or not, so we'll keep you posted on any major changes between restaurant offerings between now and Disney dining plans of the past, we're not looking at a total. There are many important differences, except that Acres shoes the Royal Banquet Hall at Epcot, the Be Our Guest restaurant at Magic Kingdom and the fairy tale dinner at Artist's Point with Snow White and Wilderness Lodge now require two Dining Plan credits from Disney instead of just one if you want to dine at them another way the Dining Plan changes by changing the price before the 2020 closures, this is what the Disney Dining Plan costs, but by 2024, this is what What the Disney Dining Plan costs now, so to summarize, the most significant price increase we're seeing right now is for the standard Disney Dining Plan for adults, which has gone up to an additional $16.27 per person when it comes to the quick service option for adults, the price only increases a couple extra dollars and, lo and behold, the prices of both Disney dining plans for kids have actually increased.

It hasn't dropped much, but hey, we'll take what we can get. Knowing these numbers now will help you be able to calculate the math of your trip later. Will you eat around 95 foods each day to make a standard Disney dinner? Is the plan worth it or you think you'll probably pay a lot less if you stick with the pay-as-you-go method. That's another reason we've created a complete Disney Dining Plan guide so you can pre-order. All that math for you, so why are people such a fan of the Disney dining plan? Why don't you travel without it?

Well, there are a few key reasons why the DDP has built such a loyal following over the years, so let's go over the reasons why people love this and why you might want to pick it up first too: No You have to worry about paying for food while you're on vacation instead of having to worry about the cost of each restaurant while you're on your trip, you'll have them all paid for in advance and calculated in advance, that way the only thing you'll have to worry about is worry once you are at Disney World is eating.

No, you still have to make advance dining reservations at the table service restaurants you want to eat at. Since reservations are not automatically included in the DDP price and alcohol is also included in the Disney dining plan, don't get too excited about this, you won't be able to conquer the challenge of drinking around the world. At Epcot only from DDP when it comes to drinks, guests 21 and older can choose between a non-alcoholic beverage, including specialty drinks where offered, or a single serving mixed beer or wine cocktail that was offered with their right to food and guests under 21 years of age.

You can choose a non-alcoholic drink, including specialty drinks offered like craft shakes and premium hot chocolate, but because Disney drinks are so expensive, they can add an additional $15 or more per meal to the value of your Disney dining plan , the third reason people love it, is flexible despite how Disney divides up the credits to make sure you have something to eat each day without spending an extra penny. You can redeem credits for meals and snackswhenever you want during your stay, so if you spend a little more in one day and run out of credits at the end of your trip, you will only have to pay out of pocket for the additional meals you need to buy, but basically you can spend 10 Plan credits Disney Dining on your first day and a Disney Dining Plan credit on the second day, those credits are not assigned to specific days and the fourth gives you permission to experiment with food and snack options.

I always hear people defend the Disney dining plan because it gives them a lot of freedom. to try things they would never have tried otherwise, if you pay for each snack out of pocket, you'll probably be more likely to buy something you know you'll enjoy; However, when you've already prepaid for all of these snacks through the Disney Dining Plan, then you really have nothing to lose. I mean, you already have the snack credits to spend, so you might as well try a few things to see if you find any new favorites and same thing. For more expensive table service restaurants, many people will avoid them if they have to pay out of pocket, but if they have already paid, then they will try restaurants they otherwise wouldn't have tried. of course from the Disney Dining Plan, okay, this is the section of the video where we're going to tell you why you might not want to buy this.

I can't paint the Disney Dining Plan in an absolutely perfect light there. There are also some major downsides associated with this service. First, you're probably paying for more food than you're actually going to eat if you're someone who thinks about those restaurants with preset prices that force you to pay for an appetizer and desserts. If they ask you to pay for too much food, then you won't be a fan of the Disney dining plan. Disney has calculated their dining plans carefully. They didn't just pull that number out of thin air. Based on so much data on how much food the typical guest eats and while this set credit amount works for some who eat the most, many people will not eat enough food to break even, which is why Disney sells this plan on First of all, I mean, why would they sell something that's not going to make them money?

So before you spend a ton of money on a ton of prepaid food, you'll want to figure out which restaurants you really want to go to. Make reservations and how much food you'll want to eat each day of your visit to make sure you can at least break even. Second tips are not included, with some exceptions, tips are not included in the Disney dining plan, which means you will have to tip your servers at table service restaurants and buffet restaurants. Parties of six or more will automatically have an 18 tip added to their meal, but in most other situations, guests can choose what level of tip to give their waiter, but that's one.

At some point you will have to take out your credit card to pay for tips, but remember that you cannot combine the Disney Dining Plan with a room discount. If you purchase the Disney Dining Plan you will have to pay the full price of your room. This is one of the graphics we have at DFB about dining at Walt Disney World that will show you how you can save more, whether by purchasing the Disney Dining Plan or getting the room discount. It really all depends on where you are staying and how. how long you will stay and three, you have to pay for the Disney dining plan before your vacation begins.

This must be added to your reservation before arriving at Disney World. You can't decide when to get there to suddenly add it. last minute or in the middle of your trip, nor will you be able to cancel your Disney dining plan when you arrive on property or in the middle of your trip if it doesn't work for you depending on how you booked your dining package. You may be able to downgrade it from standard to express service if you decide you'd rather go to more fast food places and book fewer sit-down meals. You should make any changes at least 48 hours before your trip, but definitely try to make any major changes before that window, if possible to discuss the details of your situation.

You'll have to contact Disney directly at 407-939-1936, so here are some weird things you need to know about the Disney Dining Plan. it's some tough tips that we've gotten over the years because I've done the Disney Dining Plan over the years because we've been getting the Disney Dining Plan for a long time to try it out here at dfb. I got my first Disney Dining Plan back in 2005 when it was first released, so welcome to 20 years of knowledge about Disney Dining Plans, so I'll address some of the most frequently asked questions you might like to ask about the Disney Dining Plan.

Disney meals to help clear things up. first, can my group get different meal plans? Sorry, all guests staying in the same room on site must purchase the same version of the Disney dining plan, so even if mom wants the quick service plan but big brother wants to go all out with a standard plan. Your group will have to put their heads together and figure out what the majority wants to do. This time there is no going home. Can I get the Disney Dining Plan for my toddler? Only children ages three and up can be added to the Disney Dining Plan.

Plan, but I wouldn't consider this a bad thing. I guarantee it will be a lot cheaper to buy your two-year-old his own food at restaurants or pack him snacks in his Park bag, like goldfish or teething cookies or stuff like that. melted yogurt or whatever so they can eat throughout the day, not to mention that kids under three can eat off your plate at most buffets and restaurants for free, so there's really no need to add them to the Your family's meal plan, well, this is one. of my favorite weird Disney meal plan tips, our breakfast add-ons were considered a meal or a snack, breakfast add-ons used to be okay, like the single-serve Mickey waffles you can find at Contempo Café or Ordering bacon that you can add on at virtually any quick-service location or scrambled eggs count as snack credit, even if they're not listed directly on the menu as such.

Is this a good value? Probably not, but if you're struggling to use up all your snack credits because you already paid for them and everything, then this strategy might help you at least spend them on something so they don't go to waste, but when it comes to using your snack credits counter at breakfast in general, you might want to pass on it, since breakfast is generally a cheap dinner option for quick-service and sit-down restaurants, and these morning deals end up being a worse value for your credits than lunch menus and dinner, so you are starting to understand that there is a lot of strategy involved in the Disney dining plan yes, yes, don't worry, we will explain it to you below.

Can I buy someone a meal using my dining plan credits if they are not on the Disney dining plan? To keep things short and sweet, yes, if you meet a friend at one of the parks and want to pay for one of their meals with your dining plan credits, you are more than welcome to do so, as I said before. However, you have a lot of freedom to use your credits. Once you have them, what's the Disney dining plan like for kids ages three to nine? Well, in the old version of the meal plan, if your child was on a kids meal plan, they had to get a kids menu item at table service.

However, in restaurants, and this is a great tip, in counter service restaurants they didn't differentiate between counter service credits for adults and children, so you could get an adult meal for your seven year old or I could get a child's meal for an adult. totally up to you, you can also get an adult meal at quick service locations and split it between two people, saving you an extra credit to use later. We hope this will still be the case come January, but we'll keep our ears to the ground in case we hear something different sooner, so how do credits work at Epcot festivals?

Various items can be purchased during Epcot festivals with Disney Dining Plan snack credits. You can usually use one counter service credit to get three snacks. instead of a quick service meal that you can then use to try at the Epcot Food booths. That said, rules don't always apply and it was often very difficult to find cast members who knew how to do this for snacking. credit transitions or even crediting your food purchases at the booth toward your Disney Dining Plan snacks and it often wasn't worth the extra hassle of figuring it out, but we remain hopeful that if enough people use their credits of refreshments at festivals, this will make the transition much easier over time for both guests and cast members.

You can now use your Snack Credits to purchase things at the festival food stall. There are even Disney Dining Plan snack credit logos next to those items today. There have been them for the past three years and they never went away, but sometimes it's hard to find a cast member who actually knows how to load it onto your meal plan. Ok, do I get my money back if I don't use all my credits? No. there are no cuts in the cost of the Disney dining plan, that's the point, that's why Disney does this because they make a lot of money, even if you don't end up using all your credits at the end of the trip, you won't get a Refund for what you There's plenty left over, so you'll want to make sure you use it up completely before your vacation is over.

You can use any of those snack credits you have left that you're not sure what to do with in pre-packaged packages. Snacks too, like Rice Krispie treats and popcorn, are not a great idea, not a valuable idea, but that way you can at least take those Disney snacks home to enjoy later, but like I said, It's a way to use your credits for snacks. a snack that's been on the shelves for a while versus something fresh from the bakery display cases or something maybe super unique that you would never have tried before, but C'est La Vie, do what you have to do, but keep looking dfb. guide because we will tell you the best snacks and then you will have no snack credits left over and you will be very happy, how will the Disney Dining Plan affect annual passholders on Disney Vacation?

Club members, this is a short little section of this video just for all of you. These members are the exception to the rule. Annual Passholders will only be able to reserve rooms and will still be able to add a dining plan instead of having to do so. purchase the full package with tickets, while Disney Vacation Club members can get the Disney Dining Plan with a vacation points reservation for now, just know that DVC members will need to call the DVC line to add that plan of meals to your next trip, as online reservation will not be available for the first few weeks, so is the Disney Dining Plan worth it now?

There's a lot more we have to talk about with the Disney Dining Plan, which we'll do in future videos, but we wanted to give you a 101 here since those reservations just opened up, so if you book the Disney Dining Plan for your next trip or if you ignore this expensive add-on and continue paying for meals while you are inside the parks, it all comes back to the Pros and Cons I mentioned above, if you don't want to worry about the cost of each meal while you are in the parks and plan to eat enough to avail all your credits, then yes, DDP can be very beneficial.

For you and your group, especially if there have been some restaurants that are out of your reach due to their cost, this is one way you could go ahead and try them guilt-free, however, if you really don't want to feel like you're eating constantly to make sure none of your credits go to waste, then the DDP may not be the best investment, it's a lot of food, so our suggestion is to always crunch the numbers, the Disney dining plan may not be the best option. for everyone, but it might be the best option for you and remember you can also check out our dfb guide which will help you not only decide whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for your group but can also help you budget meals for your group. trip, whether you choose to prepay for return service or not, what do you think the Disney Dining Plan will be a key component to your vacation in 2024?

Let us know in the comments, give us your tips on when you've had the Meal Plan ahead and always check back with the dfb team for all things newsDisney dining, updates and tips. Thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching, as always this is the date for the Disney Food Blog and we'll see you very soon.