At Kingdom Destinations, we are frequently asked if the Disney Dining Plans are worth it. Many guests will always add a dining plan to their Walt Disney World package while others would prefer to pay out of pocket for each of their meals. Kingdom Destinations will help you decide if the Disney Dining Plans are worth it for your traveling party.
Every guest’s dining requirements are different, so I suggest thinking about how your traveling party likes to spend their mealtimes on vacation. Do you like to eat on the go or do you enjoy a sit down meal to relax and unwind? Many guests like to budget the majority of their meals ahead of time and the Disney Dining Plans are great for that purpose! Before we figure out if you should select a dining plan and which one, let’s go over how the dining plans work.
How the Disney Dining plans work
When you book a Walt Disney World package, you have the option of selecting a dining plan. Everyone staying in your room must select the same plan. Don’t worry though, children under 3 years of age are excluded from the dining plan and you can serve them food from your plate for free. Each guest 3 years and older will receive a set amount of dining plan credits for their entire length of stay and it will be based on the number of nights of the hotel stay. You can begin using these credits as soon as you check-in and through midnight of your check-out date. You can use as many or as little credits as you would like per day.
Where can you use the Disney dining plans?
The dining plans can be used for most restaurants including character meals in the parks and at the Disney resorts, select dining packages with priority seating for parades and nighttime events and they can be used to order alcoholic or specialty drinks at select restaurants. Many of those “entertainment” meals tend to be pricey when you pay out of pocket, so you usually get your money’s worth when you use a Disney dining plan instead. All the plans also include a souvenir drink mug which comes with unlimited refills of fountain drinks at the resorts.
Which Disney Dining Plan is best for you?
The DISNEY QUICK SERVICE Dining Plan is best for your traveling party if you plan to eat on average, two quick service meals per day and two snacks per day. Plus, you plan to order an alcoholic or specialty drink.
The DISNEY DINING Plan is best for your traveling party if you plan to eat on average one table service meal and one quick service meal per day and two snacks per day. Plus, one or more of the following…
- You plan to dine at character meals.
- You plan to order a dessert with your meals.
- You plan to order an alcoholic or specialty drink with your meals.
The DISNEY DINING Plan PLUS is best for your traveling party if you plan to eat on average two meals a day mostly at table service restaurants and two snacks per day. Plus, one or more of the following…
- You plan to dine at character meals.
- You plan to order a dessert with your meals.
- You plan to order an alcoholic or specialty drink with your meals.
- You want a little more flexibility when selecting either a quick service or table service restaurant.
The DISNEY DELUXE DINING Plan is best for your traveling party if you plan to eat on average three meals a day with the vast majority of them at table service restaurants and two snacks per day. Plus, one or more of the following…
- You plan to dine at signature restaurants and/or shows that require two dining credits.
- You plan to dine at character meals.
- You plan to order an appetizer and dessert with your meals.
- You plan to order an alcoholic or specialty drink with your meals.
- You want a little more flexibility when selecting either a quick service or table service restaurant.
Conclusion
In general, the Disney dining plans are an excellent choice for guests who do not want to worry about how much money they are spending on food while they are on vacation. It also allows guests the freedom of selecting expensive items off the menus. Choosing the right dining plan for your traveling party really depends on how each member likes to spend their meal times on vacation and the type of food and drinks they enjoy.
Which Disney Dining plan do you usually select and why? If you have more questions about the Disney Dining plans, please ask in the comments below.
For more information or to schedule a consultation about a trip to Walt Disney World or any other luxury family vacation, please contact Lissa Ryan at lissa@kingdomdestinations.com for a price quote.
Travel Advisor