updated: Disney Dining Plans and you

       
         Handy tip! 

        When on the Dining Plans,  
         look for this logo to help guide
​         your choices! 

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​Disney Dining Plans can be a little bit confusing if you've never used one before.  If used wisely, the Dining Plans are a fantastic way to save a little or a lot on your trip, depending on what you eat or how much you drink, letting you add even more magic to your vacation!

Here's a basic overview about the Disney Dining Plan for 2017 to help you decide if the plan is right for you.

Disney World offers three dining plans for guests staying on property. The Quick Service Dining Plan, the Dining Plan, and the Deluxe Dining Plan. Each plan comes with a refillable souvenir mug that can be used at any resort during the length of your stay.​ Each restaurant will have a different theme, so it's often fun to try a new place each time. 


The Quick Service Dining Plan is our favorite right now since we have small kids who don't want to sit still at a sit down restaurant for very long. This plan includes 2 meals per day, consisting of an entree and it's included side(s) (think half chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes, or sandwich and fries) and non alcoholic beverage, as well as 2 snack credits which can be used on a variety of things from soups or salads, drinks, desserts or packaged snacks. My favorite thing to use a snack credit on are the themed cupcakes. Gigantic works of art and delicious! We have never felt like we've sacrificed food choices with this plan. Quick Service doesn't mean you are stuck with just burgers and fries. There are yummy salads, seafood, fajitas, and so much more. Mr. Disney Magic loves going to Animal Kingdom and having lunch at Flame Tree BBQ so he can order the Ribs, chicken and pulled pork plate that includes baked beans, coleslaw and jalapeno cornbread. With Quick Service meals, no gratuities are charged and you do not need reservations.


The Dining Plan is the standard meal plan with Disney World and it includes 1 Quick Service meal, 1 Table Service meal and 2 snacks. You get everything as above with the Quick Service plan, but the Table Service meal can be a buffet or a sit down restaurant, and includes a dessert. This is a popular plan because it's the best of both worlds. You can have a quick lunch if you want and a leisurely dinner to unwind after a day at the Parks. There are a few Table Service restaurants that even offer special seating for nighttime shows, or Character Meals including breakfasts, however some of those might require the use of two meal credits. Gratuity will be added on additionally for Table Service restaurants just like if you went to a sit down restaurant at home. Reservations are usually required, and may be reserved up to 180 days before your trip.


The Deluxe Dining Plan is the most expensive plan because you get a lot more. This plan includes 3 meals, your choice of Quick Service or Table Service. If you choose the Table Service, in addition to the above entitlements, you also get to choose an appetizer. Gratuity will be added on additionally for Table Service restaurants just like if you went to a sit down restaurant at home. Reservations are usually required, and may be reserved up to 180 days before your trip.


The prices for the 2017 Disney Dining Plans are as follows:


Quick Service -  Per night            Ages 10 and up $48.19                Ages 9 and under $20.99 


Dining Plan – Per night                 Ages 10 and up $69.36               Ages 9 and under $24.94


Deluxe Dining Plan – Per night     Ages 10 and up $106.68           Ages 9 and under $38.74 



There are some legitimate reasons as to why, or why not this plan might be good for you. If you love the idea of having all meals paid for in advance and if you like to have Table Service meals and don't mind planning n advance this plan may be perfect for you. If you just like to snack in the park, or want to bring in part of your own food and just eat one meal in the park, you might not get as much benefit from this.

An incredibly easy way to see if you will come out ahead or not if you buy this plan is to use this fabulous dining plan calculator. DisTripPlanner.com has put a lot of work into making your decision as easy as can be. Just make sure that you do add in the refillable mug in step 2, in order to get the most accurate result. Just click here to see the calculator.

A few things to remember.

• Obviously, if you have the deluxe Dining plan, to get the best bang for your buck you are going to want to eat at all Table service restaurants. You are also going to want to make sure that you use up all of your dining credits (as in, no skipping meals because you aren’t hungry) or else you'll be paying for something that you didn't get.

 

• All children 9 and under must choose off of the kid's menu for meals, unless at a place where there is no kids menu.

 

• Gratuity will be added on for Table Service restaurants.

 

• Reservations are usually required, (and are pretty much mandatory for the most popular restaurants) and may be reserved up to 180 days before your trip.

 

• All sit down restaurants require a deposit of $10 per person in case you don't show up.

 

• It's a good idea to browse the menus ahead of time to determine which plan is right for you, and to also save precious park time once you actually arrive! You can see all of the menus and learn which places are a Quick Service or a Table Service by clinking this link here and going to Disney.

 

• You can read all of the details for each of the Dining Plans on Disney's site, by clicking here

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• Your meals are not limited just to the Parks. Your resort and also Disney Springs (Formerly Downtown Disney) all have restaurants and places to use snack credits. You'll even be able to find specialty items to use snack credits on in shops or bakeries.

 

• Those with large appetites or interested in having a meal with a character would benefit from booking table service for buffets, or character dining. Some restaurants even include VIP seating for nighttime shows. 

 

• When using a snack credit, remember to specify that you want to use a snack credit, otherwise it might be rung up as a regular purchase. (See Shana's comment below) If you have any questions as to if something is, or isn't a snack credit, just ask, and the Cast Member will be able to tell you, even before the purchase is rung up. 

 

• Remaining meal and snack entitlements will always appear at the bottom of your receipt, so hang on to those, or at least your most recent one so that you make sure to use all of your credits before your trip is over. The night before your departure, or the day of, stop by the gift shop to use those last few snack credits so nothing gets wasted. 

I hope this guide has been helpful for you in explaining the Disney Dining Plan! If you have any questions I might be able to help with, please email, or comment below! 

​Take a peek at what Sunshine Season's Quick Service has to offer at Epcot! 

​If you noticed I left something out, please let me know! Which dining plan do you prefer to get, or are you a snacker and a packer? Whichever you choose, any meal or snack at Disney is a good one!