The Disney Dining Plan has officially returned and we’ve been learning all the ins and outs of the new system.
While only a few aspects of the Dining Plan have changed, it’s important to know whether or not it might be right for you and your travel group. We could go on and on about who should buy the Dining Plan — but here’s who shouldn’t.
What is the Disney Dining Plan?
If you are unfamiliar with this offering, the Dining Plan is available for an additional cost on your Disney World vacation. You pay a certain amount per night to get credits that you can use at most Disney World restaurants throughout your vacation.
Depending on the plan you choose, these credits can be redeemed at table service restaurants, quick service restaurants, or snacks. Essentially, this is a way to pre-pay for your food at Disney World, and the credits are used to “pay” for your meals. Many find the Disney Dining Plan helpful with budgeting and consider it a convenient option in the parks.
There used to be more Dining Plan options before it went away in 2020, but it’s returning with only two options: the Quick-Service Dining Plan and the Basic Disney Dining Plan.
The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan includes two quick-service meals and one snack per person per night. The pricing is as follows:
- $57.01 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
- $23.83 per night per child (age 3-9)
The Basic Disney Dining Plan includes one table service meal, one quick service meal, and one snack per person per night. This is the pricier option at:
- $94.28 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
- $26.69 per night per child (age 3-9)
Sounds like it could be a pretty sweet deal, right? Well, it’s not the best option for everyone — let’s break it down.
The Person Who Likes Spontaneity
If you’re someone who doesn’t like making plans and prefers to just go with the flow when you’re in Disney World, then the Dining Plan may not be for you — at least not the standard version that comes with table service credits. Popular Disney World restaurants need to be booked months in advance, and that doesn’t leave you with a whole lot of wiggle room.
Not only that, but if you have a dining reservation and suddenly see that your favorite ride has a low wait time, well, you might be out of luck since you have to make it to that table service meal!
The Person Who Likes To Do What They Want
Not a fan of playing by the rules? While we do recommend following all the rules on your Disney World trip, we can respect the sentiment of wanting to fight the power. There’s plenty of variety when it comes to the restaurants and what’s included in the Dining Plan, but it doesn’t include everything.
Most entreés are typically included, but you’ll find yourself paying out of pocket for “enhancements” like meal upgrades. It’s also worth noting that appetizers are not included in the Disney Dining Plan, so if you’re an apps person you’ll have to pay that cost out of pocket as well. This also applies to certain snacks — not all of them are available with snack credits!
The Person Who Wants To Eat for the Cheapest Amount Possible
We often talk about how the Disney Dining Plan can be a great value for some people — but we never said it was cheap. At the end of the day, it’s more about the convenience than the cost — the prepaid aspect entices people who only want to open their wallets for souvenirs on vacation.
You can dine cheaper while still dining well — without the Dining Plan. Even if you were to pay out of pocket for everything, you might still be able to enjoy some seriously great meals and restaurants and be satisfied, depending on where you go and what you eat!
The Person Who Doesn’t Drink Alcohol
Disney added alcoholic drinks (cocktails, wine, and beer) to the Dining Plan a few years ago, meaning those who are 21 and up can grab a bev with their meal. Anyone who is between 10 and 21, or those who don’t drink alcohol can instead get specialty beverages. Think smoothies, milkshakes, and mocktails.
Here’s the thing, though — the Dining Plan price is the same whether you drink alcohol or not, and there is no option to nix it. Part of maximizing your Dining Plan credits means going for the most expensive menu items, which often include alcohol. Disney World has come a long way in terms of having more mocktails and nonalcoholic options, but it’s something to consider if you’re looking for value.
The Person Who Doesn’t Want To Eat a Lot
The Disney Dining Plan includes two full meals and one snack per day, which doesn’t sound like a lot — but some of these portions can be pretty large. Factor in all-you-care-to-enjoy and buffet-style meals, and the amount of food multiplies. If you’re someone who is looking to try a ton of different restaurants on your trip while getting the most food you can, the Dining Plan may make sense.
But, if you don’t think you’ll be able to actually eat all the food that comes with the dining credits you’ve purchased, it may end up being both a waste of money and a waste of food for you. At the end of the day, only you can decide if the Disney Dining Plan is right for you, but hopefully now you’ve got a better idea of whether or not it is!
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
Stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney Dining Plan news and more!
The Most Expensive Snacks You Can Get Included With the Disney World Dining Plan
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Will you be buying the Disney Dining Plan in 2024? Tell us in the comments.
We used to get the dining plan every trip, but with the huge price increase the value is not there anymore. We used our table service credits for character meals and I think we usually came out ahead, but even booking character meals we wouldn’t come out ahead with the new plan. I wish they would bring the second snack credit back and get rid of the alcohol which I assume is what is driving the price up. I loved the convenience of the dining plan though.
It is nearly impossible to come out ahead using DDP if you don’t drink. There are a few places that this is possible, but if everyone is trying to do the same and get ADRs at the same restaurants or flock to the same counter service eateries, you will run into problems. And if you are aged 10-20 and can’t drink but still have to pay the adult price, then you definitely can’t come out ahead!
I found that the dining plan caused me to restrict my selection of foods. Instead of getting the menu item that looked most appealing, I would hunt out the most expensive items…..even if they didn’t particularly appeal. I wanted to get the most bang for the buck. Even with ordering expensive food, I rarely met the daily cost of the dining plan. I found it much cheaper and more pleasurable simply to forego the dining plan, and to eat whatever I wanted.