Friday, November 9th, 2018
What is the Disney Dining Plan? How does it work? Where can I use it? Keep on reading for more information about the Disney Dining Plan.
Some of the most frequent questions we receive as Vacation Specialists revolve around the Disney Dining Plans at Walt Disney World.
Here are some quick points to help you navigate the Disney Dining Plan. Please note, that there are currently 3 different levels of plans available – Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, Disney Dining Plan, and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan. I recommend the Disney Dining Plan as it tends to be the best fit for most families. As such, I will use that as the basis for my points below, but will also address the other plans as well.
The credits are done on a per night, rather than per day basis of your Walt Disney World Resort stay. This is true of any of the plans, and must be for your entire length of stay for your entire party. For the Disney Dining Plan, each guest who is 3 and older will receive 1 Table Service credit, 1 Quick Service credit, and 2 Snack credits. Your dining credits are accrued during your stay, and will expire on midnight of your check out date.
If you have the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, each guest who is 3 and older will receive 2 Quick Service credits, and 2 Snack credits per night of your stay.
If you have the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan, each guest who is 3 and older will receive 3 credits (either Quick Service or Table Service), and 2 Snack credits per night of your stay.
All Disney Dining Plans also include a Refillable Resort Mug, which can be filled at beverage stations within your resort hotel.
Dining credits (regardless of type) can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are hundreds of restaurants located throughout the Walt Disney World Resort where they can be redeemed. As a general rule, you are typically unable to use your credits at the bars and lounges. We recommend guests use their Quick Service credits for breakfast or lunch, and then the Table Service credit for dinner. Use your snacks to cover you off in between, and remember, the Quick Service meals are large and great to share!
Your Vacation Specialist will work with your family to create the best dining suggestions based on your preferences. Perhaps you are a bit more adventuresome, or you really only want Italian? No problem! We will find restaurants to best suit your tastes!
While at this point, Anna and Elsa aren’t dining with guests (they can’t leave Kristoff to dine on his own – it would be back to carrots and hay!), there are a lot of other character dining options. Currently, you can dine with Mickey & The Gang, Cinderella and her Royal Family, Storybook Princesses (such as Aurora, Belle, and Jasmine), Disney Jr. characters, Lilo & Stitch, Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, Snow White and the Dwarfs, and Ariel, Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider! The characters are always subject to change, and some dining experiences are only available at certain times of the day. Always check with your Vacation Specialist for the most up to date information!
No problem! Disney is great at accommodating all allergies! While we can make a note on your advanced dining reservations (the Table Service meals), we strongly recommend letting your server know of any allergies or dietary restrictions. When you visit a Quick Service dining location, simply ask the Cast Member to go over what options will be safe for you.
Either you or your Vacation Specialist will be able to make your advanced dining reservations. Dining reservations can be made 180 days prior to your arrival. Should you want to dine at the most popular restaurants in the 5:00pm-7:00pm range, we strongly recommending booking as close to, or before, the 180 day mark. If you are booking closer than 6 months, don’t panic! We may have to look at non-peak dining times, or at other restaurants. While 180 days seems quite far in advance, certain restaurants will fill up that early. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Absolutely! If you head to the Walt Disney World Resort restaurant overview, you can search all of the restaurants and preview their menus, check currently available times, and see whether or not they accept the Disney Dining Plan.
As long as you cancel more than 24 hours (we recommend closer to 48 hours just to be safe), you will not face any cancellation fees. If you fail to cancel outside of the 24 hours, your credit card used at booking will be charged $10 USD per person. Cancellations can be made via your MyDisneyExperience account, or by calling 1-407-WDW-DINE.
While navigating the Disney Dining Plans can be one of the more challenging parts of a Walt Disney World getaway, it doesn’t need to be. Your Vacation Specialist is here to help with any further questions you may have, and to make sure you have a magical trip!
-Haylee Neal
