The Ultimate Guide to the Disney Dining Plan

the Disney Dining Plan is finally coming back but how is it changing how is it staying the same and how can you make the most out of your purchase find out all these things and more today on DFE guide [Music] hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food Blog the Disney Dining Plan has kept us on our toes for quite a while now teasing us with its return but never officially giving us a return date until now recently Disney announced that the Disney Dining Plan would return on January 9th 2024 and although that may still seem like it's far away you can start booking vacations for next year with the Dining Plan included right now meaning you need to know everything about the Disney Dining Plan now so you know whether or not it's going to benefit you and your family later now I know a lot 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 have gone to Disney World was since the Disney Dining Plan went away so yeah it's a big deal y'all we're gonna talk all about it so what exactly is the Disney Dining Plan so many of our viewers and readers and followers have told us time and again that you absolutely cannot and will not plan a Disney vacation without the Disney Dining Plan but for anyone who's new to the Disney scene or just had their first visit the DDP might be a head scratcher what on Earth is a Disney Dining Plan why have people been so up in arms about it the Disney Dining Plan basically means you pre-purchase all or most of your Disney World meals up front kind of sort of similar to what you do for a cruise except less all-inclusive and no unlimited ice cream lame but whatevs now you can add the DDP to your Disney vacation package so that all you have to do when you get to Disney World is head to one of the restaurants featured on the Disney Dining Plan eat there and use your DDP after you know which restaurants are included thanks to the Disney Dining Plan bro sure if they have one which toward the end of the Disney Dining Plan in its 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 of what's included and who's included in the dining plan when you purchase the Disney Dining Plan you'll receive a set amount of credits in general one credit equals one meal or snack but some restaurants the higher end signature ones will require you to spend two of your credits to dine there instead now each time you pay for a meal with the Disney Dining Plan your remaining credit balance will be printed on your receipt so you never have to lose track of how many credits you have left and maybe when they bring it back they will have some fancy part of the My Disney Experience app to track those now who's eligible to add the Disney Dining Plan to their upcoming trip well those who are booking a Disney vacation package with a hotel and Park ticket bundle will be able to add this feature onto their total purchase so if you're already planning on staying off property somewhere to save some money on your nightly stays and you're not booking a room with Disney directly then you won't be able to buy the Disney Dining Plan however if you're an annual pass holder or a Disney Vacation Club member you will be able to purchase the Dining Plan and add it onto your room only reservation or onto your DVC reservation in the next few points we're really going to hit you with a truth and determine whether the DDP is going to be worth that Hefty price for you and your family but another great way to feel a hundred percent confident in whatever decision you make is by turning to that 2023 dfb guide to Walt Disney World dining that we publish updated every year we have a full chapter on deciding whether the Dining Plan is worth it including specific cost breakdowns budgeting worksheets the best dining savings tips side-by-side comparisons that'll pit the Disney Dining Plan against what the typical family of four would usually spend in the parks on food if they were going to do so out of pocket for a whole week along with extra Disney Dining Plan info these guides will also provide you with the best kept Disney dining Secrets our absolute favorite restaurants around property more printable worksheets to help you keep track of all your Advanced reservations and dining budget and so much more we've also got specific snack and Festival guides reviewing hundreds of different Savory and sweet options you may want to try or steer clear of and best of you can bundle all these guides together to save on half the cost if you're just looking for a guide that'll help you maximize your Disney Dining Plan credits you can also pre-order our brand new Disney Dining Plan guide too we've been researching this returning plan relentlessly just so you don't have to just don't forget to type code YouTube before you check out to save even more money on your overall purchase we always appreciate your support of the channel and we are really really proud of these guides so I hope they're helping you as well so how is the Disney Dining Plan changing well for all of you DDP loyalists out there you know that the Disney Dining Plan you once knew isn't going to be the same as the Dining Plan that's coming upon the Disney dining plan's return only two Dining Plan categories are available to add on to your Disney vacation package the Quick Service Plan and the standard plan for the quick service plan everyone in your group ages 3 and up will receive two quick service meals per night you'll also get one snack per night and one Resort refillable drink mug these mugs will provide you with unlimited soda fountain refills at most of the Quick Service locations around the Disney Resorts but they won't be free to refill inside the parks now meals were deemed at breakfast lunch or dinner will include one entree and one non-alcoholic beverage or alcoholic beverage for guests 21 and older meanwhile Quick Service restaurants most outdoor carts and select merchandise locations will have your single serving snack credit options which will look a lot like this yep a lot of munchy options for you to choose from but the snack credits do have their limits you you can't use them on items that are more than a single serving like a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter are served in a souvenir container I.E those refillable popcorn buckets are considered to be merchandise like bottle Toppers or glow cubes or are considered to be special dining events offered at certain table Service locations for the standard plan everyone in your group will receive one table service meal per night one quick service meal per night and a snack per night of their package stay along with one Resort refillable drink mug by the way you can use that Resort refillable drink mug to get coffee and tea as well so let's break down what a meal might look like Quick Service meals are still the same as before one entree one beverage but table service credits work differently if you're dining during breakfast you can either have an entree and a drink or depending on the restaurant's setup you get one prefix buffet or family style meal along with your drink meals were deemed at brunch lunch or dinner are basically the same except that instead of choosing just one entree in one drink you'll also add on a dessert of choice too right now in-room dining room service is is only available at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa but you can still use the Disney Dining Plan when dining in your room too you can use one of your table service credits to get one entree one dessert and one drink from the comfort of your plushie Grand Floridian bed another option for in-room dining at various Resorts is pizza pickup from select Quick Service spots and it looks like you'll be able to snag some zaw with the Dining Plan too you can stop by certain Quick Service locations to pick up a pizza Meal which includes one large pizza and two single serving non-alcoholic beverages two quick service meals will be redeemed for each pizza pickup 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 the standard and Quick Service dining plans are about the same as they were before so what's actually changing well in the past there were other Disney Dining Plan options you could choose from too such as the deluxe Dining Plan the premium Dining Plan and the Platinum Dining Plan and Dining Plan Plus which which never actually got off the ground they just announced it right before the coveted closures now based on the names alone you can probably already tell these were the more bougie options of the bunch while the premium and platinum options are officially discontinued the deluxe Dining Plan is staying quiet for now it might return it might not we're still waiting to hear more and you'll be the first to know when we do another plan we're waiting to hear about is the fate of that Disney Dining Plan Plus which is originally going to be released for the first time ever in 2020 and would give guests the choice of Quick Service and table service Selections in any combination however because of the historical closures this plan never came to pass but Disney hasn't yet said whether or not they're going to try to give it another go so we'll keep you updated as far as any big changes among the restaurant offerings between now and the Disney dining plans of the past we're not seeing a whole lot of major differences except that Acres shoes Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom and storybook dining at artist point with Snow White and Wilderness Lodge now take up two Disney Dining Plan credits instead of just one if you want to dine at them another way the Dining Plan is change changing price before the 2020 closures this is what the Disney Dining Plan cost but for 2024 this is what the Disney Dining Plan costs now so to summarize the most significant price hike we're seeing right now is for the adults standard Disney Dining Plan which has jumped in extra 16.27 per person as far as the adult's Quick Service option is concerned the price is only ticked up by an extra couple of dollars and looky there prices for both of the child's Disney dining plans have actually dropped not by a lot but hey we'll take what we can knowing these numbers now will help you be able to figure out the math of your trip later on will you be eating around 95 worth of food each day to make a standard Disney Dining Plan worth it or do you reckon you probably pay way less if you were to stick with the pay as you go method that's another reason why we've made a whole separate Disney Dining Plan guide for you to pre-order we've already done all that math for you so why are people such fans of the Disney Dining Plan why won't they travel without it well there are a few key reasons as to why the DDP has built such a loyal fan following over the years so let's go over the reasons why people love this thing and why you might want to get it too first you don't have to worry about paying for food while you're on vacation instead of having to worry about the cost of every restaurant while you're on your trip you'll have them all prepaid and figured out ahead of time that way all you have to worry about once you're in Disney World is actually eating no you still have to make advanced dining reservations for Table service restaurants you want to eat at since reservations aren't automatically included with the price of the DDP and alcohol is included in the Disney Dining Plan as well now don't get too excited about this you're not going to be able to conquer that drinking around the world challenge in Epcot from the DDP alone when it comes to drinks guests 21 and older can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage including specialty beverages where offered or one single serving mixed cocktail beer or wine were offered with their meal entitlement and guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage including specialty beverages where offered like artisanal milkshakes smoothies and premium hot chocolate but since Disney drinks are so expensive that can add an extra 15 bucks or more per meal onto the value of your Disney Dining Plan the third reason people love it it's flexible despite how Disney divides up the credits to make sure you've got something to munch on each day without spending a dime extra you are more than welcome to redeem meal and snack credits whenever you want during your stay so if you spend a little extra on one day and find yourself coming up short on credits by the end of your trip you'll just have to pay out of pocket for any extra meals you need to purchase but basically you can spend 10 Disney Dining Plan credits on your first day and one Disney Dining Plan Credit on your second day those credits are not allocated to specific days and four it gives you permission to experiment with food and snack options I always hear people defending the Disney Dining Plan because it gives them a lot of freedom to try things they'd never have tried other wise if you're paying for every snack out of pocket you'll probably be more apt to purchase something you know you're going to enjoy however when you've already prepaid for all these snacks through the Disney Dining Plan then you've really got nothing to lose I mean you've already got the snack credits for the spending so you might as well taste test a few things to see if you come across any new favorites and same thing for more expensive table service restaurants a lot of people will avoid these if they have to pay out of pocket but if they've already done the paying then they're going to try restaurants they wouldn't have tried otherwise now why do people steer clear of the Disney Dining Plan okay this is the section of the video we're going to tell you why you may not want to buy this I can't paint the Disney Dining Plan in an absolute perfect light there are some major downsides attached to this service as well first you're probably paying for more food than you're going to actually eat if you're someone who thinks those restaurants with prefixed prices that force you to pay for an appetizer entree and desserts are asking you to pay for too much food then you're not going to be be a fan of the Disney Dining Plan Disney has calculated their dining plans carefully y'all they didn't come up with that number out of nowhere they've based this on so much data of how much food the typical guest eats and while this set credit amount works for some who eat the absolute most lots of people aren't going to eat enough food to break even so that's why Disney sells this plan in the first place I mean why would they sell something that's not going to make them any money right so before you drop a bunch of money on a bunch of prepaid food you're going to want to figure out which restaurants you're really wanting to make reservations for and how much food you're going to want to eat on each day of your visit to make sure you can at least Break Even second gratuities are not included with a few exceptions gratuities are not included in the Disney Dining Plan meaning you will need to tip your servers at table service restaurants and buffet restaurants parties of six or more will automatically have an 18 gratuity tacked onto their meal but in most other situations guests may choose what level of tip to provide to their server but that is one one time you're going to have to pull out your credit card to pay the gratuities but remember you can't combine the Disney Dining Plan with a room discount if you buy the Disney Dining Plan you'll have to pay full price for your room this is one of the charts we have in the dfb guy to Walt Disney World dining that will tell you how you can save more whether by getting the Disney Dining Plan or getting the room discount it really all depends on where you're staying and how long you're staying and three you have to pay for the Disney Dining Plan before your vacation starts this must be added to your reservation prior to arriving at Disney World you can't decide when you get there to all of a sudden add it on last minute or in the middle of your trip nor will you'll be able to cancel your Disney Dining Plan when you arrive on property or in the middle of your trip if it's not working out for you depending on how you booked your dining package you may be able to downgrade it from a standard to a quick service if you decide you'd rather hit up more fast food locations and book fewer sit-down meals you should make any changes at least 48 hours in advance of your trip but I definitely definitely try to make any big changes before that window if possible to discuss the specifics of your situation you'll have to contact Disney directly at 407-939-1936 all right so here's some weird stuff you need to know about the Disney Dining Plan these are some hard-fought hard one tips that we've gotten through the years because I've done the Disney Dining Plan through the years because we've been getting the Disney Dining Plan for a long time to test it out here at dfb I got my first Disney Dining Plan in 2005 when it first launched so welcome to 20 years of Disney Dining Plan knowledge so I'm gonna address some of the most out there questions you like to ask about the Disney Dining Plan to help clear things up for you first can my group get different dining 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's gonna have to put their heads together and figure out what the majority wants to do There's No Going houses this time can I get the Disney Dining Plan for my toddler only kids who are three years old and up can be added to the Disney Dining Plan but I wouldn't consider this a bad thing I guarantee you it'll be much cheaper to just buy your two-year-old his own food at the restaurants or pack them snacks in your Park bag like goldfish or teething biscuits or those yogurt melts or whatever for them to munch on throughout the day not to mention kids under three can eat off your plate at most buffets and restaurants for free anyways so there's really no need for them to be added to your family's Dining Plan okay this is one of my favorite weird Disney Dining Plan tips our breakfast side items considered a meal or a snack okay in the past breakfast side items like the single count Mickey waffles you can find at Contempo cafe or the order of bacon you can add on at pretty much any quick service location or scrambled eggs have counted as a snack credit even if they're not directly listed on the menu as such is this a good value probably not but if you're scrambling to use all of your snack credits since you've already paid for them and all then this strategy could help you at least spend them on something so they don't go to waste but when it comes to using your counter service credits on breakfast in general you might want to pass on that since breakfast is usually a cheap dining option for quick service and sit-down restaurants and these morning offerings end up being a worse value for your credits then lunch and dinner menus prove to be so you're starting to get that there's like a whole lot of strategy involved in the Disney Dining Plan yes yes there is don't worry we will walk you through it next can I I buy someone a meal using my Dining Plan credits if they're not on the Disney Dining Plan to keep things short and sweet yes if you're meeting up with a friend at one of the parks and you want to pay for one of their meals with your Dining Plan credits you're more than welcome to do so like I said earlier you got a lot of freedom to use your credits however you want once you've got them now what's the Disney Dining Plan like for kids ages three to nine well in the previous version of the Dining Plan if your kid was on a kid's Dining Plan they had to get a kids menu item at table service restaurants however and this is a huge huge tip at counter service restaurants they did not differentiate between adult and kids counter service credits so you could get an adult meal for your seven-year-old or you could get a kids meal for an adult it was totally your call you could also get an adult meal at Quick Service locations and split it between two people which would save you an extra credit to use later on we're hoping this is still the case when January rolls around but we'll keep our ears to the ground just in case we hear anything different before then alright so how do credits work at Epcot festivals several items throughout the Epcot festivals can be purchased with your Disney Dining Plan snack credits usually you can use a counter service credit to get three snacks instead of one quick service meal as well which you can then use to taste your way around the Epcot Food booths that being said rules aren't always enforced and it was often really hard to find cast members who knew how to do these counter to snack credit transitions or even to credit your food Booth purchases to your Disney Dining Plan snacks and often it wasn't worth the extra hassle to figure that out but we're holding on to hope that if enough people use their snack credits at the festivals this time around it will be much easier for the transition to take place for guests and cast members alike now you absolutely can use your snack credits to buy stuff at the festival food booth there are even Disney Dining Plan snack credit logos next to those items today and there have been for the past three years they never went away but sometimes it's hard to find a cast member who actually knows how to charge it to your Dining Plan okay do I get my money back if I don't use all my credits nope there's no cutting Corners with the Disney Dining Plan cost 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 by the end of the trip you're not going to get a refund for whatever's left over which is why you're going to want to make sure you spend them fully before your vacation wraps up you can use any of those lingering snack credits that you're not quite sure what to do with on pre-packaged snacks too like Rice Krispie treats and popcorn not a great idea not a valuable idea but you can that way you can at least bring those Disney snacks home with you to enjoy later on but like I said it's such a ways to use your snack credits on a snack that's been sitting out on the shelves for a while versus something fresh out of the bakery display cases or something maybe super unique that you never would have tried before but C'est La Vie you do what you have to do but keep watching dfb guide because we're going to tell you about all the best snacks and then you're not gonna have any snack credits left over and you'll be so happy okay so how will the Disney Dining Plan affect those annual pass holders in Disney Vacation Club members this is a short and sweet little section of this video just for y'all these members are the exception to the rule annual pass holders will be able to book rooms only and still be able to add on a Dining Plan instead of needing to buy the full package with tickets while Disney Vacation Club members can get the Disney Dining Plan on a vacation points reservation for now just know that DVC members will need to call the DVC line to add that Dining Plan to their upcoming trip since online booking will not be available for the first couple of weeks alright so is the Disney Dining Plan worth it now there is so much more we need to talk about with the Disney Dining Plan which we will do in future videos but we wanted to get you a 101 here since those bookings just opened up so bottom line should you be booking the Disney Dining Plan for your upcoming trip or should you be ignoring this pricey add-on and continue paying for meals while you're inside the parks it all goes back to the pros and cons I listed off earlier if you don't want to stress about the cost of each meal while you're in the Parks and you plan on eating enough to get your money's worth out of all your credits then yes the DDP can be highly beneficial for you and your group especially if there have been some restaurants that are just off limits for you because of their cost this is one way that you might be able to go ahead and guiltlessly try them out however if you don't really 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 of Investments it's a lot of food so our suggestion is always to Crunch the numbers the Disney Dining Plan may not be the best fit for everyone but it could be the best fit for you and remember you can also turn to our dfb guide which will help you not only decide if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it or not for your group that can also help you budget dining for your trip whether you choose to prepay for the returning service or not so what do you think is the Disney Dining Plan going to be a key component for your vacation in 2024 let us know in the comments give us your tips on when you've had the Dining Plan before and always keep checking back with the dfb team for any and all things Disney dining news reviews updates and advice thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching as always this is date for Disney food blog and we'll see you real soon

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 71,090

Keywords: disneyfood, disney, disney world, disneyland, disneyvideo, disneyvacation, food, disney parks, disney travel, disney tips, disney guides, disney planning, disney trip, disney how to, disney vlog, disney vlogger

Id: 0ql6j46TnrQ

Length: 22min 22sec (1342 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 05 2023