First things first, if you are new to Disney world let me explain what the Dining plan is.
Disney Dining is a package you can add to your booking that gives you meal credits to eat at most Restaurants and Quick service places within Disney property. There are 3 packages to choose from. Quick Service, Disney Dining and Deluxe Dining. Each package is suited to enhance your experience.
Quick service Dining Plan
The quick service dining plan is a convenient and simple option for families who have a smaller budget or who are on the go . Quick Service is available at all participating self-service locations They offer a great place to stop for a casual or snack in between all the excitement of the Disney Parks. When it's time to grab a bite to eat, simply order your food at a self service counter or register before finding a place to sit. You can now order food on the My Disney Experience app for collection to make it even more convenient (selected Quick service locations) – there is no need for a dining reservations on the Quick service plan.
Entitlements
2 Self service credits per day - a self service credit entitles you to one main meal from any quick service location. With so many options to choose from you will not be limited to what meals you can choose from on this plan. included with your main meal you are also entitled to 1 non alcoholic/alcoholic beverage. Yes that right! Alcohol is now included. This could be anything from a $12 larger or a $15 dollar margarita. If having a tipple with your food is your thing then this definitely helps get your money's worth. Of course if you don't drink there are plenty of soft drink options available. Quick service portions are more than satisfactory and with 2 per day, this is more than enough food to fill you up!
2 Snack credits per day - 1 snack credit can be anything from an ice cream or bottle of water (DO NOT USE A SNACK CREDIT ON WATER unless you have too. Use your refill mugs at the water stations) to traditional funnel cake and mac n cheese. If you do your research you can really get full value for your snack credits. On the official Disney website they list the options Water, Fresh Fruit, Soft Drinks and Ice creams. This can be very misleading as i wasted so many credits on soft drinks and water on my first week of my Disney holiday. It was only the second week that i discovered how much variety you actually get. There are some great options to choose from in Epcot's World Showcase with some snack credits costing $8. Just keep an eye of for the snack credit symbol on the menu board (the purple and white logo above)
1 Refillable Resort Mug per person - This is a great addition to the Dining plan. In every resort you will find refill stations either in the dining halls or at Quick service stations. you can collect you mug from your resort either in at your quick service point or the gift shop. There are lots of cool disney designs to choose from when picking your mug. When you take your refillable mug to the counter, the Cast member will link it to your account using your magic band or card. This will activate it allowing you to place it on the Refill machines. When you select a drink to pour the machine will tell you when your subscription is over. Very clever! Its unlimited refills so don't panic however it is important to remember that you can only refill your mugs in your resort and not in the parks.
Disney Disney Dining Plan
The Disney Dining plan adds in the excitement of table service credits. By upgrading to the Dining plan you now open up 100s of Table service restaurants in Disney Property. Unlike Quick service, you will now have a waiter who will take your order. You will be able to choose a starter and a main meal with 1 beverage included. in some restaurants i found that they were happy to swap a starter for a desert but many places said no so its definitely worth asking is you have a sweet tooth.
Entitlements
1 Self Service Credit per day - As per the Quick service description above, you are entitled to 1 self service meal per day which also includes 1 non/alcoholic beverage with your meal
1 Table Service Credit per day - When you book your Disney vacation the first exciting milestone is booking your Dining reservations. If you are staying on disney property you can book restaurants 180 days before your arrival. This sounds like an awful long time in advance but trust me, you need to be logged on and ready to book on that day to ensure you don't miss out on the best restaurants. Signature restaurants offer you a more up market culinary experience. They also come at a price. A Signature restaurant will set you back 2 credits from your table service plan, although its definitely a great idea to include 1 or 2 of these into your plans because they will offer you the best dining experience. Dont forget that you also get that beverage included with your table service meal. If you fancy a tipple you definitely have alot more choice on the table service plan with a free reign of the drinks menu (within reason) cocktails included of course! You can also use your table service credits to book character dining meals and dinner shows. Dinner shows will take up 2 credit but the food is all you can eat buffet style,.
2 Snack Credits per day - DON'T WASTE THEM ON WATER! unless you have too of course :)
1 Refillable Resort Mug per person - Quick service description
Deluxe Dining Plan
If food is your thing then why not go all out! after all you are on holiday. The Deluxe plan offers you breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast entitles you to one course with a beverage and lunch and dinner two course with a beverage. you can also use your entitlements on service service stations. The Deluxe plan offerers maximum flexibility.
Entitlements
3 Table Service or 3 Quick Service Credits per day - or a combination of both. That's an awful lot of food. however you will never miss a meal. Breakfast only entitles you to one main course and beverage as mentioned above but your lunch and dinner entitlements are as per the Disney dining plan, 1 Starter and 1 main and 1 beverage. With more more table service credit at your disposal this will allow you to book more signature restaurants and dinner shows without them eating up your table service credits.
2 Snack credits per day - Due to the sheer volume of food at your disposal, feel free to get bottled water ;)
1 Refillable Resort Mug per person - As per quick service description above.
Now back to the original question. Yay or nay? I have personally experienced being on the plan and off of it and i can honestly say go for it if you have the budget. What's better, Disney offer Free dining included on your package on selected months so you can get it for free. What resort you stop in determines the plan you receive for free. For example if you stop at a value resort you will get the Quick service plan included. if you stop at a selected moderate resort you will get the disney dining package and if you stop at a selected Deluxe resorts you can bag the Deluxe dining plan. You can upgrade to any plan for an extra cost.
When considering getting a dining plan, it's important to add up rough how much you would likely spend on food. This sound obvious but if you don't eat a lot of food then you probably won't break even on the amount it costs to add a dining package. Typically you will spend between $25-$40 per day on your Quick service plan including snack credits, $40-$100 per day on the table service plan (if you like steak you can really get a lot of bang for your buck) and $100-$200+ per day on the deluxe plan. If you have a table service plan include take a good look at the menu because everything is included (within reason). try and pick out the most expensive items on the menu as this will get you over that magic break even point on the cost. STEAK STEAK STEAK. COCKTAILS COCKTAILS COCKTAILS.
It worth mentioning that gratuities are NOT included and are compulsory in the US. The bigger the bill the bigger the tip. Usually 18%-20% of the total bill. Disney will be nice and print you a two receipts, One that tells you how many credit you have remaining and one that shows you what the bill would have costed in real money. This will allow you to calculate the correct tip. If you have a party of 6 or more then 18% gratuity is included on the bill. Tips can be paid with a credit card or cash. what every you prefer. Remember to factor this in as there is no getting out of tipping unfortunately. If you are on a quick service plan then tips are not required.
Summary
There really is something for everyone if you add a Disney dining plan to your vacation package. For me it really adds to the overall experience. To have the flexibility to choose what you want to eat and where at over 100+ restaurants creates a unique all inclusive feel. I Hope that this makes your decision a little easier. i Hope to write some more blogs on the best restaurants, quick service venues and snack credits that Disney World have to offer.
Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading
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