- Guests are allowed to bring food into Disney parks. Meals, snacks, drinks--all are welcome! Glass containers and hard coolers aren't allowed (soft-sided coolers can be brought in, though), but just about anything else goes (no alcohol/illegal substances, of course). Quick service restaurants give out free cups of ice water, and guests bringing their own food can absolutely utilize the tables & chairs found throughout the park when eating. If you're able to pack & prepare food and don't mind carrying the necessary items with you throughout the day, this option can definitely save your family some money!
- Paying out-of-pocket for food, snacks, etc. is also an option. You don't need the dining plan to purchase meals or make table service reservations, and even guests using the dining plan can pay for additional items if desired.
- Disney offers three types of dining plans. Only guests staying at a Disney resort are eligible to purchase a dining plan. Dining plan credits can be exchanged for meals at all four theme parks, at both water parks, at all Disney resorts, and at Disney Springs.
- Quick Service Dining Plan:
- 2 quick service (think fast food/counter service) credits & 2 snack credits per person, per night
- For 2018, a quick service credit provides one entree & one drink (Coke products, teas, milkshakes, smoothies, and/or beer, wine, & cocktails where available)
- One resort refillable mug per person (good for free Coke product & coffee refills your resort only--not inside the parks)
- While credits are awarded based on the number of people in your travel party, they are not assigned to specific people or to specific time frames. For example, if a family of four is staying on property for five nights and decides to purchase the quick service dining plan, the family will be given 40 quick service credits (2 credits per person, per night) & 40 snack credits (2 credits per person, per night) to use at their discretion.
- For 2018, the quick service plan costs about $52.49 per night for adults and $21.75 per night for kids (ages 3-9). Children ages 2 & younger are unable to purchase the dining plan but are allowed to share with other family members.
- Disney (Standard) Dining Plan:
- 1 table service (think sit down/character meal) credit & 1 quick service credit per person, per night & 2 snacks per person, per night
- For 2018, the table service credit provides one entree & one dessert OR one buffet AND one drink (Coke products, teas, milkshakes, smoothies, and/or beer, wine, & cocktails where available), and the quick service credit provides one entree & one drink
- Gratuity is not included with the dining plan, so guests will need to plan to tip their servers at the table service experiences
- Reservations are strongly encouraged for all table service experiences.
- One resort refillable mug per person (good for free Coke product & coffee refills your resort only--not inside the parks)
- Example: a family of four staying on property for five nights with the Disney dining plan will be given 20 table service credits, 20 quick service credits, and 40 snack credits to use at their discretion
- For 2018, the Disney dining plan costs about $75.49 per night for adults and $25.80 per night for kids (ages 3-9). Children ages 2 & younger are unable to purchase the dining plan but are allowed to share with other family members. Young children will also receive their own plate & drink at all buffets at no additional cost.
- Deluxe Dining Plan:
- 3 dining credits per person, per night (no distinction between table service & quick service) & 2 snack credits per person, per night
- For 2018, the table service credits provides one appetizer, one entree & one dessert OR one buffet AND one drink (Coke products, teas, milkshakes, smoothies, and/or beer, wine, & cocktails where available), and the quick service credits provides one entree & one drink
- Gratuity is not included with the dining plan, so guests will need to plan to tip their servers at the table service experiences
- Reservations are strongly encouraged for all table service experiences
- One resort refillable mug per person (good for free Coke product & coffee refills your resort only--not inside the parks)
- Example: a family of four staying on property for five nights with the deluxe dining plan will be given 60 dining credits to use at their discretion
- For 2018, the deluxe dining plan costs about $116.24 per night for adults and $39.90 per night for children (ages 3-9). Children ages 2 & younger are unable to purchase the dining plan but are allowed to share with other family members. Young children will also receive their own plate & drink at all buffets at no additional cost.
And as if that wasn't information overload, it also helps to consider the following when debating the dining plan:
- Convenience & ease: Are you willing to bring food into the parks or are you planning to purchase your meals? If you are planning to purchase food, will you have a budget? Is keeping up with a budget something you don't mind or would you prefer to have everything paid for up front?
- Types of meals: Are character meals high on your priority list? How many character meals would you like to experience? For most trips, there is a "tipping point" at which the number of character meals desired makes the dining plan worth the cost.
- Amount of food: How much does your family eat? Will you want a sit-down experience each day? Can you share quick service credits with one another to make them last longer or cover more than two meals per day? These types of questions can help determine the type of dining plan that would work best for your family.
- Price: Is the dining plan worth the money? How does it compare to paying out of pocket for meals? It's good to know that character meals average about $45/adult and $20/child (prices vary depending on time of year, restaurant and meal type), quick service meals average about $12/adult and $8/child, snacks range from $4-$8, and resort refillable mugs are $17.99 a piece. Add in the cost of specialty drinks (milkshakes, smoothies, & alcohol) and the dining plan more than pays for itself--if you're interested in eating all that food. :)
- Freedom & flexibility: Some families find the dining plan restrictive; they may want the freedom to order two appetizers and a dessert instead of the entree that is provided. Other families love the flexibility of the "credits;" because credits do not have dollar amounts associated with them, many families find that they are able to select dining experiences (both quick service & table service) based on interest rather than trying to find the "best deal" or "cheapest experience."
There are so many variables that factor into the dining plan decision, and the right choice for one family isn't always the right choice for another. As mentioned previously, please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to talk more about Disney dining plans (or any other aspect of a Disney vacation!). I am here to serve. :)
