Should you add a Disney Dining Plan to your WDW Vacation package?

To add a Dining Plan or not...that is the question! 

One of the basic components of a Walt Disney World Vacation Package is a Dining Plan.  It's not required, but it's definitely one of the perks of having an on site package.  For families that have never been before, the question of whether to add a dining plan is common.  Let's dig a little further into the Dining plan options.

Disney offers three Dining Plans for guests staying on site that book a Walt Disney World Travel Company Vacation package.  The three options are:  Quick Service Dining Plan, Disney Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan.  Hands down between the three, the dining plan I book most often for clients is the Disney Dining Plan.

When determining which dining plan (if any) is the right fit for your family, there are some important questions I like to ask.  Does your family want to experience any Character Dining?  What types of restaurants do you prefer to eat at?  Does your family prefer to eat on the go, or have at least one meal to sit down to each day?  From those questions I ask a few more, and it helps dial into what is the best option for you.

Let's explore what type of traveler each dining plan option works best for.

Quick Service Dining Plan:
This plan includes 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per person (ages 3+), per night.  This also includes a resort refillable mug for each person (ages 3+)

This plan is great for families that like to eat on the go and don't want to plan out where their meals will be.  Families with small children that have a hard time sitting still in a restaurant like this plan because of it's flexibility. 

Disney Dining Plan (also referred to as the Plus Dining Plan):
This plan includes 1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal and 2 snacks per person (ages 3+), per night.  This also includes a resort refillable mug for each person (ages 3+).  At lunch and dinner time, a table service credit at a Table service restaurant will cover an entree, dessert and beverage.  Some Signature dining restaurants and Show-style meals require 2 table service credits. 

This plan is perfect for families that want to experience Character meals.  Most of the Character Meals are only one Table service credit, and it's a great use of that credit.  As we will discuss below, Character Meals tend to be at the top of the pricing scale (or close to it) compared to restaurants where you are ordering off of a menu.  Most Character meals are either served Buffet style, or with a Prix Fixe menu. 

Deluxe Dining Plan:
This plan includes 3 dining credits (can be used at quick service or table service locations), 2 snacks per person (ages 3+), per night.  This also includes a resort refillable mug for each person (ages 3+).  At Lunch and dinner time, if a credit is used at a Table Service restaurant, the credit covers an appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage.  Some Signature dining restaurants and Show-style meals require 2 table service credits. 

This dining plan is a good choice for families that prefer to sit down for at least two of their meals per day, or prefer to dine at Signature Restaurants, that require 2 table service credits.  This dining plan does include enough credits for 3 full meals per day, so for some this is a lot more food than necessary.  This plan is better for 'foodie' families as opposed to more casual diners.  The idea of it appeals to some because it covers three full meals, but it's important to consider how much you will actually eat at each meal.

Will the dining plan save me money?  
The answer to this question is not so simple.  When clients ask me that, I tell them it really depends on how you order.  For example - for a table service credit - you are allowed to order an entree off the menu.  You could order the $45 steak or the $20 burger.  The same credit covers both options. If you take advantage of this and order the pricier items off the menu, you will definitely get the value out of your table service credits.  If you are always ordering the lower priced items, you may just break even or not quite get your value out of it. 

Character Dining: If you are paying out of pocket for these meals, you'll noticed these are priced higher than your typical meal you could get at a restaurant you are just ordering off a menu for.  The table service credit is a great use at these type of meals.  Some are even included at the same Table service credit cost for special dining packages - for example, the Rivers of Light dining package or the Fantasmic dining package.  If you are paying out of pocket the cost would be higher, but with the dining plan, you are still only using one table service credit, unless it specifies otherwise. 

Snacks credits are another good example.  The range of items you can use with your snack credit goes anywhere from around $3.50 to around $7 or so.  I think a good rule of thumb is anytime you are using your snack credit for something priced at $4 or more, you are getting a good deal.  You can use your snack credit to get a 20oz Coca Cola, or you could get a Dole Whip Float...if it's me, that's an easy choice!  Something I can grab for a couple bucks, or something that could double as my breakfast! (not even kidding)

Any other reasons to consider a dining plan? 
One of the biggest reasons people opt to get the dining plan is for convenience.  Having the dining plan added to your package means you don't have to budget for one more thing while you are travelling - it's already paid for!  You do have to remember to budget for gratuities at the table service restaurants (those are not included at most meals), and sometimes you just have to have that extra churro and you've run out of snack credits.  But overall, the dining plans have enough food to keep you covered, as long as you pick the best option for your family.  For me, I tend to have a few snack credits left over at the end of the trip and I end up stocking up on Mickey Rice Crispy Treats to take home. 

Personally, I love having the dining plan for my family.  It takes some stress off of my shoulders for budgeting and I know exactly what to plan for.  I love the flexibility of when I can use the credits.  All of the credits are added into my Disney account upon check in on that first day, so we can use the credits when we want to.  It's not something that gets replenished each night.  That allows us to be flexible - if we want to do a sit down meal for breakfast and dinner one day and just do quick service meals the next day, we have that flexibility to do so. 

Walt Disney World opens up reservations for dining 180 days out from when you arrive for your Disney Vacation.  Talking about the dining plans and all that they offer are part of my Vacation planning services.  I'll make sure you have the information you need to select the right plan for your family.  It may be that the dining plan isn't the right fit for your family - and that's okay too!  It's important to me that you get the package components that you need - not to add extras that you don't want.