If you’re embarking on a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Dining Plans are the most budget-friendly and seamless ways to enjoy exceptional food and drink across property. Exclusive to Disney Resort hotel guests only, the Dining Plans are a flexible and convenient way to enhance your holiday experience.
There are two dining plan options available, and which one you choose depends on what suits your party. The Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Plan are unique in their own ways, so let’s dive into how each one works:
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan
If you’re looking to grab food that can be eaten at your own pace before you dash off to the next attraction, the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan was made for you. No reservations are required when dining at any of the quick-service restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort, as you place your order, pick up your food, and wander over to available seating to enjoy.
With the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, everyone in your party ages 3 and over gets:
- 2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
- 1 Snack/Non-Alcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
- 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug (per stay)
It’s important to note that the number of meals and snacks you receive depends on the length of your stay. You can use them at any time during your visit, and any unused meals and snacks will carry over from one day to the next. However, they will expire at midnight on the day of checkout. Of course, meals and snacks cannot be transferred between guests!
Trust us when we say that the resort-refillable drink mugs are a game-changer. Not only are they magically themed, but they’re eligible for refills from self-service beverage islands at any Disney Resort hotel quick-service location. This means you won’t be able to refill them within the parks, but you can indulge in refreshing non-alcoholic beverages every day of your trip when you fill up your mug at a resort.
What’s Included in the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan?
Prepare your appetites, as the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan meals redeemed at breakfast, lunch or dinner include:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Non-Alcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older with valid ID)
When it comes to alcohol, guests in your party aged 21 and older may choose either one non-alcoholic beverage or one-single serving mixed cocktail, beer or wine (where offered) as part of their meal. This includes items such as beer, cider, wine, sangria, mixed drinks and specialty cocktails.
Guests aged 10 and over can treat themselves to a refreshing non-alcoholic drink with their meal. Choose from delicious milkshakes, fresh smoothies, premium hot chocolate, or classic soda, coffee, or tea.
As well as the meals, you also get one snack/non-alcoholic drink per night of your stay. We’re talking popcorn, fruit, ice-cream, popsicles, a single-serve bag of snacks, single-serve hot drinks, milk, juice, a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products (including Dasani® water), a 20-ounce fountain soft drink, and more. Fortunately, there’s a super easy way to check what counts as a snack on the Dining Plans: if there’s a snack symbol/”DDP” symbol next to the item on the menu, it’s likely to count as one of your snacks. Just check with a Disney cast member to confirm before you order!
Disney Dining Plan
Moving on to the Disney Dining Plan, this option is the ultimate top tier way to immerse yourself in spectacular food and filling meals. Grab a quick-service bite when you’re on the move and enjoy a leisurely table-service meal when you’re ready to unwind. Most importantly, you can even experience Character Dining too!
For the Disney Dining Plan, everyone in the party ages 3 and over receives the following:
- 1 Quick-Service Meal (per night of stay)
- 1 Table-Service Meal (per night of stay)
- 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
- 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug (per stay)
You now know the drill for the quick-service meal, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and the resort-refillable drink mug. For the Disney Dining Plan, everything stays the same apart from the fact you get one quick-service meal per day rather than two. Nevertheless, you swap the second quick-service meal for a lush table-service meal instead, meaning you can sit back and relax while feasting on a hearty meal at one of the many table-service restaurants in the Disney parks and resorts.
Unlike your quick-service meals, it’s highly recommended that you make a reservation for the table-service restaurants you want to experience. As you’ll be staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can begin making your dining reservations up to 60 days before check-in (for up to a 10-night stay)! To make a reservation, you need to create a new account or log into an existing one on My Disney Experience. For further information, read our in-depth advice on How to Make Dining Reservations for Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Fine dining and signature restaurants, such as Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada Pavilion at EPCOT, use two table-service meals per person. This also counts for select Character Dining experiences including Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom Park, as well as Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion in EPCOT. Another well-loved dining experience that requires two table-service meals per person is Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park. Try the Grey Stuff, it’s delicious!
What’s Included in the Disney Dining Plan?
Pick up your cutlery and get ready to dig in as you look at all of the food and beverage items included below in the Disney Dining Plan:
Quick-Service Meal
Meals redeemed at breakfast, lunch or dinner will include:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
Table-Service Meal
Meals redeemed at breakfast will include:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
-OR-
- 1 Buffet or Family-Style Meal
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
Meals redeemed at brunch, lunch or dinner will include:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Dessert
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
-OR-
- 1 Buffet or Family-Style Meal
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
Don’t forget that all of the items that count as single-serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages remain the same as the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan. This also applies to all Disney Dining Plan snacks too!
Important Things You NEED to Know About the Dining Plans
Try Mobile Order
Mobile ordering has brought a new evolution to dining within the Disney Parks, Disney Springs, and the hotels too. If being organised makes your holiday hassle-free, mobile ordering your quick-service food is a must. Once in Walt Disney World Resort, log onto the My Disney Experience App* to scroll through all of the available mobile-order locations during your trip, place your order using your dining plan meals, and pick it up as soon as it’s ready!
Kid’s Meals
Where available, guests ages 3 to 9 must order from a children’s menu. This does include soft drinks, juices, milk, and even chocolate milk.
How Long Does a Dining Plan Last?
Each plan must be purchased for the entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up). As stated earlier, any unused meals and snacks from one day will roll into the next, and this will continue until they expire at midnight on the day of checkout.
Bring Valid ID for Alcoholic Drinks
A HUGE tip for guests visiting from the UK and other countries outside of the United States - take your physical valid UK driver’s license and a picture of your passport on your phone to prove your age. You have to have both (or just your physical passport) to purchase an alcoholic beverage on Disney property.
Gratuity
With the Disney Dining Plan, it’s helpful to know that gratuity is not usually included in your table-service meal unless you’re a party of six or more. There are a couple of restaurants where gratuity is automatically included in your bill, such as at dinner shows, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue. If you’d like to kindly include a tip for your server or if you’re required to pay gratuity, you can add this by charging it to your room (if you have charging capabilities set up at your resort) or by using another form of payment.
Why Choose one of the Dining Plans?
Other than not having to worry about finding your wallet every time you dine at Disney as you pay for your plan in advance, the Dining Plans offer complete flexibility and ease while you dine. By purchasing a dining plan, you may try restaurants you might never have considered before whilst sticking to a budget that’s right for you. You can also have a peace of mind knowing that you’re going to be full of good food and drink during your holiday, especially if you come to Florida as a family.
How and Where to Use Your Plan
Once you’ve purchased your dining plan when booking your Walt Disney World Resort hotel and ticket package, your plan details will be linked to the My Disney Experience account. When you’re asked for a form of payment when dining, you can scan your Disney band or hotel key card to count the meal as part of your plan.
There are loads of dining options available to fit both the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan and Disney Dining Plan, which you can view here. However, here are some of our favourites for you to add to your Disney dining bucket list:
EPCOT Festival Booths
Yes, you did read that right! Guests on the Dining Plans can use their available snacks on certain items during the EPCOT festivals. Personally, we think this is one of the best inventions ever, and you can eat dishes around the world on your dining plan. Many guests roll over their Dining Plan snacks for several days so they can spend them during their visit to EPCOT. Look out for the classic snack symbol/”DDP” icon on the festival booth menus, and see what cultural foods you can try.
Boma - Flavors of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
This restaurant features African American cuisine, served buffet-style, and is easily one of the top restaurants in the whole of the Walt Disney World Resort. Famously known for its Zebra Dome desserts, Boma - Flavors of Africa has a wide range of breakfast and dinner options for all the family. For Disney Dining Plan guests, book your reservation in advance.
Connections Eatery at EPCOT
After opening in 2022 with the new era of EPCOT, Connections Eatery is the perfect place to chomp on a Disney quick-service meal. Taste the popular French Bistro Burger, a vibrant Niçoise-style Salad or a plant-based Black Bean Burger. There’s something for everyone, along with plentiful seating.
The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom Park
Let your imagination run free as you’re transported to the Hundred Acre Wood to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with Winnie the Pooh and Friends. At The Crystal Palace, you can experience whimsical character dining with fairytale views of Magic Kingdom Park. The best part is, you’ll only be using one table-service meal per person!
Chicken Guy! at Disney Springs
Try the tastiest chicken tenders and an array of sauces bursting with flavour from Chicken Guy! Created by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, this flaring quick-service restaurant is located at Disney Springs. You can have a quick-service meal at this location, which includes a combo meal of a sandwich or three tenders, fries, and a fountain drink.
If you’re ready to experience the magic of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to the fullest, book your hotel package with a Dining Plan today!
*Products and services are featured and fulfilled within the My Disney Experience app which can be downloaded upon arrival in the U.S. and is intended for use in the U.S. only. Currently, the app is only available in English. Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere.
