The Disney Dining Plan is returning in 2024 after an almost four-year-long absence from Walt Disney World. But is it right for your upcoming vacation?
I’m going to break a cardinal rule of blogging and give you the answer right up front: contrary to what others might say, it is my opinion that there is no hard and fast rule that says one way or the other if the Disney Dining Plan is worth the cost. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself if it’s worth it – and there are sound arguments to be made for buying and skipping it.
If you’re undecided, then I hope this breakdown will help you better understand what the Dining Plan is, who it’s good for, and who it isn’t good for.
What Exactly Is The Disney Dining Plan?
The Disney Dining Plan is a meal plan guests can purchase as an optional add-on to their Walt Disney World vacation package. The plan is available to any guest staying at a Disney World resort hotel. By purchasing the Disney Dining Plan, you receive a number of pre-determined snack and meal credits that are equal to the number of nights of your stay.
When the Dining Plan returns in 2024, there will be two levels of the plan available: The Disney Quick Service Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Plan. Yes, Disney thought it wouldn’t be confusing at all to name one of the plan tiers the same name as the plan itself. For the purposes of this article and to avoid further confusion, I’ll be referring to the available plans as the Quick Service Dining Plan and the Standard Dining Plan.
The Quick Service Dining Plan comes with the following:
- 2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
- 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
- 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug
The Standard Dining Plan comes with 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
There are a couple of additional points to make sure I include:
A quick-service meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) includes the following:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
A breakfast table-service meal includes the following:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
OR
- 1 Full Buffet (prix-fixe) or Family-Style Meal (prix-fixe)
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
A brunch, lunch, or dinner table-service meal includes the following:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Dessert
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
OR
- 1 Full Buffet (If Available) or Family-Style Meal
- 1 Nonalcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)
You purchase the Disney Dining Plan ahead of your vacation. It can be added to your package at any time. If you want to add it right when you book your trip, you may do so. If you decide later that you want to add it on, you can also do that – up until the day prior to arrival.
NOTE: It’s important to mention that you have tons of flexibility with those meal and snack credits. While you are allotted a certain amount per night of your stay, any unused credits will simply roll over to the next day. So, if you’re planning a last day in EPCOT and want to save your snack credits for the food festival, you can totally do that. You can also “bank” table-service meal credits for signature dining, where some restaurants require 2 credits per meal. As Olmec would always say in Legends of the Hidden Temple, “the choices are yours, and yours alone.”
Click here for a 10-step guide to planning your 2024 Disney World vacation!
How Much Does The Disney Dining Plan Cost?
The final cost of your Disney Dining Plan will vary on two main factors: which Dining Plan tier you sign up for and how many nights your vacation is going to be.
Disney is keen on burying the per-night price of its Dining Plans deep on its website, but it is available if you do enough digging. The 2024 Disney Dining Plan prices are as follows:
The Disney Quick Service Dining Plan costs $57.01 per adult (ages 10+) | $23.83 per child (ages 3 – 9) per night of stay. Again, this includes the following:
- 2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
- 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
- 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug
The Disney (Standard) Dining Plan costs $94.28 per adult (ages 10+) | $29.69 per child (ages 3-9) per night of stay. Again, this includes 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
Click here to read about what restaurants in Disney World will be the hardest to get in 2024.
Can You Actually Save Money On The Disney Dining Plan?
Can you save money with the Dining Plan? Yes. However, it’s challenging to do so. The only scenario where you spend less on the Dining Plan is if you buy the most expensive items on the menu. If you are above the age of 21, you get more value off the Dining Plan if you include an alcoholic beverage in your meal, where applicable (if you choose to drink alcohol).
So, the reasoning behind buying the Dining Plan cannot be monetary. In most instances, you don’t get the Disney Dining Plan to save money on food. You will likely break even (or be close to breaking even), or you will pay slightly more on the Dining Plan than you would if you paid for everything out of pocket.
So, why do you get the Dining Plan if it’s not a money-saving tool? A big reason many swear by it is the convenience of pre-paying for your food, removing the need to think about how much your meals will cost on vacation. It gives your Disney World vacation more of an “all-inclusive” feel.
There’s also probably a psychological effect at play. By paying for your food months ahead of your vacation, it’s almost as if dining is a non-existent line item when you’re actually on vacation (it’s like Disney Math for all of you TikTok-ers). Having the Dining Plan also gives you a sort of “I can eat whatever I want” mentality. You can redeem your meal credits for practically anything on the menu at most participating restaurants, so go ahead, order that $60 steak! It’s already paid for.
It’s worth pointing out that Disney does claim on its website that you stand to save up to 20% on kids dining (ages 3 to 9) on the Dining Plan.
It’s also worth mentioning that prior to 2020, Disney World did run Free Dining Plan promotions. In those instances, it was a better financial value to get the Dining Plan; however, it typically required upgrading to a higher-price hotel to reap the biggest benefits.
Again, the Disney Dining Plan does NOT include tips and gratuities. Please remember to budget for tips when dining at table-service restaurants!
Click here to learn about ways to save on your next Disney World vacation.
Who is the Disney Dining Plan RIGHT For?
Sign up for the Disney Dining Plan if…
- …you have a big appetite. Portion sizes at Disney World’s restaurants are on the larger side, and the Dining Plan makes sure you are well fed (especially the Standard Dining Plan, which includes one table-service credit per night in addition to one quick-service credit per night). If you’re a true foodie and want dining to be a central component of your vacation, the Dining Plan is a great way to ensure you eat your way through the parks.
- …you want that all-inclusive feel. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Disney Dining Plan is the convenience it gives those who purchase it. There’s a sense of ease you feel when your food is pre-paid prior to vacation. Aside from tip, isn’t it lovely to know that you don’t have to spend a penny on food (for the most part)? For many, the convenience alone is worth paying a little extra for.
- …you want to take the stress out of paying for things while on vacation. A Disney World vacation is expensive, and there’s inevitably at least one person in your travel party who’s constantly tallying up the cost of things in their head every time you sit down to eat. If that’s the case, having the food pre-paid and “out of the way” could bring a sense of ease to your trip.
Who is the Disney Dining Plan WRONG For?
Skip the Dining Plan and pay out of pocket instead if…
- …the goal is to save money. While it is possible to break even or come out ahead on the Dining Plan, it requires careful planning. There are other ways to spend far less on dining while in Disney World, like buying snacks that can double as a meal or splitting food among friends.
- …you’re traveling with light or picky eaters. As noted above, the Disney Dining Plan gets you a ton of food, and if your family isn’t accustomed to eating larger meals, you may find the Dining Plan to be a waste. The real value of the Dining Plan only begins when you redeem every meal and snack credit during your stay, so if there’s any hesitancy that won’t happen, you’re better off without the Dining Plan.
- …you don’t want to take time away from rides by sitting in a restaurant. This is more of a deterrent from the Standard Dining Plan, which includes one table-service credit per night of your stay. Pausing your day for a table-service meal can easily take up an hour or two, and some families would prefer to spend that time riding as many rides as possible.
Ready to begin planning your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation? Start here!
I love the site!