Walt Disney World Dining Plan

By James | Last updated December 29, 2023

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If you are staying at a Disney resort hotel, then you can purchase a range of different dining plans depending upon your budget and your tastes. Not forgetting your waistline !!

Disney’s Dining plans are designed to make it easier and more affordable to eat whilst within the Walt Disney World Resort hotels and parks (though see restrictions and exclusions below).

All Disney Dining Plans are currently suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and prices shown are those for 2020 prior to the shutdown

Disney’s Dining Plan Overview for 2020

With a typical Disney theme park or resort table service meal costing $35 or more per person, you can typically save around 30% on your food budget with a dining plan if you intend to spend most of your vacation within Walt Disney World itself.

All prices include tax but gratuities are not included except for Dinner Shows, Private In-Room Dining and Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Per Day/NightQuick–Service Dining PlanDining PlanDeluxe Dining Plan
Adult Cost per Night$55.00$78.01$119.00
Child Cost per Night$26.00$30.51$47.50
Number of Snacks222
Quick Service Meals213 §
Table Service Meals13 §
Drinks per meal ‡111
Refillable Resort MugYesYesYes

§ With the Deluxe Dining Plan you can have up to three quick service or table service meals or a combination of both per day.

‡ From 2018, you can choose between a non-alcoholic and an alcoholic drink with your meal if you are aged 21 or over.

On this page you will find details of how the Dining Plan works, the restrictions and exclusions. You can also read about the differences between the various dining plan packages and how you can use your different meal credits to eat at all the different types of restaurants.

The dining plans cover most eateries at the four theme parks, both water parks, Disney Springs, some of the Disney Golf Courses and all the official Walt Disney World Resort hotels except the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.

The Disney Dining Plan is accepted at over 100 quick service and table service restaurants throughout Walt Disney World including character dining. You can also purchase snacks from outdoor food carts and other locations selling frozen ice cream novelties, popcorn and Coca-Cola® products.

Sometimes Disney run promotions when the standard dining plan is included at no charge, usually late summer/early fall during the quiet season

How the Disney Dining Plan Works

When you book your Disney vacation package, you can purchase a dining plan for each member of your party for the duration of your stay as part of your Magic Your Way ticket package.

You are then allocated a certain number of different meal type credits, depending on the dining plan you have purchased. For example the normal plan gives you one snack and two quick service meals for each night of your vacation but you don’t have to use them in a particular order. They are allocated across the whole duration of your stay.

Disney dining plan logo When looking for snack options, just look out for the Disney Dining Plan logo.

When you arrive at the restaurant or food outlet, at the time of placing your meal or snack order, you redeem the appropriate meal type credit against your dining plan allowance. From February 2018 you can also redeem your credits using Disney’s Mobile Ordering.

Your receipt then shows the remaining balance of each meal type. At any time, you can contact the hotel concierge for an up to date balance.

You do not have to use one of each type per day, you can combine and spend them as required. This means you can use them in any order until they are all gone or until midnight on the day of checkout when they automatically expire.

Pros and Cons of a Disney Dining Plan

One of the big advantages is that you pay for all your food in advance which makes it easier to budget and if you eat all of your allowance then you could save about 30–40% on the cost of the food you eat.

Of course one of the disadvantages is it might encourage you to eat more than you would normally (and effectively spend more than you would), especially if you purchase the Deluxe Dining Plan, as you may feel obliged to use up your allowance.

Exclusions and Restrictions

The Disney Dining Plans are flexible but there are a certain number of exclusions and restrictions:

  • The Disney Dining Plans are only available to Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests (excluding the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin) and everyone aged 3 and over on the vacation package must purchase the same plan for the whole duration of your stay. This means that friends who you might eat with, cannot order using your allowance
  • Adults (age 10 and over) must purchase an adult plan and children (aged 3–9) must purchase a child plan. Under 3’s cannot purchase a plan but they can eat from someone else’s plate or order their own food
  • Children must order from the child’s menu if available and adults must always order from the adult menu
  • Some items are not included in the dining plans; for example, alcoholic beverages (prior to 2018) and some bottled drinks, in-room mini bars, souvenir or refillable mugs, snacks from rental counters, merchandise and photographs (see specific dining plans for more details)
  • Disney changed the rules regarding gratuities in 2008 and generally they are no longer included for table service and signature restaurants, character dining and dinner shows. Gratuities are also added for parties of 6 or more and for items not on the plan, for example alcoholic beverages
  • Note that all dining plans must be booked prior to arrival, it is not possible to purchase them after your arrival

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