The Disney Dining Plans are an add-on to your Disney World Vacation allowing guests to pre-pay for their food. The Disney Dining Plan offers guests a convenient way to plan for food during their stay at Disney World. Be in the know and learn the 5 secrets of the Disney Dining Plan below.
1. Grab A Drink To Go
The Dining Plans at Disney World each come with a Rapid Refill mug per guest. These mugs allow guests unlimited refills at Walt Disney World resorts during their stay. However, when using credits at your resort, you will still have a drink included. Essentially, having 2 drinks including the Rapid Refill Mug. Therefore, grab a drink to go (bottled beverage), to save for later. Bring these back to your resort and save in your mini fridge for later!
2. Starbucks
There is a Starbucks at all 4 Disney World Parks and 2 locations at Disney Springs. Plus, most of the Starbucks menu counts as a snack credit. So if you are craving a pick me up, Starbucks is a great stop. Choose from Coffee, Tea, Espresso or my favorite – Blended Beverages. Do not drink caffeine? Try a Smoothie instead! More than drinks, Starbucks offers pastries and other goodies that are included on the dining plan.
3. Use As You Please
When a guest purchases a Dining Plan, they are given there meals and snacks as credits. Since all credits are given up front, guests can spend the credits as they please in no particular order. For example, if a guest has a late lunch and is still full they can choose to use snack credits for the rest of the day. Or vise versa, the beauty of the dining plan is the flexibility of use. Plus, the My Disney Experience App now tracks the credits for you!
4. Monthly Payments
This one applies to guests who book vacations many months in advance. The initial deposit for a Disney Vacation is $200, with final payment not due until 45 days before check in date. Thus, those guests adding the Dining Plan can essentially put themselves on a monthly payment plan. Imagine arriving at Disney World and not having to worry about budgeting for food because it is already paid for! Do note, the dining plan does not include gratuity (so do budget for this).
5. Free Dining Plan
Occasionally, Disney World will offer a free dining promotion. If you are not sure if the dining plan is right for you and your group than this is a great opportunity to try it out. The free dining promotion applies to a regular priced Disney World vacation, however it is still usually a better deal to take (as opposed to a room discount). Not sure if you are willing to pay for the dining plan? Then this choice is for you, watch for this promotion to save big while eating at Disney.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Dining and get suggestions for where to eat, how to use the Disney Dining Plan and more.