If you have never used the Walt Disney World Dining Plan, it might be confusing how it works. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions:
1. How do you receive the credits? Are they paper, or on a Disney Dining card?
When you check into your resort, you are given a MagicBand. This band will allow you entrance into your resort room, entrance into the parks, allow you to charge items back to the room (if you put a credit card on file) and it also includes your dining credits.
The dining credits are stored in the system kind of like a balance on a gift card. When you eat at the restaurant, you will present the cashier with your MagicBand and let her know you are on the dining plan. She will scan your MagicBand there at the table (no need to remove it) and it will deduct meal credits from your balance. The remaining credit amounts will print on the receipt so you always know how many you have left. You can also track them on the MyDisneyExperience app.
2. What dining plan fits best for a family with kids?
Personally I think the The Disney Dining Plan that includes one Quick Service, one Table Service and one Snack credit per person per day is the best for a family with kids. This allows you one sit down meal a day (can anyone say characters?) plus one counter service meal which is a great way to grab a quick bite while you are enjoying the parks.
3. Do you have to tip?
Yes. Tips are not included with the dining plan at the table service restaurants. However, if you dine at one of the restaurants that require 2 table service credits (like Cinderella’s Castle), the tip might just be included. Be sure to ask the hostess when you check in.
If you are a party of 6 or more, they will automatically add an 18% gratuity to your bill even if you are not all on the same dining plan.
4. Are you limited in the things that you can get while you are on the dining plan?
If the restaurant accepts the dining plan, almost every entree on their menu is part of the dining plan. There might be 1 entree here or there, but 98% of them are included.
5. Do you have to stay in a Disney resort to the dining plan?
Yes.
6. If you are staying at a Resort, and do NOT have the Park Hopper pass – can you just dine at a park with an advanced reservation? Say we want to make a reservation at Epcot, but only went to Magic Kingdom that day. Can we still eat at the restaurant in Epcot?
Unfortunately you can not. You must have theme park admission to eat at the restaurant.
Don’t forget that the Disney Resort Refillable Mug is included with all dining plans.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Dining and get suggestions for where to eat, how to use the Disney Dining Plan and more.
So are you able to take out any food? One person in our party had weight loss surgery so she can’t really eat a lot. So we are wondering if it would be a waste if we get a meal plan for her.
If you are staying at a Resort, and do NOT have the Hopper pass – can you just dine at a park with an advanced reservation? Say we want to make a reservation at Epcot, but only went to Magic Kingdom that day. Can we still eat at the restaurant in Epcot?
Christine, unfortunately you can’t :( You have to either eat at the same park u go to for the day or have a hopper.
Do you have to stay in a Disney resort to get a meal plan?
Yes unfortunately
Are you limited in the things that you can get while you are on the dining plan?
If the restaurant accepts the dining plan, almost every entree on their menu is part of the dining plan. There might be 1 entree here or there, but 98% of them are included.
I think in any sit down if you have a party over 6 (or maybe 8)they add on a tip of 18%. At least that is what I found because we always travel with 8 and our tip is always on there when we eat at sit down restaurants.
There is an automatic tip of 18% for groups of 6, but I have found that we did not have to have this on our account, we were able to pay with cash if preferred!
Great tips!