Dishing Out All the Details on the Disney Dining Plan

The popular Disney Dining Plan allows you to save time and money with a pre-paid meal plan, as part of a Walt Disney World Resort hotel package. There are two different types: the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan (which includes quick-service options) and the Disney Dining Plan (which includes quick-service, table-service and character dining options). Did you know you can now book a discount vacation package through Undercover Tourist — including an optional dining plan? Here's everything you need to know!

Hop To

• What Is the Disney Dining Plan?
• Who Can Purchase?
• How Much Is It?
• What's Included?
• How Do I Use It?
• What to Consider

What Is a Disney Dining Plan?

The Disney Dining Plan is an add-on available to those who have booked a Walt Disney World package — which just means you've bundled your Disney World tickets and a Walt Disney World Resort hotel stay. A Disney Dining Plan allows you to enjoy pre-paid meals that save you time during your vacation as your meal budgeting is all taken care of! The Disney Dining Plan has existed for many years at Disney World and is extremely popular. After being suspended for a few years, it made its grand return in 2024! Essentially, the Disney Dining Plans give you and each member of your travel party (ages 3+) dining credits to use throughout your stay. Check out our helpful infographic on Disney Dining Plans to learn more (as previewed in the image above), including restaurants per resort, to help you make your hotel decision a little easier.

There are two types of Disney Dining Plans to explore.

Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan

Enjoy casual flexibility with the Quick-Service Dining Plan, eligible at over 100 quick-service locations! Everyone in the party will receive two quick-service meals and one snack/nonalcoholic drink for each night of their stay. In addition, each person will receive a resort-refillable drink mug, eligible for refills from any self-service beverage kiosk at Disney Resort hotels.

Quick-service meals include an entree and a beverage. Guests 10 years old and older can choose one nonalcoholic drink, including soda, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies and milkshakes. Guests 21 years old and older may substitute their drink for beer, wine or cocktails.

Snacks may be redeemed at select quick-service restaurants, outdoor carts and merchandise locations. Qualifying items include single servings such as ice cream bars, two scoops of ice cream, popcorn, a piece of fruit, 20-ounce bottled beverages and more.

Items that do not qualify for the dining plan include items that are more than one single serving, items in a souvenir container or considered merchandise (such as popcorn buckets) and special dining events.

Disney Dining Plan

Enjoy the best of both worlds with the Disney Dining Plan! Everyone in the party will receive one table-service meal, one quick-service meal and one snack/nonalcoholic drink for each night of their stay. In addition, each person will receive a resort-refillable drink mug, eligible for refills from any self-service beverage kiosk at Disney Resort hotels.

Quick-service meals include an entree and a beverage. Guests 10 years old and older can choose one nonalcoholic drink, including soda, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies and milkshakes. Guests 21 years old and older may substitute their drink for beer, wine or cocktails.

Breakfast at table-service restaurants includes an entree (or a buffet or family-style meal) and beverage. Lunch and dinner include an entree, dessert and beverage (or a buffet or family-style meal). Gratuity is not included, so you'll want to budget for that at table-service meals. If you desire additional appetizers or drinks that aren't included, you can pay out of pocket. For these additional costs, you can use cash, a credit card or even a MagicBand to charge that amount to your hotel room.

Two table-service meals will be redeemed for each person at fine/signature dining experiences, select character dining locations or a dinner show. While most character dining locations accept one table-service credit, the character dining experiences that require two table-service credits include Cinderella's Royal Table, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (lunch and dinner only) and Story Book Dining at Artist Point.

Snacks may be redeemed at select quick-service restaurants, outdoor carts and merchandise locations. Qualifying items include single servings such as ice cream bars, two scoops of ice cream, popcorn, a piece of fruit, 20-ounce bottled beverages and more.

Items that do not qualify for the dining plan include items that are more than one single serving, items in a souvenir container or considered merchandise (such as popcorn buckets) and special dining events.

What's the Difference Between the Disney Dining Plans?

The Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan includes:

• 2 quick-service meals (per night of your stay)
• 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink (per night of your stay)
• 1 resort-refillable mug (per length of stay)

The Disney Dining Plan includes:

• 1 quick-service meal (per night of your stay)
• 1 table-service meal (per night of your stay)
• 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink (per night of your stay)
• 1 resort-refillable mug (per length of stay)

Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during your stay. Unused credits will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on the day you check out of your Disney World hotel.

Select experiences such as Fine Dining, select Character Dining and dinner shows are worth 2 table-service credits, which include the following:

• Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table
• Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (at lunch and dinner only)
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
• Be Our Guest Restaurant
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
• Fine/Signature Dining, such as California Grill, Narcoossee's, Topolino's Terrace (dinner only) and more

Who Can Purchase the Disney Dining Plan?

Anyone who has purchased a Disney World Vacation package can book an optional Disney Dining Plan! Dining plans can be purchased directly through Disney or Undercover Tourist as part of a Walt Disney World vacation package, including a hotel stay. Plans must be purchased for the entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up). Only those listed on the hotel reservation qualify for a Disney Dining Plan.

Disney Vacation Club members can also pay out of pocket for a Disney Dining Plan, if staying at a Disney Resort hotel during their trip.

Can you purchase Disney Dining Plans for split stays?

Yes! Technically, since it would be two separate reservations, you can opt to add a dining plan to only one reservation — or both. If you want a Dining Plan for your entire stay, you would need to add the Dining Plan to both reservations.

If you only want to use a dining plan for one reservation, note that you can only start using the credits during the timeframe of whichever reservation you add it to. Hop tip: If the Disney Dining Plan is added to the first reservation, the front desk at the first hotel could transfer unused credits to your second hotel reservation before they expire, as long as the two stays are continuous. However, if the Dining Plan is added to the second reservation, you would not be able to use any credits until the first date of your second reservation.

How Much Is a Dining Plan?

Disney Dining Plans are a fan-favorite for good reason. They offer a great value, especially with a little planning to figure out how to take your pre-paid credits the furthest. One of the times that Disney Dining Plans are the most popular is when free dine is offered — a special promo that gives you a dining plan for FREE!

When free dine promos are not running, your total cost for adding on a Disney Dining Plan will depend on how many nights you are staying and which plan you choose. Adults can plan to spend about $55 per night for the Quick-Service Dining Plan (or $25 per night per child). For the Disney Dining Plan, adults cost about $90 per night (or $30 per child). The best way to see the true cost of adding on a Disney Dining Plan is to build it out! When purchasing a Disney World Vacation Package through Undercover Tourist, you'll see the full price for both Disney Dining Plan options to make the best selection for your family (or opt out entirely).

What's Included in a Dining Plan Meal?

A quick-service meal using a Disney Dining Plan includes 1 entree and 1 beverage for all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

A table-service meal using a Disney Dining Plan includes:

Breakfast

• 1 entree
• 1 beverage

OR

• 1 buffet or family-style meal
• 1 beverage

Brunch, Lunch or Dinner

• 1 entree
• 1 dessert
• 1 beverage

OR

• 1 buffet or family-style meal
• 1 beverage

Note that beverages include nonalcoholic options such as sodas and milkshakes, or alcoholic options for those 21 and up.

How to Use Disney World Dining Plans

To use your dining plan, simply present your MagicBand, MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass or Key to the World card to the cast member at participating restaurants. Note that guests ages 3 to 9 must order from the children's menu when available. Another tip is that you will need to remember your Resort PIN that you created at check-in to confirm your Dining Plan at restaurants. If you've visited before but it's been a while, you can reset the PIN within the My Disney Experience app. Go to the hamburger menu (icon with three lines on the far right side), scroll down to "MagicBands & Cards" and select your profile. From there, you see a "PIN" option, where you can create or reset it. (The hotel front desk can reset the PIN as well.)

Mobile ordering is also available with select restaurants when using the Dining Plan. You can run through the mobile ordering process as usual, and the app will automatically apply your Dining Plan credits as you select your food and drink options. If you're missing anything that you're entitled to, the app will remind you. For instance, if you select an entree and review your order, it will prompt you to select a drink that's included with the quick-service meal entitlement.

To check how many credits you have left, use the My Disney Experience app by visiting "My Resort Stay" and selecting "Check Dining Plan," which is an option that appears after you complete online check-in within the app. The balance does not appear until the first day of your stay. You may also look at your most recent dining receipt or visit any Guest Relations or Resort Concierge locations.

What to Consider When Choosing a Disney World Dining Plan

Here are some considerations when deciding if the Disney Dining Plan makes sense for you.

• The dining plan does take some planning if you want to maximize your credits and go for the highest value. Check out the menus within the Disney World app to get a sense of what's available for each member of your party and do some napkin math on how many credits you expect to use each day (and where it makes the most sense to use them).
• When maximizing value with the Disney Dining Plan, we recommend character dining locations that take one table-service credit, particularly the buffets (characters and unlimited food!). Also, the Fantasmic! Dining Package and the EPCOT Festival Dining Packages accept the Dining Plan. Because you select the restaurant, credits will depend on which one you choose, but most take one credit. For example, for the Fantasmic! Dining Package, The Hollywood Brown Derby takes two table-service credits, but 50's Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant all take one table-service credit. Reserved seating for entertainment and a filling meal? Yes, please!
• Likewise, think through where you plan to stay for your visit, and your family's dining styles. For example, if you have a younger child whom you'll need to grab an earlier meal for, you may want to make sure you like the options on-site or close by your hotel. If you're hoping to enjoy several meals together at your hotel, you may want to make sure there are some additional options to choose from nearby (or at the hotel) to keep meal fatigue at bay and add some variety to your meals.
• If using the Disney Dining Plan, it's best to make advance dining reservations for your table-service meals.
• Dining plans are unavailable for guests under 3 years old, but they may share from an adult plate, or you may purchase an additional meal.
• Children ages 3-9 must order from the kids menu. On the other hand, if a 10-year-old tadpole wants to order from the kids menu, check with the server at your restaurant. Some restaurants are strict on age specifications, while others may be more lax. However, whether it's a quick-service or table-service restaurant, it would still count as an adult credit.
• Keep in mind that many items qualify as snacks (not just classic Mickey bars!). Menus typically have a special symbol to signify which food offerings count toward the dining plans. Plus, if you're at EPCOT during a festival, food items and nonalcoholic drinks typically count as a snack. We like that there is such a variety, so we can enjoy more of our favorite Disney World snacks!

Well, that's everything to know about the Disney Dining Plan! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Related: Our Guide to Choosing a Disney World Dining Package

Related: 14 Easy ~Hopful~ Tips for Eating at Disney World on a Budget

Hoppy planning!