Maybe you already know, or maybe you’re in the midst of planning you’re first Walt Disney World vacation…but, we’ve got to let you in on a secret. One of the best parts about a Disney World trip isn’t the rides, or the characters, or even the nighttime fireworks shows – it’s the FOOD!

Whether it’s Dole Whip, a meal with your favorite Disney princesses, or chicken fingers that are somehow better than any you’ll find at home, dining at Disney World is an attraction in itself. But, with over 200 restaurants across the four parks, resorts, water parks, and Disney Springs to choose from, it involves some planning.

Luckily, Disney has brought back one of the easiest ways to get ahead on planning where and what you’ll eat and, most importantly, how you’re going to pay for it. That’s right — Disney dining plans have officially return to Disney World in 2024!

So, what plans are available? How much does it cost? How do you add it on to your vacation? And, are the Disney Dining Plans really worth it? We’ve got the answers to all your burning questions!

Disney Dining Plan 2024 Basics

The Disney Dining Plan allows you to pre-pay for meals and snacks for the entirety of your Walt Disney World vacation. Guests must purchase these optional add-ons as part of a Disney World Vacation package (which also includes your Disney Resort hotel stay and park tickets).

If you choose to forego a Disney Dining Plan as part of your booking process, then you’ll just pay for the food as you go in the park. Dining plans cannot be added to your trip once you’ve arrived, so this is a decision you’ll have to make early into the planning process.

Disney Dining Plans had been suspended since 2020. However, they’re now officially BACK! Guests traveling to Disney World on January 9th, 2024, or later now have the option to choose between two different dining plans. This includes the Standard Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan.

As of this writing, Disney has not announced plans to bring back the Disney Dining Plan Plus or the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.

Each plan is made up of a certain number of meal and snack credits that can be used at select Disney World restaurants. Essentially, you’re pre-paying for a set number of meals at Quick Service and Table Service restaurants. So, all you have to do is head to the restaurant, enjoy the food, and then scan your Key to the World card, MagicBand, or Disney MagicMobile ticket to use your credits – no bills necessary!

Where you can eat, how much you can eat, and what’s included is determined by which Disney Dining Plan you select. So, let’s go over the two options you have for 2024.

Disney Dining Plan Overview

The Disney Dining Plan is currently the “highest” meal plan option for 2024 Disney World vacations. This plan gives everyone in your party ages 3 and over 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 (which can be refilled at any Disney World Resort hotel Quick-Service location at your leisure)

To get your money’s worth out of this plan, you’ll need to eat one sit-down meal, one “fast food” meal, and one snack per day. Though, it is important to note that, while the allotted credits you have to spend are based on the number of nights you have booked, you can choose to use your credits whenever you’d like during your stay. So, if you want to eat at two Quick-Service restaurants in one day, you can.

Quick-Service Dining Plan Overview

The Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan is for guests who do not plan to eat at any Table-Service restaurants (a.k.a. sit-down restaurants). This plan gives everyone in your party ages 3 and over the following:

• 2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
• 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

Like the Disney Dining Plan, you can use meal and snack credits at any time during your stay. They will roll over from day to day until midnight on the day you check out of your hotel.

What’s NOT Included in Disney Dining Plans 2024

While many guests choose to purchase the Disney Dining Plan for the convenience it offers and as a way to budget for food in advance, there is some fine print that you’ll want to know about before making your decision.

Gratuities and tips are NOT included in Disney Dining Plans. This mostly impacts those who purchase the standard Disney Dining Plan, as you will need to tip at Table-Service restaurants.

Additionally, if you are purchasing a dining plan for anyone who is in your party between ages 3-9, they will need to order from the kids’ menu (where one is available). Kids’ meals tend to be smaller and restaurants have limited (usually between 2-4) options on the kids’ menus.

And, if you plan to eat at any “fancy” restaurants or dine at any of the spots with characters during your trip, you’ll need to know this! Disney’s signature restaurants and character restaurants cost each guest TWO dining credits. This means that you’ll have one less credit to use during the length of your stay.

Pricing

In 2024, the Standard Dining Plan will cost:

• $94.28 per adult, per night (ages 10+)
• $29.69 per child, per night (ages 3 to 9)

The Quick-Service Dining Plan will cost:

• $57.01 per adult, per night (ages 10+)
• $23.83 per child, per night (ages 3 to 9)

The cost of the dining plan will be added to the price of your Disney World Vacation Package which must be paid off 30 days prior to your arrival date.

How Disney Dining Plans Will Be DIFFERENT in 2024

The return of the Disney Dining Plan comes with some changes after four years. The first major change is that there are only two dining plans compared to the four that used to be available. For now, the Disney Dining Plan Plus and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan are not available. Disney has not announced whether they plan to bring them back in the future.

The two plans that are returning both saw some major changes in pricing. The Standard Dining Plan used to be $78 per adult and $30.50 per child. However, it will now cost $94.28 per adult and $29.69 per child. And, the Quick Service Dining Plan used to cost $55 per adult and $26 per child. This plan will now cost $57.01 per adult and $23.83 per child. Don’t forget that these are the prices per person, per day of your trip.

While you can use your dining credits at most of Disney World’s restaurants, a select few are excluded. These tend to be third-party-owned and operated restaurants in the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs.

However, a few others remain absent from the Disney Dining Plan list, including California Grill and Space 220. Visit the Disney website for a complete list of restaurants participating in the Disney Dining Plan 2024.

Which Disney Dining Plan is Better?

The answer to which Disney Dining Plan is better comes down to how (and what) you and your family like to eat! The major difference between the two plans is that the Standard Disney Dining Plan includes sit-down meals and the Quick-Service Dining Plan does not.

So, if you know that you want to dine at Disney World’s Table Service restaurants during your trip, then it would be best to opt for the more expensive plan. However, if you don’t want to be glued to a schedule with dining reservations every day, the Quick-Service plan may be best for you.

Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth It?

The best way to decide if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for your family is to do the math! The menus and pricing for nearly all of the restaurants in Walt Disney World are available online. This makes it easy to guestimate what your meals will cost each day if you know where you want to eat.

In our experience, you need to purchase the most expensive item on the menus and opt for the most expensive snacks to actually save money with the Disney Dining Plan. So, see what everyone in your party might want to order, add up the costs, and see if it makes financial sense for you!

Another major motivator is that it takes one thing off your plate during your trip. You get to budget for your meals in advance. Then, you don’t have to worry about having your credit card on hand or pay attention to the cost of your meals and snacks during the trip. This can make it worth the cost even if you’re not necessarily saving any money.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Dining Plan

As we’ve mentioned before, the Disney Dining Plan isn’t necessarily saving you money on food in the parks – it is Disney World, after all! But, there are some ways to ensure that you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Disney Dining Plan snack credits are typically valued around $7. So, if you choose to use a snack credit for a $3.50 bottle of water or a $6.25 Mickey Premium Bar, you’re actually losing money. You can find snacks that cost more, so use your credits wisely!

Similarly, you’ll get the most from your meal plan if you opt for the most expensive item on the menu. In fact, the dining plan can actually save you money on things like steak, seafood, and alcohol (which you can order as the drink with your meal if you’re 21+)!

Most importantly, you’ll want to be sure that you’re keeping track of your meal and snack credits. You should use them throughout your stay rather than letting them pile up. We’ve seen people end up with so many credits at the end of their stay that they’re purchasing tons of cookies, chips, and bottled sodas to use them up before they leave effectively “wasting” those credits.

What is “Free Dining”?

In the past, Disney has offered a “Free Dining” promotion that allows guests to add a Disney Dining Plan to their Disney World Resort hotel booking and park tickets purchase for free. This promotion tends to be available during Disney World’s “slower” seasons (like winter and early fall) as a way to draw more people on vacation.

Most recently, this offer returned for Disney+ Subscribers on select dates in 2024. However, Disney has not yet announced any additional dining plan promotions for the year yet.

How to Purchase a Disney Dining Plan

Guests must purchase Disney Dining Plans prior to their trip as part of a Disney World Vacation Package. To book a vacation package, visit the Walt Disney World website, contact 407-WDW-MAGIC, or book your trip through an authorized Disney travel agent or vacation planner.

Guests can add Disney Dining Plans to their vacation package now if they plan to visit on or after January 9th, 2024. Keep in mind that the dining plan will be added for everyone in your room (unless you are traveling with children under the age of 3). It must be booked for the entire length of your stay.

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and Disney World Annual Passholders may be able to add the dining plan to their trip without needing to purchase a vacation package. Contact Disney for more information if you fall within these two categories.

FAQ

Is alcohol included in the Disney Dining Plan?

Yes, as of 2018 anyone 21 or older can order an alcoholic beverage as their drink with any Quick-Service or Table-Service meal. This can be a great way to get the most out of your Disney Dining Plan.

Can I get the Disney Dining Plan if I’m not staying at a Disney hotel?

No. Guests can only get a Disney Dining Plan by adding it to Disney World Vacation Packages which include a Disney hotel stay. Of note, guests staying at the Swan, Dolphin, or Swan Reserve resort hotels are not eligible either.

What meals cost two credits?

Currently, Disney signature restaurants and character dining locations cost two Table-Service meal credits per guest. This includes:

• Be Our Guest Restaurant
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Lunch and dinner)
• Le Cellier Steakhouse
• Monsieur Paul
• The Hollywood Brown Derby
• The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge
• Tiffins
• The BOATHOUSE
• Jaleo by Jose Andres
• Morimoto Asia (Dinner only)
• Paddlefish
• STK Orlando
• Jiko – The Cooking Place
• Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar
• Flying Fish
• Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood
• Cítricos
• Cítricos Lounge
• Narcoossee’s
• Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera (Dinner only)
• Yachtsman Steakhouse
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.

Please note that this list is subject to change.

Comments

Are you happy to hear that Disney Dining Plans 2024 has returned? Do you find value in pre-purchasing these meal plans? Leave us a comment below to share your experiences using a Disney Dining Plan.