If you’re headed to Disney World on the Disney Dining Plan, you likely want to get the most of it.
As a big fan of the Disney Dining Plan, I put a fair amount of time and energy into figuring out how to maximize it.
Today, I’m sharing my top eight tips with you!
But first, what is the Disney Dining Plan?
The Disney Dining Plan is a way to pre-pay for your meals at Disney World.
There are three plan options to choose from:
- A Quick Service plan with 2 Quick Service Meals, 2 Snacks, and a refillable mug per night.
- The Standard Dining plan with 1 Quick Service meal, 1 Table Service Meal, 2 Snacks and a refillable mug per night.
- The Deluxe Dining Plan with 3 Table Service meals, 2 Snacks, and a refillable mug per night.
For a more in-depth explanation and my take on the pros and cons of the dining plan, check out this post.
How to get the most of the Disney Dining Plan
Now, I’m assuming you’re here because you’ve already committed (or are pretty close to committing) to the Disney Dining Plan.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at 8 ways you can get the most of it!
Use all your credits
You paid for those credits, so make sure you use them all!
It’s worth noting that you can use your credits at any point between midnight on the day you’re checking into your resort and 11:59 PM on the day you check out.
So you can use more (or less) of your daily allotment per day.
To get the most of the dining plan, it’s crucial not to leave a single credit behind.
If you’re at the end of your trip and find you still have some snack credits left behind, find a bakery or another location with snacks that will keep for a few days. Cash your credits in and bring your stacks home with you.
Use your credits wisely
Ideally, you want to be buying the most expensive item on the menu at each restaurant you go to.
Or better yet, if you have table service credits as part of your plan, make reservations at as many buffets as you can.
But at the same time, you want to get what you like, so don’t force yourself to eat the most expensive thing just because it’s expensive.
If you genuinely like the most expensive item, get it. Otherwise, get what you’ll enjoy and do what you can to maximize credits in other areas. And if you’re torn between two items, go for the pricer one.
The more expensive the meal, the greater return you’re getting on your food investment.
This leads me to my next point.
Plan before you go
If you really want to get the most of the Dining Plan, it’s a good idea to have a solid plan before your trip.
And if your plan includes Table Service meals, planning is practically essential.
Disney’s website gives you full access to menus and pricing, so if you plan ahead, you can see what each restaurant serves and the cost.
This will help you find locations that have food your group will enjoy and have an idea of what you’ll want to order to get the most of your credit.
If you’re dining at table service locations, you’ll need to make reservations. You can book 180 days before the start of your trip.
More popular restaurants go fast, so you want to get in there as close to 180 days out as you can.
However, it’s worth noting that some table service restaurants are considered signature restaurants and will require two credits per person to dine there.
If you’re expecting these credits to last your whole trip, you might not want to eat at a signature restaurant.
Make the most of your snacks!
In my experience snacks are the most overlooked aspect of the Dining Plan.
Most people think snacks are limited to things that would traditionally be considered snacks, like prepackaged chips, candy, ice cream bars, soft pretzels, and bottled beverages.
And while those things are considered snacks, there are also TONS more options to choose from!
Not only that, there are plenty of snacks that are large enough to be meals.
So if you decide you want to dine at a signature restaurant or use one of your counter service meals for breakfast, it’s entirely possible to cash in a snack credit for lunch and get enough to eat.
When you look at menu items in Disney World, you’ll notice that some items have this symbol next to them:
If you see this, that means the item is eligible for the dining plan.
If that symbol is next to a side item, or something that’s smaller and not a part of a meal (like loaded tots, a small bowl of pulled pork mac and cheese, or a cookie ice sandwich), that means it’s a snack credit.
And if you have any doubts, you can always confirm with a Cast Member before you order.
Ideally, you want to be choosing snacks that are worth at least $5. You also generally want to avoid prepackaged items because they don’t usually give you the best return.
It’s also a good idea to avoid bottled beverages. You can get free water at any counter service location, all of your meals come with beverages, and you get a refillable mug to use at your resort. As a result, using a snack credit for a beverage is typically a waste.
Check out locations in person (especially for snacks)
You should absolutely do your research on snack credit eligible items before you go. But in some cases, you won’t know the full extent of your options before you get to Disney World and actually look at the menus.
I’ve noticed on Disney’s online menus that some snack oriented locations say they don’t accept the Dining plan. This can lead you to believe there aren’t Dining Plan eligible snack options there.
This is not always the case.
I’ve personally seen the Disney Dining Plan snack credit symbol and purchased snacks with my credits at many of these locations.
As a result, I’ve come to the conclusion that this really means you can’t use a meal credit at that location.
So, don’t write off destinations like the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street! They have snack credit options. You just have to go there to see what they are.
Take advantage of Epcot Festivals
Epcot has four festivals throughout the year and each one comes with a series of special food booths.
Most of these items are snack credit eligible, and they often come in at over $5, making them an excellent dining plan choice!
Be sure to get your refillable mug!
Your Dining Plan comes with a credit for a refillable mug that you can pick up in your resort’s gift shop. You can use that mug for unlimited beverages at any Disney World resort for the length of your stay.
This is everything from coffee and tea, to soda, lemonade, and juice–anything that’s available in the self-serve beverage section.
Make sure you pick yours up!
Be on the lookout for free dining
Of course, the absolute best way to get the most of the dining plan is if you don’t actually have to pay for it!
Once or twice a year, Disney offers free dining for select dates with certain Disney resorts and packages. These offers usually come at slower times of the year when Disney is trying to entice people to visit.
You can keep an eye on the special offers page on Disney’s website to jump on free Dining when it becomes available.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: Have you used the Disney Dining Plan before? How do you get the most of it? Tell us about it in the comments!