In case you haven’t heard, Disney just released a new Dining Plan option, the Disney Dining Plan Plus. When booking a Walt Disney World vacation package or if you are a Passholder or DVC member, you can also book a dining plan option. You’ll find people either love them or hate, but that’s another post altogether. So let’s check out what’s new about the Disney Dining Plan Plus.
Right off the bat, I will say I am generally a Disney Dining Plan kind of person. I enjoy the convenience of having meals prepaid, I enjoy all the snacking and get full use of my resort mug. So having another option for a dining plan is pretty awesome. Sometimes the Disney Deluxe Dining is too much food with 3 meals per day which includes an appetizer, entree, dessert and drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and two snacks per day and a mug, oh and that’s per person…Some trips, especially those where I focus on signature dining options, the Deluxe plan makes sense, but on shorter trips, it felt like too much and the regular Dining plan felt like too little. This new plan seems like it might become the most popular plan because it is the perfect mix of those two plans.
What You Get on the Plan
Everyone ages 3 and up will receive:
- 2 Meals per night of your stay (Table-Service or Quick-Service)
- 2 Snacks or drinks per night
- 1 Resort Refillable Mug
What’s Included on the Plan
Quick-Service Meal
breakfast, lunch or dinner will include)
- 1 Entree
- 1 Drink
Table-Service Meal
breakfast will include:
- 1 Entree
- 1 Drink
-OR-
- 1 Full Buffet or Family-Style Meal
- 1 Drink
lunch or dinner will include:
- 1 Entree
- 1 Dessert
- 1 Drink
-OR-
- 1 Full Buffet or Family-Style Meal
- 1 Drink
Drinks are included with each meal. If you’re 21 and older you may substitute for beer, wine and cocktails. Which is really nice sometimes. Try the Sangria at La Hacienda de San Angel. It’s so good!
Alcoholic Beverages
Guests 21 and older may choose either one nonalcoholic beverage or one-single serving mixed cocktail, beer or wine as part of their meal credit. A single-serving alcoholic beverage includes items such as:
- Beer or Cider
- Wine or Sangria
- Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails
Nonalcoholic Beverages
Guests 10 years of age and older can choose one nonalcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages) as part of their meal credit.
A single-serving nonalcoholic beverage includes items such as:
- Artisanal Milkshakes
- Fresh Smoothies
- Premium Hot Chocolate
- Soda, Coffee or Tea
Kids on the Dining Plan
There is a child’s plan and an adult plan. Children 3-9 must order form a children’s menu, and Disney has been strict about that rule recently. As always kids under 3 don’t need a plan because it’s assumed they will eat off your plate.
How the Plan Works
The specific number of meal options and snacks are determined by the number of nights included in the package stay. However, meals can be rolled over and redeemed in any order throughout the vacation.
You are pretty much given 2 credits per person per night for meals (separated into kids’ credits and adult credits) and 2 credits per person per night for snacks. You can use your credits in any order you want. If you want to have 2 Table-Service meals in a day, go ahead. If you want to have 3 meals in a day, you can do that too. Just remember that you are deducted meal credits after each meal that you use on the dining plan until all your credits are depleted. If you have unused credits (meals or snacks), they expire at midnight on your checkout day.
If you want to keep track of your credits, you can do so in three ways. Either check your receipts after every food transaction. You’ll be able to see how many credits are left. You can ask Guest Relations or your Resort Concierge and they will give you a print out if you request it. Lastly, you can keep track of your credits in the My Disney Experience app.
Magical Experiences while on the Plan
Character Dining
These meals will generally cost you 1 meal credit per person. If you have kids or are on a multi-generational trip, character meals are a great way of meeting characters without waiting in long line ups.
There are character meals that are premium experiences like Cinderella’s Royal Table. This restaurant requires 2 Table-Service meal credits per person. All other Character Dining experiences only require 1 Table-Service credit per Guest.
Signature Dining Restaurants
These restaurants offer a wider selection of food with premium steaks and fresh seafood.
Every meal from at a Signature Dining restaurant on the Disney Dining Plan Plus includes:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Drink
- 1 Dessert
These experiences will cost you 2 Table-Service meals per meal per person.
Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant
This one is usually difficult to get a reservation for as you’ll eat inside Beast’s castle and it’s lovely. It will cost you 2 Table-Service meals will be redeemed per person for dinner and you’ll also be able to meet The Beast at the end of your meal.
Dinner Shows
Enjoy family-style dining with live entertainment at a themed dinner show.
The Disney Dining Plan Plus can be used for Category 2 or Category 3 seating at all Dinner Shows and Category 1 seating at the 8:30 PM Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. Please pick up your Dinner Show ticket at the Concierge Desk in your Disney Resort hotel prior to arriving at the show. All Dinner Shows require advance reservations.
2 meals for each Dinner Show meal ordered will be redeemed from each Guest’s meal plan balance.
Private In-Room Dining
If you don’t want to leave your room because maybe you’re dealing with an extra tired child (Disney tired is a real thing), you can also order food to your room (depending on the resort) while on the plan.
Each Private In-Room Dining meal on the Disney Dining Plan Plus includes:
- 1 Entrée
- 1 Dessert (lunch and dinner)
- 1 Drink
This will cost you 2 meal credits for each Private In-Room Dining meal ordered. Gratuities are included but that is a lot for a meal you’ll be eating in your room, but that’s just me.
Please note: Dining Plans are not accepted for Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Private Dining.
Pizza Delivery
You can also have pizza delivered to your room and that includes:
- 1 Pizza
- 2 Single-serving drinks
- 2 Desserts
A total of 2 adult meals will be redeemed from your meal plan balance for each Pizza Delivery meal. Gratuities are included.
What’s not included
There are a few things that are not included in the plan or will cost you extra. Merchandise or photo imaging products that may be offered for sale at Character Dining Experiences are not included. Gratuities are not included unless otherwise noted. Also, keep in mind that if you are dining with a group of 6 or more people an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to your bill.
Your snack credits can only be used on single-serving snacks. Items that are more than a single-serving are not included, like a box of doughnuts or loaves of bread. If you want to know my favourite snacks, check out my post on 5 Must-Have Snacks at Walt Disney World or what some guidance on how to get the most value for your snacks, check out my post on my other blog called Best Valued Snacks at Walt Disney World.
You can’t use your credits on merchandise or souvenir containers either. So that cool looking popcorn bucket is going to cost you extra.
The plan can’t be used at recreational rental counters and can’t be used for special dining events, even if it takes place at restaurants included on the plan.
Prix fixe menus and certain items on some menus require payment of an additional amount on top of redeeming the number of Table-Service credits.
Cost
Now what you’ve probably been asking yourself. The cost of the Disney Dining Plan Plus is as follows:
- $94.60 (USD) per adult, per night
- $35.00 (USD) per child, per night (ages 3-9)
Thoughts
So that’s the Disney Dining Plan Plus. I’m pretty excited to try out this plan on my next trip. It seems like the perfect combo between the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.
What are your thoughts? Will you be adding the Disney Dining Plan Plus to your reservation?
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