The Stuffed Factor: Managing Your Munching on the Disney Dining Plan

I love the Disney Dining Plan!  I love handing over my Key to the World card and being “done” with the bill.  I especially love it when the dining plan is free!  I know the argument exists that “nothing in life is free”, but I operate on the idea that if I didn’t pay for it, it is free to me…even if I did pay a little more for my hotel!  I love the feeling that the free dining plan gives you, it’s like the World’s at your command. ” Le Cellier, no big deal…just swipe that Key to the World card and sure, we’ve made sure to allot for the 2 table service per person”.   It’s living the fine life!   I love seeing that grand total followed by a line declaring the freedom of the dining plan canceling out that dollar amount. I simply leave a tip and hit the road!  Folks, free dining is where it’s at!

All that said, if you grew up like me, then the concept of simply eating at Disney was something foreign.  I grew up in a large family and we did good to make it to Disney.  So, we packed picnics and shared snacks to save a few bucks on meals.  So, the first time I went to Disney as an “adult” with free dining, my cheapskate world was rocked.  I felt like all I did was eat.  Regrettably, there were days where I felt consumed by the food.  I remember saying “we just ate lunch, I am too full for dinner!”  I felt guilty for throwing away food, I still do.  It really is a lot of food.  It takes some skill to make it through a stay at the parks without being stuffed, bloated, and beyond filled.  I have found that it takes a little bit of noshing know-how in order to manage all that food!

Here are my top tips!

Space it out…

Before you are even in the parks, you are making reservations.  It is easy to just click an open time when you are sitting at home making Advanced Dining Reservations months out from your trip.  Just thinking about Disney food gets me hungry!  My imagination doesn’t leave room for my memories of heartburn!  My suggestion is, think out your meal plans and yes, I am talking about your quick service meals as well.  For example, on the day we eat at the Liberty Tree Tavern, we eat an extremely light breakfast in our resort room (like yogurt and fruit or a granola bar) and a light quick service meal, we plan for our large dinner to be at least 5 hours after our lunch time.  When you think through your dining and space out all that food, your tummy will thank you!

Eat light…

I know a lot of people just read that heading and thought, “seriously?”.  So, what I mean by “eat light” , is don’t try to eat really heavy foods for every meal.  For example, if you are eating at Le Cellier for dinner, avoid heavy/greasy/fatty foods.  I prefer to find a light sandwich or salad when I know my reservation meal will include “meat and potato” kinds of foods.  I know a lot of people who complain about quick service meal choices being such a limited selection.  I always challenge theory that by rattling off a handful of unique and tasty quick service options (that’ll be another post).

Snack Swap out…

While I can honestly say that a day at Disney without a Premium Mickey bar is a travesty, I have been known to cash out our snack credit balance on our last day.  Somehow or another, I’ve found that we always have a surplus of unused snack credits. There is a simple remedy that will keep those credits from being lost and will leave you with something to snack on that is magical, long after you’ve left the parks.  I like to use the remainder of my snack credits by  picking up snacks that will survive the trip home.  You can give them out as gifts or eat them yourself, but there are so many good options.  From bakery items at the Main Street Bakery to delicious sweets from Goofy’s Candy Co. in Downtown Disney, your options are really endless!  You can keep track of your remaining snack credits by locating the remaining credit balance on your receipts.  Save some room by picking up snacks before you head home!

Share your meal…

I see a lot of families with toddlers in the parks who purchase  kids meals.  I say let them eat off of your plate!  To be honest with you, I think it would be a good idea to split a meal between two adults!  I find the food to be more than enough, especially since each meal on the dining plan comes with a drink, entrée, side, and dessert!  I would  buy a drink and ask for an extra plate for your little one.  My sister and brother-in-law did this with my nephew and still had food left over!  Talk about saving the tummy and the money!

Help is on the way…

So, I’ve been talking a lot about how to avoid the stuffed factor.  But, what if you forget.  What if you indulge a bit too much?   Is there hope if you accidentally over do it?  Yes, there is!  Walt Disney World is full of opportunities to walk off some food and walk up an appetite!  When I over do it, I force myself to move.  World Showcase is prime walking territory!  Another idea is to keep a stash of indigestion meds in your park bag!  They can be a real life saver!

I hope you all find these suggestions for avoiding helpful for avoiding getting stuffed on the dining plan.  What do you do when you are on the Dining Plan at Disney to avoid being miserable?  With all that delicious food, it’s good to know how to avoid over doing it so that you can enjoy all of that amazing food!  Share your anti-stuffed tips in the comment section below!

As always, thank you for reading!

For more tips and ideas, check out my blog: Disney: Done Right!

See ya real soon!

Ashley

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