Which Disney Dining Plan is Right for Me?

With Free Dining offers being all the buzz right now, I thought I would share with you some differences between the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), and the Quick Service Dining Plan (QS).  If you’re questioning whether or not you want to add a Disney Dining Plan to your vacation package, you might find some answers here.  I’m going to be sharing the pros and cons of the Disney Dining Plan and the Quick Service Dining Plan.

Let’s start with some basics.  First, to participate in any Disney Dining Plan, you must purchase a Magic Your Way vacation package.  This means you book your resort room, park tickets, and dining all in the same package.  Second, to use any dining plan, you present your Key to the World Card to the register or waitress at your restaurant.  The meals you have used are deducted from the card.  There is no order in which you need to use meals or any limit to how many meals you can use per day.  You start your vacation with a total number of meals, and how you use them is up to you.  You can use one Key to the World Card to pay for meals-basically, if you are a family of four and you’ve redeemed four meals, you don’t need to give the waitress or cashier all four cards.  You can just give them one.

Pros of the Disney Dining Plan:

*This plan offers you one table service meal, one counter service meal, and one snack per person age 3 and over in your travel party.  ADRs are strongly recommended for a table service meal.

*All character interaction meals cost a table service credit.  I would suggest using several of the table service meals for character meals.  Mainly because there is some fun crowd interaction at these, the characters visit each table individually for pictures and autographs, and it eliminates standing in line to meet them.  You can enjoy a meal and characters all at once.

*The DDP offers a counter service meal as well.  These are good for a quick breakfast to get on your way to the parks, or a light lunch while touring during the day.

*You get a large variety of food on the DDP.  With buffets being a very common option on the DDP, as well as some eclectic table service menu items, you’ll have plenty variety!

Cons of the Disney Dining Plan:

*You are tied down to reservations with your table service meals.

*The table service meals and character meals {which are usually buffet} serve A LOT of food.  Perhaps you’ll be satisfied for the majority of your day and then you won’t end up using your quick service credit or even another table service meal.

*Some table service meals will cost you two dining credits.  Cinderella’s Royal Table, Hoop De Doo Musical Revue, and the Spirit of Aloha Show at the Polynesian Resort are just a few examples.

*If you have to cancel your reservation, you don’t receive a refund.

Pros of the Quick Service Dining Plan:

*This plan offers you two counter service meals and one snack per person age 3 and over in your travel party.

*You don’t need reservations to eat at a counter service location on Disney property.

*Good for a family with light eaters.

*Good for visitors who don’t want a long break from touring the parks.

Cons of the Quick Service Dining Plan:

*There isn’t as much variety in menus with this dining plan.

*Some resorts offer very a very small menu or just snacks for participants in the Quick Service Dining plan.  It’s a good idea to research your resort or those close to it to make sure there is a quick service location.

*There are no buffets or character meals included in the Quick Service Dining plan.

*You should order the most expensive item on the menu, several times during your stay, to make it financially worth it.

So, how do you decide which is right for you and your family?  Consider these factors:

*The eating habits of your family members.

*Character meal interaction vs. waiting in line for character autographs and pictures.

*How you tour the Disney parks.

*Which resort you have chosen.

I hope you come away from reading this with some great tips for choosing the dining plan that is right for you!

Magically Yours,

Carrie

Carrie writes here on Chip & Co., and on My Favorite Finds.  Stop by My Favorite Finds, where you’ll find recipes, tutorials, organization inspiration, and Disney travel tips.  She hopes you’ll find some joy in your everyday when you visit My Favorite Finds!

Related articles

• 2013 Disney Dining Plan Details Released (chipandco.com)
• Tables in Wonderland vs. Disney Dining Plan (chipandco.com)

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