Step 4: The Dining Plan......

The Dining Plan…

Is it right for you? Some people say that they don’t purchase the dining plan because it won’t actually save them any money. That’s fine, but we don’t get the dining plan because it will save us money, it is more for convenience. Every time we go to the World we purchase the Deluxe Dining Plan which allows us to eat at almost every restaurant and it is paid for completely in advance, expect for the tip or alcohol. If we did not purchase the dining plan I can guarantee that we would not eat the way that we normally do on vacation. We would have food delivered to our hotel room by a local grocery store and take that for breakfast and lunch, have one in park meal a day—most probably a quick service meal, and then have one splurge meal for the trip. Because everything is paid for in advance we can order anything we want to from the menu and not have to think about how much it costs. You could have steak or lobster at every single meal if you wanted to.

Everyone 10 and older is considered an adult on the dining plan and is required to order from the regular menu at table service restaurants. Children 3-9 must order from the kids menu when it is available. Children under 3 do not require the dining plan and therefore cannot order their own meal unless you desire to pay separately for that meal. Children under three are welcome to eat off the plate of someone else in their party and may have their own plate at a buffet.

There are three dining plan options:

Quick Service Dining- This plan includes 2 Quick Service meals and 1 Snack per person per night of your stay. Also included is one refillable mug per person. Each meal includes an entrée and a non-alcoholic beverage for breakfast and an entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage for lunch and dinner.

Plus Dining- This plan includes 1 Table Service meal, 1 Quick Service meal, and 1 Snack per person per night of your stay. Also included is one refillable mug per person. Each meal includes an entrée and a non-alcoholic beverage at breakfast and an entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage at lunch and dinner. You may also use your table service credit at a buffet.

Deluxe Dining- This plan includes 3 meals and 2 Snacks per person per night of your stay. Also included is one refillable mug per person. These three meals can be any combination of table service and quick service. You could eat three table service meals a day if you wanted or you could eat three quick service meals. It’s up to you. Each quick service meal includes an entrée and a non-alcoholic beverage for breakfast and an entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage for lunch and dinner. Each table service meal includes an entrée and non-alcoholic beverage for breakfast and an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage for lunch and dinner. A table service credit may also be used for a full buffet.

* Most table service locations take one table service credit. The exceptions are various signature restaurants, dinner shows, and Cinderella’s Royal Table.

* Snacks credits can be used for various things throughout the resorts or parks. A few examples are fresh fruit, veggie packs, popcorn, ice cream, pastries, and nuts… most things at quick service locations or food carts that cost $5.50 or less count as a snack credit. (There will be a full post dedicated to snacks.)

* Your meals can be used in any order throughout your stay. Is the dining plan right for you? Let me give you an example of what your dining options could look like on each plan.

A day on the Quick Service Dining Plan… Epcot

Breakfast- A Pastry or other Snack at your resort or a Park.

Lunch- A Quick Service Meal at Sunshine Seasons.

                Ex. Slow Roasted Pork Chop with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Barbeque Sauce and a S’mores Brownie.

Dinner- A Quick Service Meal at Lotus Blossom Café.

                Ex. Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice and Lychee Ice Cream

A day on the Plus Dining Plan… Magic Kingdom

Breakfast – A pastry or other Snack at your resort or a Park.

Lunch- A Quick Service Meal at Casey’s Corner.

                Ex. Barbecue Slaw Dog with French Fries and a Brownie.

Dinner- A Table Service Meal at Be Our Guest.

                Ex. Herb-Crushed Lamb with Buttered Celery Root and Seasonal Vegetables and the Grey Stuff.

A day on the Deluxe Dining Plan… Hollywood Studios

Breakfast – Table Service Meal at Hollywood and Vine (Character Buffet)

Lunch – A Quick-Service Meal at Backlot Express.

                Ex. Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with carrot sticks and a Chocolate Mousse.

Dinner – A Table Service Meal at Sci-Fi Dine-In.

                Ex. Fried Dill Pickles, The Famous All American Picnic Burger and House-made Sci-Fi Candy Bar.

Snacks – 1. Carrot Cake Cookie from Writers Stop

                 2. Butterfinger Cup Cake from Starring Rolls

Whether you purchase a dining plan or not is up to you, but we think that it is worth the extra money.

Happy Planning!