Disney Dining at Walt Disney World
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Disney Dining at Walt Disney World
If this will be your family’s first time visiting Walt Disney World, you are in for a treat! They are hands down number one in customer service, from your initial phone call to check in.
There are literally more than 200 places to eat, meeting every budget. If you are staying on property, then you will have the option to purchase what is called a Disney Dining plan. These plans begin the day you check in and are valid through your check out date and expire at midnight. Pricing is normally based on length of stay and party size.Keep in mind, this must be purchased BEFORE your arrival, no later than 72 hours to be exact. This is strictly adhered to as everything will be on your room card. Another benefit to the Disney Dining plan is there are some dining experiences which are normally prepaid events, unless you have this plan. With the plan, you use a credit card to simply guarantee the reservation, and then use your allotment at the location once you dine. These prepaid events would include dining at the Cinderella’s Royal Table and the dinner shows.
How the Disney Dining Plan Works
Your points, or what they call meal allotments, “roll over”. What ever you don’t use one day, is still valid for the rest of your trip. So if you fly in late on your first day, you will not lose the “allotments”. In the most popular plan, you and your guests each receive a table service, and quick service and two snacks. The table service is what is referred to as your sit down meal, which normally requires a reservation. This can be used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner including character meals.
The quick service is similar to a food court set up. You walk up to the vendor, order your food and seat yourself. Please don’t make the mistake and think this is just burgers and fries, it is so much more! You will find Mexican or Japanese quick service locations, or specialty locations throughout Disney World.
The snack entitlement can be used for a bottle of water, coffee, pastry, or fruit for example. Remember, you can use your plan however you want, just use it!
Your reservations can be booked as early as 180 days in advance, 7:00am EST. This is important to know if you are traveling with a large group, want to dine at a popular location, especially character experiences. This is even more vital if you are traveling during peak months.
Why purchase a Disney Dining plan, you ask?
This is the most magical place on earth with a matching price tag! Most people go into a bit of a price shock if they don’t do their homework. The last thing you want is to finally bring all your loved ones and be stressed about the cost of every meal! That is not fun. This way your meals are prepaid and you simply tip, based on the original price of the bill of course.
There are a variety of Disney Dining plans, today I covered the most popular and what most guests find economical. It is one of the many perks of being a resort guest, like the extra magic hours.
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If you have been thinking about creating a second stream of income to do things like this for your family, take action and hit the check mark now!