When you add the Disney Dining Plan to your vacation, a huge buffet of dining possibilities opens up to you. But how can you make sure that you’re getting the most value for your money? There are some ways to use those credits that even some dining plan veterans may not know about. Here are 7 ways to get the best bang for your buck on the Disney Dining Plan:
1. Understand your plan
The Disney Dining Plan comes in three varieties: the Quick Service Dining Plan, the Regular Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan. Each variety escalates in price, and each comes with a refillable mug that you can use at your resort. On the Quick Service Dining Plan, you get two quick-service meals and one snack per day per adult. The Regular Dining Plan offers one table-service meal and one quick-service meal per adult each day, and the Deluxe Dining Plan provides three meals (any combination of quick-service or table-service meals) along with two snacks per adult per day.
Disney recently announced some changes to the plans that will go into effect on May 31. Snack entitlements will be expanded to include all single-serve non-alcoholic beverages that aren’t in a souvenir container, all ice cream novelties and all hand-scooped ice cream offerings (including sundaes that don’t exceed two scoops or ice cream that isn’t served in a souvenir container). Other snacks that were previously not included in the plan are now included, such as caramel or candy apples (with or without nuts, but not including character-inspired apples), large Mickey Cookies and 1.5-ounce Tin Mints and freshly popped popcorn at Big Top Souvenirs in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom and Karamell-Kuche in Epcot’s Germany pavilion (though pre-bagged popcorn is no longer included in the plan).
Disney also announced that starting May 31, dining-plan participants can exchange one meal entitlement for up to three snack credits within the same transaction at certain quick-service locations and shops. Some cast members previously allowed guests to do this, but the company is making the policy official. This is a great idea especially during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, when three snacks can easily make a meal and those snacks can cost up to $8 each!
2. Peruse the menus
Menus and prices for Disney restaurants can be found online, so it’s a good idea to check them out even before you choose a dining plan. Make a list of items that you and the other people on your reservation would typically order, and compare that to the prices of the plans. You should also factor in your own vacation habits. If you plan on hitting every ride in the parks from open until close, you may not want to spend hours on table-service meals, so a quick-service plan could be a better choice. On the other hand, a table-service dining credit could save you money on an expensive dinner at Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom, for example.
While you’re looking at menus, keep in mind that some restaurants will charge you two table-service credits for a meal instead of just one. Luckily there aren’t many that do this, but some of the “signature” restaurants at several resorts and the Fairytale Dining experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table (along with two Star Wars character meals on select weekends) will cost you two table-service credits for one meal.
3. Head to Epcot
In many of Epcot’s countries, you can have a “signature”-style dining experience for the cost of only one table-service credit. The plan will save you money on a wide variety of dishes from all over the world, including beef tenderloin in France, Beijing chicken in China and filet of sole in Italy.
On the other side of Epcot, Sunshine Seasons is a great place to spend your snack credits. Some of the “snacks” make for very filling small meals, such as a plate of garlic udon noodles (which is on the menu as a “side dish”) or butternut squash soup.
World Showcase also has several interesting items to spend snack credits on, including sushi at Kabuki Café in Epcot, a curry chicken pocket at Joy of Tea in China and coconut Paletas (traditional fruit popsicles) at La Cantina de San Angel in Mexico.
4. Share meals
Disney’s restaurant portions are typically very large, so you can save some credits by sharing meals. For example, the Bounty Platter at the Contemporary Resort’s Contempo Café comes with scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, french toast and a biscuit. That’s a lot of food for the first meal of the day, and it’s easily shareable. And your dining plan credits can be used in any combination on any of the days of your vacation, so you can use those saved meal credits on times when you’re really hungry.
5. Don’t forget bottled drinks
Each guest on a dining plan receives a refillable mug, which can’t be used in the parks but can be used at the resorts’ food courts. But what many guests don’t know is that the meals at these food courts, just like meals in the parks, also come with a drink. So you can get a Coke at the fountain in your refillable mug, but you can also get a bottle of Powerade, juice or water with your meal. Take these bottles with you so you won’t have to use a snack credit for a bottle when you get thirsty at the parks.
6. Turn snack credits into souvenirs
Need to bring back goodies for everyone in your office? Use your leftover snack credits at shops to stock up on Chip and Dale snack bags with trail mix, cheese crackers or candy. Another great place to use snack credits is at Goofy’s Candy Co. at Downtown Disney. There, you can create your own snack, such as a huge Mickey Rice Krispie Treat or three pretzel rods dipped in chocolate and topped with the candy of your choice and more chocolate drizzle. (You may not want to share these!)
7. Leave room for dessert
Snack credits are usually good for snacks up to $5, and many of Disney’s sweet treats nearly meet that price point. You can trade in a credit for some must-have desserts, like Dole Whips at the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian Resort, and zebra domes at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. And head to the Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery at the Animal Kingdom to try a Brownie Paw – a freshly baked brownie topped with buttercream and chocolate fudge.
You can definitely stretch your dollars on the Disney Dining Plan with these tips. Do you have any other dining plan tricks? Share them below!
