Roundup Rodeo BBQ is included on the full planThis is a subject that I’ve touched on in the past, but it was before the 2020 closure. We’ve been without the Disney Dining Plan for three years, but it will be back on January 9, 2024. Since there have been a lot of changes to the Disney Dining Plan, I’ll ask this question again. Will the Disney Dining Plan save you money?
The short answer is no, you most likely won’t save money if you add the Disney Dining Plan to your Walt Disney World vacation. It’s not meant to save you money. Instead, the Disney Dining Plan offers convenience. It’s a way to add dining costs into the total cost of your vacation. You won’t have to worry about paying for your meals as you go along.
There will now be just two versions of the Disney Dining Plan. I’ll start with the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, since it costs less, and Sundays are about saving money. With the new Quick Service Plan, you’ll receive two quick service meals and one snack for each night of your vacation. The word “night” is important here. If your vacation is seven days long and you arrive early on Sunday and leave late on Saturday, you’ll need eight days of food. With the Disney Dining Plan, you’ll receive seven. You’ll be on your own for the other day. You’ll also receive a Rapid Refill Mug that will be good for the length of stay, but you can use the mugs only at the resorts. They won’t work in the theme parks. With the two quick service meals you’ll receive an entree and a beverage. That includes an alcoholic beverage, which costs more than a fountain drink.
The Quick Service Plan costs around $57 for each night of your vacation. Let’s say one of those meals is Flame Tree Barbecue, where you order the Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork and a Safari Amber. That would come to $22.99 on its own. That puts you $34 away from the $57 that you paid. With one more quick service meal and a snack, that’s just about break even. If you’re like me and you usually just get a cup of water for your beverage (because I prefer to drink water and I don’t drink alcohol) you won’t be close to $57.
With the Full Disney Dining Plan, you’ll receive one quick service meal, one table service meal, and one snack a day. The table service meal could be a buffet or a family style meal. Appetizers and desserts are not included unless they’re part of the meal. You’ll also receive a Rapid Refill Mug that you can use at the resorts but not the theme parks.
The Full Disney Dining Plan costs around $94 for each night of your visit. This includes Character Dining, which for some people might make the cost worth it. Be careful, because some Character Dining Experiences will cost two of your table service credits. That said, dinner at Chef Mickey’s is going to cost around $60, leaving $34 for a quick service meal and a snack. It still could be cheaper to pay out of pocket. Remember that gratuities are not included at most table service restaurants, so please be generous to your server.
If you’re trying to figure out if it makes financial sense to add the Disney Dining Plan, crunch a few numbers. Look at the restaurants that you might want to try. Check the menus on the Walt Disney World Website. Most restaurants have the prices listed. Keep in mind that you need to add the Disney Dining Plan for your entire stay, you can’t just pick a couple of days. Everyone in your room must be on the Disney Dining Plan, except for children under three. You can’t add only half of your party. After looking at the prices you might be surprised by how much less you’ll pay without the Disney Dining Plan.
Then again, the Disney Dining Plan is convenient. If you add it, you won’t be worrying about the cost of food. That could take away some of the stress of your vacation, which could make it worth the cost right there.