The Disney Dining Plan: Is It Worth It?
Character Dining at Topolino’s Terrace
As travel advisors that specialize in Disney vacations, whether or not the dining plan is ‘worth it’ is one of the more common questions we would get from families traveling to Walt Disney World. With the announcement of dining plans officially coming back with 2024 packages, that questions is popping back up again so let’s talk about it!
The first thing to keep in mind is that YOU know your travel party best. While we can teach you how to determine the value add, you’re going to be the best judge of both your family’s finances and eating habits! Before we get into any cost analysis, let’s talk about what the dining plans even are.
Are they discounted meal plans? That really depends on very specific details, and varies from person to person! They’re a way to provide convenience during your vacation by prepaying for your meals. There’s no beating around the bush here; Disney vacations are expensive. One of the silent killers of any budget are the ‘small’ purchases during your park day. A round of churros here, a bottle of soda over there, a souvenir or two, and before you know it you’ve spent $18,000 before dinner.
If you’re like most people, you’re headed into a vacation conscious of the budget. And if you’re like me, you’ll look at the prices of things on the menu and choose something you might not necessarily love just because it’s $4 cheaper than what you really want. The dining plan definitely helps with that mindset!
There will be two dining plans available to add to 2024 vacation packages.
QUICK SERVICE DINING PLAN
This plan includes 2 quick-service meal credits and 1 snack credit per person, per night of your stay. Quick-service meals are counter-service restaurants where you order at a register and then find a seat, rather than being seated at a table by a host. Reservations are not required. Each quick-service meal credit includes an entree and a beverage (for guests 21 and over, this can include alcohol). One resort-refillable beverage mug per person is also included.
DISNEY DINING PLAN
This plan includes 1 table-service meal credit, 1 quick-service meal credit, and 1 snack credit per person, per night of your stay. Table-service meals are sit-down restaurants where you'll be served at your table by a server. Each table-service meal credit includes an entree, dessert, and beverage (for guests 21 and over, this can include alcohol). One resort-refillable beverage mug per person is also included.
COST ANALYSIS
To determine whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for your Walt Disney World vacation, you'll need to compare the cost of the plan to the cost of the meals and snacks you plan to purchase separately. We have to use examples from 2019 for this exercise, so just keep in mind that 2024 prices are…not going to be the same.
Step 1: Determine the cost of the Dining Plan
For the purposes of this example, let's use the 2019 cost of the Disney Dining Plan, which was $75.49 per night for adults (ages 10 and up) and $27.98 per night for children (ages 3-9) for the standard dining plan.
Step 2: Determine the number of credits you'll receive
The Disney Dining Plan gives you a certain number of meal and snack credits based on the number of nights you're staying at a Disney World Resort. For the standard dining plan, you would have received:
1 table-service meal credit (includes an entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage)
1 quick-service meal credit (includes an entrée and non-alcoholic beverage)
2 snack credits per night
So, for example, if you're staying for 5 nights, you'll receive a total of 5 table-service meal credits, 5 quick-service meal credits, and 10 snack credits per person on the standard dining plan.
Step 3: Calculate the cost of the plan per credit
To determine the value of the Dining Plan, you'll need to calculate the cost per credit. Using the 2019 standard dining plan cost of $75.49 per night for adults, you can divide that by the total number of credits you'll receive over your stay to find the cost per credit.
For example, using a 5-night stay as our example, the total cost for the standard dining plan would be $377.45 per adult (5 nights x $75.49 per night). If we divide that total cost by the number of credits we'll receive over our stay (5 table-service meal credits, 5 quick-service meal credits, and 10 snack credits), we get a cost per credit of approximately $12.58. Something to note, however, is that one table service meal credit includes not only just the meal, but the dessert as well. If you’re paying cash, those are separate menu items!
Step 4: Compare the cost of the plan to the cost of the meals and snacks you plan to purchase separately
To determine whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for you, you'll need to compare the cost of the plan to the cost of the meals and snacks you plan to purchase separately. You can find menu prices for various Walt Disney World restaurants on the Disney World website or by using the My Disney Experience app.
Let's say you plan to eat at a table-service restaurant where the average cost of an entrée is $30. Using the standard dining plan, each table-service meal credit is worth approximately $38. That means if you use a credit for a $30 entrée, you'll technically be getting $8 worth of value.
If you plan to eat at a quick-service restaurant where the average cost of an entrée is $15, each quick-service meal credit would be worth approximately $15. Using the standard dining plan, you'll technically be getting $2.42 worth of value if you use a credit for a $15 entrée.
Similarly, if you plan to purchase snacks that cost an average of $5 each, each snack credit on the Dining Plan would be worth approximately $2.52, assuming you're paying $12.58 per credit.
Overall, a Disney Dining Plan can be a great choice for some families, but it's not the right choice for everyone. If you're looking for the ability to prepay for your meals, the plans can be a great option. However, if you have specific dietary needs, you may be better off skipping the plan and paying for your meals separately!
Are you thinking about adding a dining plan to your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation? Reach out to one of our advisors for a quote!