disney world dining plan

Disney World Dining Plan Prices 2012

January 10, 2012 by Alison 5 Comments

If you are booking a Disney World Dining Plan for your vacation here is a useful guide so that you can compare the different options and prices for 2012.

The Disney Dining Plan is only available if you book a Disney resort hotel package which includes park tickets. The Dining Plan is now also open to Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members who book a Disney World hotel stay.

Photo lorenjavier

What are the different types of Disney World Dining Plan and how much do they cost?

Disney World Quick Service Dining Plan

Each guest will receive 2 Counter Service Meals and 1 Snack Per Day for each night of your stay.

For example if you stay 5 nights you will receive a total of 10 Counter Service Meals and 5 Snacks for your visit. You can use the ‘Credits’ on any day of your stay. So if you wanted to use 3 Snack Credits on one day you could, and then you would have 2 left for the rest of your stay.

You can easily keep track of your remaining Dining Credits. Each time you use a Credit you will receive a receipt and the total balance for your party will be on that. You can also ask at any Disney dining or resort location for them to check what remains on your Credit Balance.

All of your Credits expire at midnight on the day that you check out. This is the same for all of the Disney Dining Plans.

What is included in a Quick Service Meal? For breakfast you can have a entree and any non alcoholic beverage, for lunch and dinner it includes an entree, dessert and a non alcoholic beverage. Children must choose from the children’s menu when one is available.

Each guest also gets a resort refillable mug each for the duration of their stay. You can have unlimited drinks refills from your home resort. This means that if you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge you would only be able to refill the mug at that resort. You can no longer take it to a different resort and get free refills.

The price of The Disney World Quick Service Dining Plan is unchanged from 2011 at:

$34.99 per day for adults
$11.99 per day for children aged 3 to 9

Disney Dining Plan

This will give guests 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service Meal and 1 Snack Credit for each day of their visit.

Guests on the Disney Dining Plan also get the resort refillable mug.

Prices for the Disney Dining Plan have increased since last year and are now:

$45.99 per day (Regular Season) and $47.99 per day (Peak Season) for Adults

$11.99 per day (Regular Season) and $12.99 per day (Peak Season) for Children aged 3 to 9.

A Table Service meal for breakfast includes an entree and a non alcoholic beverage. You can also have a buffet breakfast. For lunch and dinner you can choose an entree and a dessert, or a buffet. A non alcoholic beverage is also included.

There are some Signature Restaurants which will require 2 Credits. Examples of this are Cinderella’s Royal Table and Epcot Le Cellier Steakhouse

Gratuities are not included for the Table Service Meals except at Dinner Shows and Cinderella’s Royal Table. What this means is that you are going to have quite a bit of extra charge per day on gratuities for Disney restaurant meals.

Disney charges more at most restaurants for Peak Season. The currently announced Peak Season dates are:

2/16/12 – 2/25/12,
3/09/12 – 4/14/12
6/1/12 – 8/4/12,
12/21/12 – 12/31/12

Over the years Disney World has increased the Peak Season dates more and more so that is now covers quite a considerable period of the year.

In my opinion this Dining Plan is a much better value than the Quick Service Dining. If you budget allows, the Disney full service restaurants are a great experience and the Dining Plan really does mean that you can save some money.

Deluxe Disney Dining Plan

This offers the most options – and probably more food than you can actually eat! Each day you have credit for a total of 3 meals which can be either full service or quick service dining. So if you wanted 3 character buffets a day this would cover it.

You also get 2 Snacks per day and a resort refillable mug.

The pricing for the 2012 Deluxe Disney Dining Plan per day is:

$85.52 (Regular Season) and $89.52 (Peak Season) for Adults
$23.79 per day (Regular Season) and $25.79 (Peak Season) for Children aged 3 to 9.

Gratuities are not included so this could add quite a considerable amount onto your dining charges.

Top 10 Disney World Snacks

August 9, 2011 by Alison 10 Comments

What are the top 10 best snacks in Disney World? If you are on the Disney Dining plan you will get up to 2 snack credits per day so you want to make the best use of those credits. Some, although not all of this list is available as a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan. Or if you are just looking for a bite to eat at Disney World and want some ideas. Of course everyone has their own opinion but here is a guide to some of the most popular and well liked snacks in Walt Disney World.

Photo by catchafallingstar

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwhiches

These ice cream cookie sandwiches have long been a favorite with guests in Magic Kingdom. They are available from Sleepy Hollow Refreshments located in Libery Square. They are very popular and priced at just $4.19 they are difficult to resist. Definitelly one of the best ice cream treats available in Disney World.

Cakes From Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot France

If you can brave the always long lines for the Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot France there are some excellent choices of snacks here. A chocolate croissant is only $2.85 and a particular favorite, a Napolean is $3.70. The only thing disappointing here is the coffee. I really would have expected more from a French cafe – let’s hope none of the natives ever try it from here!

Kaki Gori

You may not have hear of this one but it is well worth a try if you are passing the Kabuk Cafe in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot World Showcase. At just $3.50 you can certainly try this Japanese favorite of shaved ice flavored with syrups. Chose from either strawberry, melon or mikan (tangerine). Or if you can’t make up your mind just ask for rainbow which is a combination of all flavors. Perfect to cool you down on a hot Disney World day.

Pineapple Float

The lines can be long at the small Aloha Isle snack venue in Magic Kingdom. The reason for this is largely because of the famous Pineapple Dole Whip Float. Located in Adventureland the Aloha Isle serves up some excellent choices but the Pineapple Float has to be the winner. At $4.19 it is an excellent use of your snack dining credit. You can choose from pineapple, orange or vanilla Dole Whip in pineapple juice. You will have to try all of them of course to see which one you like best!

Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar

This is a Disney classic. No visit to Disney World is complete without sampling a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar. They are widely available from ice cream carts throughout the parks and cost $3.50.

Baby Cakes in Downtown Disney

Disney World is such an excellent place to be if you have food allergies or dining preferences such as a vegan diet. Vegans certainly rejoiced at the opening of Baby Cakes in 2010 in it’s new Downtown Disney locations – ironically where MacDonalds used to be.

Everything at Baby Cakes is gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free. The cupcakes are priced at $3.50 and are well worth a try particularly the Red Velvet Cupcake. They also offer excellent donuts. This is a must visit bakery for vegans and anyone on a gluten free diet visiting Disney World.

Zebra Domes

This is one of the more difficult to find snacks, simply because many Disney guests do not venture out to Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. The zebra domes are available in Boma restaurant (which is a buffet) but are also on sale as a snack in Mara in Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge which is a quick service dining venue. Gluten free Zebra Domes are available in Boma – I have never asked in Mara but if you are on a gluten free diet certainly ask to find out if they have any. They are $3.69

The Disney food blog has an excellent recipe for Zebra Domes. For vegetarians out there be aware that they are not suitable for you as they do contain gelatine.

Starring Rolls Cafe Tiramisu

If you need a sweet snack when you are in Disney Hollywood Studios then a great place to try is Starring Rolls. There is a large selection of sandwiches, sushi and cakes, but one of my favorites is the Tiramisu which is available for $3.99.

Tangerine Cafe Side Dishes

The Tangerine Cafe in the Morocco Pavilion in Epcot Worldshowcase is an excellent find for inexpensive small snacks at just $1.99 each. Yes the portions are small but it can be all you need to get you around World Showcase for a few more hours! Sample the Tabouleh, Marinated Olives, Lentil Salad and Tangierine Couscous Salad. A little out of the ordinary but a healthy and vegetarian snack alternative for those guests looking for something a bit different.

Funnel Cake

Not sure if you can call something with quite so many calories a snack but perhaps you can share it to get rid of the guilt! The Funnel Cakes served at the Funnel Cake Kiosk in The American Adventure at Epcot’s World Showcase are always very popular, and very tempting. The basic Funnel Cake is priced at $6 and is served with sugar. Add vanilla ice cream for $2.25, chocolate sauce for $1, or fruit for $2.

There are so many snacks to choose from at Disney World it is so difficult to choose. Which are your favorites? Leave me a Comment about your favorite Disney World snacks.

August 3, 2011 by Alison 3 Comments

How does the Disney World Dining Plan actually work? And does it save you money? There are many benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel and the choice of whether to opt for the Disney Dining Plan is one of the perks you get with staying onsite.

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

The Disney Dining Plan is an add on option which can be part of the Magic Your Way Package. This is available to all guests at a Disney Resort Hotel who also have a Disney World ticket as part of the package. This option is not available to guests at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dophin because they are not Disney owned property even though they are onsite.

Guests pay a set price for each member of your party and then you are given dining credits to use for meals at Disney World. How many credits you get and how you can use them depends upon the type of Dining Plan that you choose. You do not have to use the same amount of credits on each day. So for instance you could have 4 snacks one day and none another, or 2 full service dining meals one day and skip them the next.

At any time you use a Dining Credit the amount of Credits remaining will show on your receipt so that you can keep track of where you are.

So that Disney Resort guests can take maximum advantage of the Dining Plan it is essential that they learn about each different Dining Plan. It is a good idea to learn how it works and the costs of each before you decide if it is right for your party. Usually the Dining Plan does save you money but the more you know about how it works the better decision you can make. There are several different options.

Disney World Quick Service Dining Plan

The Quick Service is the most basic of the Disney Dining Plans and includes two quick service meals and two snacks per person for each night stayed at the Disney resort. You also get a resort refilable mug which can be refiled only at your home resort.

A Quick Service meal includes entrée or complete combo meal and non-alcoholic beverage at breakfast; entrée or complete combo meal, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage at lunch & dinner.

For 2011 the cost per person per night is $34.99 per adult and $11.99 per child aged 3 to 9. Disney says that this Quick Service Plan can save you up to 15%. I have never been a huge fan of the Quick Service Dining Plan and the changes for 2012 can only make it less desirable as the amount it includes will reduce.

There are changes coming to the Quick Service Dining Plan in 2012 when the number of snacks is reduced to 1 from 2 per day. The plan will still includes two Quick service meal per guest per day.
The Quick Service dining option will still cost $34.99 per night per adult and $11.99 per night for children (ages 3-9) in 2012. So whilst the price is the same the benefit is reduced by around $3 to $5 a day as this is what a snack would cost to purchase.

Disney World Magic Your Way Plus Dining

This is the plan which is probably the best value for the majority of guests visiting Walt Disney World. Disney says that you can save as much as 40% on this Plan.

This Disney Dining Plan option includes 1 table service meal, 1 counter service and 1 snack per person per day.

The table service meal includes one entree, one dessert (lunch/dinner only) and one non-alcoholic beverage OR one full buffet.

The price of this Disney Dining Plan depends upon when you are visiting. The cost in Regular Season is $45.99 per adult and $11.99 per child aged 3 to 9, and for Peak Season $47.99 per adult and $12.99 per child aged 3 to 9 per person per day.

Peak Seasons are the popular holiday times and always include Christmas. For 2011 this is 12/23/11 to 12/31/11.

Be aware too that gratuities are not included in full service meals. So this will be an additional expense.

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

This covers a lot of food! Guests can have 3 meal credits a day and choose from either Quick Service or Full Service Restaurants. A full service meal includes One Appetizer, one entree, one dessert (lunch/dinner only) and one non-alcoholic beverage OR one full buffet. So technically you could have 3 buffets a day on this plan! 2 Snacks and a Resort Refillable Mug are also included.

This option can be useful if you want to have every possibility covered. It includes so much food it is unlikely that you will actually save money unless you are going to go to the Signature Dining Restaurants which require 2 Dining Credits. If this is the case then you should look at the Deluxe Dining Plan to see if it will be of benefit. Also if you want to have a buffet breakfast and a full service meal each day then this would make sense for you.

The price of the Deluxe Dining Plan for 2011 is $78.99 for adults and $21.99 for children aged 3 to 9.

Disney Wine and Dine Plan

This is a way to pre purchase a wine package for your stay at Walt Disney World. The cost is $39.99 and you choose a bottle of wine each day of your stay from a pre selected list. Again this is only going to be a saving if you know that you will purchase premium wines each night.

Does the Disney Dining Plan Save You Money?

The simple answer is yes the Disney Dining Plan does save money. It also provides the convenience of knowing that your meal costs are all taken care of as part of a package. How much you save depends upon your individual taste and also how well you plan. There is such a vast array of choice and different pricing of each option that it is almost impossible to work out how much you will save. Certain snacks are priced at more than others, different restaurants have different prices. It actually can get a little stressful working it all out if you are determined to get every last bit of value out of a Dining Plan. I know. I have tried! But so long as you just eat what you want and understand the basics of the different plans for most guests they are a money saving idea.

Of course the best option is the Disney World Free Dining Plan which is offered from time to time. This is usually offered at quieter times and is always one of the most popular Disney World Hotel offers.

Disney World Dining Plan Prices 2012

Top 10 Disney World Snacks

Disney World Dining Plan

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