Hi Julie,
I hope that you're having fun helping your son plan for an AMAZING Disney vacation! I always tell my family members and friends that helping them plan their Disney vacations is a true labor of love for me.
The
Disney Dining Plans not only allows Guests to experience a
wide variety of delicious meals, snacks, and beverages, but it makes managing them super simple! The change was made in 2018 to add alcoholic beverages (for Guests ages 21 and over) and specialty drinks to the Disney Dining Plans, which means that you may now choose from artisanal milkshakes, fresh smoothies, premium hot chocolate, beer, cider, wine, sangria, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, and more! Each Disney Dining Plan entitlement will include one beverage, so you're exactly right - your son will need to choose one beverage to enjoy as part of the Disney Dining Plan. If he'd like to have both a specialty or alcoholic beverage
and a soda, coffee, or something else, he may always choose to pay for the additional drink out of pocket.
Thanks so much for visiting us at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Julie, and please let us know if you have any other questions as you're helping your son plan his trip. I hope that his upcoming vacation is truly magical!
Missy