It's great to see you back again today at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Lizzie! I really do love the
Disney Dining Plan when I go on vacation but I totally understand that sometimes, deciding whether it's right for your family can be a bit of a numbers game. With a little bit of planning, you can figure out if the
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan a good choice, or if you might even save some money if you decide to go for the
Disney Dining Plan, which includes a Table-Service meal every day.
If you plan on enjoying any
Character Dining experiences, like meeting the Disney Princesses at
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall or breakfast with the Fab Five at
Chef Mickey's, you might want to consider upgrading to the Disney Dining Plan. I usually find that just one or two Character Dining experiences for a family of five are enough to justify the cost of bumping up to the Dining Plan that includes Table-Service dining credits. When you compare the price of purchasing the Quick-Service Dining Plan and paying out of pocket for your Table-Service meals with the price of just getting that Disney Dining Plan in the first place, you'll find that you usually come out having saved a bit of money. I recommend comparing the different Dining Plans when you're booking your vacation package and doing a little bit of math to see what would work best for your family.
If you plan on enjoying one or maybe two Table-Service meals that aren't at buffets, Character Dining experiences, or signature restaurants, it might be a better choice for your family to opt for the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan. You'll be able to choose from a huge selection of Quick-Service restaurants that have meals to please even the pickiest and most adventurous palates. Since you mentioned that your family members aren't really big eaters, I also want to mention that whichever Dining Plan you choose, they're all super flexible and can be easily tailored to work perfectly for you. Everyone in your
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel room has access to the same pool of credits, so if you want to split meals or double up on snacks on a day when you're feeling extra hungry, that's perfectly fine! Your credits are allocated to you when you check-in and can be used at your leisure any time over the course of your stay.
Have a magical day, Lizzie!
Jessica