Welcome to planDisney, Jana! Your visit to the Walt Disney World Resort will be here before you know it. I am happy to help you work out some of the logistics so you can focus on the magic.
Unfortunately, while you can book a
room-only resort stay, purchasing the
Disney Dining Plan does require theme park admission. This applies to all three levels of the Disney Dining Plan: the Quick-Service Dining Plan, the Table-Service Dining Plan or the Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan. (Just a quick note: the Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan will not be available until 2027, which will be just in time for your visit.) If you would like to take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan, you would need to add theme park tickets to your vacation package.
The good news is that, if you've already booked a room-only Resort reservation, you may be able to modify it to a vacation package that includes a Disney Dining Plan, without adding theme park tickets. What you’ll want to do is modify your reservation to convert it into a Walt Disney World Vacation Package. Sometimes, this can be done right in your
My Disney Experience account. Just head to “My Plans,” scroll down to your reservation, and select “Change Reservation.” If the option to add tickets or a Dining Plan doesn’t appear, don’t worry! A friendly Cast Member at the
Tickets and Hotel Reservations can assist you. Just let them know you’d like to keep your current Resort reservation and add tickets and a Dining Plan and they’ll walk you through the process.
If you are able to add the Disney Dining Plan to your resort stay, here’s a helpful tip! If you need to see the number of meal and snack credits left on your plan, you can use the My Disney Experience mobile app to check your balance. Just go to the “Hotel Reservations” section, scroll to your current resort, and click on the “My Resort” link. This will allow you to view details about your reservation, including a link to check your dining plan credits.
Jana, I hope this information helps you prepare for what I am sure will be a wonderful vacation. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to visit us here again at planDisney!
Bon appétit!
David