Hi Jessica!
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by to chat about your upcoming adventure to the Most Magical Place on Earth. I'd be happy to assist a fellow traveler today.
To put together a vacation that includes a
dining plan, you must book a
package directly through the Walt Disney Travel Company that bundles your resort stay, theme park tickets, and dining plan. Unfortunately, you cannot add a dining plan to reservations booked through third-party vendors like Southwest or
Costco.
The dining plan is an attractive option when I want to pre-pay most of my travel expenses before my vacation begins. An alternative is purchasing Disney Gift Cards in the amount you anticipate spending on dining. I like to browse menus online to get an idea of my dining budget. If you have remaining Disney Gift Card funds after you've enjoyed your meals, you can spend them on souvenirs or save them for a future visit.
Disney Gift Cards never expire!
A dining plan is also a great way to save money on some of the pricier meals in Walt Disney World. When not using a dining plan, I look for restaurants offering a
Disney Visa Card discount and more budget-friendly eateries.
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria,
50's Prime Time Café,
The Plaza Restaurant, and
Raglan Road™ Irish Pub & Restaurant are excellent choices for economic table-service dining in the theme parks and
Disney Springs. If you're interested in
character meals, breakfast seatings are generally lower in cost than lunch and dinner. My family likes to schedule a late breakfast that will keep us full until dinner.
Garden Grill and
Cape May Café are our favorites for reasonably priced (and delicious) breakfasts with Disney pals!
I hope this is helpful, Jessica. Thanks again for sending your question our way. Please let us know if there's anything else we can do for you as your vacation approaches. You've got a friend in me!
Betsy