Hiya Kristal,
Welcome to planDisney! Are you excited that your vacation is almost at the 60-day mark?! Once my trip is close, I start kicking it into planning gear. I start getting my advanced dining reservations,
Enchanting Extras, and filling out my itinerary with all of my must-dos. Speaking of musts, I hope you are adding
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to your itinerary. EPCOT's newest attraction is sure to be one of the best yet! I can't wait until my next vacation so that I can experience it myself.
With so many new attractions and the return of beloved staples such as
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, we are often asked about the
Disney Dining Plan. The Disney Dining Plan was notable for its convenience, and it was a planner's dream. Unfortunately, we do not yet have any news to share about when it will return to Walt Disney World Resort. One place I would suggest checking for late-breaking information regarding Walt Disney World's phased re-openings is
Disney Parks on Instagram and
Disney Parks Blog. I find that there is genuinely no better source of information for all of the latest updates.
Since your vacation is coming up so soon, might I make a recommendation on how to budget for dining? My preferred way of budgeting these days is definitely
Disney Gift Cards. They are available for purchase in small quantities, and they can be a straightforward way to create your own dining plan solution. So how do I use them? Before my trip, I browse the menus for the places I would like to eat at (both table service, quick service, and snacks). I then estimate how much money I will likely spend on meals and snacks (plus about a $40 buffer since I'm a snackaholic). Once I have a total in mind, I collect Disney Gift Cards overtime to reach my goal amount. It helps me spread out the cost and avoid the post-Disney credit card shock because I have it on my handy Disney Gift Card. If I have extra money on my gift card because I overbudgeted, that means more money for Mickey Ears!
While I am anxiously awaiting the news that the Disney Dining Plans have returned, I hope that my tip can help you with your vacation planning. I'm sending all of the pixie dust and a touch of Fairy Godmother's magic that we will soon hEAR some good news!
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.