Hi Robert,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! The
Disney Dining Plans have been a great value for our family!
Although there could be changes in the dining plan pricing for the dates of your trip (i.e. special offers), I called to get general pricing for 2018. The cast member with whom I spoke indicated that, on the Disney Dining Plan, it is about $78/night per adult and $28/night per child (9-years old and younger). The best way to check dining plan prices is to visit the Walt Disney World website. Enter the dates of your trip, select your resort and indicate the number of adults and children in your party. Then, select your room category, choose the type of dining plan and select the number of days for park tickets. Then check the price without the dining plan and compare.
For us, here is what makes the difference in getting a dining plan versus paying as we go - our meals on the dining plan include the entrée, dessert and beverage. When we have not used the dining plan, we paid for the dessert and beverage separately. We also make good use of the resort refillable mugs and the snack entitlements. To add another perspective, one of our favorite restaurants is Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. The last time we ate there, it cost us a little over $50 per adult and that was for one meal. When we are at the resort, we refill our mugs at least three times per day!
Robert, to determine if a dining plan is a good value for us, I also review the menu prices for the restaurants we plan to visit. Breakfast at Be Our Guest, for example, is another one of our must-do meals. The
breakfast menu will give you a more specific idea of the cost.
Happy Planning!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell