Hi Rachel!
Welcome to planDisney.
I'm always very happy to answer questions from my fellow UK guests. Over here at planDisney we are very excited to see the return of the Disney dining plans - and I love that they enable us to budget for our food while we are enjoying our holidays at Walt Disney World. It's one less thing to think about.
A change has been made to the new dining plans in that substitutions are no longer allowed. Quick-service meals cannot be exchanged for snacks, nor can snacks be exchanged for quick-service meals. It was always the case that table-service and quick-service meals cannot be interchanged, and this remains for 2024.
When using the
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan you will receive, per guest per night of stay, 2 Quick-Service meals; 1 alcoholic drink (for guests over 21) or non-alcoholic drink with each meal; and 1 Snack or drink. With the
Disney Dining Plan, you will receive, per guest per night of stay, 1 Table-Service meal; 1 Quick-Service meal; 1 Alcoholic/Non-Alcoholic drink with each meal; and 1 Snack or Drink. Also included in the price of each Disney Dining Plan is a Resort Refillable Mug. This can be used for unlimited refills of a selection of fountain drinks, including sugar-free versions, and hot drinks such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate, at the beverage stations found at the Quick-Service locations at all Disney Resort hotels for the length of your dining plan. It's also worth noting that you will find a sink next to all the beverage stations to rinse your mug before your next refill.
You will still have a lot of flexibility when using whichever Disney dining plan you choose - mostly around when you use your dining plan - you can use it in any way you please from the day of check-in to midnight on the day you leave (subject to meals and snacks remaining on your balance). With our late overnight flights back to the UK we usually have a lot of spare time on our departure day, so save some of your dining plan to use then - but ensure you use up all your meals and snacks as they will expire.
Here is a list of all restaurants around Walt Disney World that accept the
Disney Dining Plan, and the
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan. I have attached the Disney Dining Plan edition of our planDisney Podcast which I think you will find very useful when making your decision to purchase one of the Disney dining plans.
If you have any further questions about the Disney dining plans or any other planning questions, please visit us again. We will be happy to help you plan your magical holiday at Walt Disney World!
Sue