Welcome to planDisney, Jessica! Thanks for bringing your question to us.
At this time, in order to purchase a
dining plan, you must book a vacation package, which includes a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel room reservation
and theme park tickets for all Guests on the reservation. As such, if you reserve your hotel room and theme park tickets separately, you will be unable to purchase a dining plan.
Now while the dining plans can be very convenient, you don't need one in order to access the many delicious
dining options at the
Walt Disney World Resort. While I love the
attractions and shows available at the resort, planning, booking, and experiencing the vast variety of dining options is probably my favorite part of a
Disney vacation. My current favorite
quick-service option is
Satu'li Canteen in
Pandora - The World of Avatar at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. You will always find me singing the praises of the customizable bowls and unique desserts and drink options here. And I could easily spend this entire answer listing off my favorite
table-service restaurants but let's just leave it at two of the standouts from my most recent vacation at the resort:
Jaleo by José Andrés and
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, both in
Disney Springs. And let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised when we experienced dinner at the hidden gem that is
Ale & Compass Restaurant at
Disney's Yacht Club Resort. I'd done breakfast there before (which was delightful and a great value), but not dinner...and the food, atmosphere, and service was phenomenal!
Jessica, I wish you a January visit full of phenomenal dining experiences. If you have any other questions,
feel free to reach out to me!
Eat all the good stuff,
Matt