Hi Stephanie!
Welcome to planDisney! I am delighted to assist you with your dining plan question!
Although
Disney Dining Plans are not yet available for purchase, we just received a
Disney Parks Blog announcement that they will return! So, keep an eye on the
operational updates and the blog for further details. As you have time to consider your dining plan options, let me offer a suggestion. If you have not done so already, create a cost estimate of your dining if you were not to get a dining plan. Include prices for snacks, drinks, and desserts if those would not be a part of the dining plan you would purchase assuming that the same plan options are available when they return.
When I do our cost estimate, I identify all of the restaurants we will visit and I check the menus of each restaurant to get prices. To check the menus, just click on the home page of each restaurant and then click on View Menu. I estimate tax and gratuity as well. Then, I compare that to the cost of a dining plan. For us, dining plans made our food costs more affordable in the past because we loved having the snacks, desserts, and drinks included.
While you wait for the dining plan sales to resume, also take a look at various dining options. We have favorite restaurants. These are ones that we book for every trip. And then on each trip we always try a few new dining locations. Also don't forget about the dining options at
Disney Springs. We love
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' and
The Edison.
Stephanie, also pay attention to the
advanced dining reservation window. Currently, that window is 60-days prior to arrival. On our most recent trips we have been very happy to have advanced dining reservations, especially given the crowds in the parks. Happy planning!
Magic and memories,
Donyell