Hi Michael,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. The food at Walt Disney World is my favorite “attraction,” so I am delighted to answer your question! I love to indulge my
foodie ways at Walt Disney World by taking advantage of the
Disney Dining Plan, and I am so glad you’ve also chosen to do so!
Your entitlements (how many meals you have and what type) start as soon as you arrive at your
Resort hotel. So let’s say you arrive at 10:00 am even though registration isn’t until 4:00 pm. You will still be able to use your
Disney Dining Plan for lunch that day. Essentially you have from the start of the day you arrive until midnight of the day you check-out.
To make the check-in process more efficient, download the
My Disney Experience app onto your phone. You can check-in to your hotel on the morning of your arrival, and the app will message you when
your room is ready. This is super convenient and a fantastic way to manage your time!
When your vacation is finished (queue
Mickey’s “sad” PhilharMagic), you can still use your entitlements until midnight of your check-out day. Make sure to use them all because this is truly a case of use it or lose it! I watched a mom buy over a dozen snacks this evening at the Mara at
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House because they were on their way to the airport and had leftover entitlements. I love
Disney snacks, so I think it was a fantastic use of her allotments!
Michael, if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to come back. chEARs to a delicious vacation!
Rayna