Hello and welcome to
planDisney, Kris. Thanks for stopping by with your question.
Kris, my family and I have also used the
Disney Dining Plan on past vacations and have thoroughly enjoyed it as well. It was nice to have all aspects of a Walt Disney World vacation planned for ahead of time. It truly allowed us as adults to be 100% in the moment and not have to worry about prices so much. You want a Mickey bar, sure let's get one! A steak for dinner, no problem! It was super fun to be yes parents for snacks and food during our trip.
At this time, we still haven't received word on when the Disney Dining Plan might return. Things are in motion though. We are seeing a return of a lot of Walt Disney World restaurants and even a dinner show coming back this summer so that definitely is a step in the right direction. Be sure to keep an eye out over on the
Disney Parks Blog for any announcement that is made. That is going to be where we find out all of the information.
Until the Disney Dining Plan returns, Kris, a good way to budget for food on a Walt Disney World vacation is to use
Disney Gift Cards. You can find Disney Gift Cards at most major retail locations. Disney Gift Cards are similar to the Disney Dining Plan in the sense that it is paid for ahead of time and have to be used for something at Walt Disney World. I like to pick one up as I am grocery shopping. It doesn't add a lot to my bill but I am always amazed at how quickly they can add up.
Also, Kris, I would suggest pricing out a Disney vacation if you haven't already. While the Disney Dining Plan did have a lot of value, it also drove the price of a Walt Disney World vacation package up quite a bit. Even when free dining was offered, the rates of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels were often quite a bit higher to compensate for that free dining promotion. A Disney vacation can look all sorts of ways. To keep costs down you can opt to enjoy mostly quick service dining locations and there are some really great and affordable choices! One of my favorite spots to grab a meal is
Pizza Ponte at Disney Springs. They sell artisan pizza by the slice and they are fantastic. My family of 3 can actually eat there for under $30.00 for dinner and that includes getting a slice of pizza each and a can of soda. The slices are so big that oftentimes we can't finish our meal. You can even pack and bring in your own food and beverages to enjoy throughout the day at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. There are a lot of ways to save on food that doesn't include the Disney Dining Plan. I don't want that to hold you back from a magical vacation with your family.
I hope this helps, Kris. If you have other questions about this or anything else, please feel free to stop back by and
ask me. I'm here to help.
Happy planning!
Jackie H.