Hi Nichole,
Welcome back to planDisney!
How exciting to be in the midst of planning a trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort! At this time, you would need to book a Disney vacation package to add a
Disney Dining Plan. My family loves Disney Dining plans, so I understand your question! I also understand that there could be budgetary reasons to stay at a hotel that is not a part of the
Disney Resorts Collection. I always advise guests to actually do the math including estimates for dining, gas, and taking into consideration the value of time spent trying to get to and from the parks when you are not at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel.
My family loves
Resort Transportation. It's accessible and runs regularly, several times an hour when we have been waiting. So, we no longer stay off property. I was at a hotel picking up a rental car one day and saw that their shuttle to the theme parks only ran once per hour. When our girls were smaller, we enjoyed being able to hop on the
Walt Disney World® Monorail from Magic Kingdom or EPCOT to head back to the resort for a nap and then would go back to the park for dinner and fireworks in the evening. So, if you have some flexibility, consider staying a few nights at a Disney resort and you could add a dining plan!
If you have not done so already, check the
Special Offers to see if there are any applicable to the dates of your visit and consider doing what we like to call a split stay - we stay a few nights at one resort and a few more nights at another resort. Of course, if this does not work, do not worry! Just be sure to give yourself at least an hour and a half (maybe more) to get from your hotel to the theme parks and, keep in mind, the lines can be long just before park opening.
Nichole, I am so excited for your visit! Remember to check your
dining reservation booking window and make some
advanced dining reservations. My girls and I are visiting in May and are super excited to experience
1900 Park Fare. Looking at your arrival date, I also suggest that you keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for updates on the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Sending a wish to the Evening Star hoping you get a chance to experience it during your visit!
Magic and memories,
Donyell