Hiya Wes!
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. The food at Walt Disney World Resort is my favorite “attraction,” so let’s dig in! I think one of the best ways to fulfill
foodie-fantasy is by taking advantage of the
Disney Dining Plan, and I am happy you are planning to do so!
Let’s take your questions one by one. First, yes, the
Disney Dining Plan is an additional cost to your Walt Disney World Resort reservation. At times the Resort offers a free or discounted plan, but there is no one currently running. You can either book the dining plan at the same time as your Resort Hotel (as a package) or add a plan up to two days before starting your trip. If you choose to add the plan after your hotel booking, you can call
Disney Resort Hotel Reservations at (407) 939-1936, when you book a package online, no worries about paying for the dining plan in full. You only need to pay the deposit at the time you make your reservation.
Wes, it sounds like you’ve got quite a lot of people joining you on your trip! A quick note, all of the people staying in your hotel room will need to be on
the dining plan, so you can’t pick and choose who receives
the dining plan allotments - all for one and one for all! If you have other members of your party who are staying in a different Resort hotel room, they can choose not to participate in the dining plan, but once again, all would need to opt-out.
Finally, guess what?! Your
two-yEAR-old is free! They are free everywhere in the ‘World until they turn three! Most people find that there is
plenty of food to share with your it-bit, but you are more than welcome to purchase ala carte items for them off-plan. Also, if you are eating at a family-style dining location or a buffet (like many of our
Character-Dining options), your little one is more than welcome to join in with their own plate.
I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, you know where to find us. ChEARs!
Rayna