Hiya Melissa!
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited about the return of
dining plans to Walt Disney World! I have been a big fan in the past and loved using it. It made me force myself to sit down each day for a delicious meal and rest which is very important and helps keep my "happy meter" at high levels.
Since you are arriving after January 9, you are eligible to add the dining plan to your package. We here at planDisney have received some guidance on the dining plans but there is still a need for clarification if they can be used for dining packages such as the
Fantasmic! Dining Package. Officially, the answer is unknown. However, in the past, I have a distinct memory of using one of my allotted meals from the old dining plan to purchase the Fantasmic! Dining Package to enjoy a delicious meal at
Hollywood & Vine. Also, my hunting skills have found that when
searching for restaurants that accept the dining plan I found the Fantasmic! Dining Package is listed as one of them! I don't know if I can confidently answer your question but I would expect definitive news regarding this to appear soon. Since 60 days before January 9, 2023, is November 10, 2023, that means that the answer will become obvious very soon. If I were you I would make every effort to still secure a reservation of the Fantasmic! Dining Package. It is amazing and you have
until 2 hours before your dining reservation to cancel. Having that secured seat for one of the best shows in Walt Disney World is worth the wait.
My best tip for anyone wanting to see Fantasmic! is to make sure you bring a snack or drink with you before you enter the Fantasmic! queue area. There is a snack stand in the area but the lines can get very long and you may want something more exciting. How about a
Mickey Brownie Sundae from Hollywood Scoops? A delicious treat to enjoy while watching Mickey battle evil sounds perfect.
I hope this helps and you have a fabulous time!
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Happy planning!
-Nimmy