Welcome to planDisney, Lori! I'm so glad to be able to answer your question today because it deals with my favorite attraction at Walt Disney World Resort:
the food! I love screaming my head off on
Space Mountain and enjoying the sights and sounds of
Soarin' Around the World, but delicious dining is what I look forward to most when I'm planning my vacation!
Lori, there are a few things you need to know about the
Disney Dining Plan on your upcoming vacation. At this time, in order to implement some new safety precautions and promote physical distancing, the Disney Dining Plan has been temporarily paused. Most of your favorite restaurants are open and taking reservations, but the Dining Plan is not available at the moment. Walt Disney World Resort is in a phased re-opening process right now which means that everything is being assessed every day and evolving to meet the needs of Guests, so be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog as it'll be the first place you'll hear about any official breaking Disney Parks news, including any new information about the Dining Plan.
I also wanted to answer your question about booking the Dining Plan for a partial stay for your kids in case anything changes before it's time for you to leave for your vacation. When the Dining Plan was in place, everyone staying in the same
Resort Hotel room needed to be on the same Dining Plan for the same number of days, there was not a way to book it for a part of your stay or for some guests but not others. Although you likely won't be able to use Dining Plan credits on your upcoming trip, one of my favorite parts of the Dining Plan, the souvenir refillable mug, is still available for purchase at your Resort Hotel in lots of different designs so be sure to check those out when you arrive!
Have a magical day, Lori!
Jessica