Hiya Kathleen!
Welcome to planDisney, and thanks for stopping by with your dining plan questions. My family loves having the
Disney Dining Plan added to our Disney World vacation package. When we’re using the dining plan, I appreciate that it allows us to pre-pay our food expenses up front. And it always assures we will include some delicious and fun restaurant reservations in our vacation plans!
(Ok, also I'm a sucker for those resort refillable mugs that are included with the dining plans. One of my favorite souvenirs!)
If you have booked a vacation package, you’ve got lots of flexibility for when you add on a dining plan. In fact, you are allowed to make this addition up until the day before your check-in. You should be able to make this change yourself easily by logging in to
My Disney Experience, go to "My Plans", find your resort reservation and click "Change Reservation". Ka-chow!
If you currently have a resort-only reservation, it's treated a little differently. Disney will need to rebook your reservation to a package in order to add a dining plan, so you will want to call
Disney Reservation Center and a friendly Cast Member can assist you. If this is the case, I recommend making the change as soon as you have decided.
Your dining plan would fall under the same
2025 Refund & Cancellation Policy as your vacation package. Basically, yes - it is refundable if your cancellation is made 30 days or more prior to your arrival date. (Please see the policy for full details.)
So you've got some time to decide, Kathleen. But definitely mark your calendar for 60 days before your arrival, in order to grab some great
Advance Dining Reservations just in case! My absolute favorite place that makes my family's "must dine" list every single visit is
'Ohana! Yes, it's an excuse to visit the delightful Polynesian Resort and soak in those tropical vibes. But the food is also consistently delicious, and if you time your dining experience to also view Magic Kingdom's "Happily Ever After" fireworks which can be seen from the giant dining room windows... the experience is even more magical! Or if you've finished dining, you can take a stroll down to the sandy shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon and watch from this gorgeous, relaxing spot. Equally amazing.
I hope this helps answer your dining plan questions. Please
visit me again at planDisney if I can offer any other assistance or recommendations... I love helping guests make magical memories!
Wishing you a pixie-dust filled vacation!
Tami