Welcome back to planDisney, Christine! I'm so glad to see that you are a "return customer."
Ah, the return of the
dining plans at the
Walt Disney World Resort. They're such convenient options for Guests looking to make their vacations feel more all-inclusive. After all, your
theme park tickets,
hotel room, and most of your
food are covered by the time you arrive at the resort. How amazing is that? Now the hardest decision becomes what delicious options you are going to choose. And let me tell you, that's a hard decision!
As you know,
gratuity is not usually included in the price of your dining plan. Additionally, at this time, when you are dining with parties of 6 or greater, an 18% gratuity will automatically be added to your bill. This gratuity is typically charged for the entire group on one bill since you are dining together, but you are welcome to ask your server if it could be charged differently. Just know that while Cast Members try their best to accommodate Guest requests, it isn't a guarantee they'll be able to do this so it's important to have an alternate plan in case it's not an option.
I'm not sure when you are arriving at the resort, but there is one dining option that is coming to the resort soon that I cannot wait for. While we do not yet know if it will be included in a dining plan, I am so excited for the
Cake Bake Shop Restaurant by Gwendolyn Rogers on
Disney's BoardWalk. I mean, cake, tea, champagne...what more can you ask for? Make sure you stay tuned to the
Disney Parks Blog to hear about the exact opening date and whether or not you can redeem one of your meals there!
Christine, I cannot wait for you to experience all of the culinary adventures waiting for you at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Please reach out to me if you have any other questions and I'll get those answers to you.
You don't have time to be timid - you must be bold and daring,
Matt