Hi Debra!
I'm so excited to hear that you are getting ready for a magical Walt Disney World Resort vacation and I'm happy to help you with this question! There are so many exciting new things headed to the theme parks, Disney Resort hotels and
Disney Springs that you will be able to enjoy during your vacation. Be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog as you continue planning for the latest news and announcements about all of the magic you will be able to experience.
The
Disney dining plans are a great addition to a Walt Disney World Resort vacation because it's so nice to pay for the majority of your dining expenses in advance. That way, you can enjoy the incredible dining experiences throughout Walt Disney World Resort without having to worry about the cost of each meal. Dining plans are always booked as part of a vacation package and unfortunately, unless you are an
Annual Passholder, that vacation package must include a hotel reservation and
theme park tickets to add a dining plan. When you add a dining plan, you will get a set of dining entitlements, based on the dining plan you choose, for each person on your hotel reservation for each night of your reservation that you can use flexibly throughout your trip. Unfortunately, there is no way to add a dining plan for only a portion of your trip.
If you are still interested in paying for many of your dining experiences in advance and a dining plan won't work for you, you should consider picking up
Disney Gift Cards and using them for meals during your vacation. I use Disney Gift Cards for almost all of my trips and it's a nice way to keep track of my vacation budget.
Keep in mind that you can begin making your
dining reservations 180 days in advance of your trip. I recommend that you make your dining reservations as soon as possible because availability is limited.
T-T-F-N, ta ta for now!
~Crystal