Hello and Welcome to planDisney, Ross. Thank you for visiting us with your question!
My family and I have always enjoyed using the
Disney Dining Plan while vacationing at Walt Disney World. It was fun to be able to order a splurgy meal and not think twice about it since everything was paid for ahead of time. Everyone is wondering when the Disney Dining Plan will return, it's a fan favorite! Interestingly enough, Walt Disney World just announced that the
Disney Dining Plan will return although they did not give a specific date. So the good news is it is in fact going to be returning to us, we just don't know quite when yet. No worries though, Ross, if the Disney Dining Plan is brought back before your vacation to Walt Disney World I am certain that you will be able to add it on to your Walt Disney World vacation package. Prior to the shutdown last year, Guests were able to add the Disney Dining Plan on to their vacation up to 48 hours prior to their arrival date. I am certain that it will look similar to this again.
Until then, Ross, I've been suggesting to people that they pick up
Disney Gift Cards to use on dining in the meantime. This is similar to the Disney Dining Plan in the sense that it is paid for ahead of time and has to be used for something while you are on vacation. I like to pick a Disney Gift Card and add it to my grocery cart each week. It really doesn't add much to my grocery bill and you'd be surprised at how quickly they will add up. If the Disney Dining Plan is announced and you've already collected some Disney Gift Cards, you can actually use them to pay off your vacation package so it's kind of a win-win.
I hope this helps, Ross. If you have any other planning questions before your trip, please feel free to come back and
ask me. I'm here to help!
Have a great day, Ross!