Hi Jim! Thank you so much for reaching out to planDisney!
I look forward to planning all of my meals at the Walt Disney World Resort ahead of time. I love the excitement of making
advanced dining reservations at my must-do restaurants and
mobile ordering ALL the snacks and drinks at quick-service restaurants! Some of my current favorite table-service restaurants are
Space 220 in
EPCOT,
Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen in
Magic Kingdom Park, and
California Grill on the top floor of
Disney's Contemporary Resort (especially when the fireworks are taking place). As for quick-service dining,
Satu'li Canteen in
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is everything!
At this time, we are not sure when the
Disney Dining Plans will return. I suggest you keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog to see if an announcement is made in the future. While that might not be the answer you are looking for, I have some other great ideas for you!
Walt Disney World usually offers various promotions for different dates throughout the year. You can check them out on the
Special Offers page. If they apply to the resort, dates, and room type you are looking to book, you may be able to get significant savings off of your room or vacation package, which you could then put aside as your food budget! Please note that all offers are subject to change.
I've never actually been a Disney Dining Plan user because I have found that when I
did use the service, I never used all of my credits. So I essentially paid for more food than I actually ordered. However, there is something to be said about sticking to a budget (especially with how many snacks I want to consume). Therefore, I will often purchase
Disney Gift Cards to set aside as my food budget. This becomes almost like my own personal dining plan. In fact, if you saved money on your room or vacation package, you could even purchase gift cards in that amount and have your food budget all set!
Jim, I hope that you have a wonderful vacation and enjoy all of the delicious food on your upcoming trip!
Eat all the good stuff,
Matt