Hi Tina!
I am a huge fan of the
Disney Dining Plan and add it to practically all of my Walt Disney World vacations! The flexibility of options to choose from is fantastic as well as the items that count as a snack entitlement. We stopped at the
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor in
Magic Kingdom Park as our last stop before heading home yesterday and ordered the most delicious and giant sundaes to use up our last snack entitlements. What a way to end our vacation!
The rule with adding the Disney Dining Plan to your vacation package is that every guest listed on your Resort hotel room reservation has to purchase the Disney Dining Plan. This is basically the #1 rule.
Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it? To my family, yes. We have priced out what we would have spent out of pocket versus what we paid for the plan and we have saved quite a bit of money. We also make sure to choose restaurants and entree options that will give us the most value out of the plan.
Character dining is typically on the higher end of a Table Service meal, plus the kids love visiting with their favorite characters. We had the
Quick-Service Dining Plan earlier this week and found some great entrees that were nearly $20 per entree and that's not adding in the cost of the included drink. With the Disney Dining Plan, an alcoholic beverage is included for the adults, which can sometimes be up to a $14 value while the children can choose a non-alcoholic beverage like a slushy or milkshake that can be up to a $7 value. My favorite Quick-Service meal last week was the BBQ Rib Platter at
ABC Commissary in
Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is currently $18.99. The ribs were very tasty and came with coleslaw and either green beans or fries. We will definitely be going back! On the flip side, I do know some who say it didn't save them money after they priced out what they would have spent. It does end up being a lot of food, but with the right planning and meal spacing, it works out perfectly. Please note that gratuity is not included in the Disney Dining Plan at Table-Service restaurants.
Please stop back by if you'd like any restaurant recommendations!
Have a magical day!
Leslie