Well howdy, Kara! Thanks for dropping by planDisney with your question.
My family and I love staying at
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. In fact, we stay there every year over Christmas. It's so homey and the perfect place for the holidays! Kara, the
Disney Dining Plan hasn't actually returned to us since the reopening of Walt Disney World last summer. The program was temporarily suspended and we don't have an exact date of when it will return. The good news is that just about a month ago, the
Disney Parks Blog did release an announcement saying that it will, in fact, be coming back. That made a lot of people really happy because the Disney Dining Plan is a fan favorite. When it returns, I can't say for sure what the parameters around it will look like. However, I think you'll be happy to know that previously, Guests staying at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground were able to upgrade their vacation packages to include the Disney Dining Plan. If it does return and you have an existing vacation package, I am sure that you'll be able to add it on before your trip.
Until then, I like to use
Disney Gift Cards on food and beverages while I am at Walt Disney World. You can find Disney Gift Cards at most major retail locations. I pick them up while I am grocery shopping mainly or ask for them as gifts from friends and family. Disney Gift Cards can be used at almost every food and beverage location at Walt Disney World. It's a great way to budget for your vacation. If the Disney Dining Plan returns, you can always use the Disney Gift Cards that you've picked up to pay off the balance for your vacation package.
I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, feel free to stop back by and
ask me. I'm here to help. Have a great day!