Hey there, John! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad that you've stopped by with your vacation planning question.
I LOVE split stays! My family and I plan a split stay, where we stay at two (or more!)
Disney Resorts Collection Hotels, almost every time we travel to
Walt Disney World Resort. We love being able to experience and explore multiple Resorts, and since every Resort at Walt Disney World is so unique with different themes, locations and dining options, I want to experience as many as I can. A split stay is the perfect way to do this and also the perfect way to affordably enjoy a magical stay at one of the Deluxe Resorts Hotels, so, it sounds like your vacation planning is off to the best start!
You are correct that right now, the
Disney Dining Plan is still temporarily unavailable, and while I do not know when the Dining Plan may return, I have been wishing upon every star that it returns soon! You are also correct that if you already have your park admission or will be purchasing your tickets from a third-party vendor, you will book a room-only reservation and not a vacation package. While we don't know exactly what the Disney Dining Plan will look like when it returns, when it was available, it
could be added to each split stay or just one of the stays, if you prefer having the Dining Plan for just half of your vacation. I have cabinets full of Disney Resort mugs to prove it. However, it was
only available to be added as a part of a Disney Resort Package, including your accommodations
and tickets. So, if the Dining Plan returns with the same stipulations, you would not be able to add it to a room-only reservation.
If the Dining Plan hasn't returned by the time you travel to The Most Magical Place on Earth or if you choose not to book a vacation package, a great way to budget for dining in advance is by using
Disney Gift Cards. The reason I loved the Dining Plan so much was that I loved knowing that my food budget was already taken care of, and I could just relax and snack to my heart's (and tummy's) content. Purchasing Disney Gift Cards in advance provides this same pre-paid experience, and you can even find discounted Gift Cards at some of the large retail stores, such as Sam's. I'd suggest checking out the menus and prices of your must-do restaurants online and budgeting accordingly. Then, you can purchase the Gift Cards in advance so that when you are on vacation, you don't have to worry about your food budget. Hakuna Matata! It means "no worries!"
One more tip! Be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog so that you can get the official news of the highly anticipated return of the Disney Dining Plan as soon as it drops!
John, I hope this was helpful, and I hope you have the most magical vacation! Happy planning, my friend! Please stop by any time with any vacation planning questions you may have along the way.
I hope to see ya real soon,
Mandy