EPCOT; Mother and Son; Spaceship Earth
  • On Jan 4, 2010
    Melinda from MA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi Moms, We are taking our 6yr old twins on their first WDW trip in mid June 2010 and I am torn between the basic and deluxe mealplan. We expect to do HDDR, Cinderella's table and 1 or 2 other character events. I don't want to overspend tho, any advice?

    Hi Melinda,

        Wow, you plan to eat at some of the best restaurants in Walt Disney World! The different dining plans can be a little confusing sometimes, but basically the difference between the Basic Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan is the amount of of Table Service Meals (sit down meals) that you receive. 

    The Basic Dining Plan gives you (per person per night of stay):
    1-Table Service Meal
    1-Quick Service Meal
    1 Snack

    The Deluxe Dining Plan gives you (per person per night of stay):
    3-Table Service Meals
    2 Snacks

    So the Deluxe Dining Plan is a lot of food to eat especially for children because even the kids meals are very large.  With the Deluxe Dining Plan you also need to plan your days around where you plan to eat and you need to leave extra time in your schedule to spend time enjoying the Table Service experience without feeling rushed.  

    It has been my experience that a Table Service Meal can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours!  That being said, some of the restaurants that you mentioned require 2 Table Service Credits each. So for example, you could pay for breakfast, eat lunch at a 1 Credit Table Service restaurant and then dinner at a 2 Credit Table Service Restaurant like Cinderella's Royal Table. This would be a great use of the Deluxe Dinning Plan Credits and make it worth the extra expense of the plan. If you decide to eat a Table Service Meal for lunch and dinner, it is best to get the earliest time for your lunch so that there is lots of time between your lunch and dinner so you will be hungry for dinner.

    For more information about Walt Disney World Dining Plans click here

    I hope that you have some magical dining experiences at Walt Disney World on your next trip!
    Keep Dreaming Big!
    Marc Lorenzo
thumbnail image for Marc

Meet the Panelist: Marc, New York

I am a single Father to one incredible boy.  I would love nothing more than to provide people with Disney vacation planning that will enable them to have a new experience or make their Disney vacation just a little more magical! Learn More About Marc

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