Hi Teresa,
Welcome to planDisney! Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort is happy news!
I wish I had some definitive information about the return of traditional character interactions and the
Disney Dining Plans. As you may have noticed, dining experiences and modified character interactions are slowly returning. Follow the
dining updates and
theme park updates pages for additional information.
My family loved the
Disney Dining Plan and the
Disney Deluxe Dining Plan. My family is like yours, hoping that the dining plans come back soon! Given how close your visit is to the launch of
The World's Most Magical Celebration, I trust that magic is in store.
As you continue to plan, I hope you made
Disney Park Pass system reservations. Be sure to keep an eye on the
theme park reservation availability calendar. If you decide to change park pass reservations, you will need to cancel existing reservations to make new ones. Make certain that there are park passes available before you cancel existing ones to try to make new ones. Check the
operational updates as well since policies and procedures could change.
On our last trip, we had to make do without a dining plan. We were diligent with making
advanced dining reservations. I also checked the menus of each restaurant to get estimates of the food costs. One of the reasons I appreciate the dining plans is that it gives me a great idea of what our food costs will be for the trip. Although not quite the same as having a dining plan, using the restaurant menus to estimate prices on our last trip was reassuring. To see a given menu, go to the homepage of a restaurant and click on View Menu.
Teresa, if you have not done so already, follow the
Disney Parks Blog for updates. Continue to make those dining plans. We look forward to welcoming you to a world of magic!
Magic and memories,
Donyell