Hi Brooke!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Thanks for stopping by with a great question!
Traveling to the Walt Disney World Resort is something that my family and I look forward to. In my opinion, one of the best things to do while visiting, is eat! There are endless dining options including quick-service meals and many fun character meals. Not only are many of the dining options casual, but there are also many gourmet dining locations as well!
The
Disney Dining Plans are a great way to not have to worry about paying for your meals while vacationing. Since these are part of a vacation package, you will pay the balance of your meals prior to your arrival. This makes me feel good about my budget as I don’t have to worry about what to expect in regard to out of pocket expenses for food.
It is my understanding that you can purchase an adult dining plan for the nine-year-old kiddos. You will have to call reservations to set that up as the online system will recognize them as children if you are trying to book your vacation package online. However, the cost difference between the child dining plan and the adult dining plan is quite significant. If you are planning on table-service meals, I would recommend choosing locations that offer a family-style setting such as
Garden Grill Restaurant at EPCOT or buffet-style locations such as
1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. These settings will allow the kids to eat as much as they choose. If you decide to purchase the child dining plan, it also may be a more affordable option to purchase an extra meal out of pocket instead of paying for the upgraded adult dining plan.
I hope that you have the most magical time!
~Heather