4 Mistakes You’re Making With the Disney World Dining Plan

Hey! We’ve got to talk about the Disney Dining Plan!

The DDP has officially returned, and we’ve been learning all the ins and outs of the new system. Since a few aspects of the Dining Plan have changed, it’s important that we talk about the mistakes you could be making with this new version of the Dining Plan.

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

You may be wondering what the Dining Plan is — if that’s you, don’t worry! If you are unfamiliar with this offering, the Dining Plan is available for an additional cost on your Disney World vacation. You pay a certain amount per night to get credits that you can use at most Disney World restaurants throughout your vacation.

Depending on the plan you choose, these credits can be redeemed at table service restaurants, quick service restaurants, or snacks. Essentially, this is a way to pre-pay for your food at Disney World, and the credits are used to “pay” for your meals. Many find the Disney Dining Plan helpful with budgeting and consider it a convenient option in the parks.

There used to be more Dining Plan options before it went away in 2020, but it’s returning with only two options: the Quick-Service Dining Plan and the Basic Disney Dining Plan.

The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan includes two quick-service meals, one snack per person per night, and one resort-refillable mug. The pricing is as follows:

• $57.01 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
• $23.83 per night per child (age 3-9)

The Basic Disney Dining Plan includes one table service meal, one quick service meal, one snack per person per night, and one resort-refillable mug. This is the pricier option at:

• $94.28 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
• $26.69 per night per child (age 3-9)

You must be staying at a Disney World hotel to add the Disney Dining Plan to your vacation package.

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The Mistakes You’re Making With the DDP

Let’s talk about some of the mistakes you’re making with the Disney World Dining Plan.

1. Buying the DDP and Not Getting the Alcoholic Drinks

Disney added alcoholic drinks (cocktails, wine, and beer) to the Dining Plan a few years ago, meaning those who are 21 and up can grab a beverage with their meal. Anyone who is between 10 and 21, or those who don’t drink alcohol can instead get specialty beverages. Think smoothies, milkshakes, and mocktails.

Here’s the thing, though — the Dining Plan price is the same whether you drink alcohol or not, and there is no option to nix it. Part of maximizing your Dining Plan credits means going for the most expensive menu items, which often include alcohol. Disney World has come a long way in terms of having more mocktails and nonalcoholic options, but it’s something to consider if you’re looking for value.

The Most Expensive Snacks You Can Get Included With the Disney Dining Plan

2. Not Researching Your Eating Style

Let’s restate that the Disney Dining Plan includes two full meals and one snack per day, which can end up being some pretty large portions. If you factor in all-you-care-to-enjoy and buffet-style meals, and the amount of food just multiplies.

That being said, you have to know what kind of eater you are! If you’re someone who is looking to try a ton of different restaurants on your trip while getting the most food you can, the Dining Plan may make sense for you.

But, if you don’t think you’ll be able to actually eat all the food that comes with the dining credits you’ve purchased, it may end up being both a waste of money and a waste of food for you.

Also, if you’re someone who doesn’t like making plans and prefers to just go with the flow when you’re in Disney World, then the Dining Plan may not be for you — at least not the standard version that comes with table service credits. Popular Disney World restaurants need to be booked months in advance, and that doesn’t leave you with a whole lot of wiggle room.

Not only that but if you have a dining reservation and suddenly see that your favorite ride has a low wait time, well, you might be out of luck since you have to make it to that table service meal!

3. Using Snack Credits on Cheap Snacks

Here’s the thing — not all snacks are created equal, and you can WASTE those snack credits if you’re not careful! The main thing is that we’re trying to get the most bang for our buck so really we’re looking to exchange those credits for the most expensive snacks possible. Just so you have an idea, here are some examples of things to waste your Dining Plan snack credits on:

Things You Can Get At Home

Don’t waste your credits or your money on snacks that you can get at home. For example, a bag of Lays potato chips can be purchased with a snack credit or you can get an entire family-size bag from your local Walmart for under $4.

The same is true of getting a single piece of fruit. Why would you use your credit on a banana that costs $0.25 at Walmart?

If you just can’t live without your chips or your fruit, we’d recommend putting in a grocery delivery order and having the chips sent to your hotel room. Then, you can bring them with you into the parks to save money and credits.

Here’s How You Can Get Kroger Grocery Delivery in Disney World!

A Side of Gravy or Cup of Plastic Cheese

Who knows why this is even an option? Please, oh please, don’t go spending an entire credit on just a side of gravy or a cup of plastic cheese.

I mean, plastic cheese is amazing, so we can understand why you’d want it. But it only costs a dollar to buy either of these on their own, so go ahead and save those snack credits.

A Popcorn Bucket Refill

Here’s the best way for you to save on popcorn — buy a popcorn bucket at Disney World and then you can get refills throughout your trip for just $2.25 each time!

So use your snack credits on the pricier items and just pay for the popcorn out of pocket. That’s our recommendation.

Starbucks Cake Pops

Yes Starbucks Cake Pops are delicious, but they’re so cheap AND you can get them at home, so save your credits.

They’re $2.99 at Disney World, so if you just HAVE to get one, it’s better to pay out of pocket.

Small Drinks at Starbucks

Speaking of Starbucks, please, pretty please don’t make this mistake! ALL Starbucks drink sizes cost one snack credit, so please don’t just get a small-sized drink.

Instead of getting a small (Tall), go ahead and grab a Grande, Venti, or even Trenta size instead for the same “cost”!

Bottles of Water and Soda

Here are two thoughts for the price of one — since bottled water and soda are expensive in Disney World, get free water cups from quick service restaurants and then get a soda with your meal instead of buying a bottle.

Since each quick service and table service Dining Plan meal credit gets you a drink along with your entrée, it won’t cost you any extra to get that soda.

Better Uses of Your Snack Credits

Here are some snacks that are much better bangs for your bucks (snack credit):

• Blue and Green Milk at Milk Stand ($8.99)
• Brownie Sundae at Auntie Gravity’s ($8.29)
• Cream Cheese Pretzel at Lunching Pad ($7.79)
• Funnel Cake at Epic Eats or Sleepy Hollow ($8.29 at Sleepy Hollow/$8.49 at Epic Eats)
• Kyryll Pork Rinds at Ronto Roasters ($7.49)
• Large Drinks at Starbucks
• Mickey Pretzel ($8.25)
• Pepper Jack Pretzel ($8.25)
• Rapunzel Sundae at Storybook Treats ($8.29)
• Tenoo Swirl Crunchies Cereal at Milk Stand ($9.99)
• The Plaza Ice Cream Sundae at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor ($8.79)

Not Knowing the Refillable Mug Rules

As you know, you get one resort-refillable mug when you purchase the DDP. When you get your refillable mug at your Disney resort, you might not think to take it anywhere outside your hotel, but you can!! Go ahead and take full advantage of those unlimited refills and stop limiting yourself to one resort!

Here’s an example of what we mean: Recently, we were staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. We purchased a refillable mug at our hotel food court and then took our mug with us during our visit to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Guess what? We refilled our mug at the Grand Floridian Hotel! You can refill your mug at any Disney World resort — even if you aren’t staying there.

Did you know that on the day you check in at your Disney resort hotel, you can grab your refillable mug from another Disney resort hotel even if you aren’t staying there? 🤩

Convenient if you don’t remember to get one until later! pic.twitter.com/OoK5Pa1ICK

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) January 9, 2024

Basically, the process works the same no matter which hotel you’re visiting! Remember, you can enjoy refills at resort self-service beverage locations for the length of your stay, up to 14 days.

After that, your mug just becomes a fun little souvenir — you won’t get those free and unlimited refills.

Those are just a couple of the mistakes you could be making when using the DDP.

If you want to learn more about the Disney Dining Plan, check out our posts below.

• Best Table Service Restaurants for the Disney Dining Plan in 2024
• Best Quick Service Restaurants for the Disney Dining Plan in 2024
• Complete List of Participating Restaurants Revealed for Disney Dining Plan

Stay tuned to AllEars for more Disney World updates.

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