LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Guests who prefer to include dining in their vacation packages can choose a Walt Disney World Magic Your Way vacation package which includes a Disney dining plan which can save on dining.

Three vacation packages are available that include a Disney dining plan, Disney resort hotel accommodations and Magic Your Way tickets. The Disney dining plans feature a variety of meal and snack entitlements both in terms of the type of restaurants guests can visit and the number of meals and snacks included with the plans.

The choices are:

Magic Your Way Package Plus Quick-Service Dining :  includes two quick-service meals and two snacks per person for each night of guest’s vacation package stay, plus a refillable drink mug for each person which can be refilled as often as they like at any quick-service location at their Disney resort hotel.  Meals and snacks can be chosen at more than 50 selected restaurants throughout Walt Disney World Resort. And guests can save up to 20 percent per adult on Disney dining needs.

Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining : offers one table-service meal, one quick-service meal and one snack per person, per night of guest’s package stay, with over 100 select restaurants to choose from. The package helps guests save up to 30 percent per adult on dining.

Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining: includes three meals and two snacks per person, per night of guest’s package stay, plus a refillable drink mug for each guest on the package which can be refilled as often as they like at any quick-service location at their Disney resort hotel.  This package allows guests the flexibility to choose any combination of table-service and quick-service restaurants from more than 100 participating restaurant locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort. With this package, guests can save up to 40 percent per adult on dining.

The package cost varies based on which package a guest chooses, guest’s ages, and the number of nights in the package stay. To determine cost, guests have three options: go to www.disneyworld.com; call 407/W-DISNEY to book arrangements; or visit a local travel agent.

Here are some additional facts regarding the Disney dining plans:

Guests can redeem their meals in any order throughout their package stay until each person on the package has depleted his/her allotted meals and snacks. For instance, a guest who has purchased a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining for three nights would have entitlements of three table-service meals, three quick-service meals and three snacks during their stay.  The guest could use all three table service entitlements on the same day if they choose.

Guest’s Key to the World card, which is a room key and much more, electronically tracks the use of dining entitlements included in a package. It should be presented at dining locations, and the server or cashier will provide guests with a receipt showing the meals and snacks remaining on their Disney dining plan.

Children ages 3-9 must order from a children’s menu, where available.  A Disney dining plan is unavailable for guests under the age of 3, but they may share from an adult plate at no charge, or a meal may be purchased from the menu.

Gratuities are not included except for pizza delivery, in-room private dining, dinner shows and character dining meals at Cinderella’s Royal Table.  An automatic 18 percent gratuity charge will be added to the bill for parties of six or more.  An automatic gratuity charge may also be added to the bill for items ordered that are not included in a Disney dining plan (for example, alcoholic beverages).

Table-service meal entitlements can be exchanged for special dining experiences that guests will remember for a lifetime.  One table-service meal entitlement can be used for most character dining meals. Two table-service meal entitlements can be exchanged for one character dining meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom, one signature restaurant experience (such as Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa), one Disney dinner show (such as Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground), or one pizza delivery in-room (requires adult entitlements).  If the vacation package includes lodging at select Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort hotels, two table-service meal entitlements can be exchanged for in-room private dining.

Some of the signature restaurant locations available with certain Disney dining plans are:  Jiko-The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Flying Fish Cafe at Disney’s BoardWalk, California Grill at Disneyis Contemporary Resort, Ci­tricos and Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Dreams Come True Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom and The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Some of the table-service restaurant locations available with certain Disney dining plans are:  Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Les Chefs de France and Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot, 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Wolfgang Puck Cafe in the Downtown Disney area.

Some of the more than 50 quick-service dining locations available with a Disney dining plan are:  Pepper Market at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Contempo Cafe at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom, and Yakitori House and Sunshine Seasons at Epcot.

Examples of a snack are:  frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle or fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single serving box), single-serving bag of chips, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, medium fountain soft drink, single-serving pre-packaged milk or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea.

Merchandise or photo-imaging products that may be offered at character dining experiences are not included, except at Cinderella’s Royal Table and Ackershus Royal Banquet Hall.

Theme park admission is required for some dining locations.

Dining reservations in advance of a visit are strongly encouraged, as due to the popularity of the Disney restaurants, the restaurant and seating of guests’ choice may be limited or may not be available. Reservations are accepted at most Walt Disney World table-service restaurants, signature restaurants, character dining locations and dinner shows, and may be made up to 90 days prior to arrival by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

Copyright 2009 Disney

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Above is the PDF document released by Disney detailing the 2008 Disney Dining Plan. For 2008 Disney has said that they will offer the Dining Plan as well as a new DELUXE Dining Plan.

The Dining Plan will cost $37.99/day for those aged 10 and above and $9.99/day for children ages 3-9 (which is a dollar less per day than the 2007 plan.) The DELUXE Dining Plan will cost $69.99 for those aged 10 and above and $19.99 for children ages 3-9.

For the regular Dining Plan in 2008 you’ll receive the following:

• 2 Meals Per Day: For the regular Dining Plan you’ll receive one table service meal and one quick service meal each day of your stay.
• 1 Snack Per Day: In addition to the 2 meals you’ll also receive 1 snack every day. A snack includes one of the following: frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single serving box), single serving grab bag of chips, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, medium fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea.

Here are some of the key differences between the 2007 and 2008 REGULAR Dining Plans:

• Gratuity No Longer Included: Beginning in 2008, the Disney Dining Plan will no longer include gratuity (tips.) This means you’ll need to bring some cash along with you to leave a tip for your table service meals. For parties of 6 or more people an 18% gratuity will be added to your check automatically.
• Appetizers No Longer Included with Table Service Meals: In 2008 the table service meal will only include an entree, non-alcoholic beverage and dessert (or full buffet meal if applicable.) This is different from 2007 where you received an appetizer with your meal as well.
• Wine and Dine Option: For an extra $39.99/day you can add a daily bottle of wine to your package.

Disney has also added a new dining plan for 2007 called the DELUXE Dining Plan. This is a more flexible (and more expensive) option for diners where you’ll receive the following:

• 3 Meals: On the new Deluxe Dining Plan in 2008 you’ll receive 3 meals each day of your stay. The 3 meals can be any combination of sit down or counter service so you have the choice of eating at any Disney restaurant on the list. If you choose a table service meal that will include one appetizer, one entree, one dessert (lunch and dinner only) and one non-alcoholic beverage OR one Full Buffet. If you choose a counter service meal that will include one entree (or complete combo meal), one dessert (lunch or dinner only), one juice (breakfast only) and one non-alcoholic beverage.
• 2 Snacks: In addition to the 3 meals you’ll also receive 2 snacks every day. A snack includes one of the following: frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single serving box), single serving grab bag of chips, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, medium fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea.
• Wine and Dine Option: For an extra $39.99/day you can add a daily bottle of wine to your package.

For the DELUXE Dining Plan the same rules will apply as the regular plan when it comes to gratuity. It’s not included.

On the surface my initial reaction is that I’m not really happy with the changes in the regular Dining Plan. With the loss of the appetizer on the table service meal and the added expense of paying for gratuity out of my pocket it starts to make more sense to pay-as-you-go. And when it comes to the DELUXE Dining Plan it just seems like a lot of money on a daily basis unless you plan on eating at a lot of table service restaurants. That option could be the better option however I’ll have to play with the numbers a bit more to see what is the best way to go so look for future articles regarding this subject.

Feel free to comment as I’m anxious to see what others have to say about these changes. See ya!

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Most everyone making plans to vacation in Walt Disney World eventually gets to the point where they need to make decisions on dining, whether that’s making advanced seating arrangements or deciding on which dining plan is better.  I thought I would take some time and come up with a comparison as it’s a decision my family needs to make as well since we’ll be heading off to see the Mouse in September!

At this point we have a few options but what I want to compare are the following basic options:

1.  Head down with pockets full of cash to pay for our daily meals
2.  Opt for the Disney Dining Plan which will cost $38.99 per person per day

I know there are other discount plans (i.e. Annual Passholder discounts, etc.) however for the sake of arguement and to make a simple side by side comparison, I wanted to compare these two main options.  Not to mention, I think this is the dilemma that most vacationers have which is to pay cash or pay ahead of time with the Dining Plan.

Just as a quick recap of the Disney Dining Plan, this is what you’ll get on a daily basis:

1.  One Table Service meal which consists of an appetizer, entree, desert, non-alcoholic beverage and this includes tax/tip (or full buffet with beverage/tax/tip)
2.  One Counter Service meal which consists of an entree (or combo meal), desert and non-alcoholic beverage
3.  One Snack (i.e. ice cream bar, bottle of water/soda, popcorn, etc.)

In this scenario I figured I would draw up a schedule for the week based on using the Disney Dining Plan and then go back and compare that to what all of that food for the week would have cost me should I decide to pay cash.  That way we’ll really see how much we’re saving.

So, what I did is I came up with a list of random places to eat at while in WDW and I came up with a mock dining schedule for the week (mind you I did this for only one adult just to make the calculations easier.) How I did this is I went online to a few random websites (like Allearsnet.com and WDWInfo.com) and pulled up some menus and then asked myself what I might eat for that particular meal if I were using the Dining Plan. I’ve listed below each meal and what I ate also to give you an idea of the type of food you can eat over a 7-day period.  I didn’t want you thinking I was slamming down hamburgers and french fries all week but rather I was eating (or mock eating) some pretty good meals. Now, your list will most likely be different from mine but the idea of this comparison is to see which option is better using my made up scenario and I’m sure it will give you a good idea of which option is better for you. 

Well, LET’S GET EATING then!  Here’s my schedule for the week and the costs associated with those meals:

—————————————————————————
SUNDAY
Counter Meal: Pecos Bill (Lunch – Magic Kingdom)
  –  Chicken Wrap ($7.59)
  –  Peanut Butter Brownie Mousse ($3.59)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.80)
Table Meal: Liberty Tree Tavern (Dinner – Magic Kingdom)
  –  Family Style Meal ($27.99)
  –  Dessert & Beverage (included in meal)
  –  Tax/Tip ($5.88)
Snack: Mickey Bar (Ice Cream) ($2.50)

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $14.07
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $33.87
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $50.44

————————————————————————–
MONDAY
Counter Meal:  ABC Commissary (Lunch – MGM Studios)
  –  Fish and Chips ($6.89)
  –  No Sugar Added Strawberry Parfait ($3.59)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.75)
Table Meal:    Sci Fi Cafe (Dinner – MGM Studios)
  –  Crispy Onion Rings ($5.99)
  –  Butcher Steak ($19.99)
  –  Hot Fudge Sundae ($4.99)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax/Tip ($6.94)
Snack: Bottle of Water ($2.50)

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $13.32
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $40.00
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $55.82

———————————————————————–
TUESDAY
Counter Meal:  Cosmic Ray’s (Lunch – Magic Kingdom)
  –  Fried Chicken Strips ($6.69)
  –  Triple Chocolate Cake ($3.59)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.74)
Table Meal:    Chef Mickey (Dinner – Contemporary Resort)
  –  Buffet Meal including Beverage/Dessert ($27.99)
  –  Tax/Tip ($5.88)
Snack:  Box of Popcorn ($2.50)

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $13.11
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $33.87
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $49.48

—————————————————————————-
WEDNESDAY
Counter Meal:  Morocco (Lunch – EPCOT-World Showcase)
  –  Shawarma Chicken and Lamb Platter ($13.95)
  –  Baklava dessert ($2.50)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($1.11)
Table Meal:    Le Cellier (Dinner – Canada-EPCOT)
  –  Beefsteak Tomato Stack ($7.99)
  –  7 oz Filet Mignon ($26.99)
  –  Double-Berry Buckle ($6.99)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax/Tip ($9.25)
Snack:  Mickey Bar (Ice Cream) ($2.50) — Did I mention I love these?!

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $19.65
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $53.31
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $75.46

———————————————————————————-
THURSDAY
Counter Meal:  Flame Tree Barbeque (Lunch – Animal Kingdom)
  –  Smoked BBQ Chicken Salad ($6.99)
  –  Key Lime Pie ($3.59)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.76)
Table Meal:    Kona Cafe (Dinner – Polynesian Resort)
  –  Pot Stickers ($6.99)
  –  Shrimp and Scallops ($20.49)
  –  Caramel-banana Creme Brulee ($5.99)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax/Tip ($7.47)
Snack:         Bottle of Water ($2.50)

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $13.43
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $43.03
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $58.96

——————————————————————————————
FRIDAY
Counter Meal:  Liberty Inn America (Lunch – EPCOT-World Showcase)
  –  Chicken Caesar Salad ($6.99)
  –  Apple Cobbler ($3.49)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.75)
Table Meal:    Crystal Palace (Dinner Buffet – Magic Kingdom)
  –  Buffet Meal including Beverage/Dessert ($27.99)
  –  Tax/Tip ($5.88)
Snack:         Mickey Bar (Ice Cream) ($2.50) — I swear this is the last one this week!

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $13.32
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $33.87
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $49.69

—————————————————————————
SATURDAY
Counter Meal:  The Land (Lunch – EPCOT-Future World)
  –  Rotisserie Chicken Flatbread ($9.09)
  –  Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie ($1.59)
  –  Beverage ($2.09)
  –  Tax ($0.77)
Table Meal:    BOMA (Dinner Buffet – Animal Kingdom Lodge)
  –  Buffet Meal including Beverage/Dessert ($25.99)
  –  Tax/Tip ($5.46)
Snack:         Box of Popcorn ($2.50)

TOTAL FOR LUNCH:  $13.54
TOTAL FOR DINNER:  $31.45
TOTAL SNACK:   $2.50
TOTAL CASH COST:    $47.49 

———————————————————————————-
What’s the Verdict?  At the end of the week, if you had paid cash for all of these meals, it would have cost $387.34 (including tax/tip.)  If you would have opted for the Disney Dining Plan it would have cost you $272.93 ($38.99 x 7-days) for the same meals.  The result is that you would have saved $114.41 by choosing the Disney Dining Plan which is nothing to sneeze at.

You could always argue that “I wouldn’t eat that much” or “I could skip a meal here or there” but the bottom line is that most people who vacation in Disney want to experience the great themed dining as much as the characters and parks.  If that’s what you plan on doing then by all means go with the Disney Dining Plan.  It’s a value that can’t be matched. 

Stay tuned to this blog for more information related to the Disney Dining Plan.  We’ve got some ideas cooked up to show you how to maximize the value of the plan so watch for future posts! 
 

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