The Disney Dining Plan is coming back! That’s right. Disney has announced that the dining plan will return on January 9th, 2024 for visitors with stays at Disney World hotels for that date and later. Bookings for the dining plan will start on May 31st, 2024.
Mickey Pretzel
The dining plan has been absent since 2020, but we finally know when it will return. Disney offered SOME information about the dining plan’s return, but there are still some missing details — let’s go over those.
Get all the info on the new dining plans by signing up for our 2024 Dining Plan & daily newsletter!
Deluxe Dining Plan
When Disney announced the return of the dining plan, it only mentioned two of the plans would return: the Quick Service Plan and the Standard Plan. However, there was no mention of the Deluxe Dining Plan.
Until the park closure in 2020, the Deluxe Dining Plan included the following each day:
- Three table service or quick service meals:
- table service included appetizer, entrée, and dessert (lunch and dinner), OR full buffet
- quick service included entrée OR combo meal
- Guests under 21 years of age could choose one non-alcoholic beverage with their Quick Service and Table Service meal (including specialty beverages — i.e. Artisanal Milk Shakes, Fresh Smoothies, Premium Hot Chocolates, or Soda, Coffee or Tea — where offered). Guests 21 and older can can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) within their meal entitlement.
- Two snacks from a wide variety of options
- One resort refillable mug per person (1 per package, not 1 per day)
Biergarten buffet restaurant in EPCOT
For now at least, Disney World has not revealed when or if this plan will return.
Disney Dining Plan Plus
Another plan that Disney World has not mentioned bringing back is the Disney Dining Plan Plus. This plan, which was introduced in 2020, granted visitors two meal entitlements per day, rather than the full three.
San Angel Inn Restaurant in EPCOT
This plan also granted guests two snacks or non-alcoholic drinks and one resort-refillable mug. This allowed for some savings for those who wanted to combine meals (like having brunch instead of breakfas and lunch, or breakfast and an early dinner, while snacking for lunch).
Pricing
Another thing that Disney has not yet mentioned is what the pricing of the Quick Service and Standard Dining Plans will be. In 2020, the price for a Quick Service plan was $55 per night for ages 10 and up and $26 per night for ages 3 to 9. For the Standard Plan, the price was $78.01 per night for ages 10 and up and $30.51 per night for ages 3 to 9.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
We’ve seen many price increases in Disney World since 2020, so it’s likely the new pricing will be higher than what the dining plan cost in 2020.
If Free Dining Plan Offers Will Become Available
In the past, Disney World would often offer a free dining plan promotion with the booking of a Disney World vacation package at full price. Visitors staying at moderate and deluxe hotels typically received the Standard Plan, while value resort visitors received the Quick Service plan (with an option to upgrade).
Hollywood Brown Derby
However, Disney has not yet released any details on if and when these free dining plan offers might return, if they return at all.
What Each Dining Plan Includes
Disney did not reveal what each dining plan included when it made its initial announcement about the return of dining plans, but since then, the Dining Plan page on the Disney World website has been updated to include some of that information. The Quick Service dining plan includes the following for everyone in the travel party: 2 Quick-Service meals per night and 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink per night of their package stay, as well as 1 Resort-refillable drink mug.
Casey’s Corner
The Standard Plan includes the following for everyone in the travel party: 1 Table-Service meal per night, 1 Quick-Service meal per night, and 1 snack or nonalcoholic drink per night of their package stay, as well as 1 Resort-refillable drink mug.
Rose& Crown Pub and Dining Hall
However, there are no details for either plan on what each quick-service or table-service meal includes: Will it be limited to just one course, or two or more courses? Previously, a quick service meal included an entree and drink, while a table service meal included a drink, entree, and dessert. Will that change? We’ll have to wait and find out.
What Restaurants The Dining Plan Will Cover
Previously, the Disney Dining Plan covered a WIDE swath of restaurants throughout Disney World. However, we don’t yet have a restaurant list for the return of the dining plan, although we could guess that the list might not change TOO much (save for listing some restaurants that have opened in Disney World since 2020).
The BOATHOUSE in Disney Springs
We’ll also be curious as to how Disney World will define a snack credit — will that stay the same or somehow change? Will a ginormous cookie from Gideon’s Bakehouse or an over-the-top donut from Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew be a snack credit?
So yes, we still have a lot of questions about the return of the dining plan, and over time, we do expect Disney World to release more details so we’ll be able to answer these questions. So please stay tuned to DFB for more!
Thousands of Disney Guests Comment On If They Will Buy the Disney Dining Plan When It Returns — Here’s What They Said!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023.
Will you be purchasing the Disney Dining Plan when it returns? Let us know in the comments!
The post What Was MISSING From the Disney Dining Plan Announcement first appeared on the disney food blog.