The Disney Dining Plan is officially returning in 2024, and if you’re planning a Disney World trip for next year, you might have some questions about whether or not it’s right for you.

The Dining Plan has gone through some updates and you can read more about those here, but we recently spotted another change that wasn’t an option for this service before. It can be a lot to keep up with, but we’re answering some burning questions you might have!

As a bit of a refresher, the Disney Dining Plan is a pre-purchased service that is added onto a Disney Vacation Package. By the time you get to Disney World, all your meals are already paid for, so you just head to a restaurant on the approved list, enjoy your meal, and scan your card.

Recently, though, we noticed that ticketless packages with Dining Plans are now available to book for stays at Disney World beginning January 9th, 2024. Disney shared with travel agents that the change would accommodate guests who have booked back-to-back reservations at different Disney Resort Hotels by allowing them to book a room and Dining Plan without having to add tickets to the package. 

We weren’t totally sure how this would work, so we reached out to our friends at Small World Vacations and got some answers.

Does this remove the ticket requirement entirely?

Yes. You can now add dining to a resort stay without tickets. This is helpful for guests who want to dine but already have a ticket purchased previously, parties where some of the guests have an [Annual Pass] and the others have to buy their tickets directly through Disney, or guests who are just looking to stay at the resorts and not visit the parks.

In the past, in addition to needing reservations for a Disney World hotel to use the Dining Plan, guests also needed tickets to the parks — or a full Disney World Vacation Package. When the plan rolls out in early 2024, tickets won’t be required at all.

The BEST Table Service Restaurants for the Dining Plan 2024

Does this only apply to back-to-back hotel stays at different hotels where there is a ticket purchase on at least one of the hotel stays?

No. You can book a ticketless package as a standalone.

When this update was first reported, Disney shared that this change was only for people who booked split stays at two different Disney World hotels, which meant that tickets wouldn’t be required to book the Dining Plan for the second hotel stay. But, this change doesn’t only apply to that second stay since tickets are no longer required at all.

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Do guests need to have tickets for all of the nights of the split hotel stays combined or just some?

Tickets aren’t required at all.

We know, we know — we’ve said it three times at this point. There’s no need to worry about who needs tickets for which days and whether or not everyone in your party will qualify for the Disney Dining Plan. As long as you’re staying at a qualifying Disney World hotel, you can book it!

The BEST Values for the Disney Dining Plan, Period.

Thanks to our friends at Small World Vacations for answering some of our questions. If you’re looking for help booking your 2024 Disney World trip, Small World Vacations can help answer your questions and even book your entire trip for you!

If you’re considering purchasing the Dining Plan on your next vacation, then you may want to check our DFB Guide. It’s got full chapters on whether the Dining Plan is worth the cost, how to get the most out of the Dining Plan, and recommendations for those using the Dining Plan. It will really help you get the most bang for your buck!

Still have questions about the Disney Dining Plan? Check out our comprehensive FAQ here! In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

Click here to learn more about the Disney Dining Plan

The post HUGE Change for Disney Dining Plan Announced — We’re Answering Your Burning Questions first appeared on the disney food blog.