Clueless about the Dining Plan!

[disneymummy]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

 

[Shouldigo12]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

Are you asking about the dining plan or dining reservations? The dining plan is just prepaying for meals, while reservations are, well, reservations to the restaurant.

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

Hello!

Reservations for most table service restaurants at the parks and resort hotels are generally hard to come by, though not impossible, if they are not made early within the 180-day time frame.

Disney is very accomodating of special dietary needs. Call Disney so they can make note of it on your trip reservation. You can also make your server(s) aware of your situation. Hope this helps!

 

[DisneyDids]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

Are you planning on staying in a Disney hotel? If so, UK packages often come with the dining plan included - the type of hotel (Value/Moderate/Deluxe) depends on which package you receive so it’s sometimes cheaper overall to go for a more expensive hotel (known as a resort in Disney speak) which enables you to receive a higher standard of ‘free’ dining plan. Definitely worth doing your homework on this - lots of information available online from both the WDW and other websites.
Once you have worked out which dining plan you’re going to be on, you can work out which types of restaurants you will have credits for each day ie table service and/or quick service. If you decide that you especially want to eat at a particular restaurant each day then I’m afraid that you probably will need to plan ahead, potentially over 180 days ahead if you want to guarantee a table at a prized restaurant at a popular time. In our case, we make a list of the restaurants that we want to eat at, the parks that we want to visit and the FastPasses we want to make then we design our plans for each day around all of that. You obviously don’t have to go to that level of detail but we find that it works for us; admittedly though, it’s a bit of a dark art that requires us to spend hours poring over a spreadsheet!
Once you have made your reservations (which you’ll need to guarantee with a credit card), you’re good to go. Your credit card won’t be charged unless you either don’t show up for your reservation or cancel after 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day before your arrival.
Finally, as has been mentioned, you can let Disney know about dietary requirements in advance then reiterate them when you arrive at each restaurant.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Reservations for most table service restaurants at the parks and resort hotels are generally hard to come by, though not impossible, if they are not made early within the 120-day time frame.

Advance Dining Reservations can be made at 180 days

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

Advance Dining Reservations can be made at 180 days

Thanks. I couldn’t add.

 

[KWGrm]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

You want to make reservations as far ahead as possible. ESPECIALLY character dining, it fills up fast. Character meals can require more than one dining credit so check the details closely. I'd plan your days around those character meals once they're scheduled. Decide which characters you want to see and go from there. Meals are the easiest to see characters, they come around to every table!
Since you have a good amount of time it's perfect to start planning ! If you haven't already go online to plan...they have a new planning tool that is super helpful. You'll also be able to start estimating cost. When you make your plans you should be able to pay on it up until the due date for final payment. Go to My Disney Experience https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/p...K18AncaijrznuZLlryI2fHPv9T4aXkV8aApxOEALw_wcB

 

[KWGrm]

You want to make reservations as far ahead as possible. ESPECIALLY character dining, it fills up fast. Character meals can require more than one dining credit so check the details closely. I'd plan your days around those character meals once they're scheduled. Decide which characters you want to see and go from there. Meals are the easiest to see characters, they come around to every table!
Since you have a good amount of time it's perfect to start planning ! If you haven't already go online to plan...they have a new planning tool that is super helpful. You'll also be able to start estimating cost. When you make your plans you should be able to pay on it up until the due date for final payment. Go to My Disney Experience https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/?ef_id=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8SR8WC2HvCs1dbTMerm-N-K18AncaijrznuZLlryI2fHPv9T4aXkV8aApxOEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!5060!3!297137170037!p!!g!!my disney experience&CMP=KNC-FY19_WDW_TRA_FLR_W365_RST_RTC_Resorts-MDX-Phrase|BR|G|4191013.WW.AM.01.01|NA_NA_NA_NA_NA&keyword_id=kwd-44689350024|dm|my disney experience|297137170037|p|5060:3|&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8SR8WC2HvCs1dbTMerm-N-K18AncaijrznuZLlryI2fHPv9T4aXkV8aApxOEALw_wcB

I yeah, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh+more at The Grand Floridian wonderful breakfast at 1800 Park Fare (the name of the restaurant). This is one if the character meals outside of the Parks. I'm sure they'll work with dietary needs wherever you go.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

We're a long way off visiting yet (Oct 2020), haven't even booked yet either, but I like to make sure I know how everything works!
I haven't been to Disney since 2004, my kids (DD will be about to turn 8 and DS will be 4 1/2 when we travel) and DH haven't been at all, and a lot has changed in that time.
We will be taking out the Disney Dining Plan package. But I just don't understand what we will need to do. Do we have to book so far in advance? Our DS is currently dairy free but he is slowly working through the milk ladder having it reintroduced into his diet, we haven't a clue if he will be on a "normal" diet or dairy free. The kids can be fussy with their food and on other days they can be adventurous, you can never tell. I just don't know if we'll be able to decide so far in advance. I do know that we want to do character dining at some point, but we just don't know when we will want to do it, or what parks we will go to and when. Being from the UK we will be there for 14 nights.
Help!

First off, WELCOME to the boards!!! if the DDP is included in your entire package, I'd say go for it, but if you have to pay OOP, I would seriously do your research and look at it...the DDP can be cost effective IF everyone in the party are good eaters...if the kids are picky, it may be more cost effective to eat OOP. Now for us, family of 4, (2 adult children who are GREAT eaters), the DDP IS cost effective for us and we always get our money's worth. Take a hard look at it. Have a MAGICAL trip to the world!!!

 

[aliceismad]

There are some calculators online that can help you weigh whether DDP is a good deal for you or not.

 

[Shouldigo12]

Also, if saving isn't your top concern, keep in mind that some people like using the dining plan so they don't have to experience sticker shock. Food in Disney, like food in all theme parks, is expensive. Being able to think of an entree as costing one credit instead of 20 dollars can be less stressful for some. It can also be nice to have your whole vacation more or less paid for before you even leave.

 

[MickeyCB]

The other thing to remember is that you can book your dining 180 days out from the start of your stay plus (I believe) 10 more days if staying on property. I would check with Disney dining services (ahead of time), to see if you can book the entire length of your stay on line when staying on Disney property or will you need to speak to someone on the phone for the last 3 days of reservations.
Being able to book your full length of stay is very helpful in trying to obtain hard to get reservations as you can book them later in your stay with less competition!

 

[s&k'smom]

We love the dining plan as my family likes to eat at a table service restaurant every day and I have to agree with the others as soon as your window of making reservations opens get your favorites in quickly and download the app on your phone as well because there are lots of places where you can get last-minute reservations

 

[Weather_Lady]

Book your meals as early as you possibly can. If you're not sure what your child will be able to eat when you visit, wait until a couple of weeks before (or whenever you're sure), at which point you can call the Disney Dining line and have a "dairy-free" notation added to your ADRs. If all else fails, simply inform your server when you arrive. Disney is wonderful about working with those with special dietary needs.

 

[righttrack]

Dietary needs will be addressed, even allergies. They do a wonderful job and practice excellent food safety. Tell the host/hostess about the allergy concern and the chef will come out, discuss needs and even help if the meal is a buffet. They will happily make something new for an allergy concern and handle it properly and discreetly.

Welcome to the planning levels that are now part of any WDW vacation. In 2004 it was less of an issue than it is today. Book your sit down meals 180 days out if you can. I suggest for best value to book dinners, not lunch or breakfast (which are cheaper) though don't be afraid to book a breakfast (especially character breakfast) if you choose.

 

[imsosarah]

First off, WELCOME to the boards!!! if the DDP is included in your entire package, I'd say go for it, but if you have to pay OOP, I would seriously do your research and look at it...the DDP can be cost effective IF everyone in the party are good eaters...if the kids are picky, it may be more cost effective to eat OOP. Now for us, family of 4, (2 adult children who are GREAT eaters), the DDP IS cost effective for us and we always get our money's worth. Take a hard look at it. Have a MAGICAL trip to the world!!!

If your kids are little (under 9) you’re silly NOT to do the dining plan if you plan on having character meals and not eating the cheapest meal options at every meal.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

If your kids are little (under 9) you’re silly NOT to do the dining plan if you plan on having character meals and not eating the cheapest meal options at every meal.

Crunching the numbers, (which wasn't something I wanted to do) shows a price of 23.78 for the DDP for ages 3-9. A child's meal at Chef Mickey's will be 30.00...so yes, you save 6.22 for THAT buffet. That still begs the question of, will your child eat enough food EVERYDAY to make the plan economical for the OP...Look, our family are fans of the DDP...we get our money's worth out of it and usually come home with extra snacks. Many that are on here say it's a waste of money. That's why I said to the OP to do their homework and compare appetites with costs.

 

[imsosarah]

Crunching the numbers, (which wasn't something I wanted to do) shows a price of 23.78 for the DDP for ages 3-9. A child's meal at Chef Mickey's will be 30.00...so yes, you save 6.22 for THAT buffet. That still begs the question of, will your child eat enough food EVERYDAY to make the plan economical for the OP...Look, our family are fans of the DDP...we get our money's worth out of it and usually come home with extra snacks. Many that are on here say it's a waste of money. That's why I said to the OP to do their homework and compare appetites with costs.

True but if you are doing a once in a lifetime type of trip (or have picky kids) you’d like do a Buffet or character meal daily. And if you are an adult that drinks...that factors in to over all cost. We saved $700+ on one trip but averaged 200-300 and had way cooler experiences than we normally did - Now the kids are teens we break even or it’s a 10-20$ difference

 

[Smiley/OCD]

True but if you are doing a once in a lifetime type of trip (or have picky kids) you’d like do a Buffet or character meal daily. And if you are an adult that drinks...that factors in to over all cost. We saved $700+ on one trip but averaged 200-300 and had way cooler experiences than we normally did - Now the kids are teens we break even or it’s a 10-20$ difference

As I said, we are FANS of the DDP, but there are a few holes in your argument...we have friends whose children ate 3 things...chicken nuggets, pizza and mac & cheese...you can get that at ANY QS location in the parks for a LOT less money. Secondly, if you like to imbibe in a few alcoholic beverages, the "standard" DDP doesn't include alcohol, just the deluxe plan does. All I'm saying is for a person do their research BEFORE signing up. We've been there when the kiddos were young and even then we didn't do a character meal or buffet EVERYDAY...we can agree to disagree...just look at all the options. That's all I'm saying.

 

[imsosarah]

As I said, we are FANS of the DDP, but there are a few holes in your argument...we have friends whose children ate 3 things...chicken nuggets, pizza and mac & cheese...you can get that at ANY QS location in the parks for a LOT less money. Secondly, if you like to imbibe in a few alcoholic beverages, the "standard" DDP doesn't include alcohol, just the deluxe plan does. All I'm saying is for a person do their research BEFORE signing up. We've been there when the kiddos were young and even then we didn't do a character meal or buffet EVERYDAY...we can agree to disagree...just look at all the options. That's all I'm saying.

The dining plans ALL include alcohol as of 2018. Including the quick service plan and regular/standard plan and you can get a drink with both your table and quick service options.