Food at Walt Disney World – The Good, The Bad and the Dining Plan

Food at Walt Disney World – The Good, The Bad and the Dining Plan

By: Rebecca M. Farrell (@RMZFarrell)

When I travel for work, the last thing I think about is food. As long as I’m staying in a hotel with a restaurant, I know that I have a spot to grab coffee in the morning, dinner with colleagues/clients in the evening, etc.

But at Disney, food is part of the vacation experience. It is s varied as the countries in Epcot’s World Showcase.  In the next few paragraphs, I’ll impart some wisdom about the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) and meal planning that I've learned over the years.

Disney Restaurant Types and Definitions

There are four basic types of dining that you need to be aware of as they relate to food at Disney. Here’s a VERY brief overview:

Type/Name	Definition	Examples
Counter/Quick Service	A restaurant where you walk in, order food from a cast member or kiosk and choose your own seat, cafeteria style.	Pecos Bill’s (MK) Tangierine Café (Epcot) Flame Tree BBQ (AK)
Table Service	A restaurant where you likely make an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) and are waited on by a cast member. This can include character meals and buffets as well.	Plaza Restaurant (MK) Kona Café (Polynesian) Coral Reef (Epcot)
Signature Dining	A restaurant where you absolutely must make an ADR 180 days in advance that requires two (2) table service meal credits per person dining.	Cinderella’s Royal Table (MK) Le Cellier (Epcot) Flying Fish Café (Boardwalk) California Grill (Contemporary)
Food carts/Snacks	Food carts or permanent stands in the theme parks that sell drinks, ice cream and assorted snack items. Look for the DDP logo if you’re unsure about what is covered by the plan.	Safari Pretzel (AK) Italy Gelato Stand (Epcot)

DDP: Getting Your Money’s Worth

DDP is just like Disney – it’s not for everyone. I know folks who bring their own groceries, brown bag lunch for the parks, and make no dining reservations.  But I’m not a brown bagger. I am a DDP chow-downer.

The DDP has several levels, but for the purposes of this article, we'll only discuss the standard plan. If you purchase the standard DDP (more details available here), it works like this – for everyone in your party, you get a certain number of meal credits per NIGHT of your stay. For example, if dear husband (DH) and I have a 9-night, 8-day stay and use the standard DDP, that means one (1) table service, one (1) quick service and one (1) snack per person, per night of your stay. That means I have nine (9) of each for myself and another nine (9) for DH. That’s 18 total for those of you keeping score at home.

Using DDP Credits

As part of the itinerary that I create for all of my trips to Disney (contact me for a template copy), I figure out where DH and I will eat each day. This helps sort out how we will use our DDP credits.

When you’re planning where and when to eat, keep your family’s preferences and meal habits top of mind. (Note: you can find great lists of menus and reviews of every Disney restaurant here). A few tips:

• Not a morning person? Don’t schedule early character meals in the parks because you’ll need at least an hour of travel time to get where you’re going.
• Are you cool with coffee and a muffin in the morning? Don’t use a meal credit! Pay out-of-pocket or have some things in your room to grab and go.
• Picky eaters on your list? Stick with restaurants where everyone will find something they’ll like.  Be sure to check out the link above to see up-to-date Disney menus…I do that any time we’re scouting out a new location to make sure DH will have a few options.

Here’s a snapshot from a recent trip itinerary that includes our meals for the day. As you’ll see, we used our TS credits for dinner and paid out-of-pocket (OOP) for breakfasts.

Day Part	AGENDA	Dining	Meal Credits
AM	N/A	N/A	N/A
AM	Arrive @MCO, ME to Polynesian Resort	N/A	N/A
PM	EPCOT/CS lunch - Check out UK pavilion for events	Any CS	1 CS
LN	Break at hotel/Magic Kingdom for 9pm MSEL & Wishes	Pecos Bill	1 CS
Day Part	AGENDA	Dining	Meal Credits
AM	Resort breakfast/Transfer to EPCOT	Kona Café	OOP
PM	Future World (Kim Possible)
PM	Lunch location TBD (stroll casually, enjoy entertainment in WS)	Any CS	1 CS
LN	World Showcase/Illuminations	Via Napoli	1 TS
Day Part	AGENDA	Dining	Meal Credits
AM	Sleep in/Resort breakfast	Grand Floridian Café	OOP
PM	Transfer to EPCOT - Future World and World Showcase attractions	Any CS	1 CS
PM	TSMM (may have to wait in line!)
LN	DHS for PM EMH (Select rides/attractions - hit the highlights, don't stay any later than we need to)	50s Prime Time Café	1 TS

Side bar – the in-room coffee makers at Disney aren't the greatest…so if you want to get your java fix taken care of first thing in the morning, I highly recommend renting a coffee maker from Kelly’s Personal Disney Shopper

Planning Tips Specifically for Dining

• If you have a little one who is bent on eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table, plan to be on the phone with Disney Dining (1-407-WDW-DINE) the moment that the reservation lines open 180 days from the scheduled start of your vacation. Otherwise, you will NOT get a reservation.
• Be flexible – if there’s a restaurant you’re really excited to try but there’s no availability, consider switching around your itinerary. Same goes if you decide to change your plans mid-trip; you can call Disney Dining or speak to the concierge at your hotel for available reservations.
• Tips are not included with the dining plan – please tip according to the level of service that you receive and don’t ever feel obligated to leave 20% just because you’re at a Signature Dining location.
• Don’t be afraid to ask a Cast Member if you don’t understand what’s included in the dining plan – most of them are very well versed and can help you make the appropriate selections.

I hope you've found this information helpful! Now I’m off to grab some lunch, all of this DDP writing has made me hungry!

All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Skillet at Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge

Mediterranean sliders (lamb, chicken and falafel) at Tangerine Cafe, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot

Dole Whip - the best invention EVER at Aloha Isle, Adventureland, Magic Kingdom