Notices
ADR's, Dining, Food and Restaurants Anything and Everything to do with Eating.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 13 Mar 17, 02:00 AM  
Link to this Post
#1
sha9
VIP Dibber
 
sha9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 08

sha9's Reviews
Hotel Reviews: 5
Restaurant Reviews: 1
Getting the best out of Disney dining plans

Please note, all dining plans for 2021 free or paid for have been cancelled by Disney due to the Covid-19 situation. Hopefully this is all temporary and this thread will become relevant again soon!


This thread has been automatically created, because the original thread had over 500 posts.

The original thread was located HERE.

Please feel free to carry on...

With me doing some editing I seem to have lost the content of the first post which would normally show up in the new thread so I've pasted it below. Some of the links may not work so you may need to click through to the original thread.


Hi all, I was thinking with the free dining being released and a whole load of newbies to QSDP/DDP it would be useful to have a thread sharing our top tips about how to get the most out of having the dining plans.
There's a link to the DIBB guidebook page on dining plans here.

This is a link to the WDTC page on dining plans. From what I can see there are no longer PDFs of the dining plan leaflets and it's now an information page however a kind Dibber has linked to this PDF on another thread which has 2018 locations disneyworld.disney.go/me...ions_added.pdf.

This is a link to the 2019 pdf however it doesn't list which restaurants are included and refers you to the 2018 list. (Also see attachment at the bottom of this post)

I've previously found the Disney Parks Moms Panel to be a great source of official Disney info on the subject, however the information they give out can often be conflicting or vague.

The final list of restaurants accepted on the dining plan doesn't tend to get finalised until the end of the year. Don't panic if your favourite restaurant doesn't show for next year! If it's there this year there's a good chance it'll be there next year. More recently it tends to show up next to the individual restaurant on the website.


Explaining Dining Plans

From 2018 QS and TS meals now include the option of an alcoholic drink (beer, wine, cider and some cocktails). For those that don't drink or for under 21's you can choose a speciality drink, milkshake/smoothie or "mocktail" as well as the standard soft drinks previously available.

From 2017 the dining plans no longer include a dessert with QS meals. Instead there is an extra snack credit. Dessert will still be offered with TS meals.
So QSDP - one resort refillable mug, 2 QS credits and 2 snacks.
DDP - one resort refillable mug, 1 QS credit, 1 TS credit and 2 snacks.
DxDDP - one resort refillable mug, 3 TS/QS credits (full flexible) and 2 snacks.

The dining plans are very flexible. You have all your credits available to you at check in and the vast majority of menu items are allowed. Some items will require a supplement, particularly at signature restaurants. There are some restrictions on sharing items but even then most allow you to use more than one credit so in practical terms there are no restrictions.

You can't use credits of one type towards a meal of a higher credit type. For example, you can't use QS credits to go towards a TS meal and can't combine snacks for a QS meal or TS meal. Disney now say a TS credit can be used for a QS meal but there is a suggestion this is at the CMs discretion. You can also use a QS or TS credit to pay for 2 or 3 snacks which seems to depend on location and CM. This has to be done in the same transaction and is not available at every location. Here's a link to a Disney Parks Moms Panel question on this subject.
The exception to all of this is Deluxe DDP who’s TS and QS credits are interchangeable.
Previously you could exchange your QS drink for anything that's considered a snack. There is some internet chat from people who have been unable to do this however it appears it's more likely in resort QS places than in the parks. Caribbean Beach Resort seems to be an exception to this for some reason.

Abbreviations

QSDP – Quick Service Dining Plan
DDP – Disney Dining Plan
DxDDP – Deluxe Disney Dining Plan
TS – Table Service
QS/CS – Quick Service/Counter Service
ADRS – Advance Dining Reservations
MDE – My Disney Experience
OOP – Out of Pocket


ADRs
• You can make ADRs 180 days out and when staying onsite you can make the first 10 days ADRs 180 days from check in day. Then at 179 days you can do day 11, and so on. Reservations open at 11am online and 12pm if you prefer to phone Disney. Be aware thought that the US clocks change at different times of the year to us so in March and November the time difference will vary.You need to link your resort reservation to your MDE account to do this online. Disney Dining number is 0800 16 90 748 to make ADRs if you prefer. The online link is here.
When making an ADR Disney will ask for credit card details (a debit card will do). They won't charge you anything unless it's a meal that has to be paid in advance however if you don't show up and don't cancel they'll charge your card $10 per person. As long as you cancel the day before they won't charge you. This appears to be up to midnight the day before and not 24 hours before.
It's useful to have a credit card linked to your MDE account before you start making ADRs to make this process easier. Since you also need a PIN while over there it helps to have set this up ahead of time too. This can also be done via MDE.
• ADRs can be made for most TS restaurants and some QS restaurants, specifically Be Our Guest breakfast and lunch, Pizzafari family style dinner and ABC Commissary dinner. If you want specific restaurants or specific times then it's best to book ADRs however if not you can use the website or app to check availability while there. I check regularly out of curiosity and find if I was there now (I wish!) I’d always get something.
• When making ADRs make your hard to get ones first and try and make them for later in the holiday. Be Our Guest for example is particularly difficult to get. Other restaurants it can be more the time you want that’s hard to get. We like Tusker House & Crystal Palace breakfasts the first couple of days and like them as early as possible so I always put them near the top of the booking order.
• Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get what you want first time round as people often change plans so keep checking.
• If you're struggling choosing restaurants have a look at the dining reports. There are some excellent reports with great pictures. I've had loads of ideas from there and am now struggling to narrow it down! theCMG has very kindly started a thread keeping track of all dining reports here.

Keeping track of credits

Disney have added the facility to MDE to keep track of dining plan credits. This won’t show up as an option until you check in and doesn’t show straight away so don’t panic if it’s not on your MDE account. Once it does show up it updates very quickly but also disappears after check out.

Upgrading Dining Plans

• You can upgrade any free dining plan to the next level by paying the difference in cost. I've detailed the cost below but it's easy to check by doing a dummy booking. The value of the free breakfast per day is Adult £12.99 Child £5.99 for 2019 and 2020. You cannot purchase the breakfast, this is just a value in order to give an upgrade price.

2020 Upgrade prices

Free breakfast to QSDP - Adult £27 Child £12
Free breakfast to DDP - Adult £44 Child £15
Free breakfast to DxDDP - Adult £73 Child £24
QSDP to DDP - Adult £17 Child £3
QSDP to DxDDP - Adult £46 Child £12
DDP to DxDDP - Adult £29 Child £9


• Remember tips are expected on TS meals of between 18-20% so factor that in when considering upgrading.
• You can also upgrade a child to adult dining plan by changing their ticket to an adult ticket. The cost difference is only the difference in the two theme park tickets which varies depending on the deal at the time. Remember though, if you've upgraded from QSDP to DDP you need to take that cost difference into account too. This isn't possible if you've booked flights with the same operator as dates of birth need to then be correct.
• Kids can then eat from the adults or childrens menu and you can either use credits or pay OOP and save the credits. There’s no distinction between adult and child credits for QS meals, only TS. This is no longer the case as from 2020. Child and adult credits will now be differentiated.

Paying for dining plans

Although they are offered free during the offer you can buy them if you choose. You still need to be staying in a Disney hotel and buying park tickets at the same time.

2020 prices

QSDP - Adult £39.99 Child £17.99
DDP - Adult £56.99 Child £20.99
DxDDP Adult £85.99 Child £29.99

2021 price

QSDP - Adult £41.99 Child £19.99
DDP - Adult £59.99 Child £22.99
DxDDP - Adult £89.99 Child £35.99

Whether it’s worth paying for is a very individual thing. I personally don’t think it saves much money, mainly because most people probably wouldn’t eat the same amount of food, however it can suit people who want to know food is pre paid. I also think the significant increase in price for DDP may be due to the alcoholic drink and I don’t drink so wouldn’t take advantage. Here’s a link to a dining report currently in progress by adamtoonarmy where he’s paid for DDP and kept a note of food costs. My 2018 report we paid OOP and I kept a note of costs to compare to if we had paid for DDP. We probably would have saved with DDP so it does depend on what and where you eat.

Maximising dining plans

• Many meals are big enough for sharing. An individual pizza at Wolfgang Pucks Express plus a side of fries will easily do 2 people and many resort food courts will do you a large pizza for 2 CS credits that would do a family of four plus you'll get 2 drinks. You can then substitute the drinks for 2 snacks (fries for example) and use your refillable mugs for drinks.
This is also true of CS breakfasts and many people will split a breakfast and then split a lunch leaving snacks free for other things.
• You can get desserts to go at TS places if you think you'll eat them later.
• If you use your refillable mugs at the hotel food court (you can use them at any hotel by the way not just where you’re staying) when getting a CS meal you can then get a bottled drink for later.
• At TS places you can sometimes substitute dessert with a soup, side salad or fruit salad. Substituting for appetisers is not allowed. This is not offered at every TS location and the server will usually tell you. We were offered a small salad or lobster bisque at both The Yachtsman and Narcoossee's for example.
• You can get iced water from any CS place free of charge. Some places you need to ask but others, Gaston's Tavern for example, had water coolers sitting out. There are also water fountains scattered around. We take a couple of collapsible cups and squash squirty juice thing. We also use the cups to share drinks if we shared a CS meal.
• The Disney hotels all have fridges so you can store milk and have breakfast cereal in your room if you want. It's also a great places to store all those "to go" desserts!

Here's a link to Papamouses thread on QSDP. It's a helpful take on the practicalities of using the plan. And here's a link to Loves2plans recent QSDP report. Also if you're wondering if DxDDP is for you here's one by collybird, and one by Claudette here.

Snack Credits
• Snacks are now any "single serve" item regardless of price. You can also now get any size drink as long as it doesn't come in a souvenir mug. You’ll see the DDP symbol next to anything that’s a snack.

This is an example on a Food & Wine Festival menu board.



• Here’s a link to the snack credit list. This will now be out of date due to the changes mentioned above but gives you an idea. An updated thread can be found here for people to post what they've managed to get for a snack credit. And a link to a recent dining report specifically about snacks.
• Snack credits can be used for anything from drinks to side orders that would do you for lunch such as chilli cheese fries or baked potatoes. Yak & Yeti at AK do chicken fried rice too as a snack. If you're in WDW for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival it's even better as there's loads of stalls with amazing food - even fillet steak for a snack credit! I'm hoping this won't change!
• Many people will say drinks are a waste of a snack credit however you may find you don’t have room for any extra food! We found as the trip went on last year we started using them for drinks as we’d rather do this than bring bags of sweets home.
• If you have any left there are loads of options for buying stuff that you can take home. Goofy’s Candy Co., Ghirardelli’s and any sweet shop in the parks will have a variety of things.

Dining Packages

Dining packages get you priority seating at Fantasmic! and Rivers of Light. There are also Eat to the Beat packages at Epcot during Food & Wine and the Festival of Fantasy parade package at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Magic Kingdom.

You can get packages at the following restaurants at DHS for Fantasmic:

Hollywood & Vine (1 TS)
Mama Melrose (1 TS)
Brown Derby (2 TS)

Rivers of Light packages at AK are available at:

Tusker House (1TS)
Tiffins (2TS)

You must book a dining package though and not just a normal reservation.

Character Dining

People often ask what characters are where. Here’s a link to a thread started by laurac1988 with a spreadsheet of character meals.

Planning ADRs

It's often asked how you go about planning your ADRs so I posted later in the thread about how we do it. I've copied it here for anyone who doesn't read the whole thread. This is just how we do it and won't suit everyone.

I always do a rough itinerary so I know which parks we'll do each day and which days will be rest days. From there I can pick which TS place we want to do on what day and for what meal. Character breakfast are usually planned for the first couple of mornings when the time difference means we're up early anyway. I don't tend to book an ADR on a Universal day so we don't need to rush back but might book a resort restaurant on a pool or shopping day. We don't often do full park days so where we eat in the evening is less relevant.
I choose times that we would eat at home. Breakfasts are usually as early as we can and preferably an hour before park opening. Lunch around 1pm and dinner 6-6.30pm but I tend to book earlier times at the start of the holiday until our body clocks adjust.
Choosing where is based on previous meals we've enjoyed as we've been before however we ate at a few new places I'd seen in dining reports last year and that's where I'd recommend starting if you're new to DDP. The link to that part of the forum is here. I recommend anything by Dixonsontour where they've done DDP, GopherLass (because it was just so entertaining!) and Mrs Pumpkin or Collybird for DxDDP.
It's quite easy to change ADRs while over there if your plans change so if something doesn't suit just change it on MDE or give WDW dining a ring from your room phone. Calling is better if you want to cancel on the day so you don’t get charged.

Practicalities

Paying for TS - we usually tell the wait staff at the start that we're on dining plan although they usually ask. Most of them will explain what you can get and what you have to pay extra for. They sometimes scan a Magic Band at the start of the meal but may wait until the end. Once scanned you have to enter your PIN that you created on MDE. You then get brought a receipt to sign and there's a line for the gratuity. If you want it charged to your room just write the amount. If you want to pay cash just write CASH on the line. With parties from more than one room someone from each room needs to scan their MB and you need to tell the server how many credits from each.

Paying for QS and snacks - again I always say straight away that I'm on the dining plan. Again, many CMs will explain what you can have. Once I've ordered I tell them how many of each kind of credit I want to use when it's not straightforward. So for example, we ordered cakes and drinks at Sunshine Seasons and I explained "we have 9 items and want to use 3 QS credits". When ordering snacks I always say I want to use a snack credit. You scan your MB and again enter your PIN.
When order QS meals and adding a snack item they will put them through as separate transactions so it will take a little bit longer.

Mobile Ordering

Many QS places now allow you to order your meal via MDE. Be Our Guest have allows this for a while but there it’s essentially pre-ordering as you’re making an ADR.
At other QS places you order online then click to say you’ve arrived. There’s a separate counter for mobile ordering so it’s handy when you want to try and find a table before you get your food. You can use dining credits to pay but if paying cash it will charge direct to your linked credit or debit card.
You can play about with mobile ordering on the My Disney Experience app if you wait until later in the day when the restaurants are open.

Pros and cons of each dining plan

Each option has it's good and bad points whether free or paid for. I've tried to summarise them below based on comments I've read on here over the years and personal experience.

Free breakfast

Ok so this isn't really a dining plan as such but it still has it's good points and bad points. As a reminder, it's a QS credit that can be used for any meal anywhere that accepts QSDP.
Pros
It's generally the cheapest option and suitable for anyone looking to stay onsite who doesn't have a huge appetite. It also gives you some element of both enjoying free dining and being able to eat wherever you want. I've read some dining reports of people able to easily share credits and really maximise the free breakfast. Link to one here.
Cons
The con is obvious - it's just one credit so there's a high chance you're going to have to pay OOP for some food even if you manage to share a QS credit between two for two meals. Not ideal for those of us who love to know all food (pretty much) is taken care of.
There's also no refillable mug with this so you'd need to buy it.

QSDP
Pros
QSDP pretty much covers all you meals and snacks for your whole Disney stay. If you get it free then once you've paid for hotel and tickets you're pretty much set and spending money can be minimal if you choose.
It allows a bit of flexibility as very few QS places can be or need to be booked in advance. Mobile order has also helped remove some of the negative aspects of eating exclusively at QS locations.
What many people don't realise too is that there is quite a lot of variety on QSDP, especially now that Disney Springs has so many QS options and more healthy options in the parks.
Cons
Table service meals aren't included which means character meals aren't included. This means an additional expense if you fancy a few TS meals and usually you will end up with credits left over.

DDP
Pros
This includes all types of food at Disney from snacks to TS meals. You can double up credits for signature restaurants and eat at some really special places.
TS meals can be booked in advance meaning that if you're like us and do a bit of dithering over where to eat you can relax knowing that you've already decided months ago!
If you book a deluxe hotel during free dining it's included.
Cons
It can be expensive. If you upgrade from the free breakfast or free QSDP you have that cost plus the additional cost of tips for TS meals.
Generally if you have specific restaurants in mind and want to eat at certain times on certain days then you need to book in advance. That can remove a bit of spontaneity from the holiday which many people don't like. I should point out though that if you are flexible with where you eat then you can always find something by checking availability on MDE.

DxDDP
Pros
This is pretty much completely flexible. With 3 TS credits and the ability to have 3 courses you can pretty much eat what you want where you want. Many people prefer appetisers over desserts so DxDDP allows that option. OK, 3 courses is a lot but you don't always need to eat them!
Cons
It's expensive! Whether you pay OOP or upgrade to it from a free plan it's still costly. It also increases the amount you'll pay in tips.
My thoughts on this, and what I think I'm taking from those who like DxDDP is that the flexibility is worth paying for. If you enjoy the higher end restaurants and like to know you can eat where you want you may very well save money upgrading to DxDDP over paying OOP for the additional food.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf 2019DisneyDiningPlan.pdf (2.29 MB, 834 views)

Edited at 01:47 PM.
sha9 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 25 Mar 17, 08:00 AM  
Link to this Post
#2
bang_bang
Gone all Goofy
 
bang_bang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 17
Really useful article for a newbie such as myself, thanks
bang_bang is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 25 Mar 17, 09:22 AM  
Link to this Post
#3
sha9
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
sha9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 08

sha9's Reviews
Hotel Reviews: 5
Restaurant Reviews: 1
Mobile

Originally Posted by bang_bang View Post
Really useful article for a newbie such as myself, thanks
You're welcome. That was my intention. You see so many posts asking the same questions that Disney don't put answers to in their leaflets that I thought it'd be handy if it was all in one place. If there's anything people feel is missing just let me know.
__________________
Lisa



Trip Report Index
sha9 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 2 Apr 17, 09:01 AM  
Link to this Post
#4
Guest
Guest
 
Mobile Quick service breakfast

Excellent post which will help us greatly when we start choosing restaurants for our trip in October. We have stayed on resort with the dining plan before and love the freedom it provides us but on this occasion we are also visiting Universal and having a day shopping. On each day out of Disney we will return to the resort/ park in time for a TS meal but wondered if there was any way to use our CS credit for an early breakfast before we leave in the morning or if a CS meal can be used for a takeaway packed lunch or similar? Any suggestions gratefully received!
Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 2 Apr 17, 09:14 AM  
Link to this Post
#5
sha9
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
sha9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 08

sha9's Reviews
Hotel Reviews: 5
Restaurant Reviews: 1
Originally Posted by Molezer View Post
Excellent post which will help us greatly when we start choosing restaurants for our trip in October. We have stayed on resort with the dining plan before and love the freedom it provides us but on this occasion we are also visiting Universal and having a day shopping. On each day out of Disney we will return to the resort/ park in time for a TS meal but wondered if there was any way to use our CS credit for an early breakfast before we leave in the morning or if a CS meal can be used for a takeaway packed lunch or similar? Any suggestions gratefully received!
All resorts will have some sort of QS breakfast option. Where are you staying? We've never tried to take a packed lunch but there are places that sell sandwiches that you could eat later.
__________________
Lisa



Trip Report Index
sha9 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 2 Apr 17, 09:32 AM  
Link to this Post
#6
Guest
Guest
 
Mobile

Originally Posted by sha9 View Post
All resorts will have some sort of QS breakfast option. Where are you staying? We've never tried to take a packed lunch but there are places that sell sandwiches that you could eat later.
Staying at Old Key West.
Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 4 Apr 17, 10:48 PM  
Link to this Post
#7
sha9
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
sha9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 08

sha9's Reviews
Hotel Reviews: 5
Restaurant Reviews: 1
Mobile

Originally Posted by Molezer View Post
Staying at Old Key West.
The QS option, Goods to Go, isn't great but you will get a breakfast there.
__________________
Lisa



Trip Report Index
sha9 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 5 Apr 17, 12:53 AM  
Link to this Post
#8
Guest
Guest
 
Mobile First timer

My boyfriend and I booked up to stay at POR for 10 nights in October and we got the QSDP for free. My question for the experts is this; we plan on eating at BOG (dinner), Crystal Palace, and Cinderella's royal table so would we be better off paying the extra to upgrade to DDP or paying out of pocket?
Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 5 Apr 17, 05:58 AM  
Link to this Post
#9
nickimiz
Imagineer
 
nickimiz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 12
Originally Posted by amiiliek View Post
My boyfriend and I booked up to stay at POR for 10 nights in October and we got the QSDP for free. My question for the experts is this; we plan on eating at BOG (dinner), Crystal Palace, and Cinderella's royal table so would we be better off paying the extra to upgrade to DDP or paying out of pocket?
That is exactly what I've done, we are also staying at POR for 10 nights in October, sat down and thought about it and in the end it made perfect sense to upgrade, without actually working out figures, I'm sure the upgrade would pay for itself with just Crystal Palace and CRT.
__________________
NICKI XX
nickimiz is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 5 Apr 17, 06:51 AM  
Link to this Post
#10
sha9
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
sha9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 08

sha9's Reviews
Hotel Reviews: 5
Restaurant Reviews: 1
Mobile

Originally Posted by amiiliek View Post
My boyfriend and I booked up to stay at POR for 10 nights in October and we got the QSDP for free. My question for the experts is this; we plan on eating at BOG (dinner), Crystal Palace, and Cinderella's royal table so would we be better off paying the extra to upgrade to DDP or paying out of pocket?
If you have a look at the menus on here it'll give you a rough idea of price for each of those. If you add it all up and it comes to more than the upgrade then you have your answer. I'd say you could be up to $260 for those 3 at a rough guess.
We do always upgrade or book deluxe hotel as we prefer TS meals anyway.
__________________
Lisa



Trip Report Index
sha9 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
DIBB Savings
AttractionTickets.com

Get £10 off each Disney Ticket with the code ATDIBB10

Get up to £50 off per room at Disney or Universal with the code DIBBHOTELS


theDIBB Blog
One of the the five worlds found in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon... Read More »
Disney announced that a new nighttime show, “Disney Dreams That Soar,” will run nightly at... Read More »
Walt Disney World Resort guests can get ready to have a “glowing’’ good time when... Read More »


theDIBB Menu


Exchange Rates
US Dollar Rates
ASDA  $1.2354
CaxtonFX  $1.2308
Covent Garden FX  $1.2544
FAIRFX  $1.2350
John Lewis  $1.2380
M&S  $1.2178
Sainsburys  $1.2354
TESCO  $1.2364
Travelex  $1.2353
Updated: 23:30 28/03/2024
Euro Rates
ASDA  €1.1447
CaxtonFX  €1.1406
Covent Garden FX  €1.1511
FAIRFX  €1.1432
John Lewis  €1.1457
M&S  €1.1263
Sainsburys  €1.1440
TESCO  €1.1445
Travelex  €1.1435
Updated: 23:30 28/03/2024

DIBB Premium Membership
Did you know you can help support theDIBB with Premium Membership?

Check out this link for more information and benefits, such as...

"No adverts on theDIBB Forums"

Upgrade Now



X