7 Reasons We Love the Disney Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan is definitely a must for us when we are on vacation. We have always bought the dining plan and found the value in having the plan, even if the costs don’t always equal out to ultimately match what we might have paid separately. (Usually, it does save us money since my husband is a big-time steak eater.) If you aren’t entirely sold on the dining plan yet or know what value it can provide, here are seven reasons why my family absolutely loves the Disney Dining Plan:

7 – A vacation with an all-inclusive feel.

One of the greatest things about trips to Mexico or cruise experiences is the all-inclusive feel that you get. There is just something about showing up and not worrying about it very much. That is exactly one of the benefits that the Disney Dining Plan provides. Your meals are all taken care of, and you can experience your meals and snacks without worrying about pulling out your wallet every time. It’s also now even easier to keep track of your entitlements with the My Disney Experience app.

6 – Easy budgeting in advance.

The dining plans help a family budget for their entire trip in advance. It would be a huge mistake not to have a healthy budget for dining at Disney. Many families experience sticker shock when they realize just how expensive the food and many of the dining locations at Disney can be. The dining plan gives you a set cost that you pay in advance before your trip so that the money you bring with you really is for souvenirs and additional activities. It is great to have one less thing to worry about and stress over.

5 – Rapid Refill mugs.

Each paid member of your party on the Disney Dining Plan, adults and children alike, will all receive rapid refill mugs. It is great that each person gets their own mug to make their own drink selections for the duration of their trip. The mugs get picked up and activated at Disney resort gift shops, and then you can refill them over and over again during the duration of your stay. You can fill up before you head out to the parks, too, so you have coffee or soda to start the day. You also get to keep the mugs and take them home with you, so it makes a great souvenir and a great cup to use once you are sadly back at home.

4 – The flexibility in using entitlements.

The entitlement structure is extremely flexible. You don’t have to use your allotment of entitlements each day. You can save up for a specific dining experience that may have more entitlements or maybe a day when you plan to do more dining than another day. You can also save up the snacks so that maybe you snack around Epcot one day for meals instead of having snacks each day. I love how it is customizable and easily tailored to each family and their needs/habits. You don’t have to feel locked into a set time or cadence for planning your meals.

3 – The opportunity to try new things.

This is definitely a big plus. When you are paying large prices for dining experiences, you may be apprehensive about trying some of the restaurants or different meals out of fear that you won’t like it or it would feel like a waste. For many people, the psychology changes a little bit when they are on the dining plan. When you aren’t actually shelling out your wallet each time, you don’t feel as much like it is hitting you in the pocketbook to try something new. You can also use this opportunity to try the most expensive items on the menu since you will have no added cost! You don’t have to shy away from ordering the steak every meal if a steak is what you would truly love to have!

2 – Don’t have to tell the kids, “No.”

I’m not saying that kids don’t need to hear the word no from time to time because they definitely do. Sometimes, it is just nice not always to have to say no or be so worried about your budget that you don’t want to let the kiddos indulge a little. Depending on your dining plan and entitlement, they come with drinks, so the kiddos can get a break from the cups of water if they like something different to drink. Many of the meals may also include desserts, so where you might have had to tell them no before, it is included now. We usually limit our children’s dessert/sweets intake. Still, on a Disney vacation, we know they are burning off that extra energy and love that we can give them a little bit of a treat to really enhance their already magical vacation! Sometimes it feels so good to say, “Yes.”

1 – Tons of delicious food!

A meal on the dining plan is usually way more than most people can eat, at least not consistently for 2-3 meals a day. It is a lot of food! We actually love that about it. We always leave feeling satisfied with what we have wanted to eat. We never feel like we skimped, ate lighter, or did without to conserve costs. You also get a great sampling of items, so you get to try and experience more of what the restaurants have to offer instead of just one dish. Plus, you’ll be walking a ton, so don’t feel bad about having that dessert!

Is the Dining Plan Worth it? We did some number crunching. Click here to read the results of our testing and some other thoughts on the dining plan.