A Rare, Limited-Time-Only Disney Dining Plan Win!

If you’ve poked around the numbers for the Disney Dining Plan in 2025, you know the baseline. You’re got to pay roughly $98 per adult per night for the plan, and it’s really really difficult to “beat” the plan by ordering food and drinks that are worth more than what you’ll pay. That’s because your quick service meals have to be worth more than $27 and table service meals have to be worth more than $65 in order to get the value that you paid for them. Less than 3% of meals at Disney are make the math work.

Enter a special seasonal twist! The Candlelight Processional Dining Package is an exceptionally rare big win on the Disney Dining Plan. Because you’re combining a meal with reserved seating for an exceptional show, and the out-of-pocket price for this package is incredibly high, you suddenly have an opportunity to easily beat the Disney Dining Plan!

Candlelight Processional Dining Package Details

If you want to get more information on what is included in the dining package we’re talking about in this post, check out all of the details here. The biggest inclusion is guaranteed seating for a Candlelight Processional showing that night! You can avoid the standby line and instead get admitted to the theater early along with other dining package guests.

Dining Package Options and Costs

In order to quickly summarize, here are the 2025 participating restaurants for the Candlelight Processional Dining Package, with adult pricing (tax and tip not included).

• Biergarten Restaurant ($70 | 1 table service credit)
• Chefs de France ($86 | 1 table service credit)
• Coral Reef ($78 | 1 table service credit)
• Garden Grill breakfast ($71 | 1 table service credit)
• Garden Grill dinner ($84 | 1 table service credit)
• La Creperie de Paris ($57 | 1 table service credit)
• La Hacienda de San Angel ($86 | 1 table service credit)
• Le Cellier Steakhouse ($104 | 2 table service credits)
• Nine Dragons Restaurant ($68 | 1 table service credit)
• Rose & Crown Dining Room ($66 | 1 table service credit)
• Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya ($99 | 1 table service credit)
• Spice Road Table ($60 | 1 table service credit)
• Teppan Edo ($110 | 1 table service credit)
• Tutto Italia Ristorante ($77 | 1 table service credit)
• Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria ($65 | 1 table service credit)

Each of these packages includes a full meal, beverage, and a guaranteed seat at a Candlelight Processional performance that night.

Packages That Beat The Plan

Quick review: the relative cost of a table service meal credit on the Disney Dining Plan is a whopping $65 in 2025 (that’ll go up in 2026). That means, if you pick any package that costs more than $65, you’re getting that guaranteed seating “for free,” and you’re officially edging into “winning” territory.

Examples of where you’ll come out ahead, and by how much:

• Biergarten – you save $5 compared to paying out of pocket!
• Chefs de France – you save $21 compared to paying out of pocket!
• Coral Reef – you save $13 compared to paying out of pocket!
• Garden Grill breakfast – you save $6 compared to paying out of pocket!
• Garden Grill dinner – you save $19 compared to paying out of pocket!
• La Hacienda de San Angel – you save $21 compared to paying out of pocket!
• Nine Dragons – you save $2 compared to paying out of pocket. Not much, but something.
• Rose & Crown – you save $1 compared to paying out of pocket. Ooh.
• Tutto Italia – you save $12 compared to paying out of pocket!

Packages That Pay for the Whole Plan

Now we escalate to the real wins. Since the full nightly dining plan cost is ~$98 per adult, you can actually pay for your entire nightly dining plan if you choose a package that costs more than $98, and everything else you get you get on the plan is bonus! There are only two ways to do this:

• Shiki-Sai – you pay $98 for this $99 package and get your resort refillable mug, a quick service meal, and a snack for free.
• Teppan Edo – you pay $98 for this $110 package and still get your resort refillable mug, a quick service meal, and a snack for free!

Let’s use the best possible example for how to get the most for your money. Let’s assume you’ve gotten a great room deal for a one-night stay, and you’ve added the dining plan. You plan on spending your park day at EPCOT. You’ve paid roughly $98 to add the dining plan. This is how you eat throughout the day:

• Lunch at La Cantina de San Angel – Tacos de Barbacoa ($16.50) and Top Shelf Clasica on the Rocks ($18.50) = $35 value
• Snack from Refreshment Port – Turkey Poutine ($9.50 in 2024) = $9.50 value
• Dinner at Teppan Edo for Candlelight Processional Dining Package = $110 value

If you use your credits this way, you get the refillable mug ($22.99 value), a $35 lunch, a $9.50 snack, and a $110 dining package. That’s a $177.49 value for your $98 credit!

Bottom Line

If you’ve been avoiding the Disney Dining Plan (like we regularly recommend that you do) because you know that it’s extremely hard to “win” with it – good call. But if you’re visiting during the holiday season, you absolutely should consider the Candlelight Processional Dining Package as a way to win with the plan. By targeting one of the higher-priced participating one-credit restaurants (especially Shiki-Sai or Teppan Edo), you lock in that coveted show seating and you give yourself a good value on the plan.

If you’re really looking to celebrate the holidays and you’re willing to optimize one “big win” meal – this is how to do it!