Disney Dining Plan Tips & Current Meal Photos

Now that Disney has released Free Dining for everyone, we’d like to share a few of our favorite tips for the Dining Plan. We booked a stay last week and included the Quick Service Dining Plan since it had been a while for us and we wanted to make sure the tracking, ordering, and exclusions were the same. We also took a ton a pictures so we could show you the most current version of our favorite qualifying meals. First, the basics.

Your Plan is Active When You Check-In

Your room may not be ready on check-in day, but your Dining Plan Credits are!

You can see all of your Dining Plan details from the My Disney Experience app. Once you’re in the app, select your Resort stay either through the main page or under Hotel Reservations on the hamburger menu at the bottom right of the app. Once you’re on your Resort page, scroll down until you see “Check Dining Plan” like the image circled above. You can see that our room wasn’t assigned yet, but our credits were loaded. The image on the right shows the Quick Service credits for 2 guests for 4 nights. Note that we had already had a snack and snagged our mugs!

Tips:

1. Mobile Order is so useful when using a Quick Service meal Credit! The app will remind you if you’re not getting everything you’re entitled to. For example, if you order a Ronto Wrap, which you should, the mobile order will automatically default to using 1 QS Meal. If you try to complete your order without adding a drink, the app will alert you to go back and select a beverage.
2. You will get a current total of remaining credits on your printed receipt each time you order in person. This information is also current in the app.
3. If you use a Quick Service or Snack Credit using Mobile Order and you change your mind and cancel before you have selected “Prepare My Order”, your debited Credit will reflect as available again just seconds after you cancel the order. We tried it last week to be sure.
4. You can use the Dining Plan at both Disney Water Parks, so if you’re taking advantage of the free Water Park Benefit on check-in day, you’ll be able to start snacking immediately. The Free Dining Offer that was released today says no other discounts apply, but the Free Water Park Benefit is not a “discount” and can be used when you book under the Free Dining Offer.

The Mugs

Every person under your reservation will receive one Resort Refillable Mug whether you have the Quick Service or standard Dining Plan. Every Disney Resort has self-service beverage islands with Coke products, water, hot coffee, hot water, and individual packets of tea and coca. There are small sinks at each where you can wash out your cups, too.

Tip: Bring your mugs to the parks. There aren’t any refill locations in the parks, but they’ll come in handy. More on that further down!

All Snack Credits Are Not Created Equal

There is a wide range of items across the parks and Disney Springs that qualify as a “Snack Credit” under both Dining Plans. You could elect to use 1 Snack Credit on a side of Cheese Sauce that has a cash value of $1.07 after tax. We don’t recommend that. You could also use 1 Snack Credit for a large bowl of Chili-Cheese French Fries at Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom. The fries have a cash value of $7.98 after tax.

Tip: If you’re searching menus on the My Disney Experience app before your trip, you will see “Qualifies as a Snack” below an item description if it qualifies as 1 Snack Credit under the Dining Plans. If you’re in line for food, you will see the purple DDP symbol next to items that qualify as 1 Snack Credit on the physical menu. Examples of both are in the image above. Keep reading to see my favorite uses for Snack Credits!

Tip: If you’re using the TouringPlans Lines App, which you totally should, be sure to check out our Dining section of the app. TouringPlans Subscribers (Liners) send in tens of thousands of surveys each year and we use their reviews to rank and rate every single dining location in Walt Disney World. If you’re better on a tablet or laptop, you can find this same information on our website.  You can see from the image above that we even color code the ratings. Select the “i” in the upper right corner of each location box to get rank, menu information, and other details about the location.

Quick Service Meals and Snack Credits at Your Resort

Tip: Don’t sleep on using the Dining Plans at other Resorts! You don’t have to be a guest at a Resort to visit and walk around. You can get 3 Mickey Beignets and 1 Dipping Sauce (I paid for the second because I’m unhappy with just one) at Scat Cat’s Club-Café at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter for just 1 Snack Credit! 

Tip: Please ignore my ketchup in the picture above. My teenager told me it was “diabolical” and I’m going to assume that means “amazing” in teen speak. Note the Diet Coke! I had my Resort Mug with me when I ordered my burger and fries, and the kind Cast Member at the Pop Century “Everything Pop” food court reminded me that I was entitled to a drink. You don’t have to get a fountain drink when you’re using a Quick Service Credit. You can select a bottled beverage and guests 21+ can pick a bottled beer or single serving bottle of wine. All for 1 Quick Service Credit!

Tip: Some Resorts offer a Large Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza available in person or through Mobile Order for 2 Quick Service Credits. Fort Wilderness has a similar family size chicken dinner for 2 Quick Service Credits that is available in person or via Mobile Order.

Character Dining

Guests using the standard Dining Plan will be entitled to 1 Table Service Credit per person per night of stay along with their other credits. Table Service Credits may be used for Character Dining Experiences around the parks and resorts. Most Character Dining meals require 1 Table Service Credit but some will need 2.

One Table Service Credit Character Meals:

• 1900 Park Fare Breakfast & Dinner
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Breakfast
• Cape May Cafe Breakfast & Dinner
• Chef Mickey’s Breakfast & Dinner
• The Crystal Palace Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
• Garden Grill Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
• Hollywood & Vine Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
• ‘Ohana Breakfast & Dinner
• Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast
• Tusker House Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Two Table Service Credit Character Meals:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Lunch & Dinner
• Cinderella’s Royal Table Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White Dinner

Tip: The cash value of 1 adult Table Service Credit is $98.59, so the Character Meals requiring 2 Table Service Credits may not be a good value for you. There are exceptions. When my daughter was five and had just completed her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique transformation, I absolutely felt like lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table was a good value. The glitter was fresh, everyone was hangry, and the pictures are some of my most cherished. Sometimes it’s about way more than the math. Plus, if you’re getting free dining, nothing is a bad deal.

Snack Credits & No Kids’ Menu

Tip: Snacks can make a meal! EPCOT has so many good options for Snack Credits! My favorite use of a Snack Credit in the Japan Pavilion is at the Kabuki Cafe. You can get a single flavor Kakigori (toppings aren’t included) for 1 Snack Credit. Pair that with an order of California Rolls and you have an entire meal for 2 Snack Credits. Kabuki Cafe currently offers 4 types of sushi and all of them qualify as a single Snack Credit.

Children ages 3-9 must order off the children’s menu when available. The good news is lots of places around the parks don’t offer a kids’ menu! This means you may be able to share meals and save Dining Plan Credits.

Tip: Try to plan a few meals at locations that 1) do not have a kids’ menu, and 2) have decent food. You’ll be able to order a standard Quick Service meal using a Child Credit. Reminder that you will not be able to order an alcoholic beverage using 1 Child Quick Service Credit. Here are a few examples:

• Yorkshire County Fish Shop: The Beer-battered Fish & Chips and a drink pictured above is 1 Quick Service Credit
• The Friar’s Nook in the Magic Kingdom: The Sausage, Egg, and Cheddar Bagel Sandwich with Tots and the Large Cold Brew Coffee with Sweet Cream, pictured below, is 1 Quick Service Credit. You could sub out the Sandwich for the Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Tots, below right, and add a drink and it would still be 1 Quick Service Credit. 

 

 

One of our park reporters, Amy Schinner, snapped the pictures at Friar’s Nook this morning so we could be sure to get you the most up to date images and data before you decided to book the new Free Dining offer. The Hot Dog, Tots, and Drink pictured above are also just 1 Quick Service Credit at Friar’s Nook.

The Lunching Pad in the Magic Kingdom does not have a kids’ menu either!

The Queso Fundido Hot Dog on the left and the Cuban Hot Dog on the right of the picture above would require 1 Quick Service Credit. The hot dog comes with a bag of chips and a drink. This might be a good choice if you want to feed two light eaters with one Credit.

Sleepy Hollow in the Magic Kingdom is another location that does not offer a children’s menu.

 

The Hand-dipped Corn Dog, House-made Chips, and drink pictured above is often more than even one adult can eat. Add in the fact that this corn dog is truly delicious, and this may be a good use of 1 Quick Service Credit for your family.

Ronto Roasters in Hollywood Studios not only has one of the best Quick Service Meals in any park, they also don’t have a menu for kids. Do they call them kids? Younglings? Tiny members of the Resistance? Whatever it is, Mommy is going to use your tiny Rebel Credits for a Ronto Wrap!

Ronto’s is one of the Quick Service locations that offers two sizes of fountain beverages. The large is LARGE and it qualifies as the drink when using 1 Quick Service Credit. If you get the large, you’ll have enough Diet Coke for your meal and you’ll still be able to refill two Resort mugs.

Are you planning to take advantage of the new Free Dining Offer?