Disney in a Minute: What Is the Disney Dining Plan

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

The Disney Dining Plan is a way to pay a (mostly) flat rate in advance for meals at Walt Disney World. To get the Dining Plan, you need to purchase it as part of a Disney World vacation package that includes a stay at a Disney resort hotel as well as park tickets.

The Plan gives each guest an allotment of meal “credits,” based on the number of nights of their hotel stay. The credits may be used in any order from the time the guest checks in to their hotel until 11:59 p.m. on the day of checkout. Even if you might not have access to your room until late afternoon on your check-in day, you can use your Dining Plan credits early in the day, once you’ve registered.

There are two versions of the Plan offered for WDW vacations in 2024: the standard Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick-Service Plan. The difference is entirely in the combination of credits that you get each day – and the price. It’s more easily explained with an example.

The Testa family of 3 adults is visiting Disney World in 2024. Let’s look at what they’d get with  each of the plans.

Standard Disney Dining Plan

On the Standard Disney Dining Plan, for each NIGHT of their stay, each guest gets one table service meal credit, one counter service meal credit, and one snack credit, and they will also receive one resort refillable drink mug.

If the Testa family chooses the Standard Disney Dining Plan, then because they are there for 5 nights, each person in the room gets:

• 5 Table Service Meal Credits
• 5 Quick Service Meal Credits
• 5 Snack Credits
• 1 Resort Refillable Drink Mug

Since there are three of them, the total for the group is 15 each of Table Service, Quick Service, and Snack Credits, plus 3 Rapid Fill mugs.

Quick Service Disney Dining Plan

On the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, for each night of their stay, each guest gets two quick service meal credits, one snack credit, and one resort refillable mug.

If the Testa family chooses the Standard Disney Dining Plan, then because they are there for 5 nights, each person in the room gets:

• 10 Quick Service Meal Credits
• 5 Snack Credits
• 1 Resort Refillable Drink Mug

Since there are three of them, the total for the group is 30 Quick Service Credits, 15 Snack Credits, and 3 Rapid Fill mugs.

A few notes:

• Gratuities are not included with the Dining Plans. If you’re eating at a table service venue, you will be expected to tip your server.
• Some menu items may not be included with the Dining Plans or may require an additional fee.
• Guests ages 3 to 9 must order from a children’s menu, where available.
• Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party.
• For vacations in 2023, Disney is not offering the Disney Dining Plan.
• Though there have been other Dining Plan configurations in the past, for 2024 Disney is only offering the two versions described above.
• For more specifics on dining at Disney, see our FAQs on Quick Service Dining, Table Service Dining, and Signature Dining.

There is a lot of fine print you should should read before committing to a Disney Dining Plan purchase. Additionally, the value question can get complicated fast. We have more articles that can help you decide whether or not to get a Disney Dining Plan.

Should You Buy the Disney Dining Plan?
Disney Dining Plan: Will It End Up Costing You More?
How To Save Money on Disney Food Without the Disney Dining Plan