Updated July 13 with 2013 pricing
Introduction
Along with lodging, theme park tickets, and transportation, food is one of the biggest potential costs associated with any Disney World vacation. In fact, food purchases may very well be the largest overall expensive. In an effort to help vacationers budget food expenses (and guarantee most of your dining dollars go right back into Disney’s pocket), Disney offers several pre-paid Dining Plans to guests staying at Disney-owned resorts. If you are staying “off-site,” at one of the Downtown Disney hotels, at the Swan, Dolphin, or Shades of Green, or any other resort/hotel/motel/tent/etc., you will not be eligible to purchase the Dining Plan. You must be staying at a Disney Value, Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa that qualifies. In addition, the Disney Dining Plan must be purchased as part of a package that includes at least a One Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket for everyone on the reservation or you must be an Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club owner or renter, or add a Dining Plan as part of a land/sea cruise package.
Furthermore, everyone on the same reservation must purchase the same Dining Plan for the entire length of the stay. For example, it’s not possible to book a room for four adults and purchase a Dining Plan for less than four people or purchase different Dining Plans for each person. The Dining Plans can be added to your package up to 72 hours before your check-in date, so you have some time to consider your options, even after you make an initial reservation. There is no benefit to adding the Dining Plan when you book your package, other than it will save you a phone call sometime in the future. There is no discount for paying for it early and you don’t run the risk of them selling out of Dining Plans. It’s also much easier to add the Dining Plan than it is to remove it and you don’t run the risk of any fees or charges for removing the Dining Plan too close to your check-in date. Once you qualify for the Dining Plans, you can begin to figure out if one of them “makes sense,” both in terms of potential savings and convenience.
There are three common Disney Dining Plan “tiers” available. A Premium and Platinum Dining Plan are also available, but they include a lot of other recreational activities, spa treatments, and other goodies and those will have to wait for a different article. They also cost $179 per adult per night for the Premium Plan and $239 per adult per night for the Platinum Plan. This article will take a look at the Quick Service Dining Plan, “Regular” Dining Plan, and Deluxe Dining Plan.
How Much Do The Dining Plans Cost for the Rest of 2012?
Quick Service Dining Plan
- Adults: (Ages 10+) $34.99 per night
- Children (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per night
“Regular” Dining Plan
- Adults (Ages 10+): $51.54 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $53.54 per night (Peak Season)
- Children (Ages 3-9): $15.02 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $16.02 per night (Peak Season)
Deluxe Dining Plan
- Adults (Ages 10+): $85.52 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $89.52 per night (Peak Season)
- Children (Ages 3-9): $23.79 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $25.79 per night (Peak Season)
How Much Do The Dining Plans Cost in 2013?
Quick Service Dining Plan
- Adults: (Ages 10+) $37.59 per night
- Children (Ages 3-9): $14.32 per night
“Regular” Dining Plan
- Adults (Ages 10+): $55.59 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $56.94 per night (Peak Season)
- Children (Ages 3-9): $17.16 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $18.16 per night (Peak Season)
Deluxe Dining Plan
- Adults (Ages 10+): $99.97 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $102.27 per night (Peak Season)
- Children (Ages 3-9): $26.84 per night (Value/Regular Seasons) or $28.91 per night (Peak Season)
Peak Season for the Dining Plan is different than Peak Season at the resorts. In 2012, the following dates have Peak Season pricing: February 16 – February 25; March 9 – April 14; June 1 – August 4; December 21 – December 31. Peak Season pricing in 2013 is not yet available
For all Dining Plans, kids age two and younger do not qualify. They can either eat some of someone else’s food, you can purchase a separate item from the menu for them (and pay for it separately), or you can bring food for them to eat.
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