Dining plan

LILO1989

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
we are just currently in planning stage for August 2019. We have never done the dining plan and just wondered how it works. Do you get a book of vouchers and once there gone that’s it or do you get an allowance per sitting per day.
 
They are connected to your Magic Band. You have so many that can be used over the length of your stay, they may vary by type (quick service & table service) depending on which plan you choose. Yes table service meals can be used for quick service but it is not usually a good value, and the same is not true in reverse (you cannot use quick service for table service) the number you receive is based on the number of nights in your stay but they can be spread and combined however you like.
 
Thankyou, we’ve just paid as we go along normally but thought might work out cheaper to do the plan. I wasn’t sure if you had a limit of how much you could spend per meal each person per day and be worried about going over.
 
No you get so many of each meal type CS (counter service also known as quick service) And TS (table service). As well as so many snack credits. At CS/QS restaurants it will be very easy to tell which items are on the plan as they will have a symbol next to them. At table service restaurants it’s can be a bit trickier but for the most part it is an appetizer, pretty much any entree listed and a dessert as well as a drink (alcoholic or otherwise) If there is an upcharge (say you want to add a lobster tail to your steak) you would pay OOP (out of pocket) only for the up-charge. Servers will be very helpful in letting you know if something isn’t included in your DDP ahead of time.
 


The other thing to keep track of is that some TS restaurants are 2 TS credits per person, this includes almost all the Signature restaurants.
 
Just back from our umpteenth visit on the DDP. We stayed at SSR and had the full Dining Plan rather than the QS one. We got one QS, 1 TS and 2 snacks per day. QS is an entree and a drink from a fast food restaurant, TS is an entree and a dessert (no appetiser although there are places that will let you sub a cheese platter for the dessert) and a drink (including this year for the first time alcoholic beverages) in a table service restaurant. Some Signature restaurants need 2 TS credits (California Grill, Yachtsman's, etc). Snacks are easily identified by the DDP sign beside them on the menu but CMs will be very helpful. Snacks include non alcoholic beverages and hot tea/coffee etc. Whilst we manage to work our way through our QS and TS allocation we have to work really hard to eat all the snacks! Appetisers are only included on the Deluxe Dining Plan. Next trip booked for New Year!

Mrs TT
 
If they are 2 ts and you did 6 of them over 2 weeks that would be your full allowance for a 2 weeks holiday almost. I was worried about how much per meal you could spend but if it has a symbol what you can pick from it would be a lot simpler to understand.
You just pay with your band then. Just trying to get my head around it all as it would work out cheaper for when we arrive. We hope anyway
 


Does the regular Disney dinning plan not include a starter at table service restaurants ?

No. If you want a starter you have to pay OOP although as I said some restaurants will let you have the cheese board instead of a dessert.

Mrs TT
 
If they are 2 ts and you did 6 of them over 2 weeks that would be your full allowance for a 2 weeks holiday almost. I was worried about how much per meal you could spend but if it has a symbol what you can pick from it would be a lot simpler to understand.
You just pay with your band then. Just trying to get my head around it all as it would work out cheaper for when we arrive. We hope anyway

Servers will keep you informed but you can choose any entree and dessert from the menu. There are DDP symbols are against items that can be used as snack credits in QS restaurants and hotel/park shops. Tips are not included in the DDP so you will have these to pay for when dining at TS restaurants.

Mrs TT
 
No. If you want a starter you have to pay OOP although as I said some restaurants will let you have the cheese board instead of a dessert.

Mrs TT

Is this a new thing. I thought u used to get three course meals with table service ?

Can u swap desert for starter ?
 
Is this a new thing. I thought u used to get three course meals with table service ?

Can u swap desert for starter ?

We've been doing DDP since 2012 and I don't remember getting a three course meal but know that you do with the Deluxe plan.

You can't swap dessert for a starter.

Mrs TT
 
Best thing to do is go find the Disney Food Blog Youtube video on DDP. AJ is very clear on what the deal is and what you do and don't get!
 
Is this a new thing. I thought u used to get three course meals with table service ?

So many moons ago you used to - back in 2007 you definitely did as this was my only time using the non-quick service option. Since they've gone dessert only I haven't bothered with it as I would much rather a starter if anything. I stick with the QS for this very reason. Just wish they would add an upgrade option where you could pay on top to change a QS into a TS as one or two a trip would be nice but as is I find the QS is enough food
 
So many moons ago you used to - back in 2007 you definitely did as this was my only time using the non-quick service option. Since they've gone dessert only I haven't bothered with it as I would much rather a starter if anything. I stick with the QS for this very reason. Just wish they would add an upgrade option where you could pay on top to change a QS into a TS as one or two a trip would be nice but as is I find the QS is enough food

Yeah would be

Well we booked two weeks at animal kingdom lodge next November and I thought it was three course meals but oh well
 
I don’t think we will add it on because 1500 for a family of 4 is a lot more then we would possibly spend and if you only get the main meal it doesn’t seem worth it.
 
The only way it is worth it is if you manage to book with a tour operator that has the QS plan free for staying at a Moderate or Deluxe resort and then pay extra to upgrade it to the DP. To do this however you have to book early (before the end of October) for a holiday in the following year. We did it this year and it was well worth paying the extra to upgrade as what we "spent" on meals was far greater than what we actually paid for the upgrade from QS to DP. I can confirm that with the DP you only get an entrée and a dessert together with a beverage (which may be alcoholic - beer or wine etc.) for a TS credit.

The way that it works is simple - your account (Magic Band) is credited with the total number of Snacks, QS and TS meals for your whole party for your whole stay and then you can use these however and whenever you want until they have all been used up. For the two of us staying at POFQ or 21 nights we started out with 84 Snacks, 42 QS meals and 42 TS meals available on day 1. Every time that we used a credit for something we received a receipt which showed us what we had used and how many were left.

There are no limits on how much that you can spend - for example the character meals at Crystal Palace, Cape Mays, Garden Grill etc. and the dinner/show packages for Fantasmic and Rivers of Light are all one TS credit/person (unless you choose to eat at a signature restaurant such as The Brown Derby which will use two TS credits/person). Be Our Guest (dinners) and Cinderella's Royal Table (all meals) are two TS credits.
 
The only way it is worth it is if you manage to book with a tour operator that has the QS plan free for staying at a Moderate or Deluxe resort and then pay extra to upgrade it to the DP. To do this however you have to book early (before the end of October) for a holiday in the following year. We did it this year and it was well worth paying the extra to upgrade as what we "spent" on meals was far greater than what we actually paid for the upgrade from QS to DP. I can confirm that with the DP you only get an entrée and a dessert together with a beverage (which may be alcoholic - beer or wine etc.) for a TS credit.

The way that it works is simple - your account (Magic Band) is credited with the total number of Snacks, QS and TS meals for your whole party for your whole stay and then you can use these however and whenever you want until they have all been used up. For the two of us staying at POFQ or 21 nights we started out with 84 Snacks, 42 QS meals and 42 TS meals available on day 1. Every time that we used a credit for something we received a receipt which showed us what we had used and how many were left.

There are no limits on how much that you can spend - for example the character meals at Crystal Palace, Cape Mays, Garden Grill etc. and the dinner/show packages for Fantasmic and Rivers of Light are all one TS credit/person (unless you choose to eat at a signature restaurant such as The Brown Derby which will use two TS credits/person). Be Our Guest (dinners) and Cinderella's Royal Table (all meals) are two TS credits.

Thankyou, a lot easier to understand now.
 
I think Disney is offering free dining for all 2019 bookings from the uk made before 6th November. At zero cost, in my opinion it is a no brainer, and if food is a big part of your holiday it adds another exciting aspect to planning your holiday.
 

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