How To Use The Disney Deluxe Dining Plan (Pros And Cons!)
What Is The Deluxe Dining Plan?
What Is Included On Disney’s Deluxe Dining Plan?
What Items Are Included On The Deluxe Dining Plan?
What’s in a Quick Service credit?
A Quick Service credit on the Disney Deluxe Dining plan includes an entrée, or a complete combo meal, and a drink from a Quick Service restaurant. You can use these meal credits for Breakfast, lunch or dinner. The entrée may be something like a burger with fries; a sandwich with salad or a curry with rice, for example.
What’s in a Table Service Credit?
What drink options are available?
There are 2 main drink options available for both Quick and Table service dining:
- Each diner can choose from the fountain drinks (and milk) as well as from any speciality drinks that are offered at that restaurant (e.g. shakes, smoothies etc). Not every restaurant has the same options with regards to speciality drinks, to it pays to check the menus in advance.
- Diners over 21 could choose, instead, to have a single-serving of beer, wine or a cocktail/mixed drink. Again, the menus vary for cocktails, so check in advance if there’s something you particularly like or want to try. Don’t forget your ID if you’re ordering alcohol!
What Are Snacks On The Deluxe Disney Dining Plan?
2020 Disney Dining Plan Deluxe Credit Values
Using Table Service Credits
- A Dining experience at one of Disney’s finest, Signature restaurants
- A Disney Dinner show (category 2 or 3 seating at any show, or category 1 seating for the last show of the evening of Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
- 1 Cinderella’s Royal Table Experience
- 1 Dinner at Be Our Guest
- 1 In-room Private Dining meal at Deluxe Resorts
- 1 In-room Pizza delivery at Deluxe Resorts and Coronado Springs
How Do I Tell If The Deluxe Dining Plan Is Right For Me?
Firstly, as we’ve indicated above, the deluxe dining plan is a LOT of food. But, to be honest, depending on our party size, who’s in our party and the time of year we’re travelling, there are times when this would have been just perfect!!
Download our Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Calculator by clicking on the link below; there are more detailed instructions as well as a completed example for a 3-day plan. In order for the calculator to work correctly for you, fill out, in the grey boxes, exact prices for where you want to eat, as reflected on the Disney website!
Choose what you would normally order; don’t over or under shoot or your results won’t give you an accurate guide. Fill out every box in order to get an accurate depiction. You can even use the sample for inspiration!
Filling out the deluxe Dining plan calculator fully, and to the best of your ability, is the only way to get a good look and see if the plan will be worth it for you! Yes, it takes a little time, but think of all the money you will save if it doesn’t work out for you or all the money you WILL save if it ends up working out in your favor!
Don’t forget to add the cost of your drink, too – if you know there’s a cocktail you’d love to try, you can really notice the difference the deluxe dining plan can make here!
What Are The Best Snack Credits On The Deluxe Plan?
There are so many snacks: too many to list all the possibilities. However, others have created this spreadsheet of snacks, which is a great source of information on snack credits.
Children And The Deluxe Disney Dining Plan
How To Keep Track Of Deluxe Credits
Every time you purchase a meal or a snack, you will get a receipt from the till. At the bottom of the receipt, you’ll see how many credits you have left. You can also keep track via My Disney Experience. If you prefer, any Guest Services location or the concierge in your resort will be able to check and let you know.
Pros Of The Deluxe Dining plan
There’s plenty of food – you may get the credits per night, but we’re pretty sure you’ll be able to eat on the day you check in and the day you check out, too. This could be great value if you’re able to plan to arrive early and leave later – making the very most of all of the credits you have!
You can do all the Character dining you want; there were times visiting with kids when we could have had a character breakfast and they’d be happy for another character meal in the evening, too! The Disney Deluxe dining plan gives you the Table Service credits to do this, without worrying about how much it will cost you!
Once you’ve paid for the Deluxe Dining plan, you’re unlikely to need to pay out of pocket for any food during your vacation, so your budgeting is easier.
The all-inclusive feel you will get on Disney’s deluxe dining plan is unlike any other dining plan.
You may feel your vacation is at a more relaxed pace because you’re taking time out to sit and enjoy your food, more than once a day.
If you feel you wouldn’t justify the expense to yourself to try a Signature restaurant, the Deluxe dining plan gives you the chance to do just that.
If you plan, it can save you money. If you like to drink speciality drinks with your meals, it can save you a LOT of money.
Cons of the Deluxe Dining plan
You will get a lot of food. You may feel too full to make the most of your credits.
Table service dining is more time consuming and you may feel like you’re spending more time dining than you are enjoying the parks.
Your kids may get bored in table service restaurants, which doesn’t give you a relaxing dining experience.
You may end up wasting credits, which is a waste of money.
In order to make sure you use your credits wisely and to make the deluxe dining plan good value for your money, you will need to plan; that kind of level of holiday organization may not be your idea of fun!
Spontaneity becomes harder as you need to cancel ADRs 24 hours ahead to avoid a penalty charge.
If you have no alternative but to arrive late at night and getting an early flight on check out day, it’s going to be hard for you to use your credits.
How To Use The Quick Service Dining Plan (Pros And Cons!)