2025 Disney Dining Plan at Walt Disney World | Full Guide & FAQs

The Disney Dining Plan is one of the most popular guest offerings when visiting Walt Disney World, and it’s back again in 2025!  What is the Disney Dining Plan and is it worth it?

In this post, we will go over everything you need to know about the Disney Dining Plan and how to make the most of it. Paying for your meals ahead of time is certainly not for everyone, but it can be an extremely convenient way to budget for your trip and it makes everything much easier.

(Update) – As you may know, the Disney Dining Plan was not available for 4 years, but now it has finally returned to Walt Disney World as part of the 2025 vacation packages. Disney has also increased the prices for 2025 Dining Plan packages.

With this latest info, we will discuss everything we know about the 2025 Disney Dining Plans, plan types, what’s included in each of them, as well as prices.

We’ll break down the latest and what it means for guests moving forward.

We’ll also discuss what changes Disney has made to the Dining Plan when it returns such as price increases, if it could be a better value, and overall modifications to the way the plans work, and more.

It doesn’t matter if you are eating at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or one of the Disney resort hotel restaurants, dining is one of the absolute highlights of any trip to Walt Disney World and many people want to use the Disney Dining Plan as soon as possible.

So what is it all about? Let’s find out.

Before we get started, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates about the Disney Dining Plan at Disney World as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

(NEWS) 2025 Disney Dining Plan Price Increases

Now that you can officially start booking 2025 Walt Disney World vacations, people have starting planning out their budgets and trips for next year. Prices for tickets and hotel rooms are out, as well as the Dining Plan to go along with your package.

As you can imagine, prices for everything has increased, and here are the 2025 Disney Dining Plan prices.

2025 Standard Dining Plan:

• Adults – $97.70 per person, per night (an increase of $3.42 from the 2024 price of $94.28)
• Children (Ages 3-9) – $30.78 per person, per night (an increase of $1.09 from the 2024 price of $29.69)

2025 Quick Service Dining Plan:

• Adults – $59.14 per person, per night (an increase of $2.13 from the 2024 price of $57.01)
• Children (Ages 3-9) – $24.70 per person, per night (an increase of $0.87 from the 2024 price of $23.83)

Overall, it’s a 3.5% jump for 2025 prices compared to 2024, and that’s pretty much to be expected at this point. Ticket prices and hotel prices went up in 2025, so I can’t say I’m surprised the Dining Plan would too.

Most likely, the value for the Dining Plan is no different. If you liked it before, the small increase will go along with normal food price increases and if you didn’t like it before, this won’t change your mind to all of a sudden get it.

Just like in 2024, the 2025 Disney Dining Plan is only available as part of a Walt Disney World vacation package which includes a hotel room and park tickets.

Disney Dining Plan in 2025

Disney Dining Plans are now available for purchase to guests staying in a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel who purchase a vacation package.

Purchasing a Vacation Package with the Dining Plan is an attractive way for families to be able to properly budget for a trip, knowing that the bulk of their meal costs are already taken care of for them.

Bookings for the 2025 Disney Dining Plan opened up starting May 31, 2023.

The first question on people’s minds is: “What is included in this new Disney Dining Plan?”

Here is a quick look at each tier of the 2025 Disney Dining Plan and what’s included:

Quick Service Disney Dining Plan

• 2 Counter Service Meals (per guest, per night)
• 1 Snack (per guest, per night)
• 1 Refillable Drink Mug (per guest, per stay)

Standard Disney Dining Plan

• 1 Counter Service Meal (per guest, per night)
• 1 Table Service Meal (per guest, per night)
• 1 Snack (per guest, per night)
• 1 Refillable Drink Mug (per guest, per stay)

Just as before, if one member of your party wants to purchase the Disney Dining Plan, all guests in your party ages 3 and up are also required to purchase the Disney Dining Plan. It can’t just be one or two people from the group.

At this point, both the Disney Dining Plan Plus and the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan are NOT returning to Walt Disney World in 2025. This could always change with a future announcement, but at this point, it seems like they are either permanently, or at the very least temporarily retired.

Other important information is that the regular Disney Dining Plan includes character dining and buffets still for only 1 dining credit per person, per meal. We thought this would have either gone away or increased, so it’s nice to see some of the more “value” options on the Dining Plan are still around.

It has also been confirmed that signature restaurants will still cost 2 dining credits each, per person, and dinner shows will also cost 2 credits, such as the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.

Stay tuned for more info soon as we’ll be updating you as soon as Disney announces anything new, and keep reading for more detailed info on the Disney Dining Plan in general.

In the meantime, if you need help booking your 2025 Disney World vacation including the Disney Dining Plan, your best option is to contact an Authorized Disney Travel Agent such as Show You the World Travel. They are our preferred Disney vacation planners and make the entire process 100x easier.

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

So before we talk about the prices and if it’s worth it, let’s start with some of the basics of what exactly the Disney Dining Plan is, and how it normally works.

If you aren’t familiar with the Disney Dining Plan, it is a optional service that guests staying at any Walt Disney World Resort Hotel can add to their vacation package that allows them to pay ahead for their meals throughout the trip.

Guests pay per person, per night of their stay, and are then given an allotment of dining credits they can spend throughout the vacation on food and drinks. 

Credits are broken down into three categories: sit-down meals, counter-service meals, and snacks.  Each category of meal requires you to “spend” a certain number of credits in order to order that food.

The biggest reason to use the Dining Plan is that it makes getting food in Walt Disney World much easier than paying out of pocket. You pay for your meals upfront, and then just scan your MagicBand or MagicBand+ every time you want something to eat. 

You can walk around and not have to worry one bit about spending money on food during your trip because it’s already been taken care of.  This gives people peace of mind on an otherwise stressful vacation.

Even though we usually don’t recommend getting the Dining Plan, we are aware, however, that many people love using it for its convenience.  And ever since it disappeared, guests have been clamoring for the dining plan to return.

2025 Disney Dining Plan Prices

Here are the latest prices for the U.S. 2025 Disney Dining Plan (per person, per night)

2025 Disney Quick Service Dining Plan

• Adults: $59.14
• Children: $ 24.70 (ages 3 to 9)

Includes for each guest, for each night of your stay:

• 2 Quick Service Meals
• 1 non-Alcoholic or Alcoholic Drink per meal
• 1 selected Snack or Drink
• Resort Refillable Drink Mug

2025 Disney Dining Plan

• Adults: $97.70
• Children: $ 30.78 (ages 3 to 9)

Includes for each guest, for each night of your stay:

• 1 Table Service Meal
• 1 Quick Service Meal
• 1 non-Alcoholic or Alcoholic Drink per meal
• 1 selected Snack or Drink
• Resort Refillable Drink Mug

Here are the latest prices for the U.K. 2025 Disney Dining Plan (per person, per night). The same features are included as in the U.S. Dining Plans.

2025 U.K. Quick Service Disney Dining Plan

• Adults: £47.99
• Children: £19.99 (ages 3 to 9)

2025 U.K. Disney Dining Plan

• Adults: £77.99
• Children: £24.99 (ages 3 to 9)

What Are Dining Credits?

For those unfamiliar with the dining plan, rather than paying out of pocket for your food or drink options, you’ll pay in terms of “credits.” These credits are dependent on two main criteria: the number of nights you have booked for your trip and the type of dining plan you purchase.

First, let’s talk about the amount of days. If you choose to purchase the dining plan you HAVE to purchase the dining plan for the entire length of your reservation. So if you’re staying 6 nights (For instance Saturday – Friday), you’ll have to purchase the dining plan the entire 6 nights.

There’s no choosing to get it only for a few of the days of your reservation. It’s also important to know that it’s NOT based on the amount of days you’re there. It’s based on the nights only. The literal number of nights you’re sleeping in a Disney Resort Hotel.

The amount of credits you’ll receive will be based on those nights. You’ll have to use those credits by the end of your stay. For instance, if you are staying 6 nights and you receive 6 dining credits, you’ll need to use them prior to your leaving. They can be split up anyway you want.

You can choose to use 3 on one day or you can choose to use 1 each day for all the days you’re staying. It doesn’t matter as long as they get used prior to your departure.

The second criteria when it comes to your credits is the type of dining plan you purchase. Since there are two different dining plans, the quick-service option and the regular option your credits will be dependent on which plan you purchase. We will get more into that in a minute…

What Are the New Disney Dining Plans Like?

Now that the Disney Dining Plan has returned to Walt Disney World, there are 2 different plan options available for guests to choose from:

• Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
• Disney Dining Plan (Standard version)

Let’s look at these plans one by one and compare the features and highlights of each one:

Disney Quick Service Dining Plan

The prices and features of this plan are based on a per-guest, per-night basis.

• Prices:
  • Adult – $59.14
  • Child – $24.70

• Two Quick Service meals per guest (1 Entrée or combo meal and 1 non-alcoholic beverage) for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.
• Guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages — i.e. Artisanal Milk Shakes,  Fresh Smoothies, Premium Hot Chocolates, or Soda, Coffee, or Tea — where offered). Guests 21 and older can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single-serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) within their meal entitlement.
• One Snack per day
• One Resort Refillable Drink Mug per person, per package
• Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during the stay.

Standard Disney Dining Plan

The prices and features of this plan are based on a per-guest, per-night basis.

• Prices:
  • Adult – $97.70
  • Child – $30.78

• One table service meal per guest (entrée and dessert or buffet)
• One quick service meal per guest (entrée OR combo meal)
• Guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage with their Quick Service and Table Service meal (including specialty beverages — i.e. Artisanal Milk Shakes,  Fresh Smoothies, Premium Hot Chocolates, or Soda, Coffee, or Tea — where offered). Guests 21 and older can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single-serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) within their meal entitlement.
• One snack per day
• One Resort refillable drink mug per person, per package
• Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during the stay.

Dining Plan Examples

Remember, the number of meals and snacks you get on the Disney Dining Plan is based on the number of nights included in your Disney World vacation package. These can be redeemed at any time during your stay until the number associated with your package has been depleted.

For example, if you purchase the standard Dining Plan as part of a 5-night package, each member in your party will receive 5 Quick Service Meals, 5 Table Service Meals, and 5 Snacks or Non-Alcoholic Beverages. These can be used in any order, at any time during your 5-night stay.

If you purchase the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan for a 4-night stay, each member of your party will receive 8 Quick Service Meals and 4 Snacks or non-Alcoholic Beverages that can be used at any time during your 4-night stay.

Other Important Info

Both the Quick Service Dining Plan and standard Disney Dining Plan must be purchased for the entire length of stay and for the entire party. So if you are staying for 5 nights, you have to purchase the plan for all 5 nights.

And if you have 4 people in your group (on the same resort reservation), all 4 guests must purchase that dining plan.

If you have children ages 3-9, they can’t order an adult-sized entree. They must order from a children’s menu where available.

Meals are also non-transferrable between party members. So that means, you can’t transfer all your points over to another member of your party if you aren’t going to use them.

Also, unused meals and snacks will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on the day of checkout. Use of your refillable drink mug also expires at midnight on the day of checkout.

Available Snacks

What is included as a Snack on the Disney Dining Plan? You will find that most quick service restaurants, snack carts, or kiosks will include eligible snacks on the Disney Dining Plan.

Examples of eligible snacks include:

• Frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, or fruit bar
• 2 scoops of hand-scooped ice cream
• Popcorn scoop (single-serving box)
• Piece of whole fruit
• Single-serve bag of snacks
• 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products, including Dasani® water
• 20-ounce fountain soft drink
• Single-serve coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, milk, or juice
• Cup of soup
• Add on toppings or sauces (e.g. a side of cheese dipping sauce)

What is NOT Included?

• Items that are more than a single-serving (ex. a box of donuts)
• Items served in a Souvenir Container (popcorn or drinks)
• Items considered to be merchandise (bottle toppers, glow cubes, and bottle straps)
• Special dining events offered at certain Table Service locations

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

All guests 10 years of age or older can choose one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) with their meal.

Single-serving Non-Alcoholic Beverages on the Dining Plan include:

• Milkshakes
• Fresh Smoothies
• Premium Hot Chocolate
• Soda, Coffee, or Tea

Alcoholic Beverages

All guests 21 years of age or more can choose between a non-alcoholic beverage and one single-serving alcoholic beverage (where offered) as part of their meal.

Single-serving Alcoholic Beverages on the Disney Dining Plan include:

• Beer or Cider
• Wine or Sangria
• Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails

List of Participating Restaurants

Here is a full list of the participating restaurants for the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan and the Regular Disney Dining Plan in 2025. We will break these down into restaurants that require 1 Dining Credit on the Dining Plan, 2 Dining Credits on the Dining Plan, and ones that are Quick Service only.

Table Service Restaurants (1 Dining Credit):

• ‘Ohana
• 50’s Prime Time Cafe
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Breakfast ONLY)
• Ale & Compass Restaurant
• Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
• Biergarten Restaurant
• Big River Grille & Brewing Works
• Boatwright’s Dining Hall
• Boma – Flavors of Africa
• Cape May Cafe
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
• Chef Mickey’s
• City Works Eatery & Pour House
• Coral Reef Restaurant
• Enzo’s Hideaway
• Garden Grill Restaurant
• Geyser Point Bar & Grill
• Grand Floridian Cafe
• Hollywood & Vine
• House of Blues Restaurant & Bar
• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
• Kona Cafe
• La Hacienda de San Angel
• Liberty Tree Tavern
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
• Mario & Enzo’s Ristorante
• Maya Grill
• Nine Dragons Restaurant
• Olivia’s Cafe
• Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas
• Planet Hollywood
• Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
• Rainforest Cafe
• Rainforest Cafe
• Rix Sports Bar & Grill
• Rose & Crown Dining Room
• Roundup Rodeo BBQ
• San Angel Inn Restaurante
• Sanaa
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
• Sebastian’s Bistro
• Spice Road Table
• Splitsville Dining Room
• Steakhouse 71
• T-REX
• Teppan Edo
• Teralina Crafted Italian
• The Crystal Palace
• The Diamond Horseshoe
• The Edison
• The Plaza Restaurant
• The Turf Club Bar and Grill
• Three Bridges Bar & Grill
• Tokyo Dining
• Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood
• Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
• Trattoria al Forno
• Tusker House Restaurant
• Tutto Italia Ristorante
• Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
• Whispering Canyon Cafe
• Yak & Yeti Restaurant

Table Service Restaurants (2 Dining Credits):

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Lunch and Dinner)
• Be Our Guest Restaurant 
• Cinderella’s Royal Table 
• Citricos
• Flying Fish
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
• Jaleo by Jose Andres
• Jiko – The Cooking Place
• Le Cellier Steakhouse
• Morimoto Asia
• Narcoosee’s
• Paddlefish
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
• The BOATHOUSE
• The Hollywood Brown Derby
• Tiffins Restaurant
• Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
• Yachtsman Steakhouse

Quick Service Restaurants:

• 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck
• ABC Commissary
• Amorette’s Patisserie
• Avalunch
• B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.
• Backlot Express
• Backstretch Pool Bar
• Barcelona Lounge
• Beach Club Marketplace
• Beaches Pool Bar & Grill
• Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza
• BoardWalk Deli
• Cafe Rix
• Capt. Cook’s
• Casey’s Corner
• Catalina Eddie’s
• Centertown Market Grab & Go
• Chicken Guy!
• Columbia Harbour House
• Connections Cafe
• Connections Eatery
• Contempo Cafe
• Cookes of Dublin
• Cooling Hut
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
• Courtyard Pool Bar
• Cove Bar
• Creature Comforts
• D-Luxe Burger
• Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
• Dockside Diner
• Earl of Sandwich
• El Mercado de Coronado
• End Zone Food Court
• Everything POP Shopping & Dining
• Fairfax Fare
• Fife & Drum Tavern
• Flame Tree Barbecue
• Gasparilla Island Grill
• Gaston’s Tavern
• Golden Oak Outpost
• Good’s Food to Go
• Grandstand Spirits
• Harambe Market
• Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill
• Intermission Food Court
• Katsura Grill
• Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
• La Cantina de San Angel
• Landscape of Flavors
• Leaning Palms
• Leaping Horse Libations
• Liberty Square Market
• Local Green Orlando Food Truck
• Lottawatta Lodge
• Lotus Blossom Cafe
• Lowtide Lou’s
• Main Street Bakery
• Maji Pool Bar
• Mardi Grogs
• Marketplace Snacks
• Meadow Snack Bar
• Morimoto Asia Street Food
• Oasis Bar & Grill
• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
• Pepe by Jose Andres
• Petals Pool Bar
• Pinocchio Village Haus
• Pizza Ponte
• Pizza Window
• Pizzafari
• PizzeRizzo
• Refreshment Outpost
• Refreshment Port
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse
• Restaurantosaurus
• Roaring Fork
• Ronto Roasters
• Rosie’s All-American Cafe
• Sanaa Lounge
• Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory
• Satu’li Canteen
• Siesta Cantina
• Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar
• Singing Spirits Pool Bar
• Sleepy Hollow
• Snack Shack
• Sommerfest
• Spyglass Grill
• Sunshine Seasons
• Surf Doggies
• Swirls on the Water
• Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina
• The Artist’s Palette
• The Chuck Wagon
• The Daily Poutine
• The Drop Off Pool Bar
• The Friar’s Nook
• The Lunching Pad
• The Mara
• The Market at Ale & Compass
• The Paddock Grill
• The Polite Pig
• The Sand Bar
• The Smokehouse at House of Blues
• The Trolley Car Cafe
• Tortuga Tavern
• Trail’s End Restaurant
• Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks
• Typhoon Tilly’s
• Warming Hut
• Woody’s Lunch Box
• World Premiere Food Court
• Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe
• YeSake Kiosk
• Yorkshire County Fish Shop

Differences Between Disney Dining Plan and Quick Service Dining Plan

As we’ve talked about there are two different Disney Dining Plans, the Standard Dining Plan and the Quick Service Dining Plan. But what are the differences?

In short, the Quick Service Dining Plan is ONLY to be used at the quick-service locations we mentioned above. This means no table-service style restaurants at all for the duration of your trip. That’s not to say the quick-service options are bad, because some of them are fantastic!

But if you were hoping to have some nice table-service sit-downs style dinners, this is off the table when purchasing the Quick Service Dining Plan. Of course, you can always pay out of pocket for a table-service meal if you’d like.

Both plans do include beverages at each meal, including soda and shakes for the kiddos or even beer, wine, and cocktail for adults.

On the Standard Dining Plan, you’ll receive:

• 1 Quick-Service Meal for each night of you’re stay
• 1 Table-Service Meal for each night of you’re stay
• 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic for each night of you’re stay
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

Remember these can be spread out over the course of your entire trip. So if you’re staying 6 nights, you’ll receive 6 quick-service meals per person, 6 table-service meals per person, and 6 snacks per person. Use them however you’d like each day.

On the Quick-Service Dining Plan, you’ll receive:

• 2 Quick-Service Meals for each night of you’re stay
• 1 Snack/Nonalocholic drink for each night of you’re stay
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

The Quick-Service Plan can be a solid option for more budget-conscious travelers who don’t need costlier sit-down meals and would prefer to spend their times in the parks without wasting 1-2 hours for a sit-down meal.

Special Dining Experiences to Redeem Table Service Meals

Besides regular table service meals, the credits you receive with the Standard Disney Dining Plan can also be used for special dining experiences such as Signature Dining Restaurants, Character Meals, Dinner Shows, Pizza Pickup, and Private In-Room Dining.

Signature Dining Restaurants

When you use your dining credits at a Fine/Signature Dining Restaurant, there are a couple of things you need to know:

• Signature Dining Restaurants Require 2 Table Service Dining Credits per person.
• Each meal includes 1 Entree, 1 Non-Alcoholic Drink or 1 Alcoholic Drink for guests 21 years of age and older, and 1 Dessert.
• Upscale attire is required. Clothing should be clean, neat, and in good condition. No swimwear.

Character Dining

Most character meals at Walt Disney World only require 1 Table Service dining credit each. However, the following character service meals require 2 dining credits per person:

• Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (at lunch and dinner only)
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

Merchandise or photo imaging products that may be offered for sale at Character dining experiences are not included. Gratuities are not included unless otherwise noted.

Dinner Shows

At dinner shows you can enjoy family-style dining with live entertainment at a themed restaurant. Dinner shows require 2 Table Service dining credits per person and require advance dining reservations.

The most popular dinner show at Walt Disney World is the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, and we highly suggest going if you have never been before.

Private In-Room Dining

If you are staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, you can enjoy a convenient meal right from the comfort of your room.

Each private in-room dining meal on the Disney Dining Plan includes:

• 1 Entrée
• 1 Dessert (lunch and dinner)
• 1 Non-Alcoholic Beverage (or Alcoholic Beverage, for Guests 21 and older)

Pizza Pickup

Throughout Walt Disney World there are various quick service dining locations where you can get an entire family-size pizza. Each pizza meal is 2 dining credits and includes:

• 1 Large Pizza
• 2 Single-serving Nonalcoholic Beverages (or Alcoholic Beverages, for Guests 21 and older)

Locations, where you can get a Pizza Pickup Meal, include:

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

Did the Price Increase?

If there is one thing that is sure in this world, it’s that Disney will increase prices on its various offerings on a regular basis, and the Disney Dining Plan is getting a very hefty price increase now that it’s back in 2025.

2025 Quick Service Disney Dining Plan Price Increases:

• 2025 Adult Price: $59.14
• 2024 Adult Price: $57.01
• 2025 Child Price: $24.70
• 2024 Child Price: $23.83

2025 Standard Disney Dining Plan Price Increases:

• 2025 Adult Price: $97.70
• 2024 Adult Price: $94.28
• 2025 Child Price: $30.78
• 2024 Child Price: $29.69

The price increase on the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan is minimal. Only a $2 increase per night for adults is definitely fair considering we are comparing the latest prices with old prices from 4 years ago.

On the other hand, the regular Disney Dining Plan went up in price more than $3 and now costs $97.70 per night for adults, compared to $94.28. If you have 4 adults in your family and are taking a 7-night Disney World vacation, that comes out to an increase of $95.76!

We knew the price would go up in 2025, we just didn’t know it would be this much!

The price for children hasn’t increased that much since 2024 from $23.83 to $24.70 on the QS DDP and from $29.69 to $30.78 for the standard DDP. So if you have children under 9, these plans would apply.

Of course, we know price increases happen on an annual basis, some years more than others. We can estimate how much it will go up by each year by looking at previous DDP price increases. 

Over the years the DDP has had increases on an almost yearly basis, and the last one from 2019 to 2020 saw an increase of almost $3 per guest per day across all plan types.

Secondly, the prices have increased for just about everything since the parks reopened.  Annual passes are more expensive than before costing as much as 15% more, plus without some of the previous perks. Regular theme park tickets increase on average every year between $3-5 per day, per guest.

Perhaps most scary of all is the hard-ticketed events such as the Halloween and Christmas parties increasing by almost $100 per person!

On top of all of this, the economy isn’t making things any easier and inflation has risen to the highest levels since the early 1980s.  The price of food has been hit incredibly hard with things like meat, poultry, fish, coffee, and eggs all skyrocketing over the last couple of years.  Of course, when this happens, it means higher prices for the consumer, and in this case theme park visitors.

Higher prices were already happening across the board the last time the Disney Dining Plan was offered, and they’ve reached astronomical numbers now.  In fact, over the last few months, we are already seeing Disney raise prices drastically on food and beverages throughout the parks.

It’s possible we could even see more price hikes across all menus at Walt Disney World later this year or next.

Just over the past few months, we’ve seen another big increase on hundreds of food, drinks, and snacks throughout Disney World including Mickey Pretzels, Dole Whip, Churros, Soda, Popcorn, Ice Cream Bars, Alcoholic Drinks, and even Refillable Mugs. 

That’s not all. Almost every item at table service restaurants has also gone up significantly in price in the last few months.

Since all these food and drinks have increased in price on the regular menus, it makes sense for Disney to increase the cost of the Dining Plans.  In order for it to be as profitable for Disney as it has always been, they need to offset the newly increased cost of food with higher prices for the DDP.

How much will the Disney Dining Plan go up in price next year?  Normal increases are $2-$3 on an annual basis, and that is the very minimum of what to expect next year.  In fact, the Quick Service DDP has gone up by $2 since last time, and the Regular DDP has increased by more than $3.

You also have to factor in that inflation has brought dramatic increases in prices throughout the country, and the world for that matter, and Disney continues to increase the price of the Disney Dining Plan to keep up with menu prices.

Even though Disney hasn’t increased restaurant and food prices for the guests as much as the ingredients themselves have increased, there are enough guests who aren’t really interested in maximizing the value of the food they are getting, they just want the convenience and won’t flinch at the increase.

How to Purchase a Disney Dining Plan

Purchasing a Disney Dining Plan, no matter which one you select, is EASY! You can do so in two different ways. If you’ve purchased your Disney World Vacation Package online, you can include it through the customized package upon checkout.

Or you can do it over the phone through a trusted authorized Disney Vacation Planner, such as Show You the World Travel. Don’t worry if you forget to add it, you can add it onto your package anytime up until the day before the start of your trip.

Redeeming your Disney Dining Plan Credits no matter which plan you have is also incredibly simple. You’ll simply present your Disney Resort ID (MagicBand, MagicMobile Pass, or Key to the World card) to the cashier or the waiter at the participating restaurant you want to use it at.

Most Disney Cast Members know exactly how the Dining Plan works and are more than qualified to assist you if you have any questions on how to use it. Often times you’ll just need to inform them if you’re planning on using a quick-service or a snack credit. Sometimes there can be a little bit of an overlap on certain items.

Use a snack credit if you’re just looking to grab one thing, essentially a snack. A quick-service credit entitles you to a drink and more of a full meal. If you’re at a restaurant with another family who also is on the dining plan, just notify them which meals should be redeemed for each party.

You’d never want to accidentally take certain meals from someone else, nor would you want someone else to take some of your meal credits. It’s very easy to keep track of your remaining meals and snacks through the My Disney Experience app. You’ll also be able to see on your recipes as well how many total meal credits you have left.

Remember, you can redeem your meals and snacks at any time and in any order you’d like until either the package has been completely depleted of meals. Make sure to use all of your meals prior to you leaving! It helps to plan ahead of time and keep track!

Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth It?

If I’m being completely honest, the short answer is normally no in most instances. However, to give such a blanket answer doesn’t necessary tell the whole story. There are very different types of people as to ‘what’ makes a great trip.

The Disney Dining Plan at one time was great value and it allowed people that knew what they were doing to make receiving it a cost-effective and budget-friendly way to give you’re family the ‘All-Inclusive’ feel of not having to worry significantly about money once you got to “The Most Magical Place on Earth.”

Sadly the value of the plan has diminished greatly as with all things as Disney has made it MUCH harder for guests to find value in the Dining Plan. If you’re looking at the Disney Dining Plan with a calculator and an excel spreadsheet 9/10 times it’s not going to save you money.

With that being said if you enjoy finding the value within the current parameters of the Disney Dining Plan, there’s still certain inherent value of purchasing it. Some of it is financial and some of it is mental.

What do I mean by that? Many guests visiting Disney World come for the simplicity of a trip and getting there without having the needless financial worries or concerns upon arrival. With the purchase of the Dining Plan, you can have it essentially paid for. And paying possibly a few more dollars in advance for those things allows you to budget your money separately once you arrive.

By NOT having the Dining Plan, you’ll likely have to set aside more money for your trip, meaning that you can get left with hefty credit card bills upon you’re arrival home, which certainly has a way of diminishing the remembrance of a great vacation.

While it sounds like I’m in favor of the Dining Plan, as I mentioned earlier I’m not. I’m simply giving you things to think about and consider. I’m a dollars and cents guy, and I personally enjoy having the freedom of not being limited or restricted by ‘set meals’ while paying more money for things that I don’t (Refillable mugs, Snack credits, etc).

The biggest thing I would recommend to you to do is to do a true cost analysis of your family and figure out whether it makes sense or not. If you’re not the type of people that drink alcoholic beverages regularly (which are NOW included in the Disney Dining Plans), I can already tell you that you will be getting poor value from the Dining Plan.

But it absolutely is worth it to check for your family. Just do a quick check. Go to the various different Disney websites and look at the menus of places you plan on going for the course of one day. Add up the costs of breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner for each member of the family. Write down a rough estimate of what it would cost your family to pay out of pocket for one day.

It doesn’t have to be ‘exact’ or perfect. But consider what it would cost. Then compare it to the costs of the different Disney Dining Plans. If it’s close, I’d strongly consider getting the Dining Plan to give you the peace of mind.

If the dining plan would be considerably more money, it’s absolutely best to skip it!

Cost Examples

While we encourage you to do you’re own cost analysis, here’s a quick way that you can do this with an example of both the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan and the standard Disney Dining Plan.

Keep in mind the cost is as follows:

Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan

• Adults: $59 per day
• Children (Ages 3-9): $24.70 per day

Disney Dining Plan

• Adults: $97 per day
• Children (Ages 3-9): $30.78 per day

Example 1

Let’s look at an example of you visiting Magic Kingdom for the day with the Quick-Service Dining Plan. You utilize your snack credit by having a nice DOLE Whip Cup from Aloha Isle, which would normally cost $6.99.

For your two quick service meals at Magic Kingdom you stop at Sleepy Hollow and get the Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich with a cup of Freshly Brewed Joffrey’s Coffee for breakfast. These would cost $9.49 and $4.29 each respectively.

For dinner you visit Pecos Bill Tale Inn and Cafe and you get the Nacho Bowl ($12.99) and an Assorted Fountain Beverage ($4.79).

So you paid $59 for the day for the Quick-Service Dining Plan. If you paid out of pocket for these, your total cost would be $38.55 plus tax. In this instance, you would have been FAR better paying out of pocket. But if you would have added an alcoholic beverage to both of your quick service meals, it would have been a lot closer in terms of value.

But unfortunately Magic Kingdom does NOT sell alcohol at the quick-service locations, making the quick-service dining plan generally bad value at Magic Kingdom.

You’d also get more value out of this plan if you used the refillable resort mug to get soda at the room. That could easily save you another $10-$15 per day.

Example 2

Let’s look at an example if you were to have the standard Disney Dining Plan instead of the Quick-Serivce Dining Plan. Since the cost for adults per day is $97, let’s see what the difference would be vs paying out of pocket.

In this example you visit EPCOT and you start your day by utilizing your snack credit at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie to get a pastry. You opt for the Chocolate Croissant, which would normally cost $6.75.

For lunch, you use your quick-service credits at Connections Eatery. You get the French Bistro Burger ($14.99) and get the seasonal Speciality Cocktail ($15.50).

For dinner, you visit the Coral Reef Restaurant and get the Grilled Mahi Mahi ($35). You also get the Chocolate Mousse dessert ($10). And because you truly want to get all your value, you utilize your drink on an alcoholic beverage and get the Smoked Turkey Cocktail ($17.50).

In this instance you’d have paid $99.74 plus tax out of pocket. The Disney Dining Plan would have cost you $97.70. You would come out even this time. Perhaps you come out ahead if you get a more expensive entree during your sit-down meal. You can see how valuable it is to add alcoholic beverages to truly get value from the dining plan.

Reasons to Get a Dining Plan

There’s a few major reasons it COULD be worth considering. Here are the main reasons it some people could benefit from the Dining Plan:

• Meat Eaters – If you’re going to opt for the more expensive things on the menu at most places (normally the beef dishes), you could make out OK. If you’re going to opt for the plant-based dishes or pasta dishes, you’re not going to truly get value.
  
• Big Eaters – Getting the Dining Plan is a LOT of food. Some visitors going to Disney don’t need two large meals (Table-Service Credit and Quick-Service credits) each day. Other guests need a lot of food to make up for the constant walking around the parks.
  
• Spreadsheet Savants – While it used to be MUCH easier to get great value with the Dining Plan, now it requires more tedious work. To get true value, you’re likely going to want to calculate things ahead of time and see which quick-service options and snacks truly get you the most bang for your buck.
  
• Willing to Sacrifice Few Dollars for Convenience – There’s no denying that there is a certain level of convenience to now having to worry about purchasing food items. Just simply notify the cashier or the waiter of your dining plan, and with a quick swipe of the MagicBand you simply use a credit.
  
• The Constant Worries – Disney is NOT cheap and having constant worries about what you’re members of the family are going to eat on the menu each night can be stressful. This could lead to less enjoyable meals and far more stress. The Dining Plan resolves a lot of these worries while not having to deal with the sticker shock of Disney menu prices.
  
• Drinkers – With alcoholic beverages now being included on the Dining Plan both for table-service and quick-service meals, there is FAR more value in using the Dining Plan if you enjoy having drinks each day. Using these credits for a $15 alcoholic drink is FAR better value than a $4 soda.
  
• Budgeting – Many families enjoy having their Disney trip paid off in full weeks or even months prior to their trip. This leads to easy budgeting and far less variables on the actual vacation. The Dining Plan allows families to do this far easier.

Reasons to Avoid a Dining Plan

There are significant reasons why one would avoid the dining plan. Here are the main reasons I’d steer away from getting the Dining Plan:

• Cost – The main reason to avoid the Dining Plan these days is the cost. Unless you know how to completely maximize the Dining Plan while taking advantage of every ‘value opportunity’, financially it just won’t save you money. And in almost every instance it’ll cost slightly more than you would have if you didn’t have it.
  
• Limited Flexibility – Having the Dining Plan isn’t ideal for more spontaneous travelers. You need to have some level of planning to pick the restaurants that fit within the Dining Plan. You’ll also need to know how to utilize your dining credits and at times you’ll probably feel like you’ll need to utilize credits unnecessarily just so you don’t waste them.
  
• Too Much Food – Some guests complain that the Dining Plan features TOO much food. This can be the case with picker eaters or guests that need very little food to get them through their days.
  
• Don’t Drink Alcohol – If you’re not going to drink alcohol, the Standard Dining Plan shouldn’t even be a consideration. You’ll be losing value and throwing money away. The Standard Dining Plan includes (2) alcoholic beverages each day if you choose, and you SHOULD choose them if you’re going to maximize value.

The Bottom Line

While all of this can be completely overwhelming to you, the bottom line is it DEPENDS on you. Everyone’s preferences and vacation style are completely unique to them. What might be GREAT for some could be a terrible decision for others.

You can clearly see that with our examples above. There’s no one size fits all approach here. We’ve heard all sides of it and some families are adamant the Dining Plan works for them and saves them money. Hey, whatever floats your boat!

For our family, we generally opt against it. But there are instances when it makes to get it, depending on our plans and what we are doing during that trip.

Which Disney Dining Plan is Right For You?

If you’ve decided to get the dining plan, how can you choose between the two different Disney Dining Plans? It’s actually pretty simple. Just ask yourself these questions:

• Would you enjoy having at least 1 sit-down table-service restaurant meal each day?
• Are you OK knowingly paying a little bit more so that you can enjoy some of the different Disney table-service restaurants?
• Would your family benefit from having a nice sit-down meal to break up the day?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then I highly recommend opting for the Standard Disney Dining Plan that includes a sit-down meal each day.

The highlight for many people’s vacation is the Disney Dining options, and not having a sit-down meal could seriously minimize the potential FUN a family could have on their vacation. Plus we find that having a sit-down meal each day is a great way to break up the day while spending some quality time with the family away from the noise and chaos of the parks.

If you’re strictly worried about cost and don’t need a sit-down meal each day, than the Quick-Service Dining Plan could work out great!

Tips

How to Maximize Your Dining Credits

There’s a few main ways you can fully maximize your dining credits if you opt to get the Disney Dining Plan:

ALWAYS opt for the alcoholic beverages

I know this sounds like terrible advice, but it’s not when it comes to maximizing your dining credits. Alcoholic drinks can sometimes cost 3 times more than the soda/coffee/tee alternatives. So getting one with each meal is SUCH better value. With the standard Disney Dining Plan, you can get these for your quick-service credit AND your table-service credit.

Avoid using credits on breakfast

While we all love breakfasts, unfortunately they are poor uses of dining credits. Breakfasts are considerably cheaper than lunch and dinner. If you want to have a table-service breakfast, pay out of pocket instead of using your dining credits. I’d encourage you to try to utilize your snacks for a quick breakfast to tie you over until lunch.

Don’t waste two table-service credits on one meal

While I love the signature dining restaurants, when I’m purchasing the Disney Dining Plan I ALWAYS avoid them. They simply aren’t great uses of your credits to waste two table-service credits on one meal. You’re essentially being charged twice for one meal!

Go to the character meals that are ONE dining credit

Many of the character meals are signature dining experiences requiring two dining credits. I’d encourage you to go to one of the one dining credit character meals such as Chef Mickey’s or Garden Grill. This is GREAT use of your dining credit.

Let kids drink something OTHER than water

Let the kids take advantage of all of the other expensive drinks on the menu whether it’s cocktails, juice, soda, shakes, etc… These are all included and they absolutely should take advantage of them when using a dining credit!

How to Keep Track of Your Remaining Dining Credits

There’s three main ways you can keep track of your remaining dining credits. If you look at your most recent dining receipt, it’ll show you how many credits you have left. You can also visit any of the Guest Experience Tents or the Guest Relations desks inside the parks.

And lastly, you can do it right through the My Disney Experience app!

Skip Breakfast

As we’ve repeatedly mentioned there generally is very little value in using Dining Credits for breakfasts. Breakfast is generally significantly cheaper than both lunch and dinner.

The two exceptions if you REALLY want to have a table-service breakfast are Chef Mickey’s and Cape May Cafe, where it actually not bad value to utilize a table-service credit.

Use the Refillable Mugs

When factoring in costs and value, we generally don’t even consider the cost of the refillable mugs. However, they can be incredibly valuable, especially for coffee and soda drinkers! Many members of my family could easily spend $20-$30 per day on sodas and coffee, so the mugs are a life-saver.

By utilizing the refillable mugs this can give you substantial savings when you’re at your resort. Just keep in mind you CANNOT use these when you are at the parks. They are only usable at the resorts.

Get Pizzas

Several of the different Disney World Resorts allow you to get full pizzas from the quick-service restaurants. While these can sometimes cost two quick-service credits it’s absolutely worth it if it feeds more than 2 members of the family.

You’ll also receive two drinks with your order. This can help you stretch out those quick-service meal credits.

FAQs

Do I Need to Pay Gratuity on a Disney Dining Plan?

Yes! The Disney Dining Plan does NOT include gratuity. If you’re only getting the Quick-Service Dining Plan, you won’t need to generally tip on quick service meals. For the standard Disney Dining Plan it’s customary to leave 18-20% gratuity for your service, even at buffets.

You can leave the tip with cash, a Disney Gift Card, a MagicBand, or any other type of payment you have. If you have a party of 6 or more, you’ll be giving an automatic 18% gratuity. If you have any issues with tipping the customary amount, you can speak to the manager.

Do All Members of Your Group Need the Dining Plan?

It’s based off of hotel reservations. Everyone 3 years and older that is on your resort hotel reservation will need to purchase the dining plan or NOT purchase it. It can’t be some on and some off.

Do Small Children Need to Pay for the Dining Plan?

If children are under the age of 3 they do NOT need to be on the Dining Plan. For children 3 years and older they do need to be on it.

What if I Don’t Use All My Credits?

They will expire at midnight of the day that you check out. If you are fearful you are going to waste them, you can generally fill up on check-out day at your resort’s gift shop. Purchase last minute snacks or food options to bring back home. We’ve often had to do this when we have leftover.

What Happens If I Run Out of Credits?

If you don’t have enough credits, I’d advise you to pay out of pocket for the cheapest meal/snack/quick-service on your list. This requires some advanced planning. If it’s too late and you didn’t realize that you are out of credits and you would like to purchase something, you’ll need to pay out of pocket.

Can I Still Order with Mobile Order?

Yes! When you are on the Disney Dining Plan you can order your quick service meals utilizing the Mobile Online Ordering system. At checkout, you’ll simply indicate that you want to pay with the Disney Dining Plan.

That wraps up our guide to the Disney Dining Plan. We’ll have more news and info coming soon, so stay tuned.

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Here are some more of our most useful Disney World planning posts:

• The Complete Disney World Planning Guide
• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Best Times to Visit Disney World

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the Disney Dining Plan at Walt Disney World…

• Do you think the Dining Plan is worth it?
• What changes would you like to see made?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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