After Disney World closed in March of 2020, many of its long-standing planning tools had been paused or suspended until further notice. This included FastPass+, which was eventually discontinued and replaced by Disney Genie and Genie+.
Magic Kingdom
Another planning tool we have lived without for years now is the Disney Dining Plan. Disney had shared that it would return at some point in time. But now, we finally have the information we have all been waiting for. A RETURN DATE!
The Disney Dining Plan will return to Disney World on January 9th, 2024! Disney shared that the Dining Plan is coming back for those with hotel stays with a start date of January 9th and we could NOT be more excited. Bookings will start on May 31st!
Mickey Waffles!
According to Disney, the Quick Service and Standard Disney Dining Plans will be the only options to return for now, and they must be booked as part of a hotel package.
Disney Dining Plans are pre-purchased and added onto a Disney Vacation Package (i.e. you must be staying on a Vacation Package at a Disney owned-and-operated hotel, and have purchased at least one ticket per person), so that all you have to do when you get to Disney World is head to a restaurant on the list, eat, and scan your card.
D-Luxe Burger
Here’s a look at what Disney says you can expect from the Standard Dining Plan:
- Everyone in the travel party will receive 1 Table-Service meal per night, 1 Quick-Service meal per night and a
snack/nonalcoholic drink per night of their package stay—along with 1 Resort-refillable drink mug. Meals and snacks can
be redeemed at any time during the stay. - For example, if you book a 4-night package with a Disney Dining Plan, each Guest in your party would receive 4 Table-Service meals, 4 Quick-Service meals and 4 snacks or nonalcoholic beverages—which can be used at any time during your 4-night stay.
YUM!
And as for the Quick Service Dining Plan:
- Everyone in the travel party (ages 3 and up) will receive 2 Quick-Service meals per night, a snack/nonalcoholic drink per
night of their package stay – along with 1 Resort-refillable drink mug. Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time
during the stay. - For example, if you book a 4-night package with a Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, each Guest in your party would receive 8 Quick-Service meals and 4 Snacks or Nonalcoholic Beverages—which can be used at any time during your 4-night stay.
Full spread
When it returns, Annual Passholders will be able to book rooms only and add the Dining Plan, instead of needing to buy the full package with tickets. For DVC Members, Dining Plans can be booked on a points reservation — but Members will need to call the DVC line to do so, as online booking will not be available just yet.
We’ve got an entire FAQ about the Disney Dining Plan, and you can check it out here!
We can’t wait to have one of these in our hands!
Be sure to follow along as we cover the return of the Disney Dining Plan and all of its intricacies! If you’re considering purchasing the Dining Plan on your next vacation, then you may want to check our DFB Guide. Our guide has full chapters on whether the Dining Plan is worth the cost, how to get the most out of the Dining Plan, and recommendations for those using the Dining Plan. It will really help you get the most bang for your buck!
Grab the DFB Guide!
Are you planning a vacation to Disney World? Our friends at Small World Vacation can help you plan it stress-free for FREE! They can iron out all of the dining plan details for your 2024 vacation so all you have to do is enjoy it when you arrive!
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We’ll keep a close watch as the Dining Plan is once again rolled out in Disney World, so stay tuned!
Read our Disney Dining Plan FAQ here!
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Will you purchase the Disney Dining Plan on your next Disney World vacation? Let us know in the comments!
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This sounds so good, but us Europeans can book already for 2024 with dining credits, so I wonder if it’s just for US guests for now? The dining credit deal is on for bookings made before July 6th so there is overlap. Getting both seems unlikely, haha!
Benefits as listed as the prepaid budget, you don’t have a surprise. Being able to make dining reservations in advance. Not having to worry about menu item line pricing and everyone in the party can order what they want. What might be a value for me, might not be the same for my wife.
If you do the standard plan, a quick and a table and two snacks, You are not losing money of the plan is used.
Disney make money on these plans because most people don’t use the entire benefits of the plan.
If we don’t use the snack credits during our stay, we go to the hotel store the day of check out and buy Disney snacks (bagged candy and such) to take home for family and friends, Souvenirs if you like to think of it that way.
I like the dining plans because of the ease in planning and not having a bill for the meals.
Don’t be fooled. The dining plan is a waste of food and money, and you are limited to what you can order for table service meals, as I recall (for example, I think appetizers are not included, etc.). Both times we bought the dining plan (first time was standard, and the second time we did the quick service plan), we felt over stuffed, and we didn’t use all the snacks, etc. there are less expensive and less wasteful ways to dine.
Another drawback is that only certain restaurants will take DDP. We like to have more choices with our dining options.
Did they remove the alcoholic beverage with the meal? For us, getting fancy cocktails included made the DDP a good value.
Is it just 1 snack or 2 smacks like it use to be for each dinning plan?
I wish they had a plan with just quick service dining options. I’d never use a table service reservation every day. Oh, well!
Will Tables in Wonderland ever come back?
I rented DVC points for my 2024 vacation so I’m thinking that I won’t be able to get the dining plan. Is this correct??
As an Annual Passholder, forever, I have always wondered, and still do, why Disney hasn’t gotten smart and added a Day Dining Plan for us. Disney always says we just come in to play then leave, maybe it’s because we have no reason to stay longer. My family, all Passholders, eat at all the Festival events and one or two of the Quick Service places but there is no incentive for us to pay the “Disney” prices with so many restaurants close by. Maybe it would make a big difference to have a plan that would bring us in and keep us there longer.
As for their gripe about not buying Merchandise, that is a lot of garbage. Our house is full of clothes and everything Disney that we can fit into our lives. Disney shouldn’t scoff at us there are 5 of us buying and “playing” at Disney.
Any news on Tables of Wonderland?
I’m so happy wish it would start sooner then May 31,st
I read your FAQ and you might consider changing the answer on this. Depending on how many credits a person has, this isn’t necessarily true. You can use credits any day until you run out. This would only be true if you were only staying 2 nights.
If I use two-credits for a meal on day one, how will I eat on day two?
You’ll pay for a meal out of pocket.
I have found it surprising how everyone gripes about park reservations and how that simple quick process makes a trip overly complicated, yet people have begged to bring something back like the dining plan which complicates every day of a visit. Everyone has their thing, but I’ve never wanted to have to monitor what food credits I have remaining. It isn’t the savings that so many think that it is.
Any news on TiW ?
Hi Terry! Not yet, but we are always keeping an eye out.
I wonder if you will still be able to trade a quick service for three snacks? That worked really well for us!
Hi Randy! We haven’t received word on whether or not Tables in Wonderland will be returning, but we are always keeping an eye on it and will definitely post as soon as we get any updates.
Hi Gino. Disney has not stated whether or not Tables in Wonderland will return, but we are always keeping an eye on it and will post as soon as we get any updates.
Hightower. Your argument holds no water. You can dine whenever you want. Depending on the plan. If you use a quick service only plan, you simply walk up to any quick service venue.. On a table service, you make a reservation just like you do without a Dining Plan. Very few walk up Table service. ALL Disney owned dining venues take the plan. You get an entre a beverage and a desert. If you want an appetizers pay for one, you would pay for one without the plan. If you are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, you are going to eat on property. A Dining plan lets you pay for it in advance. Takes the hassle out of worrying about cost at the parks daily. I have never seen a venue that limits what you can order using the plan. As far as snack credits, If you are not using them for a coffee, a dole whip, a cone or something similar. You can always stop by the sweets shop and pick up small bags of cookies, candies or treats to carry around for your leisure, or like we do on the last day go to the resort hotel and pick up those snacks to take home to family and friends.
Can you use the table service credit for character dining at breakfast ?
We never got a Dining Plan as it was WAY too much food, not to mention the fact that including dessert without allowing substitution of an appetizer just didn’t fit our dietary needs. Sorry to hear the Dining Plans are coming back as now there will be much more competition for Dining Reservations 🙁