Pssst: Be sure to check out all of our updated tips, here.
Hey all you wonderful people! Welcome back to our second official installment of our Keys to the Kingdom series here at The Handmade Home. If you have absolutely no idea what I’m rambling about, please feel free to click on over to read our official introduction, and how+when+where to stay.
Today’s topic: Food for thought. The lowdown on the dining plan, some of our best ideas for saving a little, and our fave spots to eat throughout the parks. Along with some useful allergy information, we hope we’ll be addressing a few questions you families out there on the verge of future planning, might be wanting to ask. So, without further ado, the most popular question:
The Dining Plan: What’s the big deal? + Is it worth it?
Going on what we’ve previously established with staying on property, this is yet another perk, and available to those who choose to stay on site.
It’s always the big question. I’ve helped many a family plan their Disney trip, and I must say, time after time, I’ve recommended it. You may have heard that once upon a time, it was MUCH better when it included free appetizers, tips, and a few other perks. BUT, at the end of the day it’s still absolutely glorious to be able to go on vacay and not worry about paying for a meal…because it’s already taken care of. Especially when meals can average around $15 a person for a burger, fries, and soft drink. {No. Thanks.} As always, there are several different options when it comes to the Dining Plan (check them out for the most current options) but I would personally recommend doing the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining. That would give you your park hopper passes for as many days as you will be there (more on park hoppers verses single day tickets later) plus one “quick service meal”, one sit down “table service” meal, and one snack per day per person. Believe me… in the end you will be glad you did it. It will save you money in the long run and it’s so nice to be able to grab a snack mid-afternoon just when you think you’re about to crash. Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar anyone? |
For our family, we save money by doing the Disney Dinning Plan. My sweet CPA hubby has run the numbers on this several times, because let’s be honest, it’s a lot of money, up front. We’ve found that if you will be enjoying a character meal or two (which if you have small children you should really consider) or you will be eating a sit down meal daily, this is the way to go. The Disney dinning plan is not available for children under 3. Younger children are, however, allowed to share food with other members of your party. We always had more than enough food to share. |
On our vacay this last September, we watched the WDW website for deals, and as many of you already know you can do, scored the dining plan for free. I think I’m remembering correctly, that this was the plus dining package…The same package Cristin referred to above. This little freebie of a gem probably saved us about 13-1400 dollars on our vacay. As Jillina mentioned above, this is not available for Children under 3. So, we used the dining plan for the four of us, and then Malone was free to share off of our plates. But here’s the best part: When ordering, Jamin would mention that we had our two year old in tow, and needed an extra plate, etc. The Disney Staff, of course, goes above and beyond in everything, so they always gave us an extra meal for free. Basically, they upgraded us. We had more food than we knew what to do with…I just wish someone had warned me about the cupcakes that came with every single adult meal. Ah. Ma. Zing. I walked about ten miles a day, and in turn, still probably gained a couple of pounds from those cream filled delights. |
Fave places to eat: and why?
Cristin is by far, the expert on Disney Dining, and covered it all. Heck, she’s pretty much an expert on food all together, so I let her take this one. I put stars next to the places we {Jillina and I} also experienced, along with my own little two cents worth of recommendations in italics, but this girl knows her stuff. Take it away, Cristin!
A note on food allergies
Our daughter has life threatening food allergies, and if you have someone in your group who also has food allergies I totally understand the fear of trusting and relying on others to feed that child every day. I did a lot of research on food allergies and Disney before our trip. I agree with most people, Disney really is the most allergy-friendly place to visit. When you make your dinning reservations you’ll be asked if anyone has any food allergies. Your information is put into the system and a special ticket is given to your server when you arrive at each table service meal, notifying them of the allergy. The standard procedure is then for the chef who will be making your food to come to your table and discuss the allergy. I was very impressed with the personal attention and the accommodations made to make sure our daughter had a safe meal. Each chef went out of the way to find food that our daughter could have at each restaurant, even if that meant they suggested and made something that wasn’t on the menu. We went to Chef Mickey’s for breakfast one day. The chef walked with me through the line showing me which items were safe. There were SO many more options than I expected them to have. However, wanting to make sure that our daughter didn’t miss anything he also insisted, yes insisted, on making her a special dairy and soy free mickey mouse pancake. Which she loved. We found this same experience time and time again. I did feel that Quick service meals were a bit more difficult, just due to the lines of people also wanting to get their meals, and my own feeling of holding others up. When at Quick Service meals, you will be handed a book full of ingredients in each dish or a cast member will look up items for you and answer any questions. It does take some time to find food if you have multiple food allergies, like my daughter. Believe me, I totally understand the fear of life threatening food allergies and yes, it made me pause and think, is going to Disney even really worth the risk? We packed our epi pens, and a small arsenal of allergy friendly snacks, and were diligent about asking questions and reading labels. I hope you find Disney to be as accommodating as we did! |
That about wraps up our dining plan/restaurant/recommendations for our food for thought segment. Where are some of your favorite places to eat at Disney? What, in your opinion, were some of the best Character meals? Any other advice you want to include, or questions you have? Spill it below!
Lesley T says
We visit Disney twice a year and have five children, AND do this on a small budget. Because of the tickets we purchase, we are not elligible for the Dining plan. Breakfast: eat before going into the park (sometimes on the way!) Lunch: we pack our lunch in a large soft-sided cooler, a bring a box of capri suns. The cost of the locker to store the cooler is worth it for the savings. The lockers are generously sized, you can google for exact dimensions. In the Magic Kingdom, we go to the top of the train station (just above the lockers) to eat. There are tables and chairs up there, and you get a nice view of the parade if you time it properly. Dinner: eat a meal in the park at the restaurant of choice. By this time of day, we are ready to relax and have a lesiurely meal.
Mila says
Love this. Can’t wait to take our own triparoo!
Tamie says
Great tips! The dining plan is a great way to go if you have kids, it definitely pays for itself with kids. Once they get o the “adult” price range though, not so much, unless you’ve got a rockstar eater on your hands. FYI LeCellier is now a two dining credit meal. It is a great place though. We do it for lunch and pay out of pocket. Disney has no issues with you sharing meals, so consider that option too. We use our counter service dining credits to get two big breakfast platters and share amongst the 4 of us.
HannahJo says
Just a quick hint – We have done the dining plan ONE time and it does seem like such a great deal, but honestly… WEHAVENEVEREATENSOMUCHINOURLIVES!
It was kind of a chore every time our dad would announce “time for a snack”…sigh…. okay. …
We found it to be really tedious and slowed us down a lot. Keeping in mind that we were not little kids – we had my mother, father, and two teenagers. We decided not to go that route again because we couldn’t make it worth it and eat all of the food.
HannahJo says
and Prime Time cafe truly is the best place ever – snag reservations fast! The waiters are in character the whole time and it is like dinner AND a show! (we once had a waiter that looked and acted JUST like Jerry Lewis. WHAT?! Hysterical! Worth every penny).
Heather says
I have multiple food allergies so taking that food leap of faith was really hard for me. Anyone with allergies in the family knows the old “Oh, no, There isn’t any of THAT in the meal” followed by misery. However, Disney far surpassed my expectations. I was able to eat and eat well during my entire trip. Being pulled aside to talk to the chef at EVERY meal got old (flashing arrow above my head saying ALLERGY LADY), but they always gave 100% to make sure I was safe and satisfied. I did have ONE service lady at the All Star Music Resort cafeteria give me bad information, but when I contacted Disney about it, they were really nice and promised that they would find the lady to assure it didn’t happen again.
Amanda says
We just made last minute plans to go to Disney World at the beginning of June, and I am a nervouse wreck about all of this “make reservations” talk…and, since our daughter has a milk, soy and shellfish allergy, it sounds like we need to go the restaurant route…any suggestions?
Delaney says
Until I worked at Disney (circa 2006) I always felt as if Disney was mostly burgers, pizza and french fries. It defiantly has it’s share of those, but Disney also has healthy options as well, and reasonably priced. Located within each park there is a snack stand area selling fruit, veggies, baked potatoes and even corn-on-the-cob (selections may be park specific). If you’re in the Magic Kingdom look for this area in Liberty Square (across from the Riverboat). In Epcot this is in the World Showcase between China and Germany. In Hollywood Studios this is down Sunset Blvd, across from the Fantasmic entrance and before Rockin’ Rollercoaster. In the Animal Kingdom it is in Africa before the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safari. Because when you’re running through the park, a pear or a baked potato can sometimes sit better than a Pizza!