Planning a trip to Disney World can be an exhilarating experience, filled with anticipation for all the magical moments awaiting you. Navigating the Disney Dining Plan can sometimes feel like embarking on a culinary adventure of its own. Fear not, fellow Disney enthusiasts, we have compiled these tips to help you unlock the full potential of your dining plan and savor every delectable moment. Let’s delve into the top ten strategies for maximizing your Disney Dining Plan experience.

1. Get your resort mug right away – Guests who have purchased a Disney Dining plan will receive a mug that you can fill up at your resorts for free, but you have to go get the mug. The earlier you get this in your stay, the more opportunities you will have to use it. Please be aware though that you cannot fill up your mugs anywhere in the parks.

2. Drink alcohol – Meals at table service restaurants will come with a beverage. Getting an alcoholic beverage or other specialty beverage is a great way to make the most of your dining dollars because these will cost more than a soda but with having pre-paid for your dining plan, you’re essentially getting them at the same cost.

3. Be careful with Mobile order – When you are using Mobile Order through the My Disney Experience app, the app will default to using your dining credits so if you are adding something like a bottle or water or even a cup of cheese to your meal, the app will default to using your snack credit for that. You don’t want to buy a $1 cup of cheese, have the app use your snack credit and then not have a credit to use when you are ready for your tasty treat.

4. Eat fancy – When you are dining on the dining plan, remember that you’ve already paid a set price for your meal so, go ahead and eat fancy! If a $50 steak is something you would normally steer away from because of cost now’s your time to go for and grab that most expensive item off of the menu.

5. Enjoy a character meal – Character meals are another way to eat fancy at Disney World. Many character meals are buffet or family style and would cost you $40 – $70 per person. Using your table service dining credit for these meals is a great way to make the most out of the money you’ve already paid.

6. Think twice about meals that use two credits – There are some really fancy meals at Disney World that take two of your credits for one meal. A great example of this is Cinderella’s Royal Table. A meal at Cindy’s table would typically cost your $  . The average table service meal at dinsey World will cost you$35 but if you practice eating fancy, you could get two meals that each would have cost you $65. If you eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table and get one meal for $ when you could have had 2 meals that would have each been $50-$60, you’re actually losing money but using the dining plan to eat at CRT.

7. Use all your credits – Using a credit even for something like a bottle of water is better than not using a credit at all so if you get to the end of your trip and have some credits left, it is better to find things to take home than let them completely go to waste.

8. Pick the right plan – You may find that the dining plan is actually a lot of food and more than you would typically eat. It’s important to remember that the standard dining plan is going to give you a credit for a sit-down meal every day. Many families do not usually do a sit-down meal every day because they either want to spend more time enjoying the parks or their kids aren’t prepared to sit through a whole meal after a long park day. If you think that might be the case for your crew, the standard dining plan may be more than you need.

9. Don’t use QS credits on breakfast – While breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, it’s also usually one of the cheapest. You will also find that there are lots of breakfast type items like a cinnamon roll that you can actually use a snack credit for instead of using your QS credit. With this in mind, using your QS credit for breakfast probably isn’t going to bring you the most value for your credit.

10. Make dining reservations – If you buy the standard dining plan, your credits will come with 1 table service meal per person, per day. Knowing that you will need to use those credits, you should make plans for where you might want to use them. At peak times, Disney table service restaurants can be so busy that you wouldn’t be able to get in. You don’t want to be in a position where you have TS credits to use and nowhere to use them so make those dining reservations in advance and then you won’t be stressed about how you are going to use all of your credits.

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As your Disney adventure draws to a close, may your memories be as fulfilling as your dining experiences. Remember, whether you’re raising a toast with a specialty beverage, indulging in a royal feast at Cinderella’s table, or simply savoring a Mickey-shaped treat, the Disney Dining Plan offers a wide variety of possibilities to suit every palate. By heeding these tips and tricks, you’ll not only optimize your dining dollars but also create unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime. So, bon appétit, Disney friends, and may your culinary journey be as enchanting as the magic that surrounds you. Cheers to good food, great company, and the wonderous memories of the most magical place on earth!