Dining In Disney

Its time to eat! Where to go?

You are making your plans, you have researched the resorts and you dove into the water parks but now you are hungry. Its time to eat. Welcome to the Dining in disney page, Its you your one stop shop for everything in Disney dining. So should you dine À la carte or should you splurge in one of the many disney dining plans? According to disney, using the plans saves you up to 40% off what you would normally pay. We will see if the math adds up or is disney blowing pixie dust.

A little history on disney dining. Before the disney dining plan first arrived on the scene, dining was almost an after thought. I would never make reservations until I arrived at the resort or even that day at the park. There was never an issue getting reservation and 90% of the time, you could simply walk up to the dining location and they would seat you within 15 minutes. Then disney introduced the disney dining plan, and everything changed. The popularity of the dining plan was beyond expectations and the days of walk reservation are a thing of the past. Now, the single most important planning you can do is figure out where you want to eat. Did you know that the steak house in canada (Le Cellier Steakhouse) usually sells out within 2 weeks of being able to make reservations. Even quicker for holidays. Of course, the less popular places dont sell out so quickly but the typically sell out.

Before we get started, couple of thing to note. First and foremost, the Disney Dining plan is for disney resort guests only. If you are staying off property then its no love for you. It is strongly recommended that you make reservations in advance. Currently, you can make reservations up to 180 days prior to your visit. The phone number is 407-WDW-DINE. I would recommend that you put this number in your cell phone. Almost all cell phones no longer charge for roaming and I cant tell how easy it is to make reservation by phone while you are IN THE PARK. On busier days, much easier to call a single number and let them do the work for you and tell what is currently available in the park instead of going from location to location. Table Service restaurants, character dining and dinner shows book quickly and the restaurant and seating of your choice may be limited or may not be available during your visit.

Alright...So how does it work?

So how does it work. Depending on the plan(there are 5 different types, see below), you will receive quick service, table service and/or snack credits credits on your room key that allow you to purchase food at designated dining locations. The amount of credits you receive depends on the number of nights you are staying. For example, if you have the regular dining plan, you will receive 1 table service, 1 quick service and 1 snack credit per day. If you want to use 2 table service credits in one day you can or any other combination upto your available credits. Your credits are "pooled" on the room key. There are no restrictions on when you can use them. With that being said, you cant use 2 quick service credits to create an additional table service credit. The nice thing about the plans is that you can use them how ever you want to.

Before we get to the individual plans, the plans breakdown the dining location by type. You can also use these icons to help identify dining types in our search engine. The types are as follows:

- Quick Service - These locations are typically "fast food" like locations where you go up to the counter and place your order and then they server your meal on a tray, just like McDonalds.
- Table Service - These locations are themed very well and are very popular. It is just like it sounds, you have a host/hostess serving you. These locations are typically like an olive garden or macaroni grill in themeing.
- Character Dining - These locations are table service locations with some of the disney characters. Characters vary by location. Be aware some character dining locations will require 2 table service credits
- Dinner Show - These locations are typically All-You-Can-Eat buffets served family-style. Of course there is some entertainment as well. There are usually restrictions when using the dining plan.
- Signature Dining - These locations are typically upscale table service location. These restaurants provide unparalleled cuisine served in elegant and relaxed surroundings. Be aware some character dining locations will require 2 table service credits.
- 2 Table Service Credits - These locations are Signature or character dining locations. In out restaurant database, we have marked these locations.