How To Choose The Optimal 2020 Disney Dining Plan For Your Family

The Disney Dining Plan is a highly debatable topic. Just hop on Facebook and ask what people think about it…and 644 comments later you may or may not have an answer but you will have 644 strong opinions. Our aim in this blog is to explain each of the dining plans and give you the tools to make an educated decision for your family’s next trip.

Disney Dining Plan 2020 Prices

There are four dining plans this year with varying meal and snack options and consequently varying prices. Understanding your party’s appetites and goals at each park will help you decide if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it and if so, which dining plan will be most helpful to you.

2020 Disney Quick Service Dining Plan

The first Dining Plan is the Quick Service Dining Plan. This is the most minimal of the plans. It costs $55.00 for adults (Ages 10+) and $23.78 for children (ages 3-9). For each day you purchase this plan, each guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

• 2 Quick-Service Meals,  2 Snacks, and 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

To be specific, each quick-service meal includes the following for Breakfast:

• 1 entree or 1 complete combo meal
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)

Lunch/Dinner it includes:

• 1 entree or 1 complete combo meal
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)

Please consider that children ages 3-9 must order from the children’s menu if one is available.

2020 Disney Dining Plan

This is your regular dining plan. It’s probably the most realistic for your average family, and it costs $78.01 for adults (ages 10+), and $30.51 for children (ages 3-9). For each day you purchase the plan, each guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

• 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service Meal, 2 Snacks, and 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Each table service meal includes:

• 1 entree
• 1 dessert (You can now substitute your dessert for a fruit plate, side salad, or cup of soup)
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)
• OR 1 full buffet

Each quick-service meal includes:

• 1 entree
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)

2020 Disney Dining Plan Plus

This is your regular dining plan plus options. Many Disney guests are loving this option because you can choose 2 Table Service meals or 2 Quick Service meals each day. It costs $89 for adults (ages 10+), and $33 for children (ages 3-9). For each day you purchase the plan, each guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

• 2 Meals (Table Service Meal or Quick Service Meal – interchangeable), 2 Snacks or non-alcoholic drinks, and 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Each meal at lunch or dinner includes:

• 1 entree
• 1 dessert (You can now substitute your dessert for a fruit plate, side salad, or cup of soup)
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)
• OR 1 full buffet

Each breakfast meal includes:

• 1 entree
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)

2020 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

As the name implies, this is your most extravagant dining plan! Think #extra for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some families find this plan to be too much for their appetites and have lots of leftovers. Other families absolutely love getting gourmet food at each meal! This is the most expensive per day at $119.00 per adult (ages 10 +) and $47.50 per child (ages 3-9). For each day you’ve purchased this plan, each guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

• 3 Table Service Meals, 2 Snacks, and 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

If you get this plan, you get to choose from Walt Disney World Resort table-service restaurants for all three of your meals. You will want to make sure you are booking these table-service reservations at least 180 days in advance of your first day of vacation. Another bonus tip is to reserve the most difficult restaurants to get into on the last days of your stay. Again, children ages 3-9 must order from a children’s menu where available. Each table service meal includes:

• 1 entree
• 1 appetizer
• 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
• 1 non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic for 21+ guests)
• OR 1 full buffet

How Do You Choose The Best Plan?

Finding the right dining plan for your party involves understanding your family’s appetites and what you value most. Many sites give you a Disney Dining Plan Calculator and let you add up whether it will save you money or not. We think there are bigger questions to ask yourself:

Questions About What You Value

Do you care more about saving money or more about convenience when you are at Disney?

If you are all about convenience and not having to worry about paying for things when you are in the moment and on vacation, then get a Dining Plan. If you care more about saving money and counting every penny – then you need to keep asking questions.

Do you want to splurge at every meal?

In other words, if you want to get the most expensive foods and go all out on your Disney dining experience…then you should probably invest in the Disney Dining Plan. Most everyone who splurges does save money if they compare what they would have paid without the Dining Plan. So if you want to splurge – get the plan.

Do you want a simple and hassle-free experience?

If you want hassle-free…you want to get the dining plan.

Questions About Your Party

Are the majority of children just over 10 years of age?

This is an odd question… but what we’ve found is that those who are just over 10 years of age (and not yet growing teenagers) are considered adults by Disney, yet they are not eating like adults. If you are all about saving money and you have kiddos in this age range, you probably don’t want to get the Deluxe Dining Plan. You may want to invest in the quick-serve plan instead…unless your children have giant appetites.

Do you drink alcohol or special beverages with every meal?

Again, another odd question, but those who like to drink alcohol have often said the dining plan saves them money. So, if you do plan to live up your vacation and get all the libations…then you may want to invest in the Disney Dining Plan as well.

Does the heat reduce you and your party’s appetites?

This is an extremely important question to ask! If the majority of people in your party lose their appetite when it’s hot and humid outside, then you may not want to invest in a plan where you are paying for meals in advance.

Do you want to eat like a king and queen and get all the sumptuous foods?

If you like unique experiences with all the Disney flare – invest in the Disney Dining Plan. Do your research on Disney Food Blog. Make your reservations 180 days in advance, and then enjoy your vacation!

We also recommend if your family is going to Disney a lot – to try your vacation with the Disney Dining Plan, and then another vacation without it. However, compare apples to apples, meaning if you get the Dining Plan and get top of the line food, then do the same when you don’t get the Disney Dining Plan to compare savings.

DVC Rental Store can help you book your Disney Dining Plan if you book your resort reservation through us! We can save you up to 65% on your room reservations at a Deluxe Disney Resort, all you need to do is request room availability for your desired dates! Have a Magical Day!