Dining Plan Tips You Should Know | planDisney Podcast – Season 3 Episode 1

Have you heard the news? The fan-favorite dining plans are back! If you’re planning your next Walt Disney World vacation and wondering which dining plan is best for your family’s taste, style, and budget, you won’t want to miss this episode of the planDisney Podcast. Panelists Lisa E. and Michelle D. are breaking it all down to help you maximize your dining options at Walt Disney World. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with host Amiyrah Martin and Vinnie Tai, a cast member on the team that launched the return of the dining plans.

0:00-2:09 Meet the planDisney Panelists
2:09-2:50 Types of Dining at Walt Disney World: Quick-Service and Table Service
2:50-3:34 What is a Dining Plan?
3:34-4:03 What is included with the Dining Plans
4:03-5:20 Why Purchase a Dining Plan?
5:20-9:14 How to Use a Dining Plan
9:14-13:42 Interview with Vinnie Tai – Senior Manager, Food & Beverage Planning and Integration
13:42-18:27 Best Use of a Meal on the Dining Plan
18:27-20:26 Best Use of a Snack on the Dining Plan
20:26-21:25 Maximizing Your Walt Disney World Dining Experience
21:25-23:44 Lightning Round Quick Tips
23:44-24:55 Visit planDisney.com

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Welcome to this episode of the planDisney Podcast. I’m your host, Amiyrah Martin, a former plan Disney panelist. And I have to say, when we get to talk about food, I’m a happy girl. On this episode, we’re celebrating the return of the dining plan.

The panelists are sharing an overview of the dining options at Walt Disney World Resort. And they’re going to be able to help you pick the best plan for your travel party’s taste, style and budget. But first things first. Let’s meet our panelists joining us today. Hi, friends! Hi! – Hey, Amiyrah!

Hello, hello. Welcome back, I should say. To both of you. – Thank you! We’re happy to be here. – Yay! Okay, so before we get going, I think we need to still do some introductions for some of our listeners who may be – Sure.

New to the podcast. Are you down for that? Absolutely. – Definitely. Okay. Now, Michelle, I think we should start with you. Sure! My name is Michelle and I live in Pittsburgh with my husband, Adam of nearly 15 years.

I’m a Walt Disney World Resort specialist and this is my second year on the panel. Perfect. Perfect. Now, speaking of the panel, can you tell us a little bit more about what planDisney is? – Absolutely. planDisney is a group of guests who are passionate about Disney vacations.

So that could be Walt Disney World Resort, the Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, or Disney Vacation Club. We answer questions and share our best tips and personal advice on planDisney.com, which I absolutely love because it feels a little bit like getting the inside scoop from your best friend. – Yes.

And we are compensated in a very magical way with a reward trip. Perfect. Oh, goodness. Our little family is so fun. It really is. Hello, family. Hello! I’m Lisa. I live in Colorado. I’m a wife and a mom of two amazing adult kids.

I’m a kindergarten teacher and I am a Disneyland Resort specialist. This is my second year on the panel. Oh, goodness. It sure is. And we are so grateful for you. So world, land. – Thank you, we’re grateful for you. But we’re going to focus on Walt Disney World today. Yes. – Yes.

And we have so much to cover. So I think let’s start with an overview of the actual dining options at Walt Disney World. Can we talk a little bit more about that, Lisa? Yes, definitely. So there are two dining options that you can expect if you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort.

A quick service is definitely a more on the go, more casual, no reservations needed. So table service is actually my favorite option. And it is a relaxing sit down meal. Reservations are recommended, but there are so many great options. There’s some more casual options, but then there also is character dining.

And then there’s fine and signature dining, if you’re feeling like you want to celebrate a special occasion. Oh, I love that. Okay, now I’ve heard that the dining plan is a great tool to maximize your Walt Disney World dining experience. Now, can you explain what the dining plan actually is? Absolutely. – Okay.

The dining plan is for guests of Disney Resort hotels to pre-pay for their meals and snacks ahead of their vacation. There are two different plan options, and they both offer a set number of meals and snacks for everyone on your reservation, ages three and up.

And the number of meals and snacks is calculated based on the number of nights you’re staying at that Disney Resort hotel. You can use the dining plan not just in the parks but at the resorts and at Disney Springs. So it truly gives you

That ease and convenience, no matter what your family’s vacation style is. And there’s two options, though, for the actual dining plan, right? Can we talk a little bit more about that? – Yes. Yes, so there are two dining plans available.

The Disney Quick Service Plan includes two quick service meals and also a snack. And that is per guest, per night of stay. It also includes a refillable mug you can use at the resort. And then the Disney Dining Plan is a table service,

A quick service and a snack per guest, per night of stay. Also includes a refillable mug to be used at the resort. Why do you actually purchase the dining plan? Tell us a little bit more about why you two individually love it so much. Oh, absolutely.

It has so much ease and flexibility. When you’re on the dining plan, you have meals and snacks and they are calculated based on the number of nights you’re staying at a Disney Resort hotel. But your meals and snacks roll over day to day and they don’t expire until midnight on the date

You check out. So this offers maximum flexibility if you want to use all of your snacks one day. Quick service another day, you can mix and match. We love using, specifically, the quick service dining plan because that allows us to stay spontaneous no matter where the magic takes us.

One of the things I love about it is convenience and it has that all inclusive feel. I’m on vacation, I’m not cooking. I don’t, I want to enjoy some meals that somebody else is making. So I really appreciate that about it. And there are some changes to the dining plan.

For example, you can’t do what you could do before where you could convert a meal to snacks. But you know what, it makes it so much more simple and so much easier. – So much easier. So I really appreciate that change. Simple is best. I absolutely love that. – Always.

As a mom of three, give me simple, please. – Absolutely. Yes, please, especially on vacation. Especially on vacation. – Exactly, yes. Now, something that we talked about a little bit earlier, especially between the two of you, is when you two decide to have your meals. – Oh, yeah!

Do you want to go first? – Oh, yes. Yeah! So my family either enjoys starting a meal, a nice meal out at the beginning of the day, at a table service location, or at the end of the day,

It’s a perfect way to end it. And character meals have been some of my family’s favorite meals and some of the most magical memories that we’ve had here at the Disney World Resort. And really for me, it’s not just about getting to eat, it’s getting to sit down

And have that time together and make those special memories that you just, you can’t, those are irreplaceable. – Yes. I love that you use your meals at the beginning and the end of the day, because for my husband and myself, we love those table service meals right in the middle of the day

When it’s really hot and I need to get out of the sun and into some air conditioning and just enjoy a great meal together. – That’s so smart. It’s like pressing that reset button so we can just relax and enjoy our time together

Right before we head into the parks and enjoy the nighttime experiences. But we also love the quick service locations. My husband is very adventurous and spontaneous, so we always know which park we’re going to start at. We have no idea where it’s going to end up with.

So, that offers us maximum flexibility. So we don’t need reservation with those quick service locations. Now, let’s talk a little bit more about the actual dining plan and how we go about using it. Can you maybe give guests a little bit more tips about

How can they actually use it and take, you know, like maximize it so that way they can take full advantage of it? Yeah, absolutely. So again, you want to just make sure that you head to that Walt Disney World Resort website. And they have a lot of information on both dining plans.

And then if you do have the Disney Dining Plan that includes table service, you want to make sure that you make those advanced dining reservations. They can be made up to 60 days in advance for the length of your trip, – Okay. and they’re highly recommended.

And then when you do use the dining plan, you will show either your MagicBand, your Magic Mobile Pass, or your Key to the World card to redeem your meals and snacks. You want to make sure that you also utilize that resort refillable mug throughout your stay.

For my husband and I, we use it like five times a day. We’ll start our morning with coffees. In the afternoon, we’ll fill it up with iced tea. At the end of the night, it’s hot chocolate and then a cup of water before bed.

So make sure that you utilize that resort refillable mug. That’s also going to be a great souvenir that you can bring home as well. And then the My Disney Experience app is going to be kind of like the magic wand that helps you with the Disney Dining Plan.

You can mobile order your quick service meals and also your snacks. Lisa and I were checking it out this past week and on the mobile order feature in the My Disney Experience app, you can see certain snacks will say, qualifies as a snack.

So again, the ease and convenience that lets you know right there in the app what qualifies as a snack or not. The My Disney Experience app also will let you see how many meals and snacks you have redeemed and how many you have left over.

Oh, I love that. – And that’s really important to keep track of the meals and snacks that you have. Because you don’t want to get to the end of your trip and have a bunch of meals and snacks that you haven’t used. – Right.

We’re not leaving any snacks behind, we’re using them all. So you definitely want to make sure you either use the My Disney Experience app. You can also check your most recent dining receipt. At the bottom it’s going to show how many meals and snacks you have left. – Wow.

And also stop by the front desk at your resort. – Yes. Oh, my goodness. Okay. So there are so many ways to keep track. Absolutely. – For sure. Okay, I’ll have to remember those because I’m bad at keeping track of things. I really am.

But I love that it’s at the bottom of your receipt. That’s something that I would definitely look at. Okay, listen, this has been so informative already. Like, I feel like we’ve learned so much. You’ve taught me so much already. I’m excited to use the dining plan,

But I actually had a chance to chat with Vinnie Tai. Now, he’s the Senior Manager of Food and Beverage Planning and Integration, and I got to learn a little bit more about some of the new things that are coming to the dining plan and how to use it.

So let’s check that out. Vinnie, thank you so much for being here with us today. Thanks for having me. Okay, I have a lot of questions for you, so are you ready? – I’m ready. You are. Perfect. Okay, good. – I am ready.

Alright, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your role? So I am the Senior Manager for Food and Beverage for Planning and Integrations at Walt Disney World. So my team support the operations and new product in the market. So dining plan is one of them.

Now, what was it like being part of the team to bring back the dining plan? Well, you know, dining plan is such a fan favorite. So, for us to be involved in the dining plan and bringing it back, we’re so excited. And we’re so ready

To bring this wonderful program back into the market for. our guests. Absolutely. Now, I know that the dining plan is a fan favorite. I’m one of those fans. Now, what are some returning elements that fans can look forward to? Sure. That’s a great question.

So there is two packages that are returning for the dining plan. The Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan. – Okay. So the Disney Dining Plan includes one table service meal, one quick service meal, and one snack per guest, per night.

And a Disney quick service meal comes with two quick service meals, one snack per guests per night. And of course, everyone’s favorite, – Okay. the Disney resort refillable mugs are also included in both of those plans. – Yes. Oh, goodness. And I can’t wait to get my mug.

I collect them, so I’m really excited. – Yeah, me too. Alright, can you talk about how we can use My Disney Experience app to help us plan our meals? – Sure. So My Disney Experience is a great app, so it really helps the guests navigate

Their stay with us and really plan out their dining experience. So for table service, they can be looking for, you know, a table service restaurants within the park or resorts. They can book their reservations on My Disney Experience, or if they didn’t make reservations or there is nothing available,

They can sign up for a walk up waitlist. So they wouldn’t miss their favorite restaurants when they’re visiting at Walt Disney World. – Oh, goodness. For a quick service locations, mobile order is the way to go.

You know, if you are on the go and you don’t want to miss your favorite attractions, you can place your order or you can even plan ahead and place your mobile order in a quick service location and pick it up and have your lunch or dinner. Oh, goodness. That’s a good tip. Okay.

I think I have a little tough one for you coming up. Are you ready? – Of course. I’m ready. Now, what’s your favorite use of a snack, a quick service meal and a table service meal? Wow. That is a tough question. There is so much wonderful offering out there.

So many great treats. For a snack, I have to go back to the classic. The Mickey’s Ice Cream Bar is the way to go. It’s really one of my favorites. And you got to have one when you go to the park. For quick service locations, I will choose the Connection Eatery.

It was one of our newest locations at EPCOT. If you love customized burgers, the Bistro Burger is wonderful. It’s amazing. Table service restaurant, that’s a tough one as well. So Toledo at Disney Coronado Springs is one of my favorite table service locations. It has a wonderful view and the menu is amazing.

Okay, Toledo’s been on my list for a good while, so now I know for sure I have to go. Vinnie said so. – You gotta go. Yep. Alright, last question for you. Now, do you have any advice for guests that are using the dining plan for the very first time?

For first time visitor, you know, look for the icons for snacks. If you have a favorite snack, look at the menu. If there’s a dining plan icon next to the menu item, that means that that snack, that item is included in the snack options. Okay.

For table service locations, highly recommended that they book reservations ahead of time. Well, of course, if they didn’t, they can always use the walk up waitlist to get on one of the favorite table service locations. And for quick service locations you got to use mobile order. You really save time.

Especially if you want to hit all those attractions that you want to go to in your vacations. – Oh, goodness. Yes, And I’m one of those. I want to hit all the things, but I also want to eat all the things. Absolutely. This was so perfect.

Vinnie, thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for having me. Welcome back, panelists. Thank you! – Thank you! Now, before we hop back into our conversation, Lisa, would you mind giving us a quick little description of what planDisney is? Yes! So planDisney is the ultimate planning website

If you’re looking for tips and you have about planning your Disney vacation resort. You can come and ask us questions about the Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club. And as panelists, we are compensated in a very magical way.

We get to take a reward trip. Now, you both are definite experts of the dining plan. And I have to say, we’re here in 50’s Prime Time Cafe, which is one of my favorite places to use our dining plan when we come as a family.

Now, I need to know your recommendations for where you all love to go when you’re using your dining plan. Amiyrah, this is like choosing a favorite child. How am I going to pick just a few? – I know, I’m so sorry. So for me, for quick service, – I know.

I really love Les Halles in France, at EPCOT. I don’t know if you’ve ever check them out, but they have amazing options. And also I really love Connections Eatery that’s in EPCOT as well, for quick service. – Oh, okay. I’ve always wanted to try that and I haven’t.

We have to do that this trip. – So good. Yes, we do, I agree. It is going to come as no surprise to you that I love to go to a galaxy far, far away in – Yes. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a quick service meals.

I always have to go to Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. They have comfort food, classic flavors just with like a little galactic spin to it. And I also love Satu’li Canteen in Pandora – The World of Avatar.

This might just be me, but I think that it has some of the best food on all of Walt Disney World Resort property. They have create your own bowl options. They’re really like, unique and interesting flavors. But they also kind of trend healthier.

So if you’re looking for something that’s not the typical park food, Satu’li Canteen is going to be the choice. Okay, so I need to try that. Yes. Deal. I have not tried it. Okay, so now you’re swapping. I love it. Yes! Okay, so quick service we covered, now table service.

I need to know what are your favorites? I think you should go first. I want to hear yours. – Oh, absolutely. So, I love Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs. So good. – Yes! Lisa, and I actually got to share a meal there – Such a good choice.

Together a few years ago with some of our best friends. And it still stands out as a highlight of my trip. It is just the most warm, welcoming comfort food. And every time I plan a trip to Walt Disney World, I have to make a reservation to go there.

Oh, I love that. – Super good. Don’t skip the hummingbird cake. – Oh, no. It’s so delicious. – Definitely don’t. And thank us later. Well, again, I can’t choose just one, but my family loves Via Napoli in Italy at EPCOT. And The Boathouse at Disney Springs.

Again, switching out, not being in the theme parks is really fun for us too. And then there are those fine and signature dining options. And I have to tell you about Narcoossee’s. Have you been? Have you been? Okay. – I’ve never been? So, Narcoossee’s

I had the most amazing dining experience I’ve ever had this summer. And if you time your reservation just right, you might get a really magical view of not only the castle, however, also Happily Ever After. – Oh, my gosh. Okay, so can I tell you, they dropped the lights

And they pipe in the soundtrack. And our cast member was so amazing about holding our entrees back so that we can enjoy that magic. And so my husband and I celebrated our anniversary there. Amazing. Don’t miss it. – Oh, my goodness.

It does take two meals to dine there, – Okay. but it is so worth it. Yeah, so signature dining you might not do every day of your trip. Maybe not even every trip. But there are going to be moments where you want to celebrate those special occasions

And those signature dining experiences are going to be the way to go. Perfect. Yes. And I know, so we have signature dining as an option, but we also have character dining, right? Yeah. We can’t forget that. – Yes. And character meals, again, are just those magical moments

Where you’re getting to sit down, you’re relaxing, you’re taking that break, if you’re in the theme parks, but you’re also getting those magical memories. You just will remember for the rest of your life. Yeah, I mean, everybody who goes to Walt Disney World Resort, whether you’re a kid

Or a grown up, you want to see the characters. You might not always want to see the characters – Yes! if you have to wait in the sun outside in line, so with character dining, you get to stay at your table, the characters come to you.

It is the most beautiful experience, – Yes. and they’re really, really wonderful. Personally, I love Garden Grill Restaurant in EPCOT. I love Mickey, but I love a Farmer Mickey. – Yes! And I love that it feels like buffet style, but the meals also come to you.

So it’s really great for adults, but also for families with little ones. So you don’t have to keep getting up and down away from your table. I love that. Family style. Yes. – Family style. So good. Okay, now, you know I’m all about the snacks.

Always all about the snacks. – Yes. What is actually considered a snack on the dining plan? Well, there’s so many options, really too many options to list. Sweet options, savory options. Everything from a piece of fruit,

All the way up to, Michelle and I found at the festival booths yesterday, jumbo shrimp cocktail. Cannot believe that that is a snack. – Yeah. But it looked amazing, so. And you can’t leave without having DOLE Whip. – Oh, no. Have you been on vacation at Walt Disney World Resort

if you haven’t had DOLE Whip? DOLE Whip, DOLE Whip Floats, Mickey shaped snacks. Again, you have to have a Mickey shaped snack before you leave Walt Disney World. So the snack list is always going to be ebbing and flowing. It changes seasonally, but there are some things,

Like Lisa said, that you can always count on. You can count on the Mickey shaped snacks, the ice cream bars, the pretzels. You can count on the DOLE Whips, the DOLE Whip Floats. But what you’re going to want to do is when you’re walking around and you see

Snack carts or quick service locations, there is a little snack icon. It’s purple and white and that will identify what is considered a snack that you can then redeem. You can also look in the My Disney Experience app. – I love that.

And if you’re mobile ordering, you can see that it says, qualifies for a snack. So you definitely want to look out for either the icon, or if you’re ordering through the app, look to make sure it does qualify as a snack. Yeah. And we even found prepackaged snacks yesterday that were seasonal.

Seasonal popcorn mix. – Yeah. That qualified as a snack. And do you want to talk about what you were so excited about? – Yes! We were so excited because we stopped by the Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea stand and I love, I love a specialty coffee.

And we saw that almost all of them had the snack icon and we literally stood outside there – Wow! and we high-fived! – Every single thing on the menu practically was a snack option. Yeah, no one knew why we were high-fiving, – Oh, my gosh. but we were just so excited.

You really are dining plan experts. I just have to tell you that, like, I feel like, I feel prepared. – Thank you! I feel ready! But I need one more final tip. Can you give me a final tip for how to maximize your dining experience? Okay.

So I can’t help but mention again, that you want to make sure you don’t miss out on using all of your meals and snacks. – Okay. And make sure you’re keeping track of those. However, I do recommend if you have a late departure

On the day that you’re checking out, save one of those meals to enjoy with your family before you leave. It’s one last magical moment. – Wow! Whether it’s a quick service meal, or a table service meal, make sure that you get to enjoy that last meal together.

It’s grand finale to your vacation. – Yes! For me, I would say download and use the My Disney Experience app. That is going to be your best tool with the dining plans. You can find dining locations, mobile order quick service food, or even snacks, and you can check and see

How many meals and snacks you’ve redeemed and how many you still have left. It’s almost time to go. But before I let you go, do you think we could do a little lightning round? Are you ready for that? – Yes, please! Okay, alright. – Always.

So I’m going to ask you a series of questions. – Okay. I need the very first answer that pops into your mind. Don’t overthink it. Are you ready? Yes. – Ready. Michelle, I’m going to start with you – Okay. and the Lisa, you’ll be next. – Okay.

Alright, here we go. Which dining plan will you add to your next Disney Resort hotel package? The quick service dining plan. – Okay. Disney Dining Plan, table service all the way. Advice for someone using the dining plan for the first time? I would say not everyone in your travel party has to use

The same quick service location when redeeming meals. So I traveled with my parents last year and my husband and I definitely stopped at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo for lunch. My mom wasn’t as excited at the hot chicken tip yip for some reason,

So we went over to Woody’s Lunch Box and she got a raspberry lunchbox tart. But we got to bring all of our trays together at the same table and still enjoy a meal together. But everyone got to have their own personalized meal that was just right for them. I love that.

So again, those advanced dining reservations are very important if you do choose the the dining plan with table service because you don’t want to be disappointed that you don’t get those experiences that you want to have, your must have meals. So good. Okay. Next question. Favorite quick service dining location?

You know it. – Yeah, I do! Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. Les Halles in France at EPCOT. Okay, you’re sticking, I like it. Favorite table service dining location? Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. – Okay. Get all of the appetizers and you’re welcome. Just in advance. I’m going to stick with Narcoossee’s,

But I’m going to give a nod to Via Napoli. Okay. Best use of a snack? Okay, hear me out on this, blueberry cheesecake mousse from Satu’li Canteen. I dream about it. – Okay. The festival booths. I really think that’s a huge value. The festival booths have so many unique choices, – Absolutely.

and savory and sweet. So put both hands together. Okay, listen, all good answers. Thank you. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of the planDisney Podcast. You can check out a new episode of the planDisney Podcast every third Wednesday of the month.

And if you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to leave us a review. In the meantime, to keep up with all the Disney planning tips and insights, follow @planDisneypanel on Instagram and @planDisney over on X, formerly Twitter. If you have a question of your own,

Stop by planDisney.com to ask. The panelists would be happy to help you. And to keep up on the latest news, stop by the Disney Parks Blog. Thank you so much to our panelists for joining us today. Thank you! – Thank you! We’ll see you next time.