FAQ about the Disney Dining Plan

[jrogers345]

I believe everyone, who makes their ADR's 90 days out, will encounter this problem. I have made my ADR's already for our trip mid-December and Disney doesn't even have the extra magic hours for November out yet, only the regular operating hours. When making my ADR's I based my park visits by looking at the extra magic hour history over the year. For the most part it appears to be consistently the same month after month with the exception of any special events (MNSSHP, for example). I plan to reevaluate my park visit days when the December extra magic hours are posted. I will attempt to change my ADR's appropriately, if need be or if I am able to.

November extra hours are out on website and they're the same and Sept and Oct. Now not sure if it will be different for Dec especially Christmas week.

 

[TINKERIFIC]

November extra hours are out on website and they're the same and Sept and Oct. Now not sure if it will be different for Dec especially Christmas week.

Thanks! It seems it might change, especially when there is a MVMCP is on the 20th, which is a Wednesday, which is a EMH evening in prior months.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Is the dining rate of 35 for Adult and 10 for child include tax?

 

[HaleyB]

Re Tax: Tax and tip are included on your meals. But I think what you are asking is will there be tax on thr $35 you pay, the answer is no, that is the before tax price (like everything else Disney publishes, room rates and ticket prices).


Re going in January: At the risk of being flamed, might I suggest you book two ADRs for each meal based on current EMH's and your best guess as to deviations. Then cancel the ones you don't need (but wait until about 2 weeks before you go because EMH change often at around the two week mark). Two years ago I booked four CRT breakfasts and then waited to see which one would fit best once the hours came out. Then I called and dropped three of them.

 

[wannabebelle]

So, if I'm making a room only reservation, I can't get the dining package, correct? I went for a quick trip earlier this month. The trip was actually for a work conference, so I stayed at the conference hotel which was offsite. I was only going to the park two days, but I'm going back for five days in Dec. (on property). I bought a 7-day non-expiring park pass, so have I locked myself out from the dining package by doing that?

 

[PhillyDisnynut]

Do you have to buy the magic your way plus dinning plan to purchase the dinning plan?
or can i just book the room and the dinning plan and a 1 day base ticket for each member in my party?
trying to decide
thanks

 

[CarolynMink]

According to UG WDW the basic package is exclusive to Disney Resort guests and can be added to the Magic Your Way base package on a nightly rate (currently$35) for each night of your reservation. My understanding is that everyone in your room must be under the same plan. There is also a Premium Package which is everything included (park hopper, Plus pack, 3 meals/day, dinner shows golf and more. I hope this helps.

 

[scrapperjill]

From what I hear....alot of people will book the MYW package with the room and dinning plan then get just a one day ticket for everyone...(lots of the AP holders do this...or those that are planning on getting a AP). It dosn't matter how many days park tickets you get...you just have to have the night stays and the days of meal plan the same.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Thanks! It seems it might change, especially when there is a MVMCP is on the 20th, which is a Wednesday, which is a EMH evening in prior months.

The 20th is a Tuesday.

 

[Orgamizer]

I know exactly what you mean. Our trip is booked ( and paid for!!!!YEAH!!!!) for 11/29 - 12/6 and we still dont have the park schedule for December yet. So what I did with the help of alot of tips and advice from Disboards, was go to allears.net and get the schedule from last year and hope that this year will be the same. I went ahead and planned out my days based on last years schedule and made all my dining reservations as we are on the dining plan and really want to eat at certain restaurants. That way the reservations are at least made and then if things change we figured it will be easier to change a few reservations if necessary than to have to wait and make them all at the last minute. Hope this helps.

 

[solferino]

Mike,

I am in the exact same boat you are, and I feel like it's sinking. I am also going to WDW in Jan. 06. I feel like I can't get anything done at this point, planning wise, because they don't have a schedule or extra magic hours info posted. Your suppose to make reservation 90 days in advance...I'm leaving in 96 days! I've read that the schedule will not be out until the begining of November. What am I suppose to do? I am very frustrated at his point!! Every thing I have read tells me I should plan, PLAN, PLAN, every detail of this trip but I can't CAN'T, CAN'T because I feel like I don't have & can't get any information! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...this is so frustrating!!!!!

Thanks for letting me vent! If anyone has any info at all please up us!

I hear ya! I'm going to make the ressies at 90 days (Monday) and once the new hours come out for January I'll tweak it if I have to, but hope that doesn't happen. We've got parkhopper so we do have that option, but logistically it makes sense to eat in the park youre in.

(ot, but there was a blast from the past for me... when my gparents were alive and we visited them we used to go to a place called eatnpark, I think it's a Pittsburgh chain. I loved their smiley cookies. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming)

 

[mike222]

When we make our ps bookings we obviously need to book a time. Does anybody have any suggestions as to the best time to make a booking to eat dinner with respect to the park closing times so you are able to continue with the parks, which is what we are there for?
Eg would you expect dinner to take about an hour or longer?
Is it better to have dinner later & have a late lunch and then the crowds may be having dinner while your out playing? So your cue time is less.
Any suggestions would be welcomed.

regards,

Mike

 

[Kris & Steve]

I am also wondering what is a good time for dinner reservations. We normall eat later at home so we would probably do that is DW too. Is 7pm normally a busy time. I am wondering though if the parks are closed...any ideas & suggestions are appreciated...Thank you again!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Really, NO OFFENSE, but you will find that going in January is so very relaxing and laid back that you don't have to stress this much!! Eat when you normaly do, the lines are NOT horendus at all. no matter what time you eat, it will be fine. In my experience we have only waited for Peter Pan and in hindsight its when the old Lion King show (now Mickey Philharmagic) was letting its entire show out. Yes this means that you can ride Splash and TOT and RNR and Mission Space and the saffari without waits longer than 15 minutes!!!

 

[cillakat]

i find that it's easiest for us (dd's 4 and 6) if we eat at our normal times. I pretty much follow the touring plans in the Unofficial Guide to a T since it fits in with our schedule at home. We get up early, have a little something to eat in the room....per a rec from a reader comment in UG 2005, i pack little healthy snacks in the girls tiny fanny packs (from oriental trading co....12 of them for $13 LOL)....little clementine....almonds......protein bar. amazing what you can fit in there.

we hardcore tour from

then we eat an earl-ish lunch around 11 or 11:30 which when we're at disney (between xmas and ny) everything is just starting to get mindbogglingly busy - so it's a perfect time to break.

if we eat as a family, we start no later than 6 b/c our kids go to bed early.....if someone is watching the kids, DH and I eat later - around 7:30/8.

i find that my kids will only nap every other day (they don't nap at home and haven't in a long time.....so on day one, they don't nap....we tour hard, eat early, swim and put them to bed early....

on day two they'll usually nap....so up early, eat lunch early, swim...away from the park from about 12-5 then back for evening touring...eating early (5:30 to 6ish)...then just a snack later...then bedtime.

we've never made it to evening fireworks....i just don't want to deal with kids that cranky the next day

this year might be the first year we make it.....but i'm not sure yet.

we have one family dinnner at boma....6 pm. one family dinner at the hawaiian luau at 5:15 - i went as a kid (at disney and multiple times in hawaii) and know my kids will looooove it. dh and i have one dinner at california grill at 8 pm after la nouba.....and right now we're booked for fantasmic dinner package at brown derby but that's early and we probably won't keep it.....i'll probably move us to citricos or jiko or i'm not sure yet

katherine in atl

 

[cillakat]

<<I am in the exact same boat you are, and I feel like it's sinking. I am also going to WDW in Jan. 06. I feel like I can't get anything done at this point, planning wise, because they don't have a schedule or extra magic hours info posted. Your suppose to make reservation 90 days in advance...I'm leaving in 96 days! I've read that the schedule will not be out until the begining of November. What am I suppose to do? I am very frustrated at his point!! Every thing I have read tells me I should plan, PLAN, PLAN, every detail of this trip but I can't CAN'T, CAN'T >>

it really won't matter in January. That's the difference. You have to plan plan plan for certain times of the year. January will be sooooo very open, that you won't have too much trouble booking anything except the most challenging things like the special illuminations cruise, breakfast at cindy's (much less competition now that there's lunch as well with characters)...

I wouldn't sweat it for January.......and believe me, i do sweat *all* the details from sunsccreen to ponchos to meals, to touring plans and everything else.

Do you have the unofficial guide to WDW 2006?


katherine in atl

 

[Kris & Steve]

Thanks for your help cillakat. I haven't been to WDW since '98 & this is the first trip I have had to plan for us. I am very detail oriented & it's hard for me to even think about just winging this vacation.

Where can I get the UG 2006?

Thank you!

 

[diznyfanatic]

I have our vacation booked for Dec/Jan and called today to inquire about adding the Dining Plan.

The CM told me it was $38.00 per day per Adult and $11.00 per day per child. This is different than the $35.00/$10.00 I've seen here. Has the price gone up recently?

 

[leanne11]

2 nights at asm and a 6 day ticket, we will then move to bcv (dvc), so i think i'm eligible for 2 nights worth of tokens, for the onsite stay but someone said they are on you room key, i don't want them on my key because i want to use them while we are at bcv, can't i get the tokens on something else, or will they be denied because we checked out of asm..possible?

 

[solferino]

I have our vacation booked for Dec/Jan and called today to inquire about adding the Dining Plan.

The CM told me it was $38.00 per day per Adult and $11.00 per day per child. This is different than the $35.00/$10.00 I've seen here. Has the price gone up recently?

It's the price increase for 2006. Still a good deal.