Doodles13 said:
Can you please explain what the "Disney Dinning plan" is?
Glad you had a great time!
Here is the info taken from
www.allearsnet.com
Walt Disney World offers the option of purchasing a Dining Plan when you buy a vacation package. Also, as of April 2006, DVC Members can purchase the dining plan. (Thanks to Anita Answer and Ditto for their help with expanding this page!)
What Does the Dining Plan Include?
With the basic dining plan, you can choose to eat at more than 100 participating Disney restaurants. For each night of your package stay, the dining plan will allow each person to get:
--One table-service meal (including appetizer, entree, dessert, or full buffet, non-alcoholic beverage, and gratuity/service charge; dessert not available at breakfast)
--One counter service meal (including entree/combo meal, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage; dessert not available at breakfast)
-- One snack -- As of May 2006, most snack items under $4 are eligible for the dining plan snack credit. Eligible snacks will be indicated on the menu with a Dining Plan symbol.
(Note that children age 3-9 must choose from a children's menu, if one is available.)
These credits activate as soon as you check in to your resort and can be used at any time, in any combination, during your stay.
The basic dining plan allows for some flexibility, in that one table service meal may be exchanged for one character dining experience. You may also exchange TWO table service meal credits for ONE "signature dining experience" at one of WDW's best restaurants, such as California Grill. You could also exchange TWO table service meal credits for one Disney dinner show, such as the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.
As of 8/06, the
Disney Dining Plan can be used for In-Room Private Dining. TWO table service credits will be deducted from your Dining Plan for a meal. A meal will include the following items:
--Juice (at breakfast)
--Appetizer (at lunch and dinner)
--Entree
--Dessert (at lunch and dinner)
--Non-alcoholic beverage
This is for single serving portions only, and does not include hospitality platters, amenities, or merchandise.
The Dining Plan DOES NOT include the following:
-- Pizza delivery
-- In-room mini-bars
-- Souvenir or refillable drink mugs
-- Glow cubes
-- Merchandise and Photo Imaging
How Much Does it Cost?
The addition of the Dining Plan to a Magic Your Way Vacation Package costs (prices subject to change):
--$37.99 per adult (age 10 and up) per night of stay
--$10.99 per child 3-9 per night of stay
Children under 3 do not need to purchase the plan. At table service restaurants, there is no charge for children under 3 who share from an adult's plate. However, if you order from a menu for a child under 3, you will be charged the menu price. At buffet and "all-you-care-to-eat" restaurants, there is also no charge for children under 3 who share from an adult's plate. However, if you order from a separate children's or ala carte menu for a child under 3 (rather than eating from the buffet or all-you-care-to-eat offerings), you will be charged the price reflected on the menu. At counter service restaurants, you will be charged the menu price if you order a meal for a child under 3.
Who Can Purchase the Dining Plan?
The Magic Your Way Dining Plan can only be purchased as follows:
1. If you are a non-Disney Vacation Club member, you must purchase a Magic Your Way vacation package at a Disney resort for your entire party with at least one day's park admission. The number of days for the Dining Plan will equal the number of nights you have reserved your room on the package. It has nothing to do with the number of days of park admission you have.
2. If you are a Disney Vacation Club member staying at a DVC resort on points, you may purchase the Dining Plan. You must purchase the Dining Plan for everyone in your party. No purchase of park admission is necessary. The number of dining plan days will equal the number of nights of your stay.
NOTE: The following resorts do not participate in the dining plan: The Swan, Dolphin, Shades of Green and the Downtown Disney resorts on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, which are not Disney owned or operated.
Are There Restrictions on How I Use the Dining Credits? Do I Have to Use Table Service Credits Just for Dinners, for example?
It's completely up to you how and when you use your credits. If you want to use all of your table service credits for breakfasts each day instead of dinners, that's fine. Or you may use your counter service credits for breakfast at any participating counter service restaurant with breakfast on the menu. Counter service credits are good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you want to use three of your counter service credits in one day, that's fine, too. You can use two table service credits at the Cinderella's Royal Table character meals and other dinner shows, and also at selected Signature Restaurants such as the California Grill, or you can use them one at time at other character meals or at dozens of table service restaurants for lunch or dinner around the resort.
Can I Use the Dining Plan for Special Events?
The Dining Plan can be used to purchase certain special dining events, but not necessarily all, subject to change.
Fantasmic Dining Experience -- The Dining Plan can be used to purchase the Fantasmic Dining Experience -- if you dine at Hollywood & Vine or Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano you will use one table service dining credit, just as you would for a regular meal; if you dine at Hollywood Brown Derby, you will use two table service credits, as it is considered a Signature Dining Experience.
Candlelight Processional Dinner Package -- During the 2005 Holiday Season, the dining plan could be used to purchase the Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages.
Epcot Food & Wine Festival -- During the 2005 Festival, the Dining Plan snack credits could be used to purchase many of the samples found at the international food booths around World Showcase. The Dining Plan could NOT be used to purchase signature dining events, like the Party for the Senses or Food & Wine Pairings.
Grand Gatherings -- You can book certain Grand Gatherings Experiences using the Magic Your Way Dining Plan.
The Safari Celebration Dinner, the Good Morning Gathering, and the International Dinner and IllumiNations Dessert Party will each require TWO table service credits per person if you use the MYW Dining Plan.
Is the Dining Plan Worth the Money?
It depends:
-- Florida residents and Annual Passholders will probably find that the Disney Dining Experience card would be a better deal, since to get the Dining Plan they would have to pay for a vacation package including rooms and add on tickets they don't need.
-- If your family likes to eat a lot of food every day and doesn't mind taking a lot of time away from touring the parks for a sit-down meal every night, then it can be a pretty good deal. If you are a family of light eaters, picky eaters, or prefer buffets and/or counter-service style food, the plan is probably not a good deal for you.
Our friends at the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World have a fabulous breakdown and comparison chart of the dining plan on their website. Click HERE to see it.
What If I Don't Use All My Dining Plan Credits by the End of My Stay?
Unused credits are not refundable. Make sure you have used them all by the end of the day you check out, as they expire at midnight.
Which Restaurants Accept the Dining Plan?
Here is the list of participating restaurants/food outlets as of 5/06.
NOTE: Click on the links for the restaurant menus -- in some cases we have menus for a variety of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), so the link will take you to the main menu page, rather than to a specific menu.
Disney Dining Plan Participating Restaurants
Location
Snack Counter Service Table Service Signature Dining
Experience and
Dinner Shows*
All Star Resorts Movies - World Premiere Food Court World Premiere Food Court
none none
Movies - Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar
Music - Intermission Food Court Intermission Food Court
Music - Singing Spirits Pool Bar
Sports - End Zone Food Court End Zone Food Court
Sports - Team Spirits Pool Bar
Animal
Kingdom Lodge The Mara The Mara Boma - Flavors of Africa Jiko - The Cooking Place
Uzima Springs Pool Bar
Beach Club
Resort Hurricane Hanna's Grill
Hurricane Hanna's Grill Beach Club Buffet at
Cape May Cafe** none
Beaches & Cream Soda
Shop
Cape May Cafe
BoardWalk Inn
& Villas BoardWalk Joe's BoardWalk Joe's ESPN Club Flying Fish Cafe
Spoodles Pizza Window Spoodles Pizza Window Spoodles
BoardWalk Bakery BoardWalk Bakery Big River Grille and Brewing Works
Leaping Horse Libations Pool Bar
Caribbean
Beach Resort Old Port Royale Old Port Royale Shutters at Old Port Royale none
Banana Cabana Pool Bar
Contemporary
Resort Food and Fun Center
Food and Fun Center Concourse Steak House California Grill
The Sand Bar Chef Mickey's Fun
Time Buffet**
Coronado
Springs Resort Pepper Market Pepper Market
Maya Grill none
Siesta's Pool Bar La Tienda
Fort Wilderness
Resort & Campground none
none Trail's End Restaurant Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical
Revue
Crockett's Tavern Mickey's Backyard
BBQ
Grand Floridian
Resort & Spa Gasparilla Grill & Games
Gasparilla Grill & Games Grand Floridian Cafe Citricos
Beach Bar Cinderella's Gala
Feast at 1900 Park Fare** Narcoossee's
Supercalifragilistic
Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare**
Old Key West
Resort Goods to Go Goods to Go Olivia's Cafe none
Turtle Shack Snack Bar Turtle Shack Snack Bar
Polynesian
Resort Captain Cook's Snack
Company
Captain Cook's Snack
Company Kona Cafe Disney's Spirit of Aloha
Dinner Show
Barefoot Pool Bar 'Ohana
Pop Century
Resort Everything Pop Shopping
and Dining Everything Pop Shopping
and Dining none none
Petals Pool Bar
Port Orleans
Resort Riverside - Riverside Mill Riverside - Riverside Mill Riverside - Boatwright's Dining Hall none
Riverside - Muddy Rivers Pool Bar
FQ - Sassagoula Floatworks and
Food Factory FQ- Sassagoula Floatworks and
Food Factory
FQ - Mardi Grogs
Saratoga
Springs Resort & Spa Artist's Palette Artist's Palette none none
On the Rocks Pool Bar
Wilderness
Lodge Roaring Forks Snacks Roaring Forks Snacks Whispering Canyon Cafe Artist Point
Trout Pass Pool Bar
Yacht Club Hurricane Hanna's Grill Hurricane Hanna's Grill Yacht Club Galley Yachtsman Steakhouse
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
Eagle Pines and
Osprey Ridge Golf
Courses none none Sand Trap Bar and Grill none
Blizzard Beach Avalunch
Avalunch none none
Lottawatta Lodge Lottawatta Lodge
The Warming Hut The Warming Hut
Typhoon
Lagoon Leaning Palms Leaning Palms none none
Typhoon Tilly's Typhoon Tilly's
Animal
Kingdom
Flame Tree Barbeque Flame Tree Barbeque Donald's
Breakfastosaurus at
Restaurant-osaurus** none
Restaurantosaurus Restaurantosaurus
Tusker House Restaurant Tusker House Restaurant
Pizzafari Pizzafari
Dino Bites
Harambe Fruit Market
Fruit Carts
Petrifries
Popcorn Wagons
Ice Cream Novelty Carts
Soda Carts
Disney-MGM Studios ABC Commissary ABC Commissary Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant The Hollywood Brown
Derby
Backlot Express Backlot Express 50's Prime Time Café
Catalina Eddie's Catalina Eddie's Mama Melrose's Ristorante
Italiano
Rosie's All-American Café Rosie's All-American Café Hollywood & Vine
Toy Story Pizza Planet Toy Story Pizza Planet
Fruit Carts
Popcorn Wagons
Ice Cream Carts
Soda Carts
Epcot Boulangerie Patisserie Boulangerie Patisserie
Les Chefs de France
Cantina de San Angel Cantina de San Angel San Angel Restaurant
Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe Princess Storybook
Dining at Restaurant
Akershus**
Liberty Inn Liberty Inn Le Cellier Steakhouse
Electric Umbrella
Restaurant Electric Umbrella
Restaurant Coral Reef Restaurant
Fountain View Espresso &
Bakery Fountain View Espresso &
Bakery L'Originale Alfredo di Roma
Sommerfest Sommerfest Biergarten Restaurant
Sunshine Seasons Sunshine Seasons Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Feast at The Garden Grill**
Yorkshire Co. Fish Shop w/Harry Ramsden Fish and
Chips Yorkshire Co. Fish Shop w/Harry Ramsden Fish and
Chips Rose and Crown Pub &
Dining Room
Lotus Blossom Cafe
Lotus Blossom Cafe Nine Dragons
Fruit Carts Tangierine Cafe
Restaurant
Marrakesh
Yakitori House
Yakitori House Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room
Soda Carts
Ice Cream Novelty Carts
Popcorn Wagons
Refreshment Outpost
Refreshment Port at
Showcase Plaza
Magic Kingdom Casey's Corner Casey's Corner Once Upon a Time
Breakfast at
Cinderella's Royal
Table** with photo package as of 2/1/06
Columbia Harbour House Columbia Harbour House A Fairytale Lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table** with photo package as of 2/1/06
Cosmic Ray's Starlight
Café Cosmic Ray's Starlight
Café Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table** with photo package as of 2/1/06
El Pirata Y El Perico
Restaurant El Pirata Y El Perico
Restaurant Goofy's Liberate
Your Appetite
Character Dinner at
Liberty Tree Tavern**
The Lunching Pad The Lunching Pad Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch
Main Street Bakery Main Street Bakery The Crystal Palace,
A Buffet with Character**
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and
Cafe Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and
Cafe Tony's Town Square
Restaurant
Pinocchio Village Haus Pinocchio Village Haus The Plaza Restaurant
Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station
Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn
Popcorn Wagons
Ice Cream Novelty Carts
Soda Carts
Toontown Farmer's Market
Downtown Disney Marketplace -
Earl of Sandwich Marketplace -
Earl of Sandwich Marketplace - Cap'n Jack's Restaurant none
Marketplace - Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace - Wolfgang Puck Express Pleasure Island - Planet Hollywood
Pleasure Island - Cooke's of Dublin Pleasure Island - Cooke's of Dublin Pleasure Island - Raglan Road
West Side - FoodQuest West Side - FoodQuest West Side - Wolfgang Puck Cafe
Disney's Wide World of
Sports none none Official All-Star Cafe none
* 2 Table Service credits will be used for each person dining
**Indicates a Disney Character Dining Location
Merchandise or photo imaging products that may be offered at Character Dining Experiences are not included except as noted.
Disney Dining Plan locations are subject to change without notice. Operational hours may vary. Theme Park admission is required for some dining locations.
Advance reservations are strongly recommended for Table Service, Signature Dining Experiences and Character Dining Experiences. Reservations may be made up to 180 days prior to arrival by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).
Reservations are required for Disney Dinner Shows. Reservations may be made up to one year prior to arrival by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).
) . I can't wait to wear my ears out there, just to have people saying "congratulations" will make our day so if we get anything else then that ll be an added but unexpected bonus 
.
