5 Ways to use the Disney Dining Plan at Disney Springs
For guests who book a Disney World resort hotel and ticket package, there are several different prepaid Dining Plans available for purchase. If you are unfamiliar with Disney World’s Dining Plans, read about the basics here.
Not sure if the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) will be a good idea for your trip? Before I get down to our 5 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Disney Springs, check out Disney World Splurges to see how the DDP might work for your group.
Have the Disney Dining Plan already or plan to? Let’s see if I can help you to utilize your DDP to it’s fullest! I’m all about getting the most out of our trips both inside and outside of the parks. That definitely includes our dining experiences.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the Disney Dining Plan can only be used inside the parks.
There are so many ways to use the Disney Dining Plan outside of the parks. While we generally use the majority of our DDP credits inside the parks, we usually eat at least one Quick Service and a couple of Table Service meals outside of the parks on every trip.
You don’t have to be a shopper to enjoy Disney Springs.
There is great shopping at Disney Springs. No doubt about it. You will find things there that you can’t find in the park or resort gifts shops. However, Disney Springs has a lot more to offer than shopping. Have a Lego fan? While you may actually want to shop at the Lego store, it doesn’t cost a dime to check out the Lego sculptures inside and outside of the store. Basketball fans will love the NBA Experience. There are also virtual reality adventures and a balloon ride that offers great views. See a movie, bowl or take a ride in a car that floats!
Handy Tip: Need more information to decide if a trip to Disney Springs could work for your group? Check out our article: Is Disney Springs Worth It?
If you are looking to eat, Disney Springs has really been upping its dining game.
From sweet snacks to QUALITY Quick Service and Signature Table Service locations owned by famous chefs, this destination has you covered. The DDP is a great excuse to explore Disney Springs. Take a break from the parks while still staying inside the “Disney Bubble.” Shop, do some people watching, and eat some really great food with your DDP credits!
Sounds good, right? Here are 5 ways to use the Disney Dining Plan at Disney Springs.
1. Arrival or Departure Day
Didn’t get a park ticket for your arrival or departure days? A good way to occupy yourself, before your first day in the parks OR before your tragical ride back to the airport, is a visit to Disney Springs. Think of it as easing into or out of your Disney vacation.
Handy Tool: To find out which locations accept the DDP, check out this great online tool. Just click on the “Dining Plans” icon. You can even narrow your search by what type of plan.
2. Late Day Fast Passes
If you find yourself with a late day Fast Pass and don’t necessarily need to get to the parks early, a late morning trip to Disney Springs could be in order. When we could only score a Fast Pass for later in the afternoon (looking at you Flight of Passage), we decided to spend the afternoon and evening at Animal Kingdom and opt for Disney Springs in the morning. Worked like a charm. Granted, we could have just spent the whole day at Animal Kingdom or could have gone to another park in the morning with our Park Hopper tickets, but it was later in our trip and it afforded a nice little break for our weary park-marching feet.
We were able to do a little shopping, get some great pictures at the PhotoPass Studio and grab a quick lunch. Later in the afternoon, we hopped on a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge to do a little resort snooping and thirst quenching with our DDP refillable mugs. Rested and ready for the park, we hopped on a bus from the Lodge to Animal Kingdom. Easy peasy.
Handy Tip: The PhotoPass Studio is particularly great if you have purchased Memory Maker. The more photo opportunities the better! Off topic, but if you are thinking about getting Memory Maker, we might be able to help: “Is Memory Maker Worth It?”
3. Quick Service Lunch Break
Quick Service locations are not all created equal. If you are looking for something better than food court or kiosk fare, Disney Springs offers several Quick Service restaurants on the DDP that offer quality food.
Chicken Guy, Guy Fieri’s fast food chicken chain, is definitely worth it if you are trying to please a variety of palates. Kids that live on chicken nuggets alone will be happy as well as less picky eaters. They offer pretty solid chicken strips and sandwiches. While we don’t find Chicken Guy to be all that exceptional, it is a great alternative to run of the mill fast food if you need to please a varied group.
Helpful Hint: Seating is limited both outside and inside. This place can get SLAMMED at typical meal times. Consider hitting Chicken Guy before noon or maybe after 2. In our experience, the line does move fast, but the seating situation can be tricky. Also, if you have heard all the buzz about the sauces, take warning. The sauces are good, but are limited to a couple of choices per meal.
As condiment connoisseurs, we are more impressed with D-Luxe Burger. A plethora of super tasty sauces are ALL available at self serve pump dispensers. Huzzah! D-Luxe Burger is also a good way to “spend” Quick Service credits. The burgers are pretty good and the milkshakes are excellent.
Helpful Hint: D-Luxe Burger has a history of changing what you get for DDP credits so make sure to check first. It looks like it currently covers one burger and one drink (including milkshakes) for 1 Quick Service credit. The french fries require an additional snack credit. While that is a bummer, remember there are a gazillion yummy sauces to enhance your fry eating experience.
While we haven’t managed to fit it in YET, Polite Pig is another Quick Service location on the DDP that gets a lot of good press. Check it out and let us know!
4. Snack while you shop
Shopping requires strategic sustenance breaks. FACT. Have a sudden Dole Whip emergency? Disney Springs has a snack stand that will take your snack credit and solve that problem for you. Likewise, there several locations that sell cupcakes, chocolates and desserts for DDP snack credits. Want the milkshake, hold the burger? D-Luxe Burger has milkshakes AND fries for just a snack credit.
Some folks have trouble using up all of the snack credits before the end of their trip. I say they probably aren’t getting enough caramel popcorn at the German pavilion, but to each their own. If you have some pesky snack credits hanging around, shop-snack-shop. You’re welcome.
Helpful Hint: Our first year with the DDP, we were just getting the hang of using it and had many left over snack credits. My sister snagged some edible souvenirs for kids back home and quickly dispensed with our lingering snack credits. Use up any remaining snack credits at Goofy’s Candy Company. Nothing says thanks for watching my cat like a Mickey shaped rice krispie treat the size of your neighbor’s head!
5. Have a relaxing dinner
Many of the Table Service restaurants at Disney Springs are on the DDP. It seems like a few new places open up every year now and some are associated with world-renowned chefs.
We tried out The Edison shortly after it opened. Truthfully, we weren’t crazy about our meals there, particularly at their price point. At the time, it was not yet on the DDP and we had to pay out of pocket. The ambiance at this location, however, can’t be beat. My kid got a big kick out of one of the wandering steampunk “scientists” who worked a little magic at our table and the roaming stilt walkers were also a hit.
Now that it’s on the DDP, The Edison is definitely a cost effective way to use your Table Service credits. I have heard better things about their food now and we did eat there VERY early on when they may not have worked all of the opening kinks. We are definitely going to try it out again.
Handy Tip: It is often the case that dining locations ARE NOT yet on the DDP when first opening. So, if you have your eye on a brand new place and it isn’t on the DDP yet, it may be on your next trip. Or, keep checking prior to your current trip. Don’t give up hope!
Have a little adventure outside of the parks!
The Edison, Chicken Guy and D-Luxe Burger are just the tip of the dining iceberg here. Our Disney food bucket list is teeming with places at Disney Springs that we hope to get to. There are just so many choices! With such a wide variety of DDP eligible dining experiences found there, Disney Springs is definitely a great place to use the Disney Dining Plan.
Hopefully these 5 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at Disney Springs will help you to make the most of your trip and the DDP!
Still need some help with planning dining for your Disney World trip?
Check out our 6 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts, Top 10 Disney World Dining Tips, Dining by Park and Dining by Resort.
Here are some great online tools that can also really help when planning your dining “attractions” at Disney Springs:
Menu Tool: For thorough and up to date information on dining location menus and prices, check out AllEars.net’s menu tool. Use it to see get more specific information about particular dining locations. Prices are listed as well, so it’s the perfect tool for doing a comparison between out of pocket cost vs DDP cost. Just use the filtering options to select Disney Springs.
Dining Location and DDP credit Tool: To generate a quick list of the dining locations that accept some form of the DDP, use the official Disney World dining search tool. Narrow your search by using the “All Parks and Resorts” drop down and selecting Disney Springs under “Other Destinations.” The filter feature also allows you to narrow it down by the type of meal (Quick Service, Table Service, etc.) food, experience (character, dinner show) and which Dining Plan is accepted.
