6 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts
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 6 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts, 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.
Need a park break? Resort dining locations are perfect for a quick lunch break or even a leisurely dinner.
One of the best ways to use the DDP is at the resorts. We are big fans of the Disney World resort hotels and always visit several of them during our vacations. The great thing about the DDP is that it’s accepted at most resort dining locations so it’s easy to plan a resort visit and get a bite to eat at the same time. All of the resorts offer Quick Service dining but the Deluxe and Moderate resorts have at least one Table Service location.
Even the resorts that aren’t heavily themed offer unique dining experiences.
The DDP is a great excuse to explore Disney property outside of the parks. Resort dining locations can be less hectic than the parks and offer good people watching, great food and a change of scenery.
Sounds good, right? Here are 6 ways to use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts.
1. Escape from Magic Kingdom
Most Magic Kingdom Table Service restaurants are giant caverns of echoing noise. Sorry, it had to be said. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t everyone’s thing and sometimes you just need a break from the crowds and the noise to recharge. There are five different resorts in the Magic Kingdom area and three different ways to get to the them.
- Monorail: Polynesian Village, Contemporary, Grand Floridian
- Boat: Polynesian Village, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness
- Walk: Contemporary and soon the Grand Floridian
A more relaxed and quiet lunch, snack, or cocktail is just a quick walk, boat or monorail ride away.
I like to plan a dinner at one the resorts mentioned above on nights when we are going to utilize evening Extra Magic Hours at Magic Kingdom. I make Advance Dining Reservations for around 7 and then we are boating over to the park by 8:30 or so. Works like a charm.
Handy Dinner Tip: If you want a great meal with unique character interaction, try Artist’s Point Story Book Dining at the Wilderness Lodge. It’s a quick and scenic boat ride between the Lodge and Magic Kingdom!
2. The Pool Bar Lunch
Believe it or not, some of the resorts have pretty decent food selections at their pool bar. We have grabbed a quick salad or burger at pool bars during an afternoon break from the parks. You can try out any of the pool bars, no reservation required. However, if you are staying at an on property resort, have a swim after lunch and a little siesta in your room before heading back into the parks for the evening.
Handy Tip: For Hollywood Studios or Epcot days, try out Hurricane Hanna’s at the Beach Club/Yacht Club resorts’ Stormalong Bay. Plan to rope drop the park. As the crowds swell near lunch time, head out of the parks.
From Epcot: Exit out of the International Gateway between the UK and France in the World Showcase area. It’s just about a 5 minute walk on the pathway to Hurricane Hanna’s.
From Hollywood Studios: Hop on a Friendship Boat and get off at the Beach Club dock. Hurricane Hanna’s is steps away.
3. Visit the Boardwalk
If a pool bar lunch isn’t working for you, try visiting the boardwalk area on your Hollywood Studios day. Unlike Epcot, Hollywood Studios only has a handful of good dining locations (looking at you, 50’s Prime Time Cafe!) Fear not! Several restaurants along the boardwalk are on the DDP. Everything from Italian to seafood and Signature Fine Dining to delicious baked goods are available.
Handy Tip: If you time it right, after dinner you can catch some of the Epcot AND Hollywood Studios fireworks from the comfort of a park bench after dinner! There is also often evening entertainment (magic, juggling) along the boardwalk as well.
From Hollywood Studios: Take a Friendship boat and get off at either the Swan and Dolphin or Boardwalk Inn dock. There is also a walking path between Hollywood Studios and the boardwalk which may be faster than waiting for the boat, but it’s around a 15-20 minute walk.
4. Unique Resort Treats and Theming
A food court is a food court, but you can’t beat the convenience. We tend to visit them to grab a quick drink with the refillable mugs that come with the DDP. The Grab ‘n Go locations are perfect for snagging a quick breakfast item and coffee on the way to catch the bus for rope drop. Some food courts actually have “exclusive” cupcakes or other treats that you can’t get anywhere else on property and are available for a teeny tiny snack credit.
With the new Skyliner transportation option, you can pop over to the Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts from Hollywood Studios or Epcot and see what they have available. While they both have Quick Service food courts only, the larger than life theming at both of these resorts may be worth the trip. The Skyliner station is right between the two resorts which are connected by a bridge over Hourglass Lake.
Feed the kids and then walk around Art of Animation. The grounds are full of gigantic Disney characters from Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King, and Cars. If old school Disney animation is more your thing, take a walk around the grounds of Pop Century.
Handy Tip: Dole Whip fan? Pop Century’s food court, Everything Pop Shopping and Dining has a dedicated counter for Dole Whip and other ice cream treats. Take the Skyliner over, grab a treat and stroll around the two resorts.
5. Dinner and a Show
Fort Wilderness Campground, Wilderness Lodge, and the three “monorail resorts” (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian) all offer special dinner shows, character meals or unique Magic Kingdom fireworks views at locations that are on the DDP.
Handy Tip: Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or ANYTHING? A dinner show is a great option. Perfect way to end a park day or for “rest days” without a park ticket.
6. Take a Trip to the Caribbean
It’s super easy to take a little tropical break from Epcot or Hollywood Studios now that the Skyliner is up and running! With a stop right at the Caribbean Beach Resort, you could have a lunch at the Banana Cabana pool bar or Spyglass Grill but we highly recommend dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro. Once the new Riviera Resort opens (December 16, 2019) there will be even more dining locations to choose from.
This is also a great option for guests staying at the Epcot/Boardwalk area resorts. Just hop on the Skyliner at the Epcot station and head over for a tropical mini visit.
Have a little adventure outside of the parks!
A wide variety of dining experiences can be found there. Hopefully these 6 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts 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 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 the resorts:
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.
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 to see what’s going on at particular resort or resort area. 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.
