Looking for the best value for your money? Don’t waste your credits on these restaurants and food or beverages when you’re using the Disney Dining Plan.
Sure, the Disney Dining Plan can help you save money when you opt to buy it instead of paying out of pocket for every meal while you’re visiting Disney World. But those savings only appear if you know how to use the plan – and maximize its value.
With the Disney Dining Plan priced at $94.28 per day for adults and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan priced at $57.01 per day, you’re investing a significant sum of money when you add either onto your vacation. While you have flexibility in how you use your meal credits and can pick and choose what’s most valuable to you, it’s important to know that there are some Disney Dining Plan moves that are just an absolute waste of money.
What are those mistakes? Below, we’re sharing the worst ways to use your Disney Dining Plan credits below so you can make the most out of your money and every meal.
Dining at Any and All 2-Credit Table-Service Restaurants
Photo by Cliff Wang
Yep, we’re talking about you, Cinderella’s Royal Table! Disney Dining Plan credits lose a ton of value when they’re used at uber-expensive restaurants –and when you’re on the plan, “expensive” means anything more than one credit per person, per meal.
Certain highly popular or very exclusive restaurants at Disney World cost double on the Disney Dining Plan. Instead of using one table-service meal credit per person, they require two credits per person, per meal.
While this makes logical sense –after all, these restaurants are pretty expensive on their ownwhen you’re paying cash –it’s hands down the worst way to spend your meal credits.
Remember, you’re paying over $94 per day, per adult for two meals (one quick-service, one table-service) on the Disney Dining Plan. If you break down the cost to roughly $25 for the quick-service credit (the average quick-service entrée cost) and $6 for a snack credit, that means each table-service meal credit costs you about $63.
At a restaurant that costs two table-service meal credits per person, that means you’re spending a whopping $126 per person.
So, if you’re dining at a restaurant that requires two table-service credits like Cinderella’s Royal Table –the most expensive character dining experience – you’re actually paying more when you use the dining plan versus paying out of pocket.
That same math applies to all of the other two-credit spots on the Disney Dining Plan too, like Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort or Le Cellier at EPCOT.
Using Credits at Lounges and Bars
Popping into one of Disney World’s many lounges or bars at the theme parks or hotels might sound like a great way to utilize your dining plan credits. Plus, if you can’t get a table-service restaurant reservation, lounges often serve some of the same food – like Banana Cabana serving dishes from Sebastian’s Bistro, or Crew’s Cup Lounge serving dishes from Yachtsman Steakhouse and Ale and Compass.
But using your Disney Dining Plan credits at any of Disney World’s lounges that participate in the plan is a terrible move. If you’re looking for value, you won’t get that by dining on credits here.
A table-service meal credit on the Disney Dining Plan normally includes a beverage (but not a specialty co*cktail), an entrée, and a dessert. However, lounges don’t serve full entrées. Instead, they offer shareable plates, appetizers, or some form of light bites –meaning the portions are smaller.
And many lounges don’t serve dessert, which means you can’t order this key piece of your dining plan meal.
Ultimately, that means you’re paying a lot more for each table-service meal credit than your meal is worth when you’re using them at any lounge or bar. You aren’t getting the full value of those credits, which is essentially like throwing money away.
Spending Snack Credits on Bottled Water or Soda
Photo by Tina Chiu
Both the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan include a snack credit for each day of your vacation. Those snack credits can be used on all kinds of popular snacks, from popcorn and ice cream to fruit and even cups of soup. They can also be used on beverages – like bottled water or soda purchased anywhere across Disney World.
But I’m here to tell you spending your snack credits on a bottle of water or soda is a complete waste of money.
Sure, it’s convenient to use your snack credits and grab a basic beverage anywhere nearby. But your meal credits already come with a beverage… and every person on the dining plan gets a refillable resort mug that can be filled up with soda or water. Don’t like either of those approaches? You can get free ice water at any quick-service restaurant!
So, paying for a bottle of water or soda with a snack credit is a terrible way to use those credits. Plus, since each snack credit works out to about $6, you’re losing value. Bottled water and soda typically cost about $3.50, so you’re using just over half of your snack credit’s actual monetary value.
For more help mastering the Disney Dining Plan and maximizing your value, keep reading:
The Big Mistakes I Made Using the Disney Dining Plan in 2024
The Best Restaurants to Get the Most Value from the Disney Dining Plan
