Why we used a Walt Disney World Dining Plan and liked it

Walt Disney World is definitely on the list of places that my family loves to visit. We've been several times now. Each experience is more fun than the last.

But, we had a more enjoyable trip and maintained a budget better when we used the Disney Dining Plan. The meals purchased are less expensive than regular park prices and budgeting is more reliable. We opted not to use a plan for our first trip. Don't worry. We won't make that mistake again.

It was our second visit that made us Disney Dining Plan for meals believers. We were at WDW with our daughter's high school band. She was automatically registered for the Quick-Service Dining Plan as part of her package.

Taken at WDW

Hubby and I deliberated selected the option known simply as the Disney Dining Plan. There are several types to choose from. This one came with one quick-service meal, one table dining and 1 snack per day. It was perfect for us.

Meals are tracked by a point system that goes with your room card. We were given updates every time we dined so we knew exactly how many remained. Our meal balance for the Disney Dining Plan was easily checked at eateries and snack shops throughout the park.

Using all of our points was more difficult than you might think. Before check-out, we quickly reviewed our meal plan. I was surprised to see how many points remained.

We decided to use them to grab sandwiches, drinks and chips for the ride home. I used the leftover snack points to buy munch-able treats as souvenirs for the kids at home. Points weren't wasted, the kids were happy and we didn't have to stop for lunch on the way home. It was great!

Choosing the Disney Dining Plan was a smart decision for us. It was paid for in advance with our trip package and reservations were made months before arriving. This eliminated all the stress of planning where to eat, when and figuring out how much to budget for meals.

Before choosing any Disney Dining Plan you need to know a couple of things. <more...>