Disney World guests utilizing the Disney Dining Plan will want to be aware of some rumored changes taking place to the popular plans available for Disney Resort guests starting today, May 31, 2015 (though it is rumored that Disney will not post the changes officially until June 4th).
Please note that at this time we have not received official confirmation from Disney regarding any of these changes. We just wanted you to be aware of the rumors in the case that you’d be able to put them into practice this week in the parks.
Participants on the Dining Plan will be able use their dining credits in the typical ways (i.e. guests on the standard Disney Dining Plan will still receive 1 Table Service Credit, 1 Quick Service Credit, and 1 Snack Credit per night of stay and can use those credits accordingly at designated locations); however, there may be additional opportunities that will allow for more flexibility.
Snack Entitlements
The most commonly rumored change says that a “snack credit” will now include all single-serve items and beverages such as Caramel Apples — not including Character designs — and large Mickey Cookies among other previously ineligible items. Also included may be Quick Service restaurant side items and breakfast items, like sides of bacon or sausage.
Caramel Apples
These may include:
– Non-alcoholic single-serve beverages (not including souvenir cups)
– All ice cream novelties
– Hand-scooped ice cream including sundaes not exceeding two scoops (not including any souvenir bowls)
– All side items on Quick Service restaurant menus
– Soups at Quick Service locations
– Dipping sauces or toppings that were previously available for an additional charge (such as the $1.00 extra for cheese sauce to go with a Mickey Pretzel) can now be included in the snack credit
– Certain Quick Service breakfast items (that have been previously considered only as part of an entree) including: sides of bacon, sausage, eggs, or potatoes, cereal with milk, French Toast Sticks, oatmeal, quinoa, grits, biscuits & gravy, and hard-boiled eggs.
It’s important to note that “Dining Plans Not Accepted” text has popped on on several kiosk/restaurant pages on the official Disney website, as seen in these screen shots below:
Screen shot of Aloha Isle webpage via the Disney World website
Screen shot of Sleepy Hollow webpage via the Disney World website
However, we want to stress that as of the time of this writing, our reporters indicate that Aloha Isle and other kiosks are indeed accepting snack credits for the Disney Dining Plan.
We’ll keep you updated.
Quick Service Entitlements
Quick Service meal credits may now be traded for up to three snack credits
at select locations. It’s important to note that the conversion must take place within the same transaction.
Also in the list of rumors, guests at Quick Service restaurants will officially be able to select adult entrees for their children if they so choose (and vice versa, an adult can select a kids’ entree). This has been a loophole in the dining plan for years, but apparently now it will be officially allowed.
Guests may also exchange the Quick Service dessert or non-alcoholic beverage options for any eligible snack on the menu within the same transaction.
Disney quick service chocolate cake.
Table Service Entitlements
Substitutions will be allowed — by request only — for the dessert option
that comes with a Table Service entitlement, with guests now having the option to exchange dessert for a side salad, cup of soup, or fruit plate (where available). Exchanging a dessert for an appetizer will still not be an option.
French Onion Soup
Guests participating on the Deluxe, Premium, or Platinum Dining Plans can select adult OR children’s entrees for their Table Service meal credits; so if junior wants an adult entree, he can have at it. Please note this change does NOT apply to the standard Disney Dining Plan.
Once again — these are all rumored changes. Disney has not yet announced anything officially about these updates. Please stay tuned to DFB as we continue to explore the changes that may be happening.
We would greatly appreciate if any of you could share your experiences that you’ve had using your Dining Plan credits in a recent park visit. Please let us know if you’ve been on the receiving end of any of these rumored changes. And thank you!
Sources: Touring Plans, WDWInfo.com
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I have had as entitlement traded for 3 snacks at csr about three weeks ago.
This sounds like a great change. We always do Quick Service Dining Plan and to have the ability to grab 3 snacks in place of a meal would be great. Often we have a late afternoon flight home and have those remaining dinner credits to use. I have bought people’s meals in our hotel before which is nice to do to. But to take extra snacks home to remind us of Disney would be great
If Dole Whips are no longer going to be a snack credit option, I’ll be so sad!
We were there in 2011 and my husband used his snack for a bowl of grits at breakfast, and he did this several times.
extremely happy about these changes. If I could opt out of a dessert for a soup or salad I would be so happy.
Most times the dessert at a table service is less satisfying then a nearby snack.
I would rather get the soup, walk off the meal and get a snack a little later.
Using a snack credit for a side of sauce seems wasteful.
Hope this happens.
If three snacks for a quick service meal is a go then helloooo Food and Wine Festival! Fingers crossed that it could be a “select location”.
Katie, I thought the same thing! Buy a qs ddp, exchange all the meals for 3 snack credits each and go bananas at the F&WF booths. But I think it will more likely be something along the lines of “instead of a meal at Pinnochio Village Haus, you could get a cup of tomato soup, side Caesar salad, and garlic knots.” (Or is it breadsticks, I can’t keep up with that place. Lol)
I love the idea of exchanging the dessert for soup, that restriction has kept us from purchasing a ddp several times. I’m going to have to wait, see, and do loads of math when this all becomes official.
Yesterday used a quick service credit for 3 snacks in Sleepy Hollow, Writers Stop and Old Port Royal, no probs but not all staff know how to put through till so check receipts, one took 3 QS credits off but changed when I spotted. It’s working great for us!
My trip isn’t until 6/5 but I just spoke to disney dining and they confirmed that i can use both my quick service and table service credits for my friends who are staying off property. They also confirmed that in a table service venue I could use as many of my table service credits on “guests” (friends not on the dining plan) that I want. This is important for me because I have a special needs son who can’t eat the disney food but I was forced to buy a dining plan for him if I wanted the adults in my room to have one. Until now I thought I would be loosing all of that money. Now I can use my sons credits on my nieces and nephews staying off property.
Oh also you will be able to trade down any meals ie table for quick, quick for snack. its not worth it for most people but if you get locked into something you can’t use like we did then it is at least something.
For my upcoming trip to the EFWF, I specifically didn’t go with the dining plan because of the lack of snack credits. But if the food booths will convert a QS credit into 3 snack credits, then I’ll reconsider the meal plan just for the convenience. If the QS credit is only converted at a QS restaurant, then I’ll be sticking to my OOP plan. We’ll see what June 4 will bring!
I like the new ideas. I’ve often had a QS meal left over and often wished for more snack credits; more snacks to choose from is nice, too. As for the EFWF, I really doubt that they will allow people to buy a QSDP an trade it all in for the festival. They could somehow get around that if they choose to, I’d think.
It’s so funny that the rumors about these changes on various forums were so negative. To me these all look like very positive changes.
we were not able to use the (old) feature of getting three snacks for your counter service meal from our trip on May 16 to 23, so it is nice to have it back. oddly enough they only wanted to give you one snack for one quick service — but you could get a bottled beverage, a packaged sandwich and/or a dessert or snack option (all three) for the same entitlement – so it made no sense why they wouldn’t allow three snacks for since a bottled beverage/dessert were considered snacks anyway. nevertheless, it is a nice change back to the old way. getting treats to go with the extra counter service meals (if we had them) was always fun.
This HAS gone into effect. We came home today from the World. I was able to both trade in an unused counter service for 3 snacks AND was able to order my 4 year old grandson an adult meal using his child counter service. We did this because you get a bigger drink/milk/ etc and he got to get the good desserts! I had one problem with either.
I am so happy to hear we can order adult meals with a kids credit! The vegetarian options have been expanding wonderfully throughout WDW but the children’s options have not, this will help a lot!
We just got back yesterday from Disney World. We ordered a lunch at the Polynesian café counter service and because we already had a souvenir drink cup, they let us get two desserts instead of the beverage (since we already had a beverage). We got an extra cupcake for breakfast the next morning
We went to Disney world the first week of May and we stayed at port Orleans riverside. We were able to get biscuits and gravy for breakfast as a snack credit.
Has there bee any official word from Disney regarding these changes? I’ve.been checking for updates, but haven’t seen anything.
Jewel — No official word from Disney on these 🙁
In march 2015, at Port Orlean Riverside, I was able to trade 1 QS for 3 snacks at the food court, and in my entire stay at Disney, I always had an adult meal (quick serve, not table restaurant) for my 8 years old daughter. So we take 2 adults meals for the family of 4 each morning-the mickey waffle- we use the mug for the drink in the morning and we took bottle of water or juice to bring with us on the park. Then we had another 2 adults meals for lunch… And we had enough food for the whole family, with the snacks we share (A cinnamon roll at Gaston’s tavern is enouhg big for two… The same with the huge sundae and the funnel cake.) We had a lot of food, and no waste.
Super excited and happy to hear of these changes! Going to the World for the first time next month and had even called Disney bc of the lack of healthy food choices for the kids. Like someone above said, the adult menus are getting some great options, but the kids’ menu choices are lacking for those with restricted diets. I will definitely be trying to put some of these changes into use!
I never saw any official announcement from Disney pertaining to the changes to the Dining Plan for 2015. A recent call to Disney also failed to provide confirmation of these changes. Were these merely rumors? If so, that is unfortunate since they seemed to be positive changes.
Scott — See our later post for more information on the changes. This information came directly from Disney’s websites and DDP pamphlets. You can also check out our Disney Dining Plan Page for more information. Hope this helps.
Brooke,
Thanks for the additional information. It is very helpful.
Scott
In August 2015, while dining at the Flying Fish, our server actually suggested we order an adult meal for our 8 year old son. We had no idea we could do this.
We then continued ordering adult meals for our kids during the remainder of our stay at Yachtsman, Citricos, California Grill, Be Our Guest, Naroosees and Artist Point … with no problems at all.
We’re now planning a trip for this spring and have called Disney to confirm this policy still applies but representatives have said that children have to order off the kids menus when available. It seems in practice, from looking at these recent posts, that the kids dining credit used for adult meal still applies but I wish Disney would simply outright acknowledge this.
I don’t want to get into potential policy arguments with our servers while on vacation. If there’s a definitive policy out there supporting kids credits for adult meals (or negative experience people had by being denied by certain restaurants) I’d greatly appreciate someone forwarding.