We spent two weeks at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort over Easter 2025, a peak time when special offers are harder to find.
We had to make a decision: to pay upfront for the Disney Dining Plan, or go it alone? Here’s our honest review, packed with tips, wins, mistakes, and what we’d do differently.
Booking without an offer: What we paid
At the time I made our booking, there were no free Dining Plan offers available (as can be the case during busy seasons like Easter and October). For the three of us – my husband, our nine-year-old son, and me – the Quick Service Dining Plan cost £1,651. The Full Service plan would have been around £1,000 more.
I spent a lot of time weighing both options before choosing Quick Service. Was it the right decision?
What’s included in the Disney Dining Plans?
Quick Service Dining Plan
- 2 Quick Service meals per day
- 1 snack or non-alcoholic drink per day
- 1 refillable resort mug
Full (Table) Service Dining Plan
- 1 Quick Service meal per day
- 1 Table Service meal per day
- 1 snack or non-alcoholic drink per day
- 1 refillable resort mug
Quirks and things to watch out for
Here are a few surprises we ran into, and things to think about before you commit:
1) Children’s menu restrictions
- Children must order from the kids’ menu – even if they prefer adult meals.
- If your child is a quite a limited eater (like ours, who loves fish but not much else), this can restrict your choice.
- Some venues kindly let us swap a child credit for a smaller adult meal, but this isn’t guaranteed.
Once your child turns 10 or older, they’ll be on the adult plan, which – although this costs more – can also be more flexible.
2) Snacks are… tricky
- What counts as a “snack” ranges from a piece of fruit or bottled water, to a pastry or Epcot food stand item that can cost up to $10.
- Many foods we’d consider meals in the UK (e.g. croissant and yoghurt for breakfast) cost two snack credits. There was even some debate within the Disney staff about whether choosing a mini pack of cereal and a carton of milk counted as two snack credits or one (the decision was one, but we were charged two some days).
- I was once ticked off (in a friendly way) by a well-meaning staff member for “wasting” a snack credit on a croissant, but that’s what I wanted!
3) Leftover credits
- We had child meal credits left over at the end of the trip.
- Our son often shared meals or ate from the adult menu, so we didn’t use all the child credits.
- This led to some last-minute eating challenges we could have avoided.
Alcohol and the Dining Plan
One drink is included with each Dining Plan meal – and this can be an alcoholic drink. If it’s likely you will drink alcohol with every meal, you can quickly make back the cost of your plan. For more on our calculations, see our piece on Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?
Why we chose the Quick Service Plan despite this
Originally, I leaned toward the Full Service plan, but I changed my mind after learning:
- Our son’s favourite meals (like fish) weren’t on some children’s menus.
- Some top restaurants we wanted to visit – Space 220, California Grill – weren’t included. You can see the full list of table service restaurants included in the plan here.
- Others (e.g. Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest) cost two dining credits, which can throw off your plan.
- The idea of missing a table-service day and needing to eat two the next was too stressful.
Instead, we paid out of pocket for the sit-down restaurants we loved and used the Quick Service plan to cover everything else.
How it worked in practice
What worked well
- The plan gave us peace of mind. We didn’t have to worry about food budgeting once we were there.
- A typical quick-service breakfast for three cost over $50 – all covered by the plan.
- Venues like Columbia Harbour House (at the Magic Kingdom) and ABC Commissary (at Hollywood Studios) offered tasty, filling lunches. Depending on the size of your appetite, you possibly wouldn’t need an evening meal after dining at one of these venues, where you can enjoy substantial portions of tacos and rice or fish and chips.
What didn’t
- We still had credits left at the end our our holiday. Although I’m pretty sure the value of our meals exceeded the amount we paid for our plan, it was frustrating to have credits left.
- We ran out of snacks, because we used them on drinks and small items we should have paid for in cash. Remember, most dining venues in the parks offer free iced water, so don’t pay for bottled water with a snack credit.
- There was inconsistency in staff knowledge – some didn’t know what counted as part of the plan, which led to frustration (especially at breakfast).
- Children’s drink options were more limited than expected (e.g. at breakfast we were offered milk or sugary smoothies, not orange juice, which you could get with an adult meal).
Would we buy the Quick Service Plan again?
Yes, definitely. Despite a few hiccups – and the fact that paying for one may not have actually saved us that much money – the plan made our holiday more relaxing. We didn’t feel restricted, we weren’t constantly worrying about food costs, and the convenience was fantastic.
If you’re someone who:
- Likes the flexibility of eating on your own schedule
- Doesn’t want the pressure of formal dining daily
- Has picky eaters or smaller appetites
Then Quick Service may be the better choice.
Should you upgrade to Full Service?
Only if:
- You love character dining or buffets (e.g. Chef Mickey’s, Crystal Palace)
- Your favourite restaurants are included (always check the current list!)
- It’s likely you will drink an alcoholic beverage with every meal
- You know you’ll use the credits fully. Missing even one meal can throw off the plan’s value
Otherwise, it can feel like you’re eating just to make it worth it, and that’s not ideal on a magical holiday.
Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?
It depends on how your family eats, what you enjoy, and where you plan to dine. For us, the Quick Service plan struck the right balance between structure and flexibility.
We have travelled to Disney before without a Dining Plan and found budgeting for meals stressful.
That said, strictly speaking, our calculations suggest the daily cost of a Disney Dining Plan is not worth it based on food alone and only becomes comparable with paying out of pocket if you factor in beverages too.
If you can snag it for free as part of Disney’s Free Dining Deal, it’s a no-brainer. But even paying full price, the convenience alone may be worth it.
