Is the Disney Dining Plan Returning Sooner Than We Think?

The Disney Dining Plan has been one of the most useful planning tools for Guests booking a trip to Walt Disney World, so many fans were understandably disappointed to see that the plan was not available when Disney Parks and Resorts reopened in summer 2020.

Promising Guests up to a 35% savings on the cost of dining at Walt Disney World, the Disney Dining Plan essentially allowed Guests to prepay for their meals and snack purchases ahead of their visit at an added savings. Different versions of the plan were previously available, including a quick-service only plan and a deluxe plan, but the most popular Disney Dining Plan included one snack, one quick-service meal, and one table-service meal per person per day.

Disney has mentioned in the past that the Dining Plan will return, in fact an alternative to the plan has already returned to Walt Disney World for Guests visiting from the UK. We have not yet received confirmation of a date when the Disney Dining Plan will return, but on closer look at some signs around Walt Disney World, we have actually have some idea.

If you have visited the Walt Disney World Resort since the Disney Dining Plan was paused, you may have noticed that the Dining Plan logo is still listed on select menus, particularly the ones posted at quick-service dining locations around each Disney Park.

This may not be surprising, as the Plan is going to return eventually, so removing the logo from everywhere likely is not something Disney had considered doing, but there is something curious about the placement of some of the logos.

Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, lots of new snacks, entrees, desserts, and beverages were debuted just for the occasion. The official celebration runs through March 2023, AND some of these items are listed on menus with the Disney Dining Plan logo next to them, indicating that the Plan could be used to purchase them.

While we understand the decision to keep all of the current Disney Dining Plan logos up while the Plan is paused, we have to wonder about the new menu items that were added with these logos, especially those that are only available through March.

For Guests planning to visit Walt Disney World this fall or during the holidays, the return of the Disney Dining Plan could be extremely beneficial as credits may be used toward select snack items at booths for the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

Disney has yet to make an official announcement on the return date for the Disney Dining Plan, but something tells us it just might return before the end of the 50th anniversary celebration. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor any updates on the Dining Plan, and will be back with more information as we have it here on DisneyTips.