If you’re anything like us, you’re dreaming of your next trip to the most magical place on earth. We’re so excited about everything coming soon to the Disney parks — and let’s not forget the 50th anniversary celebrations that are in full swing! Admittedly, some offerings have been suspended for quite some time, and we’re on the edge of our seats waiting for them to make a comeback. This got us thinking—will the Disney dining plan return in 2022?
Let’s jump into what we’ve learned!
A Little Background on the Disney Dining Plan
For years, Disney World offered the Disney Dining Plan, which allowed vacationers to pre-pay for their meals before heading on their trip. It offered an all-inclusive feel for a Disney vacation, something that many guests appreciated — especially since it was often discounted or, at times, completely free. But ever since Walt Disney World reopened its theme parks in 2020, the Disney Dining Plan hasn’t been offered, and a return date hasn’t yet been announced.
What is the Disney Dining Plan?
The Disney Dining Plan is a “convenient and flexible” dining package add-on for a Walt Disney World vacation. It gives guests the ability to purchase a meal plan in advance, including meal passes for quick-service meals, table-service meals, and snacks, depending on the dining plan they purchased.
Before Walt Disney World temporarily closed in March 2020, Disney offered the following dining plan options:
- Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan: two quick-service meals and two snacks or nonalcoholic drinks per person, per night of stay.
- Disney Dining Plan: one quick-service meal, one table-service meal, and two snacks or nonalcoholic drinks per person, per night of stay.
- Disney Dining Plan Plus: two quick-service or table-service meals and two snacks or nonalcoholic drinks per person, per night of stay.
- Disney Deluxe Dining Plan: three quick-service or table-service meals and two snacks or nonalcoholic drinks per person, per night of stay.
Additionally, along with each quick-service or table-service meal entitlement, guests could opt for a specialty non-alcoholic beverage, or those 21 and older could opt for an alcoholic beverage.
Each dining plan also included a refillable resort mug, which allowed guests to get unlimited coffee, tea, water, and soft drink refills at the Disney hotels for the duration of their vacation.
Another perk of the Disney Dining Plan? It was often offered for free! Yes, you read that correctly. In recent years, Disney would release a special offer to allow guests who booked a Walt Disney World Resort vacation to receive a dining plan at no additional cost. This meant that all of their meals and snacks for their Disney trip were practically free.
We don’t know what the 2022 Disney Dining Plan cost will be (Disney Dining Plan 2022 prices haven’t been released since the DDP isn’t yet on sale). But below is the January 2020 pricing:
- Quick-Service Dining Plan: $55 per adult, per night; $26 per child, per night
- Disney Dining Plan: $78.01 per adult, per night; $30.51 per child, per night
- Dining Plan Plus: $94.60 per adult, per night; $35 per child, per night
- Deluxe Dining Plan: $119 per adult, per night; $47.50 per child, per night
The return of the Disney Dining Plan
It feels like it’s been forever since Disney offered the dining plans. When Walt Disney World reopened after its four-month closure in 2020, several guest offerings were not available — including the Disney Dining Plan. Since then, guests have anticipated the announcement of its return; however, Disney has stayed mum on the subject for quite a while.
We aren’t losing hope completely, though. Unlike Disney’s Magical Express, which stopped its complimentary airport transportation services in 2022, the Disney Dining Plan hasn’t come to an end. It was just suspended — for a pretty long time. But in summer 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the dining plan would return in the future.
The company shared, “We know many of you are also wondering when Disney dining plan packages will return. While we’re not quite ready to share an update on timing, we are planning to bring this guest-favorite option back at a later date.”
This news was huge to Disney fans. Dining plans are such a big deal for so many Disney guests who have been longing for that all-inclusive vacation feel. More recently, some planDisney panelists have answered guests’ questions relating to the return of the Disney Dining Plan, sharing that “there is no available update” but they “hope to see the dining plan return well before” 2023. At this point, we have reason to believe the Disney Dining Plan could come back sometime in the next several months, but we’re not holding our breath.
Will the Disney Dining Plan be offered again in 2022?
Well, we don’t know for sure. Since last summer, Disney hasn’t said anything significant about the dining plan returning, and we don’t have much to work with. Still, we feel optimistic about the Disney Dining Plan’s eventual comeback. If Walt Disney World was planning to eliminate the Disney Dining Plan, it’s unlikely that they would have hinted at its return. Perhaps it will be reimagined in the future, or there won’t be as many dining plan options, but that’s just speculation at this point.
Back in December, Disney Food Blog raised the solid point that it would make sense for the Disney Dining Plan to be brought back sometime in 2022, since Disney hinted at its return back in 2021. It seems unlikely for Disney to bring up the return of a highly anticipated (and missed!) offering only to not bring it back for several years. If you want to read more, Disney Tourist Blog dives into the return of the Disney Dining Plan — and the probability of it being offered for free again in the future — in this post here.
Nevertheless, the Disney Dining Plan webpage still exists on the Walt Disney World Resort official website. You can’t add a dining plan to your Disney World vacation package yet, but you can certainly read about it!. It may seem like not a big deal, but the fact that the page still exists leads us to believe that even though the Disney Dining Plan isn’t being offered right now, it isn’t going anywhere. We may just have to wait a bit longer before it’s available once again.
Share Your Thoughts on The Disney Dining Plan Returning
When do you think the Disney Dining Plan will return? Let us know in the comments and join the conversation on TikTok, where we share daily Disney updates.
34 Responses
We have been waiting anxiously to hear when the dining plan will be returning. As Canadians, we have been waiting for restrictions to ease, and they have, which means we are one step closer to planning our Disney World 2022 trip. The only thing keeping us from Disney now is the temporary suspension of the DDP. Hoping we will hear something soon!
We’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear anything!
It is horrible that disney taking its time bring back dining plan. We have reservations 2 yes ago we have to go by end of yr or our air tickets will expire. After this I’m never going again. Every disappointed with them
BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!! BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!
Bring it back!!!!!!
Bring it back!!!!!
We are booked to travel mid June and we were really hoping that Disney Dining would be back and Hoop Dee Doo too! I’ve been traveling to Disney Vacays since 1972. This will be my 17th visit and can’t imagine a trip without that family dinner show. Already disappointed about the Luau being gone.
Hope it’s back this month. Really love the plan it makes it magical
It’s now May 9th, and still no Disney Dining Plan. I had hoped once Spring break and Easter were over, that they would announce its return. Still waiting, hopefully it will return in a week or 2!!
I still believe it will come back as their signs on the menus etc are still there!
Your info on the DDP from 2020 that lists what is included on each plan is incorrect. We were there in February of 2020 before everything shut down and we were able to get an alcoholic drink with each meal and we had the DDP. I would know this to be factual because my sister and I would always get into disagreements about why she needed a beer with her breakfast…why not a mimosa, more suitable for breakfast drinking.
Thank you for pointing this out, Janelle!
Still waiting for this plan to return my family is planning a trip in July and they’re really disappointed that there is no plan they really count on the plan especially with the kids. Might be the last trip to Disney getting to expensive.
Disney really needs to bring back the Dining Plans. I check everyday hoping for a confirmation that it’s returning but nothing so far. The waiting is driving me crazy!
While I had hoped the dining plan would have returned at this point I am starting to think it will not happen until after the 50tg anniversary celebration is over.
Really sad. The plan makes it much pre likely for us to eat on property. Everyone I talk to making off property reservations since the prices at Disney so high.
I was hoping for June trip but I guess we will skip eat at Disney too
I have called wdw they said not before 2023, sur no need to wait for it for this year.
It is outrageous that the dining plan is not back yet. We spend a lot of money St disney with no convenience. I’m disapointed!
Please bring it back!
Please bring the meal plans back!
Would love to have the dining plan back. Have five adults going in July.
We are booked to leave for Disney on thanksgiving of this year . We are hoping the dining plan is back since there are 16 of us .
It would save a lot of money to spend elsewhere in the parks
BRING IT BACK!! BRING IT BACK!! THIS IS DEDICIOUS!! MEAN DISNEY!!
BRING IT BACK!! BRING IT BACK!! THIS IS DEDICIOUS!! MEAN DISNEY!!
I am so upset with disney. 2 yrs waiting no ddp. If we could cancel I would but we loose tickets & plane. I will never go again. We are a LG party and it’s costing so much. Without ddp.we will have to order grocery. What kind of vacation is that!!!!!!
Disney really should put its visitors FIRST on this decision. So many changes have made your visitors loose their Magic when thinking of Disney 🥲. Please put us on the top of your decisions this time!! We want the dining plan and would appreciate Disney putting customers FIRST and BRING BACK SOME OF THE MAGIC!!! PLEASE!!!!
We have been visiting Walt Disney world for many years but are really disappointed to see that the Dinning Plan has not been brought back yet. We are booked to go again in September with our Son and Grandchildren and was hoping to see the plan return as it really helps us as Grandparents. Please return it as soon as possible. Thankyou.
Is there any transportation provided from airport to Disney world Florida and do you see the dining plan returning by Thanksgiving 2022?
The dining plan has been a staple of our trips to Disney for 14 visits over the last 28 years. We are spending more for less every time we come to WDW. I Understand bottom lines in the corporate world. But the fact the we spend money for these packages to eat food that cost pennys less per dollar than. The actual cost per costumer. I just don’t see any viable reason to not bring theses packages back. The ease in which all of us WDW patrons are able to use these packages Makes the trip there far more convenient open your eyes those of you in power.
I am making the trip to Disney in November do you think it dinning plan will be back befor then
We been planning vacation. DISNEY IS,ALOT OF Money to spend on vacation with no di ING plan. Please bring it back bring it back This is horrible. BRING IT BACK!!!!
No coming till disney brings back the ddp. Shame on dusney
OMG. BRING IT BACK. IT’S SPOILING EVERYONE’S VACATION!!!!!!!!
My family always looks forward to our vacations at DisneyWorld. However, without the dining plan, it has not been so enjoyable. Please bring back the dining plans.