2020 Disney Dining Plan Price Increases
2020 Disney Dining Plan prices and other details are now known thanks to Walt Disney World’s release of 2020 vacation packages. Like clockwork, there are price increases. Across the board, from the Quick-Service to the standard to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, per night costs have increased. The good news here is that the bumps are fairly mild.
Walt Disney World has not yet released official pricing for the 2020 Disney Dining Plans, so we’ve reverse-engineered the pricing by selecting a January 2020 travel date for one night at All Star Movies, and done the math ourselves to remove the costs of the required park tickets, as you can see in the screenshot above.
That’s right–a one night package for a solo adult at All Star Movies in January with the standard Disney Dining Plan is over $500. Hey, at least the room is newly redone! We note this part about reverse engineering because I’m pretty terrible at math, so I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. (The amounts should be accurate though.) Enough of a preface, let’s take a look at the 2020 Disney Dining Plan prices…
Based upon our theoretical January 2020 Walt Disney World travel dates, adult per night pricing for the plans is as follows: $55 for the Quick-Service Plan; $78.01 for the standard Disney Dining Plan; $119 for the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan.
Kids pricing is $26 for the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, $30.51 for the standard plan, and $47.50 for the Deluxe DDP. Keep in mind that the Disney Dining Plan is subject to peak season surcharges, so if you’re traveling during a holiday, you can expect to pay more.
For the sake of comparison, 2019 Disney Dining Plan prices are as follows: the Quick Service Plan is $52.50 per adult and $23.78 per child, the standard Disney Dining Plan is $75.49 per adult and $27.98 per child, and the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan is $116.25 per adult and $43.49 per child.
As far as Walt Disney World price increases and changes go, these are pretty…uneventful? Most prices have increased by around $3. Certainly nothing on par with the Big Increases to Walt Disney World Annual Passes that we reported earlier today. (For what it’s worth, we’re still trudging through the room booking process to see what increases are like there, but DisneyWorld.com isn’t exactly being cooperative–big surprise!)
Unless I’m missing something, I don’t see any other noteworthy changes to the 2020 Walt Disney World Dining Plans, at least when perusing the standard booking options on DisneyWorld.com. (To my knowledge, the full pamphlets for the 2020 Disney Dining Plan have yet to be released; those could show other changes.)
We used to be fans of the Disney Dining Plan, but it has been several years since we’ve recommended it due to price increases that negate potential savings and almost necessitate using a spreadsheet or value-maximization strategies (although if the latter describes you, we have no shortage of resources).
Parties of avid carnivores who will mostly order steaks and adult travelers who will order alcohol at every meal are among the exceptions to this (the addition of alcohol to the Disney Dining Plan a couple of years ago was a huge win for the latter camp). Of course, as with so many things Walt Disney World, your mileage may vary. We fixate on for whom the Disney Dining Plan offers poor value and for whom it offers good value in our Disney Dining Plan Info, Tips, Pros & Cons post, so I won’t rehash that here.
Suffice to say, for most guests, the Disney Dining Plan only offers a pretense of convenience and budgeting assistance. In reality, most guests traveling on a budget will be better suited by purchasing discounted pre-paid Disney gift cards or some other means of advance budgeting. It’s also tough to argue that anything involving a complex credit system is more convenient than simply paying out of pocket as you go.
While the Dining Plan can provide small savings in some circumstances, about the only time when it can be classified as a ‘good’ deal is during the Free Disney Dining Plan Promotion that typically is offered for fall travel dates. Before you ask, we currently do not know whether Free Dining will be offered again for 2020.
Free Dining has already been released for UK residents, so that bodes well. Additionally, we’ll soon see whether there’s a Free Dining Bounceback Offer. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will radically change the landscape of Walt Disney World, but we’d be surprised if Disney eliminated this popular promo entirely; it drives a lot of bookings for the off-season.
Overall, the changes for the 2020 Disney Dining Plan are probably about as close to a ‘best case’ scenario as possible. While we’ve seen solid additions like alcohol and a couple of price decreases on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan in the past couple of years, we’ve also seen serious price hikes other years. This presents neither of those things, and at a time when Walt Disney World is gearing up for its biggest expansion (and by extension, influx of guests) in ages. Given the circumstances, we’d consider only $3 per night price increases something of a small victory.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
What’s your take on the 2020 Disney Dining Plan changes? Do you use the plan for eating at Walt Disney World? What advantage or disadvantages do you think it offers? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the Disney Dining Plan? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi: I am wrestling with the idea of to purchase dining plan or not. I just saw on the web that Tusker house ROL package is 2 dining credits. Is this true???????????? Please let me know. If so my decision NOT to purchase dining plan is final.
Hi,
Had the dining plan this year and made full use of it,really enjoyed planet Hollywood,rain forest cafe.
Going back in 2020 and loads of restaurants are not listed as accepting the dining plan including the ones mentioned above.
So it’s more expensive but less choice???????
I’m hoping it’s an error!!!!!!!!!
I noticed the same thing! Differences in the 2019 quick service DP vs 2020:
1. Disney Springs went from 27 quick service options to 10.
2. Epcot went from 17 QS options to 10.
This is a HUGE difference. I hope it’s an error too and it’s just too early to have everything officials decided. If not, we’ll be cancelling our DP. 🙁
I noticed the same, made a phone call to their dining line – the cast member said not all of the restaurants have completed contracts for 2020 yet and that they will be announced soon. Hoping it will change soon or we will also be canceling our DDP!
And they’ve taken away the very best ones like Katsura, Lotus and Yak n Yeti! Am hoping the same as you Heidi that the contract delay is correct as it makes the dining plan a lot less attractive! 🙁
We are in the same situation. Do we know when the restaurants are announced as we are staying at the coronardo and the resort is not even listed as part of 2020 plan
Cheers
Blaze and Polite Pig ar not listed I the dining plan for 2020. If this is the case I see no point in having a dining plan as the other offerings on the quick service plan were not pleasant to eat when we were there last month.
I understand why Disney has to raise their prices. As someone else on here pointed out, they must follow the times or they probably would have a hard time remaining open. Unfortunately I have health problems that limit the type of work I can do. Even with a full time teaching job I am barely above the national poverty level. I am extremely sad that I can not afford an annual pass and can no longer afford my yearly trips to Disney World. I sincerely hope that the pricing comes down again to something more affordable soon.
I agree that purchasing the dining plan doesn’t make sense anymore. We just got back from a trip and we purchased the deluxe plan. What a mistake that was. Besides being stuffed and miserable from the ENDLESS food, we had to pay a lot more than we already had paid for the plan for the tips. I had read that was the case, but we were still unprepared for how high the tips end up being because the prices are so inflated. On the deluxe plan, the tips on appetizers, drinks, entrees, and desserts really add up. The price of the tip was as much as paying for an entire meal outside the park. So we felt like we were double paying. Once to purchase the plan, and again once we were there. The previous trip we had the standard plan during a free dining promotion and that is the only way I would do the dining plan again. We found the appetizers alone filled us up, and if we weren’t tied to a dining plan, we could have just paid for those and been much happier.
If you’re an Annual Passholder or DVC member, I highly recommend getting the Tables in Wonderland card. Yes, it’s $150/year and there’s no renewal price but that outweighs the savings. We (my mom and I) have found it to be very worthwhile. There are even some counter service locations that take it (Flame Tree BBQ, value resorts food courts, etc). I cannot even begin to sing TiW’s praises. The only downsides to it are the blackout dates (Mother’s Day, Christmas Eve/Day, New Year’s Eve/Day, etc), and the fact that it automatically gives an 18% gratuity (at table service locations only). Other than that it’s something to look into.
Remember the times when we didn’t have to constantly read about how expensive it was to take a vacation because there was no internet? I do!!!!! I am barely living above the poverty line and scrape by paycheck to paycheck and yet I am determined to take a vacation, so that is what I do. Scrimp, borrow, save…make it happen, but please don’t complain about how expensive it is getting. And please don’t say that Walt wouldn’t have wanted it this way! He most certainly would have changed with the times, which is unfortunately what we all have to do. Prices go up, there is no way that Disney would stay open if they didn’t. I’m sorry if this sounds negative, but I am honestly bothered by the fact that I am looking for helpful hints and experiences in these blogs to make my magical vacation even more magical and all I see is downer stories about price hikes. It is expected, the way I see it. When I want a cheap vacation, I go to the beach!
Why would you click on a blog post titled Price Increases If you’re looking for tips and aren’t wanting to hear about the price increases? There are plenty quite informative tip posts here that are incredible! I for one like seeing the breakdown so I know what to expect. I don’t click on posts that don’t interest me. Doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting or necessary for someone else.
I am interested in this story but not the comments. I absolutely took a bunch from this article for sure. The people commenting though have nothing extra to add but complain about how expensive everything in life gets. My point is basically, don’t go on a post and complain because you can no longer afford things and ruin for people who choose to keep trying and hearing about how others also rise about what we can’t control.
Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Discovery Island filled our days in 1988, when money was tight and Hoop Dee Doo was essential. I may stand alone, but I love the standard DDP. I am a retired teacher, and I sub to pay for our magic. Part of the joy is watching my granddaughters “buy” their snacks – and mine too! – with their magic bands. I have everything paid for, months before we go, reserve all special meals and shows that we want, leave room for spontaneity, and soak up your tips (MNSSHP this year!) so we never feel rushed. We have mastered leaving reality behind and feeling like our experience is FREE. Sounds crazy, I know, but a tiny attitude adjustment will have you floating around on pixie dust, too!
I absolutely agree! We do the same thing and love not having to worry about much. I love it!
Hey Tom – First time writer here. I really enjoy your articles which are timely, informative and incredibly well written. You really do have a knack for GREAT writing in both style, verbiage and even in content.
My association with Disney began when I was a child and I have been a Disney-file ever since. My wife and I have been DVC owners since the first few months that they were alive and have been coming to WDW for decades as my father had been an artist for Disney back when Ollie and Frank were still active OH, and we are also stock holders as well as constant AP holders – till now.
WDW has finally priced us out of the ability to come. It feels like saying goodbye to a family member that has died and like most of the rest of the people on here I believe that The ENTIRE concept of what Walt wanted has been thrown into the trash. With the legends (older folks that built and ran WDW) now gone it is left the damn millennials brought in to run everything it has been getting greedier and greedier (with the slight exception of you and your beautiful wife) and less “Disney” looking all the time. I realize that not all millennials are the same except in corporate America. Their greed and avarice know no bounds and the only thing they seem to care about is themselves and the cash they can accumulate and it breaks my heart to see what they have been and are doing to what was once “The Happiest Place on Earth” – Sorry – done with my rant.
I do have a couple questions that are off-the-wall but am hoping you can answer them:
1 – why is it that all of your “picture content” is in some format that cannot be copied. You always have some of the most beautiful and most unique pictures and photos and I have MANY MANY MANY times wanted to download or copy some of them to make a backdrop or background on my screen and have never been able to.
2 – is this how you make your living (writing for Disney)? was curious because as a writer for The International Food, Wine and Travel Writer’s Assoc. I know how time consuming writing can be and with your proclivity and abundance of material I don’t see how it is possible that you have a regular job.
Thanks in advance for answering these two questions and keep up the good work my friend.
Michael (from Texas)
The higher-ups at Disney are boomers (or in some case Gen-Xers), not millennials!
CEO Bob Iger: born 1951
Bob Chapek, head of parks: in his upper 50s.
George Kalogridis, pres. of WDW: born 1953.
Jim MacPhee, head of operations at WDW: has been working for the company for 40 years.
Etc. etc.
The millennials you see working at the parks are disproportionately the underpaid staff who bear the brunt of guest ire at all the cuts and price increases the older and wealthier execs have made. Don’t blame millennials for things that aren’t our fault!
Thank you for this. So exhausting for millennials to be blamed for everything bad in people’s lives without any logic.
Tom, I and my family have to agree that Walt Disney would not know his old company with the money hungry people that are running it now. My family has been going to WDW from the beginning and for several years it was the place we could go and not break the bank. Not so today. It takes a few years to save up enough to go. We have planed a trip this September with our grown children and included DDP with park hoppers. Also, I can’t believe that they are charging us to park at the hotels, shows how long it’s been since we have been there. It’s sad to say but I don’t think we will be going back to WDW for a few more years. Hard to save money when your income is SS and no retirement. Dave from Michigan
Hey Tom – First time writer here. I really enjoy your articles which are timely, informative and incredibly well written. You really do have a knack for GREAT writing in both style, verbiage and even in content. I do have a couple questions that are off-the-wall but am hoping you can answer them:
1 – why is it that all of your “picture content” is in some format that cannot be copied. You always have some of the most beautiful and most unique pictures and photos and I have MANY MANY MANY times wanted to download or copy some of them to make a backdrop or background on my screen and have never been able to.
2 – is this how you make your living (writing for Disney)? was curious because as a writer for The International Food, Wine and Travel Writer’s Assoc. I know how time consuming writing can be and with your proclivity and abundance of material I don’t see how it is possible that you have a regular job.
Thanks in advance for answering these two questions and keep up the good work my friend.
Michael (from Texas)
We activated our AP a couple of weeks ago but fortunately purchased it before the price increase. We splurged this time with a split stay between French Quarter and the Grand Floridian since the AP resort discount was decent. I have strongly resented the additional “tax” imposed by Disney every since they instituted it for parking at their resorts and after this trip we resolved that we would no longer be staying at Disney resorts in the future. Since the AP comes with parking I can no longer justify staying on a Disney resort since the prices there have also started to rise at a rate much faster than other options. Since there are so many options locally for renting a home with a pool and movie room, as Tom has mentioned in previous post, that’s what we’ll be doing in the future. The price increases at the parks on food will also probably drive us away from making many purchases at the park. Since we are just a family of 3 we’ve been able to control the prices somewhat by purchasing 2 meals and sharing and bringing our own drinks but after the last trip and these new increases I think we’ll have to rethink this also. On the last trip we went to Chick-Fil-A for a lunch and I had to make a double-take with they told me the entire lunch for all of us was $17. At WDW it would have easily been double that for lunch. At home I consider CF a higher fast food option but when at WDW it’s a huge bargain. Not as convenient but it still works for us to offset the WDW food prices. As for the DP, we gave this up years ago as just not worth it anymore. I remember the first time we did the DP about 10 years ago. At that time each person got an appetizer, drink, entree, desert, drink mug and 2 snacks per day. My how times have changed in such a short period of time. The refillable mugs they give you cost about $20 now. For $20 you can buy approximately 68 12 oz. soft drinks from Wal-mart! I have to wonder at some point if Disney will start imposing restrictions on bringing your own drinks and foods into the park like some amusement parks have already done. When they do, we’ll know it’s time to find another option for family vacations. While we will continue to visit WDW we will be taking our own measures to keep costs down, even if it means sacrificing some of the Disney experience. But since it’s really all about spending time with family we should be just fine.
Our first trip to Disney was when my daughter was just over two years old and she is sixteen now. I have four children (my daughter being the youngest). We live near Toronto Ontario . The trip was unbelievably inexpensive at that time; the air fares were cheap and the five of us stayed at Coronado springs in mid August with the dining plan . included! In total we have been to WDW seven times since, each year getting more expensive. Don’t know if we can afford it anymore
We are just outside of London, On nd I hear you completely. They are making it
Harder and harder for then average family to afford to go. It’s becoming a rich man park only. With the amount of money they pull in every year they can afford to go a year or two without any increases. If they want to save money perhaps they should cut management’s salaries down… That’s where the cuts should start. Walt would be mortified I’m sure
wait- i’m confused… is the screenshot saying a single night in a room for one person at all stars with no meal and no park ticket is pushing $500…???????? how in the world?
I just did a double look too , since that is where I am booked for January…I sure wont be for that price for one night,, there must be something wrong there !
I have been pricing for January and prices are low for All Star Movies. It is well under $700 for 5 nights just on room part for days I am looking at. So that is not meaning a night stay in article. Thank goodness! Lol
In the description for table service meals it states “lunch or dinner only”. In the past we have been able to use a table service credit for a character breakfast buffet. I know that’s not the most sensible way to use them but 1900 and Tusker House breakfast are our favorites. Is that no longer allowed?
Where do you see that?
Regardless, I’m assuming it’s a mistake. On average, table service breakfasts cost less than other meals. It’d be counterproductive for WDW to prohibit their use at breakfast.
The DDP is, for us (two adults), not that great of savings. For one, we like to eat off the kids menus sometimes because we don’t eat much. It really has to depend on how hungry we are. Second, we’re DVC members. Remember when DVC gave discounts for the DDP? Me too. We stopped getting it after that. Thirdly, we decided to go the route of Tables in Wonderland and found that program gives us a lot more savings in the long run.
Yep!!! DDP is not worth it any more IMO. Tables in Wonderland is the way to go. We always felt stuffed on the DDP too. Since dropping the DDP we pick 3-4 of our favorite restaurants, we don’t HAVe to eat, like under the DDP, and eat only when hungry. I actually saved $1K last time without the DDP.
Same with us! Always felt full (sometimes to the point of being sick) on the DDP. We don’t drink alcohol either so while our savings aren’t to the point of it being 1k, it does save us about $200-300 per trip, and we go for at least 10 days each time. Our next two trips (August and October) have a 7 night and 8 night cruises (on DCL of course) attached to them too, so while our TiW savings might not be *that* great, there’s a very good chance that we’ll get it again next year.
remember when there would be discounts galore available? remember when you booked a package and got a free gift in your room? oh, those were the days.
Remember when we didn’t have to book FPs 60 days out and instead were just left to the mercy of the machines? When Disney wasn’t bombarded with people? When they weren’t pushing princess crap? I miss those days.
You can now get the DP without having to get the tickets through DW. So you can buy your tickets through a discount broker or discount through work (if available) and still add the dining plan, if staying on property.
I have been checking packages for several weeks. I put the same package in my cart today, with dining, and the price was the same. It was for dec 30-jan 5. Does the checkin date keep dining the same price since the checkin is before 2020?
I’m not seeing any packages for anything in 2020 at this time. I got to the offers page on the Disney website and the only ones available are for anything before the end of August. I was hoping I wasn’t the only one.
early 2020 special offers won’t be out until closer to August. But you can now go on to calendar and book your 2020 packages now. Packages are available to book offers aren’t out yet. Typically 6 months ahead of dates.
Why doesn’t Disney offer a quick service dining plan without an alcoholic drink included and cut the price a “little” for those who don’t want alcohol with quick service.
Yes! All non-drinkers have to either skip the dining plan or pay a premium for what they won’t use. There should definitely be a cheaper option without alcohol included.
For my family with three kids, we use all of our table service credits at character meals. This is the only way my family can maximize our dining plan usage and come out ahead, and ultimately justify the expense. Once my oldest turns 10 and is considered an adult per the dining plan, ergo having to pay the adult price for him, the dining plan won’t be advantageous. As this point we will stop purchasing the dining plan.
Yeah, i have been thinking the same thing. I did enjoy the opportunity to meet characters at dinner tho, sure beat standing in lines waiting to meet them. Just wish they would add more character dinners, like Toy Story characters in the new BBQ place, or star wars characters, etc. would make it more exciting than dining with Mickey and Minnie 4 times in a week, lol.
Pretty insane. By comparison, and I realize they are in two different leagues, you can get an annual meal plan at Six Flags for a snack and a lunch for just $34 for the entire year! The food is pretty decent and it includes locations such as Johnny Rocket’s (meal) and Dippin Dots (snack). For $34 you can eat every day in the season one snack and one lunch. Annual fountain drink is just $19. As you know Tom, I love Disney, but just not sure how to justify $4.50 sodas and $5.75 Mickey Bars.
The short answer is that you don’t. (I haven’t bought a soda at Walt Disney World in 3 years, and have tried to find budget dining options to the greatest extent possible.) Moreover, I don’t think these trends with food prices can continue unabated.
I elaborated on all of this in our full post about the snack/drink price increases last fall: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/price-increases-disney-world-food/
If someone asked me if the dining plan was worth it, I would say only in one specific scenario, and that would be, you were going to order the most expensive thing on the menu regardless, and you were going to go to all the most expensive places regardless. Then, and only then, would it be worth it.
For me, I did the math on our visit, and thanks to my careful planning, I think we came out maybe $15 bucks ahead per person (so, $75). By “ahead” I mean, what I paid for the dining plan, and what I would have paid with the exact same food and drink choices, only out of pocket. THAT SAID- I never would have paid $250 for dinner at Park 1900 out of pocket, so even though my prorated savings put me at about $245 instead of $250- it was worth neither $245 nor $250, so I do not feel I came out ahead. For the roughly $600 the dining plan cost to add on, I don’t think we consumed $600 worth (even accounting for Disney’s insane markup), even if the retail value of that was $675.
I think people are better off getting a rough idea of what the average menu will cost per day for their party, and budgeting accordingly.
“If someone asked me if the dining plan was worth it, I would say only in one specific scenario, and that would be, you were going to order the most expensive thing on the menu regardless, and you were going to go to all the most expensive places regardless. Then, and only then, would it be worth it.”
Agreed, although I wouldn’t limit it to that single scenario. If people are visiting during Epcot festival seasons (which is basically any time but summer) and intend to use snack credits for that, there’s a lot of potential for coming out ahead, too.
Otherwise, I agree completely.
I think it all depends on how you look at it. I like that the food is all prepaid. Following a lot of your suggestions (thank you) and some of my own, i do not buy any extra food on my trips. With the regular dining plan, I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner by using snack credits and sharing meals. It save a lot. Of course, you have to plan; but for me, planning is the good part.
Inflation for food prices was ~2% in the past year, so these uneventful changes still roughly double inflation. But hopefully some of the 3.3-4.8% increase went into increased wages for the food service staff.
If we look at Disney menu price inflation, we’re probably more in the 15-25% territory, though.
I still think the math on the DDP is tough to make work in the guest’s favor, but it’s closer now than it was 3-4 years ago–especially people who have an alcoholic drink with each meal.
Agreed! The food prices DURING food and wine last year averaged 20% in pricing. I have done the math on the DDP…and if you are not going to signature/character table services, it is NOT worth it for our family. I recently did a solo trip and paid out of pocket. I mostly ate QS and snacks and ate for a ‘reasonable’ dollar amount that was less than the DDP cost. Also, with QS and snacks – you don’t have the extra cost of gratuities (18-20%) to consider.
Agreed – food menu prices have far, far exceeded inflation. Shoot, we were in Norway this month (frequently cited as one of the most expensive countries on earth) and I kept thinking that the prices were similar to or less than WDW. 🙂
With those increases DDP math works better… if you drink alcohol. We don’t, so there’s no way it would work for us.