Top 10 Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit Values for 2024
This list ranks the best table service restaurants at Walt Disney World for maximizing the value of your credits on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. Even if you’re visiting during Free Dining, you want to get as much bang for your buck as possible and this covers the top uses of the most valuable credits. (Updated February 10, 2024.)
In a nutshell, the Walt Disney World table service restaurants that offer the best ‘value maximization’ of Disney Dining Plan credits are the ones serving the most expensive meals. The pricier the menus, the greater savings on the DDP. That also means that this list is a terrible resource if you’re paying out of pocket. It’s basically the exact opposite of our regular list of the Top 10 Best Value Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World.
Essentially, this list is an objective resource ranking the best 1-credit table service restaurants at Walt Disney World. If a restaurant ranked better thanks to its pricier options, it’s on the list, regardless of whether we think its food stinks. When actually planning where YOU want to dine on your trip, it’s very important to consider quality of food, not just prices, when determining where you want to eat. We thus recommend weighing these “value maximization” lists we have along with our subjective Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews when making your Advance Dining Reservations.
The entries on this list are calculated by taking the highest entree, dessert, and beverage and adding them together (tax and tip are not included). We did this as opposed to taking the median or mean since, if you’re truly concerned with saving as much money as possible, you’re going to be ordering more expensive menu items.
Alcoholic beverages are included on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan, which was a change made several years ago. This has had a minor impact on the rankings, albeit to a lesser degree than our Best Counter Service Values on the Disney Dining Plan. One thing to keep in mind is that there are a handful of Magic Kingdom restaurants that do not serve alcohol, so if you’re chasing the best value, those few restaurants should be avoided.
As a general principle, there are a few guidelines about what you should and should not eat to maximize your table service credits on the Disney Dining Plan. Three easy rules of thumb are that character dining, steaks, and seafood will work out in your favor. At the other end of the spectrum, vegetarian or plant-based dishes are a poor use of credits.
You should also avoid Signature Restaurants if you want the best value. This means you’ll want to skip Citricos, Narcoossee’s, Tiffins, Brown Derby, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and every other 2-credit Signature Restaurant. This includes Cinderella’s Royal Table, the flagship princess meal at Magic Kingdom.
Sadly, it also means skipping Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT and Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. Previously, both of these restaurants were in our top 5 on this list–and you still might find them on other, outdated resources. Unfortunately, these have been elevated to 2-credit status for the 2024 Disney Dining Plan and are no longer a great–or even good–value as a result.
Despite their higher menu prices, two-credit “Signature” Dining are not as good of a value due to its cost of 2 credits, so you will not find any two-credit restaurants on this list. Let me reiterate this, as some readers have asked about them: the total cost of meal at a Signature Restaurant is $100 per person, it is still not a better value than a 1-credit restaurant with a total cost of $60 per person. (It’s simple math: $60 x 2 = $120 > $100.)
Coming Soon: 1900 Park Fare – The restaurant with character(s) at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and like the hotel itself, this is arguably the flagship royal character dining experience in all of Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it’s been closed for the last 4 years, but Walt Disney World has announced that 1900 Park Fare will reopen on April 10, 2024 with a new lineup of princesses and prince (singular).
We had heard rumors that the new meal would be among the most expensive character dining experiences at Walt Disney World. However, we also heard that it would be like Royal Banquet Hall at Disneyland Hotel in Paris. The second detail turned out to be incorrect and it appears that so too will the first, as journalist Scott Gustin has confirmed that 1900 Park Fare will still be only 1-credit on the Disney Dining Plan. That almost guarantees the price will be less than Cinderella’s Royal Table or Story Book Dining at Artist Point, both of which are 2-credits.
It’ll still be expensive, though. 1900 Park Fare was one of the best values on the Disney Dining Plan before and that’ll almost certainly be true in 2024 given that Walt Disney World will almost certainly raise the price to some degree over what it was before (4 years of inflation tends to do that!). Our expectation is that this ends up in the #4 slot once pricing is revealed.
Beyond that, it’s also likely to be among the best character meals at Walt Disney World in terms of cuisine thanks to the Grand Floridian’s culinary team. Previously, there was something for everyone, from crowd-pleasing fare for kids to dishes with an international flair for adults. If your kids are into random royalty but you want slightly more inspired cuisine, 1900 Park Fare should be a great option.
10. Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood – Is there any surprise that a restaurant with both steak and seafood–the two most expensive types of entrees on any Walt Disney World restaurant menus–makes this list? If anything, the big surprise should be that Toledo doesn’t rank higher.
For those unfamiliar with it, Toledo is the rooftop restaurant at Gran Destino Tower. Not only is it a great use of Disney Dining Plan credits in terms of bang for buck, it’s a great restaurant, period. Toledo is one of the few places at Walt Disney World that received Michelin Guide recognition, which not even Victoria & Albert’s, Monsieur Paul, or Takumi-Tei were able to accomplish. We love this restaurant, and highly recommend one of Toledo’s several spectacular steaks.
9. Via Napoli – This is a tricky one. Via Napoli has built a sterling reputation on its glorious pizza pies, but if you order one of these, the value is below-average on the Disney Dining Plan. Instead, you have to look to the traditional Italian menu choices, and choose one of the $40+ options.
Then, you need to pair that with a nice glass of wine and one of the more expensive desserts. Then–and only then–is Via Napoli a great value on the Dining Plan. The good news, though, is that Via Napoli is a great restaurant choice no matter what you order!
8. Chefs De France – Chefs de France has several expensive entrees, but the most expensive is the Filet de boeuf grille, sauce au poivre vert Gratin Dauphinois et haricots verts. The slightly cheaper Duck is also a great entree choice for maximizing value (and it tastes great).
We think Chefs de France is good, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype. It’s a very popular restaurant among Walt Disney World guests, which can be a double-edged sword. The restaurant tries to turn tables over as quickly as possible to seat everyone, making efficiency the name of the game here, which can lead to inconsistent meals and streamlined food prep. Chefs de France is still worth giving a try, just don’t go in expecting fine French dining.
7. Tutto Italia – Another World Showcase option in the Italy pavilion, Tutto Italia may or may not make the list for the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. The menu here changes a lot, and we strongly suspect that has been dictated by the DDP in the past (especially Free Dining). It seems like when that is being offered, a few of the $40+ items are not on the menu.
If the Manzo Brasato, Bistecca, or swordfish are on the menu, this is a very high ranking restaurant thanks to those and excellent Italian decadent desserts and overpriced alcohol. If those items are not on the menu, Tutto Italia might fall right off the list, depending upon what is on the menu.
6. Garden Grill (Lunch or Dinner) – Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast hasn’t changed much in the last few years, but despite that, it has inched its way up this list thanks to price increases.
The food here doesn’t quite compete with newer character meals at Walt Disney World, but the all-you-can-eat fare is both approachable and crowd-pleasing, and we prefer Garden Grill to Chef Mickey’s, both of which rank higher here.
5. ‘Ohana (Dinner) – We think ‘Ohana is one of the most overrated restaurants at Walt Disney World. We also think it’s a must-do for first-timers. That might seem difficult to reconcile, but ‘Ohana is a Walt Disney World institution for good reason. That reason is not the food. It’s also not the prices. (Although the food does taste a lot better if you’re not directly paying for it out of pocket!)
Rather, because dinner at ‘Ohana is the foundation for a “core memory,” to borrow a line from Inside Out. Longtime fans keep coming back to ‘Ohana because it’s an emotional experience evoking all sorts of nostalgia and fond memories. There’s also something to be said for the actual atmosphere, with the fireworks, views of Cinderella Castle, and Electrical Water Pageant. Then there’s the communal energy and vibe that yes, in fact, ‘Ohana does mean family, in the immortal wisdom of Lilo & Stitch. For all of these reasons, we recommend ‘Ohana to those on the Disney Dining Plan.
4. Chef Mickey’s (Dinner) – One of our absolute least favorite meals at Walt Disney World, Chef Mickey’s makes the list because it’s an objective one, not because we want to see it here. The food is undeniably awful–if it can even be called food. Beyond that, the ambiance is loud and the decor is dated.
However, wonderful character interactions here will likely redeem Chef Mickey’s in the eyes of many families, and if your kids are picky eaters, they might just like the food. Honestly, even though it’s not as good of a use of DDP credits (objectively speaking), we’re more inclined to recommend breakfast at Chef Mickey’s because it’s subjectively superior.
3. San Angel Inn Restaurante – This is one of two table service restaurants at the Mexico pavilion in World Showcase at EPCOT. San Angel Inn Restaurante is the one inside the pavilion, overlooking the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride. Basically, it’s the Walt Disney World equivalent of the iconic Blue Bayou Restaurant Blue Bayou (for those unfamiliar, Blue Bayou overlooks Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean).
Despite this, San Angel Inn has a poor reputation among many Walt Disney World fans, criticized for its bland and basic cuisine. We think that’s excessively harsh–but have to admit that the ambiance has always been exceptional and the food has been far less than exceptional. In any case, you really can’t go wrong with the Carne Asada at San Angel, which is a Mexican twist on the New York Strip. So long as you order that–and only that–it’s a great use of Disney Dining Plan credits. (It’s also a surprisingly delicious steak!)
2. Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at Hollywood & Vine (Fantasmic Dinner Package) – This is one I’m hesitant to include because the Fantasmic dining package isn’t something some people want (without the package, this wouldn’t be on the top half of the list), but it does provide value–and we highly recommend the reimagined Fantasmic.
In addition to that, we also think that Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at Hollywood & Vine is actually quite underrated. Despite being a “basic” buffet with underwhelming theming, the food is quite good and the character interactions are top-tier. We are huge fans of the seasonal buffets here, particularly Minnie’s Holiday Dine and Minnie’s Halloween Dine. You also can’t go wrong with Minnie’s Springtime Dine.
1. Teppan Edo – This is the teppanyaki-style steakhouse in the Japan pavilion of World Showcase at EPCOT. Teppan Edo is located on the second floor of the the Mitsukoshi Department Store adjacent to Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya (formerly Tokyo Dining).
Teppan Edo has been one of the best objective values on the Disney Dining Plan for years, and it claims the #1 spot due to massive menu price increases, and a variety of steak and seafood entrees that are pricey. Another change that has helped push Teppan Edo over the top is the addition of the pricey Yuzu Mousse Cake; previously, the dessert menu only had inexpensive options.
Of course, entrees are the star of the show at Teppan Edo. The various steaks, combos, and the Hotate have all been menu staples for at least the last decade. Accordingly, we doubt those will be removed, but the portion sizes could decrease or certain items could be excluded from the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. Regardless, Teppan Edo is a strong pick that lands a spot in the top 10 even without the Hotate!
So there you have it–the top Table Service restaurants on the Disney Dining Plan if you’re looking to maximize the value of your credits. As you can see from the many caveats on this list, we aren’t big fans of some spots on this list. Objective cost and subjective value definitely aren’t the same. We happen to care more about the latter, but if the former is more important, that’s your call!
Finally, it’s worth noting that the difference between a “great” value restaurant and an “only okay” one can come down to (literally) a couple of menu items. All it takes is one high-priced steak or seafood dish; if you won’t order those, a great restaurant can fall to the good or middle tier.
Moreover, restaurants that have expensive cocktails or glasses of wine also perform better than spots with basic beers or standard alcoholic drinks. After that, the price of desserts is the biggest factor here (ranging from high prices of $7 all the way to $14) and whether or not the restaurant serves smoothies, shakes, or some other sort of specialty non-alcoholic drink that is included on the Dining Plan.
Remember to always consider whether a particular restaurant or dish appeals to you before making your Advance Dining Reservations. While value maximization can be fun, it should not be the ‘end-all, be-all’ of your Disney vacation planning. Eating things you like is far more important!
Hopefully this list helps you get more bang for your buck on the Disney Dining Plan. Check out our Best Counter Service Credit Uses on the Disney Dining Plan and Most Cost-Effective Disney Snacks blog posts to get even more value out of the Disney Dining Plan! Planning a Disney trip? Read our other Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews and our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. If you are planning a Walt Disney World trip, make sure to also read our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts
What tips do you have for getting the most out of the Disney Dining Plan? Any favorite restaurants or menu recommendations for making the most of the Disney Dining Plan? Do you make a point of maximizing your value even when taking advantage of the Free Dining promotion? If you have any tips to maximize your value at other Table Service restaurants or any questions about the Disney Dining Plan, please share them in the comments!
Hi there! I love the dining plan. Before 2020 i used to book it with the reservations now I dont know why I cant see it any longer. can you share some advice
Just curious but does anyone think WDW will offer a free dining plan prior to June that isn’t like the last one that was only for a few days scattered throughout a couple months (basically, only a couple of days, and days we aren’t going to be there)? Asking because there are some really great hotel discounts and we can only pick one and we are holding out for free dining, but didn’t want to wait too long and miss out on the hotel discounts that are there now. Plus, how long can we wait before we pick a discount to add to our reservation?
Book the hotel discount. It seems unlikely they will add free dining before the fall, but more importantly should a better discount be released you can always modify your hotel only reservation to put it under another deal (or cancel and rebook). I believe as long as you cancel at least 5 days in advance you get your entire hotel deposit back, so there’s no downside to booking now.
Was really surprised to see you say “food is quite good” at Hollywood & Vine. We’ve dined there for both breakfast & dinner and both meals ranked (according to everyone in our party) with Chef Mickeys when it came to food quality. It’s a “never again” restaurant for us.
And the character interaction was bad, as well. We didn’t even get to see Mickey. And that was after being there for over an hour (which isn’t counting the half hour past our ADR time we had to wait to be seated). In the same amount of time at Tusker House, we’d have seen all characters multiple times. I’m surprised the ROL Dining Package for Tusker House didn’t make your list. Even the breakfast starts at $50.
Its kinda sad that on the dining plan 1 table service credit would get you an entree dessert alcoholic drink and photo. We have done this several times at Hollywood and vine. Last year we only had quick service but it was Halloween so we paid for our meal. $80 bought us our meal and a soda, no alcohol or photo or fantasmic seating. There was not even any Halloween desserts. So disappointed.
We always do dining plan and always stop at dinner at Akershus. Went at New Year this year. Sadly, they no longer include the photos with Belle. As with most things Disney they are pushing this expense back on the guest. While they still take the pics you now have to buy them. Thought you may want to know 🙁 FYI.
Hi Tom. Thanks for this great post. Have you looked at the dates for the Hollywood and Vine Seasonal Dining this year? Apparently, they are not doing the Minnie’s Halloween Dine, which really disappoints me. Do you know why they are not doing it?
We had dinner at Chef Mickey’s in December and were pleasantly surprised with the new food options. We typically include Chef Mickey’s in our dining reservations just for the nostalgia and characters despite their food being just so-so. This time however the character experience was beyond what we usually see and the food was pretty tasty! Plus the macaroons are always a favorite! This just may keep it on our list!
I’ve got ADR’s for 6 out of 10, including H&V Fantasmic package! Though we’re doing 1900 for breakfast. Daughter loves Mary Poppins, so will be a fun meal.
But yeah, as far as Dining plan, breakfast usually isn’t a good use of the credit since it’s usually 15-20$ cheaper for OOP expenses. We’ll end up paying OOP for one of our breakfast TS meals.
I would totally add Topolino’s to this list for breakfast. It was by far my favorite meal we had on property. If you are a steak eater you must get the steak. I have to say it was WAY better than the steak that i had at Narcoosie’s.
Quality-wise, Breakfast a la Art at Topolino’s Terrace is pretty much unparalleled. In terms of value, it doesn’t quite make the top 10, though.
(We’d still recommend it over most of the options here–but this list is objective!)
You need a post on the best OOP value TS restaurants and offerings. (Like the Tiffins show packages)
As to signature restaurants, of course if you’re solely looking to maximize price, the rule of thumb is generally accurate.
But especially with the alcohol inclusion, some of those signature meals can start getting close to this top 10 list in dollar value. (And certainly offering superior quality per credit)
For example, Yachtsman steakhouse:
$57 rib eye
$12 dessert
And $30 glass of caymus – $99 total. So $50 per credit makes it a decent total value.
And Flying fish–
Rib eye for 2— $150. (So $75 per person)
$16 cheese plate dessert
$14 cocktail
$115 per person – $57 per credit. That gets pretty close to this top 10 list.
Narcoose’s
Lobster $72
Cheese plate $22
Wine – $19
$112 total – $56 per credit. That’s pretty close to making this top 10 list.
The value of alcohol definitely closes the gap for a few Signature Restaurants, but most (including the ones you list) are still about $10 away from making this list.
As for the OOP values, that’s a good idea–we have a much older post about that, but it needs to be totally overhauled.
Agreed that the signatures are still short of this top 10 list. Simply stating that they *can* offer enough value where they aren’t a “waste” on the DDP.
I wouldn’t pay for the DDP at today’s prices. But I do have it for free this summer. I’m always personally torn. Even though I got “free dining,” part of me still wants to play the game of maximizing the value (and I do have 2 restaurants booked on the top 10). But the wiser part of me knows that’s silly — I should eat where I want, eat what I want. I shouldn’t choose subjectively inferior meals just to increase objective value. I know the free dining isn’t really free, but it’s still a great savings even if I don’t maximize every dollar.
It’s part of the reason I wouldn’t pay for the DDP — With how I really want to eat, it probably wouldn’t save anything for my family. Half my family is vegetarian! So no expensive steaks or seafood.
So even though we are on the DDP for 7 days this summer…. we are doing 2 signatures. And 1 of those signatures definitely is not a subjective value— The Tiffins ROL package. $68 — So only $34 per credit. (of course, the package itself is already a good value.. we will likely “spend” $70-$100 each there) .
Anyway… this is of course a fun post you put together. But I would encourage everyone — Plan based on what you want, not the value. If you have free dining, then who cares whether you get great objective value. And if you are considering paying for the DDP…. Only do it if these high value meals are what you really want to eat. …
Anyway.. Guess I need to get my daughter to start eating steak and give up her plant entrees…
Morimoto Asia is saying that it does not accept Disney Dining Plan. 🙁
My favorite table service dining credit is the Tusker House character meal with a ticket to Rivers of Light. The meal itself is really good, the character interaction is amazing, and the seats you get for the dining tickets are the best in the outdoor theater.
Yes!!! I completely agree! The meal was delicious, servers were spot on and characters were great. The seats were excellent in theater too.
I was surprised to see Hollywood & Vine being touted as having good food. As much as we don’t like the food at Chef Mickey’s, I’d rather eat there than at Hollywood & Vine. We’ve tried it twice – once for dinner & once for breakfast. Both times were bad. And really, It’s not easy to screw up scrambled eggs! Dinner wasn’t much better. We waited 30 minutes past our reservation time before being seated. Felt like another 30 before seeing our server, but that’s just me. I did, though, have to ask someone if our table had a server. The food was nothing to write home about (Chef Mickey’s is better, and that’s sad). And we didn’t even see all of the characters, even though we had been in there for well over an hour.
It’s one of a very few restaurants at Disney that we will never eat at again. Via Napoli is another, not because of the food but because of the rude service there.
Via Napoli Recommended ? This is Allways a LOL for me.
The place is at the Bottom of my list for all WDW eateries, yes, It Is that BAD!
I have to agree. It is overpriced, run-of-the-mill Italian fare. Pizza, spaghetti, ravioli and the last time we were there, the service was terrible. I am just not impressed with the pizza enough to fight for a reservation at Via Napoli. I cannot fathom why everyone loves this standard Italian restaurant.
Different people have different tastes, I guess.
Great List. We generally don’t do the Dinning Plan. We try to save money and time going to Disney World. The we generally will eat dinner in the parks or resorts. We pay extra for a resort hotel that has a full kitchen that allows us to each breakfast, lunch in the hotels. We also stock up with water bottles for our park days. Great article.
Where can I find the Star Wars desserts that are posted on the first page?
Thanks in advance.
Solid list Tom. I am not a dining plan fan for cost analysis reasons that don’t typically work out in my favor, but one day I’ll do it and have my dinners at Boma, Cape May Cafe, and Ohana as well as a few on this list (Tutto Italia!).
We love crab legs so we always make the Cape May seafood buffet a must. Good value for us or anyone who loves seafood.
We recently ate at Cape May dinner buffet during the holidays. Food was excellent. Service was excellent. We thought it was much better than the last time we had dined there. Cash price for the buffet was $52 so we felt that was a great use of our table meal credit. Did we eat $52 worth of food?-NO way. But the food was excellent.
We also had an great dinner at Chefs de France. I tried the duck and thought it was great (per your recommendation). Great service there too.
One place that never seems to get a lot of recognition is Yak and Yeti at animal kingdom. The food is very good, plus it is in the park so you can stay longer without having to leave and head to Boma. If you are worn out of buffets, this is the place to go!
1900 park fare for dinner was the worst for us – food is bad, it is extremely loud and annoying, and it takes forever for the characters to come around. Service was good as it usually is when we go there.
At the risk of sounding like a snob, it’s a Landry’s restaurant. You can eat at a Landry’s restaurant almost anywhere. Also, we only ate there as quick-service, but the food was terrible.
I don’t live even close to a Yak & Yeti, Rainforest Cafe, or a T-Rex. So it’s not important to me who owns it. What’s important is the quality of food, quality of service, and atmosphere.
And stating an opinion of a table restaurant based on your experience at the quick service venue is not really a fair or accurate opinion. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
Dear Tom,
A whole lobster plate has appeared at Coral Reef menu, it costs 40 $ out of the pocket… May this be included in terms of value for money?