Disney Dining Plan Not Available for 2023 Vacation Packages
Walt Disney World has released 2023 vacation packages and resort reservations, confirming that conspicuous omission of the Disney Dining Plan. This post will cover that, and why it’s not necessarily indicative of what’s to come next year–or even this year.
This was more or less expected. When announcing the upcoming release of Walt Disney World vacation packages, the company stated that starting June 8, “you’ll be able to begin making your travel plans for next year as Walt Disney World Resort will open bookings for theme park tickets, Disney Resort hotel stays and packages for visits in 2023.”
No specific mention of the Disney Dining Plan, leading to the obvious and logical conclusion that it wouldn’t be bookable as part of 2023 Walt Disney World vacations. Nevertheless, we held out a sliver of hope that the DDP would be included as part of packages, as other elements of those–such as Memory Maker and ground transportation–also weren’t discussed, yet are bookable. That hope has been extinguished with the actual release of packages today: the Disney Dining Plan cannot be added on.
This might raise red flags for some of you, but it’s probably more a matter of uncertainty about when it’s feasible to bring back the Disney Dining Plan in light of the current circumstances.
As we explain in our When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return? post, we do not expect that offering to be gone forever—and certainly not through the end of October 2023 (which is currently all that’s bookable due to the 499 day rule). That post breaks down what needs to happen for the DDP to come back, why Walt Disney World wants it back ASAP, and when that’ll probably occur.
Even with this (lack of) development for 2023 Walt Disney World vacation packages, our guess is still that the Disney Dining Plan will be back this year. We’ll run through some of the reasons why here…
When it comes to questions about the Disney Dining Plan’s return, the company’s go-to response has been a rather generic “the Disney Dining Plan remains unavailable at this time” for booking this year or in 2023. This is essentially meaningless–even if that line were uttered today, it wouldn’t preclude the return of the Disney Dining Plan from being announced tomorrow.
Disney is incredibly adept at equivocation, and employs it constantly to issue ambiguous statements. Disney’s go-to weasel words are “at this time” and “currently” when stating what they plan on doing (or not doing). When you see or hear those words used by Disney, it’s safe to ignore whatever’s being said as the surrounding language renders it meaningless.
The key reason for this is that everything after the moment that a statement is released is no longer “at this time.” With the announcement made, the particular moment in time that words were written has passed. Plans are ever-evolving and everything Disney does is subject to change.
The point is that if plans couldn’t change shortly after announcements, we’d still have Maelstrom, Universe of Energy, Tower of Terror (California), and other things. (Ditto the construction of a couple DVC resorts.) At one point, Disney denied having plans to change or close all of those attractions “at this time.” One quick Walt Disney quote about forward-motion or progress later, and their fates were sealed.
We probably will not be treated to a Walt Disney quote when it’s time to bring back the Disney Dining Plan (although “I like chili” ~Walt Disney on a construction wall would be mildly amusing). However, past statements won’t be an impediment to its return.
In short, Walt Disney World will bring back the Disney Dining Plan whenever it’s feasible and advantageous to do so. Nothing stated here changes that. It would be an entirely different story if the announcement said “the Disney Dining Plan is being permanently retired” but no such definitive proclamation has been made. As of right now, the various Disney Dining Plans are still just “temporarily unavailable.”
As for why we remain confident that the Disney Dining Plan will be back at some point…sometime…the reason is simple: it’s is incredibly lucrative and advantageous for Walt Disney World. Historically, the Disney Dining Plan is a revenue engine that increases per guest spending, while also being perceived as a perk by guests. It was truly a win-win for company and consumer. As such, it’s a matter of when the Disney Dining Plan will return, not if it will.
With revenue currently through the roof as consumers splurge on more expensive vacations, that’s not quite as true as it has been in the past. However, there will be a time when earnings calls no longer include boasting that per guest spending is up 40% as compared to pre-closure. At that time, things like the Disney Dining Plan will be incredibly useful in offsetting what would otherwise be a pullback in spending as guests become more cost-conscious or frugal.
With that said, the Disney Dining Plan not being available for 2023 Walt Disney World vacation packages certainly is not good–or even neutral–news. To the contrary, this is a disappointing development (or lack of development), just not a dire or definitive one.
Walt Disney World not offering the Disney Dining Plan even for arrivals in January 2023 and beyond suggests that there is still not internal confidence that it’ll be feasible to bring the Disney Dining Plan back by early next year.
If the trajectory of staffing shortages, pent-up demand, and capacity issues were looking good and on course for a full resolution by 2023, the company would’ve pushed to offer the Disney Dining Plan with next year’s packages from the get-go. While guests can obviously add the DDP later, it’s far easier to offer it from the outset.
Moreover, it’s more financially advantageous for the company. Locking consumers into spending several months to a year in advance is a lot better than giving them the option down the road. Although Disney has been touting the 40% increase in per guest spending, a slowdown is undoubtedly on the horizon. Retailers are reporting this already as consumers move from spending on goods to services (e.g. travel), but the latter sectors will likely experience the same in a few months.
If you’re Walt Disney World, you take the sure thing and commit consumers to locking in next year’s vacation budgets before household savings have been further depleted and people make tough choices and become more discerning with their spending. If it were viable, selling the Disney Dining Plan for 2023 arrivals would’ve been the easy and obvious decision–even in the face of the currently elevated per guest spending metrics.
In short, Walt Disney World not offering the Disney Dining Plan for January 2023 and beyond vacation packages strongly suggests that even the company still doesn’t know whether it’ll be possible to bring it back by then. It could also just be a matter of indecisiveness or the company not yet having finalized an overhaul to the DDP. (Hopefully neither are the case, because that would be a seriously squandered opportunity, if so.)
Nevertheless, to borrow a line from Ernest Hemingway, change happens “gradually, then suddenly.” His famous quote about personal finances also applies to corporate ones, as well as supply and demand, economic outlooks, and really just all facets of life.
The Disney Dining Plan’s return progress has epitomized a gradual change up until this point. However, things could change suddenly. In particular, the resolution of staffing shortages resulting in across-the-board increases to restaurant capacity could collide with a slowdown in consumer spending and pent-up demand running its course. When (not if) that happens, the Disney Dining Plan’s expeditious return (at least to the extent Disney does anything “expeditiously”) won’t be too far behind.
With that said, don’t misconstrue the meaning of that “gradually, then suddenly” quote. One conclusion that it’s safe to draw from the 2023 Walt Disney World vacation package news is that the Disney Dining Plan probably is not happening in the next few months. If it were, that would already be known internally and there would be no reason to not go ahead and start selling it for 2023.
We know many of you have been hopeful that a surprise announcement would occur ahead of your summer vacations. As we’ve been warning for the last couple of months in our Disney Dining Plan updates, the summer is looking increasingly unlikely. We don’t want to rehash everything that’s been previously covered, but here the main reason, as intimated above, is staffing shortages.
Staffing remains the key impediment to this across all Walt Disney World restaurants, and that goes for both operational and closed locations. The company brought back the College Program and undertook a hiring blitz last year, and that has helped.
Nevertheless, staffing shortages persist for several key positions. This month, Walt Disney World kicked off another hiring spree of job fairs, dubbed the Summer Hiring Celebration. Every Wednesday in June 2022, there’s a hiring event at the Casting Center, with highlighted roles including Culinary & Quick Service Foods. There’s also the Magical Hiring Celebration, which takes place June 9-11 at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. The company is offering start bonuses of up to $1,500 for select roles.
While that might sound like an optimistic update, Walt Disney World has been attempting to address staffing shortages for over a year. The result is many locations unable to operate at full capacity, and must leave many tables unfilled. This reinforces the reality that just because most restaurants are reopened doesn’t mean they’re firing on all cylinders. Dining capacity is improved as compared to last year thanks to the dropping of physical distancing and hiring initiatives, but still pretty far from 100%.
One other positive note on the staffing front is that Walt Disney World is bringing back the Cultural Representative Program in August 2022. The Cultural Representative Program is smaller than the College Program, but it’ll nevertheless facilitate the eventual reopenings of World Showcase restaurants. More importantly, it’ll allow the Cast Members currently at those restaurants to be reassigned to other restaurants around Walt Disney World, thereby helping to increase capacity across the board. That alone will be huge.
Ultimately, even with the Disney Dining Plan not offered for 2023 Walt Disney World vacation packages, it remains our perspective that the best case scenario for the return of the Disney Dining Plan is in mid-August or September 2022. We think this is the absolute earliest the DDP will be available again, not when it’s guaranteed to be back.
Even if this summer ends up being slower than originally forecast or staffing improves significantly, there’s going to be a lag between when the decision is made to bring back the Disney Dining Plan and when it actually returns (as evidenced by it being unavailable for 2023!). That alone pushes the return of the Disney Dining Plan into the post-summer off-season, which is also easier from a logistics perspective.
If the Disney Dining Plan doesn’t come back by Fall 2022, it seems more likely than not that it won’t return until January 2023. A serious post-summer spending slowdown could change the equation and result in the Disney Dining Plan being rushed back in October or November. However, it’s more likely that the holiday season will be busier than fall at Walt Disney World, regardless of the macroeconomic environment. Given that, the company might be content just letting spending play out without the DDP for the remainder of this year.
That would also offer a “clean break” with the Disney Dining Plan returning in 2023, rather than a random date this year. Just because it’s not available as of this announcement is relatively meaningless–the Disney Dining Plan could still be made available as an add-on for those packages anytime between June and December.
Suffice to say, if you’re anxiously awaiting the return of the Disney Dining Plan…you’re going to have to wait a little (or maybe a lot!) longer. If one thing is clear by now, it’s that Walt Disney World’s operational environment and on-the-ground circumstances continue to change–the only thing that’s certain is uncertainty.
Given how lucrative the Dining Plan is for Walt Disney World in “normal times,” I never would’ve predicted it would be gone for this long. But clearly these are not normal times. In any case, you can sign up to our free email newsletter and we’ll keep you posted as soon as Walt Disney World makes an announcement or there’s more news regarding the Disney Dining Plan’s return.
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
When do you expect the Disney Dining Plan to return? Thoughts on whether a spending slowdown coupled with resolution of the staffing shortages could allow Walt Disney World to bring back the DDP “suddenly” (in Fall 2022)? Or, do you think it’s gone for good and the 2023 Walt Disney World vacation package announcement should be interpreted as such? Would the Disney Dining Plan’s reinstatement make you more likely to book a trip? 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!
We have booked for sept 2023 frm the uk and got 1008 dollars dining and merch credit plus a couple of other extras so they have brung it back in some capacity for uk customers
We miss the DDP but we’re going to try new restaurants this trip and not the same steakhouses we always go to on the DDP.
We’re going to try a variety of new breakfast, lunch and dinner places we never tried before all cheaper ones this time but a good chance to try new places.
It was certainly a challenge to book them all 60 days out but we got most of the times and places we wanted but you have to continuously check for open time slots and they pop up sooner or later
I am Really Hoping we hear something soon!!! We r booked for End of September!!! Been trying to take this Trip since 2020!!!
We were gonna go for my son’s 4th birthday in 2020 but them Covid happened. 🙁
DDP going away has been the best thing ever for my budget at WDW! My husband and I have been DVC member since 2005. Disney roped me into thinking the DDP was like being at an all inclusive resort. I always did the DDP. On my trip last May, we ate every think we wanted and had 1-4 $$$ cocktails each and spent $1000 less in the week than past vacations. I will NEVER again be posted into the DDP hype! We ate well, we were not cheep and still saved big! ,Thanks Disney, best lesson every.
Glad to hear it. Another person experiencing the truth!
I wish everyone would, and the DDP would stop for ever, but Disney makes too much money from the DDP.
And the food quality and variety declined.
I have given up hope of the dining plan being back for my early September trip. We always liked having it taken care of up front for the convenience of it. We are still going to eat at all of the same places we would have with the dining plan and after running some numbers I think NOT having the dining plan IS actually going to save a bit of money. I have often heard others say this but again, the convenience always won out. I will be keeping track of all of the food spending in September and will see how it really pans out at the end. If it saves a decent amount of money we won’t go back to the DDP regardless of availability or convenience. Lack of the option of the DDP is just forcing us to REALLY look at the numbers and with how expensive a trip has become in general, we may find out the DDP actually isn’t for us. Time will tell.
If Disney offered housing for senior / retired employees as it does for college programs ( except longer term) heck ANY housing. I guarantee they’d be able to hire a ton more. Especially with the cost of housing in area!
I agree about that!!!
If that were the Case, i would apply IMMEDIATELY and Move.
I am a Disney Fanatic
I bet we will see the DDP back, they are probably just still trying to think of ways to make it cost more and deliver less without it being obvious.
The Disney Dining Plan (DDP) is probably one of the most talked about topics with Disney vacation planning and it would be silly for Disney to continue ignoring this fact. Yes, they are making money hand over fist with the return of travel normalcy and revenge travel, but they need to understand this will run out in time while they are alienating there long time visitors. So in the long run will all these changes have long term repercussions?? Only time will tell, but while they are making a lot of money in the short term, they are burning a lot of bridges with their loyal fan base. One sign of hope that the DDP is returning is that new snack options within the parks and resorts have the DDP logo next to them designating them as snack credits. I see no reason why they would do this if the DDP was not returning at some point in time. The real question is when?? I’ve seen some saying that not enough restaurants are open, but in reality how many restaurants are still actually closed?? My last visit over 6 months ago I would say they were about 75-80% open and based on recent posts I would say is between 90-95% at this point. So what’s the real reason they aren’t opening?? My guess is that they have data analysts comparing dining profits pre-pandemic with DDP being offered versus current dining profits without DDP being offered. If the latter is currently making more money they have no reason to bring DDP back until profits drop. So until the wave of revenge travel is done I don’t foresee the DDP returning. Again this is a high profile topic that Disney executive office I’m sure is aware of, but in the end it’s all about the money and as long as current dining profits exceed pre-pandemic levels we will be on wait and see for the DDP.
But where did that first photo with the cool plate come from? Sorry, I couldn’t even focus on most of this because I wondered where that plate is.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/sci-fi-dine-in-theater-restaurant-review/
Although not mentioned in that review (a practically criminal oversight on my part), they just got new restaurant-specific themed plates!
I thought that looked like the right lighting for Sci Fi. Figures I didn’t see the update, you made it on our last trip- as fate has it while my teenager was not speaking to me because I couldn’t get him that exact ADR he has been asking for since 2019. I guess next time we make it in he will have even more reasons to love the experience.
Hi, Tom!
In your view, how likely will Disney offer room discounts for early (January-February) 2023? If discounts are offered, when would Disney announce this? Thanks for all of your updates. We miss the DDP, bounce-back offers, and room discounts that were once offered much more frequently.
No DDP. No DisneyWorld for me. Simple.
We agree. Our previous trips in years past, we loved the DDP (Once paid for and once free with package) for our family of 4. It allowed us to eat good and without spending time searching for a restaurant that we’d all agree upon when we could spend more time having fun.
We wanted to book a family trip this year, but decided not to mainly because the DDP was not available. If they continue to do this thru 2023, that will eliminate that year as well. that truly makes me sad, but frees us up to go to other destinations instead. I hope this doesn’t remove Disney World from future family trips before our kids are grown and starting their own lives.
Hi Tom! The UK/Ireland 2023 offer was launched end of May, this typically included the mythical “free DDP” before the pandemic. This year it offers the same as in 2021, some credit for food or merchandise based on the resort category and number of nights, pretty bad when compared to the free DDP. Let’s hope that we can get the DDP for 2023, assuming that we will have to pay for it
Who can we write to asking the dining plan to come back? Maybe if they heard from loyal vacationers with an interest in it, they might think more about it?
It’s always a good idea to respectfully express your opinions with Walt Disney World via email: [email protected]
Explain in detail why you don’t like X or Y and share how that will (or has) negatively impacted your vacations or business with the company. Also, offer actionable feedback in guest satisfaction surveys, bring it up if you speak with managers or others in park leadership, or even contact Guest Relations.
Now more than ever, this type of feedback is being evaluated and will make a difference.
(With that said, it’s important to be thoughtful and reasonable. Ranting in all caps or using a bunch of politically-charged buzzwords is the quickest way to have your email/letter disregarded entirely.)
While they certainly could bring back the DDP at any time, it’s feeling like there has been some internal change. I believe it’s been over a year since the last substantive comment on the dining plan, when they said it was returning but not yet. I suspect there has been some internal change in thinking since that time, which is why it’s been so silent for so long.
I’m starting to believe that the dining plan that we knew (love or hate) is dead.
That’s not to say there will never be another dining plan. Dining plans are profitable for Disney. I’m sure we will see a new dining plan some day… maybe soon, maybe not for a long time.
But much like Fastpass+ is dead, replaced by something pretty different…
I suspect “DDP” is dead in the form in which it was known. (Who knows, maybe Disney is discovering greater restaurant profitability without DDP… as the inclusion of desserts lengthened meals. Maybe they discovered they are turning tables over more quickly without automatically including dessert and alcohol, serving more guests and making greater profits without the dining plan… maybe per capita spending is actually higher without a plan (which I doubt)).
Coming next year, the Baloo And Remy Fun plan! now with 200% more IP and a fun acronym to boot. Costs twice as much as buying out of pocket! Add it to your package now!
I truly believe that the “internal change” is the 40% increase in per guest spending. That explosion began right around this time last year, and I think that resulted in the company revisiting the conventional wisdom (and supporting data) that guests on the DDP spend more than those paying as they go.
The rest of your conclusions (and mine) are premised on whether you think that record per-guest spending will continue, or come crashing back to reality. Setting everything else aside, I don’t think the DDP comes back until per guest spending slows–but I do think it’s going to slow, and soon (next 3-6 months). Reasonable minds may differ on that, though.
At some point, spending comes down — or just stops increasing. I suspect the latter, the rate of increase will slow. At which point, they will dip into some sort of new dining plan as a way to juice per capita spending.
Again, I’m sure A Dining Plan will return.. just not the DDP.
I always felt like the DDP has evolved into something that had constrained restaurant development and evolution. Every new restaurant had to basically fit into one of four basic shapes — Buffet, QS with entrees in the $12-$18 range, TS with entrees in the $20-$35 range, or signature with entrees in the $40-$60 range. Then they each had to have an assortment of appetizers and desserts. They couldn’t have too many restaurants that didn’t fit this mold. Hard to have Tapas, or other prices structures, or high class QS or cheap TS..
It seems some of the more recent menus have enjoyed this freedom. (For example, Space 220 which doesn’t include dessert in their lunch fixed price… or Steakhouse 71 which has very different lunch/dinner pricing but both below signature levels).
I just expect, after 3 years or no Dining Plan, they may as well go back to the drawing board when they do decide to bring one back.
I have not booked as of yet, because the site has been down for the last few hours. It says please wait.. then drops off. I tried on my phone and desktop as well, still nothing. Anyone else had issues getting in? Also, I was unable to find any villas available for may or june of 2023. Nothing at beach, yacht, nor polynesian. So i wonder if there is any issue with the site possibly high traffic?
Here’s an idea to alleviate staff shortages and hassles of long food lines and high in-park food costs, especially for large families: Disney should build temperature controlled locker banks of varying sizes of “Minnie Fridges” (TM) and “Frozen Freezers” (TM) at all park entrances and rent these like they do all other lockers. Bring your own sandwiches and bottled drinks and ice cream and help families save a ton of money and time! Have picnic tables with umbrellas near those lockers cuz finding places to sit is impossible when the parks are crowded! Prepay to reserve lockers for one or more consecutive days and have a special driveup lane to drop off those things into your reserved lockers and then go park your vehicle in your reserved numbered spot nearby so your frozen items don’t melt during the mile long walk from regular parking area. At end of rental, cast members clear out any unclaimed items and donate eligible foodstuffs to local food pantries or homeless shelters. Could even name this the “Disney Picnic Dining Plan” (TM) 😉 ha! I wonder how many folks would use this area instead of lugging food around in strollers or backpacks?
“…help families save a ton of money…”
You succinctly covered why this will never happen. 😉
I booked a package today and for a brief moment, there was a button to add dining package, and when I clicked “add” quickly, the page reloaded and that option was gone! I refreshed a few times but it never reappeared! (It was towards the bottom before the place where you could add memory maker and ground transportation to your reservation)! I know I wasn’t seeing things, did anyone else see that pop up briefly?!?
Yes! I saw that too. It was only there for a split second.
That’s been happening on and off for several months now. I have no clue what’s up with it–probably just another Disney IT glitch. Nothing to get excited about, sadly!
Sorry for the random question, but what camera do you use to take your pictures? They’re always amazing!
Nikon D850 for the vast majority of photos. Some older images use older camera models.
UK 2023 bookings have recently been released and have been offered a gift card value for all bookings for 2023, same as what was offered for 2022 bookings I was hoping for free dinning back for next year as it’s a better deal for us coming from the UK for 14days $504 per room doesn’t go very far if especially for a family of 4
Honestly, I think Disney has reached the staffing levels it can expect for the foreseeable future. As you’ve said in other posts, a lot of the labor Disney relied on had to leave the area during the shutdown and can’t really afford to return with the current Florida housing market. At this point, I don’t think the Dining Plan comes back until there is a significant dip in attendance numbers (essentially lowering demand to what the current staffing can accommodate). Realistically I don’t see that happening until next year.
I disagree with this for a few reasons:
1) Recent retirees have already started re-entering the labor market after seeing their portfolios shrink. If that worsens/intensifies, Walt Disney World will benefit–it’s a popular retirement employer with that demo.
2) Layoffs have already started as some retailers are finding that they over-hired in a scramble to satisfy the demand for goods last year. Don’t be surprised if Walmart, Target, and even Amazon start “right-sizing” their workforces. Again, WDW could be the beneficiary of that.
3) The various Disney Programs (College and otherwise) are nowhere near full capacity. (Remember, Disney built a colossal housing complex and only a portion of that is currently being utilized.)
The transitory nature of Central Florida’s workforce definitely has made staffing up more of a challenge, but I think things could get considerably easier for Disney between now and September in light of the above.
Do you see the various programs filling up quickly though? I’m not sure of the specifics on the college program but that seems like something that would have a longish lead time; anyone planning on participating in the fall has probably decided to do so already. If there were a significant number of people lined up for the fall then wouldn’t the internal forecasting you mention make Disney more confident in being able to restart the Dining Plan? I would imagine the international program used to staff World Showcase needs even more time to ramp up.
Also, this is much more speculative but I don’t know if Disney will see the same uptake on the college program from Gen Z as they have in the past. More than any other group, I think Gen Z *does* care about a company’s values, and Disney’s recent back and forth hurts it on that front no matter what you think they “should” have done. Gen Z also seems to have a much higher floor for what constitutes an acceptable wage and I’m not sure Disney is meeting that (the ineffectiveness of job fairs and hiring bonuses suggests no, and not just for Gen Z). Finally, the honest truth is that working a service job kind of sucks; people are rude, and I think Gen Z in particular is of the opinion that if the job is neither fun nor particularly well paid (while also involving relocating), they might as well find something else.
You’re right on the first point–but Disney got the ball rolling on the international programs months ago, so when those resume in August, there should (hopefully!) be appreciable gains as a result.
That’s a very interesting theory on the second point, and you’re probably right about Gen Z. I had thought about those controversies from the perspective of Disney’s existing labor (particularly the creative talent) but not in terms of generational divide. Now that is a fascinating angle!