Best Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit Uses
This post covers the best-value snack credit uses on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. These include delicious Walt Disney World desserts, cupcakes, EPCOT festival snacks, Dole Whips, Starbucks specialty drinks, and more. Maximizing the ‘bang for your buck’ out of each snack credit is important for a couple of reasons, which we’ll cover in this post. (Updated June 8, 2023.)
Items that qualify as snacks for the purposes of the Disney Dining Plan are denoted by a little purple and white “DDP” symbol on the restaurant menus across property. Some items that are considered snacks in some locations aren’t considered snacks elsewhere. Make sure to consult the menu before ordering any item you deem a “snack” as Disney may not agree!
As a general matter, anything that is priced over $6.50 is a good use of a snack credit on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. Since there are literally hundreds–if not thousands–of different ways to redeem your snack credits, that rule of thumb might actually be more helpful than this top 10 list, which shares some of the very best ways to get the most bang for your buck from DDP snack credits.
Unfortunately, the most common snacks you’ll find at Walt Disney World are poor uses of your snack credits. We cover this, and the pitfalls of using your precious credits on them, in our Worst Uses of Disney Dining Plan Credits at Walt Disney World post. (Seriously, stay away from Goofy’s Candy Company and fresh fruit…albeit for very different reasons!)
Now, you might be thinking, “who cares–is there really a bad way to use snack credits?!” The answer is an unequivocal yes. Walt Disney World’s Dining Plan is only worth the money if you use your credits in a savvy way. Otherwise, you’re better off simply paying out of pocket. The other plus side? The items that are an objectively better use of Disney Dining Plan snack credits usually taste better, too. Win win!
Snack prices are obviously lower than Table Service and Counter Service meals, so there’s generally less of a difference between high and low snack prices than there is between high and low priced meals. Nevertheless, it’s worth paying attention to snack prices if you want to maximize your total value on the Disney Dining Plan, as some EPCOT festivals have $10 items and other snacks might cost as little as a few dollars.
In other words, someone who stockpiles their snack credits and uses them strategically on the highest-dollar items can come out way ahead as compared to someone who uses them on plain coffee or bottled water. In aggregate, the difference at the extremes could actually amount as much or more of a difference than good vs. bad uses of counter or table service credits.
This list is updated annually, with the most recent refresh occurring in Summer 2023 after Walt Disney World released the List of Restaurants on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan. While it includes a lot of locations, this is presumably incomplete and will include more third parties once Walt Disney World finalizes contracts with them.
Even without this list, we have a pretty good idea of what will be offered as a snack credit on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan because, oddly enough, Walt Disney World has continued to put the snack credit icon next to would-be eligible items during the last 3 years while the DDP has been on hiatus. This has happened without fail for every EPCOT festival and menu update and, frankly, we don’t really know why. Either way, it should offer at least insight into what will be eligible for snack credit redemptions in 2024.
Additionally, Walt Disney World revealed that it’s reducing the number of snack credits on the Disney Dining Plans from 2 to 1 per night. This is a hugely negative and disappointing change, especially for those who are adept at saving and strategically using snack credits. It’s also not a huge shock, as a lot of guests wasted snack credits–or raced against the clock at the last minute to use their extra credits on pre-packaged treats to take home. (I’d hazard a guess that over half of Mickey Mouse Rice Krispies Treats and Goofy’s Candy Co. products were previously “purchased” with spare snack credits.)
With that explainer out of the way, let’s delve into the top 10 uses of snack credits on the 2024 Disney Dining Plan…
TBD. Ice Cream – For several years, one of the chart-toppers for snack credit value was Ample Hills Creamery, which had by far the best ice cream at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, that never reopened post-closure and is now gone for good (and too soon).
Fortunately, several other ice cream shops have opened since then, with the most notable options being Salt & Straw at Disney Springs, Gelateria Toscana in EPCOT’s Italy pavilion, and BoardWalk Ice Cream (the direct successor to Ample Hills). At present, none of these are listed as accepting the 2024 Disney Dining Plan, but we expect that to change for at least one–and possibly all three.
If any of them do accept the DDP, it’s likely that only the small cups, cones, and ice cream sandwiches will be eligible as snacks on the Disney Dining Plan. Even so, those will be an exceptional uses of a snack credit. We’ll keep you posted!
10. Zebra Domes – These bad boys can be elusive. Sometimes, you can find them on the Boma buffet at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Sometimes, you can find them for sale at Mara. More reliably, they’re available over at Kidani Village’s Johari Treasures.
If you’re eating at Boma, get them there for “free.” If you’re not eating at Boma, use a snack credit to get them at the counter service restaurants or marketplaces in Animal Kingdom Lodge. Honestly, they’re kind of a borderline recommendation based on price, but a top tier pick given their deliciousness!
9. Funnel Cakes – Objectively speaking, the funnel cake carts around Walt Disney World are one of the best uses of snack credits outside of Epcot festivals. These are all typically over $7 in price, and included on the Disney Dining Plan as snack credits. Occasionally, you’ll find a seasonal offering that’s excluded, but that’s a rarity.
Subjectively speaking, we think Walt Disney World funnel cakes can be very hit or miss in terms of quality. We aren’t willing to take this gamble when paying out of pocket, but with a snack credit, it can be worth the “risk.”
8. Animal Kingdom’s Savory Snack Stands – Animal Kingdom has been upping its snack game, adding and restoring a ton of items that are so heavy or huge that they’re essentially meal replacements.
One such item is Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Shrimp and Sweet Chili Sauce or Pulled Pork. Both are tasty, but we recommend the pulled pork. In fact, Animal Kingdom is probably the best option for savory snacks that offer a good use of Disney Dining Plan credits.
There are a variety of other pricey options that are also inventive and ambitious, so keep your eye out while you roam Animal Kingdom! Additionally, consult our Best Snacks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Not all of those offer great bang for buck on the Disney Dining Plan, but they are all delicious!
7. EPCOT Bakeries – Epcot has two stellar bakeries (and several other good snack stops–just read our Snacking Around the World in EPCOT post for other locations) in the World Showcase. Actually, Epcot has 3 of the 5 Top Bakeries at Walt Disney World.
The top 2 are Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie and our #1 bakery, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe. There are about a dozen items in these bakeries that each exceed $6, which qualifies them as reasonably good values. Several other items are even more expensive and are thus excellent values as a result. It also doesn’t hurt that just about everything at these bakeries is delicious!
6. “Homemade” Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches – These are not the ice cream sandwiches that you can find at various ice cream carts every 10 feet in Walt Disney World (I really think there might be more of them than there are DVC kiosks!).
These, for lack of a better term, are “homemade” right in front of you with freshly baked cookies and hand scooped ice cream at only a few locations in Walt Disney World.
5. Blue or Green Milk – These are the specialty drinks in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that come in both non-alcoholic and alcoholic varieties (only the former is available as a snack credit). Blue and Green Milk are basically Walt Disney World’s latest attempt at an iconic drink to rival Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Everyone who has tried these drinks seems to have a very strong opinion, with many being quite negative. I generally like both of them, but view them as more of a fun novelty to try (and probably split) while in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge than a drink I crave and want to order often. I also think they’re overpriced when paying out of pocket, and subject to a ‘Star Wars surcharge.’ That’s not an issue when using DDP snack credits, and thus we highly recommend grabbing one of each flavor to taste-test among your party.
4. Magic Kingdom Floats & Swirls – You’ve undoubtedly heard of the Dole Whip, but have you tried its more elaborate counterpart at Aloha Isle, the Tropical Serenade? Are you familiar with the Citrus Swirl or “I Lava You Float” at Sunshine Tree Terrace, or other ice cream concoctions at Magic Kingdom?!
Check out our Best Magic Kingdom Snacks & Dessert List for our subjective favorites and more. In fact, most of the items on that lengthy list are also good uses of snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan! (That also includes the worst of list–the Mickey Pretzel, Cinnamon Roll, etc.)
3. Gourmet Cupcakes – Pretty much any specialty cupcakes available at Walt Disney World is going to induce mild sticker shock, but if you’ve got snack credits to burn, those ~$7 cupcakes don’t sting quite as much.
For the most part, these cupcakes live up to the hype. While the whole cupcake trend is a bit played out, Walt Disney World still has some excellent options that we highly recommend!
2. Novelty Drinks – As we cover in our Guide to Starbucks at Walt Disney World, almost every specialty drink on the menu at the 5 in-park and 2 Disney Springs Starbucks locations count as snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan. This includes the more elaborate ones that can cost over $7 each, special themed drinks, and even secret menu items.
This means that you can order the Baby Yoda Frappuccino at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before you head into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This is technically a “secret menu” drink at the Walt Disney World Starbucks locations, but it’s so popular (and absolutely fantastic!) that the baristas are all well-antiquated with it. This and other specialty drinks at Starbucks are all spectacular uses of Disney Dining Plan snack credits.
Beyond Starbucks, there are countless options throughout Walt Disney World, but another we have in mind here is the Night Blossom – Non-Alcoholic Specialty Beverage with layers of Apple and Desert Pear Limeade topped with Passion Fruit Boba Balls at Pongu Pongu in Pandora – World of Avatar.
For a snack credit, you can get a “normal” cup, but not the Souvenir Mug with Glowing Unadelta Seed. Don’t lose too much sleep over not getting the souvenir cup, as the it is poorly made and might not even survive your trip home.
1. EPCOT Festival Kiosk Snack Portions – If you’re visiting during one of Epcot’s three big annual festivals, read no further than #1 on this list. During the these events, you should be using ALL of your snack credits at the temporary kiosks set up.
The most popular of these is EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival (late July through November), but more the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts actually provided more bang for buck, and the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival has expanded its food offerings in recent years, too. Then there’s the EPCOT International Festival of Holidays, which also has a strong food presence. These events run almost uninterrupted for most of the year, leaving only a portion of the summer without any festivals at EPCOT.
To see just how far you can stretch your credits, check out our EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post which includes food photos & reviews for every single snack at the event, and also discusses good uses of Disney Dining Plan credits.
Normally, if a snack exceeds around $7, it is excluded from snack credit status, making those $8+ items a great use of snack credits! Let’s just hope Disney doesn’t wise up to this wonderful use of snack credits anytime soon, and start excluding these foods from Snack Credit “status.”
If this list doesn’t activate your sweet tooth, I don’t know what will. This just scratches the surface of value-maximizing snacks (and snacks in general) at Walt Disney World. Remember that while value is important, ordering snacks you enjoy is even more important (which is why you’ll often see us with the cheap School Bread from Norway instead of expensive snacks)!
Hopefully this list helps you get more bang for your buck on the Disney Dining Plan. Check out our Value-Maximizing tips for Counter Service restaurants and Value-Maximizing Tips for Table Service Restaurants to get even more value out of the Disney Dining Plan!
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 tips do you have for getting the most out of the Disney Dining Plan? Have any specific Walt Disney World snack items you recommend to maximize your value on the Disney Dining Plan? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? 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!
Disney website says Babycakes NYC doesn’t accept the dining plan…?
I think its worth noting that most of the items on here fall into the “unhealthy” food category. My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon and were very pleased to see that a container of strawberries priced at 4.99 were considered a snack as were grapes priced at 3.49 and we felt it was very nice to have the option to have healthy fruit rather than load up on sugar and high calorie food. I agree that a small container of strawberries are no where near worth their 4.99 price tag and I would never pay that much for strawberries at home. But I also would not pay 4.99 for a cupcake or any type of soft serve variation at home either. Just wanted to throw that tid bit out there for the healthy eaters out there who are a bit dismayed by the amount of high calorie, low nutrition content foods that Disney World has.
Number 3 looks so good that it makes me want to hit someone. Geez.
My fiance and I unknowingly booked our honeymoon during the Food & Wine festival. When I found out, I was so excited! Our “dinner” on arrival night is going to snacking and drinking around the world. My stomach can hardly wait.
So much amazing info. I am a “want to do it right” kind of person and I think this is all helpful although overwhelming. Going beginning of NOvember. Have not booked ANYTHING yet! Any suggestions for us with our 8yr (average eater) and 4 yr old (eats NOTHING)…and me…the cupcakes look great and I need a daily mocha. Also off topic but any suggestions since renting dvc points seems impossible…all sold out! Whats our next best bet for nice, roomy, place on a budget??
Great blog, thank you. The suggestions and also the highlight on the importance of enjoying vs maximising are great. Close to what we experienced in the past. For us, add to this good cappuccinos at 6am and iced coffee in the parks.
Do you have another blog on good use of snack credits for fly back home items? With so many snack credits left, we generally end up buying giant lollypops, jaw breakers, Pez, cookie boxes to give to the cousins and friends up to a month after we return…
No, I don’t, but that’s a great idea for a future post. Thanks! 🙂
Oh, how delightful that cookie ice cream sandwich looks… bookmarked this page for reference when we visit next year!
Do you have any recommendations for savoury snacks? I’m a diabetic and while the odd cookie won’t hurt, I really should try my very best to avoid sugary goods most of the time. My new mantra is turning in to “WDW is less fun from a coma!” To try and keep myself in check…
Sorry, can’t help there. We eat mostly junk food on vacation. Hopefully someone else can chime in, though!
Ok, thanks anyway. if not, I’ll make sure to take plenty of photos and make notes on my snacks to let you know.
Good info about that subject here
http://allears.net/pl/diabetes.htm
Thank you for all of the great tips. Our trip is in 22 days and we got the quick service dining plan. My question…the plan says one breakfast, one lunch/dinner, and one snack. If you use your snack credit for breakfast can you get lunch and dinner??
This article is great! On our 2010 Disney Adventure we ended up wasting so many snacks because a bottle of water and a banana just didn’t seem worth it and we didn’t really know what snacks could be used for! We’re going back in June and now I’m heading straight for the Dole Whip!! Good thing we’ll be walking 10 miles a day 🙂
This blog rocks my socks off- thank you so much for writing it!!
Glad you’re enjoying the blog. A Dole Whip is well worth the walking!!!
The best tip I’ve ever gotten was to buyreusable water bottles before we got to the park and just keep refilling it with free water available wherever they have the soda fountains. Also, I read WDW and Disneyland drinking fountains have filtered water. Target and WalMart have Disney themed water bottles you can get your kids as “souvenirs” they can use throughout the trip.
Would love an article on using snack credits for breakfast!
Excellent idea–let me do some research on this and write one!
GREAT idea! Id love to read this too!!
We are actually planing to do just that on our next trip. Currently, we are planning to pick up some breakfast pastries on our way out of the park the night before (when we don’t have breakfast ADR) instead of just using the hotel food court. That way we wont waste early park hours to stop for food but still get to have some of the better breakfast food like cinnamon rolls from Main street bakery.
I am hoping this helps feed everyone earlier in the day(and keep them happier) without “eating” into our park hours. Especially since it can take a long time to get to the parks.
Thats what we did when we went. Epcothad the most variety of snacks. One of the days my husband got a ham croissant and I got a chocolate croissant for breakfast. We then used our “extra” points and splurged on signature restaurants for lunch or dinner.
The candy shop, can’t remember the name but when you first enter magic kingdom on the right side has some fresh cupcakes and cookies at $5 each,
There are funnel cakes also in magic kingdom that are almost $6 each that you can use a snack for.
Also packaged goods in the convenience stores located in the resorts have snacks nearing the $5 mark.
When I picked up my last funnel cake the woman working their was very excited to see I was utilizing my snacks well and not buying bananas with them as we both agreed that buying $1 piece of fruit is a waste.
Awesome tips here. Cupcakes all seem to be going up in price to about that price.
When I make my next revision, I’ll add the funnel cakes. No bananas for us, either! 🙂 Thanks for these tips!!!
What a fun blog! So glad I discovered it, and I could tell as soon as I started reading the comments on this post, that I am among kindred souls, lol! I agree wholeheartedly with these recommendations for both “snack credit” AND “yumminess” value – and was pleased to find a couple I’ve not yet tried. That cappuccino cupcake sure looks good! And I always choose something chocolatey and decadent at Sunshine Seasons, but you’ve about convinced me to give the key lime pie a try. I’ve also made a note of the caramel cupcake mentioned by one of the commenters – gotta try that! Let me add one more – the carrot cake cookie at the Writer’s Stop! Yum Yum Yum.
One final comment – is anyone else as horrified as I am that they’re turning Main Street Bakery into a Starbucks??? I heard that the other day and was in disbelief. Are they crazy?? Starbucks are EVERYWHERE. There is only one Main Street Bakery in the world! Absolute heresy, if you ask me…
Not to nitpick, because I love the post, although the Main ST Bakery cinnamon roll should be on it IMHO, and I like the root beer floats in MK@Sleepy Hollow (bigger and more consistent than several other locations around the parks) better than Dole Whips, BUT didn’t you mean to say the Dole Whip was legen-DAIRY? : )
Wouldn’t that be legend-boundary..lol
Non dairy. Darn auto correct
My personal favorites are the cinnamon roll at Main Street Bakery and the caramel cupcake at karamell kuche in germany. So many people don’t understand how to get the most out of the dining plan!! It kills me when I see people using snack credits for drinks! The last couple of trips I’ve brought a list (from allears I think) of all the snack credit options available in each park/resort.
We also tried to utilize our dining plan to its full potential. Tried the wonderful School Bread in Norway at Epcot . . . WOW it was amazing!!!!! I so want that recipe. YUM!
The School Bread is so delicious. I think if I had the recipe, I’d quickly “bulk up.” 😉
Jen- I couldn’t agree more about the drinks. It is so frustrating, especially since everyone in the party has their DP linked. Snack credits can easily be used up by others in the party if they use them for a drink and a snack.
For our last visit, and every visit from now on I will be packing Camelbacks/hydration packs for my son and I. They are fairly inexpensive and can be found at most stores like walmart/Target/Dicks/etc. I got myself a 100 oz one and my son a 50 oz. We filled them to the brim with ice and then added water. They lasted most of the day at the parks and actually stayed cold. Plus if you get a decent one it can double as a backpack or carry sack for the little things you need in the park (sunglasses, spare cash, sunscreen)….literally best purchase for Disney trips I have ever made.
Going to disney in Oct with my 3 kids..First time at disney for all of us! Should we purchase the dining plan? And if so what plan should we go with? Thanks
Could you move your dates up to take advantage of the FREE DINING that Disney is offering … ??? We’re going at the end of August and first week of September to utilize Disney’s Free Dining plan. It’s our first time staying in the park and first time having the dining plan. Looking forward to it.
I would definetely get the dining plan because if you pull up restarant menus the prices can get expensive. I purchased the dining plan that offer a quick service meal,snack and a table service meal.I figure if we get a buffet breakfast for our quick service meal, they probably wouldnt want a another big meal till dinner.
You probably found this out since I imagine you are already back from your trip, but my guess is there are no true quick service breakfast buffets – you would be using a table service credit for most, if not all, buffet meals, breakfast included.
they also have the free dining plan in october as well
if you like to be early risers and have kids, use your snack credits for cereal and milk from one of the many quick grab stores in the resorts that way they’ve had a quick breakfast and you can get to the parks earlier. Then you can plan for a big lunch in the afternoon when everyone needs a break.
Great tip!
We also like to use our snack credits for breakfast, and they let you get “sides” as a snack, such as scrambled eggs, etc… but our favorite is the small order of beignets at POFQ 🙂
We also used our snack credits for breakfast but chose oatmeal and grits so the kids had a hot breakfast. 🙂
I was watching a video about snack tips and i heard her same dole whips and didn’t know what is was until i saw your pictures. I will have to bring the family their for that refreshing snack this summer.
I was disapointed in the Dole Whip Float. My favorite snack was the sweet creamcheese filled pretzel at the Lunching Pad. The desserts and pastries in France were also fantastic.
Hi Tom,
This would be great info to incorporate into my new hobby site, a mash-up, http://food.wdwhub.net. I hope to create a value index. Is there an online source where you got your info, or is this your own notes? I could give you credit like I did for disneyfoodblog.com and touringplans.com.
I really want a Dole Whip right now. At least I can get one in 37 days.