The Disney Dining Plans

With the free dining offers out and all this talk about places to eat, I thought I would share with you some information on Disney Dining Plans. We usually get this option. I have calculated carefully what we would spend out of pocket and what the plan costs and for us it is a no brainer - we save a lot of money and have some wonderful dining experiences on this plan. We have used the regular plan and the deluxe plan. There is also a quick service plan available if you are more of an on the go eater. We tend to plan our days around our meals - Character meals and Dinner shows. We find it to be a great relaxing part of the day where we don't have to deal with the weather or crowds and we get to fill up our autograph books without waiting in lines! Here is the info:
Disney Dining Plans

Disney Dining Plans are options available exclusively to Guests of Disney Resort hotels with Magic Your Way Vacation Packages.

How Disney Dining Plans Work

When booking your vacation, purchase one of the Magic Your Way Vacation Packages that includes a Disney Dining Plan.

While vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort, choose from over 100 select restaurants available.

Present your Key to the World card to your server or cashier prior to ordering. The Key to the World card electronically monitors your party's allocated meals.
Track your meals with the easy-to-read receipt your server will provide you, which displays your remaining meal balance.

Redeem your meals in any order throughout your package stay until each person's meal total is complete.

Available Disney Dining Plans

To take advantage of a Disney Dining Plan, you must purchase one of the following Magic Your Way Vacation Packages that include a Disney Dining Plan.

Magic Your Way Package Plus Quick-Service Dining
Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining
Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining
Magic Your Way Premium Package (includes dining)
Magic Your Way Platinum Package (includes dining)

Here is a quick summery from the 2010 plans from WDWTravels.com:

These plans do change a bit from year to year. You really need to plan on what kinds of meals you want to eat and how many to see if this is the best option for you, but if you are a planner who likes to eat, then this is probably the best option for you and your family!