The TRAGIC Dining Mistake People Are Making in Disney World Right Now

The fans have spoken, and in January 2024 we finally saw the return of the Disney Dining Plan!

This service allows folks staying at Disney World hotels to prepay for their meals — and it can be a little confusing if you’ve never used it before. We’ve got plenty of tips and tricks, but we’re begging you not to make this tragic dining mistake people are making in Disney World right now!

Whether you’re enjoying the food court at your Resort, a snack from a kiosk in the Parks, or a Signature meal in Disney Springs, there’s no shortage of tasty things to eat and drink. And to help guests plan ahead — and possibly save some money in the process — Disney offers the Disney Dining Plan.

Each of the dining plans offers different credits per person, per night. Because of this, they also vary in cost, with the Standard Dining Plan being the most expensive. We’ve done our best to bring you a look at the best values on the dining plan, where to spend your credits, and how to get the most out of the deal. But, some folks might still be confused about some aspects of the dining plan — so allow us to explain!

The Quick Service Dining Plan includes:

2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

1 Quick-Service Meal (per night of stay)
1 Table-Service Meal (per night of stay)
1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

Certain meals and restaurants are known as “signature,” meaning they are more expensive and more elegant fare. You are welcome to use your Disney Dining Plan to eat at signature locations, but it’s important to note that each Signature meal will require TWO Table Service Credits per person.

So, Disney does allow you to use two table service credits in exchange for “signature” meals.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is a signature meal

But, what Disney does not allow you to do is trade two quick service dining credits for one table service credit. We had seen a few musings about this online, so we wanted to clear the air.

Disney’s official stance is, “Table service meals are only available as part of the Disney Dining Plan, and you cannot trade in credits from one plan for another,” meaning the Standard Disney Dining Plan that includes table service credits.

Essentially, folks with the Standard Disney Dining Plan are able to swap credits for signature meals because those are still table service restaurants and thus available with the table service credits. On the other hand, the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan does not include any table service credits, so you can’t swap from one plan to another since they differ in price.

You can check out the 2024 Disney Dining Plan Prices below:

Quick Service Disney Dining Plan:

$57.01 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$23.83 per night per child (age 3-9)

Standard Disney Dining Plan:

$94.28 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$26.69 per night per child (age 3-9)

Unfortunately, the cost will be going up in 2025, and those prices are reflected below:

Quick Service Disney Dining Plan:

$59.14 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$24.70 per night per child (age 3-9)

Standard Disney Dining Plan:

$97.70 per night per adult (ages 10 and up)
$30.78 per night per child (age 3-9)

Our full spread at Hollywood Brown Derby

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

And, check out our posts below to see if the Disney Dining Plan is right for you:

Don’t forget to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news from Disney World and more!