Disney on a Budget: Dining Discounts

POSTED: Fri, 07/01/2011 - 11:00 | POSTED BY: Kasey O'Connor

Going to Disney World and trying to save money but worried you will have to give up your favorite eats? Not to worry we have compiled a list of dining discounts for you so that you can save money and enjoy your favorite Disney restaurants at the same time!

Disney Dining Plan
Disney offers guests the option to buy a prepaid Dining plan that can be a great way to save money and enjoy some of the best restaurants on Disney property.

There are three ways the dining plan can be purchased.

As part of a Magic Your Way vacation package that includes accommodations at a Disney resort plus at least a 1-day theme park ticket per person.
Annual passholders can buy a package that includes Disney accommodations and the dining plan.
Disney Vacation Club Members and their guests may purchase the dining plan if they are staying on points at a DVC resort. This must be arranged through Member Services.

For more information on the Disney Dining Plan and to learn how to get the most out of it check out the Disney Food Blog.

Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com offers discounts for some great Disney World and Orlando restaurants! It works by selling discounted gift certificates to the restaurants!

For example, you could purchase a $25 gift certificate for $10 or less.

Tables in Wonderland
Disney's Tables in Wonderland dining program is a membership program that provides a 20% discount on food and beverages (including alcohol) for parties of up to 10 people at most restaurants and lounges in Walt Disney World resorts and parks.

Annual and Season Passholders can purchase a Tables in Wonderland membership for $75 a year. Florida residents can purchase a membership for $100 a year.

Passholder Discounts
Disney passholders are eligible for discounts at many Disney dining locations. At Downtown Disney passholders enjoy 10 to 20% discounts at many dining locations. In the parks passholders enjoy a 10% discount at various dining locations. At certain Walt Disney World Resort Hotels passholders are eligible for discounts during various meal times.

For more detailed information including which restaurants offer passholder discounts check out the Disney Food Blog's page on Passholder Discounts.

How do you save on dining at Disney World? Any tips for how to stretch your dining budget?

Photo courtesy of the Disney Food Blog.

In:

Mase wrote on Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:40:

Were actually thinking of doing the Tables of Wonderland next year and see how that goes. Not for sure... but thats what were leaning on because unlike the Dining Plan... we can get whatever we want, and arent limited to just main course and dessert. We can get an appetizer if we want as our meal or so on. Plus.... most of the time I would rather have a Mickey Bar than some of the other desserts... lol

Kasey O'Connor wrote on Sat, 07/02/2011 - 02:01:

That is how I feel about the Dining plan. Plus I tend not to eat a whole lot of big meals other than dinner so I would rather snack my way through the day and then splurge on lunch or dinner, and I would feel like I was wasting part of my dining credits.

jeanne wrote on Sat, 07/02/2011 - 12:09:

I find with the dining plan, I have everything I need to eat and then some.
You don't have to worry about extra money as the dining plan is prepaid and I find I don't overeat and am always satisfied after.
For breakfast we get 2 drinks with the dining plan and make sure we always get at least one bottle of water, we are pretty good for the day then. We may spend extra on drinks and ice cream but certainly not enough to break the bank.