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2017 Disney Dining Plan Changes

2017 Disney Dining Plan Changes

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Tomorrow, June 21, 2016, Walt Disney World will be releasing rates and package info for 2017. If you have been waiting to book your 2017 Disney vacation, tomorrow is the first date you can book. Each year, Disney makes small changes to their dining plans and packages, so you really can’t assume next year will be the same as this year. If you look at the dining plans when they were first released years ago, a ton has changed (we now get less for more money). Of course, 2017 is going to be no different. While not yet officially released, we have obtained copies of the 2017 Disney Dining Plan brochures (linked below for you), and there are some changes coming for 2017. Please note, pricing will not be released until tomorrow.

Changes coming to the 2017 Disney Dining Plans

  1. Quick-Service meals no longer include a dessert. All quick-service meals at Walt Disney World will now include only a non-alcoholic drink and an entree. This holds true whether you are using the quick-service, Disney Dining Plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan.
  2. In place of the missing dessert, the Quick-Service and Disney Dining Plans will now include one additional snack. Most quick-service restaurants offer their desserts as a snack option, so you can still opt to get dessert by using one of your snack credits. This change is a positive though, as many quick-service restaurants offer sub-par desserts, and this will allow guests greater flexibility when dining. Plus, I would much rather choose from an entire park’s options for my snack than be forced to order a dessert I know I will not eat (I am looking at you Restaurantosaurus cheesecake in a cup). For the Quick-Service Dining Plan, this ends up being a slight negative, as you are trading two desserts for one additional snack, but hopefully this will keep the price increase down.
  3. The Premium and Platinum plans, which are rarely sold will be discontinued for 2017.
  4. Despite many rumors to the contrary, most Walt Disney World character meals ARE NOT changing to 2 table service credits per person. The only character meal currently listed as 2 credits per person is Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
  5. It appears as no additional restaurants have been reclassified as signature restaurants, so no changes in that regard from this year.

Please Note: While looking at the current 2017 Disney Dining Plan brochures, please understand that the restaurant list is incomplete. Every year, Disney must negotiate with Disney restaurants to be included on the Disney Dining Plans, and that negotiation is usually not completely until much later in the year. So, many Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants are not going to be listed on the current version of the brochures, but that DOES NOT mean they are not included, but that they will be included in the plan at some point before the end of this year. When planning, assume the list of restaurants for 2017 will look very much like the list for 2016, and you will be in good shape.

2017 Disney Dining Plan Brochures

What do you think of the changes to the Quick-Service restaurant?

best hollywood studios restaurant

Best Hollywood Studios Restaurant for Adults

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a great place for adults to spend a day without kids, plenty of great adult rides, shows and other things to see that you can spend some extra time enjoying. While the construction for both Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land have reduced the number of attractions you can visit, it is still worth your time to see the park. But as adults, where do you eat without Mickey coming to your table? There are two restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios that I consider the Best for adults, but there are a few others that are also pretty decent. Both Sci-Fi Dine-In and Mama Melrose’s are fine restaurants with decent food, but just don’t quite make the cut.

Best Hollywood Studios Restaurant for Adults

  • 50’s Prime Time Cafe – For many older adults, this is like a blast from their past, a reminder of what it was like to visit an aunt’s or grandmother’s house back in the 50’s and 60’s. Black and white TVs are placed at each table with shows such as I Married Joan, the Mickey Mouse Club and Leave it to Beaver among many others. The food is exactly as you would expect, home cooked comfort food. The fried chicken is fantastic, as is the meatloaf is some of the best I have ever had. Oh, and don’t miss out on the Peanut Butter and Jelly Milk Shakes, so good! Plus, make sure you eat your green beans, keep your elbows off the table and leave that cell phone in your pocket or you will get on the bad side of your server and may have to stand in the corner for a while. It is all fun, great food and fantastic place to eat.
  • The Hollywood Brown Derby – Disney’s Hollywood Studios only “signature” restaurant, as the cost to dine here is 2 table service credits per person for those on the dining plan. While I am not sure it is the best signature restaurant on property, it is very good. By far the nicest restaurant in Hollywood Studios, the Brown Derby is designed after the original location in Hollywood, complete with the caricatures of famous faces all around the restaurant. The Brown Derby is home to the Cobb Salad, created first sometime around 1930 at the original location, and perfected for the last 80+ years. In addition to the Cobb Salad, the Brown Derby also features entrees such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Faroe Island Salmon and my favorite, Pork Three Ways (all three are fantastic). And for dessert, you only need to know one thing: Grapefruit Cake. The Brown Derby features a first class, relaxing, upscale restaurant in the middle of a theme park.

What is your favorite Hollywood Studios Restaurant for adults?

best disney springs restaurant

Best Disney Springs Restaurant for Kids

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While the old Downtown Disney may have seemed a bit dated and tired, the new Disney Springs appears to be a fantastic collection of new restaurants and shops, and warrants a visit from anyone who hasn’t been recently. Disney Springs is a great place to head if you have a few hours at the beginning or end of your vacation, as no addmisison is required. We usually stop by one evening after visiting Animal Kingdom, but with that park staying open later now, we may need to find some other time to visit. There are quite a few new restaurants in Disney Springs, and we were wondering, what is the best Disney Springs restaurant for kids?

I narrowed it down to two options for you, two completely different restaurants, one of them should work well for your family:

Best Disney Springs Restaurant for Kids

  • Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Raglan Road is a MUST DO for my family, and has been since the restaurant opened in 2005. The entire bar area was imported directly from a Pub in Dublin, it is fantastic. Raglan Road features Irish entrees that are absolutely gigantic in proportion, along with some of the best desserts anywhere. I dream about their bread & butter pudding. Yum! For kids, Raglan Road offers some Irish choices like Young Shepherd’s Pie and Dalkey Duo (dalkey-battered sausages) as well as some Americanized items like Macaroni & Cheese and chicken fingers. The best thing about Raglan Road though is the entertainment, kids absolutely love it. They have nightly music and Irish dancing, and if you fancy taking a turn, they will even let you get on stage to show of your Irish moves. Reservations are required, especially for dinner, and Raglan Road accepts the Disney Dining Plan as payment, 1 table service credit per person. Hey, I got through that entire thing and didn’t even mention the Guinness on tap. Silly me.
  • T-Rex – The Dinosaur themed Rainforest Cafe. That isn’t even fair, I really, really like T-Rex and can’t stand Rainforest Cafe. T-Rex features a bunch of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals placed all around the restaurant, plus ample use of aquariums make the place really, really fun for both adults and kids. If your young ones scare easily because of darkness, loud sounds or dinosaurs, you may want to rethink this choice and go elsewhere, but the darkness and loud sounds are really short and are spread out, but the dinosaurs are ever-present. The food here is what you would associated with Flinstones, HUGE portions of meat and potatoes. While they do offer salads and sea food, this is a place that Fred Flinstone would be comfortable visiting. While you won’t get a side of brontosaurus ribs dropped on your car, you can order a Bronto Burger (not real brontosaur meat BTW), a Mastadon Stuffed Chicken or the Boneyard Buffet, which includes a lot of everything on the menu. Kids meals are similar, with entrees such as Prehistoric Pop’n Shrimp, Lava Lasagna and Mini Mes-O-Bones (ribs). T-Rex has pretty decent food and a fantastic atmosphere. Just be warned, if you go once, you will be going every single trip to Disney from that point forward, as it will become your kid’s number one request when planning your dining. Reservations are a must, and T-Rex accepts the Disney Dining Plan as payment, 1 table service credit per person.

So, what is your favorite Disney Springs restaurant for your kids?