Disney World has been doing away with many of its attractive features lately. However, even if the lucrative Disney Dining Plan 2022 is now shelved, fans do like to speculate about its return in 2022.
It had sone away with its free airport transport service, which had contributed to the budget ruse of many tourists. The prices have considerably increased in the post-pandemic period.
So, many of the guests worry if their favorite Disney Dining Plan will also be obsolete shortly. If you worry about the same, our article guides you through the speculations!
In the post-pandemic period, after reopening resorts and parks, Disney World temporarily did away with the Disney World Dining Plan 2022.
Since then, guests have been asking the most pertinent question when will Disney’s dining plan return. So, based on popular discounts, prepaid meal structure, restaurant capacity, staffing shortages, crowd influx, etc., the article will try to provide an answer to the same.
Last summer, Disney announced that Disney Dining Plan would return soon, but unfortunately, to the guests’ dismay, it has not yet been featured among the things-to-return lists.
Disney Dining Plan 2022
So, before delving into the possibility of the Disney Dining Plan’s return in 2022 summer, let’s see what this hype is about:
If you plan a Walt Disney World tour, a dream vacation for many, you might also be looking for an all-inclusive dining plan.
If you use the Disney Dining Plan, you can even buy meal plans in advance. They will also offer you meal passes required for table-service meals, quick service meals, and snacks. However, this will depend on the dining plan that you have purchased.
Disney Dining Plan was suspended when the pandemic hit the world in March 2020. The dining plan options that Disney used to offer are as follows.
- Quick service dining plan: For each night, if you bought this plan, you could avail yourself two snacks or soft drinks along with two quick-service meals
- Disney Dining Plan: one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, non-alcoholic drinks, or two snacks. This is also eligible for each night of stay.
- Disney Dining Plan Plus: Depending on each day of stay, you can avail of two table service or two quick-service meals and soft drinks or two snacks per person.
- Disney Deluxe Dining Plan: This is the plan where you can get the highest number of meals. You can get three table service or three quick-service meals and soft drinks or two snacks per night of stay.
If you are above 21, you can also get yourself alcoholic beverages.
Perks previously availed
The dining plans also had other amenities, such as a refillable resort mug. If you stayed in a Disney resort hotel, this mug would give you access to unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee.
So, the dining plan seems pretty lucrative. It is even offered for free. So, if you have booked a stay at any Disney resort, you might also get the dining plan for free. However, for others, the plan had a substantial cost. We have laid down the cost for you for reference
Quick service plans would cost you $55 per night and $26 for your kid per night. Deluxe Dining Plan would cost $119 for an adult per night and $47.59 for children per night.
Dining Plan Plus would cost you $35 for children per night and $94.60 per night for adults. Disney Dining Plan costs $78.01 for adults and $30.51 for children per night.
This is the price that Disney had set for January 2020. So, when Disney World Dining Plan 2022 returns, there might be a price rise. However, follow this article if you are waiting for Disney Dining Plan 2022 return.
Why did it close down?
Many guests tend to believe that Disney temporarily suspended its dining plan because it wanted to cut down on costs. However, this is not true.
On the contrary, this plan is helpful for the guests and brings a vast fortune and profits for the Walt Disney World company itself.
On the one hand, thus, it is a revenue engine, and on the other hand, the guests also accrue benefits from it, so much so that they consider it one of the perks of visiting and dining at Disney World. Thus, the question is no longer whether it will return or not, but rather when it shall return.
Now, let’s focus on the real reason behind suspending the dining plan. They suspended it because it would keep the guests hooked to the ground.
Otherwise, they were very excited about the dining adventures, and the crowd in Universal, Sea World, and others considerably waned.
Dining Plan profits for the company
Free lunch is a myth. Moreover, did you know those who used Disney Dining Plan 2022 spent more food money than those who didn’t use it? So, after all, the benefit is of Walt Disney World’s only? It’s a simple equation. With the lucrative snack credits and offers, you will be more likely to be inclined to utilize the unused one.
But, if you do not use the dining plan at all, these compulsions won’t be there. So, they are more likely to spend some bucks on table service or quick service meals and get done with it. Historically and statistically, those with dining plans waste more on food and beverages than those who do not subscribe to these.
So, if you think those who use the dining plan save quite a good amount on a food budget, you are wrong.
There are many tips and hacks to leverage the dining plan to your benefit. However, the lure of an “all-inclusive” meal plan can lead to more loss than profit.
Moreover, if you reverse-engineer the dollar value for individual Disney Dining Plan credit, you will see a table service credit that will have a $45 value.
Inflation has also made a mark on Disney World. It has been on the headlines in the daily news channels, especially after the pandemic. This has led to a price hike in food and beverage costs.
Inflation has also impacted the park entry fees, ride costs, and others. So, many guests have also been complaining about the inaccessibility of the Disney world to the layperson.
Thus, even if these are not directly related to the question, will Disney Dining Plan come back in 2022; this shows why Disney is bound to bring it back, now or shortly.
The company’s profits are much more than the benefits that the guests believe they have. So, in both ways, Disney World is bound to bring back Disney Dining Plan 2022. Whether it will come back in 2022 or later is subject to scrutiny.
May 2022 Update
The guests ceaselessly ask about the possibility of the Disney Dining Plan’s return in 2022. While Disney has updated about many other things which are about to return soon, it has maintained silence on Dining Plan’s return leading to an increased curiosity among the guests.
Even after eleven months of them making a statement about the possible return of the Disney Dining Plan, they haven’t come out with a solid announcement that can give a ray of hope to its guests.
There have been several marketing materials and fake appearances of the dining plan symbol, but the hose is far from reality. Every time there is a menu update, say in EPCOT festivals, you can notice the DDP symbol as if they are hinting at its return any time soon. But, there has been no statement from the company about the return shortly.
The effect of the pandemic is now fading. Many restaurants have reopened, and the availability of restaurants has also risen. Those which are open for months are now operating on a firmer footing. So, Disney World has revamped after coping with the Pandemic losses.
Latest updates on restaurants
However, in the last month, not many restaurants opened, or nothing exclusive happened except the announcement of Hoope-dee-doo Musical Revue about their reopening. You will have to wait till June 23, 2022, to visit it because it will reopen then. Also, Connections Café and eatery opened this month.
Last month, most of the post-pandemic features hit Disney World. It restarted norma, a non-distanced character dining experience which meant you could hug, shake hands, take autographs, or do high-fives with your favorite character.
However, reopenings of Akershus Royal Dining Hall and 1900 Park fare, Cape May Café, Crystal Palace, and others have not yet been announced. But, some of the dining restaurants have increased the table capacities.
Staff shortage
One of the most important problems in Disney Dining Experiences nowadays is the staffing shortage. Even if it brought back the college program and started hiring regularly, it will still take time to cope with the shortage.
As a result, the full functionality of Disney World restaurants has waned a little. But, it is better than the last year due to pandemic restrictions.
Disney World has, however, been announcing that it was hosting another job fair. Most recently, on May 11, the casting center hosted Culinary Careers Summer Hiring celebrations, a job fair of some sort.
Bakers, dishwashers, assistant chefs, line cooks, and other dining careers were at the hotspot of these hiring positions. Well, the Disney Dining Plan is shelved because of staffing shortages. So, unless and until these positions are getting filled by potential aspirants, the hope of getting DDP back is still shelved.
Advance Dining Reservations
One of the most positive developments in the recent months is the increased availability of Advance Dining Options.
If you have a family of four members, you can select from many time slots in the next two months. Even the popular restaurants have several available time slots open. Spot-checking ADRs are also open. So, this is a substantial hint that the restaurant’s work has also increased with more staff.
However, in the last fall also, the observations were similar. So, don’t get your hopes up about Disney Dining Plan 2022 after reading this. However, last fall saw the urge of Omicron, and also, it was not a peak season. Disney World saw many cancellations as well.
But, this time, it is the months of June and July, which are usually the months of summer vacation at schools. This is the peak time to visit Disney World. Thus, if ADRs are available abundantly during this peak season, it either means the restaurants have a better functionality or cancellations have risen owing to price hikes!
So, taking all of these factors into consideration, it is very unlikely that Disney Dining Plan will return next month in July. The plan has its requirements, and additionally, the staffing and other operations need to be revamped. All of these will take some time.
The restaurant capacities are increasing, and the restrictions are loosening. So, the dining plan is possible to come back soon. However, if it gets back this summer, then the most likely time will be the period after Independence Day. Thus, the most probable time is August and September in 2022. However, there is no guarantee.
Final Thoughts
All this pessimism might drain your soul, which racked up the hopes regarding Disney Dining Plan 2022. However, time will tell everything. Don’t lose hope but try to plan a Disney Trip without the dining plan this time!