For those of you who are not familiar, Disney World has 3 levels of Dining Plans. The plans are a great way of giving your Walt Disney World vacation a true, all-inclusive feel. By adding a Dining plan to your resort and ticket, you are accounting for the bulk of your travel expenses up front.

The three levels are Quick Service, the Disney Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan. One common theme across the plans is that you will absolutely NOT go hungry!

Today, I’m going to focus on the Quick Service Plan. This plan is perfect if you are on a budget or if you enjoy more flexibility in your vacation and don’t want to make advanced reservations for dining.

In the past, my family has always done the middle level dining plan. We love character meals and these are a highlight of each trip for us. On our last visit, we brought my daughter’s friend along and she had never been. In the interest of making the most of our park time for her, we opted for the Quick Service plan.

I was a little skeptical that I would find the same value in as I do in the regular dining plan. Boy, was I wrong!

When you think of theme park food, you probably think of pizza, hot dogs, burgers and chicken nuggets. Of course, if that’s what you like, that is certainly an option. But Disney takes park food to a whole other level!

Throughout my vacation, my family and I enjoyed hearty servings of everything from Shrimp and Grits to Create Your Own Pasta and an amazing Barbecue Sampler to a Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry.

And – the plan includes specialty beverages for adults and children, making it an even better value.

While dining at The Polite Pig in Disney Springs, I had an unbelievable Beef Brisket platter with crispy Brussel Sprouts, Cole Slaw and a frozen Margarita. This meal carried a $30 price tag had I paid out of pocket.

For lunch that same day, I ate at my hotel and had a delicious shrimp and crab burger with fries and an Espresso float. I also started my day with a Bagel and Cream Cheese (1 Snack Credit) and had one snack credit left for the night that I didn’t use. That credit carried over for another day.

At a current cost of $52.50 per adult, per night, I easily would have spent more than that out of pocket each day.

The plan also includes these fun, refillable mugs that can be used for unlimited refills at your resort.

I have to be honest and say…my favorite use of my snack credits was DESSERT! Oh my goodness, Disney does dessert right. From Dole Whips and Giant Cookies to Chocolate Croissants and Cupcakes – everything was delicious and most of it was shareable, which makes your snack credits go even further!

If you are not into sweets, don’t worry. Disney has plenty of savory snacks to try. My daughter actually made a meal out of pulled pork topped Mac and cheese at Animal Kingdom and shared Cheddar Bacon Fries with my son at Magic Kingdom. Each of these used only one snack credit!

Whenever I book a vacation that includes the Disney Dining Plan, I always share tips and tricks for getting the most out of your plan. For instance, when dining at your resort with your refillable mug, replace your included beverage with an extra side or dessert. Another tip is to use one snack credit for breakfast! Your choices include bagels, muffins, giant cinnamon rolls, doughnuts big enough for two and Mickey waffles with fruit.

As I said, the options are limitless.

Make a point to try something fun at every park!

Have you ever used the quick service dining plan? What did you think?