There comes a point in every Disney World trip when you must find your way back to reality. It’s a sad day in the life of a vacationer to re-pack those bags and board their plane. There are few things I can think of that could possibly make it worse, except wasted dining credits.
*Gasp*
If you’ve been here before you may know that we loathe the dining plan. I’ll save you the banter, but suffice it to say there are issues. One of the biggest issues is the number of credits Disney gives you. Unless you are eating non-stop, which sounds like an amazing vacation tbh, it’s going to be difficult to get through them all. Sometime within the last 2-3 days of your trip you’re bound to look at your credit balance and wonder how to get value out of what’s left instead of letting them go to waste. Well….here’s how!
Epcot Festivals
Epcot park has pretty much become the festival capital of the world, well Disney World anyway. The International Festival of the Arts in the first quarter of the year, The International Flower and Garden show in the Spring, and The Food and Wine Festival in the Summer and Fall – we rarely see Epcot in it’s natural state anymore. But I’m okay with it, because each of these festivals brings with it some amazing eats.
There are anywhere form 20 to 40 kiosks brought out during these festivals, each offering a unique menu you can only find for a limited time. If you’re dreading the price tag for these booths, not to fear! Most of the festival locations actually accept snack credits for many of the items! How awesome is that! You can snack your way around the world, and out of wasting those credits!
Starbucks
There’s more than a few things Disney fans have in common, and one of those is a deep appreciation for Starbucks. Whether you’re a coffee junkie (Hi, my name is Rebecca) or just love tea time, you’re probably in need of a Starbucks fix. Fun fact: The Starbucks at Disney World accept snack credits for any beverage of any size! Hello Trenta Pink Drink!
Trade in Your Meal Credits
If you find that you’re not using your meal credits because you’ve filled up on snacks and Starbucks, there’s a fix for that as well! You can visit any dining location to trade (1) Quick Service meal credit for….wait for it…..3 – Three – snack credits. Bring on the Dole Whip!
Pass Along the Magic
Unfortunately, you cannot trade table service credits for snack credits. It doesn’t make any sense to me, Disney would keep more of the profit in their pocket if they allowed the swap. But I digress. Since these credits can only be used on table service meals, if you’ve got some to spare you can actually gift a few of them to another family. It has be for a meal within the dates of your trip, but usually if you speak with your server they will allow you to use your credits for another family of your choice.
I’ve heard great stories of guest who used their credits to pay for a couple celebrating their anniversary, or a family with lots of littles. I love this idea.
Get Snacks to Go
If you’ve run out of time and are in a mad dash to use your credits, there’s no need to replace all the blood in your body with Starbucks. I mean you can, but there’s other options. You can visit any of the Disney World gift shops and find tons of easily transportable snacks you can pack right in your suitcase. Some popular choices are the Rice Crispie Treats, Cookies, and Candy.
Or Meals…
If you really want to get every last penny of your money’s worth you can also get quick service meals to go. This is what we did on our last visit. We were absolutely obsessed with the Wolfgang Puck Express in Disney Springs, so when we realized how many credits we had left….Well let’s just say airport security was not happy that all of our carryon luggage was to-go boxes. But it made the trip okay, and we got yummy leftovers for a week.
