4. You’ll feel the need to get the most “bang for your buck”

To take full advantage of the “free dining” promotion, guests might decide to order things they don’t really want. For example, the same snack credit can be used on a $1.69 piece of whole fruit or a $5 pretzel. One might appear to be a better deal, but if a guest is really craving a cheaper item and settles for an expensive one, they’re not going to be satisfied.

5. You might be overrun with food 

Restaurant portions at Walt Disney World are usually large, and the meals keep coming day after day. A guest might decide to split some meals, but they’ll end up with more credits left over.

6. You might waste credits

Since most guests will likely be stuffed each day, they might be forced to burn through their remaining credits at the end of their trip, though pre-packaged snacks purchased with credits can make good souvenirs.

7. You can’t use your refillable mug at the parks

Image: Disney

Each of the dining plans include one refillable mug per person, which are great for getting beverages at the resorts, but they can’t be used at any of the parks. If a guest wants a beverage outside of a meal credit, they’ll have to use a snack credit – or pull out their wallet.

8. You may find that you never want to eat chocolate cake or carrot cake ever again

Image: Disney

Little round carrot cakes or chocolate cakes are the standard dessert choice offered at most quick-service meals, and being faced with those every day can get a little old, even if the chocolate cakes do have those Mickey head-shaped sprinkles. It’s not unusual to see guests take one bite of their desserts, then leave a restaurant.

The Disney dining plans aren’t all bad – many people enjoy the convenience of having most of their meal costs covered. But as the above eight reasons have shown, they do have some drawbacks. There’s definitely more freedom – and fewer chances to overeat or waste food – without a plan. So if you missed out on the “free dining” deal, there are still lots of reasons to plan a trip to the World – even if you have to shell out for meals yourself.