Starbucks Snub: Three Disney Park Locations Won’t be Accepted in 2026

Okay, Disney fam, we need to talk about what just went down with the 2026 Dining Plans because FINALLY we’re getting some answers. If you’ve been losing sleep over the absolute disaster that was the initial restaurant lineup (or lack thereof), you can rest a little easier tonight. Disney just dropped a massive update that brought back literally dozens of restaurants that mysteriously disappeared when the plans first launched. We’re talking EPCOT favorites, Disney Springs staples, even some resort spots that left us all scratching our heads wondering what on earth was happening behind the scenes.

Related: Disney Fans Are Losing It Over This New Starbucks Castle Mug

But before we pop the champagne and celebrate, we need to address the giant coffee-shaped elephant in the room. THREE Starbucks locations are still MIA from the dining plan, and honestly, we have questions. Like, a LOT of questions. Because let me tell you, nothing ruins a park day faster than realizing your pre-dawn Starbucks run is coming straight out of your actual wallet when you thought you’d prepaid for everything. We’ve been digging into what’s really going on here, and buckle up because this story has more twists than Space Mountain.

When the 2026 Dining Plans launched, the Disney community basically had a collective meltdown. And rightfully so! People started comparing their usual go-to restaurants with what was actually available on the plan, and the discrepancies were WILD. Entire sections of EPCOT’s World Showcase were just… gone. Disney Springs looked like a ghost town on paper. Resort dining options vanished into thin air. Disney stayed completely silent about the whole situation, which obviously sent everyone into speculation overdrive. Were these restaurants done with the dining plan forever? Did someone mess up the website? Was this some kind of cost-cutting measure that Disney wasn’t announcing?

Turns out (and this is according to sources familiar with the situation), Disney was still hammering out contracts with the third-party companies that actually operate a bunch of these restaurants. Apparently the negotiation process took way longer than anyone expected, which left these venues stuck in contract purgatory while lawyers did their thing. Now that most of those deals are finally signed, the restaurant options look way more complete. But we’re still left with some glaring holes, and the Starbucks situation is absolutely the biggest head-scratcher of them all.

The Restaurants That Made Their Grand Return

Let’s start with the good news because there’s actually quite a bit of it. EPCOT scored six restaurants back on the dining plan roster, and these aren’t random kiosks nobody visits. We’re talking legitimate World Showcase experiences. Chefs de France is back (oui oui!), La Cantina de San Angel returned for all your Mexico pavilion needs, and quick-service heroes like Katsura Grill, Lotus Blossom Cafe, and Pizza al Taglio are ready to accept your credits again. Plus both Crêpes À Emporter by La Crêperie de Paris AND Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in the France pavilion are back in action. Croissant lovers, rejoice!

Disney Springs absolutely cleaned up in this update with THIRTEEN restaurants rejoining the program. The BOATHOUSE is back for your upscale waterfront dining dreams. Morimoto Asia Street Food returned with those incredible ribs. Fast-casual chains came roaring back: Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, Chicken Guy! (because of course), and the legendary Earl of Sandwich. Cookes of Dublin is serving up those fish and chips again on the dining plan. The Polite Pig brought its elevated barbecue back into the fold. Splitsville Dining Room means bowling and dining plan credits can coexist once more. The list keeps going: City Works Eatery & Pour House, The Smokehouse at House of Blues, eet by Maneet Chauhan, Pizza Ponte, and even YeSake Kiosk all made the comeback tour.

Coronado Springs guests got some love too with El Mercado de Coronado, Rix Sports Bar & Grill, and Siestas Cantina all back on the approved list.

And here’s a bonus detail that’ll make planning easier: The Edison and Terralina Crafted Italian at Disney Springs were originally only taking dining plan credits for one meal period. Same with Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria and Tutto Italia Ristorante over at EPCOT. All four of these spots now accept the dining plan for BOTH lunch and dinner, which gives you way more flexibility when you’re trying to snag those impossible reservations.

But Seriously, What’s Up With Starbucks?

Here’s where this whole thing gets absolutely bonkers. Three major Starbucks locations are still completely absent from the 2026 Dining Plan: Connections Cafe at EPCOT, Creature Comforts at Animal Kingdom, and The Trolley Car Cafe at Hollywood Studios. These aren’t some tucked-away corner stores. These are PRIME real estate Starbucks locations that serve thousands of desperate, under-caffeinated guests every single morning.

And the inconsistency is what’s really frying our brains here. The Main Street Bakery at Magic Kingdom? That’s a Starbucks location, and it’s not on the missing list. Disney Springs has multiple Starbucks spots that seem to be working fine with the dining plan. So what makes these three specific park locations so special (or problematic) that they can’t get their act together? There’s got to be something about how these particular venues are contracted or operated that’s creating problems nobody’s talking about publicly.

For anyone who bought the dining plan partly because they assumed their daily Starbucks habit would be covered, this is a legit problem. A venti iced coffee is like $6-7. A Frappuccino can hit $8 easy. If you’re a two-Starbucks-per-day person (no judgment, we see you), that’s $15-20 daily coming straight out of pocket. Multiply that across a week-long vacation and you’re looking at over $100 in unexpected Starbucks expenses. That’s not exactly pocket change!

Landry’s Is Still Sitting This One Out

The Starbucks mystery has company because every single Landry’s restaurant at Disney World is still off the dining plan. Both Rainforest Cafe locations (Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs), T-Rex at Disney Springs, and Yak & Yeti Restaurant at Animal Kingdom are all still unavailable. When you see every restaurant under one corporate umbrella missing, it’s pretty obvious there’s a company-level contract situation that hasn’t resolved yet.

These are BIG venues too. Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex are absolutely massive operations with elaborate theming that kids go absolutely bananas for. Yak & Yeti is one of Animal Kingdom’s better table-service options. Having all of these off the table (pun intended) eliminates some seriously popular choices for families.

Oh, and Scat Cat’s Club at Port Orleans French Quarter is also still missing, but that’s more of a minor footnote compared to the Landry’s situation.

Quick Refresher on How These Plans Work

For anyone new to the dining plan game or just needing a memory jog, here’s the breakdown. The Quick-Service Dining Plan hooks everyone in your party (ages 3+) up with two quick-service meals, one snack or non-alcoholic beverage, and a refillable resort mug per night of your stay.

The regular Disney Dining Plan gives each person (again, 3+) one quick-service meal, one table-service meal, one snack or non-alcoholic drink, and that refillable mug per night you’re staying on property.

There are tons more participating restaurants beyond what we’ve covered here. Hit up the official Walt Disney World website for the complete list, or check individual restaurant pages in the My Disney Experience app to see their dining plan status.

So Should You Actually Buy This Thing?

Look, the return of these restaurants is huge news if you were on the fence about purchasing the 2026 Dining Plan. The coverage is finally comprehensive enough that you can actually plan a trip around it without feeling like you’re constantly working around what’s NOT available.

BUT (and this is a big but), you need to run the numbers on your specific situation. If you’re a serious coffee person who hits Starbucks multiple times daily, factor in what you’ll actually spend at those three park locations. If Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex were must-dos for your family, same deal. Those out-of-pocket expenses can add up shockingly fast and completely change whether the dining plan saves you money or not.

Here’s the thing: every family eats differently at Disney. Some people graze all day on snacks. Some people want that big table-service dinner every night. Some people skip breakfast entirely and load up on late lunches. The dining plan isn’t one-size-fits-all, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.

If you’re trying to figure out whether the dining plan makes sense for YOUR trip (not some theoretical perfect trip, but your actual vacation with your actual family’s eating habits), let’s chat about it. We’ve helped hundreds of families work through these calculations, and we’re pretty good at spotting when the plan is a winner versus when you’re better off just swiping your card as you go. Hit us up and we’ll walk through your plans together. No sales pitch, just real talk about what’ll actually work for you.