Disney Dining (part 2)

Hollywood & Vine, Character breakfast

People often question whether or not they should invest in the Disney Dining plan and which one to choose. The answer isn't easy because everyone's different. But this is the best way I know of to answer that question:

1. Will you be having your own car or relying on Disney transportation?

2. Are you a foodie who likes to experience the world of food while on vacation?

3. Are you hoping to get as many character experiences as possible?

4. Do you want to spend as little time eating as possible in order to spend more time seeing the parks?

5. What's your budget like?

Answering these questions will help you figure out the best way to go in deciding whether or not to purchase a Disney Dining plan. I've gotten the Deluxe plan and the Regular plan, but never the Quick Service plan.

If you have your own car and plan on dining off of the Walt Disney World resort most of your time there, then it won't be worth it to purchase a dining plan. But if you're going to stay on property, a dining plan is the way to go. It usually ends up being cheaper in the long run than paying for each meal out of pocket, especially when you add in the two snacks and refillable mug. I personally don't like the Quick Service Dining Plan because I like to sit down and relax over a nice meal instead of rushing with hamburgers all the time. But that's just me. Some of you may prefer to not spend the time waiting for food so you'll have more time to see the park's attractions.

The dining plans are even better if you eat a menu restaurant as opposed to a buffet. Buffets have one price for adults and one for children, period. (When we ate at Hollywood & Vine, our total for 2 adults and 1 child was a little over $100). A menu restaurant has a variety of choices at a variety of prices. As long as you have the dining plan that allows a table service meal, you don't have to worry about how much the meal costs. Go ahead and order that steak!

The other question is whether to get the Regular Dining Plan or the Deluxe Dining Plan. The Deluxe is more expensive, but also offers a lot more for the added cost. You get 3 meals instead of 2, and you're not limited to table service or quick service. You can combine them in any way that you choose.

If you're going to be choosing more quick service than table service meals, though, the Deluxe plan wouldn't be the most cost-effective way to go. It's appeal is that you don't have to worry about paying for that 3rd meal of the day because you get three with the plan, and you can eat every meal at the more expensive table service restaurants if you want to try all the food that Disney has to offer. This plan is great for foodies!

T-Rex restaurant, Disney Springs

It's important to note, however, that tips are not included in the meals unless you're dining at a special event/show, like Mickey's Backyard BBQ or Cinderella's Royal Table. And trust me, those tips add up! When your meals are all over $100, even if you don't have to pay the $100+, you're still paying $20 a meal on tips. So make sure you factor that into your Disney budget when deciding which option is right for you!

You should also decide on how many shows/events you think you'll be attending. Many take 2 table service meals. Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, Cinderella's Royal Table, and Mickey's Backyard BBQ all take 2 meals instead of the usual 1. So if you want to do a lot of these, you'll be running out of meals quite quickly if you only have the Regular Dining Plan that allows only one table service per night (you are given one per night, but you can use as many as you want on any given day until you've used your allotted meals).

The last time we went, I purchased the Deluxe Dining Plan because I didn't want to be limited in my table service meals. For us, it was a mistake. We didn't eat 3 meals every day, so we had A LOT left over. I learned, though, that you can turn your meals in for snacks, so we came home with a bunch of Mickey crackers and other assorted candies for my family and friends who didn't go with us.

So decide how many meals and what kinds of meals you think your family will be eating before deciding which dining plan to purchase. Never a good idea to overspend, but just as costly to underspend on the plans.

Rainforst Cafe, Disney Springs

Another point to remember is that the dining plans can be used at most (not all) Disney Springs restaurants, like The Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex, House of Blues, Chef Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck, etc.

Disney Dining (Part 1)

House of Blues, Disney Springs

When you make your resort reservations, you'll be asked if you want to add the Disney Dining Plan. Here's what you need to know before you answer:

You can pick which plan you want, depending on your budget and needs. The Quick Service Dining, Regular Dining (what is often referred to as the Disney Dining Plan), and Deluxe Dining are the three plans Disney offers. Each one is a different cost and provides a different meal plan.

I'll start with the Quick Service Dining Plan. This one's my least favorite, so I'll get it quickly out of the way. This plan is good if you're on a tight budget or a tight schedule. It would often be a good choice if you have a car and plan on eating off the resort property. 

The Quick Service plan is only good for quick service restaurants. That means, no table service. You stand in line, order from the overhead menu board, wait for your food, then carry it back to an empty table. With this plan, you'll get two meals each day, plus two snacks and a refillable mug (I'll explain that in a bit).

The Regular Dining Plan is the most popular. With this plan, you'll get one quick service meal, one table service meal, two snacks, and a refillable mug. 

The Deluxe Dining Plan is the most expensive, but offers the most in return. There are pros and cons to this plan, as well as to the other ones, that I'll detail in a moment. With this plan, you get three meals of your choosing. They can be any combination of quick service and table service meals. As with the other two plans, you'll also receive two snacks and a refillable mug.

Dining Plan	What’s Included	Cost Per Adult (10 years & older) Per Night	Cost Per Child (3-9 years old) Per Night
Quick Service Dining Plan	2 Quick Service Meals 2 Snacks 1 Refillable Mug	$46.34	$20.18
Regular Service Dining Plan	1 Quick Service Meal 1 Table Service Meal 2 Snacks 1 Refillable Mug	$67.33	$24.22
Deluxe Dining Plan	3 Meals, any combination of     Quick Service or Table 2 Snacks 1 Refillable Mug	$103.57	$37.62

(These are the costs for 2017. They are subject to change)

Now...about those refillable mugs. At first, this might not look like much, but it can be BIG money saver! Each person on a meal plan will receive a Disney refillable mug. Just go to the resort gift shop and scan your Magic Band to get it for free. This is a souvenir cup that costs close to $20! (They were $16.95 when we were at WDW this past summer). But not only are you saving that money (times however many people are in your party), you'll also be allowed to fill them free at the resort quick service locations. No paying for soda or coffee when you or your kids get thirsty (which happens A LOT during those summer months!). Most of the soda machines offer a fruit punch selection, too, so no need to worry about too much soda. But that, alone, can save you tons on the cost of soda machine drinks! And you can refill it as many times as you like. Only caveat here is that they can only be used at the resort quick service locations. They cannot be used in the parks or at Disney Springs.

But how do you know which plan is best for you? Stay tuned, because I'll try to help you decide in Disney Dining (part 2).

To Stay on Property or Off. That is the Question (part 2)

Lobby wall in the Art of Animation resort

Now for the reasons you should really consider staying on property:

It's not as expensive as you might think. While it's true that some are (the Deluxe resorts, for example), not all are. And you can usually get some good deals, depending on when you plan on visiting. If you go on their site (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/), you can check out what specials they're offering at any given time. Some of the specials are for a short window of time, some are for months. But they usually have quite a few to choose from to help you be able to afford a stay at the "happiest place on earth."

Even if they look a little more expensive than off-site hotels, look at the whole picture and not just the room cost. There are hidden things that make the room cheaper than you might think. For starters, unless you really want to rent a car, if you stay at a resort on the Walt Disney World complex, you won't need to! Just hop on the Disney Magical Express at the Orlando airport and you will be magically transported directly to your resort. And if you fly on certain airlines (Delta, Alaska, American, JetBlue, Southwest or United) Disney will even pick your luggage up for you at the airport and deliver it to your hotel room (though expect to wait a few hours after arrival for it to show up). Plus, on the day of your departure, you can check your bags at the hotel to avoid standing in lines at the airport to check them! And you can always rent a car for just a day if you want to leave the resort to go to Universal Studios or Sea World. Better to pay for one day than for several! 

And it's not just getting you to your resort from the airport (and back again) that makes not renting a car possible. If you stay at a Disney resort, they'll provide transportation from your resort to any of the 4 theme parks, the 2 water parks, and Disney Springs. For some of the resorts, you can have a choice between taking the bus, a boat, or the monorail. For others, you can take a bus or monorail (or boat to Disney Springs). And for the value resorts, some of the moderates, and Animal Kingdom Lodge, there are buses to take you to any of the parks you'd like to visit. So not only are you saving on the cost of a car rental for a week or so, you're also saving the roughly $20 parking fee at each park. BIG savings!!

But there are other reasons to choose a Disney resort. If you have kids, they will LOVE the swimming pools at most of the resorts. They're fun and themed and are a treat in and of themselves. 

Port Orleans - French Quarter 

Not only are they themed, but they'll come with slides, spraying water, and a child's water play area. It's really great for beating that Florida afternoon heat! We'd go to the park early, leave a little after noontime, then return to the park around dinner. During the hottest part of the day, we'd cool off in the resort pool (with plenty of sunscreen, of course!). It's easy to do when you're staying on property and not too far from the parks.

To Stay on Property or Off. That is the Question (part 1)

The very first thing most people do when planning a Walt Disney World resort vacation is look for, and book, their lodging. Orlando has many wonderful hotels and motels with a variety of rates. When I look at hotels, I like to check on TripAdvisor.com to read the reviews before I book. It's also a good place to get an idea of a hotel's room rates, though I like to go straight to the hotel's web site for a sure rate...then you can plug in your discount (AAA, AARP, military, etc).

But (and this is a major but) I wouldn't be too fast to count out the lodging that's on the Disney resort. Don't assume it's too expensive and you can't afford it! I'll explain why you can (and maybe even should).

Disney resorts are divided into categories: Deluxe Villas, Deluxe Resort Hotels, Moderate Resort Hotels, Value Resort Hotels, Campgrounds (yes, you can actually camp ON the Disney World resort!), and Other Select Deluxe Hotels.

I'm going to primarily focus on all but the Villas and Other Select Hotels on the property. You can book your stay there, but they're the most costly, and to be honest, I don't know much about them to review them here. I also won't be dealing with the campgrounds, either.....though all of those categories enjoy the benefits I'll be discussing. More than likely, you will choose between the Deluxe, Moderate, or Value resorts. There's a wide range of rates between the categories and for a reason.

The value resorts have the lowest rates. The exception to this is Disney's newest resort, Art of Animation (though I think that's because the majority of rooms at Art of Animation are suites). All of the value resorts are the farthest resorts from the Magic Kingdom. But they seem to have the most Disney branding for the little ones (or the young at heart) than any of the other resorts in the other categories.

Art of Animation, Lion King Suite (Value Resort)

The moderate resorts, as you've probably guessed, fall in between the value and the deluxe in their costs and amenities. They are still a good distance from the Magic Kingdom, but are closer to the other parks and Disney Springs than the value resorts. They offer more non-park activities like a carriage ride, pirate activities for the children, bike rentals, and other fun things to do. Two resorts offer a boat ride to Disney Springs as well as the bus option. There is some branding, but not as much as at the value resorts. Port Orleans - Riverside, for example, is divided into two sections, the plantation section and the bayou section. The bayou features Louis the Alligator. Port Orleans - French Quarter, though, really doesn't have much Disney character in the rooms.

The deluxe resorts cost more, but offer more. They are the resorts closest to the parks. The Contemporary Hotel is close enough that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom from it. You can also get there by monorail (which runs right through the resort) or bus. This will also be an easy hop to Epcot. The Grand Floridian and the Polynesian Village are both close to the Magic Kingdom and provide monorail, boat, or bus access to the Magic Kingdom, monorail or bus to Epcot, and bus to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is the farthest from the Magic Kingdom but offers something most American hotels don't - a room with a view of the Savanna and its wildlife! 

Besides being the closest to the parks, the deluxe resorts also offer the most amenities such as table-service restaurants, spas, and fitness centers. They have the least amount of Disney branding, though, so if you want the full Disney experience, you may not like this. If you want to visit Disney but don't want to be overloaded on Disney, then the Deluxe resorts might be just what you want! 

Now you've gotten a glimpse of the different categories, next I'll go a bit more in depth as to why you really should stay on property (and no, I'm not paid by Disney to promote them lol) and how to choose where to stay. Stay tuned for To Stay on Property or Off. That is the Question (part 2)!

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to Doing Walt Disney World! You've come to the right place to find most everything you want to know about vacationing at the World Disney World resort. Whether you're staying on the resort or at a hotel nearby, whether you have special needs, or are a military family, if you're traveling with children or if it will be an adults-only visit, whether you're a first-time visitor or a frequent Disneyer (is that even a word? haha), or just about any situation you might have, I'm sure I'll have the information you need to help you plan your visit.

Doing Walt Disney World takes organizing your time and resources if you want to be sure to see as much as you can in the time you have. Some people (like me) love organizing and don't mind taking a lot of time researching, scheduling, and planning. Some people love the spontaneity of winging it and don't want to be bothered with scheduling and planning. That's what makes the world a fun place - people are different and like to do things differently. So, if you're a planner, you've found your Disney soul mate and I can help get you on the right track. If you're a spontaneous person, I can show you what you need to schedule ahead of time (whether you like that or not!) and what can wait until you visit. 

The parks are big, and they are CROWDED! You can't possibly see all there is to see in one day. So let me help. I want everyone to enjoy Walt Disney World as much as I always do.