The Force Awakens at Disney.....Well kind of

This weekend the net came alive with the announcement of the long rumored Star Wars Lands at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Disney's Bob Iger took to the stage at the D23 Expo to make the announcement official after an early "leaked" post on the same day on the Disney Parks Blog. "We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever. These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.”said Iger to cheering fans.

While this announcement has been anticipated for well years, and it really is something to excited about; don't hold off on those vacation plans quite yet because the announcements were purposely vague and no time frame was given for the opening of the new Star Wars lands. So why get everyone in a frenzy and slightly Awaken the Force?  Well Disney has been under enormous pressure to find something to be an answer to Universal's extremely successful Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and soon Hollywood plus well there is the those new movies that are coming out....

Here is what we know about Star Wars Land:
Theses items have no time frame
1) There are more rumors than facts circulating right now.
2) At Disney World it will go into Hollywood Studios and be 14 acres.
3) At DisneyLand it will be 14 acres also
4) It will be anchored by 2 new attractions.... that is right 2 new attractions
5) Star Wars Jedi Academy will get re-imagined which means Darth Vader is out(boo)
6) We got a couple nice looking concept art of what the lands may look like.

Without a doubt these are things to get excited about but as we had learned with the New Fantasyland and Avatar, things will change, not necessarily for the better, and this will take some time to build.

Here are some things that got buried under the giant news of the Star Wars land that you really should be excited over as they will be here much much sooner than Star Wars land!

Star Tours will receive an update in 2016 to add new destinations and characters from Star Wars: the Force Awakens!


In late 2015, we will get the Star Wars Launch Bay that will showcase a preview of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Episodes I thru 6 VI. We don't know how long this attraction will stay open though.

In Spring of 2016, Star Wars Weekends appears to get a new name "Season of the Force" at Hollywood Studios and will also now happen at Disneyland. DisneyWorld will get a "new" Fireworks display scored to the Star Wars Movies on Weekend Nights. Disneyland will get an "overlay" Space Mountain as X-Wing fighter and new food experiences.

Disney World's Hollywood Studios will get Toy Story Land. It will feature a new family roller coaster that Andy assembled and teacup style ride based on the Alien Claw Game. This will take place in Andy's Back yard and will be an 11 acre expansion.

Disney's Animal Kingdom will get Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris that will bring African Wild Dogs and Hyenas to a new expanded layout. Special lighting will be added to extend in the twilight hours and will open in the Spring of 2016.

Rivers of Light will debut in the Spring of 2016 bringing the next generation of nighttime shows to the Animal Kingdom. The will light the Animal Kingdom up and will be a sight to see!

Pandora- the World of AVATAR got an official name and we got a peak at the  new attraction for this land. Avatar Flight of Passage. No opening date.

The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will get a much needed new Restaurant Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen restaurant  in Adventureland.This will come in late 2015 and as the story goes, the skippers of the Jungle Cruise will moonlight here as waiters and there will be several theme rooms including a crew mess hall and a once-hidden secret meeting room of the famed Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Hmmm this sounds like the old Adventurers Club from Pleasure Island.... I mean Downtown Disney.... I mean Disney Springs.... That is right folks.. Starting  right now Downtown Disney is Disney Springs.


And Finally both Epcot and Disney California Adventure will get Soarin Around the World as and updated version the popular soarin rides.

Over the next few months and years.... yes years... will get more info on the  Star Wars Themed Land and Disney is doing their best to keep your interest in their parks until the the lands are finished(or even started). Personally as a fan of Star Wars I am excited, but I am extremely glad and more excited that there are more experiences and attractions coming to the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resorts sooner than later.
What are you looking forward to? 

Staying On-Site at Disney World: A little known but important benefit

There are many benefits that Disney publicly advertises to entice guest to stay in the on-site resorts, but there are some benefits Disney doesn't advertise. One of these unadvertised benefits is a great perk that gives on-site guest an advantage they may not even know they are receiving. That benefit kicks in when the parks reach capacity.

How does it work?
When a park reaches capacity, Disney goes into what as know as Phase Closures. There are 4 Phases of closures that have been determined to try to maintain guest satisfaction. Notice I mentioned the word try because when a park gets to these levels, there will be dissatisfaction resulting from the waits for rides,food, restrooms, and attractions. Some people have been able to get their hands on the actual policy Disney has and implements when capacity is reached and phase closures kick in. Others, like myself, have learned from experience what is part of a phase closure and who will benefit and who will be denied entry.On-Site Guest will be some of the last people affected by the Phase of Closures.

Why is this important?
Well we are quickly approaching the Holiday season and the Grand Opening of the New FantasyLand. During the Holiday season (especially New Year's Eve) the parks are sure to reach capacity. These next few months is also the time of year several families book their Spring Vacations. The Spring break time is another time when parks tend to reach capacity. It is important to note that phase closures also apply to the Water Parks and the Water Parks generally reach capacity much quicker than the 4 major parks!(It is no fun at all to be in the water parks when they are at capacity, if there is a phase closure, hit the hotel pool instead.)

Below is a breakdown of what happens for each Phase of Closure based on experience and what has filtered out to travel agents by those that have seen the actual policy.

Phase 1
Guest will be turned away at the Parking Lot Toll Plaza if they have:
A 1-Day 1-Park Ticket
No admission ticket
Cast Members using Main Gate &Silver Passes
YES DISNEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY!!!

Guest that can enter during Phase 1 are:
Those with multi-day or multi-park tickets
Those staying at a Disney Resort(including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Annual Passholders and Premium Annual Passholders
Those re-entering the park that day.
Those "hopping" from another park.
Those with in-park reservations or reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League.
Those arriving via Disney transportation

Phase 2
Guest that will be allowed to enter a park include:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League
Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted.
Annual and Premium Annual Passholders

Phase 3
Admission is limited to:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Premium Annual Passholders
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League

Phase 4
Closed to all guests.
Aspect of these closures can be changed at anytime by Disney.

What is important to note is, if you are traveling to see all that Disney has to offer and can't pass up that great deal to stay at an off-site location; the only thing you might see is the toll plaza and cast member telling Sorry Folks We're Closed. Please don't go Clark Griswald on that poor Cast Member! So if you are planning to head to a Disney Park during the busy season, plan on experiencing crowds and rest assured it is a very wise choice to stay at an on-site resort.

Sorry Folks We're Closed

Have you ever been at a Disney Park when it was in a Phase Closure? Tell us your experience.

The View Has Changed.....2012

In 13 months the view from the Contemporary Resort Hotel's roof has changed once again 

This is how it looked in August of 2011

Click on Image for larger picture

This is the same view from September 2012. Slightly different angle and zoom.

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The New FantasyLand has grown and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster has risen.

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Click on Image for larger picture

The view is sure to be different in March of 2013. With the California Grill closing for an overhaul we hope we are able to get up there and get some more pictures.

Want to see this view  looked in 2003 click here

EPCOT...30 Years of Memories

EPCOT has evolved from Walt Disney's first vision of the Experimental Community of Tomorrow. EPCOT today is much different than it was on the day it opened October 1st, 1982.  Have you seen this timeline when you were are at EPCOT?

Click on Image for larger view.

What are your memories of EPCOT? 

What do you look forward to in the next 30 years at EPCOT? 

What do you miss from EPCOT?

EPCOT's 30th Anniversary October 1st,2012

We are back from our Fall trip and had a BLAST, especially at EPCOT's 30th celebration. 

On October 1st, we took our time to wander EPCOT from the park's opening ceremony to the park's Fantastic 30th Anniversary Illumination closing celebration. We listened to a few speeches in the afternoon, sipped on some Margaritas listening to 90's Pop group Sugar Ray, purchased some limited edition 30th Anniversary merchandise, then staked out our spot between Mexico and Norway to watch the night go out with a bang.  Take a look at some of our pictures and video of the 30th Anniversary tag to Illuminations.

This is just a sampling of the fun we had, stay tuned there is so much more to come!

Each guest through the turnstile got one of these

Crowds gathered early to mark this celebration.

The crowd sang One Little Spark before rope drop

The new test track car prototype, Opening soon.

Extra barges and fireworks were being added all day to Illuminations

It was a beautiful day

Three sets performed by Sugar Ray made the evening enjoyable

Click on a the Video below to see Sugar Ray in action

The 30th Anniversary Tag to Illumination was amazing. Here is our recording of the Tag.  There was so much going on around the lagoon, I choose to focus on the  higher fireworks.It is not the best video because of the camera trying to continually focus but the grand finale comes through just fine.

Good Bye EPCOT, thanks for the party see in Spring of 2013!

Now that we are home, we have well over 1200 pictures to sort through. So stay tuned for Photo tours of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Twilight Zone of Terror 5k Haunted Trail Run, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios,  and sooooo much more.

Make sure you like our Facebook page and you can always email me at Matt@firehousefamilyvacations.com for free, no obligation quotes for DisneyWorld, DisneyLand, Disney Cruises, Carnival Cruises, and many other destinations!

Before there was NextGen there was and is Pal Mickey

NextGen is the new buzzword around the Disneysphere and Disney is sinking major amounts of money into this project. The entire scope of the project is only known to those  directly involved in the research and implementation,  but pieces of information have found their way into blogs and guesses have been made to what it will entail.We have begun to see some testing of some of the features the NextGen project will have like  FastPass+ and the new phone App My Disney Experience but there really hasn't been a time table set for a complete roll out of the project yet. There are rumors and some facts presented that NextGen will run on the newly installed WIFI in the parks & resorts and that it will also use RFID technology. RFID technology is in full use at the new Arts of Animation Resort and RFID locks are starting to make their way into other resorts. The NextGen project has been heralded as something that will make guest experiences much more entertaining and save them time; increasing their satisfaction and overall experience at the Walt Disney Resort.While this project has been in the works for a number of years, I would argue the first piece of NextGen was tested and still can be found in use today at Walt Disney World in the form of Pal Mickey.

Pal Mickey 1.0 We have the first version. He is a small guy.

So what is this Pal Mickey? It was a neat little souvenir I picked up for my daughter back on one of trips in 2003…. It is a small plush Mickey Mouse that contains a microprocessor, a speaker, is powered by three AA batteries, and has an infrared receiver in its nose. This infrared receiver would allow it to communicate with a few hundred infrared transmitters around the parks and resorts on the Disney Property. When certain transmitters were in range Mickey would start to laugh and vibrate. You would then have to press his belly or squeeze his hand  so he could tell you  information about the immediate area, a parade, showtime reminders, tips on what costumed walkaround characters may be nearby, and attractions with short queue times. Kind of like a phone app without the phone.

 Pal Mickey was discontinued in October of 2008 and can still be found on eBay for purchase. Why is that important? There were three version released of Pal Mickey, all are said to still be able to work in the parks to this day. So in theory, if you bring a Pal Mickey into any of the Disney World Parks in Orlando, he should still work. Once you leave the park and are at home, Pal Mickey doesn’t become a mute useless souvenir. If you squeeze his hand or push his belly, he will tell jokes and play a few programmed games. He is supposed to have several hundred pre-recorded phrases, ours just keeps telling the same joke over and over.

His clip was just like a Cell phone belt clip, just with a Mouse hanging from it. 

Pal Mickey is a really cool idea and pricey souvenir. He looked stylish on your belt or hanging form a lanyard but the clip that allowed you to do this was not the most comfortable  He  provided some nice entertainment in the lines and through out the resorts. In my opinion, Pal Mickey could easily be considered NextGen 1.0. Why do you ask? Pal Mickey has been rumored to be able to track each individual device so it wouldn't play the same phrases over and over again also in theory tracking where you were in the park. This tracking is something that some people are  worried about the with use of RFID technology by Disney, because they could be able to track where you are on the resort and see what your spending your vacation dollars on. Practice for NextGen? Probably not, but a cool feature.If Disney is tracking me on property, more power to them. Maybe it could be used to track lost child? I am cool with that type of use.
Our Pal Mickey won't be joining us on our Adult trip this fall but may become a stowaway in one of our kids' suitcases for our spring break trip. Do you have a Pal Mickey? Have you brought him back to the park recently?

The Magic Kingdom will no longer be dry......

More information has been announced about the Be Our Guest Restaurant and is sure to cause some controversy. For the first time in its history, alcohol will be served at the Magic Kingdom theme park. It will only be served at this one location and only offered with dinner. The alcohol will be part of the theming and consist of  wine that will complement the French-inspired cuisine. There will also be  French beer and Belgian beers. The complete adult beverage menu can be found here!

What are you thoughts to this addition to the new FantasyLand?

The View has changed: The Magic Kingdom

Over the years, camera skills increase, technology gets better in cameras, and views change.

 Can you spot the differences from over the years in these two pictures taken from the same spot on top of The Contemporary Resort.

Click on the pictures for larger versions.

The Magic Kingdom Circa 2003 with a cheap camera.

New technology and better camera quality allowing more picture options for the novice picture taker developed into this panoramic view below.

The Magic kingdom from the same place Circa 201l, better Camera

This view of the Magic Kingdom is much different in 2012 thanks to the new Fantasyland.(Hopefully we can snap some shots this fall)

The view and cast of characters has also changed at Cinderella's Royal Table over the years.

Cinderella's Royal Table circa 2001 you were greeted by Aurora, Cinderella, and Prince Charming

Cinderella's Royal Table Circa 2003 you were greeted by Snow White and The Prince

 

Cinderella's Royal Table Circa 2011 The Throne has disappeared and so has the rest of the cast of Characters except good Ol' Cindy. PhotoPass Photogs  allows for better quality pictures as well.

How has the view changed for you and your family over the years?

Before Duffy The Disney Bear there was The Disney Bear

Duffy the Disney Bear has taken DisneyWorld and DisneyLand by storm, becoming one of the must have souvenirs when visiting the mouse! Duffy has meet & greet photo ops and also has different outfits that can be purchased to dress him up. Duffy has become so popular, that limits have been placed on the number of outfits and number of bears that can be bought at one time. This is to ensure a fair chance for other guests to be able to dress Duffy up and also because one can make a small mint form selling the outfits to buyers over seas. Quite the feet for a Disney Character that has never been in a Disney Movie or cartoon. To bridge that gap he does have storyline here in the States that allows him to fit in the stable of Disney Characters. That story goes like this:

It is Duffy, how many hidden Mickeys can you find?

"One day, Mickey Mouse was getting ready to set sail on a long sea voyage. Minnie Mouse made him a special teddy bear to take with him so he would never be lonely. Minnie presented her hand sewn bear to Mickey in a duffel bag. Mickey loved the bear and named him Duffy.
As Mickey and Duffy sailed on their journey, they visited all sorts of exciting places and make new friends along the way. At the end of their travels, they sailed back home for a wonderful reunion with Minnie.
Mickey and Duffy shared their magical memories and photos with Minnie, who was thrilled that Duffy was such a great friend and companion for Mickey."

This hidden Mickey is on his bottom.

Our household has also caught the Duffy fever, so it is almost a guarantee that when we visit  Walt Disney World a new Duffy(or two) will becoming home with us along with several outfits.



Many people don't  know that before Duffy's debut in October of 2010 in the United States, he had a completely different back story,  look, and feel (little heavier, not so soft and course fur) in his first incarnation back in 2002 at Walt Disney World. Duffy was previously known as "The Disney Bear". His  original story was something along the lines of this:

" Mickey brought his favorite bear to the Magic Kingdom. Mickey sat in front of the castle wishing that he had a friend with him to share the excitement and magic of the park. Tinker-bell appears and sprinkles pixie dust on Mickey's bear, bringing it to life. Mickey then hugs the bear and a Mickey-shape appears on the bear's face, forever bonding Mickey and his new friend."

The story was presented on his tag and was done in nice story book fashion. Most of all it worked.(well on this Dad who made sure his daughter got one ....or two.) The story was not the only difference, the major difference was in the bear itself. It came in the colors of  Valentine red, pink, green, blue, lavender, grey, black, white, chocolate, caramel and  Duffy's current color honey gold.

Two of the Original Disney Bears..looks just like Duffy, feels much different.

Signature hidden Mickey on the bottom.

"The Disney Bear" was a flop though and disappeared from the parks by 2005, so if you arer lucky to have one these original bears with the story tag, you now not only have a souvenir but a souvenir that is a collectible and part of the evolution of Duffy. 

We are fortunate enough to have 2 of the bears that are gently used and will always have a home here at Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations Headquarters.

Duffy hanging with his cousins The Disney Bears!

 Do you have other Souvenirs that have evolved over the years? Maybe some Disney Bears of your own or a Pal Mickey(more to come on him later)? Tell us about them!!!

How to choose your tickets at DisneyWorld. It can be confusing

********* A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN CHOOSING TICKETS: If you are looking to experience to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, This is at Universal Orlando's Island of Adventure and NOT at Walt Disney World. Many people have mistakenly thought this is at Disney's Hollywood Studios(we encountered several people asking cast members at Disney's Hollywood Studios where it was in that park)and end up angry when they find out that it is not there.********

Choosing how you want to enjoy the magic at DisneyWorld includes determining what type of ticket is the best value for your family. Disney gives you plenty of options when it comes choosing tickets, but some people unknowingly purchase something they don't want, need, or don't get the right ticket for what they want to do.  Choosing the wrong ticket easily raises the cost of your vacation and can even put it out of your budget; it may even leave you feeling disgruntled during your stay at Disney World. Here I will try to explain the current(2012/2013) theme park, add ons, and annual passes that can be purchased without going into pricing just to give a general overview.  This broad overview will serve as a guide to help you understand the options you can choose, so you can experience most of what Disney has to offer based on specific ticket types.(There are other admissions, special tours, experiences, shows, events, and programs that are offered that are not part of  normally purchased tickets or vacation packages.)

The tickets have evolved and changed over the years, but make great souvenirs after your visit.

Theme Park Tickets

For 2012/2013  Tickets for Walt DisneyWorld are being called Magic Your Way Tickets.

Basic Ticket

The most basic form of these tickets are called the Magic Your Way Base Ticket.

Disney tickets use to be paper like this one.

Each Magic Your Way Base Tickets gives one person entry to one Theme Park per day for each day you have purchased for your ticket. Once you enter that park, your "stuck" in that park. You can enter and leave that same park as many times as you like during the regular operational hours of that park. This is a ticket that I would only recommend to someone that has no problem staying in one park for each day their ticket is valid. It is important to note the more days on a ticket you buy, the cost per day goes down.

Park Hopper Option 

The Park Hopper option is an up charge add on to your Magic Your Way Base Ticket. With this add on you are not stuck in the same park each day  your ticket is valid.  You have the flexibility to enter and leave  the Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom on the same day for the entire length of your ticket. The Magic Your Way Base Ticket with Park Hopper is the ticket I recommend to everyone. It opens Walt Disney World up in so many ways allowing freedom to choose where you want to go based on crowds and where you would like to dine. Even with the best touring plans and itineraries, you may feel the need to deviate from the plan and just go where you feel like going. This ticket gives you that option.

Water Park Fun & More Option

This use to be the Water Park Fun& More option and had less restrictions

This up charge to the base ticket can be a great value or a tremendous waste of money; plus there is a lot of small print with this up charge. One would really have to consider how often they would like to visit the water parks or other offerings that this up charge offers.  It may prove cheaper to just purchase tickets individually to each offering than to add this up charge to your entire ticket, it just really all depends on your length of stay and an important side note to this up charge is  the Number of visits depends on number of days purchased on a Magic Your Way Ticket. This is where a travel agent like myself really comes in handy to help with the price break down and comparisons. This option includes includes entrance to Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park ,Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course or Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course. All of these extras for this up charge do have a significant amount of fine print and restrictions.

No Expiration Option

If this ticket had not expired. Disney would have had to honor it.
This ticket is from 2003 and no longer offered.

In theory, if you purchase this option, your unused Theme Park days that you have purchased and Water Park Fun & More option that have been added on to those days never expire. Your Magic Your Way Tickets will expire 14 days after first use otherwise. As I said in theory because Disney can change their policies at anytime and laugh all the way to the bank with your money in hand. Back in the day, when a park ticket was bought, the ticket never expired. Someone decided along the way that this notion was a bad idea. So now Disney makes you pay to have that option. Honestly, unless under special circumstances, this option is a waste of money.  Why? Well when you book a package or buy your tickets you can choose the number of days you have on the ticket, so in theory you only pay for the days you are going to use in the theme parks, there is no need to buy more days than that. Unless you intend to spend single days at different times of the year at the park, even then if you go more than 10 days a year, it maybe worth purchasing an annual pass...See below. This is another place where a Travel agent, such as myself, comes in handy to help you figure this out.

******Warning Scam Alert***** Some agents may suggest you buy the no expiration option on your ticket and suggest you sell your remaining days on your ticket to a business that re-sells tickets or is a discount ticket seller. DO NOT DO THIS YOU WILL END UP IN JAIL AND FINED HEAVILY. If you buy a ticket from one these sellers, Disney will not honor it. You are out the money, you may even end up in jail for purchasing these tickets and fined also. ONLY BUY TICKETS FROM A DISNEY AUTHORIZED TICKET AGENT.
 

Let The Memories Begin tickets

Annual Passes

Basic Annual Pass

For really Lengthy stays, if you make several trips a year, or are a local(ish) type person; a Basic Annual Pass may be the best deal for you. The Basic Annual Pass provides a full year access to Disney World theme park with park hopping, "free" theme park parking, discounts on Resort Hotels, dining, and merchandise. Also occasionally there will be exclusive Passholder special events and privileges.
In the past there have been blackout dates with this Basic Annual Pass when you wouldn't be able to enter the parks. Currently there are no blackout dates listed but as always the fine print says "Pass types, entitlements and prices subject to change without notice." So yea Disney covers their butt on that one if they should again decide to implement black out dates.

Premium Annual Passes

The Premium Annual Pass is a great option if you plan on spending great lengths of time not only at the theme parks but at the water parks and golf courses etc.  What you get with this besides a large price tag is 365 days of access to all of the Disney World theme parks on the same day,"free" theme park parking, Access to Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. You also get discounts on Resort Hotels, dining, and merchandise. Also occasionally there will be exclusive Passholder special events and privileges. Again though, there is the nice small print "Pass types, entitlements and prices subject to change without notice."  Greens fees for one round of golf; tee times are required and are subject to availability and some events require an additional admission charge."



There are other tickets  like the Water Park Single Day Tickets and DisneyQuest Single Day Tickets, both of these tickets have there pluses and minus, but then again it all depends on what your looking for out of your vacation.

When it comes to Universal Orlando ticket options, it becomes a whole different ball game. So stay tuned as we explore those options in a future blog posting.

 How many of you save your Tickets as a Souvenir from your trips?

The Disney Dining Plan...Is it worth it?

The views in this post are based Dining plans that have been offered in the past at Disney World. Disney does reserve the right to change a dining plan option or restaurants included in the dining plan at anytime. 


"Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?" The simple answer is yes, but there are pros and cons to each dining plan and here I will try to explain all of those that I have encountered.

Back in the day, when I was a wee lad, I would visit Disney World with the Boy Scout Troop that I was apart of. The Leaders of the Troop budgeted money for each scout to have a food allowance each day as part of the trip cost and would distribute it each morning to each scout. This is was my first introduction to a food budget and a very primitive dining plan. That food allowance per day was $10 and over the years would be raised as the cost of food rose. By the last trip I took as a scout, the food allowance per day was $20. I could eat like a king on that food allowance back then, not so much now at Disney or other theme parks for that matter. Yes, one can still plan a food allowance per person, per day which some people enjoy doing. At the same time, opting into a Disney Dining plan can take care of the budgeting and offer you a fairly decent amount of freedom and selections of food while on your vacation at Disney World. You have to eat and drink while on vacation; this is pretty straight forward. Eating and drinking is also something that can break the budget on a vacation. Choosing how you will dine at Disney World depends on several factors that should include your dining style, the amount of food that you are accustomed to eating, and the amount of research you have done on the pricing of food on and off the Disney Resort Property. Disney has taken those factors into consideration and offers a few different dining plans that can be a part of your stay at Disney World.(Disneyland offers a different type of dining plan not discussed here.)

In order to understand the Disney Dining plans, I will break down what Disney considers a food type or restaurant style. This is a general overview and specifics can be provided upon request and are provided to you in advance of booking a package with a dining plan and is explained at check in as well.

Quick Service- This is going to be your no frills basic fast food type style of food with some nice surprises thrown in(waffle sandwiches) but generally include food from soups, sandwiches, salads, pastas, fish, chicken, and meat entrées. Think of this as a walk up to a counter and order just like you would at fast food type restaurant and in most cases, but not all, larger portions of food.

Table Service- This is a type of meal you will have a waiter or waitress serve you at a table. The name is kind of straight forward and at this level the food will be like  standard chain restaurant offerings but much better quality with preparation and cooking generally supervised by a real live breathing chef.Character dining(well worth it) and buffets are in this category

Signature Dining- Signature Dining is going to be the upscale(some have a dress code, most don't) extremely popular restaurants that come with larger price tags. There are some Character Dining options at this level because of popularity and location( think Cinderella's Royal Table).

Snacks - There is plenty of junk food and other food stands spread out serving ice cream, funnel cakes, candy apples, turkey legs,etc.     The brochures for the dining plans will outline what you can use as a snack if you are on a dining plan and those stands will be marked with signage also.

Now comes the more difficult aspect of the Dining plans. How do you choose if you should have a dining plan and which plan is for you? That will be based on how much you want to pay, what you want to eat, and how much you think is too much or too little food for you and your family. This is all in the eye of the beholder and only you know your family and their eating habits. Disney understand one size doesn't fit all and to help you with this, Disney offers a couple of different plans. Note if there is a free dining plan promotion taking place, it may or may not be the best deal out there, this is where a travel agent, like myself, comes in handy.

The plans are: 

Quick-Service Dining Plan
Standard Dining Plan( my recommendation)
Deluxe Dining Plan

Breaking down each plan based on the 2012 options for an adult

Quick Service Dining Plan-
For each NIGHT of your stay you will receive a credit(non-cash value) for:
2 Quick-Service Meals per person on the plan, used per person, at quick service restaurants that honor the dining plan.
On the dining plan a quick service meal would be:

For Breakfast -1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal and 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
For Lunch and Dinner- 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal 1 dessert 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
1 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay.
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Use them any way you like to until you use your credits up, if you don't use them, you lose um.

Standard Dining Plan-My recommendation

For each NIGHT of your stay you will receive a credit(non-cash value) for:
1 Quick-Service Meal per person on the plan, used per person, at quick service restaurants that honor the dining plan.
1 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay.
1 Table-Service Meal per person on the dining plan, per night of stay. Which would  include1 entrée,1 dessert (lunch and dinner only),1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage or 1 full buffet(character meals are table service meals)

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Deluxe Dining Plan- This is a lot of food!
This option offers 3 meals per person, per night of stay for those on the plan
Those meals can be either table service meals or Quick Service meals, your choice!( but they must be on the list of restaurants that honor the dining plan)
2 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

This is a basic breakdown of the 3 most common Dining plans that Disney has offered over the years, there are a couple of other package options but those include other upcharge items on top of the dining options.


Now that you see what the options are, here is a general list of pros and cons I have come across.

Major PROS for all of the dining plans is that it is paid for already once you have checked in and each person on the plan gets a resort refillable mug,a great souvenir.( The mug was added to the dining plan in 2012 and is a much welcomed addition)

Major Cons for all the Dining Plans are if you don't use it, you lose it! The price can be a con but you are going to pay for food one way or another why not in advance?

Major Pros of the Quick Service Dining Plan are that even for picky eaters, there is a wide selection of options. You can get in and out of locations quickly. All of the Food Courts in the resorts accept the quick service plan because they are quick service locations and you can use snack credits here as well.(Makes for a nice quick breakfast before the parks or nice after park snack) It's a decent amount of food because the portions are bigger than most fast food places. Cheapest of the plans!

Major Cons of the Quick Service Dining Plan  include that it might not be enough food for you. You are on vacation and might want a nicer meal, that will have to come out of your pocket(A Table Service Meal for a family of 4 can easily cost $150).

Major Pros of the Standard Dining Plan  are that some character meals are participants in the dining plan and the memories that come from this type of  meal last a lifetime.To super-size this pro, if you choose a participating character meal, it is paid for and character meals are expensive! Some buffets are a part of the table service meals, offering a wide variety and vast amounts of food! Signature dining meals can be a part of this dining plan, they use 2 table service credits, but again, it is paid for already. Finally,there is a lot of food with this plan, the snacks might even prove to much.

Major Cons of the Standard Dining Plan could include that  you could have dining options for table meals limited if you don't make advanced dinner reservations. You may have to end up paying for another meal if you use 2 credits on a signature dining option.Table service meals will eat up time in the parks, plan at least at the minimum of 1 hour for table service meals. Tips at some table meals are not included read the fine print, don't stiff the waiter or waitress, that is just not cool.


Major Pros of the Deluxe Dining Plan are that this plan has more than enough food for most people and allow for more flexibility in how dining credits options can be distributed between the types of food/restaurant types than the other two plans discussed. You can have a table service meal for every meal if you like and shoot for more signature dining meals if that is what you desire. You are less likely to run out of meal and snack credits. You could technically try to have every meal be a character meal.

Major Cons of the Deluxe Dining plan are that it is expensive. If you don't make advance dining reservations, your options can become limited, especially for the signature dining locations. Most signature dining locations fill up180 days in advance! You are more likely to have meal and snack credits lost if you don't use them. If you only use the meals for quick service meals, you might be better off just using the quick service plan and buying that extra meal a day. This is expensive but you may come out ahead in the long run depending how you use your credits!


As you can see, Disney has some great options for you when it comes to Dining plans. Based on my experience with the dining plans, this is something I will include on my family trips whenever staying at the Disney World Resort. It makes budgeting for a trip much easier and gives me a piece of mind while on vacation that my food is paid for in advance. This lead to less stress and more time to enjoy the park! So, tell us what has your experience been with the dining plans Disney offers?

Port Orleans Riverside

The Colonel's Cotton Mill building

Over the years that I have traveled to Disney World, I have stayed in several resorts ranging from the value resorts to the Deluxe Magic Kingdom Resorts as well as Fort Wilderness. While Fort Wilderness for many years became the default location for our family to stay, in the mid 1990's a new resort became our go to resort and home while at Disney World. We established our home resort under its old name and still cherish it under its current name. The hotel I am referring to is that of Disney's Port Orleans Riverside. From our first visit there, when it was relatively brand new operating under the name Dixie Landings, to our last trip, where I got to introduce my wife and step-daughter to not only Disney World, but to our home with in Disney World, Port Orleans- Riverside in the Alligator Bayou.

Nice towel art greeting on check in

                  One thing that when planning a trip to Disney World I have ingrained in my head is that, you are not there for the room, you are there for the parks. A big reason for this is because, in all honesty, all of Disney Resort Rooms are of far better quality than any chain hotel out there and it is not just because of the intricate themeing given to each resort on the exterior and interior. The original plan for our last trip was to be at Disney for as many days as possible, as inexpensively as possible.  This planning involved pricing a package that was going include a stay at one of the All-Star resorts. Since my wife hadn't been to Disney ever, that she could remember, I had been talking to her about the different level of resorts and the difference between the resort amenities. While doing this, we were drawn to Port Orleans Riverside and while discussing what we wanted out of this vacation, our first anniversary,  the perfect package became available to make stay at Disney Port Orleans Riverside.  So the package was booked.  Now with the forums and such today, after booking the resort, I was cruising the net to see how much had changed at the resort since the last visit my daughter and I had there. I really began to wonder what had happen to this resort, a resort with a fishing pond, nice main pool know as ol' man Island, the scenic  food court, comfy rooms with trundle beds, southern charmed and relaxed atmosphere, and scenic boat ride to Downtown Disney; because the forums were and are full of people trash talking the resort and the employees that work there. Things ranging from their trips had been ruined because a maid didn't make them towel art to beds that were not even fit for 3rd world countries and once someone would say something positive, a triad of trolls would trounce that person. Doubt weighed heavily in my mind that the resort would live up to the expectations my wife was getting from me and my daughter about our home at Disney. The doubt was so much about the shape of this beloved place was in,  that it lead to both my wife and I thinking it may be best to just switch resorts because of all the negatives out there about this place. 

Sassagoula River Port, my daughter has a flip flop in there.

 Hope prevailed though and we gathered that sense of home from the second we pulled into the check in gate with the rental car and proceeded to the main check in building.  The negative thoughts the forums have given, began to melt away as we walked up to the online check in counter. Looking around, the place was just as I had remembered it. The nice scenic "port" out the window, where on our first trip my daughter sent a brand spanking new flip flop to water grave when she was 3 and still remembers and laughs about, was teaming with activity and looked even more lush as the foliage has really taken off.  Walking the trails to our room, had an even better calming effect and the negative vibes we had gotten began to melt away even more.  Then upon opening the door to our room, being greeted with a Mickey towel art on the bed, we felt home. This was enhanced by the peaceful view from our balcony.  We knew we had come to the right place.  My wife even wrote this about why she loved this resort. "What I liked about Port Orleans Riverside... I liked how it felt very secluded, even though we weren't, everything was just a short walk away. I liked how easily we could get lost on the trails, and how if we had, had time we could have spent hours in the pools, or gone fishing. I liked how the bus stop for all the parks was just a short walk away, and at most we waited half an hour for a bus. I also liked how when it was time to go back, there were multiple stops so we could choose to go to the main building or our stop. The food choices were also great, we had quite a few choices to choose from, no matter the time of day. This place is tranquil as if it were from a different more relaxing world."

Magnolia Bend Mansions with Royal Rooms

Alligator bayou cottage buildings

 Here are some of the facts for this resort.  There are two sections one being the Alligator Bayou cottage themed buildings and other being the Magnolia Bend mansions themed buildings. The Magnolia Bend section now house the Royal Rooms and are a must for those that love the royal treatment.

All sections are connected to the main building by scenic shaded walkways and well manicured lawns depending on which sections you are coming from. The bayou has water gardens outside most buildings are very relaxing to watch. The Colonel's Cotton Mill building houses the Resort's Main Lobby  where you'll find a variety shopping, dining and entertainment including an Arcade. At the  center of the resort  there is  the 3.5-acre Ol' Man Island is encircled by a bend of the Sassagoula River. It features an extensive pool complex, a wooded playground and an old-fashioned fishing hole where you can grab a cane pole and go fishing for a while. Here you can also catch a boat to downtown Disney on the Sassagoula River that takes you past Port Orleans French Quarter, golf courses, the tree top villas, and other great Floridian scenery, can be very romantic at night. It really is a relaxing ride and a must do.

Sassagoula River boat ride to Downtown Disney

 The rooms in the alligator bayou will allow you to sleep up to 5 guest, there are two full size beds and a pull out trundle bed.  For those that like to exercise there is a nice recreation trail for jogging or you can even rent bikes for a ride. For a nice couples night out or family bonding experience you can have a nice dinner at Boatwright's Dining Hall a shipyard-themed casual restaurant with  Southern-style cuisine as well as American dishes permeated with the south. Once dinner is done you can hop a horse drawn carriage for a peaceful ride down the scenic Sassagoula River.

Views from the Sassagoula River.

Approaching Downtown Disney from the Sassagoula River.

 

Fulton's Crab House from the boat.

This place is truly our home when we stay at Walt Disney World, I would defiantly recommend any family try it to experience this wonderful resort.