Disney World Dining – Money Saving Tips Part 1

Posted on December 29, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

So, the end of 2013 is fast approaching and I’m starting to think about next year – I’m going to Disney World!!! How about you? If you are planning a Disney trip in 2014, don’t forget to plan the FOOD! Just think! Mickey ice cream bars! Lunch at the new Be Our Guest in Fantasyland! Cheese soup at Le Cellier! Dole-whips! The wings, dumplings, shrimp and bread pudding at ‘Ohana! Buffet at Chef Mickey’s! Yorkshire County Fish and Chips at Epcot! Mmmmmmmmm. So much to eat, so little time!

There are a LOT of dining decisions to make and dining in the World can take up a fairly large chunk of your vacation dollars. Today’s post will focus on tips for what you can bring, plan, and budget for saving a few dollars on dining at Disney World. Come back tomorrow – part 2 will focus on Dining plans and discounts you can purchase.

Here are a few money-saving ideas to consider:

Bring breakfast. Actually pack breakfast foods (granola bars, pop-tarts, breakfast cookies, etc.) and bring them with you. This works like a charm for us – you can read more about it here. Saves both money and time! We’ve also saved money by bringing our own movie snacks onto Disney cruises.

Bring Snacks: If you have little ones, this is especially important. Having some goldfish crackers or other snacks and a juice box tucked away will not only save you some money – it may even prevent a meltdown. Some children are so excited to be at Disney World, they don’t eat when you want them to and then must eat when you least expect it. Best to be prepared.

Consider brunch or lupper (lunch+supper – yes, I made it up, but we’ve been using the term for years and now you can too). Eating your main meal of the day during a restaurant’s lunchtime window can serve two purposes: Lunch is generally (and sometimes much) less expensive than supper/dinner at most table service restaurants and a willingness to eat at non-traditional times like 11:00 am or 2:30 pm may make the difference between scoring ADRs (advance dining reservations) at one of the most popular eateries and not getting in at all.

Load up a Disney Gift Card (or cards) before leaving home. This is much better than carrying cash and you can pre-budget your food/beverage expenses without purchasing any dining plans or discount cards (see Part 2 tomorrow). You can easily find menus and prices for most Disney restaurants online to get an idea about cost. My favorite place for menu info is here at allears.net. We’re planning to do this when we go for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in the fall. Forced budgeting for when we hit all the exotic food and beverage kiosks in the World Showcase.

Book ADRs at 180 days out. Seriously. Do this. If you want to eat at any of Disney World’s popular table service restaurants without waiting a looooooong time or being turned away outright, you must have an ADR. You can call (407-WDW-DINE) or go online (or have your travel agent do it for you) and make advance dining reservations (ADRs) 6 months in advance. While it may not directly save you money, it makes budgeting so much easier – gives you a chance to compare restaurants serving similar fare and select the most budget friendly option. Again, use online resources to view menus and prices.

Remember – you’ll need to give a credit card number (this is new) in order to book the ADRs. Nothing is charged to your card unless you’re a no-show, then it’s $10 per person on the reservation. Avoid this charge by making sure that if you need to cancel, you do so at least 24 hours in advance of your dining time. WDW Info (aka the DIS) has a great tips post on ADRs here.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for Part 2 – I’ll give you the 411 on Disney Dining Plan options and the Tables in Wonderland discount card.

This Disney World Souvenir – Something to Treasure

Posted on December 16, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

It’s maybe a bit old fashioned and I haven’t heard any of my Disney friends talk about it in a while, but one of the most special treasures you can bring home as a memento of your Disney vacation is also one of the least expensive…a hand-cut silhouette of your child.

Think about it – lots of souvenirs are pretty generic. Toys get broken or worn out, children’s clothing gets outgrown. Disney pins are great souvenirs, but are pretty small. Pictures are excellent, too – but what about something different and unique? For about $8 (unframed) and roughly double that framed in a black plastic oval, you can capture your child’s (or your own) profile – preserved by an extremely talented, scissor-wielding artist – in just a few minute’s time.

If you find yourself in Magic Kingdom with a some time on your hands and you’re child is able sit still for just a little while (or is asleep in their stroller), I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. On Main Street (halfway down on the right) and in Liberty Square (near the Hall of Presidents) you’ll find silhouette artists waiting. There are also silhouette carts in the France pavilion in Epcot and in Downtown Disney, but I find the Magic Kingdom locations easy to visit while moving from one land to another and the wait is very short (or nonexistent). Disney Ear Hats and other costume pieces can make your silhouette more Disneyfied if you like.

You should know: The artists are outside vendors and cannot charge your new masterpiece to your room – be prepared with cash or a credit card. Also – the silhouettes cannot be sent to your resort, you’ll have to carry them with you or pick them up on your way out.

And if you want to, you can trade some pins commemorating Disney silhouettes too.

Disney World’s Toy Story Midway Mania – Love it but…

Posted on December 12, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

There’s a reason Toy Story Midway Mania (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) is wildly popular. It is (in The Fam’s opinion) one of the most action-packed, fun-filled experiences you can have at Disney World – even for people like me with no eye-hand coordination and poor aim! As the name suggests, this ride simulates carnival midway games. In 3D! And the games include all your favorite Toy Story characters. So what’s the “but…” for in this post’s title? I’ll tell you, but first the good news…

The GOOD News – About the Ride:

Once you make it to the front of the line, you board an adorable little ride vehicle – seats for two on the front and on the back, everyone facing outward. In front of you is a little toy cannon-looking thing with a pull-string on the back. This is your “weapon” – a launcher of virtual items you will “throw” during the various midway games you’ll visit during the ride. 3D glasses on, you’re vehicle spins you into position in front of the first game – you get a little practice first – and then? Game ON! Pull that string on the back of your cannon as fast and as often as you possibly can and hit as many things as you can before time runs out – rack up points as you move from game to game (breaking plates, popping balloons, shooting ducks, etc.). I just laugh hysterically while this is all going on – it’s that much fun! Probably, the laughing hurts my score as much as the poor coordination and aim, but hey – I just love this ride. You may have a seriously sore arm later from pulling the string to fire that cannon a gajillion times.

The BAD News – About the Queue:

The fastpasses for TSMWM go fast – like all gone for the entire day by midmorning! If you don’t get to this ride first thing, you either have to wait in what is usually a very long line (60 minutes or more) or pass altogether. Lets say you choose to wait in the standby line – let the rest of this post serve as a strong warning against doing that! The queue for this ride is almost indescribably horrible. At first you’re like all “wow!” and “cool!” and “this is great!” – but those feelings fade away all too quickly. Here’s the deal – yes, there are giant toys and games and a giant talking Mr. Potato Head – but somehow after just a few moments of nostalgia and feeling toy-sized yourself, it gets annoying – really REALLY annoying. The colors are too bright, Mr. Potato Head won’t be quiet and you are winding back and forth and back and forth for an eternity before you finally get to the 3D glasses. Surely this means you’re almost to the ride boarding area, right? HA! Joke’s on you – still more waiting in line to go! As much as I love the actual ride, I just cannot endure waiting in line for it – seriously, it could be used as a form of torture to extract top-secret information from international spies or something. Please! No more! I’ll tell you anything! Cannot take more giant toys! Make Mr. Potato Head stop talking!

Consider this my last official public service announcement for 2013. DO NOT wait in the standby line for Toy Story Midway Mania. You’re welcome.

Magic Kingdom VIP Parade Seating

Posted on November 25, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Magical Memory Monday! Just last year, we had a fantastic Disney vacation (aren’t they all?) that included an unexpected, wonderful surprise! VIP seating for the afternoon parade at Magic Kingdom. Can you believe it? Pixie Dust at its best and here’s how it happened:

May 2012. The Fam and I were headed to Disney World and thought it would be great if Megan and Joseph each brought along a friend. Joseph’s best friend, Jason, had been on many vacations with us before and was the easy choice for Joseph as a travel buddy. Megan brought her friend Ashley along. Ashley was in dire need of a vacay having just graduated from nursing school. The six of us had a perfect set up in a two bedroom suite at Bay Lake Tower, so off we went.

On our Magic Kingdom day, we arrived for the opening celebration with a carefully constructed morning touring plan and a free afternoon to do as we pleased. I was trying out a new strategy I had read about online – once into the park, immediately take the train to Frontier Land, beating all the guests on foot and putting yourself at an advantage for getting on those two very best Frontier Land rides: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Oh, there were doubters among us. My plan deviated from tradition and, when we reached the steps to the train, they were closed off – I stood firm (this did prove to be an excellent strategy). Shortly we found ourselves on the train platform with very few other riders, waiting to board.

I have this habit of always looking at Cast Members’ name badges. I find it interesting to note where everyone is from – listed right below their name is their home town. On this particular day, when I glanced at the name badge on the Cast Member nearest to me on the train platform, I thought it said the name of his hometown was the (small) city where I work. Surely I was mistaken, certainly my eyes were playing tricks on me and the state was probably IA instead of LA – I waited for him to turn back to me. YES! This gentleman was from home!!!

I was so excited to tell him we were basically from his “neighborhood” and he seemed genuinely happy to meet us and discuss things from home for a minute while we boarded the train. As we got ready to steam off towards Frontier Land, he asked our names and if we would be in the park all day and when we said YES – he told us the Cast Members at VIP parade seating would be waiting for us so we could enjoy a very special parade viewing experience.

Let me tell you – of all the magical things that have happened to me over the years at Disney World, this ranks among the very best. About 30 minutes before the parade was scheduled to begin, we found the VIP seating – in a shady spot on ornate white iron benches along the bridge that passes between the hub at the top of Main Street and Liberty Square. Before the parade began, we had time to sit and relax…some of us even enjoyed a snack. The Cast Members making their pre-parade route inspections carried misting fans and smiled as they sprayed us on their way by. This was an unbelievable, unobstructed parade view – with tons of VIP character interaction. Because the bridge is closed to everyone not IN the parade, we were front and center to all the action.

I’ve always loved the Magic Kingdom parade, but on this day it was especially (indescribably) fun and we did feel like very special VIPs every minute.