Category: Budgeting

Free Dining is BACK for Disney+ Subscribers!

Walt Disney World has decided to start 2024 off with a BANG! They are offering FREE DINING to Disney+ subscribers! This is the first time Disney has offered Free Dining since before the pandemic closure in 2020.  In fact, the Disney Dining Plan in its entirety has been missing since then as well. We already had the good news that the Disney Dining Plan was back for 2024, and can be booked with your Disney vacation for trips starting January 9, 2024. But Free Dining? I wasn’t sure we’d ever get Free Dining offers again, given all the price increases and other changes since Walt Disney World reopened after the pandemic. But at long last, Free Dining is BACK! (at least, for Disney+ subscribers!).

Free Dining is BACK for Disney+ subscribers
Photo: Disney Parks

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

Let’s start here. Because it’s been years since the Disney Dining Plan was offered, many of you may not be familiar with the Disney Dining Plan.  Basically, the Disney Dining Plan offers a way for resort guests to prepay for most of their meals during their trip as they pay for the rest of their vacation. Since your vacation balance is paid in full by the time you go on vacation, if you include the Disney Dining Plan, you’ve also already paid for most of your meals by the time you go as well. A lot of people like the security of knowing their meals are already paid for and they find it easier to control their spending during their vacation. After your resort and your park tickets, meals are easily the most expensive part of your Disney vacation.  There are ways to save money on food on your Disney vacation, but that’s a topic for a different blog!

Minnie's Halloween Dine; Disney Dining Plan
Photo: Disney Parks

Is there only one Disney Dining Plan?

There are actually two different Disney Dining Plans. Both Disney Dining Plans are linked to your resort reservation. Whichever Disney Dining Plan you purchase, you are buying it for each person on your reservation staying in your room, and for the number of nights on your reservation. For example, if you are staying at Art of Animation for 4 nights, and you have two adults and two children ages 3-9 in your room, you would be purchasing 2 adult 4 night Dining Plans and 2 child 4 night Disney Dining Plans.

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:
      • One quick service meal per night
      • One table service meal per night
      • One snack or non-alcoholic beverage per night
      • A refillable resort mug

Important things to know about the Standard Disney Dining Plan:

      • Beverages are included with each meal
      • Guests under 21 years of age may order non-alcoholic beverages; guests 21 years old or older may substitute beer, wine or cocktails
      • Children ages 3-9 must order from the children’s menu where available
      • Plans must be purchased for the entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up).
      • Meal credits expire at midnight on the day you checkout of your resort
      • Meals are non-transferable between members of your party
      • Resort refillable mugs are fillable at any self service beverage station at any of the Disney Resort Quick Service locations
      • Resort refillable mugs cannot be refilled at beverage stations inside any of the theme parks
Free Dining is Back Disney Dining Plan
Photo: Disney Parks
What’s Included in Each Meal?

Quick Service Meal: Quick Service meal credits can be redeemed for breakfast, lunch or dinner at any Quick Service meal location.  One Quick Service meal credit will entitle you to:

        • One entrée
        • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

Table Service Meal: Table Service meal credits can be redeemed for breakfast, lunch or dinner at any Table Service meal location.

At breakfast, one Table Service meal credit will entitle you to:

      • One entrée
      • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

OR

      • One Full Buffet (prix-fixe) or Family-Style Meal (prix-fixe)
      • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

At lunch or dinner, one Table Service meal credit will entitle you to:

      • One entrée
      • One dessert
      • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

OR

      • One Full Buffet (if available) or Family-Style Meal
      • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)
Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Character Meal. Snow White. Character Dining. Food.
Photo: Disney Parks
What Beverages are Included?

Alcoholic Beverages: Guests 21 or older may choose either one non-alcoholic beverage or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer or wine (where offered) as part of your meal.

A single serving alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

      • Beer or Cider
      • Sangria or Wine
      • Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails

Non-alcoholic Beverages: Guests 10 or older may choose a non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) as part of their meal.

A single serving non-alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

      • Milkshakes
      • Fresh Smoothies
      • Premium Hot Chocolate
      • Soda, Coffee or Tea
Star Wars Galaxys Edge Olgas Cantina Disney Dining Plan
Left to right, non-alcoholic drinks: Carbon Freeze, Oga’s Obsession provision and Cliff Dweller can be found at Oga’s Cantina. (Photo: Kent Phillips/Disney Parks)
What Counts as a “Snack”?

At most outdoor carts, Quick Service meal locations and select merchandise locations, snacks may include items like:

      • Frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle or fruit bar
      • 2 scoops of hand-scooped ice cream
      • Popcorn scoop (single-serving box)
      • Piece of whole fruit
      • Single-serve bag of snacks
      • 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products, including Dasani® water
      • 20-ounce fountain soft drink
      • Single-serve coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, milk or juice
      • Cup of soup
      • Add on toppings or sauces (e.g. side of cheese dipping sauce)
Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Dole Whip. Dole Whip with Rum. Snack
Photo: Brooke Hudson
What’s NOT Included?
      • Items served in a souvenir container (like popcorn or drinks)
      • Products that are larger than a single serving (for example, a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter
      • Items that are considered merchandise (like bottle straps, glow cubes or bottle toppers)
      • Special dining events offered at some Table Service restaurants
More Magical Ways to use Table Service Meal Credits:

Character Meals: Table Service meal credits CAN be used for Character Dining. Character meals are usually buffet or family style meals and offer opportunities for your family to take photos and/or get autographs from various characters. Note: Disney PhotoPass photographers do NOT go around with the characters at Character meals, so plan on using your own camera or phone for all photo ops.

Chef Mickey's. Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Character Meal.
Chef Mickey’s Character Breakfast Photo: Brooke Hudson

SOME Character Meals require TWO Table Service meals credits per diner, per meal.  These include:

      • Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Castle
      • Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (at lunch and dinner only require two credits; breakfast is one credit)
      • Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

Fine/Signature Dining: Some of Walt Disney World restaurants offer more of a “fine dining” experience or are higher end than your average Table Service restaurant.  Each meal at one of these restaurants will require TWO Table Service credits per diner, per meal.  Each meal will include:

      • One entrée
      • One dessert
      • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

Fine dining/Signature dining restaurants do have a dress code. Guests are expected to dress in attire that reflects the restaurant’s upscale and sophisticated aesthetic. No swimwear is allowed.

Fine Dining; Signature Dining. Disney Dining Plan. Food.
Photo: Disney Parks

Many restaurants are considered “Signature”. Be sure to check before making your reservations so you are not surprised by the two meal credit requirements.

Here are just a few examples of Signature Dining Restaurants at Walt Disney World:

      • California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
      • Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
      • Tiffin’s at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
      • Flying Fish on Disney’s Boardwalk
      • The BOATHOUSE at Disney Springs
      • Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom: Dining at Be Our Guest requires two Table Service meal credits for each meal.

Disney Restaurants Beast Be Our Guest
Be Our Guest: The Beast Does a Walk Through (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Dinner Shows: Your party can enjoy family style meals along with live entertainment at a dinner show. Advanced reservations are required for any dinner show. Two Table Service meal credits will be redeemed for each person dining at a dinner show.

Pizza Pickup: You can stop by select Quick Service restaurants and pick up a “Pizza Meal”. Each Pizza Meal will use two Quick Service meal credits. A Pizza Meal includes:

      • 1 large pizza
      • 2 single serving non-alcoholic beverages (or alcoholic beverages, where available, for guests 21 or older)

Pizza Meals are available at the following Disney World Resorts:

      • Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
      • Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
      • Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
      • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
      • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
      • Disney’s Pop Century Resort
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

What Does the Standard Disney Dining Plan Cost?

The Standard Disney Dining Plan is $94.28 per adult, per day. For children ages 3 -9, the Standard Disney Dining Plan is $29.69 per day.

Note: Prices for the Standard Disney Dining Plan are subject to change at any time, as are the participating restaurants and Disney Dining Plan rules.  Once you’ve purchased, you’re locked in, but until then–anything can happen.

California Grill.Dessert. Disney Dining Plan. Free Dining is Back.
Dessert at California Grill                                                                                                    Photo: Brooke Hudson
The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan includes:
      • Two quick service meals per night
      • One snack or non-alcoholic beverage per night
      • One refillable resort mug

Important things to know about the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan:

      • Beverages are included with each meal
      • Guests under 21 years of age may order non-alcoholic beverages; guests 21 years old or older may substitute beer, wine or cocktails
      • Children ages 3-9 must order from the children’s menu where available
      • Plans must be purchased for the entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up).
      • Meal credits expire at midnight on the day you checkout of your resort
      • Meals are non-transferable between members of your party
      • Resort refillable mugs are fillable at any self service beverage station at any of the Disney Resort Quick Service locations
      • Resort refillable mugs cannot be refilled at beverage stations inside any of the theme parks
Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Quick Service. Kids Dining.
Photo: Disney Parks
What’s Included in Each Meal?

Quick Service Meal: Quick Service meal credits can be redeemed for breakfast, lunch or dinner at any Quick Service meal location.  One Quick Service meal credit will entitle you to:

        • One entrée
        • One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)
What Beverages are Included?

Alcoholic Beverages: Guests 21 or older may choose either one non-alcoholic beverage or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer or wine (where offered) as part of your meal.

A single serving alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

      • Beer or Cider
      • Sangria or Wine
      • Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails
Disney Cocktails. Drinks. Disney Dining Plan.
Photo: Brooke Hudson

Non-alcoholic Beverages: Guests 10 or older may choose a non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) as part of their meal.

A single serving non-alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

      • Milkshakes
      • Fresh Smoothies
      • Premium Hot Chocolate
      • Soda, Coffee or Tea
Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Snacks
Photo: Disney Parks
What Counts as a “Snack”?

At most outdoor carts, Quick Service meal locations and select merchandise locations, snacks may include items like:

      • Frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle or fruit bar
      • 2 scoops of hand-scooped ice cream
      • Popcorn scoop (single-serving box)
      • Piece of whole fruit
      • Single-serve bag of snacks
      • 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products, including Dasani® water
      • 20-ounce fountain soft drink
      • Single-serve coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, milk or juice
      • Cup of soup
      • Add on toppings or sauces (e.g. side of cheese dipping sauce)
What’s NOT Included?
      • Items served in a souvenir container (like popcorn or drinks)
      • Products that are larger than a single serving (for example, a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter
      • Items that are considered merchandise (like bottle straps, glow cubes or bottle toppers)

What Does the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan Cost?

The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan is $57.01 per adult, per day. For children ages 3 -9, the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan is $23.83 per day.

Note: Prices for the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan are subject to change at any time, as are the participating restaurants and Disney Dining Plan rules.  Once you’ve purchased, you’re locked in, but until then–anything can happen.

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Quick Service Dining. Pandora Food. Satuli Canteen.
Photo: Disney Parks

Do the Disney Dining Plan credits come day by day?

Something to be aware of: all your Disney Dining Plan credits are available to you once you check in. You don’t have to use them each day if you don’t want to. Theoretically, if you like to eat table service meals for breakfast AND dinner, you could use all four table service meal credits in your first two days. Certain table service restaurants are considered “Signature” restaurants, and each meal there uses TWO table service meal credits. I have had clients that purchased 4 day Disney Dining Plans that used all their credits up in the first two days. I have also had clients that purchased 4 day Disney Dining Plans scrambling to use their snack credits up before they left for the airport.

Disney Dining Plan. Free Dining. Snacks.
Photo: Disney Parks

Planning and Organization Required

Using the Disney Dining Plan does take some planning. If you are purchasing the Standard Disney Dining Plan, I highly recommend you make reservations for your Table Service meals before your trip. (Note: If you book your trip through me, I take care of this for you). If you don’t make reservations before your trip, you run the risk of not being able to get into the table service restaurants you want to. Having a table service credit on your Disney Dining Plan is NOT a guarantee that you can actually get a table at a table service restaurant of your choice. This is a common misconception and can be very disappointing and frustrating for hungry guests inside a theme park discovering there is no availability at any of the Table Service options at that theme park that night.

Toy Story Round Up Rodeo; Free dining is back. Disney Dining Plan. BBQ. Food.
Photo: Disney Parks

There is always some table service restaurant somewhere on property where you can get in, but it may not be in the theme park or resort where you want to eat when you want to eat. Planning ahead sets you up for success. You can always make changes during your trip if you want to and if there is availability–but if you don’t make reservations before your trip, you definitely run the risk of not being able to dine where you want to dine.

Use them or lose them!

It is important to keep track of your Disney Dining Plan credits to make sure you don’t waste any or forget to use them. You’ve paid for these credits! The larger your party, the more difficult this can be–especially if you have older kids that you might split off from for meals. If this feels too complicated and you don’t want to have to pay attention or remember to use your credits, then the Disney Dining Plan is NOT for you. But with a little pre-planning, you can maximize the value of your Disney Dining Plan and not lose track of your credits. If you book your trip with me, I’m happy to help you with this.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Menu cocktails drinks Disney Dining Plan
Photo: Disney Parks

How do you use the Dining Plan?

Using your Disney Dining Plan is super easy. In fact, most Table Service restaurant servers will ask you before you order if you are using the Disney Dining Plan.  You’ll just present your Disney Resort ID (Magic Band, Magic Band+, Disney Magic Mobile Pass or Key to the World card) to your server or cashier.

If you are dining with another family or group that is also on the Disney dining plan, you’ll want to make sure your server knows which meals should be redeemed on which Disney Resort ID.

You can redeem your meals and snacks in any order during your stay, until the number of meals and snacks associated with your package has been depleted. All unused meals and snacks and the ability to use your Resort-refillable mug expire at midnight on your package reservation checkout date.

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Roundup Rodeo. Toy Story Dining. Food. Table Service Meal.
Roundup Rodeo                                                  Photo: Brooke Hudson
How to Keep Track of Your Disney Dining Plan Credits

Your Disney Dining Plan is linked electronically to your Resort reservation.  You can check your Disney Dining Plan credits in one of three different ways:

        • Use your My Disney Experience app to view your remaining meals and snacks.
        • Check your dining receipts. Each receipt will print your remaining meals and snacks as of the time on that receipt.
        • You can ask at Guest Relations or your Resort Concierge to look up your remaining meals and snacks any time.
What About Gratuities?

Gratuities are NOT included in the cost of your Disney Dining Plan, except for at Cinderella’s Royal Table and dinner shows.

An 18% gratuity will automatically be added to your bill for parties of six or larger.

You will need to provide an additional form of payment if you add a gratuity and haven’t provided a credit card at check in to charge incidentals and other charges to your room.

For guests traveling from outside the United States, a 20% gratuity based on the total pre-tax cost of the meal is standard for Table Service meals. Servers in the United States are generally paid a very small hourly rate and the majority of their income comes from guest paid gratuities.  The last time the Disney Dining Plan was offered, Disney would print the cost of the meal on the receipt, along with suggested gratuity amounts to make it easy for the guests. I am assuming they will do something similar this time around.

But What About FREE DINING???

Ok, so now we’ve covered both available Disney Dining Plans, how they work and how much they cost. Periodically, Disney will run different “Free Dining” promotions where guests can get Free Dining by booking a particular type of full price reservation.

La Creperie de Paris Dessert Crepe
La Creperie de Paris Dessert Crepe (Photo: Linda Harkness)

Currently, Disney is offering Free Dining for Disney+ subscribers. There are some important requirements to take advantage of this offer:

        • Guests much purchase a nondiscounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and a theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option
        • Offer is valid for arrivals most nights between July 1, 2024 and September 30, 2024
        • Packages purchased for select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels or Select Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels will include the Standard Disney Dining Plan
        • Packages purchased for select Disney Moderate Resort Hotels or select Disney Value Resort Hotels will include the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan
        • Offer is available for booking beginning January 3, 2024

Is Free Dining a Good Deal?

Short answer? Sometimes. The key phrase to pay attention to is “NONDISCOUNTED package”. Another important phrase: “Theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option”. Keep in mind that if you are purchasing a four-night package, this means you are also purchasing a four day Park Hopper ticket–which is more expensive than the one park per day theme park ticket.

Should you cancel your 2020 disney world vacation

If you’re an Annual Passholder, this is not a good deal for you. If you are a Florida resident, you most likely can get better Florida resident discounts than the dollar amount associated with the Disney Dining Plan you would get as part of this package. If you’re in the military, you can often get better discounts than Free Dining.

In fact, there are often better discounts available during the same period of time. Generally, if Disney is offering Free Dining in any capacity at all, it usually means they’re not as fully booked up for that time period as they would like to be. That’s why they’re offering Free Dining–to book more rooms and more tickets. It’s important to evaluate any other available discounts to determine if Free Dining is really a good value for your party.

If you are a Disney+ subscriber and you’d like to travel to Disney between July 1 and September 30 and would like to get a quote for this Free Dining offer, please contact me. At the same time, I can check for other available discounts for you. Disney is verifying Disney+ subscriber status and there are a couple of extra hoops to jump through to take advantage of this discount, but if this fits with your travel plans, Free Dining COULD save you money.

Disney Dining Plan. Be Our Guest. Food.
Photo: Disney Parks

Bottom Line: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Disney Dining Plans

Advantages

      • You are able to prepay for the bulk of your meals before your vacation
      • Eliminates the guesswork of how much you’ll spend on food during your vacation
      • Reduces the amount of cash or credit you need to have on hand throughout your vacation
      • Easy to use–as long as you have a credit card attached to your Resort reservation for incidentals and other charges to the room, you will not need to provide a form of payment for any of the meals on your Dining Plan. You’ll just use your Magic Band, Magic Band+, Key to the World card or Magic Mobile to access your Dining Plan credits. Any gratuities can be charged to your room.
      • The My Disney Experience App shows your available meal credits.
      • Accepted by most Disney Table Service, Quick Service and mobile cart locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort
      • Enables members of your traveling party to get meals and snacks without incurring out of pocket costs
New Restaurant Open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Great food can be found at the new Regal Eagle Smokehouse at the American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT (Photo: Disney Parks)

DISADVANTAGES

      • The Standard Dining Plan requires some planning ahead, to ensure you have reservations for Table Service restaurants during your trip.
      • Can be challenging to make sure all your credits are used if you aren’t paying attention.
      • May or may not be a good value for your family, depending on how your family chooses to eat while on vacation.
      • Linked to the length of your Resort reservation.  If you are staying for seven nights and want the Disney Dining Plan, you will be buying the Dining plan for all seven nights, for all members of your party staying in that room on that Resort reservation.
      • Cannot mix the two different plans. You can either buy the Standard Disney Dining Plan OR the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan. You can’t buy the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan for the first five nights of your trip and the Standard Disney Dining Plan for the last two nights of your trip (unless you are changing Resorts and/or have a different Resort reservation for that last two nights.
      • Requires more spending before your trip–you’ll need to have your entire trip–tickets, Resort AND dining all paid for prior to your trip.
      • Gratuities are NOT included in your Disney Dining Plan purchase. For Table Service meals, you will need to either charge gratuities to your room, or provide another form of payment.

Questions?

Hopefully, we’ve answered any questions you may have about either of the Disney Dining Plans and about the current Free Dining promotion.  However, if you have any questions we haven’t answered, please comment below or email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

One of the advantages of working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner like me is that I can check on all the available discounts, if any, during the time you want to travel, and help you to get the best available deal based on your needs. Another advantage is that if new discounts become available later that could potentially save you money, and you haven’t yet paid your final balance, your Disney Vacation Planner can go in and apply those new discount for you. Remember, working with a Disney Vacation Planner doesn’t cost you anything–Disney pays their planners to serve their guests. The guests do not pay anything to work with a Disney Vacation Planner–and we can help in so many ways. If you’d like more information on this, or would like a no obligation quote, please contact me at Brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

P.S. Making your Disney Vacation More Enjoyable: Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs)

Should I Rent a Car on my Disney Vacation?

One question we hear a lot from clients, friends and family is “Should I rent a car for my Disney vacation?”  This question sparks heated debate among faithful Disney parks fans all over the world.  Some people insist no car rental is necessary at Disney due to all the free Disney transportation (as long as you stay on Disney property).  Others wouldn’t dream of visiting Disney World without renting a car.  So what is the right answer for you?

As with most things about the “perfect” Disney vacation, the answer depends on what’s important to YOU.  A Disney World vacation IS a vacation where you can rely on free or economical transportation for most everything–having a car on your Disney vacation is NOT a requirement.

Free parking returns for disney resort guests

Where are you Staying?

One of the quickest resolutions to the “Should I rent a car for my Disney vacation?” question is if you are staying on Disney property or not.  If you are not staying on Disney property, it is a lot more likely that you might want to rent a car.

Staying Off Disney Property

While many of the hotels and resorts do offer shuttle service to Disney parks, you may prefer to travel on your own schedule and have the freedom to leave the parks and return to your resort on your timeline, not theirs.  Most of the off-site properties don’t offer unlimited or frequent transportation to and from Disney.  Usually, there are a few timeslots in the morning, some in the afternoon and some in the evening.  But it varies a lot, depending on the resort you are staying at.  If you’d prefer NOT to rent a car, make sure you check with your resort before your trip about what options they offer to get you to the parks–or what they don’t offer, as the case may be.

If you are staying at an Air BnB or a bit farther from Disney, you will need to find your own way to the Disney parks. Orlando has a thriving Lyft/Uber community, and using Lyft or Uber as your vacation transportation is VERY doable for your Disney vacation–but it can get pretty pricey, especially if you are more than a few miles outside of Disney.

Generally, I recommend guests staying off Disney property rent a car for the convenience factor.  However, it is possible to stay off property and NOT rent a car. Note: Many non-Disney owned hotels charge for parking. Make sure you know if you’ll need to pay for parking and how much.  Also, Disney will charge you to park your rental car at the theme parks if you are not an Annual Passholder or DVC Member.  Be sure to take that extra cost into consideration because $25 per day adds up super fast, and can really inflate the cost to rent a of renting a car.

money

Staying on Disney Property

One of the benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World resort is that Disney provides transportation from your resort to each of the four theme parks and Disney Springs absolutely free. If you are staying on Disney property, a strong case can be made that you don’t NEED a car for your Disney vacation.

Magical Express

If have done any research for your Disney vacation, you may have heard about Magical Express.  Magical Express was a terrific service that Disney used to offer to resort guests that provide free bus transport from Orlando International Airport directly to your resort.  It was very popular with many guests  over the years, but Disney ended the service in 2022.

Magical Express
Photo: Disney Parks
Mears Transportation

Mears Transportation is the company that used to provide the Magical Express service on behalf of Disney.  They still offer transportation via bus from the Orlando airport to your Disney resort–it’s just not called “Magical Express” any more and it’s no longer free.  The service is now called Mears Connect, and it serves multiple resorts, not just Disney. Prices are currently $13 per child and $16 per adult.  Advance reservations are required, but are easy to make from your phone or computer. Learn more or make reservations at Mears Transportation.

Mears Connect Disney Transportation
Photo: Mears Transportation

Keep in mind that the prices above are per person and are for one way trips. They are also subject to change without notice.  Those with larger groups may find it more economical to take an Uber or Lyft from the airport to their resort.  We’ve done this a few times, and the total cost with tip has been between $30 and $45, depending on traffic and the tip.

Is Your Trip All About Disney or Will You Visit Other Tourist Destinations?

Another important consideration for those asking the “Should I rent a car for my Disney vacation?” question is whether their vacation is exclusively all about Disney. If your family or group wants to also visit Universal Studios or LegoLand; if they want to go visit the outlet malls; if they want to go see the mermaids at Weeki Wachee State Park; you are much more likely to need a rental car for your vacation.  That is not to say you cannot do all of these things if you DON’T have a car–you absolutely can do it if you are determined.  But visiting multiple unrelated destinations is much easier if you have your own car.

Weeki Wachee Mermaids
Photo: Weeki Wachee Calendar

Combining Disney and Universal Studios

Surprisingly, it is pretty easy to visit both Disney World and Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure in the same vacation without renting a car. At Universal, both parks are within walking distance of each other and they are also in walking distance or a short water taxi ride from many of the Universal resorts.

Both Disney and Universal offer shuttle service from one resort to the other. I recommend you plan in advance if you want to use this, and make your reservations early.  Prices range from $35-$50 per person, depending on whether you are purchasing them in a package with Universal park tickets (or Disney park tickets if you are starting at Universal.)

Universal Parks
Photo: Universal Parks

Much like hotel shuttles, the shuttles between Universal and Disney usually run on a specific time schedule.  Depending on the number of guests with reservations, your shuttle might be a small van or it could be a full size coach bus.  The trip between the two resorts takes about thirty minutes–more if multiple pickups or drop-offs are involved.  Make sure you allow for extra time when you are planning for this.

If you don’t want to take advantage of the Disney or Universal shuttles, Uber or Lyft is also a great option.  We’ve never had to wait more than about 15 minutes for an Uber or Lyft on Disney property.  Note: We have waited longer than 15 minutes at both the airport and Disney Springs. Traffic and demand have a BIG impact on wait times in both apps.

So, do you need a rental car if you are staying at Disney but also want to visit Universal? No, you don’t. But having a rental car does make it a lot easier and more convenient, that’s for sure.  You can travel on your own schedule, and you don’t have to stop at other resorts to pick up other travelers.

Shopping

What if you like to go shopping on your vacation? Should you get a rental car for your Disney vacation if you like to shop? Not necessarily.

Publix
Photo: Brooke Hudson

If you are planning to shop for groceries, grocery delivery is a great option and has become very common on Disney property.  If you want to visit the Disney Character Warehouse or the outlet malls, you CAN use Uber, Lyft or a taxi service.  However, the more running around you want to do, the more convenient it is to have your own car.

We almost always do a grocery run at the start of our trips, stocking our room with breakfast and snack items, wine and water.  We’ve also found the Publix near Disney property to have some really great Disney souvenirs at prices much more affordable than at Disney World.  It’s not the Disney branded stuff, of course, but especially if you are buying for little kids, it’s good stuff at decent pricing.

Convenience versus Cost

For many of us, the choice to rent a car or not comes down to the question of convenience versus cost.  When Disney offered Magical Express transportation from the airport for free, many guests chose to skip the rental car and take advantage of the free Disney transportation on property.  From a cost savings perspective, it’s hard to beat the free Disney transportation available for Disney resort guests.

Should you cancel your 2020 disney world vacation

Now that transportation from the airport is no longer free, the decision of whether to rent a car has gotten a little murkier for some folks.

Modes of Transportation

Some of the fun of a Disney vacation is all the different modes of free Disney transportation available.  You can travel by bus, monorail, boat or Skyliner.  The most common method of Disney transportation is the bus.  You can take a bus from every resort to every theme park and to Disney Springs. Note: You cannot take a bus from one theme park to another, so if you are a park hopper, you’ll want to be hopping between Monorail or Skyliner resorts to minimize your travel times. Alternatively, you need to plan on taking the bus back to your resort and then taking the resort bus to the theme park of your choice.

Disney Skyliner Disney Transportation
Photo: Linda Harkness
Monorail

There are two Monorail runs.  The original Monorail track joins together the three deluxe resorts closest to the Magic Kingdom.  This track loops in the Ticket and Transport Center at the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  The second Monorail line runs from the Ticket and Transport Center at the Magic Kingdom to EPCOT.  That is a nice long ride, especially if you really want to “ride” the monorail for the sake of riding it.

Disney Monorail Disney Transportation
Photo: Brooke Hudson
Boats and Water Taxis

One of my favorite modes of transportation at Walt Disney World are the boats.  When you visit the Magic Kingdom via car, you are required to park at the Ticket and Transport Center, and then take the Monorail or the Ferry to the Magic Kingdom.  I love the Ferry, and will almost always choose the Ferry if offered the option.  The Magic Kingdom resorts all offer a boat or water taxi to the Magic Kingdom.  Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs and Old Key West all offer boats that go to Disney Springs. Finally, anyone staying at any of the Boardwalk area resorts has the option to take a boat to Epcot or Hollywood Studios.

Disney Transportation Why rent a car at Disney?
Magic Kingdom Ferry                                                                                                     Photo: Brooke Hudson
Skyliner

The Skyliner is a mode of Disney transportation but it’s more than just getting from point A to point B.  The Skyliner is also an attraction that many guests love to ride just for the fun of it.  The Skyliner offers transportation to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Each Skyliner cabin features different colors and characters, and the ride itself is smooth and offers gorgeous views of Disney World property.

Disney Skyliner Transports One Millionth Guest
Photo: Disney Parks

The Rental Car Advantage

The biggest advantage to having a rental car at Walt Disney World is the convenience. You can go to whichever theme park you want at whatever time you want to, without waiting for Disney transportation.  Having a rental car also makes it much more convenient to visit a second theme park in the afternoon or evening.  I’ve found having a car makes it so much easier and faster to take an afternoon break and return to our resort, returning to the park for evening fireworks.

Free parking returns for Disney resort guests rental car
Photo: Brooke Hudson
Freedom and Flexibility

I have learned over my many trips to Disney over the years that I am a control freak, and I really prefer to have a car for my Disney vacations.  I like the freedom of being able to grocery shop on our way in from the airport, and the ability to leave property to go shopping or to find someplace to eat for less than $50/person.

Generally, it doesn’t really matter to me that I could get anywhere on Disney property for free and that I don’t NEED a car. I like to have control over where we go and when. I’m not very patient, and I don’t like waiting for the bus (or the boat or the monorail or whatever.)

Should I rent a car for my Disney Vacation? Disney Transportation
Photo: Brooke Hudson
A Possible Disadvantage for Some

However, many people don’t like to worry about driving while they are on vacation. Disney signage is not always the best, and sometimes navigating Disney property can be frustrating. So while freedom to manage your schedule the way you want and the convenience of having a car is significant, you have to weigh that against the INCONVENIENCE of having to navigate Disney roadways and driving while on vacation. If the thought of that stresses you out, renting a car for your Disney vacation is probably not for you!

Lyft/Uber

After Covid, there was a severe shortage of rental cars for a couple of years, and renting a car was extremely cost prohibitive.  For our first trip during this time, we originally planned to take an Uber or Lyft from and back to the airport and use Disney transportation for everything else. We ended up using Lyft and Uber for transportation to and from the parks and to Disney Springs as well. By the end of the week, we’d spent about $230 on Lyft and Uber.  This was a 7 day trip, and we also took Lyft/Uber to and from the airport.  We visited one park per day, but we did take afternoon breaks on a couple of days.  Usually, we spend a little more than that on a rental car for the week, so we felt the Lyft/Uber solution was a good fit for us on that trip.

However, now that rental car prices are mostly back to normal and good deals can be found, we usually rent a car for our Disney vacations.

Final Answer: Should I Rent a Car for my Disney Vacation?

The answer that is right for you comes down to what is most important to you and your family.  Cost or convenience? If you are trying to keep costs down, I recommend you don’t rent a car.  Take advantage of Disney’s free transportation.  Allow extra time each day in case you have to wait a bit for the bus. If you are going to a theme park or Disney Springs for a meal reservation, it’s good to allow yourselves at least an hour when using Disney transportation.

If convenience is more important than cost, I really love the convenience of having a car. Yes, it costs more money, but it saves TIME–which depending on your perspective, can be just as valuable as money.

What’s YOUR final answer? Will you choose to rent a car on your next Disney vacation or will you skip the rental and rely on Disney transportation to get around?

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Free Parking Returns for Disney Resort Guests!

I have more good news to share today!  Walt Disney World has announced that they are removing the nightly parking fees at Walt Disney World Resorts for overnight guests.  This is the first bit of FINANCIAL good news I’ve been able to share for a while about our beloved Walt Disney World.  Could this be an early result of Bob Iger’s return?  I don’t know, but it definitely makes me happy!

Free Parking Returns for Disney Resort Guests Immediately!

If you don’t drive at Walt Disney World, you may not have felt this pain.  Starting in 2018, Disney resort guests were charged between $15 and $25 per night per vehicle to park at their resort.  Only Disney Vacation Club guests were exempt from these charges.  As I’m sure you can imagine, these costs added up quickly for guests.  If you drove to Walt  Disney World or chose to rent a vehicle for your Florida vacation, you felt this pain.

These fees have been an enormous source of guest frustration over the last several years.  Parking fees have also served as a STRONG example in media conversations about Disney “nickel and diming” guests on top of ever increasing park ticket prices.

Walt Disney World Resort guests already get free parking at the theme parks–this has not changed.  However, making the decision whether to rent a car or whether to fly or drive is a little easier when you don’t have to add in the cost of parking at your resort every night!

Is this a PR Move?

So of course, a big question is WHY is free parking returning for Disney resort guests?  Is it just a big public relations move?  Absolutely!!  It is for SURE an effort to improve the public perception of the Walt Disney Company.  Disney’s reputation, especially with the fanbase has taken a lot of hits in the past couple of years.  Free parking is a pretty minor move, but it will get some press.  It will also make a lot of Disney fans and travelers happy.  Or at least, happier.

Free parking returns for Disney resort guests
Photo: Brooke Hudson

What is giving this news more mileage for me personally is that Disney is sacrificing revenue.  We haven’t seen Disney do this in a long time.  For the last I don’t even KNOW how many years, we have seen a trend of Disney making an awful lot of decisions that are VERY bottom line focused.  We have seen LOTS of decisions that seem to put guest experience and guest relations at a much lower premium than the company used to value.

The reality is, a Walt Disney World has always been expensive.  But the value over the years has decreased.  It is still VERY valuable, and hour for hour, you still get a TON of value from a Walt Disney World vacation.  But for those of us that have been visiting Walt Disney World for many years, it’s challenging to see the guest experience degrade somewhat while the pricing of everything has increased so significantly.

Final Thoughts

I don’t know if free parking returning for resort guests is a sign of things to come or just a token PR gesture — but it IS meaningful.  It HAS impact on Disney travelers, especially those that drive to Walt Disney World.  And it will, very slightly, reduce how much money Disney will make from the resorts each day.  Or maybe it won’t.  Because if the guest doesn’t have to spend $25 to park his car, maybe he will spend it on a T-shirt instead.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

 

Disney PhotoPass: What is it and How Does it Work?

Today we are going to talk about Disney PhotoPass, and Disney’s Memory Maker product.

We released a video over on YouTube for today’s topic.  Here’s that video:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel!

If you prefer to read this information, keep reading!

Disney PhotoPass and Disney Memory Maker

One question I get asked a lot from my clients and friends and family is “Should we purchase the Memory Maker?”  The short answer? It depends.

Ok, for me, it’s pretty much always YES.  BUT, I’m a HUGE photo nerd.

For more NORMAL people, there are several things to consider, and I will get to those in tomorrow’s video.  Today we are going to start with the basics: What is Disney PhotoPass and how does it work?  In tomorrow’s video (Part 2 in this series), we will focus on the memory maker product, and will answer the question of whether or not to buy.

But first for those of you that DON’T know, let’s start with:

What is Disney PhotoPass?

Disney PhotoPass is a service that Disney added years ago, and I think it’s absolute GENIUS.  Basically, they have photographers stationed at numerous locations around each park to take pictures of you and your group.

Disney PhotoPass Disney Memory Maker

This completely solves the “Did Mom even GO on that vacation?  She’s not in ANY of the pictures” dilemma.  For many families, there is always one person that takes all the pictures and they are never in any of the shots.  Or, people rotate who takes the pictures, but there are never any pictures of EVERYONE together, because one person always steps out to take the picture.  Most people don’t carry around tripods and take the time to set up timed tripod shots on vacation.  For some, Selfies have helped to address this problem, but with a Selfie, it’s still really tough to get a group or to include people AND a landmark in the picture.

Disney PhotoPass
Photo: Disney PhotoPass

With PhotoPass, Disney has solved that problem.  Basically, the PhotoPass photographer will take your group’s picture, usually with a park icon or landmark in the background, and then they will either scan your magic band (the easiest) or give you a PhotoPass card with a 16-digit number on the back.  Note: If you are given a Photopass card, immediately take a picture of the back of the card just in case.  If you lose the card, but have the number, you can still locate your pictures.

Disney PhotoPass

Not All PhotoPass Photos are Created Equal

A couple of caveats:  The skill of the various photopass photographers varies.  Some are very experienced, fun to work with, and very talented.  Others are more point and click—with varying degrees of success.  Therefore I always recommend that you get a LOT of photopass photos taken.  Take advantage of the opportunities whenever they present themselves.  Odds are, if you take a BUNCH of photopass pictures, you end up with at least a few you really like.  Here are a couple examples of PhotoPass pictures that didn’t really work out so well.

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In NON COVID times, you could also ask the photographer to take a picture of your group with your phone or camera.  This is not an option currently due to Covid related restrictions, but I’m assuming this option will return at some point in the future—but current rules prohibit the photographers from touching your phone or camera.

Disney PhotoPass and Special Moments

If you look on Facebook or the internet, you will see THOUSANDS of PhotoPass pictures that people have posted.  There are tons of examples of people using PhotoPass to announce they have a baby on the way, the sex of the baby, that they got engaged or married.

In our case, my husband proposed to me at the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks.  Because he’s brilliant, he surprised me with the proposal when we went to take a PhotoPass picture, so we have the moment captured forever.

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Are they great pictures?  No, it was very crowded, and I at first thought he fell (he’d done the marathon the day before and was in a lot of pain), and then there was lots of crying and laughing.  But I feel so lucky that I have that moment forever captured by that PhotoPass photographer.  And the next day, we found another PhotoPass photographer that was SO excited about our engagement, she spent TONS of time with us (there was no line,I promise) and took a gazillion pictures of the ring, and the two of us.  It was really fun.

Disney PhotoPass and Group Attractions

There are normally even photopass photographers at big group attractions (Enchanted Tales with Belle, for example).  These attractions aren’t operating right now, but once they return, I’m sure the PhotoPass photographer will return with them.

Disney PhotoPass Enchanted Tales with Belle

The PhotoPass photographer takes lots of pictures of the group and they will hand out PhotoPass cards at the end; once you enter the number on your computer, you’ll have access to ALL the pictures they took during that particular event.  If your kid had a role in the show, you do NOT want to lose that number!  So take a picture of the back of the card, just in case!

Disney PhotoPass

Disney PhotoPass and Attraction Photos!

Lots of Disney rides take your picture at some point during the ride, some rides even take video!  These pictures and videos are now PhotoPass pictures, and can be attached to your Magic Band or PhotoPass card.  The RFID technology in your MagicBand communicates with the reader at the attraction and automatically adds the photos or videos to your account.

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Character Dining and PhotoPass?

Character dining can also (sometimes) include PhotoPass.  Granted, right now, character dining isn’t happening, but it WILL return eventually, I promise!  Some character dining meals offer PhotoPass pictures, but not all of them.  Also IF there is a PhotoPass photographer at a character meal, it will usually just be for a picture you take before you enter the restaurant.  For example, if you are dining at a Character Meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table, there is usually a Photopass photographer in the lobby with Cinderella waiting to take your picture before you head upstairs for your meal.  (Please note that Cinderella’s Royal Table HAS reopened for lunch and dinner, however, Cinderella has NOT yet returned.)

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PhotoPass photographers do not go around with the characters as they visit your table at ANY character meal, so ALWAYS bring your camera to character meals.

Customize your Photos!

After your trip, you will be able to visit the PhotoPass website to view all your pictures.  You can add borders and stickers to the photos, and you can make products like Photobooks, calendars and mugs featuring your pictures on the Disney PhotoPass website.  One picture can easily turn into 10 or 15 by the time you are done playing with borders, cropping, black and white, etc.  Some borders are unique to particular locations, seasons, or events, adding a little extra magic to those photos.

NOTE: Pictures are only available on the PhotoPass site for 30 days (unless you are an Annual Passholder.)  Right now, if you are visiting this fall between October 15 and November 30, Disney is extending that 30 days through the end of the year.  So you’ll have a little extra time to play with your pictures.

Magic Shots

Lets talk about Magic Shot.  Magic Shots are pictures taken by a PhotoPass photographer with a little something extra magical added later.  The most common Magic Shots feature TinkerBell standing on the palm of your hand, or a bunch of balloons added to your upstretched arm.

 

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There are a variety of Magic Shots available at different times.   During Star Wars Weekend a few years ago, we got Magic Shots with light sabers added.  Recently, they added some pirate themed Magic Shots near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

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During the Halloween season, you might find Magic Shots with ghosts near the haunted mansion, or Flaming jack o lanterns throughout the Magic Kingdom.  During the Winter holiday season, you may find snow or Wooden Soldiers added to your photos.

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Over at Hollywood Studios, we’ve learned there’s a new special magic shot that includes the child (frequently called baby Yoda, although he isn’t in fact Yoda) from the Mandolorian.  Here’s a look at this one from Disney Parks and Resorts.

Disney PhotoPass Magic Shot Mandalorian
Disney PhotoPass Magic Shot – The Child, Mandalorian

Special holiday themed magic shots become available November 6.

Disney PhotoPass Photos and the My Disney Experience App

Disney PhotoPass pictures are available in the My Disney Experience app, so you’ll be able to look at them as your trip goes along.  Most photos and videos appear in your app within 20 minutes.

Disney PhotoPass

Unless you’ve purchased the Memory Maker product, the pictures will have a watermark on them, preventing you from having a sharable, downloadable image without paying for it.  If you’ve already purchased Memory Maker, your pictures will appear completely clear and fabulous.

One of the highlights of my last trip was overhearing a young family showing their daughter a picture they had just taken on Main Street.  She was AMAZED to see that Tinkerbell had joined them in the picture and she was so dazzled by the magic!

Tips for Getting that “Magic” Shot

Disney changes what Magic Shots are available from time to time, and not all PhotoPass photographers will offer to do them.  Your odds are better if there’s no line and if you’re nice and friendly.  PhotoPass photographers work very hard, and are on their feet for many hours a day, usually in pretty hot temperatures and sometimes not treated very well by guests.  In my experience, if you are nice and there’s not a line, they’re more likely to spend a few extra minutes with you, and that can often result in some Magic Shots.  To see what Magic Shots are currently available, visit the albums at the Disney Photo Pass Facebook Page.

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Coming Up in the Next Video (And Post!)

In tomorrow’s video, we’ll talk about Memory Maker, and how you can have PhotoPass without Memory Maker, but you can’t have Memory Maker without PhotoPass.

Thank you for watching, and please tune in Monday for the second video (and blog post) in this series, discussing Disney’s Memory Maker product.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

 

Disney Face Masks: Our Review

A few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Disney Store released pre-orders for a line of Disney face masks.  Initially, the masks were available in four different themes, in packs of four masks for each theme.  Each four pack was available for pre-order for $19.99.  The available sizes (at that time) were small, medium and large.

Because we were planning a big family trip for October at that time, we placed an order for several packages.  At that point,  we were still optimistic that we’d be able to take our October trip, but we assumed we’d probably be wearing face masks when we went.  (For more on our decision to postpone our big family vacation, click here.)

Disney Face Mask Themes

Disney face masks are currently available in six different themes.

Star Wars Themed

The Star Wars themed face masks include four designs.  These designs include:

      • The Child (Baby Yoda)
      • R2D2
      • Episode IV:A New Hope
      • Star Wars Logos and Symbols
shopDisney.com new Star Wars themed face masks
Star Wars themed face masks! Click the image above!

Mickey & Minnie Mouse Themed

One of the most popular Disney face mask themes is Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  As with the other collections, there are four different designs in this package.  The designs include:

    • All over Mickey Mouse figure
    • All over Minnie Mouse figure in black and white
    • Minnie Mouse face with dots
    • Mickey Mouse icon all over
Disney has really cute face masks for sale
Disney themed face masks? Let’s go! Click the picture above.

Pixar Themed

The Disney face mask line that features Pixar is pretty cute.  There are four different designs featuring Pixar icons.  The four designs include:

    • Forky
    • All over print of Pixar characters on blue background
    • Mike Wazowski
    • All over print of Pixar characters on white background
Toy Story themed face masks at shopdisney.com
Toy Story themed face masks at shopdisney.com. Please click the picture above!

Marvel Themed

One of the latest additions to the Disney face mask options is the Marvel themed collection.  Like the other themed collections, the Marvel collection includes four different designs.  The four designs include:

    • Hulk
    • All over Black Panther symbols
    • All over Marvel logo
    • All over grid with Marvel characters and symbols
Disney Face Masks Marvel
Marvel themed Disney face masks

Princess  and Frozen Themed

If you are a Disney Princess, or just love them a lot, the Disney face masks featuring Disney Princesses might be your favorite.  This collection also features four distinct designs.  The four designs include:

    • Frozen
    • The Little Mermaid
    • All over Disney Princess figures
    • Disney Princess names, all over
Disney face masks Disney Princess and Frozen Face Masks
Disney Princess and Frozen Face Masks

Disney “Faces” Themed

Disney face masks’ newest collection features the lower half of famous Disney character faces. The four faces in this collection include:

    • Winnie the Pooh
    • Stitch
    • Mickey Mouse
    • Marie (the Aristocats)
Disney Face Masks Mickey Mouse Winnie-the-Pooh Aristocats Marie Stitch
Disney Face Masks

Disney Face Masks: The Good

The good news is that the Disney face masks are even cuter in person than they look on the shopdisney.com website.  They’re made of a very soft knit fabric.  They are not heavy weight, and they are fairly comfortable to wear and breathe in.

Disney Face Masks Disney Princess
Maria loves her new Disney Princess themed face mask. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

The colors are strong, and after several washings, the masks that are getting worn are holding their colors very well.

While there have been “fit” issues (see The Bad, below), the masks are comfortable to wear and fairly easy to breathe in.  They are not as lightweight as disposable masks or all cotton masks, but they are not heavy.

Disney Face masks Minnie Mouse
Katelyn, age 6. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Maintenance

You can machine wash the masks, using cold water and gentle cycle.  Do NOT bleach.  You can tumble dry them on low heat.  I’ve also hand washed them and laid flat to dry.  They don’t feel quite as soft that way, but it does the job.

Disney recommends you wash your masks between wearings.  The masks dry fairly quickly, but you’d probably want at least two if they were the only masks you were wearing (on vacation for example). That way you could wash at night and alternate days for each mask.

Disney Face masks
Top: Youth Medium. Bottom: Adult Large (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Supporting a Good Cause

Disney is donating one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the United States.  Disney’s donated masks will be distributed by MedShare (www.medshare.org).  In addition, Disney is donating $1 million in profits from the sale of Disney face masks.  This donation is also going to MedShare to support the medical community’s ongoing efforts to provide care to those in need.

Disney Face Masks: The Bad

Sizing Issues

These masks run SMALL.  When we placed our order, there were three sizes available, small, medium and large.

This has changed.  There are now four sizes available: Youth Small, Youth Medium, Adult Large and Adult Extra Large.  The three smaller sizes are the sizes that were previously labeled small, medium, and large.

For our review, we ordered some masks in each size.  The small size masks were too small for our six and seven year old family members, but worked well for cousins that are two and three. Disney has since renamed this size “Youth Small”.  This is obviously in response to complaints from buyers unhappy with the small sizing.

Medium

The size medium masks we ordered we thought would be perfect for our teenaged family members, but we have found they are way too small for the older kids.  The medium (now called “Youth Medium”) fit a small six year old perfectly, but was too small for her seven year old cousin.

Disney Face Masks Review.
Katelyn, age 6. Medium Minnie Mouse Mask (Youth Medium) fits great! (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

He’s a little big for his age, probably closer to your average nine year old.  Unfortunately the size large (now Adult Large) is way too big for him, so we are making some modifications to his medium mask so he can wear it.

Disney Face Mask Sizing
DeMarco, age 7. Youth Medium, ear loops too short and pull on his ears. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Disney Face Mask Mickey Mouse
DeMarco, age 7. The mask itself is a perfect fit for his face, but the ear loops are too short. Youth Medium. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Based on the kids we have asked to model the masks so far, we are predicting the Youth Medium mask will work for kids of average size, age 4-8 (maybe 7).

Large

The size large masks we had planned for all the adult family members.

Disney Face masks
Linda, Disney Princess Face Mask, Size Adult Large (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We were successful with two people.  Both found the size large masks (now called “Adult Large”) very comfortable.

Disney Face mask Disney Princess
Maria, side view Disney Princess face mask, size Adult Large (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We were less successful with our teenager, Vinny.  Vinny is 5’10” tall, and pretty lean.  We’d originally thought a size medium would work for Vinny, but once we realized that the medium wouldn’t fit his little brother, we knew Vinny would need a large.

Disney Face Mask
Vinny, age 16. He’s wearing an Adult Large Star Wars themed mask. It’s slightly large for his face, but the ear loops are pulling on his ears. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Disney Face Masks
Vinny, age 16. As you can see, the mask covers his face fine, but the ear loops pull on his ears too much. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Unfortunately, Vinny’s experience proved to be common.  The rest of the “adults” in the family all found the masks to be too small.  The loops for the ears just are not long enough.

Disney Face masks
Jason, Star Wars themed Adult Large. Mask fits on his face just fine, but the loops are too short and pull on his ears. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Functionality

There is no where to put a filter in these masks.  That isn’t necessarily a big deal; they are two layers and provide basic protection.  If you wanted to add a filter, you could cut a slot in the back layer and insert a filter between the layers.

Disney Face Masks: The Ugly

Ok, so there isn’t really any UGLY.  I just had this fun The Good, The Bad and The Ugly film analogy going, and couldn’t let it go!

Seriously though, lots of buyers have been very frustrated by the Disney face masks, no matter how cute they are.  If you spend $19.99 on a four mask package for your kids, you expect to be able to use them for your kids.  When they are too small, it’s annoying.

Similarily, if you had your heart set on wearing that Forky mask to work next week and it’s way too small, you might be disappointed.

Modify?

Some folks have been able to successfully modify the masks to make them fit.  Some workable options that we have seen include:

    • Cutting the ear loops and extending them
    • Removing the ear loops completely and replacing them
    • Looping elastic or ribbon through the loops and tying the mask behind your head (not using the ear loops for your ears at all)

However, most of us don’t expect to have to modify our Disney Store purchases to “make it work”.

Disney Face Mask
Star Wars themed Disney face mask, sizing inconsistency. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

I will also say that I did find some inconsistency in this initial group of masks.  Some were slightly uneven, slightly larger on one end than the other.  I suspect that because we ordered almost as soon as they were available for pre-order, we received some of the first masks shipped out.  Most likely, inconsistencies and quality issues have been worked out by now.

The Disney Store does accept returns, and the fact that they have renamed the sizes does seem to indicate they recognize they may not have provided enough sizing information initially.

Sizing

More good news.  ShopDisney.com now provides very detailed sizing information including measurements for all the Disney face masks.  This should help you avoid some of the frustration that other buyers have experienced.

Youth Small

    • Mask Width: 5”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Closed): 2 1/2”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Opened): 4 1/2”
    • Ear Loop Strap Length Per Side, Joint to Joint: 5 1/2”

Youth Medium

    • Mask Width: 6”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Closed): 3 1/4”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Opened): 5 1/2”
    • Ear Loop Strap Length Per Side, Joint to Joint: 6 1/2”

Adult Large

    • Mask Width: 7”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Closed): 3 3/4”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Opened): 6”
    • Ear Loop Strap Length Per Side, Joint to Joint: 6 1/2”

Adult Extra Large

    • Mask Width: 7 1/2”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Closed): 4”
    • Mask Height (Pleats Opened): 6 1/4”
    • Ear Loop Strap Length Per Side, Joint to Joint: 7 1/2”

Sizing Guide

Measure from the bridge of the nose to the bottom of the chin.  Use the guidelines below to help identify the correct size mask to order.  Disney suggest you choose the LARGEST size your measurement falls into.  However, also take a look at the ear loop strap length per side, joint to joint, provided above.  You want to be sure that the straps are going to be long enough, unless you are comfortable modifying the loops.

    • Youth Small: 2 1/2” – 3 1/2”
    • Youth Medium: 3 1/4” – 4 1/2”
    • Adult Large: 3 3/4” – 5 3/4”
    • Adult Extra Large: 4” – 6”

Overall Grade: B+

We’d give these masks an A+ for cuteness, absolutely. An A- for comfort, mainly because the ear loops are a little thicker than needed, in our opinion.  Where the masks take a hit is on FIT.  That’s a C, based on what we’ve tried so far.

However, Disney DOES appear to have rectified the size issue by renaming the sizes and adding a fourth, larger size.  We have an order of the new Adult Extra Large masks on the way, and will update you once we’ve had a chance to try them out.

 

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!
Disclaimer

All the Disney face masks used in this review were bought and paid for.  We did not receive any free or sample masks in exchange for this review.  There are some links on our site that lead you to products or services we recommend that we think you will like.  If you follow those links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission on your purchase.  This does NOT affect the price you pay.  Thank you.

Should You Cancel Your 2020 Disney World Vacation?

Walt Disney World is preparing to reopen this weekend.  Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.  All four parks are opening in a limited capacity.  Many regular entertainment features and special experiences have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.  Disney Vacation Club resorts are open at this time, with other resorts gradually opening over the coming months.  Not all resorts are scheduled to reopen in 2020.  When Disney opens this weekend, it will be a very different Disney World.  So the big question:  If you were planning to visit, should you cancel your 2020 Disney World vacation?

It’s Not an Easy Answer

The short answer?  I don’t know.  It depends on your unique circumstances.  There are pros and cons to both visiting this year and to waiting next year.

For some of us, this is a more difficult decision than for others.

If you have been planning your trip for a long time, or are a huge Disney World fan, the thought of postponing your trip into next year (or even the following year!) may make you feel very sad.

On the other hand, if you have been financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, you may find it a lot easier to postpone your trip.

Florida Coronavirus Cases are Spiking!

Particularly troubling for many people is that Covid-19 is not yet contained in the United States.  While some states have successfully slowed the spread of Coronavirus, other states have seen dramatic increases in new cases as the states have reopened their economies.  Florida is one of the states seeing the most dramatic increases in cases.  Almost every day, the state is setting new records for new cases.

Disney and the coronavirus update

Some states are requesting that residents returning home from Florida self quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before returning to normal activities.

Hopefully this is a short term situation, and Florida will soon have the spread of Coronavirus under control.  But until they do, the rapid increases in new cases will continue to be an alarming factor that you should definitely consider when deciding whether to visit this year.

A Possible Second Surge in the Fall?

Related to the concerns of Covid-19 continuing to spread right now throughout Florida is the prediction from many medical experts that we may see a nationwide surge in the spread of the disease this Fall, when flu season returns.  We don’t KNOW that this will happen, it’s pure conjecture.  However, to date, more than 130,000 people have died in the United States from the Coronavirus.  As much as I love Disney World, I’m not sure it’s worth risking lives.

Disney World and Disneyland Closing Due to Coronavirus

Financial Considerations

Another factor that must be considered is your financial investment.  I love to talk about all the fun stuff you and your family can do on a Disney vacation.  I love to focus on the memories you’ll create together.  My favorite thing in the world is watching Disney work its magic on guests of all ages.

However, there is no getting around the fact that a Disney vacation is an expensive investment.  Worth every penny?  Absolutely.  But it is expensive.  For many of us, a Disney vacation may take years to save up for.

Should you cancel your 2020 disney world vacation

Given the large financial investment necessary for your vacation, we have to look at value received.  Normally, I think Disney wins on value all day every day.  There are so many experiences and attractions.  You can watch shows and meet characters.  There are fireworks and musicians from all over the world.  There is truly an astounding amount of entertainment available to you and your family on a Disney vacation.  Normally.

However, right now, many of those experiences have been dramatically reduced or eliminated.  You need to take that into consideration when you consider the value you will receive for your vacation.  If your vacation is planned for 2020, it is highly likely that you will receive a lot less value than you would in different circumstances.

Should you cancel your 2020 Disney Vacation?

What Should We Expect?

If you are planning to visit in July, August or September, it is highly likely that you will encounter shortened park hours.  You will have to wear masks throughout the theme parks and the resorts.  There will be no nighttime entertainment at all, and many shows will not be happening.  Social distancing requirements will make many activities either impossible, or very, very different.  With attendance at each park limited each day to ensure there is room for social distancing, you may find you can’t visit the park you wanted to visit on the day you wanted to visit it.  Park hopping is not allowed at this time.  You will need to have your temperature taken each time you enter a theme park.

Is it possible that in October, November and December, park capacity will be increased and some normalcy will return?  Certainly.  Anything is possible.  However, I expect that Disney will be extremely cautious moving forward.  They don’t want to have to shut down again.

This is my personal opinion, based on my experience and research over the years.  I don’t think the parks will return to normal during 2020.  If there is a new outbreak of Covid-19 in the Fall, I’m not even sure we will see the parks return to normal by Spring 2021.  I could, of course, be completely wrong about this.  It is entirely possible that Covid-19 will be contained, and visitors to Disney will not encounter or spread the virus among other guests or cast members.  It is also possible that Disney will find that each park can handle a larger capacity than this initial plan calls for, allowing more park reservations each day for each park.  However, I still believe that it will be months before many of the nighttime entertainments, daytime shows, fireworks and character greetings return.

Our Family Vacation – A Case Study

Our family faced this exact decision this week.  For more than a year, we have been planning a big family vacation for October 2020.  Our vacation included grandparents and three families, including several children, aged 6-17.

Should you cancel your 2020 disney vacation?
2014 Family Vacation. Our “littles” were too little to remember this trip.                                   (Photo: Disney PhotoPass)

We carefully chose our dates around school institute days.  We all were saving for and making payments towards the trip.  Last summer, we had a big planning meeting where we reviewed lots of options and chose our resort and ticket options.

Everyone was excited about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. (Well, to be fair, I’m not sure the kids were excited about THAT, but the rest of us were!).  My mom made this amazing calendar for all of us for 2020 with notes and reminders and special pictures, all leading up to the trip in October.  We’ve all be having “family movie nights” to make sure the little kids were familiar with Disney and Pixar characters they might not have known about yet.  Everyone was watching Star Wars and Avatar in preparation for our big trip.

Countdown Calendar Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation
Calendar designed by Linda Harkness (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Countdown Calendar build excitement for your upcoming disney vacation
Calendar designed by Linda Harkness (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We had scheduled another big planning meeting for this summer.

When the Coronavirus pandemic began, we all immediately worried whether we’d be able to take our trip.  However, I was sure that the pandemic would be controlled quickly and our trip wouldn’t be impacted.  When Disney made the decision to close their theme parks “until further notice”, I got nervous.  But still, I believed we’d be able to take our trip as planned.  After all, October was months away.

Reality Bites

Unfortunately, as time wore on, it became all too apparent that our trip was probably going to be affected in some way.  I continued to work on planning our trip, drafting itineraries and back up touring plans. We planned dining options and drafted our fast pass+ strategy.  Disney cancelled all our carefully scheduled dining reservations, but still we didn’t give up.

However, once the parks announced their reopening schedule and strategy, it became very obvious that many of the things we all love about Disney would probably be missing if we pushed through and visited in October.  For our little kids, this would be the first trip to Disney that they would remember.  For our parents, this would be a family reunion and a special celebration of the whole family.

Should you cancel your 2020 Disney vacation?
Chef Mickey’s Character Breakfast, 2014 (Photo: Linda Harkness)

We all wanted it to be amazing .  We wanted character meals and character greetings.  We wanted to see the dragon in the afternoon Magic Kingdom parade.  We wanted amazing fireworks and other nighttime entertainment.  We wanted my niece to be a princess and my nephew to be a pirate.  In short, this was going to be a once in many years (or perhaps a lifetime) trip for many in the group.  When we looked at the value and talked about the options, the group made their decision pretty quickly.

We have postponed our family vacation until October 2021.

Should you cancel your 2020 Disney vacation?

Reasons NOT to Postpone or Cancel

For our large family, postponing the trip until next year is the right decision.  We don’t know when or even if Disney will return to “normal”.  However, it seems likely that 14-15 months from now, we’ll be a lot closer to normal than we are now.

However that may NOT be the right decision for your family.  There are some visitors that absolutely may want to visit during this year:

      • Florida residents:  If you aren’t traveling far, or if you live within a short driving distance, it may make sense for you to still visit.  Especially if you visit often, and aren’t as likely to be upset by some of the missing features or experiences.
      • Frequent/Annual Visitors:  If your family visits every year, or multiple times per year, it might be the right decision to still visit.  In this case you’ll have a “new” experience that might be super memorable and unique.
      • Annual Passholders: Similarly, if you are an Annual Passholder, and visit frequently, it may make sense to visit during this time.  Note: Many Annual Passholders have voiced dissatisfaction with the return on their investment for their current annual passes.  Many are upset that they paid full price for their pass and will be receiving limited value.  While Disney did credit passholders back for one month due to the closures, many passholders feel this wasn’t sufficient.  Some passholders are electing to cancel their passes and get refunds.  So your mileage may vary.

Benefits of Visiting This Year

      • Limited capacity means fewer people in the parks.  It has been YEARS since I’ve been in the parks and had lots of room to comfortably move around.  When was the last time you were able to photograph landmarks without tons of other guests in your photo?  I want to visit this year purely for the novelty of lighter crowds, even if I do have to wear a mask to do it!
Disney has really cute face masks for sale
Disney themed face masks? Let’s go! Click the picture above.
      • Limited capacity and no Fast Pass+ reservations should (at least theoretically) mean shorter lines for attractions.
      • Merchandise sales?  Potentially, fewer guests will mean a lot fewer merchandise sales.  Perhaps this will result in theme park stores putting more merchandise on sale sooner?  I’d like to think there will be bargains to be found.  However, that may just be a fantasy!
Disney Skyliner Takes Flight Merchandise
      • Unique experience.  Many, many people have cancelled their 2020 trips due to concerns related to Covid-19.  Those guests that visit this year will most likely have a very unique experience.  While some of that will be negative as favorite experiences will be missing, some of that will be positive.  Everyone wearing masks, lighter crowds, using Magic Bands and your phones more frequently to order and pay.  If you live nearby and visit frequently, you will likely see operations and rules change as time goes by.

What’s the Right Answer for YOU?

Disney vacations for both 2020 and 2021 are now available for booking.  If you’d like help planning your next Disney vacation, I’m here to help.  If you’d to discuss your decision further, I am here for you.  I know it’s a tough decision.  Every family has unique factors they must consider.  Vacation time, flying versus driving, everyone’s overall health and emotional well being.  The considerations are almost endless.

Disney cancels dining reservations and character greetings

I want to be very clear: I am a HUGE Disney Parks fan.  I am THRILLED they are reopening, and personally am very excited to return to the parks.

For my family’s big reunion vacation, the best decision for the entire group was to postpone the trip until next year.

However, my husband and I will be visiting the parks in November on our own.  We are planning to drive down rather than fly.  Also, we are frequent visitors and Annual Passholders.  This won’t be a regular trip for us, but the changes will be less impactful on us as we visit so often.

While I am certain I will be disappointed at some of my favorite experiences being limited or missing, I am still looking forward to visiting this year.

As an added bonus, I am looking forward to doing some “boots on the ground” research for all of you.  I will keep you posted as our planning on that trip moves forward.

Should You Cancel?

So…what do you think?  Should you cancel your 2020 Disney World vacation?  Please like this post and comment below!

If you want my help with your decision, or with planning your next Disney adventure, please email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

 

Disney Increases Ticket Prices

Earlier this week, Disney increased ticket prices at both its US theme parks. The price increases came without any official announcement, but not without precedent.  Disney has increased prices for its theme parks every year for the last several years, frequently in February.  Notably, last year we saw more than one price increase.

Disney Skyliner Disney Increases Ticket Prices
Disney Skyliner: Tower of Terror              (Photo: DIsney Parks)

Last year’s dramatic increases seemed to be directly in anticipation of increased demand due to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the new Skyliner transportation system.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge                                                                          (Photo: Disney Parks)

With new attractions opening soon in both Hollywood Studios and Epcot, I’m assuming this year’s increase is indicative that Disney believes additional demand will soon follow.  Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens very soon on March 4, 2020.  Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open in the France Pavilion at Epcot sometime this summer.  We don’t have a firm date yet, but I’m hopeful for early summer.

Disney Increases Ticket Prices – WDW Base Tickets

This increase is almost sneaky.  The lowest price for a one day ticket is $109 (plus tax), and the highest price for a one day ticket is $159 (plus tax).  However, while the top and bottom prices for a one day ticket remain the same, if you look through the calendar, you’ll see that the prices on many individual dates have increased.  For example, last week, a one day ticket for Sunday, February 23, 2020 was $118 plus tax.  Today, that same ticket is $125 plus tax.

Disney uses a date-based system for ticket pricing.  Prices are highest during the most popular days, and lowest during the least popular days.  For example, you’ll find prices higher during spring break and over the Christmas holidays.   If you’d like to see ticket prices for your planned dates, please visit Disney’s website.

Disney also incentivizes guests to choose longer tickets over shortest.  If you buy a park ticket with 3 or more days, you will start to see a per day discount.  The best discount is on the 10-day ticket:  With the new prices, a 10 day ticket now ranges from $52 per day to $67 per day (plus tax).

Disney Increases Ticket Prices – WDW Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus Options

The price to add the Park Hopper option to your tickets has increased $5 per Park Hopper.  Basically, whatever your base tickets cost, you would add the Park Hopper option to that cost.  Here is the new pricing structure for Park Hoppers:

      • $65 per ticket for 1-day tickets
      • $75 per ticket for 2-day or 3-day tickets
      • $85 per ticket for 4-day to 10-day tickets

Personally, I love the flexibility the Park Hopper option provides.  For more information about the various ticket options, please check out this post.

Park Hopper Plus tickets allow guest to “hop” between Disney theme parks in a single day, however they also add additional access.  With the Park Hopper Plus, you get access to the water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), Wide World of Sports, the NBA Experience, two miniature golf courses, and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course.  The Park Hopper Plus option is $20 more than the regular Park Hopper option.  Here is the new pricing structure for Park Hopper Plus add-ons.

      • $85 per ticket for 1-day tickets
      • $95 per ticket for 2-day or 3-day tickets
      • $105 per ticket for 4-day to 10-day tickets

Disney Increases Ticket Prices – WDW Annual Passes

This one is especially painful as last year’s Annual Pass increase in June was a big one.  I (foolish, I know!) was hoping that Annual Passes would be spared another increase so soon.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Here’s  a table showing the old prices and new prices.

Pass Classification Prev $ New $
Disney Platinum Plus Pass  $     1,219  $    1,295
Disney Platinum Pass  $     1,119  $    1,195
Disney Gold Pass (FL Residents & DVC)  $        699  $       719
Disney Silver Pass (FL Residents)  $        519  $       539
Disney Theme Park Select Pass (FL Residents)  $        439  $       439
Disney Weekday Select Pass (FL Residents)  $        349  $       369
EPCOT After 4 Pass (FL Residents)  $        304  $       319

Were You Surprised?

Did this ticket price increase catch you by surprise?  Will the higher prices have any effect on your Disney vacation plans?  Please comment below.

Disney also increased prices for Disneyland tickets and Annual Passes.  I will do a separate post detailing those increases.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

 

NEW: Mid-Day Magic Tickets at WDW

Walt Disney World has a new ticket available for a limited time.  Called the Mid-Day Magic Ticket, these tickets offer a discount for guests that visit after 12 p.m.  Available now through December 15, these tickets are perfect if you prefer a shorter day.  Targeting guests not staying on Disney property, guests purchasing these tickets will be able to secure afternoon and evening FastPass+ reservations (based on availability) 30 days before their start date.

Disney Free Dining Disney Magic Kingdom Disney Mickey Bars Disney Family Vacation
Photo: Disney Parks

One Park Per Day

The Mid-Day Magic Ticket are available for one park per day, valid for admission after 12 p.m.   They do require a start date when purchasing, and are available in 2, 3 or 4 day increments.  As with other Disney tickets, the more days you purchase, the less each day costs.

Here are the prices:

  • 2 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $176 total plus tax ($88 per day).  Expires four days after the start date.
  • 3 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $252 total plus tax ($84 per day).  Expires five days after the start date.
  • 4 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $316 total plus tax ($79 per day).  Expires seven days after the start date.

Advantages of Mid-Day Magic Tickets

If you are someone who likes to sleep in, or go golfing or to the pool in the morning, this new Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be a good fit for you.

If you’re planning a trip for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival this year, and plan to spend your days mostly at Epcot, this Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be a good value for you, especially if your interest is mostly food and wine and World Showcase, as opposed to Future World attractions.

Mid Day Magic Ticket Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Photo: Disney Parks

If your family has a hard time getting going in the morning, and you find it challenging to make it to the parks before noon, this might be the perfect ticket for your family.

If you like to do Character breakfasts at the resort hotels (for example, Chef Mickey’s), and/or prefer to explore resorts in the morning, this Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be the right ticket for you.

Chef Mickey's Character Breakfast
Chef Mickey’s                                                  Photo: Brooke Hudson

If you are a night owl, and prefer to stay in the parks as late as possible, you may like this Mid-Day Magic Ticket.

This is a full access, regular park ticket.  So you can visit all attractions, parades, shows, nighttime entertainment and restaurants–as long as you go after 12 p.m.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge                                               Photo: Disney Parks

Disadvantages of Mid-Day Magic Tickets

Generally, if you’re staying on Disney property, tickets purchased with your vacation package are the better deal, especially if you want to take advantage of early morning Extra Magic Hours.

Crowds are usually heaviest at mid day, continuing through early evening.

In-park character breakfasts are out of the question.

Shortens the time you have available to spend in the parks.

Park Hopping is NOT an available option at this time.

Mid-Day Magic Tickets Available Now

These tickets are available for purchase now.  Email me, brooke@disneycastledreaming.com, if you’d like to purchase Mid-Day Magic Tickets today!

What do you think of this idea?  I think it’s a great idea for people that prefer to visit the parks later in the day, and spend their mornings doing other activities (like sleeping!).  If this proves to be a popular option, I suspect Disney will expand it, and continue to offer it after December 15.

Please comment below to share your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about other Disney World ticket options, please check out Disney Park Hoppers vs. One Park Per Day Passes: The Battle Begins.

Free Dining is BACK!!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!  Disney has made an exciting announcement today–FREE DINING IS BACK!!  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Disney has released another free dining promotion for 2019.  It is fairly unusual for Disney to release this many free dining promotions in one calendar year.  I suspect Disney is not seeing the reservations for Fall and Winter this year  they’d expected.

If you’ve been thinking about planning a trip to Disney this fall or winter for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party, or to enjoy the winter holiday magic at Walt Disney World, NOW IS THE TIME TO BOOK.

Free Dining is BACK

The Details

Guests booking a five night/six day Walt Disney Travel Company package at a Disney resort, along with a Park Hopper park ticket are eligible to add free dining to their package.

Package must be booked BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019.

This offer applies to packages for guests arriving during the following windows:

      • September 1 through September 18, 2019
      • November 17 – November 27, 2019
      • December 8 – December 23, 2019

Surprisingly, if you look at the dates above, you can see that you would be able to book a trip that includes Thanksgiving (as long as you arrive by November 28) or Christmas (as long as you arrive by December 23).  That’s CRAZY unusual for a free dining promotion!

Disney at the Holidays
Magic Kingdom Train Station  (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Guest who book stays in Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts or Disney Deluxe Resorts will be eligible for the Free Disney Dining Plan.  Guests booking visits in Disney Moderate Resorts or Disney Value Resorts will be eligible for the Free Quick Service Dining Plan.  Note: Not ALL resorts are included in this promotion and availability for this promotion IS LIMITED.

Resorts Included In Free Dining Promotion

Free Dining is BACk
Old Key West Resort                                            (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Eligible Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts
      • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
      • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
      • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
      • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
      • Disney’s Riviera Resort (after it opens, December 16, 2019)
      • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Eligible Disney Deluxe Resorts
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
      • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
      • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
      • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
      • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
      • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Eligible Disney Moderate Resorts
      • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
      • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
      • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Eligible Disney Value Resorts
      • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Family Suites Only)
      • Disney’s All Star Music Resort (September Dates Excluded)
      • Disney’s All Star Sports Resort (September Dates Excluded)
      • Disney’s Pop Century Resort (September Dates Excluded)

The Fine Print

The number of rooms available for this promotion is LIMITED.

Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.

Minimum 4 night length of stay; minimum four day theme park tickets with Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option.

Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion

The following room types are excluded:  Three bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas and Bungalows, Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Table service restaurants may have limited or no availability at the time of package purchase.  Meal reservation availability is not guaranteed with this promotion.

Children ages 3 – 9 must choose from the children’s menu, if there is a children’s menu available at the chosen restaurant.

Gratuities are not included.

Free dining is BACK
Character Meals ARE included in the Disney Dining Plan!      (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Guests staying in Value or Moderate Resorts will be eligible for the Quick Service Dining Plan.  Guests Staying in Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts will be eligible for the Disney Dining Plan.  Guests wishing to upgrade from the Quick Service Dining Plan to the Disney Dining Plan may do so by paying the difference between the two plans for each guest on the reservation.

Don’t Care About Free Dining?  Here’s ANOTHER Great Offer from Disney

Disney's Riviera Resort Disney vacation planning Disney trip planning tips top reasons to visit Disney
Disney’s Riviera Resort  (Artist Rendering:Disney)

Disney also released an up to 20% off promotion for rooms at select Disney Resorts.  Reservations must be booked by September 29, 2019.  Most nights between September 1 and September 28 are included.  Most Sunday through Thursday nights between September 29 and November 7 are included.

The up to 20% off on rooms at select Disney Resorts may also be booked by December 24, 2019 for stays most nights, November 10-December 24.

20% Discount Tier

20% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and select Disney Deluxe Resorts, most nights September 1 – September 28, most nights November 10 – December 24.  This discount is also available for most Sunday through Thursday nights, September 29 – November 7.  (Note Stays beginning September 1 – November 7 MUST be booked by September 29, 2019.  Stays beginning November 10 – December 24 MUST be booked by December 24, 2019.)

      • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
      • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
      • Disney’s Riviera Resort (for stays beginning Dec. 16 or later)
      • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
      • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
      • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
15% Discount Tier

15% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, select Disney Deluxe Resorts and select Disney Moderate Resorts.  Discount available most nights September 1 – September 28 and November 10 – December 24.  This discount is also available for most Sunday through Thursday nights, September 29 – November 7.  (Note Stays beginning September 1 – November 7 MUST be booked by September 29, 2019.  Stays beginning November 10 – December 24 MUST be booked by December 24, 2019.)

      • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
      • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
      • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
      • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
      • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
10% Discount Tier

10% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, select Disney Deluxe Resorts, select Disney Moderate Resorts and select Value Resorts.  Discount available most nights September 1 – September 28 and November 10 – December 24.  This discount is also available for most Sunday through Thursday nights, September 29 – November 7.  (Note Stays beginning September 1 – November 7 MUST be booked by September 29, 2019.  Stays beginning November 10 – December 24 MUST be booked by December 24, 2019.)

      • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
      • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Studios Only
      • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
      • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
      • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
      • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites Only
      • Disney’s All Star Movies Resort (November 10 – December 24 only)
      • Disney’s All Star Music Resort (November 10 – December 24 only)
      • Disney’s All Star Sports Resort (November 10 – December 24 only)
      • Disney’s Pop Century Resort(November 10 – December 24 only)

The Fine Print for this Room Only Discount

The number of rooms available for this promotion is limited.

Additional per adult charges may apply if there are more than two adults per room.

This offer can’t be combined with any other discount or promotion.

Theme park admission is NOT included.

The following room types are excluded:  Three bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Length of stay requirements may apply.

Florida Resident?

Florida Resident Disney Discount
Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Florida residents can save up to 25% at select Disney resorts from September 1 to December 24 when they book by December 24, 2019.  Note: the number of rooms available for this offer is limited.  Proof of Florida residency will be required at check in.

25% Discount Tier

25% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and select Disney Deluxe Resorts, mostly Sunday through Thursday nights; dropping to 10% for Fridays and Saturdays.

      • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
      • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
      • Disney’s Riviera Resort (for stays beginning Dec. 16 or later)
      • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
      • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
      • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
      • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
      • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
20% Discount Tier

20% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and select Disney Deluxe Resorts, mostly Sunday through Thursday nights; dropping to 10% for Fridays and Saturdays.

      • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
      • Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Moderate Resorts are participating too.  Moderate Resorts listed below are offering a 20% discount for Florida residents for most nights, September 1 – October 3 and November 10 through December 24.  Most Sunday through Thursday nights, October 6 – November 7 are also included.

      • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
      • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
      • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter (15% Discount)
      • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (15% Discount)
15% Discount Tier

15% discount is available for rooms at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and select Disney Deluxe Resorts, mostly Sunday through Thursday nights; dropping to 10% for Fridays and Saturdays.

      • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
      • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Studios Only
      • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
      • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
      • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • The Value Resorts listed below are offering a 15% discount for Florida residents for most nights, September 1 – October 3 and November 10 through December 24.  Most Sunday through Thursday nights, October 6 – November 7 are also included.
  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • Disney’s All Star Movies Resort
  • Disney’s All Star Music Resort
  • Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort

The Fine Print for Florida Residents

Proof of Florida residency is required at check in.

This offer can’t be combined with any other promotion or discount.

This offer does not include theme park admission.

Additional per adult charges may apply if more than two adults are staying in the room.

The following room types are excluded:  Three bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Length of stay requirements may apply.

Free Dining, Room Only and Florida Residents, Oh MY!!!

So, in a nutshell, there are a lot of discount offers available for you if you are considering taking a trip to Disney World this Fall or Winter.  There is a LOT to think about, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which discount (or which meal plan, for that matter) is best for you and your family.

That’s where working with a Disney Travel Agent (like me!) can help.  It doesn’t cost YOU anything, and I can take care of all the headaches you don’t have time or desire to take on.  I can help determine which package is best for you, and I can help with your trip planning as well!  I can even help with meal reservations and Fast Pass bookings.  Working with me will save you time, headaches, aggravation AND money.

Reach out today, brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.  I’d love to help you plan your next Disney dream vacation.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

 

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. – If you’d like to read more on the difference between the dining plans, and what you should consider when deciding if Free Dining is right for you, please check out the following posts:

FREE DINING for Disney Visa Cardmembers

Disney Launched Free Dining!

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2019 is the LONGEST EVER

This year marks the 24th year the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival dominates the fall season at Walt Disney World.  The 2019 Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be the longest festival ever, at 87 days!

Long celebrated as a great way to try lots of different international cuisine, wines and beers, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival invites guests to explore the “international” aspect of World Showcase at Epcot.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (Photo: Disney Parks)

This year’s Festival begins August 29, 2019, and will run through November 23, 2019.  The Festival is anchored by 30 Global Marketplaces throughout World Showcase.  There are world flavors for everyone of all ages to discover.  There are Global Marketplaces featuring food and beverages from all over the world.  The choices are not limited to the nine countries already featured in World Showcase.  Every year, there are returning favorites and new adventurous flavors to try.

Eat to the Beat Concert Series

Another highlight from the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.  Every night, from August 29 – November 19, a band will play at the America Gardens Theatre.  Sundays – Thursdays, the shows are at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm and 8:00 pm.  On Fridays and Saturdays, showtimes are 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm and 9:00 pm.  Epcot admission is required to attend any of the shows; however, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series itself is included with your park admission.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Series
Eat to the Beat Concert Series. (Photo: Disney Parks)

As you might imagine, seating is limited, and guests often line up early to try and get seats.  However, the music carries to the area immediately around the America Gardens Theatre, and it’s not unusual to see people standing around the area, enjoying the music.  Sometimes, you’ll even see people dancing!

Not all the acts for this year’s Festival and been released yet, but a lot of them have.  There are some new acts this year, along with a lot of returning favorites.

Here’s the current list and schedule (subject to change).
        • Plain White T’s
          August 29 through 31
        • Sawyer Brown – NEW!
          September 1 through 2
        • MercyMe
          September 3 through 4
        • Grace Kelly – NEW!
          September 5 through 6
        • Zach Williams – NEW!
          September 7 through 8
        • Lauren Daigle – NEW!
          September 9 through 10
        • Jimmie Allen – NEW!
          September 11 through 12
        • TBD
          September 13 through 15
        • The Allman Betts Band
          September 16 through 17
        • Everclear
          September 18 through 19
        • STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
          September 20 through 22
        • Post Modern Jukebox
          September 23 through 24
        • Blue October
          September 25 through 26
        • Mark Wills
          September 27 through 29
        • Sugar Ray
          September 30 through October 2
        • TBD
          October 3 through 9
        • Boyce Avenue – NEW!
          October 10 through 11
        • Southern Avenue – NEW!
          October 12 through 13
        • TBD
          October 14 through 15
        • 38 Special
          October 16 through 17
        • Baha Men
          October 18 through 20
        • Billy Ocean
          October 21 through 22
        • Sheila E
          October 23 through 25
        • High Valley
          October 26 through 27
        • Hanson
          October 28 through 30
        • Sheena Easton
          October 31 through November 1
        • Kris Allen – NEW!
          November 2 through 3
        • Boyz II Men
          November 4 through 6
        • The Hooters
          November 7 through 8
        • Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy
          November 9 through 11
        • TBD
          November 12 through 18
        • DCapella – NEW!
          November 1

Eat to the Beat Dining Package

If there is a particular band you love, and you REALLY want to make sure you get guaranteed seats for one of their shows, there are Eat to the Beat Dining Packages available.  You can reserve Eat to the Beat Dining Packages for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at a variety of Epcot restaurants.  For a small premium, your meal will include guaranteed seating for a particular show on the day of meal.  Eat to the Beat Dining Packages are available to book now!

Note: If you choose NOT to book an Eat to the Beat Dining Package, it does NOT mean you won’t get a seat.  You just won’t have a guaranteed seat.  You’ll have to wait in line with all the other non-dining package guests, and hope that you get to the front of the line before all the seats are full.  This is a lot easier for some acts than others.  If one show is super crowded, try the next show.  It may be less crowded.  Generally, the later shows are more popular than the early show.

Future World Gets in on the Action

Not to be left out of the global extravaganza that is the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Future World participates with a “Disney du Jour Dance Party”.  This weekend Dance Party has been so popular in years past, Disney has expanded it to seven days a week for this year’s Festival.   Sundays through Thursdays, a Disney DJ will manage the Dance Party, and on the weekends, stars from Radio Disney with add a little extra excitement with live performances.  So far, only the opening weekend guest has been announced; Meg Donnelly from the Disney Channel original movie Zombies.

Food & Wine Festival Special Events

Throughout the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, there are a variety of culinary demonstrations and educational seminars.  Celebrity chefs and well known personalities from the world of international cuisine will host culinary demonstrations throughout the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  Many of these demonstrations and talks will be included with your park admission.  In addition, there are a variety of extra special events that are offered; however these extra special events require reservations and cost extra.

Beverage Seminars

Reservations are required for this 45 minute seminar.  It’s held at the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion, located between United Kingdom and Canada.  Epcot admission is required, and the additional cost per person for this event is $19 per person, plus tax.

The Beverage Seminars are held some Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the Festival at 4:30 pm.  These Seminars are hosted by sommeliers, cicerones and other beverage experts.  They will share their knowledge and offer samples for you to taste.  Depending on the seminary, you might learn about state-of-the-art winemaking, brewing or distilling techniques.

Note: Alcohol will be served to guests 21 and older.  All events are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Cheese Seminars

Reservations are required for these 90 minute seminars, held on select Saturdays throughout the Festival.  Seminars are held at the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion from 9:45 am – 11:15 am.  Epcot admission is required; the additional cost per person for each of these events is $95, plus tax (gratuity included).

These seminars are hosted by distinguished cheese experts.  The seminars are designed to educate guests about the different textures, aromas, and flavors of popular cheeses from all over the world.  Guests will have the opportunity to sample artisanal cheese selections paired with complementary wines or craft beers.

Topics include:

    • New World Cheeses and Old World Wines (September 14, 2019)
    • Mediterranean Cheeses and Wines (September 28, 2019)
    • Great British Cheeses and Ales (October 5, 2019)
    • Italian Cheeses and Wines (October 12, 2019)
    • French Cheeses and Wines (October 19, 2019)
    • The Great Cheeses and Wines of the Western United States (October 26, 2019)
    • Season’s Best Cheeses and Wines (November 9, 2019)

Note: Alcohol is served exclusively to guests aged 21 or older.  All events are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Party for the Senses

For many food and wine connoisseurs, one of the highlights of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is the Party for the Senses.  The Party for the Senses is a special ticketed evening event featuring tasting stations, live entertainment, elegant decor and acclaimed chefs and personalities.  More than 20 renown chefs are featured.  International musical artists Femmes of Rock are returning this year, following their popular debut at this event in 2018.  Reservations are required for this special evening event, held on select Saturday nights during the Festival.  Book your reservations now.

Epcot admission is required, in addition to the event ticket.

The event is held on select Saturdays at the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion.  The World ShowPlace Events Pavilion is located between the United Kingdom and Canada in World Showcase.

There are two seating options, with pricing between $229 and $359 per guest plus tax, gratuity included, based on which seating option you choose.

Category #1: Wine View Lounge

Category #1 is the VIP option, and priced at $359 per guest plus tax, gratuity included.  Your Wine View Lounge admission provides early access to the event at 6:30 pm.

Your VIP event ticket includes a private, premium reserved table.  When you arrive at your table, you will find an amuse-bouche and a welcome beverage.  Your early entrance offers a special briefing from the chefs and a special phot opportunity.  The Wine View Lounge has exclusive premium bar service and artisanal cheeses available only for the VIP guests with Category #1 event tickets.  Your ticket will also include a special premium wine glass and an additional gift as your souvenirs of the elegant evening.

Also included in this VIP option is complimentary Minnie Van service to transport ticketed guests from their resort hotel to the event and return service at the end of the event.  Alternatively, if you are already in Epcot on the day of your event, complimentary transportation will be provided from the Main Entrance to the event.

Category #2: Reserved Seating

Category #2 includes reserved seating on the main floor of the event.  These tickets are priced at $229 per person, plus tax, gratuity included.  Your ticket will include a specialty welcome beverage as well as an event exclusive wine glass.  Your ticket will allow you access to the event from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

Note: Alcohol is only served to ticketed guests aged 21 or older.  Events and entertainment are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

For runDisney fans, an annual highlight of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.  This year’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend is October 31 through November 3, 2019.

The Half Marathon and 10K races both go through the Walt Disney World Resort, and feature Disney characters and Disney style entertainment throughout each race.  A very popular post-race party at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival concludes the race weekend.

RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon
RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. (Photo: runDisney)

The runDisney race fun begins with the Disney Fall Feast 5K on November 1, 2019.  The Disney Wine & Dine 10K is on November 2, 2019, followed by the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon on November 3, 2019.  Not to be outdone by other runDisney race weekends, the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend includes a special Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge.  The Two Course Challenge combines the 10K on Saturday with the Half Marathon on Sunday.  Successful Two Course Challenge finishers earn a special Disney Two Course Challenge medal, plus both Half Marathon and 10K medals.  Registration is required for the Disney Two Course Challenge to be eligible for this special medal.

Epcot runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon
Wine & Dine Half Marathon (Photo: runDisney/Disney Parks)
SOLD OUT!

ALL races for the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend are already sold out, including the Disney Two Course Challenge.  It is still possible to register however through participating charities, or through the purchase of special Walt Disney World Vacation packages.  Contact your travel agent (I’d be happy to help!) to  learn more.

To learn more about these or any other runDisney events, visit runDisney.

Epcot’s Most Popular Event

Epcot is wonderful to visit at any time of year, but it has become especially well known for its Festivals.  The Epcot International Festival of the Arts dominates the beginning of each year at Epcot, running mid-January through late February.

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

My personal favorite, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, premiers each year in early March and runs through the first few days of June.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2019
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (Photo: Disney Parks)

Then comes the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, the topic of this article, followed by the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.  I promise to do an article about the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays soon.

It is the fall Epcot International Food & Wine Festival that is the most popular Epcot festival, however.  The ever popular “drink around the world” informal drinking challenge that many adult guests love to complete takes on a whole other level when attempted during the Food & Wine Festival.

Have you ever visited the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival?  Are you planning to visit this year?  Please like this post and comment below.   I’d love to hear your plans for this year’s Festival.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Help Plan Your Next Disney Vacation!