Category: Disney Dining

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)

Roundup Rodeo BBQ – Restaurant Review

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Entrance
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Entrance. Photo: Brooke Hudson

Hollywood Studios has needed more table service dining options for a long time.  We were very excited when Disney announced that Toy Story Land was getting its own Western themed table service restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ.  Roundup Rodeo BBQ opened in April fully booked, and it remains a popular table service option.  This is likely to be a hard to get table service reservation for months, if not years, to come.

 

Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Photo: Brooke Hudson

Most of the preliminary reviews I read for Roundup Rodeo BBQ were positive if not glowing. We went into this meal primed to love it.  We were excited to have a new option for lunch or dinner, and I was thrilled to have secured a dinner reservation for our first planned Hollywood Studio visit of the trip.

The Good

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is themed perfectly to Toy Story Land.  It fits right in, and the decor feels very similar to Toy Story Mania or Slinky Dog Dash.  The design and decor of the restaurant itself, as well as the exterior waiting area and entrance to the restaurant area, are really well done and very cute.  The colors are bright and cheerful, and there is a LOT to look at.

Roundup rodeo BBQ
Linda in Roundup Rodeo BBQ. Photo: Brooke Hudson

The final design looks a lot like the original concept art Disney gave us when they first announced Roundup Rodeo BBQ was coming.  You can check that out Here or Here.

We absolutely loved the theming.  If you aren’t aware, the premise of Roundup Rodeo BBQ is that Andy has assembled all his toys in the backyard for a Rodeo.  There are audio tracks playing throughout your meal that feature Toy Story characters announcing various Rodeo events or activities.  A fun element is that every so often the Green Army Men will announce that Andy is coming, and all cast members in Roundup Rodeo BBQ (and lots of participating restaurant guests) freeze.

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Another good thing we liked about Roundup Rodeo BBQ is the price point.  Adults are $45 per person plus tax for all you care to enjoy, and children 9 and under are $25 per person plus tax, again for all you care to enjoy.  The food is served family style, and guests are welcome to request more food if they desire.  Meals include biscuits with jam, three salads, four meats, dessert and a soft drink, tea, coffee, milk or juice.  Specialty beverages are available for an additional cost.

The Bad

You can review the full menu for Roundup Rodeo BBQ Here.

Unfortunately, as happy as we were with the theming and the price point, we were disappointed by the food.  Specifically, we really did not like the entree options for this meal.  Disney has elected to go with hickory smoked for the entree meats, and hickory smoked is a very strong flavor.  I have no doubt that the meats themselves are of high quality; however the hickory smoked flavor overrode the taste of the meats themselves.  If you are a fan of hickory smoked, I’m sure you will love these meats.

Roundup rodeo bbq meats
Roundup Rodeo BBQ meat basket. Photo: Brooke Hudson

Here are the meats you get with your meal: (Note there’s a plant based option that you can order instead of the meats—we did not try that option.)

Enjoy a Platter of all the Following House-Smoked Items

Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs | Buttercup’s Beef Brisket | There’s a Sausage in my Boot – Fire-grilled Pork Sausage | BBQ Chicken – with Style!
Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu smoked meats
Photo: Disney Parks

While I normally really enjoy barbecue, I have to admit that the overpowering hickory smoked flavor of these meats was NOT something I liked.  Rodeo Roundup BBQ provides three different BBQ sauces for guests to add to their meat selections, and I tried all three.  All three sauces were flavorful and tasty on their own, and offer BBQ flavors popular all over the United States.  One sauce was sweet (my favorite), one was tangy and the third had more kick.

I was hoping that adding the sauce would temper the overpowering hickory smoke flavor—this was most successful with the chicken, but it still didn’t make this a successful meal for us.

The ribs, in my opinion were inedible.  They were very hard, almost a beef jerky texture.  The beef brisket was cooked well, but again that hickory smoke flavor was so strong, the brisket was difficult to enjoy.  We had suggested to our waiter that he leave the fire grilled pork sausage out of our meat basket, since neither one of us are big fans.  Our waiter was insistent that we should try it—he said it was SO good, and that we really needed to try it.  So we did.  It was good, I’ll agree, but the andouille sausage I’d had the day before at Tucker House was better!

The Ugly

Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu sides
Photo: Disney Parks

I’m sorry to say that we found the sides even more disappointing than the meats were.  We were told to choose four options from the various side options available.  Sides offered include:

Mean Old Potato Salad

Homestyle Red-skinned Potatoes

The Married Spuds

Loaded Potato Barrels

The Claw! Veggie Slaw

(Plant-based)

Force Field Fried Pickles

Campfire-roasted Vegetables

(Plant-based)

Slinky Doooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese

Buckin’ Baked Beans

(Plant-based)

Cowpoke Corn on the Cob

Grilled Street Corn
The four choices we chose were Force Field Fried Pickles, Cowpoke Corn on the Cob, Campfire Roasted Vegetables, and Mean Old Potato Salad.  Of these, the best was the Mean Old Potato Salad, but it was kind of boring.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Sides
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Mean Old Potato Salad
The biggest disappointment was the Cowpoke Corn on the Cob.  The description on the menu said “Grilled Street Corn”.  We weren’t expecting the corn to have so much “stuff” on it.  When we asked the waiter, he explained that it was “Mexican Street Corn”.  I have had Mexican Street Corn before, but it was nothing like this. I’m sure there are lots of different ways to make the dish, but I’m not sure this preparation is the best choice for such a large and varied audience that includes so many children.  I could see a lot of kids refusing to eat this corn.  The waiter told us that the corn can be ordered as just buttered grilled corn on the cob—that would likely be more appealing to a wider audience.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Cowpoke Corn on the Cob
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Cowpoke Corn on the Cob. Photo: Brooke Hudson
We ordered the fried dill pickles just to try them — we weren’t expecting to love them, but we wanted to try them.  I thought they would be crispy, but they were soft and kind of soggy. We didn’t like them at all, but I can imagine that they would appeal to some people.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Fried Pickles
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Fried Pickles Photo: Brooke Hudson
The campfire roasted vegetables were just ok.  We had high hopes for these as we both love roasted vegetables, but they were kind of soggy and not very flavorful.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Campfire Roasted Vegetables
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Campfire Roasted Vegetables.  Photo: Brooke Hudson

Final Thoughts on Roundup Rodeo BBQ

We will most likely not be returning to Roundup Rodeo BBQ for a table service meal in the future, unless we hear they make changes to the menu.  While we loved the theming, the atmosphere and most of the cast members we talked to, the food just was not enjoyable for us.

roundup rodeo bbq biscuits
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Biscuits with Sweet Pepper Jam. Photo: Brooke Hudson

I loved the biscuit with the sweet pepper jam, and could have cheerfully eaten more of those—they were buttery soft, warm and scrumptious.  Another highlight for me was my adult beverage.  I tried the Rattler Rum Punch and loved it!

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Rum Rattler Punch
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Rum Rattler Punch. Photo: Brooke Hudson

We both got Billy’s Chocolate Silk Pie for dessert—that was a perfect sized portion, and all the dessert options looked terrific.

I’m glad we tried it, and we really enjoyed the environment and the theming.  I’m also really happy  that there is an additional table service restaurant available in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and specifically in Toy Story Land.  While I’m sure Roundup Rodeo will appeal to many families—please keep in mind the strong hickory smoke flavor—if your family does not like that flavor, this meal will not be the success it could otherwise be.

You Might Love it!

As I said at the beginning, I really wanted to love Roundup Rodeo BBQ.  I’m sad that I didn’t love it—and I’m even more disappointed that I didn’t even like it enough to return. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions, and your mileage may vary.  Anecdotally, I did talk to a few other guests during our trip that had also tried Roundup Rodeo BBQ, and they shared similar thoughts and opinions—but that could absolutely have gone the other way, I’m sure.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu desserts
Photo: Disney Parks

So, here’s the big question: Have you tried Roundup Rodeo BBQ?  What did you think?  If you haven’t tried it yet, do you plan to?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

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

Character Dining Returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table

I have some good news for you today!  Walt Disney World has finally announced when character dining is returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table.  Cinderella’s Royal Table was one of the most popular character dining experiences in Walt Disney World for many years.  As you may recall, when the parks reopened after the pandemic closure, character greetings and character meals did NOT return.  Cinderella’s Royal Table table service restaurant DID reopen for meal service, but without characters.  The restaurant has been open again for more than a year, but until today, there has been no sign of the character dining element returning.

Character dining returning to Cinderella's Roya Table
Sleeping Beauties at Cinderella’s Royal Table Photo: Disney Parks

Today, Walt Disney World announced that character dining is returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table on February 28, 2023.  The first advanced dining reservations for this character meal will open on December 28, 2022.

Disney Princesses Returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table

Many Walt Disney World visitors, adults and children alike, love to see Disney Princesses during their vacation.  The easiest way (and most economical way) to catch a glimpse of your favorite Princess is to watch the afternoon parade at the Magic Kingdom.  During this parade, you get to see many of the Princesses, along with their beaux.

Princess Cavalcade
Magic Kingdom Princess Cavalcade Photo: Brooke Hudson

You can also see Disney Princesses during the finale of Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios each night.  Many of the Princesses are featured on water barges that pass in front of audiences near the end of the show.

Select Disney Princesses are also available for traditional Character Greetings.  However, the popularity of the Princesses can often mean really long waits to see your Princess.

A Princess themed Character Meal is a great way to combine meal time with Character Greetings, giving your family the chance to take pictures with the characters and sign autographs.  Character Dining has been GRADUALLY returning to Walt Disney World over the last few months, but the Princess dining options are few and far between and they’ve been among the last to return.

Storybook Dining with Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT

Character dining featuring Disney Princesses returned to EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion in early November 2022.  Akershus Royal Banquet Hall features Storybook Dining with Disney Princesses, and is a very popular Character Dining experience for Disney Princess fans of all ages.

Storybook Princess dining returning to Akershus Royal Banquet
Dancing Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Photo: Disney Parks

Current pricing for Storybook Dining with Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is $63 plus tax and gratuity for adults, and $41 plus tax and gratuity for children.  Coffee, tea and fountain beverages are included at this price.  Specialty beverages including cocktails, beer, hard cider and a variety of wines are available at an additional cost.

Click here to view the current menu.

character dining returning to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Photo: Disney Parks

Character Dining Returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table

Finally, diners wanting to see their favorite Disney Princesses during a meal at Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom can do so!  Beginning on February 28, 2022, the Disney Princesses will be back, visiting each table for pictures, interaction and photographs.  You might even get a visit from your Fairy Godmother!

Disney Restaurants Reopening Cinderella's Royal Table
The Fairy Godmother at Cinderella’s Royal Table                 (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

There is something so wonderful and magical about Cinderella Castle.  I’m willing to admit this is one of my absolute favorite Character Meals, and I’m so happy it’s returning.  This is one of the pricier Character Meals, so it’s not something we try to do every trip, but it is a very special experience.

Prior to going upstairs to be seated for dining, guests do have a brief moment for photos with Cinderella in the downstairs area of the restaurant.  Cinderella returned early this year, in a distanced capacity.  Later, the rules relaxed slightly.  Cinderella is NOT one of the Disney Princesses that visits your table during your meal, as she’s busy downstairs greeting her guests.

character dining returning to cinderella's Royal Table, Cinderella
Cinderella at Cinderella’s Royal Table                                   Photo: Brooke Hudson

Cinderella’s Royal Table is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  Character Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table is NOT buffet style, like you will find at most Character Meals.

Character Dining returning to Cinderella's Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table, 2013

Breakfast

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table inside Cinderella Castle is a lovely way to start your day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  If you can get an early reservation, you can even get into the park before it officially opens!  One of my absolute FAVORITE things to do in Walt Disney World is to get into one of the parks early, and see it without the massive crowds we’ve all gotten so used to.

Another benefit of choosing breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table is that pricing for breakfast is significantly lower than for lunch or dinner.  You can have the Character Dining experience inside Cinderella Castle at the best possible price.  Keep in mind–Character Meal pricing is generally much higher than you would pay for a regular non-character meal.  You are paying “extra” for the atmosphere and for the entertainment of seeing the Characters.

Current pricing for breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table is $45 plus tax and gratuity for adults and $29 plus tax and gratuity for children. Coffee, tea, fountain drinks, hot cocoa, juice or milk is included with your meal.  Specialty cocktails are available for an additional fee.

Click here to view the current breakfast menu.

Lunch and Dinner

At this time, the lunch and dinner menus and pricing are the same at Cinderella’s Royal Table.  It’s a bit of a heavier meal, so if you are planning lunch here, I would suggest going very light on breakfast, and planning a lighter dinner as well.  Especially during the warmer months, you may find this lunch best followed by a return to your resort for an afternoon nap or swim.

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Current pricing for lunch or dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table is $67 plus tax and gratuity for adults and $39 plus tax and gratuity for children.  your meal includes coffee, tea, fountain beverages, hot cocoa, juice, lemonade or milk.  Specialty cocktails are available for an additional fee.

Click here to see the current lunch/dinner menu.

Advance Reservations Required

Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of those table service restaurants that you will never get access to if you don’t have a reservation.  You MUST make reservations in advance, and this is one of those reservations I would try to get the very minute your 60 day window opens up.  This is a hard reservation to get under normal conditions.  Now that Character Dining is returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table?  I suspect it will be even more difficult than usual!

Disney World and Disneyland Closing due to coronavirus
Photo: Brooke Hudson

Remember: If you get the reservation, you are also required to have both a park ticket and a park reservation for Magic Kingdom for that day.  Without those two things, you won’t be able to get into the park at all to use your reservation!

How to get that Reservation

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I am a big planner. I’d rather spend time before the trip, making our plans and strategizing, planning ahead than to stand in really long lines during our trip, or not know where we are going to eat and when.  Your preferences may be different.  BUT if you are someone who wants to checkout Character Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table, this is one reservation you absolutely MUST plan for.

Staying on Property

If you are staying on Disney property, your reservation window opens up 6o days before your first night in a Walt Disney World resort.  On that day, you will have the ability to make dining reservations for THAT first day, 60 days out, plus the duration of your stay at that resort, up to ten days.  Be ready to book online (or call, if you’d rather) at 7am Eastern time on that 6o days out morning.  Work on your reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table first if you really want to dine there.  Be prepared to try alternate meal times, even alternate days.  Trust me, it is actually easier to rearrange all your park reservations than it is to get this reservation!

Cinderella’s Royal Table Entrance                          Photo: Brooke Hudson
Staying off Property

Don’t worry if you aren’t staying on Disney property–you still can try making this hard-to-get reservation at 60 days out.  The only difference is that you can only make reservations for that one day on the 60th day out.  If you were staying on property, you could try for every day of your trip at 60 days.  Staying off site, you are going to be trying one day at a time.  You can still be successful though!  Try breakfast, lunch and dinner for the day you are trying to reserve.  If that day doesn’t work, try the next day, and so on.  Hopefully you will get lucky!

What if it Works?  What if it Doesn’t?

If you succeed, kudos!  Feel like a champion, brag to all your Disney loving friends…and work on the rest of your desired reservations!  If you aren’t successful, you can try checking every few days to see if anything has opened up.  Good windows to try are 45 and 30 days out–if people are cancelling their whole trip, they are likely to do it no later than 30 days out.  It never hurts to keep trying.  Sometimes people will have booked “extra” reservations that they will later cancel, or sometimes a big party will become a smaller party.  You never know what may happen.

If this is a reservation you really want, good luck!  I hope you get it!

Character dining returning to Cinderella's Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table                                          Photo: Brooke Hudson

Note: another strategy to consider if you DON’T want to do all the planning and reservations yourself–work with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner like me.  If you book your Disney Vacation through me, I will help with park and dining reservations for no additional costs to you.  I also offer detailed itineraries and personalized trip plans for a nominal fee.

Are you Excited to see Character Dining Returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table?

I’m curious if any of you are happy to see Character Dining returning to CRT?  Please comment below if this is something you’ve been looking forward to.

Mom and I had a wonderful dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table during our Mother/Daughter trip in May.  We got to see Cinderella, but no other Disney Princesses at that time.  I probably won’t pull out all the stops to get that reservation again this year, as it’s a little too soon for a return visit.

I might try to see if I can get breakfast–that would be a different menu and a different experience.  But most likely, May will be too soon.  I bet those reservations will be really tough for the first few months, at least.  If not this year, there’s always next year.

What about you?  Are you going to try and get that reservation?

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Coming Soon

At long last, Disney has provided us with an update about a Toy Story Land table service restaurant announced way back in May 2019.  Roundup Rodeo BBQ will be the first Toy Story Land table service restaurant.  Disney now plans for Roundup Rodeo BBQ to open in Spring 2023.  They aren’t committing to an exact date just yet, but I’m confident we will get an announcement in February 2023, if not sooner.  I’m betting Disney will want to have this Toy Story Land table service restaurant up and running in time for spring break crowds in March and April 2023.

Concept Art for Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Disney originally announced that a table service restaurant was planned for Toy Story Land way back in 2019.  Click here to read our original post about the announcement.

At that time, we hoped that Disney planned to open this restaurant in late 2020 or early 2021.  Unfortunately, this project was one more project pushed back significantly by the pandemic and subsequent theme park closures in 2020.  When the parks reopened, the halted construction projects were slow to resume.  Projects that DID resume seemed to progress much more slowly than similar projects had in the past.  No doubt, Disney was more cautious in light of the financial impact the park closures had on the bottom line.

Gradually, we have seen many of these projects finish and open, like Cosmic Rewind and Space 220 at Epcot.  Other projects are taking longer than planned but are starting to show signs that they will be completed soon.  For example, the long awaited Magic Kingdom attraction TRON Lightcycle/Run has been testing with actual people for the last week or two.  (More on that coming soon).

Where is Roundup Rodeo BBQ located?

This new Toy Story Land table service restaurant will be located off to the right near the main Toy Story Land entrance.  If you’ve been in the parks over the last couple of years, you may have noticed the construction walls running on the right as you approach the Toy Story Land sign and the giant Woody.  (Don’t feel bad if you didn’t notice them or pay any attention–Disney doesn’t WANT you to notice them.  They want you to stay in the magic and not see any construction going on until the new attraction, shop or restaurant are completed!)

Toy Story Land
Photo: Disney Photopass

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant: Will this be a Character Meal?

No.  Disney has been VERY clear that Toy Story Land’s Roundup Rodeo table service restaurant will NOT be a character meal.  It wouldn’t surprise me if there were occasional Woody or Jessie sightings at this new table service offering, but don’t count on seeing any characters in person at this restaurant.

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

At Be Our Guest, the combination quick service and table service restaurant themed to Beauty and the Beast at the Magic Kingdom, the Beast occasionally will stroll through the dining rooms, allowing guests to catch a glimpse.  Generally, he will stop and pose for a few moments to allow for photos and then he moves on.

I could see Disney doing something like that with this new Toy Story Land table service restaurant–but probably not at the beginning, and maybe not ever.  It’s a great way to attract additional guests, but let’s face it: A new table service restaurant themed to Toy Story Land?  That’s a guaranteed winner! I’m guessing this will quickly sell out as soon as the reservation windows open.  Unless the food turns out to be terrible or something, this will likely be a very hot commodity for at least a couple of years.

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ Photo: Disney Parks
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Concept Art

What’s the Story for Toy Story Land Roundup Rodeo BBQ?

One of my favorite things about Disney is the Imagineers.  There is a story for absolutely EVERYTHING at Walt Disney World. The details and theming are elements that keep fans coming back year after year, generation after generation.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is no exception.  The Imagineers have crafted a story that enables this new table service restaurant to fit right in to the Andy’s Backyard concept for all of Toy Story Land.

Andy has decided to build a rodeo restaurant for all his toys.  He’s used his  Woody’s Roundup toys, his imagination and lots of his other playthings to create a fun atmosphere for toys, kids and even grown-ups to enjoy!

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Interior Photo: Disney Parks

Disney has released a couple of photos of the interior of Roundup Rodeo BBQ, which makes me even more optimistic that this new Toy Story Land table service restaurant really is on track to open early sprint 2023.

I love the bright colors of Toy Story Land, and was happy to see that even though Disney Imagineers are going with a Western theme for this restaurant, they are still bringing in the familiar colors, characters and elements that we all love from other parts of Toy Story land.

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Interior Photo: Disney Parks

Disney promised that we will find lots of fun elements in Roudup Rodeo, including game boards featuring characters from the Toy Story films, a steam train supported by colored pencils (shown in the photo above), a cardboard box with hand drawn (by Andy of course) audience members, and comic strips featuring Woody’s adventures on the dining room ceiling!

What will we eat at this new table service restaurant?

One of the most important question that comes up whenever we talk about Disney and a new restaurant is “what is the food going to be like?”

The short answer? We aren’t really sure yet.  Disney has been pretty vague so far, other than putting BBQ in the name of the restaurant. I don’t think I’m walking out too far on a limb when I say I think we can expect to have western and BBQ themed food!

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ Photo: Disney Parks

Seriously though, all Disney has told us so far is the the food will be barbeque inspired comfort foods, served family style.  They’ve also said there will be platters of house-smoked meats, a roundup of sides and some miniature sweet surprises.  Beyond that, Disney isn’t telling.  YET.

I’m sure as we get closer to this new table service restaurant opening, we will get menus.  As soon as I hear more about the food, I will update you all.

What will it cost?

The next question is of course, “what is the price point for this restaurant?” Unfortunately, Disney is also keeping quiet on this topic as well.  At least for now.  However, based on theming and the location, I’m fairly certain the pricing for this Toy Story Land table service restaurant will be moderate.  I don’t think Disney is going for high end, white glove service for Roundup Rodeo.  I’m expecting to something in line with the Regal Eagle quick service restaurant in America at Epcot. (See our article about that location here.)  The Regal Eagle is quick service, so Roundup Rodeo BBQ prices will likely be a bit higher, but hopefully it will stay in this general range.  Of course I will keep you all posted as I learn more.

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Interior Photo: Disney Parks

What do YOU Think?

Are you excited about this new table service offering in Toy Story Land?  Some of the challenges for guests in Toy Story Land are the lack of shade and lack of seating.  I’m pretty happy that an air conditioned table service restaurant is coming–I like to take a little time at lunch (or dinner) to sit in the air conditioning and relax and eat.  We like to recharge our batteries and since we are from the midwest, that Florida heat and humidity can really run us down sometimes.  So I am ALWAYS a fan when I can make reservations as part of my planning, and guarantee my family a chance to sit down in A/C and enjoy a meal.

I’m already reworking my plan for our annual Mother/Daughter Flower & Garden Festival trip to make sure I can try and get us a reservation at Roundup Rodeo BBQ.  After all, we have to do a review for all of you, don’t we?

Please let me know in the comments below if you will be adding this to your “Must Do” list or if you’ll wait and see how it turns out.

If you want to get planning on a trip for 2023 to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and investigate this new Toy Story Land table service restaurant for yourself, please contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for a no-obligation quote.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

La Creperie de Paris: Another Reason to Visit France

La Creperie de Paris is one of the newest additions to EPCOT’s table service restaurant offerings.  Located in the “new” section of EPCOT’s France pavilion, La Creperie de Paris offers guests both a quick service option and a table service option.

La Creperie de Paris EPCOT
La Creperie de Paris (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Counter Service

Crepes A Emporter by La Creperie de Paris is a quick service window connected to La Creperie de Paris.  At this quick service window, you’ll be able to enjoy both savory galettes and sweet crepes, as well as soft serve ice cream and ciders and wines.

Crepes A Emporter at La Creperie de Paris
The line for the quick service Crepes A Emporter at La Creperie de Paris (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We observed fairly long lines for this quick service window every time we were in the vicinity.  It’s definitely a tasty and popular option, and worth the visit to this “back of France” area.  The new Ratatouille attraction is located back in this area of the France pavilion, and that is the main reason most guests flock to this area.  (Note: There are also new bathrooms back in this area–I like knowing where all the non-restaurant bathrooms are located!).

There is not much seating anywhere in this area, and crepes are not the easiest thing to eat while standing; however, if you are wanting something a little different to eat or for dessert, the offerings here are quite tasty.

My nephew Vinnie absolutely LOVED the dessert crepes here, and visited this quick service window several times during our October trip.

Quick Service Menu: Crepes A Emporter at La Creperie de Paris

Galettes (Savory Crepes)

Cream of Brie Cheese Galette $9.95

Ratatouille Galette (Tomatoes, Zucchini and Eggplant) $8.95

Bechamel, Cheese & Ham Galette $10.95

Crepes (Sweet Crepes)

Butter & Sugar Crepe $5.95

Housemade Hazelnut & Chocolate Spread Crepe $7.95

Red Berries Crepe $7.50

Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream Crepe $6.95

Glaces (Ice Cream)

Soft-serve Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone

Cidres (Hard Ciders)

Cidre Brut (Dry) $5.95

Cidre Doux (Sweet) $5.95

Petillants (Sparklings)

Champagne Malard Excellence Brut $15.50

Mimosa Sparkling Wine & Orange Juice $12.00

Kronenbourg 1664 French Beer $9.00

Vins (Wines)

Rose, Cotes de Provence $14.00

Chardonnay, Chefs Selection G. Duboeuf $7.50

Merlot, Chefs Selection G. Duboeuf $7.50

Cabernet Sauvignon $8.00

Boisson (Soft Drinks)

Assorted Beverages (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Iced Tea, Lemonade $4.75

Evian Natural Spring Water $3.50

Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water $4.75

Our Thoughts

Overall, we found this quick service location to be good option.  Every crepe we tried was tasty, and we thought it was positive that there were a couple vegetarian options here.

Our favorite crepe overall was definitely the Hazelnut & Chocolate Spread Crepe.  This crepe was so tasty!  It’s very rich, though, so you’ll want to make sure you have some water or an alternative beverage.  (If you can get a scoop of vanilla ice cream for your crepe, that helps a LOT with the richness AND adds a lovely cold element on a hot day.  We discovered that wonderful combination at the table service restaurant, though.)

EPCOT France Pavilion New Addition
Photo: Brooke Hudson

I am not kidding when I tell you there really isn’t anywhere in this area to sit and enjoy your crepe.  That is the only real negative I have about this quick service location.  Much of the area back here is absorbed by the Ratatouille queue; there are a few planters with ledges where people frequently sit…but it’s not nearly enough room for everyone waiting in line at any given time.  There are a few tables on one side, and a few high top tables with no seating where you can at least set your food and drink down, but you can’t sit.  There is not a lot of shade in this area, either, so on a hot day, you would probably not want to stand around in the sun to enjoy your crepe and your drink.  But if you can stake out a shady spot and some seating, this quick service location is a definite winner for us.

Table Service: La Creperie de Paris

I much prefer eating at table service restaurants at Disney to quick service, I must confess.  I like knowing we will be able to sit down, in air conditioning, and be able to get a decent rest while we enjoy our meal.  After trying out the quick service window for Crepes A Emporter at La Creperie de Paris during our October family trip, I knew I wanted to check out the table service option for our spring Flower & Garden trip.

La Creperie de Paris EPCOT
La Creperie de Paris (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

I made all our dining reservations at the same time, 60 days out from our trip.  Fortunately, I was able to get every reservation I wanted with little difficulty.  For the purposes of this review, I have gone online several times to check availability, and while I can rarely find same day reservations, I can usually find something a few days out.  Weekdays are easier than weekends, of course, but I suspect with a little planning ahead, you should be able to secure a reservation for La Creperie de Paris.

Decor

This restaurant has a pretty modern feel to it.  It’s all beiges and whites, and fairly clean and simple feeling.  I think they were going for a French Bistro feel here, and my mom, who has been to several French Bistros in her travels, says this effort is successful.  We got a table right in the windows, so that was fun for us.  Avid people watchers, we loved the opportunity to people watch both inside and outside the restaurant.

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Bonus: One thing we really liked at La Creperie de Paris was that we got real menus!  Disney is still using the online menus at most table service restaurants where you scan a QR code with your phone and look at the menu on your phone.  I miss real menus!  La Creperie de Paris uses their paper menus as your placemat, and I like it!

La Creperie de Paris Menu

Service

Service was very good here.  We both felt the absence of the international program for EPCOT though.  We’ve always loved that the EPCOT restaurants were primarily staffed with team members from the country the restaurant was themed to.  That program was paused when Walt Disney World closed in 2020 due to Covid, and it has restarted only very recently.  As a result, there are very few international cast members back in EPCOT at this time.  While each of the service team members we met was terrific, I missed being able to talk to and learn from the international cast members in the restaurants.

The service was a bit TOO good, in fact.  We felt a little rushed.  We hadn’t finished our salads when our savory crepes arrived, and our dessert crepes arrived before we had finished our savory crepes.  However, on the positive side, my water glass was pretty constantly refilled — It was a hot day and I was very thirsty.

We were celebrating my mom’s birthday, and our server brought out some VERY tasty french vanilla ice cream for her birthday.  Mom suggested we add the ice cream to our hazelnut chocolate dessert crepes and WOW was that amazing! We both decided this was our favorite way to enjoy the hazelnut chocolate crepes by far!

Table Service Menu: La Creperie de Paris

Appetizer or Side Dish

Soupe du Jour (Soup of the Day) $6.75

Salad Maison (Mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and vinegarette) $6.75

Prix Fixe Menu * (My recommendation for this restaurant)

Choice of Soup of the Day or Salade Maison; choice of one Galette with a glass of Hard Cider, Soda or Juice; Choice of one Dessert Crepe $34.95

Galettes (Buckwheat Savory Crepes)

Classique (Ham, Egg, Swiss Cheese) $16.95

Poulet (Chicken, Bechamel Cheese Sauce, Mushrooms) $16.95

Chevre (Goat Cheese, Spinach, Walnuts) $16.95

Saumon (Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, Chives, Lemon) $16.95

Ratatouille (Tomato, Zucchini, Eggplant) $16.95

Savoyarde (Raclette Cheese, Carmelized Onions, Bacon, Imported Bayonne Home $16.95

Menu Enfant Prix Fixe Menu (Kids’ Prix Fixe Menu)

Choice of one Galette (Brie Cheese, Ratatouille, or Ham & Cheese) and choice of one Crepe (Sugar, Red Berries or Hazelnut Chocolate Spread) $14.00

Crepes (Dessert)

Gourmande (Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, Whipped Cream) $9.95

Banane (Banana, Caramel Beurre Sale) $9.95

Melba (Peach, Red Berries Sauce, Almonds) $9.95

Poire (Pear, Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cream) $9.95

Pomme (Carmelized Apples, Caramel Beurre Sale) $9.95

Add-On’s (Each: Whipped Cream, Ice Cream, Sauce) $2.95

Add a Shot to Any Crepe (Grand Marnier, Rhum or Calvados) $7.00

Cidres (French Hard Ciders)

Brut $29.00 (Bottle) $5.95 (Glass)

Demi Sec $29.00 (Bottle) $5.95 (Glass)

Doux $29.00 (Bottle) $5.95 (Glass)

Rose $40.00 (Bottle) $7.50 (Glass)

Vins (French Wines)

Chardonnay $36.95 (Bottle) $7.95 (Glass)

Carbernet Sauvignon $36.95 (Bottle) $7.95 (Glass)

Merlot $36.95 (Bottle) $7.95 (Glass)

Rose de Provence $69.50 (Bottle) $14.95 (Glass)

Divers (Miscellaneous)

Biere Kronenbourg (Beer) $9.50

Champagne Malard $17.55

Mimosa $12.00

French Martini $15.75

Sodas, Jus (Imported Soft Drinks)

Evian $7.50

Perrier $8.50

Jus de Pomme (Apple Juice) $5.00

Limonade (French Sparkling Limonade) $5.75

Orangina (French Orange Soda) $6.25

Hot Beverages

Espresso $4.75

Cappuccino $5.25

The (Tea) $4.50

Cafe (Coffee) $4.25

Our Thoughts

We liked our La Creperie de Paris lunch very much.  I highly recommend the Prix Fixe Menu, which includes soup or salad, a savory buckwheat galette, a dessert crepe and a glass of hard cider, soda or juice for $34.95.  Both of us felt this was a good value, especially for a Disney table service restaurant.  Definitely choose the cider to maximize your investment.  Note: There is also kids Prix Fixe Menu for $14.00 that includes a savory galette and a dessert crepe.

At this time, La Creperie de Paris does not accept any discounts.  No DVC discount, no passholder discounts, etc.  This is pretty common for newer restaurants when they first open.  Most likely this table service restaurant will offer discounts at some point in the future, but while it is still new and very popular, discounts are unlikely to materialize.

La Creperie de Paris

Overall, we both our enjoyed our meals.  The salads were fresh and light, and the perfect size for an appetizer.  The weak link for both of us were the savory buckwheat galettes.  They were good, don’t get me wrong, but they were not great.  We both felt the flavor of the buckwheat crepe itself was a bit boring.  Mom and I also each felt our galettes were too dry and needed more sauce.

La Creperie de Paris Buckwheat Galatte

We enjoyed the environment, it was relaxing and comfortable.  The host  seated us almost immediately after we checked in, and we had a great seat in the front windows.  Each of us enjoyed our hard ciders; mom had the Brut, which is dry and really liked it.  I tried the Doux, which was sweeter.  I would definitely order this again.  The highlight of the meal for both of us was the dessert crepes.  We each had the Hazelnut Chocolate Spread dessert crepes, and we’d eaten about a third of our crepes when the server brought my mom’s “birthday” ice cream.  We both agreed that while the crepes was VERY good with whipped cream, the ice cream took it to a whole other level. It became OUTSTANDING.

La Creperie de Paris Dessert Crepe
La Creperie de Paris Dessert Crepe (Photo: Linda Harkness)
La Creperie de Paris Birthday Ice Cream
Mom and her dessert crepe with her “Birthday” ice cream!

I would definitely recommend you check out this table service restaurant.  Our meal was filling but not too heavy, and we felt recharged and ready to head back out into the 90+ degree heat of the afternoon, very satisfied with our meal.

Have you tried La Creperie de Paris or Crepes A Emporter by La Creperie de Paris for yourself yet?  If so, what did you think?  Please comment below, I’d love to read your thoughts!

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 Parks News Update 10.14.2020

In this week’s Disney Parks News Update, we have GUNS confiscated on Disney property, refurbishment updates, LOTS of food news, scary clowns and more!  Please watch this week’s Disney Parks News Update video below.

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For those of you that prefer reading your Disney Parks news Update to watching the video, please read on!

Disney Parks News Update

Refurbishments

We are starting this week’s news update with refurbishments.

EPCOT

Disney Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Vacation Planning Disney Travel Agent
EPCOT Photo from “Prettier” times, Flower & Garden Festival! Photo: Brooke Hudson

EPCOT currently looks a little bit like a construction zone, as EPCOT Future World is in the midst of a major overhaul.  There are a number of projects in progress around EPCOT’s Entrance and throughout Future World.  Among these projects is the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, scheduled to open sometime next year.  We are happy to report that construction appears to be moving ahead on all these projects.  We don’t have completion dates or opening dates for any of the work going on, but we are hopeful that Disney is on track with their plans to have this work complete in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary next October.

Frozen Ever After

EPCOT Frozen Ever After Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Frozen Ever After (Photo: Disney Parks)

A VERY popular attraction, Frozen Ever After, is closing for refurbishment in a couple of weeks.  Don’t worry—it’s only for a few days.  The attraction will be closed from November 2 – 6, 2020.  This is likely just for cleaning and general maintenance; this is not enough time for Disney to do any major overhauls.  Not to mention, this is still a fairly new attraction.  It really shouldn’t need any major refurbishment yet.

We’ll be in the park the following week, and will let you know how the attraction looks when it reopens!

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Disney World 2020 Vacation Packages
Art of Animation Resort (Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts)

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is reopening at long last on November 1, 2020.  If you aren’t familiar with the Art of Animation resort, it is a very popular Value Resort, and one of our favorites.  Check out our blog post about this resort here.

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During the shutdown, Art of Animation got some minor refurbishments, including new flooring and updates in the lobby area.  The rooms themselves got minor updates to furnishings and room details.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Art of Animation, it is located on the Skyliner line, and it’s a worthwhile stop to check it out.  All the themed icons from Cars, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and the Little Mermaid make terrific backdrops and props for unique family pictures.

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The Big Blue Pool, Art of Animation’s largest pool, did not get it’s refurbishment done during the closure, however.  As a result, the Big Blue Pool will be closed for refurbishment from January 1, 2021 through early April 2021.

Art of Animation Resort Big Blue Pool Refurbishment Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

Guests are encouraged to use the Flippin’ Fins Pool (Little mermaid area) or the Cozy cone Pool (in the Cars area) during the closure.  The Schoolyard Sprayground play area is NOT being affected by the closure.

Art of Animation Cozy Cone Pool
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

Guests staying at Art of Animation during this time should expect to see or hear construction during their stay; however, construction does not occur between dusk and 9 am, so your rest time should not be impacted.

If you have a reservation during this time and are concerned about this refurbishment, please reach out to your travel agent (or me!).

Boardwalk Inn: Luna Pool

A highlight for me personally in this week’s Disney Parks News Update is about the CLOWN over at the Luna Pool at the Boardwalk Inn.

The pool at the Boardwalk Inn, the Luna Pool is currently being refurbished while the Boardwalk Inn is closed.  The pool area at the Boardwalk Inn is themed to the turn of the 20th century Coney island.   The area has a sort of “Circus-y/Old timey amusement park” vibe.

Boardwalk Inn Luna Pool
Boardwalk Inn Luna Pool Area (Photo: Disney Parks)

The centerpiece of the pool area has always been a giant clown face.  The mouth of the clown is a waterslide.  I’m not a giant fan of clowns to begin with but this clown?  Totally creeps me out.  In fact, I’ve avoided booking there for my family because of the creepy clown.

Boardwalk Inn Luna Pool
Boardwalk Inn Luna Pool (Photo: Disney Parks)

I mean, look at that thing.  Don’t you think it’s a little creepy? (OR A LOT CREEPY???!!!)

Here’s the big news:  locals have reported that the giant clown head has been REMOVED as part of the Luna Pool refurbishment!!!  It has been seen being taken away from the pool area (although no one actually saw it dismantled, thrown in the trash or burned in a ceremonial cleansing so we do not know for sure it is not coming back).  The area where the clowns head WAS is still covered with tarps, but work is continuing.

Dare we hope that the clown is gone for good?  Could the Imagineers have something new and creative for that area that doesn’t terrorize small children (or ME)???  I do not know, unfortunately.  We will definitely scope out the pool area when we visit next month; hopefully we will be able to give you a more definitive update then.  But for now?  I’m happily booking a reservation for my mom and I at Boardwalk for May, assuming the clown will be GONE.

Food News

We have lots of FOOD NEWS in this week’s Disney Parks News Update!

ABC Commissary

Over at Hollywood Studios, the ABC Commissary has reopened with a brand new menu.  Some old favorites are still there, but the menu has had a major overhaul.  Tacos and curry rice bowls have taken center stage.  New items include Pork carnitas tacos, Shrimp tacos, curry rice bowl with shrimp and a plant based curry rice bowl with tofu.  Two new chicken sandwiches also join the lineup.  Kids can choose from a Pork taco, grilled cheese sandwich, a turkey sandwich or their old favorite, uncrustables.

ABC Commissary at Hollywood Studios gets new menu Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
ABC Commissary (Photo: Disney Parks)

Minnie’s Halloween Dine

Also at Hollywood Studios, we have a new menu for Minnie’s Halloween Dine over at Hollywood and Vine.

Minnie's Halloween Dine Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks

This meal does feature character appearances.  The characters will parade through the dining area and wave and let you take pictures.  However, they won’t be stopping at your table for individual pictures as you are probably used to from character meals pre Covid.

This is a fixed price, three course meal, featuring a salad, entrée and dessert.

Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks

Entrée choices include prime rib, roasted turkey breast, macaroni and cheese with shrimp, Salmon, Pork osso bucco and plant based pan seared king trumpet mushrooms.

Minnie's Halloween Dine
Photo: Disney Parks

Desserts include your choice of apple blueberry pie, banana crème pie, chocolate smores pie, vanilla crème brulee and a plant based cherry lemon pie.

Minnie's Halloween Dine
Photo: Disney Parks

Cocktails, wine and beer are available for an additional price. Beer starts at $7.50, Wine by the glass starts at $10, and cocktails start at $13.

In the past I have NOT enjoyed Hollywood & Vine, however, I have to admit this sounds pretty good.  We may have to check this out for ourselves!

Chef Mickey’s

Chef Mickey's Character Dining Returns
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

Next up in Food news: Chef Mickey’s Character Dining is coming back!  One of the most popular character meals on property, Chef Mickey’s will soon be visited by Chef Mickey himself (and a few of his friends!).

Chef Mickey's Character Dining Returns Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

Starting on December 16, 2020, Mickey and Minnie and their friends will be back at Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  It’s not quite the same—this is NOT a buffet at the moment, and the characters will not be coming to your table.  However, the characters will “pop up” at surprise intervals and parade through the dining rooms, waving at guests for pictures.  Reservations for Chef mickey’s character dining open up October 17.

Chef Mickey's Character Dining Returns
Photo: Disney Parks

Its important to note that Chef Mickey’s IS currently open.  Right now, it’s an all you care to eat family feast WITHOUT characters.  Pricing for adults is $25 and kids are $14 (plus tax).  However, once the characters return, pricing will jump to $42 for adults and $27 for kids (plus tax).

Mickey's Celebration Pancakes Chef Mickey's Character Dining Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

In addition to the characters joining diners, there are three new entrees being added to the menu.  Mickey’s celebration pancakes, a loaded potato cheese casserole with smoked bacon crumbles and chives and finally, Goofy’s Banana Bread French Toast—which looks and sounds like a heart attack on a plate.

Chef Mickey's Character Dining Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20
Photo: Disney Parks and Resorts

It will probably taste AMAZING though.  If you plan to check out this very popular character dining experience, reservations are HIGHLY recommended (really, required).

Updated Mask Warnings

New mask warning signs appeared throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks last week.  These signs more specifically state that guests must wear their masks properly, at all times, and further state that guests who do not wear their masks will be asked to leave the parks.

Disney Parks news Update 10.14.20 New Mask Warnings

In addition to the new signs located throughout the parks, Disney has added an audio announcement about the mask policy that plays in the parks several times each day.  Finally, they’ve added the message to the My Disney Experience phone app.  Disney is very serious that guests understand this policy.

I know there has been some confusion on this: Florida was recently moved to Phase 3, which means the Florida state government is no longer requiring masks in all public places, and the state has rescinded the fines for not wearing a mask.  HOWEVER, it is important to recognize that each business has the right to establish and follow their own protocols, based on what they believe is safest for their guests or customers.

Disney is SERIOUS about their Mask Policy

Completely separate from what the state dictates, Disney has their OWN policies.  Disney has determined, based on their research and advice from scientific advisors and guidelines from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) that masks help prevent the spread of Covid-19 (and other airborne spread diseases).  Disney is requiring all guests over the age of 2 to wear masks at all times while in the theme parks, and while in public areas of Disney resorts.

Disney News Updates
Photo: Disney Parks

I understand this is a hot button topic for some people.  Bottom line: If you aren’t willing to wear a mask during your Disney visit, do not visit Disney.

If you don’t wear a mask, you will not be permitted entry to the theme parks.  If you remove your mask (other than while dining), you will be asked to leave the theme park.  It’s very simple.  If your aren’t comfortable wearing a mask during your Disney theme park visit, do not visit Disney until masks are no longer required.  Hopefully, sometime next year.  Disney has a very good refund policy right now, due to the challenges raised by Covid-19, and I am confident they will work with you to cancel or reschedule your trip.

Walt Disney World Theme Parks Capacity

In last week’s Disney Parks News Update, we talked about capacity at the theme parks.  We expressed our belief that Disney has been quietly increasing capacity at the theme parks.  This belief is based on anecdotal and observational evidence.  The theme parks are feeling more crowded.  We are seeing much longer lines for attractions.  It’s getting more difficult to social distance in main traffic areas throughout the parks.  Park reservations are fully booked up, and then Disney releases more availability for certain days, especially weekends.  In general, it just “feels” like the parks are getting more crowded every week.

Bob Chapek, Disney CEO

However, Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO told CNBC this week that Walt Disney World theme parks are still capped at 25% capacity.  He also stated that the parks will remain capped at 25% capacity until the CDC guidelines change.

Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20 Bob Chapek says Walt Disney World Theme Parks are capped at 25% capacity

We have to assume that Bob Chapek knows what he’s talking about.  He’s the boss of all the bosses, and while he’s not in the trenches admitting guests into the park, we figure he’s heavily involved with the decisions related to capacity.  Especially as those decisions will affect the overall profitability of the theme parks dramatically, right?

We’re NOT at 25% Capacity?

So what could explain the discrepancy between what we (and many others who have visited over the last few weeks) are feeling and what Bob Chapek tells us must be true?

1) It’s likely that when the parks first opened, they were not any where near 25% capacity.  Perhaps they opened at 5 or 10% and hovered there for a while.  We saw lots of pictures and comments that the parks were like ghost towns, and all the attractions were walk-ons during the first couple of months.  That has certainly changed.  So perhaps what we are seeing now is truly 25% capacity?

2) Another factor in longer lines could be staffing related.  If Disney is staffing fewer cast members on attractions, perhaps some “lanes” are closed in attractions?  This could slow down the movement of guests through those rides, resulting in longer lines and more congestion?

I’m not sure.  It sure seems like the crowds we are seeing, especially in Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom, are higher than 25% capacity.  But we don’t work at the parks, and Disney is fairly tightlipped about what they consider FULL capacity to be.  So the short answer right now?  We don’t know.  We will update you next month with our perspective when we are actually there ourselves.

Assault Weapons at Disney World?

Our final story this week is a troubling one.  We have learned, courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel as well as several other news outlets, that a Disney guest brought an AR-15 rifle and 9 mm handgun with him on his Disney vacation!

Disney guest brings guns on vacation Disney Parks News Updates 10.14.20

The guest, a 43 year old man from Palm Beach Gardens, checked into the Polynesian Villages Resort over Labor Day Weekend.  When the guns were discovered in his luggage, Disney contacted the local sheriff.  The man had a concealed weapons permit, and therefore was not arrested.

However, Disney does not allow weapons of any kind on property, so Disney confiscated and held the man’s arsenal for him until the end of his vacation.  He stated he brought the weapons because he was worried about his family’s safety during the social justice protests in the Orlando area last month.

Personally, I think if you are worried enough about the safety of your family that you need to bring an assault rifle, a hand gun and more than 100 rounds of ammunition with you to DISNEY WORLD where there are THOUSANDS of unarmed adults and children, perhaps you should postpone your vacation until a time when it feels safer for you to visit.

Again, Disney is being extremely flexible with cancellations, refunds and rescheduling.  I would never want anyone to feel unsafe, but we can’t have assault rifles and other deadly weapons making their way onto Disney property.

Disney Parks News Update 10.14.20

To be clear: Disney does not allow guests to bring weapons of any kind onto its property.  If you have issues with this policy, please contact Disney directly.

Disney Parks News Update: Final Thoughts

That’s it for this week’s Disney Parks News Update.  It’s good to see that in some ways, things at the parks are starting to look a little more normal.  However, it is a sign of the times that we are seeing stronger mask warnings from Disney, and that we had a story this week that included the word “assault rifle”.  I’m hopeful that we will have more stories about things getting back to normal as time goes on.

Thank you for reading!

Happy dreaming!

Brooke

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

More Disney Restaurants Reopening

Walt Disney World is taking one more step back towards normal.  This week, more Disney restaurants are reopening.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

One of the most popular Disney restaurants reopening is Cinderella’s Royal Table.  This restaurant, “hidden” inside Cinderella Castle, is reopening September 24, 2020.  Reservations will open up on September 11, 2020.

A couple of things to keep in mind: the Princesses will NOT be visiting every table as they have in the past.  In addition, you will not take a picture with Cinderella before your meal like you used to.   The official release says “the princesses will be taking a break from their royal duties greeting guests”, so at least initially, there will be no royal visitors during your meal.  Perhaps in the future, the Princesses may come through the dining area so you can take pictures from a distance, (this is how Beast sightings are handled at Be Our Guest) but this is not confirmed.

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

At this time, it appears that Cinderella’s Royal Table is opening for lunch and dinner. It doesn’t appear that it will open for breakfast, at least not initially.

No pricing information has been released, but the cynic in me suspects it will be the same as it was before, despite the lack of character interaction and photo opportunities.

If you haven’t been to Cinderella’s Royal Table, it is a beautiful dining room. The food is fairly good, but it is a very pricey meal. In the past, Disney also required full payment at the time the reservation was made.  I don’t know if that will still be the case; we will find out once reservations open on September 11.

Cinderella's Royal Table
The Fairy Godmother at Cinderella’s Royal Table (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Update: Reservations are Open

**Update: September 11, 2020:  Reservations officially opened today for Cinderella’s Royal Table.  In the interest of research, I tested booking a reservation for two adults for both lunch and dinner.  The price has NOT been reduced; it is $62.00 per adult plus tax.  In addition, Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the few table service restaurants that requires full payment in advance in order to make a reservation.

Full Payment Required at the Time of Reservation

So book a table for two adults at Cinderella’s Royal Table for either lunch or dinner, the total cost that you must pay AT THE TIME YOU MAKE THE RESERVATION is $154.38 (including tax).  This is not a new thing; CRT has required full payment in advance for at least the last 10 years, probably longer.  I think this policy is due to the popularity of this dining location.  Disney wants to be sure you aren’t making a “maybe” reservation that might be canceled; you are DEFINITELY planning on keeping this reservation.  (Note: As with any other reservation, you ARE able to cancel a Cinderella’s Royal Table reservation and get your money back; however, your money is tied up from the moment you make the reservation until you either a) use the reservation or b) cancel the reservation.

My husband and I have eaten at Cinderella’s Royal Table a few times in the past.  One of my favorites was the morning after we got engaged.  All the princesses made a very big deal out of my ring (and my handsome prince!).  It was a lot of fun.

Disney Restaurants Reopening Cinderella's Royal Table Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty Greeting, January 2013

Is it worth it?

The quality of the food does not really warrant the $62/person price tag–it’s the added value of the experience that gives Cinderella’s Royal Table a boost.  Being inside the Castle, entering where you are not allowed to enter UNLESS you have a reservation–that’s pretty cool.  The dining room itself is nice, if rather loud.  They pack every table in the room (Most likely that is different right now due to Covid), and with the high ceilings, the sound really builds.  This is not a quiet, elegant dining experience.  It’s FUN, but not so much with the elegance.

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Honestly, it’s the combination of being in the Castle and the Princess interactions that have always made Cinderella’s Royal Table so special for us.  I don’t think the experience is worth $62/person without the character interactions.  Your mileage may vary, of course.

Gaston’s Tavern

Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland returned to operations on September 4, 2020.  Guests have been enjoying the unique quick service menu at Gaston’s for a few days now.

Disney Restaurants Reopening Gaston's
Gaston’s (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

If you’ve never visited Gaston’s, the menu includes roasted pork shank, cinnamon rolls, mixed vegetable cups, mixed fruit cups, apple slices with caramel, and chocolate croissants, as well as some unique beverages and souvenir mugs.

It’s a fun place to visit, and in the past, was made more so by visits from Gaston himself. I’m not sure if those are still common, but I promise to check it out when we visit in November!

ABC Commissary

Over at Hollywood Studios, the ABC Commissary is reopening on October 8, 2020.  Disney calls the ABC Commissary “Fast Casual”, but it’s a pretty decent quick service restaurant with LOTS of indoor seating.  (Great when you need a break in the air conditioning!)

The announcement specifically mentions the Commissary reopening for lunch and does not mention dinner, so dinner service may not open for a while yet.  However, the ABC Commissary does support mobile ordering for your quick service meal, and is another option for burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Hollywood & Vine

Another Disney restaurant reopening at Hollywood Studios is the Hollywood & Vine family-style table service restaurant.  I have eaten at Hollywood & Vine TWICE in the last 10 years, and vowed never to return (found the food quality very poor, and the experience WAY overpriced).  However, our last visit was several years ago, so we may give this one another shot…eventually.  However, any additional Disney restaurants reopening are a good thing, so we’ll view this positively.

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining is scheduled to return to Hollywood & Vine starting Friday, September 25, 2020.  In seasons past, this was a character meal where the characters would come to your table.  Of course in this era of Covid and no character greetings, things will be different this year.  Hollywood & Vine will be decked out in Halloween glory.  Your party will be served a “monster” feast at your table.  Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and  their friends will make appearances so you can wave and snap photos.  Unfortunately, there will be no table side character interactions, but you will be able to see the characters in their Halloween finery, at least.

Disney Restaurants Reopening Hollywood & Vine
Minnie Mouse Hollywood & Vine (Photo: Disney Parks)

The official release states there were be Halloween decor and music, as well as “scary” good food.  The jury will remain out on how “good” until the first guests start to report back to us.

Update: Reservations are Open

**Update: September 11, 2020.  Reservations officially opened today for Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine.  I tested booking reservations over a few different days.  Surprisingly, several of the days I tried were already completely booked up.  This really isn’t too strange; with Covid-19 precautions in place, this restaurant is probably only reserving about 20-25% of it’s normal capacity.  It’s not a huge space, so it makes sense there weren’t that many reservations available to begin with.

Is it worth it?

The good news: this is NOT a dining experience that requires full payment in advance.  The bad news: This is still a fairly pricey dining experience, reflecting pricing that you’d expect with most character meals.  $35.99 – $59.99 (kids and adults), except you have no character interactions.  My bad dining experiences pre-date these Minnie Seasonal Dining events, and the updated menu sounds good, so perhaps the food had gotten better?  I will have to investigate and get back to you on that.  These meals include a salad (choose from two options for the table), an entree (choose from six entree options), and a dessert (choose from five dessert options).

What does this mean?

The good news is that Disney is trying to return to more normalcy, and they obviously believe they have enough business to support these additional restaurant locations opening up.

Gaston's
Mom at Gaston’s (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

I don’t think things are returning to normal as quickly as any of us, especially Disney, had hoped.  However, even small baby steps in the right directions are positive.

If you are planning to visit the parks this fall, will you be visiting any of these Disney restaurants reopening soon?  Please like this post and comment below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

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

P.S. Want more information about the reopening of Disney theme parks?  Check out this post.

 

 

 

 

 

Disney World Reopened: What We Know

In our pandemic plagued world, many of us thrive on good news.  If you are a Disney lover (and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are), there is good news in the Disney arena today.  Disney World has reopened at last!  Here’s what we know so far about Disney World reopening.

Watch this short video Disney released of cast members preparing for Disney World reopening.  Warning: it COULD make you cry.  Just sayin’.

Limited Capacity

As we have discussed before, Disney World parks are reopening with limited capacity in order to promote social distancing.  The way Disney is managing park capacity is through a new park reservation system, the Disney Park Pass System.  Every guest with a Disney park ticket must also have a reservation for a particular theme park on a particular day in order to enter that theme park.  At this time, no park hopping is allowed.

Disney has set capacity numbers for each park, controlled through the park reservation system.  Disney is not officially revealing the capacity numbers they have set for each park.  Most likely, these numbers are very fluid and will change frequently, at least this first few months, as Disney observes guest response to new restrictions.

At this time, most park reservations well into August are “sold out”.  However, if you are trying to make a reservation, keep checking because we are seeing changes almost daily as Disney reallocates availability between the resort guests with tickets, non resort guest ticket holders and Annual Passholder groups for each park and each day.  This is definitely a “learn as we go” situation for all of us, especially for Disney.

Annual Passholders and Park Pass System

If you are a Disney World Annual Passholder, and have a resort reservation, you are able to make park reservations for the duration of your resort stay, presuming there is availability.  If you do not have a resort reservation, you are able to book up to three days at a time.  After you have used the first day’s reservation, you’ll be able to book an additional day.  Again, assuming there is availability.  At this time the most limited availability for park reservations is in the Annual Passholder group.  But again, check back frequently if you are trying to make reservations, as we are seeing availability change as Disney reallocates between reservation groups.

Disney World Reopened
Photo: Disney Parks

Safety Measures

Disney has done absolutely everything they can (short of not opening the parks at all) to protect the safety of park guests and cast members.  This means there are a lot of “new” processes and things to see if you visit Disney during this time.

Transportation and Parking

If you’re driving to the parks, you will immediately notice signs encouraging cashless payment for parking.  Disney will still accept cash, but they are highly encouraging guests to use cashless forms of payment.

When parking, cast members will direct cars to park in every other spot to encourage social distancing as guests emerge from their cars.  After guests emerge from their vehicles and move towards the trams or gates, cast members will fill in the empty alternating spots with new guests arriving.  We love this safety measure!  It makes sense for social distancing, but also minimizes the need to wait for the guests in the next car to close their doors so you can open yours!

Minnie Vans are NOT available at this time.  Guests can still use Rideshare (Lyft/Uber) as an option.

Disney World Reopens
Opening Day (Photo: Disney World)
Disney Transportation

Buses are running, and in each bus, some seats are blocked off to encourage social distancing.  Similarly, Monorails are running, and social distancing is encouraged.  The Monorails don’t seem to be managing this quite as well–probably due to volume availability.  There are markers on the ground as you wait for both buses and Monorails, indicating the suggested six feet for social distancing.

Boats and ferries are ALSO up and running, again with social distancing markers to remind guests to maintain appropriate distances.  Lots of new signs promoting social distancing.

Temperature and Bag Checks

Prior to entering the parks, guests visit large white tents for temperature checks.  The tents are manned by Advent Health professionals using handheld infrared thermometers.  If you are wearing a hat or have hair covering your forehead, they will ask you to remove your hat and/or pull back your hair.  This process moves pretty quickly, then you head to bag check.

Security

Bag check has changed.  Previously, if you weren’t carrying a bag, you entered through one area, and if you were carrying a bag, you got in line.  All bags were manually searched by security at tables before you were allowed to move on.  Usually, you were encouraged to remove large items like cameras from your bag to enable security to more easily search your bag.

In the new process, you do not remove anything from your bag.  You carry your bag with you through detectors.  If your bag triggers the sensor, you may be asked to submit to a no-touch bag search.  (Basically, you empty your bag into a tub so security can look at the contents).  This definitely moves more quickly than the old process, but it is likely that this process will evolve over time.

Masks

All guests over the age of two are required to wear a face covering.  This is not optional.  On opening day, guests all appeared to be complying with this requirement.  Hopefully, we will see this compliance continue, as we definitely don’t want to see Disney as a source of increased infections.

Disney World Reopens
Opening Day Sparkles! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Additionally, all cast members are wearing masks.  The only exceptions we have seen have been performers–and they are maintaining a healthy distance from guests and each other.

Guests are expected to wear their masks at all times, except when eating or drinking.  However, Disney has set up several “relaxation stations” in each park.  These relaxation stations are areas with tables and fans, designed for people to sit and remove their masks for a break.  The tables are spread out to maximize social distancing between parties.  They are small areas, but the idea is much appreciated.

Social Distancing

Throughout each park you will see signs reminding you to socially distance yourself from other parties.  You will also see lots of stickers on the ground, designed to help guests maintain proper distance from others.

Disney World Reopened
Opening Day (Photo: Disney Parks)

You’ll notice new health and safety reminder signs on trash cans, too!  Also, Disney has propped the trash cans open so that you don’t have to touch the lid when throwing items away.

Hand Washing and Hand Sanitizer Stations

You will notice new hand washing and hand sanitizer stations throughout the entry areas to the parks, and within the parks themselves.

No Finger Scan

At this time, guests are scanning their Magic Bands or Park Passes to enter the parks. However, the finger scans are covered up at this time.  Disney has done this in the past to speed up park entry during very crowded periods, but it’s not common. Most likely, the scans are covered at this time for disease prevention.  It would be pretty tough to clean the scans between each visitor, and would significantly slow down park admittance.  We don’t know if this procedure change will last, but no finger scan certainly speeds things up!

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom

Both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened earlier this week for cast member previews and Annual Passholder previews.  MK and AK officially opened to the public on Saturday, July 11, 2020.

Disney World Reopened
Welcome Back! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle has been undergoing a makeover (previously reported here).  It appears to be nearly finished, and Cinderella Castle looks BEAUTIFUL.  While cranes were visible during the cast member previews earlier in the week, there were no cranes in sight on reopening day.  Some touch ups probably remain, so it’s likely the cranes are not gone for good.  However, it was amazing to see Cinderella Castle in all its glittering glory on reopening day.

Disney World Reopened, Cinderella Castle makeover
Photo: Disney Parks
Cinderella Castle Makeover
Photos: Disney Parks

Cinderella’s Royal Table, the table service restaurant inside Cinderella Castle remains closed at this time.

Also, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo is closed for the foreseeable future.

Crowds

Although right after the park opened, Main Street was fairly congested as people moved towards the hub and off into their various destinations, it soon thinned out to a more comfortable level.  Crowds were fairly light throughout the day, and guests did a pretty good job managing social distancing.  Of course, the lighter than usual crowds are due to the capacity limitations Disney has placed on the park.  However, even knowing it is due to dangerous circumstances, it is a joy to see the parks in all their glory without wall to wall people.

Disney World Reopened
Opening Day! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Lines

For the most part, lines for attractions remained pretty short throughout the day.  Attractions like Flight of Passage (AK), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (MK) and Splash Mountain (MK) had the longest waits, topping out around 55 minutes a few times, but mostly staying around 40 minutes.  Splash Mountain was in high demand as most guests are aware the attraction will be closing soon to make way for reimagining for The Princess and the Frog.

Virtual Queue at Splash Mountain GIFT SHOP

Surprisingly, or maybe not?  The longest lines of the day (although virtual) were for the Splash Mountain merchandise shop!  Guests could check in and be given a return time to shop.  Those virtual lines got as long as 3 and 4 HOURS.  It was pretty quick to check in and get a return time; however, the line for returning guests seemed slow. Again, given that this merchandise will soon be gone forever, this shop was in high demand both by Splash Mountain fans, Disney memorabilia collections and eBay sellers!

Interactive Queues and Ride Queue Safety

There are now plexiglass dividers in some of the ride queues where social distancing would be a challenge, given the way the queues loop back and forth.  All of the “hands on” queue activities for rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Winnie the Pooh have been roped off.  Again, it would be impossible to clean these items frequently enough to protect guests as they are handled constantly when in use.  Therefore it makes sense to just block them off.  Its a bummer, but the shorter lines help offset the disappointment.

Disney World Reopens
Opening Day (Photo: Disney Parks)

Attractions

The biggest questions people had before Disney World reopened were about attractions.  As mentioned above, some attractions now have plexiglass barriers between queue sections to help keep guests separated.  All attractions are cleaning the vehicles and public areas frequently.  Most attractions have hand sanitizer at the entrance and exit areas of the queues.  We did notice that some lines looked REALLY long–mainly because of social distancing markers.  Even the longest looking lines moved pretty quickly throughout the day, though. At all attractions, the Fast Pass signs are off and the Fast Pass queues are blocked off.  Fast Pass has been disabled until further notice.

Disney World Reopened
(Photo: Disney Parks)

Here’s some additional information on some of the most popular attractions at the park.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

As mentioned above, there is plexiglass in sections of the queue, and the interactive portions of the queue have been completely blocked off.  In addition, there are physical distance markers on the ground throughout to help guests know where to wait.

As guests board the attraction, cast members are leaving empty seats between parties to promote physical distancing.  Also, cast members are not checking the lap bars themselves as they pass to do the lap bar check; they are asking guests to do it themselves.

Haunted Mansion

Honestly, this is the only one we were really concerned about, haha.  Many of you have asked about the stretching room pre show at Haunted Mansion.  Now that Disney Word has reopened, we can confirm that the stretching room pre show is NOT part of the attraction at this time.  Cast members guide guests through the stretching room straight into the doom buggy queue.

This is the only logical outcome, and was predicted as the solution by many experts.  However, we know many of you will mourn the loss of the stretching room.  Hopefully, as the disease is contained and hopefully eradicated, we can return our beloved stretching room to its natural state.

There are social distancing markers on the ground throughout the queue.  As with other attractions, the interactive elements of the outside queue are blocked off and bypassed.

Splash Mountain

Cast members are limiting the logs to one party per log.  We saw logs of logs with 2 and 3 people in them.  This process may change, but for now, get those ride photos with no strangers in them!!  (Hey, gotta find the silver lining, right?)

Loading was a little slower than usual, both because the parties were so spread out, and also because each log was getting sanitized after each ride.  We have to add–as big fans of CLEAN, we are loving the new measures of frequent cleaning.  Disney has always had a great reputation for cleanliness, but these extra measures are taking it to a whole new level.

Much like the virtual queue areas at other attractions, the play area at Splash Mountain is blocked off and closed.

Space Mountain

As with the other attractions we’ve mentioned, the interactive games in the queue were blocked off.

Cast members were leaving empty seats between parties in the ride vehicles.

Disney World Reopened
Photo: Disney Parks
Wilderness Explorers

Wilderness Explorers can still earn badges and complete activities (and adventures!) Masks are, of course required, as is physical distancing.  However, the Wilderness MUST be Explored!

Pandora

We tend to think of the entire land of Pandora as an attraction, because even if you aren’t going to ride the rides, you still HAVE to visit Pandora and look at everything.  And you have to see it both in the light and in the dark.  Unfortunately, Animal Kingdom (or any other park for that matter) is not open after dark at this time, so the magic of Pandora at night is not an option.

Pandora has a lot of interactive elements.  Drums to play, flowers to touch that react to your touch, etc.  Right now, those interactive elements are not available for guests to play with.  Much as we’ve mentioned for interactive queue elements above, it would be impossible for Disney cast members to keep up with cleaning these elements between each guest touching them as when they are in use, they are constantly being touched.  So it makes sense that you can’t “play” with Pandora right now, but you can still be stunned by its visual beauty.

Flight of Passage

There are physical distancing stickers on the ground throughout the queue.  There are areas where there are plexiglass barriers between queue lines to protect guests.  For those of us that prioritize bathroom locations, we are pleased to report that the mid-queue bathrooms in the Flight of Passage queue are open!

They limited the parties in the preshow area so not all the floor circles were filled.  They also didn’t “pair” you with your banshee during the preshow, so no hands on.

Parties were seated on banshees together with two empty banshees between parties.

The best thing about the limited capacity situation is the queue for Flight of Passage.  This ride usually has 2 hour waits, every single day, all day.  For much of reopening day, Flight of Passage wait times were less than 40 minutes.  Many guests reported wait times of 20 minutes or less.  Silver lining?

It’s Tough to Be a Bug

For this “show-like” attraction, parties are encouraged to stand by physically distanced dots.  Parties of 5 or more will be split in to two (or more) dots.  Every other row is blocked off, and empty seats are left between each group of 4.  Happy to report no magic lost here.

Expedition Everest

At least for now, both the Fast Pass queue and Single rider queue are closed.  There are social distancing markers on the ground throughout the queue.

Empty seats are left between parties, and the ride vehicles are getting cleaned frequently.

Disney World Reopens
Opening Day (Photo: Disney Parks)

Quick Service Dining

Outside each Quick Service restaurant, you’ll now see signs encouraging you to use your My Disney Experience app for Mobile ordering.  Inside, you’ll see some tables are blocked off with signs to make sure guests are physically distancing themselves.

If you do get in line to order with a cast member, you’ll notice the plexiglass barriers that have become so prevalent in fast food restaurants and grocery store checkouts around the country (don’t you wish you owned stock is a plexiglass company right now?).

Disney World Reopened
Opening Day (Photo: Disney Parks)

Table Service Dining

At table service restaurants, you will notice a sign outside encouraging you to use mobile check in for your reservation using your My Disney Experience app and the QR Code on the sign.  This makes us a little sad, as we have always enjoyed interreacting with the hosts at the check in desks–especially when they are from other parts of the world.  However, with the College Program terminated for the time being, and Disney losing more than a billion dollars during the shut down, this change makes sense from a cost cutting measure.  It also helps guests remain physically distanced, but surely plexiglass at the desk and the stickers on the ground would have also accomplished that?  We think this one is more about cost cutting.

Inside, you will see that tables are left empty to promote physical distancing.

Advance Dining Reservations

As a side note, guests are able to make Advance Dining Reservations for table service restaurants sixty days in advance now.  As a reminder, Disney cancelled ALL dining reservations through the end of the year a few months ago.  The process has changed however.  In order to make an ADR, you must have a Park Pass reservation for the day and park the restaurant is in.  This means you must already have your passes purchased and linked to your My Disney Experience account.  In addition, you must use the Disney Park Pass system to book a Park Pass reservation for everyone in your party for that park on that day in order to make a dining reservation.

PhotoPass

As PhotoPass aficionados, we were very worried as to whether PhotoPass photographers would be working in the parks when Disney World reopened.  We are happy to report there were lots of PhotoPass photographers to be found.  Note: For the moment, at least, you must be wearing your mask in the photo, as well as in the queue and when you approach the photographer to scan your Magic Band or PhotoPass card.  We suspect as guests adapt to wearing their masks all the time, Disney may allow mask removal for photos, but for now–you must wear your mask all the time.

Characters

Another huge question we’ve been getting from readers is about character greetings and meals.  Unfortunately, as Disney World reopens there are no Character Meals in the parks, and all standard Character Greetings are on hold.

However, Disney has recognized that for many guests, Character interactions are a crucial part of their Disney parks experience.  As a result they have implemented some NEW Character experiences to help ensure most guests will have the opportunity to see the characters they want to see.  You won’t be able to get the close up experience and character interaction and intimate photos of a true character greetings, but you will see and interact with characters from a distance.

Character Cavalcades, Disney World Reopened
Character Cavalcade Concept Art: Disney Parks
Character Cavalcades

New in the Magic Kingdom are Character Cavalcades.  These remind us a bit of the “Dance Party” mini parades that have been popular the last couple of years–without the guest interaction.  Throughout the day, small floats will tour Main Street and the hub area. These floats are filled with characters and surrounded by Disney entertainers.

Disney World Reopened
Opening Day Character Cavalcade (Photo: Disney Parks)
Casual Character Sightings

Some characters will also appear in the parks periodically and “randomly”, also for distanced interaction.  For example, you might see Buzz Lightyear in his usual spot for Character Greetings in Tomorrowland–you just can’t approach him and get your photo taken.  At a different time of day, you might see characters on board one of the Main Street trolleys, or riding on a firetruck.  Disney is trying to get Characters out into the public for photos and waving, while still protecting the Characters and guests from each other.  Disney has told us that Characters may surprise guests at any time, walking down a street, or visiting an attraction queue.  While these compromised efforts may not completely satisfy a parent wanting a photo of their child with Mickey Mouse, at least the child will still get to SEE Mickey Mouse.  At this point we will take what we can get!

Disney World Reopens – Is the Magic Back?

Yes, the magic is back.  It’s not the same, but it’s still filled with fun and laughter and brilliant imagination.  We miss some things terribly (fireworks junkie over here), but are thrilled that Disney World has reopened.  We remain hopeful that we will all work together to stop the spread of Covid-19, and that Disney will be able to add more normalcy to the parks as time goes on.

Disney World Reopens
Welcome Back! (Photo: Disney Parks)

The world is pretty crazy right now, and a lot of people are suffering.  Knowing that Disney World has reopened may seem like a trivial thing to a lot of people, in the midst of all the difficulties people are facing.  For us, it’s kind of a reminder that the good things are still out there, they’re still ahead.  That magic and beauty are still happening, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Now more than ever, we all need hope, and for us, Disney is providing a beacon of hope.  Disney World has reopened at last!  Lots of fun times ahead, friends!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Disney World vacations are available for booking for both the duration of 2020 and 2021.  If you’d like to get a no obligation quote, please contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.  I’m also available if you want advice on whether to visit the parks this year.

P.S. If you DO have a trip planned, Disney has put together a Know Before You Go website they plan to keep updated as information changes.  Be sure to check it out!

 

Disney Cancels Dining Reservations Through Year End

Disney has released more information about the reopening of Walt Disney World.  The big news today?  Disney cancels ALL dining reservations through the end of the year. 

Disney has also cancelled all Fast Pass reservations.  For more information about Disney’s reopening plans, please check out this post.  The plans submitted to Orange County have been approved, and Disney is on track to reopen on July 11, 2020.

Disney Cancels Dining Reservations

Disney has officially cancelled all dining reservations through the end of this year.  This is a pretty significant indication that Disney does NOT expect theme park operations and capacity to return to normalcy any time this year.

For those of us planning to visit Disney later this year, the canceling of dining reservations may have a big impact on our trip plans.

In their statement, Disney has told us that the cancellations are due to social distancing requirements.  They have said that when they reopen, restaurants will be limited in capacity.

Disney plans to reopen dining reservations with limited numbers “closer to when the parks reopen”.  They are also shrinking the Advance Dining Reservations window from 180 days to 60 days.  This seems to be an “until further notice” change.

Disney cancels dining reservations

Fast Pass+ Reservations Suspended

In addition, Disney has suspended the Fast Pass+ reservation system.  Fast Passes will not be available for any attractions when the parks reopen on July 11, 2020.  Any existing Fast Pass+ reservations will be automatically cancelled.  Disney will use additional queue space to manage capacity and social distancing.  Disney has not provided any information as to if and when the Fast Pass+ reservation system will be reinstated.  Fast Pass+ information has already been removed from the My Disney Experience.

Extra Magic Hours Suspended

Disney has also decided to suspend Extra Magic Hours temporarily as the parks reopen.  Again, we don’t know how long this will last. It may end up that Extra Magic Hours will be suspended briefly, and will return quickly.  It’s also possible that Extra Magic Hours will be suspended through the end of the year.

Reservations for Tours and Other Experiences

Disney has also cancelled reservations for all behind the scenes tours and other experience that require reservations.  Disney has indicated that some experiences will remain closed for the time being.  Other experiences will be available with limited capacity.  Reservations for these experiences will likely become available closer to the parks reopening.  As with everything else, the situation is fluid and frequent changes are likely.

Disney Magic Bands Disney World Vacation Planning Disney Park Passes Disney Travel Agent

Ticket Sales and Hotel Reservations

All NEW ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations are temporarily paused.  The priority right now for Disney is Guests with existing tickets and reservations.  Guests that already have tickets and Annual Passholders will be able to make theme park reservations before new tickets are sold.  There are no specific instructions yet on how those guests will be able to make their reservations.  Disney has said they are going to be reaching out to those Guests soon to provide details.

Disney cancels dining reservations

New ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations will resume at some point.  Disney has stated their initial priority is taking care of existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders.  The parks will be reopening with limited capacity, so I’m not sure when exactly when new reservations will be available.  I will update you as soon as I have more information.

Masks ARE Required

As we mentioned in our previous post about the parks reopening, face masks or coverings WILL be required for all theme park guests and Cast Members.  They will also be required for all Guests and Cast Members in Resort public areas.

Disney has really cute face masks for sale
Disney themed face masks? Let’s go! Click the picture above.

 

Summary of All Changes

So, in short, visiting Walt Disney World this summer (and potentially, for the rest of the year) is going to look VERY different.

Disney cancels dining reservations and character greetings
No character greetings–at least for now!
      • Face masks required
      • No Extra Magic Hours
      • Fast Pass+ system suspended
      • No fireworks
      • Nighttime spectaculars canceled
      • Social distancing
      • All dining reservations have been canceled
      • New reservation window of sixty days instead of 180 days
      • All reservations for tours and other experiences have been canceled
      • No character greetings
      • Playgrounds closed
      • No water play areas
      • “Makeover” experiences (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Boutique, for example) are canceled
Disney Cancels Dining Reservations
Character greetings have been canceled. Character meals are most likely canceled, too. (Unconfirmed)

Disney is working with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and other health experts to do everything they can to protect the health and safety of both Guests and Cast Members.

Should You Visit Disney This Year?

Of course, many of these changes are disappointing.  If you’ve been looking forward to your trip all year (or longer!), canceling or postponing can be really sad.  However, if you have a “first” trip planned during this time, I highly recommend you reschedule.  So many of the experiences are going to be limited, I think you will be disappointed.  If you are a frequent visitor, and know you’ll be visiting again next year, you may not be as disappointed by some of the “missing” features during this phased reopening time.  Canceling or postponing can be a very difficult decision.  If you need advice, or would like to talk it through with someone, please feel free to reach out.  I’m here, and I understand.  brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Disney cancels dining reservations and other experiences
All nighttime fireworks and spectaculars are canceled due to social distancing requirements

It is important to keep in mind that Disney is trying to keep everyone safe.  If you have a trip booked, and want to cancel as a result of these changes, Disney is working with everyone to reschedule or offer refunds.  Contact your travel agent or Disney to learn more.

Personally, I think with the reduced capacity and all the other changes, the best visitors during these early phases are going to be local Florida residents and Disney Annual Passholders.  Likely to be frequent visitors, I think locals and Passholders will be less impacted by all the changes.  They’ll also be less likely to feel disappointed or that they’re “missing out” on experiences that have been canceled for the time being.

What Can We Expect in 2021?

Information about next year and the impact of this pandemic on the theme parks in 2021 is pretty sparse.  I suspect we will learn more as the theme parks reopen, and we see how Guests respond.  In China, Guests have been very cooperative with Disney.  Chinese Guests have responded well to new rules and restrictions.  This has resulted in Shanghai Disneyland expanding capacity.

However, it is important to recognize that visitors to Disney World in Florida come from all over the world and from many different cultures.  We don’t yet know if Guests in Florida will be as cooperative as those in China.  We hope so, and we hope that we don’t see an increase in new Covid-19 cases as the parks reopen.  This is going to be a “wait and see” situation.

Other Florida Theme Parks

Universal Theme Parks open next week, as does Legoland.  Gatorland has already reopened.  Sea World is reopening June 11, followed by Disney World on July 11.  Busch Gardens in Tampa has submitted plans for reopening, which have been approved.  No reopening date has been announced yet.

Hopefully, by mid August we will have more information on how the reopening plans are succeeding for all the Florida theme parks.

The good news is that all the theme parks ARE reopening.  It will be different, but it is happening.  Hopefully, as the months pass, things will return to something closer to normal for theme park visitors.  It is time, I believe, to start planning our vacations for next year.  If you need help, I am available!  Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: EPCOT’s Newest Restaurant

Today we have exciting news from Epcot.  There’s a brand new restaurant open at Epcot.  The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue has opened at Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion.  The Regal Eagle Smokehouse is named after Sam the Eagle of the The Muppets.  Epcot’s newest quick service restaurant is themed to a barbecue cook-off, featuring competitors from across America.

New restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Restaurant Logo, Disney Parks

Perhaps best of all?  Mobile Ordering IS an option for the Regal Eagle Smokehouse through your My Disney Experience app, helping to minimize your time spent in LINE.

Liberty Inn Closed June 2019

For years, the food at the American Adventure pavilion was an embarrassment!  It always amazed me how bad the food was at the American pavilion.  It was such basic theme park food.  Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and [watery] pulled pork sandwiches.   None of these items stood out, and all were disappointing (especially the pulled pork!).  There was no theming to speak of, in my opinion.  It just felt like a big fast food restaurant.

There is so much great food in the United States; the abysmal food at Liberty Inn aggravated me for years.  It made me sad that visitors from all over the world could come to Disney and think THIS represented America.  But that’s all old news, thank goodness.  The Liberty Inn closed in June 2019 to make way for a new quick service restaurant.  Finally, we have our new restaurant: The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue hosted by Coca-Cola.

The Regal Eagle Smokehouse

At long last, the American Adventure pavilion has an American themed restaurant to be proud of.  I think the choice to include the Muppets in the theming for this restaurant is genius.  It’s subtle, but it iso great to see the Muppets in Epcot!  Sam the Eagle is atop the logo and featured on the menu.  We see other Muppet characters in sketches around the restaurant.  The Muppet presence isn’t super overt, and of course, as a big Muppets fan, I wish there were more of it.  However, these days ANY sign of the Muppets at Walt Disney World is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.

The theming throughout the interior space is sprinkled with classic Americana.  It’s got a little bit of a retro feel.  The walls feature lots of brick and tile.  There is red, white and blue bunting on the ceiling, and even the condiment station features Americana decor.  There’s a tin ceiling, and there are lots of copper pots and old timey accessories throughout.  The tables are flanked by backless benches, and the indoor seating area feels very large, bright and open.  The overall look is really sharp.

New Restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Regal Eagle Smokehouse                                                                                                       (Photo: Disney Parks)

Outdoors, the large seating area is all classic picnic tables with umbrellas to help protect guests from the Florida sun.  There’s also a large classic smoker on display in the outdoor seating area.  I’m not sure if this is just for show, or if we may see it in use during busy periods.

Barbecue Flavors From Across the United States

I think the Regal Eagle Smokehouse’s approach to “American” by using barbecue flavors found in different parts of the country is really smart.  Since summer cook-offs are such a big part of festivals throughout the country, I thought choosing to theme the restaurant as “Sam’s Centennial Cook-Off” was also a terrific idea!

New restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Source, Disney Parks

Entrees are themed to Texas, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina.  Meats are smoked for 14 hours, and the quality of the meats and sides are very high, especially for a theme park quick service restaurant.

Menu Options

There are a lot of options on this quick service menu!  There are a variety of sandwiches and platters.  All sandwiches and platters include a side.

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)

The American Platter is $18.99, and I suspect it will be VERY popular, especially for first time visitors.  It includes three choices from the meat options, one side of your choice and a piece of garlic toast.   The meat options include Sliced Texas Beef Brisket, Kansas City Smoked Half Chicken, Memphis Dry-Rub Port Ribs, North Carolina Chopped Smoked Port Butt, and South Carolina Smoked Sausage.  The brisket and smoked sausage are available as sandwiches, and the other three meat options are available as single meat platters.  There is also a BBQ Burger, which is a burger topped with pulled BBQ pork and an onion ring.  A Power Greens Salad is on the menu, and includes chilled pulled chicken and fresh citrus.  For those that prefer plant based sandwiches, there is a BBQ Jackfruit Burger.  This is a plant based burger topped with BBQ Jackfruit.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Regal Eagle Smokehouse, The American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT (Photo: Disney Parks)

Side options include House Made Pickles, French Fries, Beer-Battered Onion Rings, Creamy Coleslaw, Macaroni and Cheese, Garlic Toast, and Baked Beans with Burnt Ends.

For dessert, you can choose from the Fresh Watermelon Cup (But WHY?  Just kidding!), the S’mores Brownie and Banana Pudding.  The banana pudding even has vanilla wafer cookies in it.  So classic!

The kids menu features a cheeseburger, chicken salad, BBQ chicken leg and BBQ rib platter as options.  Most of these come with one or two sides, and a choice of Chocolate Milk, Apple Juice or small fountain beverage.

Beverages

Inside you’ll find the traditional quick service restaurant Coca-Cola fountain beverage station, featuring the same Coca-Cola beverage options you find all over the parks.  But at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse, you’ll also find Iced Unsweetened Tea, Sweet Tea and a few varieties of flavored iced teas that I think are a nice inclusion.

The menu inside also features a variety of American draft beers and ciders, wine and some specialty cocktails.  There are more beverage options at the outdoor bar as well.  (Read on for more about the outdoor bar!).

Meat Lovers Paradise

While there is a plant based option on the menu, the Regal Eagle Smokehouse is primarily for those of us that eat meat.  If you are vegan or vegetarian, you will be happier at one of the other pavilions around World Showcase.  If, however, you are a meat lover, you will most likely find at least one item on this menu that you’ll love.

The other thing that makes me happy is that the entrees are not drenched in sauces.  Regal Eagle Smokehouse offers a variety of sauces on the side at the condiment bar, and you can add as much or as little sauce to your meats as you want to.  I think this will appeal to a wide range of customers.

Sauces

The condiment bar features a variety of bbq sauces for you to try with your entree.  There are four sauces, plus ketchup on the condiment bar.  Sauce options include:

      • Mustard Guild “Old Glory” Sweet Mustard Sauce
      • Blue Ridge Vinegar League
      • Blue Ribbon Brisket Sauce
      • Sizzlin’ Pit Dry Rub Coalition Classic Smokehouse Sauce

Options for Those With Allergies

There are options available for those with gluten or wheat allergies, egg allergies, milk allergies, peanut or tree nut allergies, and soy allergies.  To review the complete menu, along with the allergy related options, please visit here.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Outdoor Bar

One of the highlights of the new outdoor area at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse is the new outdoor bar.  Many of the beverages offered at the outdoor bar can also be found inside the restaurant; however, I suspect the outdoor bar will satisfy a lot of patrons that aren’t interested in a meal.

The menu features a variety of American draft beers and ciders.  There is also a selection of California wines on the menu, as well as a few “specialty cocktails”.  Specialty cocktails include a Frozen Mint Julep, a Tennessee Lemonade (featuring Jack Daniels), a Texas Mule, a Frozen Strawberry Daquiri and a Moonshine Sour.  There are two non alcoholic options on the outdoor bar menu as well: Berry Sparkler and Frozen Iced Tea Lemonade.  Prices range from $4.50 (non alcoholic specialty beverages) to $14.00 (specialty cocktails).  While anyone who knows me well knows I’m am very partial to the Grand Marnier slushie available at the Champagne Kiosk in the France pavilion, I am eager to try the Tennessee Lemonade at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse!

At Last, Good American Food at the American Adventure Pavilion

I am happy to report that at long last, we have good food available at the American Adventure pavilion at EPCOT.  Of course, if you prefer table service, or eat good old American barbecue fairly frequently, the Regal Eagle Smokehouse might not be high on your list.  Also, I suspect it won’t be a preferred stop for vegans or vegetarians.

However, if you want a good quality quick service option, you can’t go wrong with the Regal Eagle Smokehouse.  The food is flavorful and the environment is fun and well themed.  And hey, there are some Muppets touches.  Good pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and old fashioned banana pudding?  Count me in!

Muppets Sam the Eagle
Sam the Eagle, The Muppets (Photo: Disney Parks)

What do you think?  Are you going to check out the Regal Eagle Smokehouse?  Please comment below.  If you’ve already had a chance to try it, please share your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. There are lots of updates coming to EPCOT this year and next.  Have you heard about  EPCOT’s space themed restaurant coming later this year?  Check out this post to learn more.