Category: Disney Dining

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.

 

 

Epcot’s New Space Themed Restaurant: Space 220

Disney’s EPCOT theme park is well known for lots of good and even great dining options—but the fast majority of those can be found in Epcot’s World Showcase.  Coming soon to Epcot’s Future World is a space themed restaurant we’re hoping will knock our socks off!  Epcot’s new space themed restaurant is called Space 220, and it’s expected to open sometime this spring.

Announced last year, Space 220 was originally projected to open during the fourth quarter 2019.  That was fairly aggressive, and proved to be a deadline the new restaurant couldn’t meet.  Later, February 2020 appeared to be the planned opening target, but more recently I’m seeing projections of late February/early March.  I suspect we may see soft openings sometime in March, with the official opening happening in April.  That’s not from the powers that be, that’s just my supposition, based on what I’ve been seeing and hearing as the project progresses.

I’m excited about the theming and story of this new restaurant.  The story is that you are traveling to the Centurian Space Station for your meal.  The Centurian Space Station is 220 miles above the Earth’s surface (that’s where the Space 220 comes from).  While you dine, you’ll have stunning day and night views of Earth below and the Space that surrounds the Space Station.  Doesn’t that sound like fun?  Guests will enter a special space elevator that will quickly take them to the Space Station, with spectacular views along the way.

Location

Space 220 is located backstage, behind Mission Space.  The entrance for Space 220 will be part of the Mission Space building.   Have you ever been to Coral Reef at the Living Seas Pavilion?  Coral Reef is part of the Living Seas Pavilion, but it has its own separate entrance around to the side.  I believe Space 220 is using a similar configuration.

Epcot Mission Space
Epcot’s Mission Space. (Photo Disney Parks)

It is my understanding that Space 220 is set in the Mission Space universe—so we are a little bit in the future but not TOO far.  The Centurian Space Station is a resource for the missions that happen at Mission Space.  We may see some Mission Space tie-ins inside Space 220, but that has not been confirmed.

Food

We don’t have a menu yet for this new space themed restaurant in Epcot’s Future World, however, I feel confident that we will NOT be served Tang and freeze dried Ice Cream.  Space 220 is being operated by the Patina Group, a company behind many of the most successful restaurants at Disney Springs and across the country.  The Patina Group already operates several of the better restaurants at Epcot, including Via Napoli and Tutti Italia.  They are also responsible for Morimoto Asia, Maria and Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway, Pizza Ponte and The Edison at Disney Springs.  I especially love Morimoto Asia, which is very elegant and lovely.  The food is really good too!

Morimoto Asia Disney Springs
Morimoto Asia (Photo Disney Parks)

The Patina Group has more than 60 restaurants across the country, including Tortilla Joe, Napolini Pizzaria, Catal Restaurant and UVA Bar and Restaurant at Downtown Disney in California.

We haven’t been given much information yet about the food.  All we know is “American Modern”.  I’m not exactly sure what that will mean.  Hopefully, now that we are getting closer to an actual opening, menus will be released soon.

Concept Art

We don’t have any official interior pictures from Disney yet for this  new restaurant.  I suspect we will get pictures when Disney is ready to give us an opening date and makes Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) available for Space 220.

We do have some concept art for this new addition to Future World, however.

Epcot’s new space themed restaurant Space 220
Space 220 Concept Art. (Art by Disney Parks)

Based on the concept art, it looks like we can expect tiered seating, so everyone will have a view from their table of the giant windows looking out into Space and down at Earth.

Since the concept is that we are dining on the Centurian Space Station, I think we can expect the views out the windows to change as we move through Space, 220 miles above the Earth.

Epcot’s new space themed restaurant Space 220
Space 220 Concept Art, Disney Parks

Advance Dining Reservations

As I mentioned above, we do not yet a have an official opening date for Epcot’s new space themed restaurant, Space 220.  Disney has also not yet made Advance Dining Reservations available for the new restaurant.  I think we can expect ADRs to be available shortly before the new restaurant opens, and the standard 180 day window to apply thereafter.

I’m sure this will be a very popular reservation, at least initially.  Anytime there is anything new, we all clamor to check it out as soon as we can.  Ironic, given how loud we yell whenever Disney changes anything, or god forbid, eliminates an attraction.  Yes I’m still bitter that Horizons is gone.  😉

Once initial reviews are out about the food and the experience, we may see demand level off.  However, if the experience is good (which I’m assuming it will be!) and the food is decent, I suspect Space 220 will join the list of “must get” ADRs for Disney trip planners.

Stay Tuned for Opening Date Announcement

As soon as Disney announces an opening date or makes Advance Dining Reservations available for Space 220, I will send out an alert  and update the Blog.  If you want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement, please click here to join our email newsletter mailing list.  We send out email newsletters weekly.  Occasionally, you will get an email alert from us when there’s big news.  In my opinion, Space 220’s opening date and ADR availability is BIG news.

I’ll keep you posted as I learn more.

Update:  Rumor Mill is reporting March 30 as a potential opening day for Epcot’s new space themed restaurant, Space 220.

I don’t have anything confirmed yet, but I am hearing a lot of rumors about March 30 from various sources.   I will let you know once we have a confirmation from Disney.

Are you excited to check out Space 220?  Do you agree that Future World needed a new restaurant?  Please like this post and comment below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

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

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

I’ve decided to run a new series of posts focusing on Disney’s WIDE variety of resorts.  This week, I’m focusing on Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.  Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has long been one of my favorites.  Even when we don’t stay at the Polynesian, we often make sure to stop by and visit the Gift Shop, grab a snack at Cap’n Cook’s or to take a walk on the grounds.

It’s All About the Dole Whip

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the few places outside a Disney theme park when you can get the beloved Dole Whip.  A creamy concoction of pineapple (or other citrus fruits) flavored dairy free soft serve, the Dole Whip has been a Disneyland and Walt Disney World MUST-DO since 1986.  Originally, you could only find the Dole Whip at a kiosk near the Enchanted Tiki Room.  Now, you can find them at larger, more permanent structures, and in more than one theme park.  However, you can’t find a Dole Whip at all the ice cream carts, popcorn stands or churro kiosks located throughout Disney, so Dole Whip feels a bit more like a treasure you have to hunt for.

Dole Whip
Dole Whips Anyone?                                                                 (Photo: Disney Parks)

Side note: Animal Kingdom features a Dole Whip window where you can add RUM to your Dole Whip.  You can also find this lovely rum treat at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.  Honestly, I think this might be what nature originally intended!

Of course, you can find LOADS of recipes on the internet (like this one), or buy the DOLE soft serve mix and make your own Dole Whips at home–but I think that takes all the fun out of it.  I love having treats we only get on vacation at Disney.

The Pineapple Lanai, located just of the lobby at the Polynesian Resort, features several varieties of Dole Whip.  Of course the traditional Pineapple flavor is there, along with Vanilla soft serve; you’ll also find Lime, which is served in a cone and topped with an orchid, and called the Te Fiti Cone (VERY popular).  Not on the menu, but available, is the Lemon/Lime swirl.  It’s pretty TART, though, so make sure you really love lemon and lime before going for that one!

Pineapple Lanai
Try the Te Fiti Cone or the Corazon Blanco Tequila Frozen Margarita Blended with Dole Whip LIME! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Periodically, they will also have special flavors or “themed” treats.  For example, in honor of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, The Pineapple Lanai is offering a “Yoda” cone.  Basically, it’s a Lime cone with two white chocolate “ears”.

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use a snack credit for a Dole Whip treat at The Pineapple Lanai.  Currently, a regular Dole Whip (Pineapple, Vanilla, or Swirl) is $4.99.  The version with coconut rum is $11.00.  Also available is a Pineapple float $5.99 and the Te Fiti Cone $5.29.  Finally, you can get your Float in a souvenir cup for $10.99, or your Dole whip in a souvenir bowl for $9.99.

Dole Whip Float
Dole Whip Float                       (photo: Disney Parks)

Now that we’ve got all that important Dole Whip information out of the way, I guess we should talk about the REST of the Polynesian Village Resort, hmm?

Take a Tour of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a Deluxe Resort, located on Walt Disney World’s Seven Seas Lagoon.  The Polynesian Village Resort is one of the original two resort hotels at Walt Disney World when the Magic Kingdom opened back in 1971!  In April 2015, Disney’s Polynesian Villages Resort opened its Disney Vacation Club resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Watch this video to explore Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Advantages of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

      • Proximity to the Magic Kingdom: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows are located very close to the Magic Kingdom.  A short water taxi ride, two Monorail stops or a short bus ride gets you to the Magic Kingdom pretty quickly.
      • Monorail Resort: There are only three resorts actually ON the Monorail line.  Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s hard to beat the convenience of being on the Monorail line.  Want to visit any of the other Monorail resorts?  Just hop on the Monorail?  Want to visit Epcot?  Just hop on the Monorail.  Want to go to the Magic Kingdom?  Hop on the Monorail.  Enjoying the restaurants and other amenities located at the other Monorail resorts is super easy when all you have to do is hop on the Monorail.
Polynesian Monorail
The Monorail Departs Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Photo: Destinations in Florida)
      • Design and architecture:  The Polynesian Village Resort has a “South Pacific” theme.  It’s about as close to Hawaii as you are likely to get in Central Florida.  The resort is lush and beautiful, filled with water features and has a very tropical flair.
      • Room Size: The standard rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are larger than the standard rooms at many other Disney resorts.  Standard rooms at the Polynesian Village Resort feature two queen beds and a day bed.  The rooms allow for five people and one child under age three.  Many resort rooms top out at four people, so the Polynesian is one of only a few resorts that allow for 5+ in a standard room.
Polynesian Resort Room
Photo: Destinations in Florida
      • Romantic: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the more romantic resort locations at Walt Disney World.  There are lots of beautiful spots to quietly snuggle and appreciate the scenery.  There are hammocks to relax in, and you can sit on the beach or near the beach and watch the fireworks over Magic Kingdom.  There’s even a picturesque spot where small Disney Fairy Tale Weddings are held.
Disney's Polynesian Romance
Photo: David and Vicki Arndt Photography
      •  Transportation: Disney’s Polynesian Resort gives you access to a wide variety of Disney’s free transportation systems.  You can use the bus system, the water taxi system, or the Monorail system.  You can take the Monorail to two other resorts, as well to Epcot.  From Epcot, you’ll be able to use the Skyway (after it opens September 29), boat or bus to visit Hollywood Studios.  The Skyway will also take you to four other Disney resorts.
      • Entertainment: The Polynesian Village Resort features a variety of restaurants and bars as do most Disney Deluxe Resorts.  However, there is a very popular attraction that can ONLY be found at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort:  Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show is held nightly, and is Walt Disney World’s version of a Luau.  Guests enjoy an all you can eat tropical buffet, featuring Aloha pulled pork, Polynesian ribs, roasted vegetables and more.  The highlight is the entertainment: hula dancers, fire dancers, drummers and more!  (Note: You CAN use Disney Dining Plan meal credits for the Spirit of Aloha dinner show, but two meal credits are required per person.  Current regular ticket prices range from $66 – $78 per adult, $39 – $46 per child.)
      • Character Meal: Most Disney Deluxe Resorts feature character meals.    However, if you are a Lilo and Stitch fan, there is only ONE character meal for you:  the Character Breakfast at Ohana, at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.  You’ll not only find Lilo and Stitch at Ohana.  They’ll be joined by some of their Disney pals, dressed in South Pacific vacation outfits.   (Note: Disney Dining Plan meal credits may be used for this Character Breakfast; one meal credit per diner.  Regular prices range from $24.50 for kids, ages 3-9 to $40.47 for adults and kids, 10 years or older.)
      • Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: a tropical tiki bar, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is a fun place to stop in for specialty cocktails, beer, wine or small plates.  Trader Sam’s offers a variety of non alcoholic beverages as well.  Many of the specialty cocktails are available in collectible souvenir cups.  The atmosphere at Trader Sam’s is fun and definitely worth checking out.

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Disadvantages

      • It’s Pricey.  There’s no getting around it, Disney Deluxe Resorts are expensive.  And the Deluxe Resorts on the Monorail are among the most expensive on property.  I’m not saying it’s not worth it, because if you can afford it, it’s absolutely worth it.  It’s hard to beat staying so close to the Magic Kingdom, being on the Monorail, and having great fireworks views from the beach.
      • It’s VERY Popular.  Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows is one of the most popular resorts on Disney property.  As a result, it can be very difficult to get reservations there.  If you’re hoping to stay at the Polynesian, plan to book as EARLY as possible–at least 1 year out, if you can.  This helps increase your chances of getting the reservation you want.
      • Rarely Gets Discounted.  Related to the popularity of this resort, the Polynesian rooms or room/theme park ticket packages are rarely discounted significantly.  If/when discounts like Free Dining include the Polynesian, it is usually for a very small number of rooms and goes very quickly.
Photo: David and Vicki Arndt Photography

Not Just Another Hotel

I think my favorite thing about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is that when you are at the Polynesian, you KNOW where you are.  Full of unique sights, smells and sounds, it is clear from the moment you enter the resort that the Polynesian Village Resort is not just another hotel.  There is nothing “generic” about the Polynesian.  It’s special, and feels different than any other Disney resort.  Disney’s strength has always been theming, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows do not disappoint.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Lobby
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Lobby                      (Photo: Destinations in Florida)

Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort?  What did you think?  Please comment below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

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

Looking for a more economical option?  Check out this post about Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Book Your Reservations NOW for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Experiences at Hollywood Studios!

Reservations are now available for select Star Wars: Galaxy Edge Experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Opening on August 29, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the long awaited addition to Hollywood Studios, featuring an immersive guest experience in a Star Wars themed “world” like nothing Disney has done before.  (Well, except for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, haha).  Book your reservations NOW for sure-to-be popular experiences and dining adventures at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  This will enable you to guarantee you’ll be able to take part in these experiences–if you have both the desire and the dollars to do so!

Build a Lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop

Star Wars Galaxys Edge Build Your Own Light Saber
At Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers, guests will have the opportunity to customize and craft their own lightsabers. In this exclusive experience, guests will feel like a Jedi as they build these elegant weapons from a more civilized age. (Photo: Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)

I suspect Savi’s Workshop is going to be one of the most popular destinations for guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  What Star Wars fan hasn’t dreamed of owning their own lightsaber?  At Savi’s Workshop, you assume the role of a Jedi, and craft your own lightsaber.  You will be able to choose from different hilts, accessories and kyber crystals.

What does it cost?

While Disney says there will be walk up availability, I suspect it will be very limited, and those with advance reservations will take priority for this experience.  Purchase of a lightsaber is REQUIRED for this experience.  You must pay before the experience begins ($199.99).

The advance reservation requires a credit card deposit of $199.99.  You can cancel your reservations with no penalty by cancelling at least 24 hours in advance.  No shows will be charged the full price of the experience.  You can bring one person with you to observe your lightsaber design skills. (While kids as young as 5 can enjoy this experience, at least one member of the party must be 14 or older.)

Only 14 people at a time (and their “observer/paparazzi” member) can go through this experience at a time.  The experience is about 20 minutes in length, and full of the ceremony and mystique you’d expect from a Jedi building their first lightsaber.  The lightsaber you build at Savi’s Workshop will not be a plastic junky version, like the ones you used to be able to buy at toy stores (and at WDW!).

This lightsaber has some heft, and the hilt is made of metal.  Your hilt will be themed to one of four styles available–and based on your choice, you will be given various parts that you will use to build your lightsaber.  Each light saber will include one hilt, two sleeves, one emitter, one pommel cap and one activation plate and switch.  The completed lightsaber will light up, and your hilt will produce various sounds.  Your $199.99 purchase price includes a carrying case.  Other accessories for your lightsaber, as well as a variety of pre-built lightsabers and other treasures are available for purchase at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities
Concept Art for Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities

No refunds are available, nor are there any discounts available.

Build a Droid at the Droid Depot

Reservations to build a droid at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Now Available
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Droid Depot                                                                                Photo: Disney Parks

Another spot I think is going to be VERY popular is the Droid Depot.  I know I am not alone when I tell you that while I love Han Solo and Princess Leia, BB8 and R2D2 have a deeper hold on my heart.  At the Droid Depot, you’ll be able to build and customize your own Droid friend.  You’ll pick parts off a conveyer belt to construct one of two core model droids (BB-Series or R-Series).  After your Droid is constructed (and paid for $$!), it will be able to interact with various elements throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  How fun does THAT sound?

As with the lightsaber experience, some walk up availability will exist; however, if this is something you really want to do, advance reservations are strongly recommended.  If you have a reservation, you may bring one person with you to observe your experience.

What Does It Cost?

The base price of your Droid is $99.99 plus tax.  This includes your basic handbuilt Droid and a carrying box.  There are a lot of add-ons available–with additional price tags to match.  I suspect at minimum you’ll want to add on a personality affiliation chip for $12.99–there are six to choose from, and this is what will give your Droid its personality, and inform how it interacts with the Star Wars world around it.  Of course there are lots of other things you can add on–make sure your impulse buyer is NOT in control, or you will have a very expensive day!

Droid Depot Merchandise
Droid Depot, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge                            Photo: Disney Parks

As always, you can cancel your reservation without penalty as long as you cancel at least 24 hours in advance.  If you no-show, your credit card will be charged the full $99.99.  Kids as young as 3 can build a Droid, but at least one of the two people in the party must be at least 14.

There are no refunds and no time limits for your custom built Droid.  Your end result will be remote controlled, and will interact via bluetooth with the World.  There are no discounts offered, so no passholder or DVC discounts at this time.  (Bummer!).

Even if you don’t want to build your own Droid, you will definitely want to do a walk through visit at the Droid Depot.  It’s filled with fun stuff to look at, and there are lots of audioanimatronic Droids to catch your attention.

Oga’s Cantina

Book your reservations now if you hope to spend some time at Oga’s Cantina and enjoy some “out-of-this-world” refreshments!

Book Reservations Now for Oga's Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Oga’s Cantina, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge                                                                          Photo: Disney Parks

At Oga’s you never know when you might meet smugglers, bounty hunters or other travelers from around the galaxy.  You’ll be able to try unique, themed food and beverages at Oga’s Cantina.  If you really want to immerse yourself in the Black Spire Outpost experience, a visit to Oga’s Cantina should be high on your list.

Ogas Cantina Reservations Now Available
Oga’s Cantina, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge     (Photo: Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)

Some walk up guests will find availability; however, as with most Disney table service restaurants, reservations are highly recommended.

Book Your Reservations NOW!

Are you getting excited about visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?  I can’t believe opening day at Hollywood Studios is finally almost here!  If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World and want to include Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in your agenda, I suggest you make your reservations for the experiences you want to participate in as soon as you can.

Which of these experiences are you most excited about?  While I can’t wait for my first drink at Oga’s, I’m pretty psyched to build a Droid with my nephew!

Please comment below if you’re planning to try one of these experiences, and which one.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

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

P.S. For other Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge information, please check out the following posts:

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Update January 2019

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Updates: March 2019 PART I

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge UPDATE

Free Dining is BACK!!

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

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

Free Dining is BACK

The Details

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

Package must be booked BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

Resorts Included In Free Dining Promotion

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

The Fine Print

The number of rooms available for this promotion is LIMITED.

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

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

Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion

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

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

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

Gratuities are not included.

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

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

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

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

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

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

20% Discount Tier

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fine Print for this Room Only Discount

The number of rooms available for this promotion is limited.

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

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

Theme park admission is NOT included.

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

Length of stay requirements may apply.

Florida Resident?

Florida Resident Disney Discount
Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

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

25% Discount Tier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fine Print for Florida Residents

Proof of Florida residency is required at check in.

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

This offer does not include theme park admission.

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

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

Length of stay requirements may apply.

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

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

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

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

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

 

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

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

FREE DINING for Disney Visa Cardmembers

Disney Launched Free Dining!

FREE DINING for Disney Visa Cardmembers

The good news?  Disney has released a new limited time offer featuring free dining for Disney Visa Cardholders.  The not-as-good news?  It is an EXTREMELY limited promotion, and features a very short travel window.  However, if you are a Disney Visa Cardmember, and you are available to travel August 1 – 21, 2019, you might want to JUMP on this new free dining promotion.

A couple of things to be aware of: Any time Disney offers a big promotion, they are offering it to stimulate travel to the parks during a certain period.  This USUALLY means projected park attendance and resort reservation bookings are lower than Disney wants them to be for that time period.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean light crowds, it most likely means LIGHTER crowds.  Of course, if tons of people take advantage of the promotion, crowds could be CRAZY by the dates of travel.  But generally speaking, Disney offers promotions for periods where they are projecting attendance to be down.

Disney Tomorrowland crowd

This particular travel window closes before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 29, 2019.  However, there are still a lot of great reasons to visit Disney World this year.  Click here to check out my top five reasons to visit Disney World in 2019.

Free Dining for Disney Cardmembers

You can get free dining when you purchase a four-night/five-day Walt Disney resort and theme park ticket package that includes the Park Hopper option.  If you book your package at a Value or Moderate resort, you will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan.  If you book your package for a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort, you will receive the regular Dining Plan.

Disney Free Dining Promotion

You MUST book your vacation by June 16, 2019 to take advantage of this offer.

Your vacation must begin between August 1 and August 21, 2019.

You MUST book your vacation using your Disney Visa card.

Theme park tickets purchased with this package are valid for admission beginning the day of check-in, and must be used within a limited period of time, depending on length of stay and ticket.

Here are the resorts that are eligible for this promotion, along with which Dining Plan you would get if you booked your vacation at that resort.

Disney's Art of Animation Family Suite
Disney’s Art of Animation Family Suite (Photo: Disney Parks)

Select Disney Value Resort Hotels – FREE Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan

  • Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
  • Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites Only
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Select Disney Moderate Resort Hotels – FREE Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan

  • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Disney Contemporary Resort California Grill
The California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort  (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Select Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels – FREE Disney Dining Plan

  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels – FREE Disney Dining Plan

  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
  • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Quick Service Dining Plan vs. Dining Plan

If you book your package at a Value or Moderate Resort hotel, you will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free with your package.  The Quick Service Dining Plan includes two quick service meals and two snacks per person in your room, for each night of your stay.  Several beverage options are available–including non-alcoholic specialty beverages and beer, wine and cocktails for those guests who are 21 or older.

Disney Dining Plan Free Dining

If you book your package at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort, you will receive the Disney Dining plan with your package for free.  The Disney Dining Plan includes one quick service meal, one table service meal and two snacks per person in your room, for each night of your stay.  You can use table service credits for Character Dining and other special dining experiences.  Several beverage options are available–including non-alcoholic specialty beverages and beer, wine and cocktails for those guests who are 21 or older.

The Fine Print

This offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

An additional charge may apply if you have more than two adults per room (any one over the age of 9) in a Disney Value, Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa Resorts.

This offer excludes the following room types:  3 bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creed Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Children ages 3 -9 MUST order from the Children’s Menu, if there is a Children’s Menu available.

Disney Free Dining for Disney Visa Cardmembers

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

Must use a valid Disney Visa Card or a Disney Rewards Redemption Card to pay the deposit.  The Disney Visa Cardmember must stay in the room.

Availability at table service restaurants is not guaranteed.  Advance reservations are recommended and availability is not guaranteed.

Gratuities are not included.

Food For Thought

Many Disney vacationers LOVE the Disney Dining Plan. They love being able to budget and essentially “prepay” for the majority of their meals before their trip, and know that they won’t need to spend a whole lot of money

Disney Character Breakfast Crystal Palace
Character Breakfast at the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom  (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

on food during their vacation. If you fall into this category, and are already a fan of the Disney Dining Plan or the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan, and are already accustomed to making Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days before your trip, you are likely a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.

Conversely, if you tend to order in groceries, and eat a lot of meals in your room, or pack picnic lunches for your family to enjoy at the parks, you are most likely NOT a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.

It’s important to think about how your family dines on a Disney vacation. Do you eat in table service (sit down) restaurants for most meals? Or, do you eat primarily quick service meals? Do you do many character meals? What about sharing meals? Does your family like to snack? Are you big Mickey Bar or Popcorn fans? Are you comfortable planning your meals in advance?

Disney's Chef Mickey Character Breakfast
Chef Mickey Character Breakfast at Disney’s Contemporary Resort  (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

While the promotion is called “Free” Dining, it’s also important to recognize that by getting the dining package for “free”, you are paying full price for your room and park tickets. You are saving a LOT of money on meals, so it is a substantial savings in many, many cases–but again, it’s really important to evaluate how YOU and YOUR family vacations.

If you tend to eat more meals in the room, or pack picnic lunches, you likely will get a bigger savings from a room or package discount that does NOT include free dining.

I Can Help Make Planning Your Trip Easier!

One of the advantages of working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner is that we have access to ALL the available discounts out there at any one time, whether Disney is actively promoting them or not. We can run comparisons for you to determine what you’ll save by booking your trip with one promotion or another. There is no cost to you to work with an authorized Disney Vacation planner to plan your vacation, and often, we have access to discounts or resort information that is not available to the general public. Working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner will always save you headaches and aggravation, and will usually save you money as well!

Walt Disney World Entrance

In addition, we have the ability to monitor our reservations and as new promotions are released, update those reservations when it will save our customers money. For example, for all my clients that have reservations booked with me for later this year, we’ve already looked at the free dining promotion to see if it makes sense for them–and where it did, we’ve made the changes.

I don’t just love planning Disney vacations, I am obsessed with making every vacation the best it can possibly be.  Planning a great Disney vacation takes time and energy and PLANNING.  For a lot of busy people, that sounds like too much work.  If that’s you, let me do it for you!  Email me today to learn more.

To get more information, please reach out today: brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

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

FREE Quick Service Meals on YOUR Summer Vacation?

Disney has announced another special promotion to attract guests to Walt Disney World this summer.  While this is not a regular “Free Dining” promotion, this promotion DOES include one FREE quick service meal per day per guest for each night of your stay.  This promotion can potentially mean significant savings for your family.  Would you like free meals on your summer vacation?  Read on…

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge does not open until AFTER this promotion ends; however, there are still LOTS of reasons to visit Walt Disney World this year.  Check out this post for my top 5 reasons to visit Disney World in 2019!

The Details

This offer is available to guests purchasing a four-night/five-day room and theme park ticket package at select Disney Moderate and Value Resort hotels.

This offer is valid for arrivals most nights between May 28 and August 21, 2019.

The package must be booked by June 30, 2019.

Disney's Magic Kingdom Summer Free Meal Promo
Disney’s Magic Kingdom                      (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Theme park tickets are valid for admission, beginning on the date of check-in, and must be used within a limited number of days, depending on length of stay and ticket.

Each quick service meal includes one entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage (or, if over age 21, one beer, wine or cocktail, if available).

The Fine Print

This offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

This offer excludes Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, Disney’s All Star Movies Resort, The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and campsites.

Children ages 3 -9 MUST order from the Children’s Menu, if there is a Children’s Menu available.

Disney CocktailsMost beer, wine and cocktails are included, if available at chosen quick service venue.  Some exceptions do apply.  Guests must present valid ID to be served alcoholic beverages.  Beverages may ONLY be redeemed with the quick service meal.

Gratuities are not included.

Food For Thought

It’s important to consider how you and your family dine on vacation to determine if this offer will be a value for you.  If you usually eat meals in Disney Parks, and frequently choose quick service options, this offer could definitely fit your family, and save you money.  Alternatively, if you prefer to eat every meal at a full service restaurant, you could save money with this offer, but you might not be happy as at least one of your meals each day would be a quick-service meal.

Disney Dining Summer Vacation

If you usually make sandwiches or leave Disney property to eat, this offer might not be for you.  There are a couple of other promotions running at this time.  We can check and see if one of those might be a better fit.

Generally, when one hears “free”, it always seems like a terrific deal.  In this case, I think a free meal for each member of your party IS a really good deal.  However, it’s important to consider how you like to travel.  Also, you should consider what you normally spend on food on vacation.  These factors help determine if this “free meal” promotion is a good deal for YOU.

Can I Help You?

If you’re considering a family vacation to Walt Disney World this summer, I’d love to help you book and plan that wonderful vacation.  As part of my free-to-you service, I am happy to check pricing on this package.  In addition, I can also review your specific travel plans, and take a look at any other discount offers currently available.  I want to make sure you get the best possible value for your family.

An added bonus:  When you book with me, I monitor your vacation against any new discounts that are released.  I’m able to apply new discounts to your trip if they work for your trip and save you money.  Basically, if new discounts become available before you travel, I have access to your reservation and the Disney system to see if you can benefit from the new discount.  If so, I make it happen!

To get more information, please reach out today: brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

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

Disney Launched Free Dining!

Very exciting news today!  Disney launched Free Dining and other offers that might interest you if you are planning a Disney vacation for later this year.

As you may already be aware, Free Dining is a VERY popular Disney vacation discount program that MANY vacationers wait to plan their trips around.  This is the earliest that Disney has announced a Free Dining offer in recent memory.  In addition, this particular offer includes dates from July 5 – September 30, 2019.  It’s pretty unusual for Disney to include ANY portion of the summer in their Free Dining promotions, so this year’s offer is an especially big deal.

In addition to Free Dining, Disney also released some 30% off room discounts for May 28-September 30.

Disney Launches Free Dining Disney Magic Kingdom Mickey Mouse Disney Vacation Planning
Mickey Greets Special Guests at Magic Kingdom
Details: Free Dining

If you purchase a 5 night/6 day Disney World travel package by February 10, 2019 that includes a room at a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel and a ticket with a Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option with your planned arrival between July 5 and September 30, 2019, you can get a FREE dining plan added to your package for each guest on the reservation.  Note: this promotion is available for reservations with a minimum of 4 nights/4 days.  Other package lengths are available.

If your chosen resort is a Disney Deluxe Resort or a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, you will get the Disney Dining Plan.  If you choose a Disney Value Resort or a Disney Moderate Resort, you will get the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan.

Reservations MUST be booked by February 10, 2019, and the number of rooms allocated for this offer are limited.  This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

Details: 30% Room Discount

If you book your reservation by March 24, 2019, you can save up to 30% for stays most nights, May 28 – September 30, 2019.  If you would like to travel sooner, you can save up to 25% for stays most nights, April 28 – May 27, 2019; those reservations would just need to be booked by the last day of the promotion, May 27.  This offer is based on 2 adults per room; the full discount is for the Deluxe resorts; Value and Moderate resorts will have lesser discounts available.

The number of rooms allocated for this promotion is limited.  This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

The Fine Print

As with any promotion or discount, there are always exclusions and restrictions.  Certain room types, resorts, or restaurants may be excluded from the Free Dining promotion.  Similarly, some resorts and room types are excluded from the Room Discount promotion.

More importantly, though, is that not every discount is right for every person or family.  It’s important to weigh how YOU visit Disney, what your priorities are, WHEN you visit, and evaluate any and all discounts that might be available to you when you are ready to plan.

One of the advantages of working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner is that we have access to ALL the available discounts out there at any one time, whether Disney is actively promoting them or not.  We can run comparisons for you to determine what you’ll save by booking your trip with one promotion or another.  There is no cost to you to work with an authorized Disney Vacation planner to plan your vacation, and often, we have access to discounts or resort information that is not available to the general public.  Working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner will always save you headaches and aggravation, and will usually save you money as well!

In addition, we have the ability to monitor our reservations and as new promotions are released, update those reservations when it will save our customers money.  For example, for all my clients that have reservations booked with me for later this year, we’ve already looked at the free dining promotion to see if it makes sense for them–and where it did, we’ve made the changes.

Disney Launches Free Dining Disney Hollywood Studios Toy Story Land Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Land’s Slinky Dog Dash
Act Quickly

The response to the Free Dining promotion today was incredible.  Disney’s servers crashed around noon, and it took several hours for them to get back to normal.  They anticipated high demand, but I don’t think they were quite prepared for how popular this promotion would be when it was announced.  Based on the volume of inquiries the system handled today, it would not surprise me if records were set.

The moral of the story is that if you are strongly considering taking advantage of either of these new promotions, or if you at least want to price out a trip using the promotions, I highly recommend you act very quickly.  You can reserve any reservation for 48 hours before a deposit is required, so if you’re even 80% sure, I suggest you reach out and get a quote going.  I suspect that unless Disney plans to expand the promotion(s), these will sell out and close out very quickly.

What to Consider When You Consider Free Dining

Many Disney vacationers LOVE the Disney Dining Plan.  They love being able to budget and essentially “prepay” for the majority of their meals before their trip, and know that they won’t need to spend a whole lot of money on food during their vacation.  If you fall into this category, and are already a fan of the Disney Dining Plan or the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan, and are already accustomed to making Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days before your trip, you are likely a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.

Conversely, if you tend to order in groceries, and eat a lot of meals in your room, or pack picnic lunches for your family to enjoy at the parks, you are most likely NOT a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.

It’s important to think about how your family dines on a Disney vacation.  Do you eat in sit down restaurants for most meals?  Do you eat primarily quick service meals?  Do you do many character meals?  Do any members of your family routinely share meals?  Does your family like to snack?  Are you big Mickey Bar or Popcorn fans?  Are you comfortable planning your meals in advance?

While the promotion is called “Free” Dining, it’s also important to recognize that by getting the dining package for “free”, you are paying full price for your room and park tickets.  You are saving a LOT of money on meals, so it is a substantial savings in many, many cases–but again, it’s really important to evaluate how YOU and YOUR family vacations.

If you tend to eat more meals in the room, or pack picnic lunches, you likely will get a bigger savings from a room or package discount that does NOT include free dining.

Again, I strongly recommend speaking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner like myself to help you identify the best vacation package for your family.

If you have any questions, or would like to get quotes on any packages or vacation dates, please email me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.  You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram, also at DisneyCastleDreaming.

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

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Disney Travel with a Group: Challenges and Survival Tips

If you are in the midst of planning a trip or event for a large group of people at a place like Disney, for example a wedding, family reunion, vow renewal, or milestone birthday celebration, you are likely to discover some unique challenges.  Disney travel with a group is really fun, but can also have dangerous potholes you will want to look out for.

Transportation & Logistics Challenges

For example, is everyone staying at the same resort?  If not, transportation may be a challenge.  When we were planning our wedding, we ended up with people staying at four different resorts.  Planning transportation for wedding events ended up being one of our biggest challenges!  Depending on the size of your group, your travel agent (or planner for your group) may be able to work with Disney to get discounted rates for your group.  This tends to work for large groups, or groups who are also using Disney catered events, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, etc.  But it’s always worth a try!  Try to choose one or two resorts that will work for your group. The best scenario is one resort.  However, depending on your group, you may want to offer resorts in different financial tiers to accommodate different budgets.

Of course, sometimes, people will just do their own thing, regardless of what you plan for your event.  If that happens, you then have to decide if you’ll include their transportation needs in your planning, or if you’ll make it their responsibility to get to the planned events.   But know there’s a good chance it will happen, and be prepared and decide early how you will handle this if it happens.

Group Composition Challenges

The composition of the group can also present some challenges.  Is your group a mixture of families with kids and young singles or couples?  Or perhaps a mix of adults and children of all ages and interests?  Does everyone know each other already, or does anyone know each other at all?

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Depending on what you are planning, you may just have specific events to worry about, and outside of that, everyone will be on their own.  For example, you can plan a wedding and wedding reception for your guests and then leave on your honeymoon.  Or you can plan a Family Reunion that is all about one specific afternoon or evening event.

Alternatively, you may have a situation where you will have some “official” events, usually paid for by the planners, but you may want to spend more time with everyone outside of the “official” events.   You may want to plan a “Get to Know You” casual event near the beginning of the trip, if your group involves a lot of people that don’t know each other.

For example, very large families, traveling to a reunion; corporate events with multiple branches coming together; even weddings often face the challenge of lots of invitees who don’t know each other.  A casual ice breaking event is often a great way to get everyone to get to know each other and start talking before the more “official events” begin.  Again, this will depend on your group, your budget, and the purpose of your gathering.

Do NOT Bring a Stick and a Pole or a Megaphone!

The first thing you have to accept is that in a place like Disney, it is going to be impossible to try and keep large groups together for any substantial period of time.  In a daydream, it can be lovely to imagine your group of 40 people joyfully going from attraction to attraction, stopping for Mickey bars and Photopass pictures along the way.  However, the reality? Doesn’t really work that way.  We’ve all seen the tour groups following the guide with flag on a pole, marching gleefully through the park chanting first thing in the morning…but have you seen them later in the day?  They usually look lost, miserable, and frustrated…and those chants?  Not so cheery.

The reality: Trying to move even a small group of 5 -7 people all together is like herding cats.  (For those of you who don’t have cats, it’s REALLY REALLY INSANE).  Throw in another 10+ people and you will all lose your minds and end up hating each other.  Honestly, I swear it’s true.  So, please trust me on this.  Let the idea of all staying together for long periods of time GO.

Playing in line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Instead, plan specific activities to try and do together, and tell everyone up front that you’ll meet for these specific activities, but the rest of the time is their own.   Some of the group may naturally end up staying together for chunks of time, but I think you will find, for the most part, the large group will break up into much smaller groups of 2 – 5 people.

Something Important to Consider… 

(Or: How to avoid having your group plot your murder…)

Is your group going on vacation to Disney and attending your event(s) while they’re there, or are they attending your event(s) and visiting Disney when there’s time after/around your event(s).  It’s a good idea to know the basic perspective that the majority of your group will have.  If everyone is viewing this as their vacation, and they’re fitting in your event(s), you will need to be super careful about how much time you try to “take” from their vacation—or you are likely to run into resistance and push back.

Even though your wedding or Grandma’s birthday may be the most important thing in the world to you (and probably Grandma), not everyone in your group will have that same perspective.  It’s important to know your group, and what their goals and wishes for the trip are—this will help minimize disappointment and hurt feelings on all sides.  And ideally, keep the death threats to a minimum. 

[Note: the author assumes no liability, expressed or implied for any actual death threats, actual or implied that may or may not arise from any of the advice provided on this blog.]

Optional Get-Togethers

When we were planning our wedding weekend, we really wanted to try and spend as much time with all of our guests as possible.  We had “official” events, of course—the welcome dinner, the wedding, the reception and the dessert party that we knew everyone would be attending, but we hoped to get more time with everyone than that.

So, we decided to plan some optional “extra” meet-ups, in hopes that everyone would come to at least one or two of these and we would get more time with everyone.  For our group, we focused on meals.  We booked large group Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for one or two meals each day, depending on the day, at favorite restaurants we wanted to share with people we loved, and invited everyone to join us.

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Sci Fi Dine In
Via Napoli, Italy, Epcot
Chef Mickey Character Breakfast at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
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Chef Mickey’s Character Breakfast Photo: Brooke Hudson
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Character greetings have been canceled. Character meals are most likely canceled, too. (Unconfirmed)
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Logistically, this is a bit of a headache, as with Disney’s cancellation fees, you have to plan ahead for this, and get people to commit at least 36 hours ahead of the meal, so you have time to cancel…but we ended up with 10-20 people at several of our meals and it was AWESOME.  In our case, everyone did separate checks, but there are lots of different ways to handle this.  If everyone is on the dining plan, you can use table service credits.

Alternatively, to help everyone budget (and confirm those commitments!), you could have everyone prepay a fixed amount toward the meals they’re joining before the trip, and have one person responsible for paying the bill and collecting any overages.  If you need help brainstorming ideas, reach out to me, I’m happy to help!

Attraction Meet-Ups

Another idea is to plan a particular attraction at a particular time, and all meet up and do that together.  This can be challenging for more popular attractions that need Fastpasses.  However, you can coordinate everyone’s Fastpass reservations to schedule them into the same range, or at least try and get them to overlap for at least a 30 minute window.  Attractions that are “shows” are good for this, like Mickey’s Philharmagic, Muppets, Carousel of Progress, etc.  You want to make sure you’ve picked something that everyone in your group can enjoy.  If anyone is too little to ride, or won’t be comfortable or won’t enjoy it…maybe think about doing something else instead.

Wedding Trip: Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke and Frank)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the rain Photo: Linda Harkness
Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

I’ve planned for some groups that had success meeting at slow moving rides with lots of other stuff going around it, so the group stayed together for a while.  For example: One group I worked with had 17 people, including several small children, and a senior in a wheelchair.  They met at Finding Nemo at the Living Seas in Epcot at 9:15 am, and then explored the Livings Seas Pavilion more or less as a group, attending Turtle Talk with Crush as a group, and then went to Lunch at Coral Reef as a group.  After that, they split off into smaller groups or families until the next day.  This worked for them, and they managed to get a big group PhotoPass picture by the fish near the entrance of the Finding Nemo attraction (all part of my plan, haha).

Photo Meet-Ups

Still another idea is just to meet for a Photopass picture periodically.  For example, suggest everyone meet at the Partner’s statue at 1:15pm to check in.  You take a big group picture, see how everyone is doing, and then everyone goes on about their day.

Epcot! (Photo: Disney PhotoPass)
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Your meetups don’t have to be in the parks, either.  You can plan a group pizza party around the pool at your resort for everyone to unwind at the end of a busy park day.  Or even just plan to meet at the resort at 2pm by the pool for everyone to go swimming or enjoy some relaxation time.

Ideas for Group Meet-Ups or “Extra” Events:

  • Hoop-de-do Revue
  • Photopass location meet-up for a group picture
  • Meet at an all-ages attraction. Some great choices include:
    • Walt Disney World Railroad
    • It’s a Small World
    • Carousel of Progress
    • Finding Nemo (the attraction)
    • Living with the Land
    • Muppet Vision 3D
    • Finding Nemo the Musical
  • Resort activities. For example:
    • An afternoon pool party
    • Participate in the Disney movie night at your resort
    • Plan a resort photo shoot, either with a Disney Fine Arts photographer, or your own photographer (I have recommendations, if you need help with this).
  • Parks/Resorts/Disney Springs or All of the above: Plan a game or activity for the whole group that people can help each other with, talk about, etc.  I’ve had a lot of success with customized Photo Scavenger Hunts.  They can be short: targeting one afternoon, and one park or resort.  Alternatively, they can span several days, and include several sections and some scheduled meetups for pictures etc.  One obvious benefit is that you, as the planner, will end up with a lot of great “extra” pictures from the Photo Scavenger Hunt that you might not have gotten otherwise.  Your guests will have so much fun trying to complete the tasks, they won’t even notice they’re suddenly in a lot more pictures than they might have otherwise been in.  It’s sneaky, but it works!!
    • Click HERE if you’d like to visit my Etsy store to contact me about designing something specific for your group.
  • Work together to “make a gift” or “create a basket” for the guest or guests of honor if your event revolves around a birthday party, anniversary party, wedding etc.
    • For example, for Aunt Edie’s 85th Birthday, you could have a scrapbooking party.  You could set up tables with paper and photos and scissors and decorations, and have each table make a couple of pages for a scrapbook to be presented to Aunt Edie at her party.
    • For a wedding, you could have everyone contribute a recipe and make a recipe book with family pictures as a scrapbook type project, similar afternoon or evening gathering.
  • Ride Mix-In: One of the highlights for our guests for our wedding weekend was a ride mix-in we planned after our dessert party ended at Epcot.  Our guests were treated to a surprise ride on Soarin’ right at the end of the night.  They rode with other park guests (they were “mixed in”), but our group got their own row.  It was a fairly economical option for us, and a big hit for our guests.  Check with your event planner or travel agent if you think that’s something you may want to consider.
Soarin' Post Dessert Party Ride Mix In Disney travel with a group
Soarin’ Post-Dessert Party Ride Mix In

There are lots of ways to get together, without trying to walk lockstep, 10 people across, through the Magic Kingdom for 8 hours straight.  Everyone vacations differently.  Some people like to GO GO GO, and basically run from attraction to attraction.  Others like to meander, looking at all those special details, perhaps without any destination in mind at all.  Many of us fall somewhere in between.  The point is, you won’t be able to make ANYONE happy if you try to make EVERYONE happy.

Key Considerations for Planning Group “Extra” Events or Meetups:

  • How many? Decide how many group “meet ups” you want to plan.
    • A good general rule of thumb is 1 or 2 events per day, maximum.
    • Take into consideration your specific group and the reason for your trip.
  • Get Input: Talk to other members of the group to get their input before you finalize your plans.
    • Maybe the majority of your group has no interest in getting together very often.
    • Find out what expectations people have, and what they’d like to do.
  • Budget: Make sure you know what kind of budget you are working with. If you’re planning attraction or photo meet ups, budget isn’t an issue, as long as everyone has a park pass.  However meals have budgetary impact.  And don’t assume that everyone will have a park pass—find out.
  • Where: Decide whether your meet ups will be in the parks or at the resort, or a mixture.
  • For Whom: Try to consider what is important to MOST of the group.  Remember this meet up isn’t about YOU, it’s about the group getting together.  You want to be sure you aren’t just choosing something that YOU like without considering if everyone else would really like it. (Even if it’s an event around your wedding.  Unless it’s actually a wedding event, try and make the other events more about the group and togetherness, rather than just about you and your fiancé).
  • Prioritize Guests of Honor: If you are celebrating someone’s birthday or anniversary, keep THAT person in mind. If it’s a family reunion, keep the most senior members of the family in mind.  Reunions tend to be more for the grandparents and the great grandparents than for the kids—even at Disney!
  • Take Pictures: wherever you meet up, how often you meet up, whatever you end up doing…make sure there are a couple of different people in charge of taking pictures. After the trip is over, and everyone has returned home to their regular lives, perhaps in different parts of the country or even the globe, you will have these pictures.  These pictures will be special memories that will instantly bring all of you back together.  Try to make sure that you have some casual pictures of as many people in your group as possible.  Even if you are waiting in line for an attraction, try to take pictures of people being together.  Have a couple different people in charge of this, so that no one person ends up in NO pictures because they are always taking pictures of everyone else.
Outside the Voyage of the Little Mermaid theater. Photo: Brooke Hudson
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Heading to Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

It’s All About the Attitude!

DECIDE You are Going to Have a Great Time

Group events and Family reunions can sometimes be fraught with tension and drama. Even in happy places on vacations, there are sometimes hurt feelings or someone behaving badly or someone who missed their nap and is crabby, etc.  You have to decide that no matter what, you are going to have a great time.  Don’t let the little irritations get you down.

If there’s a Guest of Honor, try and help them have that same perspective if you can.  So much of what happens to us in life is a direct result of our attitude and our expectations.  If you EXPECT to have a great time, most of the time—you will.  When you EXPECT to get in a fight with you father’s second cousin over Saturday’s football game…you probably will.  DECIDE to have a good time, no matter what…and you WILL!

Disney travel with a large group

Disney travel with a large group can bring you magical memories that will last a lifetime.  As long as you plan ahead, and have the right attitude, traveling to Disney with friends and family may be the best vacation of your lives.  If you need any help planning your trip, or would like my advice on herding cats, please contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

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

P.S. If you’d like to read more about Advance Dining Reservations, please check out this post: Planning Ahead: Advance Dining Reservations or this post: Making your Disney Vacation More Enjoyable: Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs).

Planning Ahead: Advance Dining Reservations

In last week’s post, I talked about the advantages and disadvantages of making advance dining reservations (ADRs) for Disney table service restaurants.  If you read that post, you know that I am a FIRM believer in ADRs, and ideally, I recommend booking as soon as your window opens, whenever possible.

Epcot Nov 2009

Currently, I am 8 days away from my November anniversary trip with my husband, and in the midst of planning a spring trip with my mom.  This weekend, the 180 day window opened up for the May trip I’m planning with mom, and I promised to let you know how my ADR mission went.

In a nutshell…Very smoothly.  I was able to book every reservation that I wanted, and in fact, I booked several extra as I’m not 100% on our vacation schedule and our plans just yet. I’ve set reminders in my calendar to make sure I cancel extra reservations as we get closer to finalizing our plans.  It helps that our dates fall in the first week of May—after most of the heavy Spring Break crowds are gone, and before all the kids get out of school for the summer.  Generally, this is a slightly less crowded time to visit, and it works perfectly for my mom and I.  We’re going the weekend before her birthday and Mother’s Day, and while I’m expecting pretty warm temperatures, the heat and humidity won’t be at the extremes of June and July, making for a more tolerable visit for us northerners.

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When mom and I go to Disney, generally the big draw is the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.  My mom is an avid and gifted gardener, and Epcot is never more beautiful than it is during Flower and Garden.  In past years, my job made it difficult for me to take time off work, so our trips were usually very short weekend trips, sometimes two full days, sometimes three.  This year, my work schedule is a little more accommodating, so we’re planning a full 5-6 days for our trip, which is very exciting.  I’m planning two days at Epcot for sure, and we’ll have one day where we don’t visit any parks at all—probably spend a few hours at the pool and visit Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney).

We have not made flight arrangements yet and Disney has not released official park hours yet, so I’m not able to completely plan our agenda this early.  However, I don’t want to lose the advantage that can be gained by booking ADRs 180 days out, so even though I don’t have an EXACT plan yet for our trip, I made a loose plan, with a couple contingencies, and went ahead and booked the reservations that I wanted. That’s the strategy I recommend for you, whenever possible.  Take advantage of that early booking window.  You can always make changes later!

Key things to think about:

  • Who is in your traveling party? Are you traveling with kids?  With seniors?  With people that love sushi or only eat fried food?  It’s important to understand WHO you are traveling with.  I’ve learned that my trip is much more enjoyable when I plan the trip keeping everyone else’s preferences and priorities in mind.
  • Are there any special celebrations during your trip? Are you celebrating anyone’s birthday or an anniversary?  If so, make sure that at least some of your plans center on that person or that event.
    1. Make sure you note any celebrations on both your resort reservation and any meal reservations you make. While you should never expect special treatment, Disney will sometimes add some extra magic to make your celebrations extra special.
    2. Make sure you get celebration buttons at the front desk or at guest services. Again, you don’t want to expect any special treatment, but if the person in your group with a celebration is wearing a button advertising that fact, you’ve increased the odds that SOMETHING COULD happen for them.  At minimum, they’re likely to get a lot of happy wishes from total strangers, and that’s always fun, right?
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  • How does your party like to travel? Is everyone a night owl that would sooner starve than be up early for breakfast?  Or do you have a group of early risers that will be chomping at the bit to get going by sunrise?  It’s important to try to structure your touring (and, by extension, your meal plans) to accommodate your group.  This minimizes the stress on everyone, and significantly increases the odds that everyone will be happy with your plans.
  • How many meals per day will your group eat? Some families always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, while others skip breakfast completely, but might have a late-night supper a few hours after dinner.  It’s important to consider the habits and needs of your unique group.
  • How many days of your trip will be “Park” days? How many will be “Resort” days?  Do you have any water park visits planned? How about Downtown Disney?  While I don’t want you to feel that you have to nail down exact activities for each day of your vacation, it is a good idea to map out at least a general outline.
  • Does anyone in your group (or more than one) have a FAVORITE restaurant or quick service meal location that they MUST visit during your trip or [insert dramatic tone here] their “vacation will be ruined!!!” ? (You’d be surprised how often I hear that a vacation will be RUINED if something is left out, or a particular attraction is closed, or it rains, or is cloudy…you get the idea.)  Perspective is important!  But, while I don’t think we want to assign vacation destroying potential to any one meal or attraction, if your party has favorites, you may want to try to include at least some of those considerations in your planning.
  • If you have people in your group with very different tastes or priorities, you may find it helpful to give everyone a day where THEY are the primary focus. For example, if you have one kid that LOVES Sci Fi, and the Rock-n-Roller Coaster is their FAVORITE attraction, perhaps you plan your Hollywood Studios day to include lunch at the Sci Fi Dine-In Theatre and fast pass plus reservations for Rock-n-Roller Coaster and Star Tours.  Then plan another day around a different child’s interests at their favorite park.  If you have eight kids and a 5-day vacation, you may have to get more creative than that, but hopefully, you get the general idea.
  • What kind of budget are you working with? I’ve found the farther in advance I plan my trip, the better I’m able to manage my budget to make sure we can do the things we want to do.  Shorter notice trips generally mean more economical meal and snack choices—perhaps more meals back at the resort or in the room, or perhaps even off property.  Eating at Disney is not a budget friendly proposition, so it’s a good idea to review menus and prices when you are planning to help set expectations and to help set goals for pre-trip savings.  In the trip I’m planning for the spring, I have a couple higher end meals planned.  If, as we get closer, I’m not able to save as much money for the trip as I currently plan, I may cancel or change those reservations.  Right now, I have lots of time, so I’m optimistic, but we all know that things can happen to derail the best laid budget plans.

Over the years and planning MANY trips to Disney, I have learned that my strategy in planning a trip for my husband and myself is very different than when I plan for trips that include my nieces and nephews or the trips that I plan for my mom and myself.   Consider your audience.  Just because your read about “the perfect Disney itinerary” on a Disney trip planning website, doesn’t mean it’s perfect for YOUR group.  YOUR perfect itinerary may be very different, based on what is important to your group.  AND that may change year-to-year, as your family or travel group changes.  Don’t be afraid to re-assess and re-focus during your planning.  People change, priorities change and Disney changes.

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I realize I’m advocating a lot of planning ahead, both in this post, and in some of my other trip planning posts.  And absolutely, I think advance planning is KEY to a successful and enjoyable Disney vacation.  BUT, I have also learned to relax a little bit, and to build some flexibility into my plans.  I think it’s just as important to include some blocks of time in each day where anything can happen.  I might have a loose idea, for example, we will hit Park A, and we will be there ½ hour before the Park opens.  We have lunch reservations at X and dinner reservations at Y.  I’ll plan some fast pass plus reservations for late morning or early afternoon, and have a plan for where we will start when the park opens.   If there is nighttime entertainment, I’ll be cognizant of what time that’s happening and have a general idea of when and where we want to get positioned to enjoy that.  Otherwise, I try to relax and see where the day takes us.

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The trips I take with my husband tend to be a little more structured, because we both have a TON of favorite attractions and I want to make sure we both get to do as much of the things we like as possible, so I will have a stricter plan of attack, to make sure we get to everything.  Trips with kids tend to be much more loosey goosey, just because there are so many variables and unexpected surprises that pop up with kids…you have to be much more flexible—but it’s also critical that you have a broad idea of the major attractions that are a priority because you will have more distractions making it more challenging to stay on track and get the major stuff on your list accomplished.

My trips with my mom are less structured than when I travel with my husband, but more structured than when I travel with children.  When I travel with mom, our schedule tends to be more relaxed, and we spend more time sitting, talking, and people watching with a glass of wine 😊 and not quite as much time going from attraction to attraction.  I also don’t usually plan any character meals with mom as she’s not really into the character thing.  (Although I do generally drag her in for some character photos here and there, and she’s always a good sport about it!)

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Also, neither one of us are much into breakfast, so we’ll probably get some bagels or toast and fruit and just eat light breakfasts in our room at the resort.  Saves a few bucks and helps get the morning off to a bit more relaxed start.  It’s been a few years since our last trip, and I’m really looking forward to some quality time with mom.

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I’m hoping we’ll have some time to stop by the newly remodeled Wedding Pavilion where Frank and I got married…I want mom to see it since they’ve redone it.  We also may tour a couple of the resorts that have changed a lot in the last few years.  I’d love to see the Polynesian now that it has DVC Villas on Seven Seas Lagoon, and Wilderness Lodge now that it has new additions.  We’ll play it by ear, but resort hopping is always fun.  Lots of great places to sit and relax, have a glass of wine and enjoy the views!!  We haven’t decided how many park days we will do this trip yet, so I built a few different options into my preliminary plans.

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We will arrive on a Wednesday—since we don’t know yet what time our flights will be, I don’t know if we’ll end up visiting a park that day or not.  Usually on a travel day, we’ll visit Disney Springs or check out the Boardwalk area.  I made reservations for dinner at the California Grill.  Located at the top of the Contemporary Resort, California Grill offers great views of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon, terrific food and a diverse and large wine list.  An added benefit is that the restaurant features a couple of catwalks where guests can walk out onto the roof and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.  During the daytime, the catwalks are a terrific location for pictures.  I usually try to plan one really good meal during our trips where we can dress up a little bit and take our time and have a leisurely meal.  This trip, this is that meal.

I also have an alternative plan, in case we decide to visit a park that day: I booked a dinner reservation at Tusker House at Animal Kingdom with preferred access to Rivers of Light.  I don’t expect we’ll end up doing this, but I have a couple of months to make that decision.

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Since the primary focus of the trip is the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, I’ve planned two days at Epcot: Thursday and Sunday.  I made reservations for lunches at Rose and Crown in the UK and Via Napoli in Italy, and our dinners are planned for Chefs de France (in France 😉) and La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico.  These are all places we’ve visited before and enjoyed.  Via Napoli was a favorite on the wedding trip, and mom and I both really like Chefs de France, so I wanted to make sure we hit both of those.

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Friday is a little up in the air at the moment.  We will either do Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios that day.  Or, if we decide to park hop, we will visit Magic Kingdom in the morning and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and evening…probably with a break in between.  To allow for any configuration of those two parks on that day, I booked one lunch and one dinner reservation at each park.  Once I have a better idea of our actual plan, I will cancel the extra reservations.  At MK, I booked lunch at the Plaza and dinner at Jungle Skipper’s Canteen.  At HS, we have lunch at Sci Fi Dine In Theatre and dinner at the Brown Derby.  The Plaza is one of our favorite restaurants at Magic Kingdom and is a great place for a sandwich or a salad.  Brown Derby is a higher end dining experience at Hollywood Studios; we’ve eaten here for both lunch and dinner before and had great experiences each time.  Jungle Skipper’s Canteen is new, and we haven’t been there before.  Frank and I are trying it out next weekend–how THAT goes may affect this reservation!

Hollywood Studios
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Saturday, I have planned as a rest day—possibly a water park day or maybe a pool and shopping day.  I booked a dinner reservation at the Boathouse in Disney Springs in case we end up over there, and I figured we’d grab lunch at our hotel or by the pool.  The Boathouse is one of the new places at Disney Springs, and I thought it sounded like a place we’d both enjoy.

Monday will be our last day and will be a travel day.  Depending on how many park days we decide to do, we will either visit Animal Kingdom today, or we will have a casual day, maybe at Disney Springs or hanging around the resort until we go to the airport.  In case we go to Animal Kingdom, I made lunch reservations for Yak and Yeti.

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As you can tell, I’ve left a lot kind of up in the air.  At this point, that’s ok.  I’ve made sure we have reservations for most meals, and I have a loose plan for our trip.  I may still play around with reservations over the next few weeks, until we firm up our travel plans a little bit.  Given specific week we are traveling, most reservations should be attainable for another month or two.  If we were going during a busier week, booking early like this would have been CRUCIAL.  Now, it’s just more of a security blanket.  By about 90 days out, I like to have a pretty solid plan, and at that point I’ll release any extraneous reservations, if I haven’t already, and I’ll start planning our fast pass plus reservations.

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Also starting to make lists for a potential big family trip with the nieces and nephews in late 2018 or sometime in 2019.  The more people involved, the more lists 😊 I find myself making.  Absolutely love seeing the kids at Disney; their perspective is so different and so much fun to watch.

What trips are on your horizon?  I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

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Epcot Flower and Garden Festival: Cogswell
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Happy dreaming,

Brooke