#disneyvacationplanning - Disney Castle Dreaming Travel

Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster?

Did you have Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster on your bingo card? I sure didn’t! I’m always happy to see Disney adding more Muppets to the parks—but I have to be honest—Rock-n-Roller Coaster was NOT an attraction that I looked at and thought “Muppets”. But here we are! Disney announced earlier this week that the Muppets are “moving right along” to Rock-n-Roller Coaster.

Disney Hollywood Studios Rock-n-Roller Coaster — Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Fans of Disney’s Hollywood Studios have long speculated that Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith would be overhauled. While Aerosmith is beloved by many, fans speculated that Disney would choose a new band to partner with for this attraction to help appeal to a younger demographic. Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was closed earlier this year for several months for maintenance and refurbishment. Since this was a longer closure than usual, many fans wondered if it would reopen featuring a different artist. When it reopened, however, there were no substantial changes to the attraction. And, of course, Aerosmith is still the featured artist.

Muppets 3D Vision

When Disney announced at last year’s D23 event that they were adding a Monsters Inc. area to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I immediately started worrying for Muppets 3D Vision. The Grand Avenue area of the park, where Muppets 3D Vision is located, doesn’t really have much else over there. It’s at the south end of the park, and it seems like a logical area for a new attraction or “land”. The Muppets themed gift shop never reopened after Covid. I was really worried that if Muppets 3D Vision closed, that would be the end of the Muppets at Disney theme parks.

I LOVE Muppets 3D Vision. It’s a very cute show, inspired by The Muppet Show, and features lots of fun hijinks from many of our favorite Muppets. The pre-show is cute, and the props throughout the pre-show area are detailed and fun. I’m always noticing something new when in the Muppets 3D Vision preshow area. I’m also a big fan of any attraction that is air-conditioned and allows guests to sit down for more than 10 minutes without waiting in really long lines first. Funny and entertaining for all ages? BONUS!!

Outside Muppets 3D Vision is the Miss Piggy fountain. This is a popular photo spot, and another really fun tribute to the Muppets with lots of detail.

Muppets 3D Vision Miss Piggy — Miss Piggy Fountain. Photo: Brooke Hudson

On our most recent trip, we even got to meet Kermit the Frog in this area! I suspect the Miss Piggy fountain will also disappear when this area is taken over by Monsters. However, I’m hoping (maybe delusional…) that they will move the fountain to the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster courtyard, or somewhere in that general neighborhood.

While I completely understand that this area is a very logical place to add the new Monsters Inc. area, I am very disappointed to see Muppet 3D Vision closing to make way.

Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster

As I mentioned above, the Muppets had never occurred to me as a possible replacement for Aerosmith at the Rock-n-Roller Coaster. However, now that Disney has announced it, it does make a weird kind of sense to me. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the house band for the Muppet Show, have always been somewhat chaotic, and I think that fits right in with the Rock-n-Roller Coaster vibe. The only concept art Disney has released so far for the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is the graphic at the top of this post. That graphic features Dr. Teeth, Animal, Janice, Floyd Pepper, Zoot and Lips—all the members of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The concept art also features Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. The concept art also shows them all riding in a psychedelic limo. I hope this means that the cars will all be painted with a psychedelic scheme, to match the Van that Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem travel around in.

I suspect the ride itself will not change much. I’m guessing Disney will repaint the cars, and of course replace the Aerosmith scene with a scene involving the Muppets. Some changes to the artwork and the queue area and BOOM, Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is up and running.

Almost like doing a holiday overlay of the attraction like they do to make the Jungle Cruise into the Jingle Cruise for Christmas—I think this could be a pretty fast transformation.

The Rock-n-Roller Coaster is one of only a few “thrill” rides at Disney World, and is very popular. I suspect they will not want the ride to be down for very long if they can possibly avoid it. But who knows? Maybe they will overhaul the entire attraction and dramatically change everything up. I doubt it, but you never know!

In the announcement, Disney says the Muppets will be teaming up with some of “music’s biggest stars” for a rockin’ music festival. Now it’s possible that Disney thinks Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are among music’s biggest stars, but somehow I don’t think so. So we may see some engagement with other musical celebrities—who knows? When The Muppet Show originally aired in the 70’s, they were able to get some pretty big stars of the time on the show. But the world has changed pretty dramatically since then, and the Muppets are not as popular as they were back then. I have a feeling we’re more likely to see some Disney channel stars or someone trying for a comeback than we are to see Beyoncé or Ariana Grande.

Disney also shares that Sunset Boulevard will offer “plenty” of Muppets themed merchandise. I’m guessing at minimum, the shop at the end of the attraction will be rethemed to match Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster. Perhaps the other shops on Sunset will feature more Muppets merch? There’s been a serious lack of Muppets merchandise in the parks in recent years, so I’m cautiously optimistic that this will get better when the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster opens.

Monsters, Inc.

New attractions are always welcome—especially if it means some expansion to the park. Take a look at the concept art for the Monsters, Inc. area below:

In this concept art, it looks like the Monsters, Inc. building is pushing back on the south side of the park, or actually expanding into a new area, enlarging the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it appears to me.

Disney promises that this new Monsters, Inc. themed area will include a Monsters, Inc. themed roller coaster, as well as dining, shopping and a new theater show. Humans will be able to enter the world of Monsters, and at long last, we’ll be able to be a part of the scene in Monsters, Inc. that looked like a ride design when we first watched the movie: the door vault scene. Disney tells us the coaster will be a suspended ride that will recreate the door vault.

I think this land will be a welcome addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and I’m only surprised it has taken so long to get to this stage. I honestly expected Monsters, Inc. to show up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios 15 years ago! Disney’s Hollywood Studios will certainly benefit from another thrilling attraction and a good show that absorbs large crowds is a terrific plan! More dining and shopping is always welcome, so the only downside to this whole plan? Losing Muppets 3D Vision.

The Bottom Line

Retheming Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith to the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster feels like a consolation prize. I suspect the powers that be are trying to assuage fans that will mourn the loss of Muppets 3D Vision with this retheming. And on some level, I understand that it’s time for change. As much as I love the Muppets and absolutely adore Muppets 3D Vision—you can almost always see the show with a max 15 minute wait. This is not a “hot” attraction anymore. If it was, I suspect it wouldn’t be on the chopping block, regardless of its location.

Fortunately, the Muppets are an important property and they do have marketable value (and they do help to sell merchandise…). I’m guessing the rethemed Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is Disney’s “great idea” to keep the Muppets in the parks without spending a lot of money. There’s the side benefit of updating the original Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, which also feels a bit outdated. Two birds, one stone.

I’m not sure these are the right decisions, but then no one at Disney asked me, hahahaha. I guess we’ll all see when the dust settles. I’m hoping there’s a Muppet loving Imagineer brainstorming new ways to use the Muppets in the parks. (If so, please let me know where to send the donuts!)

I AM excited about the new Monsters, Inc. land. I am always happy to see new attractions at any theme park, and nobody does immersive lands like Disney does. I’m hopeful that Monsters, Inc. will be wonderful and worth the long wait. I suspect this area won’t open until 2028–MAYBE 2027? I’ll keep you posted when I know more.

In the meantime, Disney has not announced closing dates for either Muppets 3D Vision OR Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. So we all still have time to get rides in on those attractions. My guess is that both attractions will go down in 2025. I’m guessing after the summer? But one or both could go down much sooner. As soon as Disney announces official dates, I’ll post an update. There’s still plenty of time to plan your 2025 visit to Walt Disney World. If you’d like to get started, please email brooke@DisneyCastleDreaming.com.

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

Revisiting Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Toy Story Land

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a Toy Story themed table service restaurant that opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in March 2023. We originally visited Roundup Rodeo BBQ in May 2023, not long after it opened. Despite originally vowing to never eat at Roundup Rodeo BBQ again, we found ourselves revisiting Roundup Rodeo BBQ a few weeks ago. Our experience this time was substantially different and I felt deserved an updated review.

We left Roundup Rodeo BBQ pretty disappointed after our initial visit in May 2023. While we loved the theming, we were really disappointed with the food during that visit. That original review can be found Here.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Dining Review Revisited — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Photo: Disney Parks

When it came time to plan our big family trip for October 2024, we kept coming back to Roundup Rodeo BBQ. The theming was SO good and we knew that several family members would be excited to dine in Toy Story Land. We also had heard that Disney had made some changes to the menu based on guest feedback. While that doesn’t always mean good things when it comes to Disney, in this case, we felt things HAD to improve—we didn’t honestly think they could have gotten worse. With cautious trepidation, we made an Advanced Dining Reservation for dinner on our Hollywood Studios day. There were 10 people in our group the evening we had dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Excellent Theming

The one thing that remained consistent between our first visit and our most recent visit was the theming of the restaurant. This restaurant is themed VERY well to Toy Story, and includes characters and storylines from all four movies throughout the restaurant. It’s very colorful and cheerful. This is a very family friendly restaurant—so the noise levels are high. Do not expect a calm or relaxing atmosphere at Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This is a high energy, fun experience—aimed at providing Toy Story fans (especially young fans) an immersive and memorable meal.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ; five key tips for a magical Disney vacation — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Photo: Brooke Hudson

The cast members are all outfitted in cartoon western wear, very fitting with the Toy Story Rodeo theming. One thing my mom pointed out—she felt the cast member seating us and our server did a better job this visit with bringing everyone into the Toy Story atmosphere, and in telling diners what to expect. She’s not a Toy Story fan, and felt lost during our first visit—not understanding some of what was going on. This time, the cast members explained that Andy or Sid might come into the backyard, and because we are all honorary toys, we have to freeze whenever that happens. This helped Mom feel more involved, even though she hadn’t seen the movies.

The audio playing throughout the meal seemed clearer and more understandable this visit as well. We also noticed some really fun action that played out around the restaurant involving different cast members acting as certain Toy Story characters. It was fun and the activity and audio cues were frequent enough to keep younger kids from getting bored, but not so often as to make you feel anxious or overwhelmed. (Everyone’s barometer for overstimulation is different however; your mileage may vary on this).

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Revisited — Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Interior Photo: Disney Parks

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Pricing

One of the advantages that Roundup Rodeo BBQ has had from the start is that it is a relatively fairly priced meal for Walt Disney World. The menu is served family style, and is all-you-care-to-eat. The meal includes a beverage (fountain drinks, iced tea or milk), several different meats, multiple sides and dessert. When Roundup Rodeo BBQ first opened, the price for adults (age 10+) was $45 per person, and the price for children (ages 3-9) was $25. These prices have increased slightly. The current prices for adults is $49 per person and for children is $27. This is the same whether you go for lunch or dinner–so make that reservation whenever you can get it. There’s no price disadvantage to the dinner hour, and no price advantage to the lunchtime shift.

Take a look at the current menu here.

The majority of our family really took the “all you care to eat” to heart. I think most of us really got our money’s worth here. We made sure to go in hungry—and the improvements in the menu were definitely appreciated by pretty much the whole family. One of the single BEST improvements to the menu doesn’t show on the online menu–it only appears on the printed menu you get at the restaurant: you can get salmon upon request with your proteins. And the salmon was SO GOOD!! It really elevated the meal for us. Somehow, I didn’t manage to get a picture of any of the VERY fabulous salmon. But I did capture my other favorite item on the menu–and this is an original menu item– the biscuits with the sweet pepper jam. Oh my goodness. I wouldn’t be surprised if a black market sprung up somewhere just for these!! Really yummy!

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

The desserts were also beloved universally at our table–and between the 10 of us, we tried ALL of them.

Let me be clear: $49 is a lot of money for lunch or dinner—especially for a 10 year old person. However, this is a meal inside one of the most popular theme parks in the world. For theme park dining at a table service restaurant, $49 is one of the lower priced options you’ll find. And while this is not a character meal, it is very well themed. And there actually is quite a lot of entertainment happening. Overall, now that the quality of the food has improved (in my opinion), I think this is a very reasonably priced table service meal at Disney. I definitely recommend going in hungry if you can!

The Bottom Line — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Revisited

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

I would definitely recommend Roundup Rodeo BBQ for a fun family dining experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. My recommendation does come with a few caveats, however. If your kids are SUPER picky eaters–make sure you look at the menu before making your reservation. $49 is a lot of money if the only thing your kid will eat is mac and cheese.

Be aware, this is a LOUD, boisterous and fun dining experience. If you have Toy Story fans in your group, they are likely to love it–but if you have kids with sensory issues or that get overwhelmed when there is a lot going on–this may not be the right dining experience for your family.

However, we found it to be fun and entertaining. The service was great, the food was really good, and our family REALLY enjoyed the all-you-can-eat aspect. I’d like to also personally recommend the Rattler Rum Punch for those that like a little alcohol with their boisterous family dining experiences. It was really tasty and had a nice little kick to it!

Roundup Rodeo Revisited — Roundup Rodeo Beverages Photo: Disney Parks

I think Roundup Rodeo BBQ fills a need that it was supposed to fill: good, fun, entertaining themed dining in Toy Story Land. Good food that appeals to most (especially with the changes they’ve made over the last year) at a reasonable for theme park dining price.

I suggest you check it out on your next Disney vacation–especially if you’re a Toy Story fan or have Toy Story fans in your traveling crew.

Disney Fireworks Cruises

If you love Disney fireworks like I do, trust me, you want to know about Disney Fireworks Cruises. These exceptional experiences offer some of the best fireworks views around AND you get to avoid the crowds!

I am a Disney fireworks junkie, I admit it. Over the last 20 years, I have seen ever incarnation of Disney fireworks at all of the Florida Disney World parks, from regular shows to limited runs to holiday spectaculars. I LOVE Disney fireworks. If my fellow travelers would allow, we would watch Disney fireworks from SOMEWHERE every night of our Disney vacations.

Fireworks Waiting in line — Magic Kingdom Fireworks (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Where to watch the show from is just as important as which show on what night. And I have watched from every location I could. In front of the castle, behind the castle. The rooftop at Bay Lake Tower, the catwalk at the Contemporary Resort. The porch at Narcoossee’s. The Beach at the Polynesian.

Disney Fireworks From Bay Lake Tower — Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Bay Lake Tower Photo: Brooke Hudson

We’ve watched EPCOT fireworks from every country around the World Showcase and have watched from the spot between Port of Entry and Mexico or Canada. I’ve even watched from parking lots and the Skyliner.

Epcot Illuminations Reflections of Earth Fireworks — Illuminations Reflections of Earth, Wedding Dessert Party Photo: Vicki and David Arndt

Until last night, I would have told you that the very best fireworks viewing to be had was from Disney fireworks dessert parties. We hosted a fireworks dessert party in the UK after our wedding and it was AMAZING—and offered a wonderful view of the fireworks. We’ve become big fans of the Seats and Sweets Fireworks Dessert Party over at the Magic Kingdom (Click Here to read my blog post about fireworks dessert parties.) While I would still highly recommend Disney fireworks dessert parties, the Disney fireworks cruise is has climbed to the top of the list for me. This is the BEST way to view Disney fireworks—and to have a terrific overall experience as well.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney Fireworks Cruises – The Basics

First off, let me caution you: this is not an economical experience. However, it is also not an exceptionally overpriced extravagant experience. The current price for a Disney Fireworks Cruise is $449 + tax, and you can include up to 10 people on your cruise. This is a private, chartered cruise, and includes the services of a captain. The cruise also includes snacks, as well as pop, juice and water. If you shared the cost over all 10 people, each person would pay less than $60, and that would include the tip for the captain!

You are also allowed to bring your own treats and/or alcoholic beverages if you wish.

Children under 12 must wear a life jacket—provided by the marina team. Your cruise can also include a birthday or anniversary banner (provided by the Marina team) at no additional charge and may also include balloons for no additional charge if the winds are not too high.

Disney Fireworks Cruise Happy Birthday Banner — Happy Birthday Banner Disney Pontoon Boats Photo: Deidra Ocampo

EPCOT Fireworks Cruises

EPCOT fireworks, currently “Luminous, a Symphony of Us”, are always at 9 pm. EPCOT fireworks cruises board at the Yacht Club Marina, located near the lighthouse at the Yacht Club on Crescent Lake. Each night, up to five pontoon boats may be chartered for the fireworks cruise. Your group (again, up to a maximum of 10 people) will board your boat at approximately 7:45 pm, with your captain setting sail at 8pm.

Your boat will tour Crescent Lake for approximately 35-40 minutes, traveling past the Swan and Dolphin to Disney’s Hollywood Studios before heading into EPCOT to tie up with the other fireworks cruise boats, just inside the park, between the UK and France.

Your group will float happily in this perfect location to watch the entire Luminous show. Once the show is over, the boats will separate and gradually return to their home dock. The entire experience lasts about an hour and a half.

Disney Fireworks Cruises Pontoon Boats Photo: Brooke Hudson

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruises

Magic Kingdom fireworks start at different times, depending on sunset and/or holiday parties or special events. So the Magic Kingdom fireworks cruises are not quite as consistently scheduled as the EPCOT fireworks cruises are. The experience is quite similar though. Your experience will last approximately an hour and a half, and your boat will depart approximately one hour before the fireworks are scheduled. Your cruise will board at the Marina at the Contemporary Resort. Your boat captain will tour Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon with your party, making sure that your party has a great view of the fireworks, once they are ready to begin.

Disney Fireworks Cruise Magic Kingdom — Disney Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise Boats Photo: Brooke Hudson

The main difference between the two experiences is that the Magic Kingdom fireworks cruise boats do not tie up together like the EPCOT fireworks cruise boats do. The Magic Kingdom fireworks cruise boats continue cruising throughout the fireworks show, albeit at a much slower pace. After the fireworks are over, the captain will return your boat to the Marina.

Note: Some Magic Kingdom fireworks cruises will launch from the Marina at the Grand Floridian resort. Please confirm your launch location when reserving your cruise.

How to Book a Disney Fireworks Cruise

Booking a Disney Fireworks Cruise is relatively easy; however, you cannot book your cruise until 60 days before the date of your cruise. You can book a Disney Fireworks Cruise through the My Disney Experience app, through this link, or by calling (407) WDW-PLAY (407) 939-7529. Alternatively, if you are working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner like myself, your planner may also reserve your cruise for you.

The cost of your cruise is $449 + tax (and a tip for your captain!).

Rent a Pontoon Boat

Did you know that you can rent a pontoon boat during the day for up to 10 passengers during your Disney vacation? Rentals are available at the Yacht Club Marina, the Contemporary Resort Marina and the Grand Floridian Marina. You can rent the boat as long as you have a valid driver’s license, state ID or Military ID and are over 18 years old.

Things to keep in mind:

- - Cost $49 + tax for 3o minutes
  - Children under 12 years old must wear a complimentary life jacket
  - Reservations are not required
  - Rentals are available on a first come, first served basis
  - These boat rentals do NOT include a captain; YOU will be responsible for driving the boat.
  - Smoking is not allowed on board any Disney boat or watercraft
  - Only Resort guests or guests with Resort dining reservations will be permitted to park in the Resort parking areas

Final Thoughts

One thing to keep in mind. Once you have done a Disney Fireworks Cruise, you will have a hard time ever going back to standing shoulder to shoulder with 25,000 of your closest friends to watch Disney fireworks in a theme park! My mom and I were joking the other evening that we have been completely spoiled now–between the Seats & Sweets Fireworks Dessert Parties we’ve attended and now this amazing Disney Fireworks Cruise, regular old fireworks standing out in the Magic Kingdom or at EPCOT just isn’t going to feel as good as it used to!

What do YOU think? Would you like to try a Disney Fireworks Cruise sometime? Comment below.

I have a Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise on my Wishlist now. I’m going to see if I can collect a few friends next trip to split the cost with me…

Five Key Tips to a Magical Disney Vacation

Get an Early Start to Your Disney Days

This may be unpopular with some vacationers that prefer to sleep in while on vacation. However, trust me when I tell you that the benefits to getting up early and getting into the theme park early are HUGELY worth the inconvenience.

Five key tips to a magical Disney vacation — Wake up!

If you are staying on Disney property or in a Disney Good Neighbor hotel, you have access to Disney’s Early Entry — this allows you to enter the theme park 30 minutes before it opens to the general public. This may not sound like much time, but you would be surprised at what an advantage this is!

Disney vacation tips sleeping — Rise and Shine DeMarco Photo: Linda Harkness

Number one, MANY people like to sleep late on vacation. These people will still be in bed while you are getting on rides with very short or non existent lines! I love to sleep in as much as the next person; however I love short lines on Disney rides a lot more. Generally speaking, the morning crowds are SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the afternoon crowds. Around 11 am, the crowd levels start climbing and they generally peak around 3:30 pm.

In the Florida heat and humidity, crowds can feel really intense and overwhelming. Especially as I get older, my tolerance for thick crowds on hot days has really shrunk!

I’m not promising that you’ll have NO lines all morning but the lines are markedly shorter in the mornings than they will be from noon on.

Five key tips to a magical disney vacation; Soarin' — Soarin’ All to Ourselves in the morning!

Plan to Sit Down in Air Conditioning for Lunch

People underestimate the benefit of taking 45 minutes to an hour and sitting down and getting rest in air conditioning for lunch. Often people are so focused on trying to DO everything, they rush through lunch and don’t take any time to rest. Generally, these are the same people that you will observe yelling at their crying four year old around 4pm.

I cannot stress enough how much everyone, all ages, benefits from taking the time to sit down, cool off and rest. Yes, ultimately, you may end up doing one less ride during your day; however, you will actually ENJOY the rest of your day MUCH more. Now, if you are age 15 – age 30, this may not apply to you. However, I have traveled with families with young children, I have traveled with older family members and family and friends aged 2 to 80 and almost without exception–people were happier and had a much better time after taking a 45 minute lunch break to cool off and calm down.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do a table service meal every day for lunch (although I highly recommend that if you can plan ahead and make reservations). There are many quick service restaurants that are inside locations that are air conditioned or have lots of ceiling fans. I highly recommend taking advantage of mobile ordering whenever possible to minimize time standing in line, especially if the line is outdoors like at Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom).

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

Know the Shows or Rides Where You Can Rest

You may think I’m crazy when I tell you this, but take a few minutes in the morning to identify rides or shows in the theme park you are in where you know you can sit down for at least 20 – 25 minutes and get a little break.

Disney Parks News Festival of the Lion King Cast and Crew Laid Off — Festival of the Lion King Photo: Brooke Hudson

For example, the Festival of the Lion King show is a 20 minute show. You’ll take your seats 15-20 minutes before start of the show. The theatre is air-conditioned, and you’ll be seated for approximately 30 minutes. The show itself is really good, and I highly recommend it. BUT, it’s also a great opportunity to get a little break. Pay attention to how you are feeling. Your kids might not notice if they are getting overheated or over tired–but you will. There is nothing wrong with accomplishing two things at once! Enjoy an attraction or a show AND get a little break from the Florida heat and humidity at the same time.

Here are some of my suggested attractions that will double as a “break” for you and your family.

Magic Kingdom:

- - Walt Disney World Railroad
  - Enchanted Tales with Belle
  - Carousel of Progress
  - Mickey’s Philharmagic
  - Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover)
  - Country Bear Jamboree
  - Honorable mention: Pirates of the Caribbean: This a really nice and air conditioned line once you get inside the building and the ride itself is fairly long for a Disney ride.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

EPCOT:

- - Living with the Land (ride)
  - Spaceship Earth (ride–usually shorter lines)
  - Awesome Planet (10 minute movie)
  - The American Adventure (really plush comfortable seats)
  - Impressions de France (18 minute movie)
  - Beauty and the Beast Sing a Long (movie)
  - Honorable mention: Japan has a very large very air conditioned store, Mitsukoshi. There’s no where to sit, but there is a LOT to look at and do while in the store.
  - Entertainment at Canada Mill Stage (Musical acts)
  - Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros: This is a relaxing boat ride in Mexico. This usually has a short line.
  - Honorable Mention: China has a movie in an air conditioned theatre that is definitely worth a watch–there are no seats but there are places to lean. There is also a large air conditioned series of shops in China. Again no where to sit down, but lots to look at.
  - Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

- - Festival of the Lion King
  - Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…And Beyond
  - Wildlife Express Train (Short Train ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch)
  - Honorable Mention: Feathered Friends in Flight (35 minute show in Asia). This is in an outdoor theater, but there are lots of shady spots, plenty of seats, and fans.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

- - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing A Long Celebration
  - Walt Disney Presents (there is a movie at the end where you can sit down)
  - Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie
  - Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  - Muppetvision 3D
  - Fantasmic!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Take an Afternoon Break

If you follow my advice and have an early start on your park days, by lunch time, you may be starting to wilt a little bit. Especially if you are traveling to Florida from cooler climates–the Florida heat and humidity can have a really adverse effect on your energy levels.

Generally speaking, the hours between 12pm and 5pm are the hottest and most crowded in theme parks. we usually try to leave whatever park we are in by around 1-2pm and go back to our resort and relax for a few hours. We’ll take short naps or go hang out by the pool. We might take the opportunity to get some laundry done. We might have afternoon cocktails on the patio or a late lunch by the pool. Sometimes we will even order pizza or DoorDash dinner in.

Old Key West, Pool, five key tips for a magical Disney vacation — Old Key West Pool Photo: Brooke Hudson

Later, we will either return to the same park for evening rides, fireworks or shows OR if you are an Annual Passholder or have park hoppers, you can visit a DIFFERENT theme park at night.

Disney cancels dining reservations and other experiences — Magic Kingdom Fireworks Photo: Brooke Hudson

Build in a Rest Day

If you are visiting Walt Disney World for 4 days or more, I HIGHLY recommend building in a rest day. Multiple park days in a row can get exhausting. Trust me when I tell you that your whole group will benefit from a rest day at the resort. I don’t mean don’t do ANYTHING, I mean take a day off from the theme parks. Take advantage of the amenities at your resort. Enjoy the pool. Enjoy the bar. Visit one of Disney’s four miniature golf courses. Sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a more relaxed day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Many people don’t know that the average theme park visitor will walk more than 5 miles in a day during their visit to a Disney theme park. My family often averages 7 miles per day during our trips–and that’s with the breaks that I build in. (Read here for tips on training for your Disney vacation.)

I’m not kidding around when I promise that your vacation will be much more enjoyable overall if you build in some rest time. Not to mention: Disney resorts (and MANY of the non Disney resorts) are really nice places to spend time. The pools are usually beautiful. Disney resorts offer fun activities most days and show movies many nights out by the pool. You can even roast marshmallows at fire pits at many Disney resorts. You’re paying for all the amenities at your resort–but most Disney guests never take advantage of any of the amenities their resort offers.

Disney offers many activities throughout the resort that have nothing to do with the world famous theme parks. There are three highly rated, professionally designed golf courses. There are two fun miniature golf courses. There are boats you can rent. You can go bowling, go shopping, go see a movie…There are a TON of options outside the theme. Granted some are more restful than others, but active rest can be good too!

Winter Summerland; five key tips for a magical Disney vacation — Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Photo: Disney Parks

Five Key Tips for a Magical Disney Vacation — The Bottom Line

You are investing a lot of money in your Disney vacation. Most likely, you are also investing time planning your trip, thinking about your trip, getting excited about your trip, and budgeting for your trip. Once you are actually ON vacation, you would think you wouldn’t have to do any more thinking. And you will have a good time on your vacation as long as you pack some good shoes, a good attitude and a little bit of patience. But these five key tips will help you to have a more magical Disney vacation.

- - Get an early start
  - Plan to sit down in air conditioning for lunch
  - Know the shows or rides where you can sit down and rest
  - Take an afternoon break
  - Build in a rest day

What do you think? Do you have any favorite tips that you will employ on your next Disney vacation? Please comment below.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Open This Summer 2024!

Great news today from the Walt Disney World Company! Disney has announced that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open THIS SUMMER 2024! Previously, Disney had promised that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would open “Late 2024”–with most experts predicting an October/November opening day. However, there have been lots of signs that construction has been moving fairly quickly. One of the most exciting recent visual clues that the reimagined attraction might open sooner than expected came last week, when visitors noticed water flowing through visible areas of the attraction.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction has been in progress for just over one year so far. Splash Mountain closed on January 23, 2023 to be reimagined as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. You can read more about that closure here.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open summer 2024 construction 2024 — Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction/ Photo: Destinations to Explore

From what we’ve learned so far, the basic ride system itself will remain basically the same. This will still be a log ride on water. Guests will ride in a log through the attraction, culminating in a drop near the end of the attraction where guests will most likely get wet. What WILL change is the entire visual look and feel of the attraction. The attraction is being completely re-themed to The Princess and the Frog, featuring Princess Tiana and her friends.

External changes to the attractions that have been visible to guests include the repainted attraction/queue buildings, shown in the photo above. The primary attraction/queue building is now a bright cheerful yellow and features a mural showcasing Tiana’s jazz loving alligator friend, Louis. Other visible external changes include the additional of the Tiana’s Foods Water Tower, topped with Tiana’s crown! There’s also been a lot of changes to the greenery and vegetation on the exterior of the “mountain”.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open summer 2024 — Tiana’s Bayou Adventure/ Photo: Disney Parks

Astonishing Animatronics

Disney has told us that not only will Tiana’s Bayou Adventure open this summer 2024, it will include dozens of new animatronic characters! The behind the scenes glimpses we’ve seen so far of these new animatronics shows us that as technology continues to improve, so do these amazing attraction treasures. Take a look at this video featuring Tiana herself.

Her movements look so natural, don’t they? It’s really fun to see her come alive from the concept art to this. I can’t wait to see her embedded in the attraction!

Here’s another really short sneak peek look at an animatronic for this attraction that Disney gave us, but it doesn’t give us anywhere NEAR as good a look. But I think I might be even MORE excited to see this one in action!

Can you guess who this one will be?

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Open Summer 2024 – What’s the Story?

Many Disney attractions based on a beloved Disney feature film retell the story of the film (in just a few minutes). Think ‘The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure’ for a great example of this. I’m excited that Imagineers are going a different direction with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. For this attraction, the story is picking up AFTER the movie ends!

While we don’t know exactly what the story is, we DO know that this adventure is taking place in the next chapter of Tiana’s adventures. She’s successfully opened her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace. Now, she’s expanding her business with Tiana’s Foods. Tiana and her friends are throwing a big celebration during the Mardi Gras season. The attraction will be filled with fun music, characters, critters and adventure. I’m so excited that we won’t have to wait too much longer to check it out for ourselves!

Are YOU Excited to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure When it Opens This Summer 2024?

SO….Are you excited? Is this an attraction you’ve been waiting to hear about? Do you love that Disney chose to announce on Fat Tuesday an opening season for an attraction with a Mardi Gras tie-in ? Please comment below if this is an attraction you’re excited to ride!

Our big family trip is this October, so I’m VERY excited for this announcement. I’d previously been worried that the attraction would reopen AFTER our trip, and our family wouldn’t get to experience it. I know that everyone will enjoy this one, and I’m looking forward to the new theming. I loved The Princess and the Frog, and I’m really happy to see Tiana get some love in the parks.

It sounds like the Disneyland version of the attraction is going to open later than the Disney World version, most likely in the fall. I’ll be sure and keep you all posted.

Mom and I will be in the parks later this month for the Disney Princess Half Marathon (also Tiana themed–hmmm, I’m sensing a pattern here!), so I’ll be sure and come back with some construction photo updates for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I’m excited to see what we can see from the outside!

Free Dining is BACK for Disney+ Subscribers!

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

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

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

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

Is there only one Disney Dining Plan?

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

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

- - One quick service meal per night
  - One table service meal per night
  - One snack or non-alcoholic beverage per night
  - A refillable resort mug

Important things to know about the Standard Disney Dining Plan:

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

Free Dining is Back Disney Dining Plan — Photo: Disney Parks

What’s Included in Each Meal?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- - One Full Buffet (if available) or Family-Style Meal
  - One non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage, for guests 21 or older)

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Character Meal. Snow White. Character Dining. Food. — Photo: Disney Parks

What Beverages are Included?

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

A single serving alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

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

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

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

- - Milkshakes
  - Fresh Smoothies
  - Premium Hot Chocolate
  - Soda, Coffee or Tea

Star Wars Galaxys Edge Olgas Cantina Disney Dining Plan — Left to right, non-alcoholic drinks: Carbon Freeze, Oga’s Obsession provision and Cliff Dweller can be found at Oga’s Cantina. (Photo: Kent Phillips/Disney Parks)

What Counts as a “Snack”?

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

- - Frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle or fruit bar
  - 2 scoops of hand-scooped ice cream
  - Popcorn scoop (single-serving box)
  - Piece of whole fruit
  - Single-serve bag of snacks
  - 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products, including Dasani® water
  - 20-ounce fountain soft drink
  - Single-serve coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, milk or juice
  - Cup of soup
  - Add on toppings or sauces (e.g. side of cheese dipping sauce)

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Dole Whip. Dole Whip with Rum. Snack — Photo: Brooke Hudson

What’s NOT Included?

- - Items served in a souvenir container (like popcorn or drinks)
  - Products that are larger than a single serving (for example, a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter
  - Items that are considered merchandise (like bottle straps, glow cubes or bottle toppers)
  - Special dining events offered at some Table Service restaurants

More Magical Ways to use Table Service Meal Credits:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pizza Meals are available at the following Disney World Resorts:

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

What Does the Standard Disney Dining Plan Cost?

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

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

California Grill.Dessert. Disney Dining Plan. Free Dining is Back. — Dessert at California Grill Photo: Brooke Hudson

The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan includes:

- - Two quick service meals per night
  - One snack or non-alcoholic beverage per night
  - One refillable resort mug

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

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

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Quick Service. Kids Dining. — Photo: Disney Parks

What’s Included in Each Meal?

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

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

What Beverages are Included?

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

A single serving alcoholic beverage includes items such as:

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

Disney Cocktails. Drinks. Disney Dining Plan. — Photo: Brooke Hudson

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

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

- - Milkshakes
  - Fresh Smoothies
  - Premium Hot Chocolate
  - Soda, Coffee or Tea

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Snacks — Photo: Disney Parks

What Counts as a “Snack”?

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

- - Frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle or fruit bar
  - 2 scoops of hand-scooped ice cream
  - Popcorn scoop (single-serving box)
  - Piece of whole fruit
  - Single-serve bag of snacks
  - 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola® products, including Dasani® water
  - 20-ounce fountain soft drink
  - Single-serve coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, milk or juice
  - Cup of soup
  - Add on toppings or sauces (e.g. side of cheese dipping sauce)

What’s NOT Included?

- - Items served in a souvenir container (like popcorn or drinks)
  - Products that are larger than a single serving (for example, a box of donuts or a jar of peanut butter
  - Items that are considered merchandise (like bottle straps, glow cubes or bottle toppers)

What Does the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan Cost?

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

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

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

Do the Disney Dining Plan credits come day by day?

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

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

Planning and Organization Required

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

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

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

Use them or lose them!

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

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

How do you use the Dining Plan?

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

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

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

Free Dining is Back. Disney Dining Plan. Roundup Rodeo. Toy Story Dining. Food. Table Service Meal. — Roundup Rodeo Photo: Brooke Hudson

How to Keep Track of Your Disney Dining Plan Credits

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

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

What About Gratuities?

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

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

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

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

But What About FREE DINING???

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

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

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

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

Is Free Dining a Good Deal?

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

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

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

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

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

Bottom Line: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Disney Dining Plans

Advantages

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

New Restaurant Open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse — Great food can be found at the new Regal Eagle Smokehouse at the American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT (Photo: Disney Parks)

DISADVANTAGES

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

Questions?

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

Work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

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

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

Is “The Little Mermaid” Returning to Hollywood Studios?

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard Ariel sing “Part of Your World” At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but it looks like “The Little Mermaid” may be returning at long last !

After Walt Disney World reopened after the closure in 2020 due to the pandemic, shows were among the last things to reappear. In many cases, the show that reopened was a downsized version–for example, the fabulous Festival of the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom reopened in May 2021 as “Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King”. This initial reopening emphasized social distancing, both in the audience and among the performers. The show was about 10 minutes shorter than the original show, and was missing some key elements–like the tumble monkeys.

Most shows eventually returned the parks, and for the most, order was restored to the Kingdom.

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

There was one show that never reopened after the pandemic–The Voyage of The Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Voyage of The Little Mermaid opened in January 1992. This show was a mixture of puppetry and actors, along with some special effects. It was a 25 minute show and told a shortened version of The Little Mermaid movie. It featured each song from the movie and it was very popular for many years. By the mid-aughts, it was apparent that the show needed to be updated. Nevertheless, the show still drew crowds and was a fun way to spend 25 minutes.

As the years passed post-pandemic and this show didn’t reopen, speculation began to run rampant. Maybe Disney would revamp the show. Maybe they’d replace the show with a totally different show. The theater remained in place, with no signs of life. The Voyage of The Little Mermaid marquis sign stayed in place, giving hope that the show would one day return.

There was a gift shop attached to the theater that also never reopened–and we know Disney never misses an opportunity to fill a gift shop with merchandise guaranteed trigger the “I WANT” button in small children and adults as they exit an attraction that pushed emotional or nostalgia buttons! But year after year, the shop has remained closed.

At last, it appears that The Little Mermaid is returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure

Walt Disney World has announced “The Little Mermaid -A Musical Adventure” is coming to the newly refreshed theater in the Animation Courtyard in Fall 2024. Disney tells us that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” will be a fully reimagined musical production inspired by the classic Disney movie, “The Little Mermaid”. It seems clear from the description that this is not a revamp of the original Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, but rather a completely new show in the same theater. Disney promises new set pieces, cutting edge effects and a bold new design. Disney Live Entertainment tells us they’ve been looking for innovative ways to tell the story of Ariel’s journey to the human world.

The show will feature favorite songs from the classic film, like “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. Disney has released concept art for the new “Kiss the Girl” scene.

This is the only concept art they’ve released so far, and the information we have so far is pretty limited. We don’t yet know how long the show will be, or if this will all be live action actors like “The Beauty and the Beast” show that has been playing for years at the Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard. Alternatively, it could be a mixture of live actors and animatronics or animation.

From the references to “classic”, I’m assuming this version of “The Little Mermaid” will lean heavily on the 1989 animated Disney film, “The Little Mermaid”. But COULD they be drawing anything in from the 2023 live action remake? Or from “The Little Mermaid” on Broadway? Anything is possible. I will be sure to keep you posted as new information becomes available.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that ANY new show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is good news. That park has long needed some additional entertainment options, and adding “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is definitely a step in the right direction. Hollywood Studios has become fairly ride heavy in the last few years, and while we all love the rides, the entertainment was always a big part of what made Hollywood Studios so special. There are still many entertainment experiences that have never returned to the park post pandemic, and I think the losses are felt throughout the day when you visit Hollywood Studios today.

Disney Parks News Citizens of Hollywood Laid Off — Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ amazing Streetmosphere players (Citizens of Hollywood) (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Missing Entertainment

For example, the streetmosphere actors that used to perform little skits involving the crowd are a giant loss. They were clever and very funny, and did a great job at involving crowd members in their little vignettes.

Another loss has been the Jedi Training Academy. Each one of these shows would involve 8-12 kids from the audience that would participate and practice with light sabers and learn the ways of the Jedi. Each show would feature a visit from a villain, like Darth Vader or Darth Maul, and the shows were entertaining and fun for both the participants and the audience members.

I hope that this new show, “The Little Mermaid-A musical Adventure” is just the first addition of shows and entertainment back in to Hollywood Studios.

What do you think? Are you excited to see Ariel’s return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Please comment below and let us know if there are other entertainment ideas you’d like to see come to life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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

P.S. – Are you planning to visit Walt Disney World in 2024? I’d love to help. Contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for a no obligation quote.

P.P.S. – Check out our review of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ newest table service restaurant, Round-Up Rodeo here.

What to do when it RAINS on your Disney Vacation

“Into every life some rain must fall.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When planning your Walt Disney World vacation, you are usually planning for fun-filled sunny days. But what if all your vacation days don’t end up being sunny? What should you do when it rains on your Disney vacation?

Rainy Day at Disney; What to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation — Photo: Brooke Hudson

Mindset: It’s NOT the end of the World

I promise, no matter how hard it rains, your vacation doesn’t need to be ruined. It is important to plan ahead for rainy days just in case they show up on your vacation. It is even more important to have the right attitude about a rainy day. If everyone gets all gloom and doom about a rainy day, then you will all be correct–you won’t have any fun, and it will be a no-good terrible very bad day.

grumpy on a rainy day at Disney; what to do when it rains on your Disney vacation — Photo: Brooke Hudson

However, if you have a plan AND maintain a positive “we are going to have fun no matter what” attitude, you may find some of your favorite vacation memories happen on your rainy day(s).

What are the odds it will rain on your Disney vacation?

It’s always a good idea to check the weather for the Orlando area for the week of your trip before you leave home. We’ve been surprised a few times by much colder temperatures or a lot more rain than we expected. Forewarned is forearmed. If you know it’s going to be cold at night during your trip, you can plan ahead for that and pack a sweatshirt.

https://www.weatherbug.com/weather-forecast/now/walt-disney-world-resort-fl-32836

It’s also a good idea to check the weather in recent years for the time period you are going. For example, if you are traveling to Florida in April, you might check and see how much rain the Disney World area traditionally gets in April (2.72 inches, some rain on an average of 16 days).

Rainy Season

The months that get the most rain at Walt Disney World are June, July, August and September. This is considered “rainy season”. Hurricane season runs from June through November.

If you are traveling any time during rainy season, you can expect at least SOME rain most days. Torrential downpours that last all day are not common, but they do happen.

Regardless of when you travel, the odds are good that you could have rain on at least one day of your Disney vacation.

Be PREPARED for Rain on your Disney Vacation

One of the best things you can do to set your family up for fun rainy days is to be prepared! There are few low – cost items you can add to your park bag to help you stay reasonably dry and minimize the impact on your park fun.

Rain Ponchos

The single most important investment you can make to prevent rainy day misery when it rains on your Disney vacation are rain ponchos. On rainy days, you will see rain ponchos for sale at every shop around Disney property. The problem with waiting to buy a poncho until you need it is that a) you are usually already pretty soaked by the time you get into a shop to buy a poncho b) you are stuck paying Disney Parks prices for your ponchos and c) occasionally you end up at the one store that sold out of ponchos 10 minutes ago.

Pack your panchos; what to do when it rains on your Disney vacation — Rain Panchos

It’s best to pack your own ponchos in your daily park bag so that as soon as it starts to rain, you can put them on and minimize your risk of getting soaked. Bonus: wearing ponchos on rides like Kali River Rapids will help you stay dry when everyone else in your boat gets drenched.

Where to Find Ponchos?

There are tons of different ponchos you can get before your trip. You can buy them at the Dollar Store or at Sporting Goods stores or even on Amazon.

For example, if you have a big group and need lots of ponchos, you may want to consider something like this:

What to do if it rains on your Disney Vacation? Ponchos — Family Package of Ponchos

https://amzn.to/3qW0M7P

These are thinner than the Disney ponchos, but the whole package of eight ponchos–4 adult and 4 children sized ponchos– are only $15.99. These are also packaged up very small and are very lightweight.

What should you do if it rains on your Disney vacation Ponchos — Ponchos – 10 pack with sleeves

https://amzn.to/3swMOtm

Here’s a 10 pack of clear, lightweight and easy to pack rain ponchos. The 10-pack is $15.99, so about $1.59 per poncho. That’s pretty tough to beat. But keep in mind these are very thin and lightweight. They are intended primarily for one time use. If you are careful not to tear them, you may be able to get multiple uses out of one poncho, but most likely, you will want to have a few extras in case it rains multiple days on your trip and you are unable to reuse your first poncho.

What Should You do if it Rains on your Disney Vacation Poncho — Mickey & Minnie Heavy Weight Poncho

https://amzn.to/45Am8Xu

This poncho is a little heavier weight than the one time use ponchos shown above. It can be re-folded and stored until the next time you need it, as long as you are careful while wearing it and when you take it off. This particular poncho is fairly similar to what you would be able to buy inside the parks. They are usually just big rectangles with hoods, with a couple of snaps under each arm to hold the sides together.

We bought a few of this style several years ago and have been able to reuse them on multiple trips. This particular poncho is priced slightly more affordable than Disney’s at $12.49 but it’s not a big savings. The advantage with buying ahead is that your family will already have ponchos when it starts to rain on your Disney vacation.

Backpack Covers

If you or someone else in your group carries a backpack as your park bag, you may want to consider carrying a backpack cover in case of rain. While a large poncho can usually go over your backpack as well, you may want stronger protection for your backpack, in case it doesn’t completely fit under your poncho or in case you want to carry it outside of your poncho.

https://amzn.to/3ReDJzA

These waterproof backpack covers come in a variety of colors and sizes. Prices range from $9.99 – $11.99, based on the size. Quick and easy to use, I really like the security of being able to protect my park backpack.

Extra Shoes and Socks

If you are traveling to Disney during rainy season, I recommend you bring at least 2 pairs of whatever shoes you are planning to wear to the parks. That way, if your first pair of shoes get soaked, you can let them dry at least 24 hours before wearing them again. Just wear your second set of park shoes the next day. If you are staying at a Deluxe Resort, you will most likely have access to a washer and dryer, so drying your shoes in the driver may be an option for you–but if there is a time crunch, or you just don’t want to bother with drying them in a dryer, you’ll be glad you have that second pair of shoes. I usually carry an extra pair of dry socks in my park bag if I’m expecting a rainy day. As long as your feet can be warm and dry, you will generally be fairly comfortable.

Phone Protectors

Another rainy day tool that can be really helpful can also do double duty if you are visiting a water park or planning some pool time is a waterproof protector for your phone.

what should you do if it rains on your disney vacation phone pouch — Waterproof Phone Protection

https://amzn.to/45H5Rjp

We originally purchased these to protect our phones on lake weekends. Later we discovered that they were super useful for Disney water parks and water rides at the theme parks. They’re also super helpful on really rainy days.

What can you do when it RAINS on your Disney Vacation?

If you are prepared for the rain, there is no reason for the rain to interrupt your theme park plans. Fun fact: attraction lines tend to be much shorter on rainy days because travelers unprepared for the rain often leave and return to their resort, leaving the theme parks wide open to those of us made of sturdier stock.

On some rainy days at the Magic Kingdom, Disney will send out the Rainy Day Parade. You can only ever see this parade on a rainy day, so you can consider yourselves very lucky if you happen to see it live and in person.

what should you do if it rains on your disney vacation rainy day parade — Rainy Day Parade Photo: Brooke Hudson

Fireworks

Disney doesn’t cancel their nightly fireworks shows very often. Unless there is lightning or very high winds, the fireworks shows tend to go off no matter what. We have watched the fireworks in the rain many times. If you have a good poncho, you can sometimes get some great fireworks viewing spots out in the center while those that want to stay out of the rain crowd under the trees or awnings where they are available.

During last May’s mother – daughter trip, I didn’t take my own advice and we did not pack our ponchos. It started pouring while we were having dinner. It stopped briefly after dinner and we made our way towards the front of the castle for fireworks viewing–and the skies opened up on us. We found a little shelter under a tree but we still pretty much got soaked during the fireworks show.

Crowds Thin Out After the Rain

what to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation — After the Rain Photo: Brooke Hudson

After the fireworks, most people left the park because of the heavy rain, which stopped about 30 minutes later. We were freezing so we bought a couple of very expensive sweatshirts. (Again, I hadn’t taken my own advice and brought one in my park bag!) We used the hand dryers in the ladies bathroom to try and dry our skorts off a little bit because the rain water kept running down our legs! It was pretty funny, honestly–and a memory I know we will never forget.

Disney World in the rain; What to do when it rains on your Disney vacation — Photo: Brooke Hudson

And the best part? All the rides were pretty much walk ons the rest of the night.

Short Lines and Shopping

Rainy days are great days to ride attractions with shorter lines. Many visitors decide to wait out the rain and either leave the theme parks altogether or hang out in covered areas hoping the rain will stop.

Having the PeopleMover mostly to ourselves after the rain Photo: Brooke Hudson

This means shorter lines for everyone willing to venture out into the rain. The harder the rain, the shorter the line! Keep in mind that some outdoor rides may be shut down during a heavy rain–but most rides keep running, regardless of the rain.

We’ve ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the pouring rain. I don’t know if you can tell in this picture, but it’s raining pretty hard on us here.

Rainy Day at Disney World; What to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation — Photo: Disney PhotoPass

If you’d prefer to stay out of the rain, there are lots of shops to help you stay dry. For some of us with family members that don’t really allow us time to visit the gift shops, a rainy day can be a great advantage. If your family doesn’t want to play in the rain, you can spend a lot of time playing in the stores.

Will you let a little rain ruin your Disney Vacation?

As I said at the top of this post, a little rain is likely to fall at some point during many Disney vacations. For some Disney visitors, rain on their vacation is catastrophic. But it’s important to remember, rain doesn’t not HAVE to ruin your vacation or even your afternoon.

All you need to do is be prepared for a rainy day and manage your mindset. You can have as much fun as you WANT to have. Let the kids splash in the puddles. Play in the rain. Ride all the rides with short lines.

Whatever you do, decide that you can have a great day at Disney no matter what the conditions.

What do you think? Do you think you can make rainy day fun at Disney?

P.S. Another bummer on your Disney vacation is aching legs and feet. Did you know that you will walk an AVERAGE of FIVE miles per day during your Disney theme park vacation? Read here to learn how to prepare.

Disney Dessert Parties – Are they worth the money?

I am a Disney World fireworks junkie, I admit it. Combining desserts WITH Disney fireworks? Sounds like a win to me! This is where Disney Dessert Parties come in. But are they worth it?

For many Disney theme park fans, myself included, Walt Disney World’s nightly fireworks displays can be the highlight of their Disney Day. These amazing displays of pyrotechnics artistically themed and perfectly choreographed to music are beautiful and often emotionally stirring. (And also REALLY expensive and not great for the environment. But that’s a topic for another blog!).

However, finding a great spot to watch the fireworks from can be challenging. Don’t get me wrong–There are LOTS of places to stand (or occasionally, to sit) and watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But a GREAT spot? Where, if you are so inclined, you can capture good pictures or video? Without a child on someone’s shoulders dead center in all your photos? THIS is a nightly challenge! The best spots are often staked out 2-3 hours in advance–and even then, I’ve seen park guests enraged when after two hours of carefully guarding their “spot”, latecomers encroach and crowd into their space. Remember, these shows come at the end of long, very active and often very hot days. I love Disney fireworks shows with all my heart, but standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of sweaty strangers can, at times, be uncomfortable.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Spot. Photo: Brooke Hudson

But what options do we have? We all want to watch the fireworks. 60% of us want to photograph or record video of the show. So we suck it up, find a spot as early as we are willing to, and take turns running to the closest Mickey Bar kiosk to get a sugar rush to (hopefully) carry us through.

Disney has an option for you–but it will cost you. Disney offers several different varieties of a Fireworks Dessert Party for some of their shows in some of their parks, depending on the time of year and whether the park is open to regular guests. These Disney Dessert Parties are offered at several price points, but none of them are what we would think of as an “economy” option. Disney Dessert Parties are growing in popularity, and are often sold out. The question is, are Disney Dessert Parties worth the money?

What is a Disney Dessert Party?

Basically, Disney Dessert Parties are a semi private event that you can buy a ticket to for a particular fireworks show at a particular theme park on a particular night. Your Disney Dessert Party ticket includes 45 minutes – 1 hour access to a generous buffet of desserts, cheeses and beverages. Beverages do include an assortment of beer and wine for guests age 21 and over. Your Disney Dessert Party ticket will also include access to a protected viewing area for that evening’s fireworks presentation. This area will ONLY be accessible to Disney Dessert Party guests, and Disney is careful not to oversell these events. This ensures that the Disney Dessert Party protected viewing areas are not crazy crowded. At minimum, your viewing experience will be more comfortable and you’ll have some breathing room.

Disney Dessert Party tickets are a separate purchase from your theme park ticket, but a theme park ticket is required for entry into the park. If you are visiting the park on a one-day ticket during a peak season, your day’s ticket could be as high as $160. If you add on a Disney Dessert Party, you could be adding another $100 – $150 to that day’s ticket costs. It’s important to keep that in mind–this is an additional ticket. You have to have a park ticket to enter the park, and you have to have a paid Disney Dessert Party reservation to attend the Disney Dessert Party and to have access to the protected fireworks viewing area.

In this post, we’ll focus on Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties. We’ll talk about Disney Dessert Party options at the other parks in a future post.

What does a Disney Dessert Party Cost?

Short answer? It depends. Currently, Disney is offering three different Disney Dessert Parties at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park for the Happily Ever After evening fireworks shows.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties: Pre-Party

The first Disney Dessert Party option available is the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party Pre-Party. A reservation is required for each member of your party to attend this event, and your card will be charged when you make the reservation.

Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant Disney Dessert Parties — Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant Photo: Brooke Hudson

You will check in at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, where you will be given a wrist band. You will then be directed to the upper area of Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, where your party will be taken to a seating area. Your dessert buffet, beverage area and bar area will be located on this upper level. Please note that you may be sharing tables with other groups. You can visit the dessert buffet stations and the various beverage stations in your area as often as you want to, during the time you in your designated dessert party area in the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. About 30 minutes before the fireworks are due to begin, dessert party cast members will circulate through the seating area and let you know that they will begin leading guests to the designated fireworks viewing area for party goers.

Current pricing is $99 per adult (ages 10+) and $59 per child (ages 3-9). Taxes are included. Per the Walt Disney Company, gratuities are not included or necessary

Fireworks Viewing Area

I’ve done a few of these parties over the years. Usually, a cast member will carry a red flashlight and lead a line of dessert party guests from the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant to the designated fireworks viewing area in the Plaza Garden. Depending on how crowded the park is that day, this may happen quickly or it may take a while as you are led through the surrounding crowd to the designated area in the Plaza Garden. For the fireworks viewing, the Plaza Garden is blocked off from the rest of the park guests. Only guests with a paid dessert party admission are allowed into this area for approximately 2 hours before the fireworks and including the show itself. It is a standing area, but it won’t be super crowded.

If you aren’t familiar with the Plaza Garden, it is located to the right after The Plaza Restaurant and the seating area across from the Plaza restaurant. During the day, the Plaza Garden usually features a couple of PhotoPass photographers, as this area offers a lovely view of the castle. This is also the spot where, during the day, you can take the PhotoPass photo where you are photographed from a camera located on the roof of The Plaza Restaurant building.

Plaza Garden Photo Spot Photo: Disney PhotoPass

Plaza Garden Photo Spot Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties Viewing Spot — Plaza Garden Photo Spot and Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties Fireworks Viewing Area. Photo: Disney PhotoPass

Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties: Post-Party

The next Magic Kingdom Dessert Party option is the Post-Party. This party is very similar to the Pre-party described above; however, in this version, you watch the fireworks FIRST, and attend the Dessert Party itself after the fireworks.

You will still check in at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant and get your wristband approximately 45 minutes to one hour before the fireworks. Once you have your wristband, you will be shown to the same fireworks viewing area described above. This area is the viewing area for both the Pre-Party Dessert Party and the Post-Party Dessert Party.

After the fireworks display is over, cast members will lead you back to the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant for your Post-Party Dessert Party. Your party will be led by a cast member to the upper level of Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, where you will be shown to a seating area. Depending on the size of your party, you may be sharing a table with other guests.

Once you have your seating area, you have the freedom to visit the dessert buffet or any of the beverage stations as often as you’d like until the end of the party, approximately 45 minutes after the end of the fireworks.

Current pricing for the Magic Kingdom Post-Party Dessert Party: $99 per adult (aged 10 and over) and $59 per child ages 3-9. Tax is included. Gratuity is not included and not necessary per the Walt Disney Company.

Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties Dessert Buffet — Magic Kingdom Dessert Party: Dessert Buffet. Photo: Brooke Hudson

Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties: Seats and Sweets

The final Magic Kingdom Dessert Party option is my personal favorite: Seats and Sweets. This Magic Kingdom Dessert Party allows you to “keep your seats” during fireworks show itself, not just before the show or after the show, like the previous two parties I’ve described.

Disney Dessert Party Seats and Sweets — Magic Kingdom Dessert Party: Seats and Sweets. Our table. Photo: Brooke Hudson

Check in for the Seats and Sweets Dessert Party is similar to the other parties. You check in at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant and receive a wristband. The entrance for this particular party is actually on the Tomorrowland side of the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. Don’t worry if you forget—whichever party you are attending, no matter where you try to check in, the cast members will make sure you get to the right place.

Once you have your wristband for the party, a cast member will show you to your table on the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant patio area. This is your table until the party is over. Yes, you can sit and watch the fireworks in comfort at this Dessert Party.

Seating Magic Kingdom Dessert Party Seats and Sweets — Magic Kingdom Seats and Sweets Dessert Party Photo: Brooke Hudson

Once you have your assigned table, you are free to visit the dessert buffet or the various beverage stations as often as you like. There’s no rush to finish your desserts before the show starts though. You don’t have to relocated to watch the show, or scramble to find a good viewing spot. I walked around the patio area quite a bit during our last Seats & Sweets Dessert Party, and I think all the tables offer a good viewing spot!!

Disney Dessert Parties — Magic Kingdom Seats and Sweets Dessert Party. Photo: Brooke Hudson

There are cast members working throughout the party, busing the tables to clear away your empty plates or glasses. If you attend this party, I recommend arriving at or before the start time, so you have plenty of time to relax and enjoy your desserts and beverages before the fireworks begin.

Current pricing is $114 per adult (ages 10+) and $69 per child (ages 3-9). Taxes are included already. Gratuity is not included and not necessary, per the Walt Disney Company on its website promoting the party. note: this price is about $10 per person less than it was the last time I attended this party. Prices on all three Dessert Party options are subject to change — and they do change—especially during busier seasons.

Magic Kingdom Seats and Sweets Dessert Party Fireworks View. Photo: Brooke Hudson

For the most current pricing, please visit Here.

So…Is a Disney Dessert Party Worth the Cost?

It depends. $100- $150 (depending on the season) per person for approximately 1 hour’s worth of food, beverages and entertainment is a lot of money for many of us. If money is no object, I would definitely encourage to book a Magic Kingdom Dessert Party for your traveling group on your next trip. Whether you watch from the reserved standing viewing area in the Plaza Garden or you watch from the comfort of your seats on the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant patio, the fireworks experience is much more enjoyable this way.

For most of us, money is a concern. And if you have a large group or family, this event could cost your group $1,000 or more!! I’ve had people tell me that I’m crazy for spending $100+ for a 15 minute fireworks display that I can watch from all over the park. But I’m not really paying for the fireworks display itself—I’m paying for the comfort before, during and after the fireworks display.

Now, if fireworks aren’t your thing, or if you don’t care one way or the other about watching the show—clearly you are not the target audience for any of these parties. Save your money and get in shorter ride lines during the show.

However, if you are like me and you LOVE Disney fireworks, I recommend you give strong consideration to whether your budget can extend to include a Magic Kingdom Dessert Party for your family or traveling group.

What exactly are you paying for?

Each Magic Kingdom Dessert Party includes the same dessert buffet. I’ve double checked at each party I’ve been to, and the options at the other parties were the same. The dessert buffet will include 8-12 small dessert pastry options. It will also include some cheese and some fruit. Sometimes, there might be a soft serve ice cream machine. At our last party, there was no ice cream, but there was a cookie decorating station and there was someone making fresh dessert crepes while you watched.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Your Disney Dessert Party ticket also includes unlimited access to the various beverage stations. Coffee, tea, milk, lemonade and water are always included in the beverage options. In addition, there is an assortment of beer and wine available for those guests that are age 21 and over with a valid ID.

The Value Proposition

Let’s do the math: if the average glass of wine on Disney property is $11, and you have two glasses of wine at the party, you would have spent $22 on that wine. Food on Disney property is not economically priced, so if you were to order a dessert at most Disney restaurants, you’d probably spend around $12. So far, we’re at $34. Add in that you can revisit the buffet multiple times and also get a cup of coffee — I think you could round out the food and beverage component at around $40 of comparative value—less if you don’t drink alcohol.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If your party won’t be drinking alcohol, the beverages will offer much less value for your family. You may find that without alcohol, the Disney Dessert Party ticket may not have enough value for you personally.

Your Disney Dessert Party ticket also includes a seat at a table during the dessert party portion of the party. For the Pre-Party and Post-Party, your ticket also includes access to the Plaza Garden private fireworks viewing area. This area is only open to Dessert Party attendees. Yes, it is a standing area. However, if you weren’t attending the Dessert Party, you’d be standing to watch the show—but for much longer and much more uncomfortably. You are not standing shoulder to shoulder in the Plaza Garden Dessert Party fireworks viewing area. There is usually plenty of space to spread out from your neighbors. It’s a prime viewing location, and the extra breathing room makes for a much more comfortable viewing experience.

If you’re going to the Pre-Party, you are going to be sitting for most of the 45 minutes leading up to the fireworks display. If you are going to the Post-Party, you have a guaranteed spot inside the Plaza Garden viewing area. There is no need to stake out a spot 2 hours before the show. You can access the Plaza Garden as early as 1 hour before the show and as late as 30 minutes before the show. (I wouldn’t personally cut it any closer than that—but I’m sure there are risk takers who would be comfortable arriving a few minutes before the show starts!)

For the Seats and Sweets Dessert Party, you will be sitting for the entirety of your experience. This makes for a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience, in my opinion.

Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties — Linda and Brooke at Magic Kingdom Seats and Sweet Dessert Party. Photo: Dessert Party Cast Member

The Bottom Line

Attending a Disney Dessert Party is definitely more of a luxury experience. If you are super budget inclined, a Magic Kingdom Dessert Party may not be for you. However, if you are going to splurge on something during your trip, this is one experience I would strongly consider.

I cannot stress enough how nice it is not to have to stake out a spot to watch the fireworks 1.5 – 2 hours before the show. And of course, if you do arrive early to stake out your spot, you are going to be standing there for a long time. Which, let’s face it—after long day of walking 4-7 miles in the park and standing in various lines—can really put a damper on how much you enjoy the show.

Personally, I think there is a lot of value in being able to sit down and relax for 45+ minutes before the show. Even more value in being able to sit and relax for the hour leading up to the show and to stay seated during the show.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If the Post-Party is on your menu, there is a lot of value to not having to arrive super early to find your spot. And, as soon as the show is over, you know that you will be able to sit down and enjoy desserts and beverages for 45 minutes to an hour.

How much value you place on these things is an individual decision. If you do want to attend a Magic Kingdom Dessert Party during your trip, make sure you are making your reservations at the earliest possible date. If you are staying on Disney property, that’s 60 days prior to the first night of your reservation, and for the length of your reservation. If you are not staying on property, you’ll be able to book 60 days prior to the date of the party you want to attend.

Final Thoughts on Disney Dessert Parties

I definitely recommend Disney Dessert Parties to my clients, family and friends that can budget for it. I recommend planning your party for near the end of your trip. You’ll appreciate the extra time sitting more later in your trip. Earlier in the trip, when everyone’s legs are still fresh, you won’t benefit as much from the extra sitting time.

Also, do not plan a big lunch or dinner on Dessert Party day. Skip your popcorn, churros, and Mickey Bars on Dessert Party day. If you fill up before the party, you won’t get eat or enjoy your desserts as much.

Another suggestion: if your resort room includes a refrigerator, consider bring ziploc baggies or take out boxes and take some extra dessert pastries back to your resort with you.

What are your thoughts? Are any of the Disney Dessert Parties on your wishlist? Please share your thoughts below.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ – Restaurant Review

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Entrance. Photo: Brooke Hudson

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

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

The Good

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

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

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

The Bad

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

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

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

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

Enjoy a Platter of all the Following House-Smoked Items

Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs | Buttercup’s Beef Brisket | There’s a Sausage in my Boot – Fire-grilled Pork Sausage | BBQ Chicken – with Style!

Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu smoked meats — Photo: Disney Parks

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

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

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

The Ugly

Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu sides — Photo: Disney Parks

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

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Sides — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Mean Old Potato Salad

The biggest disappointment was the Cowpoke Corn on the Cob. The description on the menu said “Grilled Street Corn”. We weren’t expecting the corn to have so much “stuff” on it. When we asked the waiter, he explained that it was “Mexican Street Corn”. I have had Mexican Street Corn before, but it was nothing like this. I’m sure there are lots of different ways to make the dish, but I’m not sure this preparation is the best choice for such a large and varied audience that includes so many children. I could see a lot of kids refusing to eat this corn. The waiter told us that the corn can be ordered as just buttered grilled corn on the cob—that would likely be more appealing to a wider audience.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Cowpoke Corn on the Cob. Photo: Brooke Hudson

We ordered the fried dill pickles just to try them — we weren’t expecting to love them, but we wanted to try them. I thought they would be crispy, but they were soft and kind of soggy. We didn’t like them at all, but I can imagine that they would appeal to some people.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Fried Pickles Photo: Brooke Hudson

The campfire roasted vegetables were just ok. We had high hopes for these as we both love roasted vegetables, but they were kind of soggy and not very flavorful.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Campfire Roasted Vegetables. Photo: Brooke Hudson

Final Thoughts on Roundup Rodeo BBQ

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

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

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Rum Rattler Punch. Photo: Brooke Hudson

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

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

You Might Love it!

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

Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu desserts — Photo: Disney Parks

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

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Muppets 3D Vision

Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster

Monsters, Inc.

The Bottom Line

Share this:

Like this:

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Excellent Theming

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Pricing

The Bottom Line — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Revisited

Share this:

Like this:

Disney Fireworks Cruises – The Basics

EPCOT Fireworks Cruises

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruises

How to Book a Disney Fireworks Cruise

Rent a Pontoon Boat

Final Thoughts

Share this:

Like this:

Get an Early Start to Your Disney Days

Plan to Sit Down in Air Conditioning for Lunch

Know the Shows or Rides Where You Can Rest

Magic Kingdom:

EPCOT:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Take an Afternoon Break

Build in a Rest Day

Five Key Tips for a Magical Disney Vacation — The Bottom Line

Share this:

Like this:

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction

Astonishing Animatronics

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Open Summer 2024 – What’s the Story?

Are YOU Excited to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure When it Opens This Summer 2024?

Share this:

Like this:

What is the Disney Dining Plan?

Is there only one Disney Dining Plan?

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

What’s Included in Each Meal?

What Beverages are Included?

What Counts as a “Snack”?

What’s NOT Included?

More Magical Ways to use Table Service Meal Credits:

What Does the Standard Disney Dining Plan Cost?

The Quick Service Disney Dining Plan includes:

What’s Included in Each Meal?

What Beverages are Included?

What Counts as a “Snack”?

What’s NOT Included?

What Does the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan Cost?

Do the Disney Dining Plan credits come day by day?

Planning and Organization Required

Use them or lose them!

How do you use the Dining Plan?

How to Keep Track of Your Disney Dining Plan Credits

What About Gratuities?

But What About FREE DINING???

Is Free Dining a Good Deal?

Bottom Line: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Disney Dining Plans

Advantages

DISADVANTAGES

Questions?

Work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

Share this:

Like this:

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure

The Bottom Line

Missing Entertainment

Share this:

Like this:

Mindset: It’s NOT the end of the World

What are the odds it will rain on your Disney vacation?

Rainy Season

Be PREPARED for Rain on your Disney Vacation

Rain Ponchos

Where to Find Ponchos?