TABLE SERVICE DINING ACCORDING TO US

We have had the pleasure of dining at several of Disney’s table service restaurants over the years.  Actually, we have dined at 20 of them to be exact!  We still need to try the other 43 and will be knocking a few of those off the list this coming Fall.  My wife and I decided to look at the list of restaurants that we have dined at and rank our first five choices based on atmosphere, quality of food and menu choices. 

With this criteria in mind, we have decided that Chef Mickey’s is our 5^th choice.  We have dined there twice.  Both times we have had a wonderful buffet breakfast, hot and fresh!  The character interaction was great.  Each character would visit your table taking the time to pose for pictures.  We never felt rushed with our meal and/or time with the characters. 

Our 4^th place selection is Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios.  Our girls loved this restaurant.  You dine sitting in cars, watching black and white sci-fi B-movies as if you were at a “Drive In”.  The icing on the cake for the kids was the fact that they could choose milkshakes for their drink and still order dessert!  You have to love that dining plan! 

Our 3^rd place went to Boatwrights.  This restaurant is located at Port Orleans Riverside Resort.  The atmosphere was nothing all that special compared to other Disney restaurants, but the food sure made up for it!  That meal was one of the most talked about that year! 

We decided to give 2^nd place to Ohana, which is located in the Polynesian Resort.  This all-you-care-to-enjoy meal offers a wonderful salad, stir fried vegetables, lo mien noodles and dumplings along with a main course consisting of shrimp, sausage, steak and pork.  The service style was similar to that of a Brazilian BBQ in which the servers visit your table with over-sized skewers of meat and give the guests the opportunity to sample as much or as little as they desire. The kids receive leis and are encouraged to participate in games and dance throughout the restaurant during the meal.

Finally, our 1^st choice is T-Rex.  We wouldn’t normally go with a “chain” restaurant, however, we all agreed hands down that this restaurant rated high in all categories.  The atmosphere was fantastic!  Similar in nature to Rain Forest Cafe, the restaurant's dinosaurs come to life every 15 minutes.  It is just done on a much grander scale with each area of the restaurant representing a different age of the dinosaurs.  We sat in room that resembled the Ice Age.  The walls were sculpted to look like ice and glowed in a variety of colors throughout the meal.  The menu choices were diverse and the food tasted out of this world.  We enjoyed the meal so much that we are actually going back during our upcoming trip.  Typically, we don’t like to repeat restaurants to insure that we are always trying something new.  However, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat there again.  That is why T-Rex is our number one choice

FINALLY...GET FAMILY PHOTOS W/O ASKING A STRANGER..."CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE OUR PHOTO?"

Another luxury we have decided that we could not live without is the Disney PhotoPass.  Gone are the days of visiting an amusement park where you are hounded at the entrance by a herd of photographers all vying to snap your family photo.  With the Disney PhotoPass it is on you to seek out any of the Disney Photographers stationed throughout the parks to snap your family and/or group photo.  A vast majority of the photographers are stationed at the numerous character spots to capture that magic moment when your kid meets his/her favorite Disney character.

The way the PhotoPass works is you get a card from any one of the many Disney photographers in the park.  Upon presenting that card, the Disney Photographer will scan it and then take a picture or series of pictures.  The card you present is tied to an on-line account that will allow you to access your photos at the end of each day.  The PhotoPass card is free and at no time are you obligated to buy any of the photographs taken.  You are even allowed to view your photos from your PhotoPass account up to 30 days after your trip.  While viewing your photos on-line, you have the ability to customize all your pictures with stamps and borders to enhance your memories.

Original PhotoPass Photo

Modified PhotoPass Photo

If you choose to purchase the photos from your trip it will cost you $169.95 which includes the release rights to reproduce the pictures as well as digital copies saved on DVDs.  If you know that you will be taking advantage of the PhotoPass you can pre-purchase your pass at a savings of $50.  We have also learned over the past 2 years that if you are traveling with multiple families that you can get multiple copies of the same PhotoPass card in order to link all the pictures to the same account.  We then share the password and account access amongst the group in order to give each family the opportunity to review/modify the photos.  Once finalized Disney allows you to order multiple copies of the DVDs at a cost of $19.95 per copy (2012 price).  The total cost of the PhotoPass and additional copies are added up and then divide amongst the number of families.  This results in a significant savings for all.

Here is a list of additional tips to help maximize the value of your Disney PhotoPass investment:
1.  Take as many pictures as you want there is NO LIMIT; last year we received 4 DVDs with a total of 700+ pictures; the more pictures the cheaper the price per picture

2. Multiple cards can be combined on-line at a later date in the event that people within your party have different cards

3. Take a picture of your PhotoPass card with your camera and/or phone so that you have your account number to access the photos in the event the card is lost

4. Don't forget to ask the photographers for MAGIC POSES; the photographers will have individual(s) assume a certain pose and a secret character/object will be superimposed into the photo prior to your viewing

One of my favorite magic photos

If you are interested in more details regarding the Disney PhotoPass here is a link to the official site: http://www.disneyphotopass.com/

KEEP'EM IN STROLLERS AS LONG AS YOU CAN...JUST NOT THE ONES FROM DISNEY

When it comes to vacationing, we are very lucky that our kids do not require naps.   However, one reason I believe that they are able to survive a 12+ hour day of Disney Boot Camp is due to our effective use of a stroller.  On our last trip, friends of ours even rented a double stroller despite the fact that their oldest was 9 years old.  Having the stroller helped to keep their legs fresh and prevented them from fading in the 90 degree heat.  A stroller is also convenient for stowing all personal belongings, coolers and souvenirs.

While having a stroller is key, equally if not more important is where you get it from.  Before our first trip, a friend of ours tipped us off to Orlando Stroller Rentals (ORS).  This turned out to be one of the best suggestions that anyone has given us.  There are many benefits to using this company as opposed to renting the Disney strollers.  The first major benefit is cost.  To rent a double stroller through Disney for 7 days is $189.00 ($27/day).  Through ORS the cost is $75.00 total.  Not only is the cost significantly lower, but the comfort of the strollers is far superior to those provided by Disney.  As you would expect, the Disney strollers are built to withstand the test of time as opposed to being optimized for comfort.  The strollers from OSR are more rugged versions of common jogging strollers that are commercially available.

WDW Strollers

ORS Strollers

The other benefit to renting your stroller through ORS is the fact that you can take it with you.  They fold up easily like all other commercial strollers and you do not have to worry about waking up your sleeping kids in order to turn it in at the end of the night then carrying them the rest of the way home.  You can let them sleep while you wheel them to your seat on the bus and/or load them into your vehicle.

ORS delivers the stroller right to your hotel prior to your arrival and picks it up from the hotel upon your departure.  If you rent a stroller through Disney you need to pick it up and drop it off daily.  To sweeten the deal, ORS is now providing a complimentary collapsible cooler which is yours to keep.  A rain cover is also available free of charge if requested (highly recommended).  If you are interested in researching and/or reserving an Orlando Stroller Rental stroller for your trip here is a link to their website: https://www.orlandostrollerrentals.com/

“OFF-PEAK” TRAVELING CAN OFFER MORE THAN LOW CROWD LEVELS; FREE DINING!!!

Another huge benefit to "off-peak" traveling is that Disney often offers their dining plans for free as an incentive for potential guests.  For those of you who may not be familiar with the Disney Dining Plan, it is a prepaid, all inclusive food plan.  What is included depends on the plan selected and is reflected in the cost.  A family of four will save an average of $1018.50 for a 7 day vacation.  The cost is broken down to $55.59 per adult per day and $17.16 per child per day.  These prices reflect the “Plus Dining” plan.  This plan includes 1 table service, 1 quick service and 1 snack per day.  There are four other dining options available as well.  The Quick Service plan includes 2 quick counter services and 1 snack per day.  Deluxe, Premium and Platinum are the other options you may choose.  Each option offering slightly more than the last.  All dining plans also include a refillable mug.

Unlimited Refillable Mug for Each On-site Guest

In our experience, Plus Dining is not only the most economical, but it is the most practical.  When traveling, we enjoy having nice meals where we are able to sit and relax.  This plan provide us with this opportunity once per day.  This allows us to maintain to our boot camp-like schedule as well as enjoy some pretty amazing meals.  In my opinion, the Deluxe, Premium and Platinum plans offer wonderful meals, but you will spend the majority of your vacation sitting in a restaurant.  Where as the Quick Service plan leaves you eating fast food-like food for a week straight.  Our family definitely prefers the Plus Dining plan!  More detailed information on each dining plan can be found on the Disney website (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/disney-dining-plan/).

All the plans are based on credits.  These credits are tied to your room card.  Otherwise known as your “Key to the World.”  All credits are tracked by Disney and may be used anyway you wish.  When using the Plus Dining plan for a family of four on a seven day  vacation, cards are be loaded with 28 table services, 28 quick services and 28 snacks.  When any card from your family is used, the service will be deducted from your total.  You may choose to use 2 quick services one day, 2 table services the next and all your snack credits in 3 days.  Which ever you choose, the credits will be deducted accordingly.  The type of snacks can range from a bottle of water to a Mickey Mouse ice cream.  Just remember, when your credit balance is zero, you have to start paying cash.  So use your credits wisely!

When using the Dining Plan, it is highly recommended to make reservations prior to your arrival.  With the increased popularity of these plans, it is very difficult to walk into any Disney restaurant without one.  You are able to make reservations as soon as 180 days prior to your trip.  I know you are thinking…180 DAYS!!!!  It may seem ridiculous, but in most cases it isn’t.  Depending on the time of year and what restaurant it is, even if you call 179 days before you may not get what you want.  On the other hand, if you aren’t that picky or don’t care to be that organized, reservations will still be available.  But for my wife, this is part of the planning excitement!  We try to eat at different restaurants with every visit.  So my wife begins by looking at the list and narrowing down to our choices for the upcoming trip. 

This year we have selected T-Rex (Downtown Disney,) Via Napoli (Epcot,)  Donald’s Dining Safari (Animal Kingdom,)  Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom,)  Sci-Fi (Hollywood Studios,) Coral Reef (Epcot,)  and Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom.  Calling 180 days before, my wife was able to make reservations at or around the times we preferred for all restaurants.  In some cases, the restaurants that we want to eat at drive which parks we will visit on certain days during our trip.  After having the benefits of free dining our last 2 trips, my wife and I are convinced that it is a luxury that we are willing to pay for.

TO HOP OR NOT TO HOP...THAT IS THE QUESTION

Once you have settled on the time of year and the length of your Disney trip, you will need to purchase tickets.  For those arranging your own travels plan as opposed to using a travel agent there is no difference in the cost of the tickets.  Typically, we book our trips as a package (hotel + tickets + dining package) through the Disney website (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/).  Regardless of your method you will be faced with two important questions:

1. How many days do we need park tickets for?
2. Do we need the park hopper and/or water park fun and more options?

Cost of tickets for Disney and other parks in the area are front loaded like interest on a mortgage.  The first couple days are the most expensive and the cost decreases as the length of your trip increases.  For us, we purchase 7 days worth of tickets.  Because the cost of the 7th day comes out to $42 for the family, we prefer to have the option to go to the park our first day in Florida.  That said, we typically do not add an 8th day in order to go park on the day we depart.  Some people feel that they need a break from the parks and do not feel the need to purchase tickets for every day of their trip.  Again, for us it is Disney Boot Camp and we like to have the option to go to park or not.  Which usually means we are going somewhere.

Because we chose to have 7 days of park passes, we do not feel that it is necessary to pay the extra $236 for the park hopper option for two main reasons.  The first is that there are 4 parks and we have passes for 7 days.  Therefore, we can get back to 3 of the parks at least twice.  For us, we usually spend 3 days in the Magic Kingdom, 2 days in Hollywood Studios, 1 day at the Animal Kingdom and Epcot respectively.  With the base tickets you are allowed to enter/re-enter one park each day.  Secondly, it is somewhat unreasonable to think that you can cover that much ground in a single day with young kids regardless of how convenient the transportation is.  Not once during the past 2 trips have our kids said that they did not get to see or do everything they wanted.

As far as the water park and more option, we have not really felt the need to exercise that option.  Our kids are more than content swimming the hotel pools.  If your plan was to visit both of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, it is in your best interest to bundle that into the cost of your ticket package versus buying separate passes.

FIRST STEP IN MAXIMIZING YOUR DOLLAR STARTS WITH PLANNING

Obviously, the first step that we take in preparation for our trip is the planning phase.  For my wife, this is almost as much fun as the actual trip.  I believe it has to do the thrill of hunting for the best deal.  To do so she leverages many different resources.  One of the first things to do in planning your trip is to register for anything Disney!  Order the vacation planning DVD, info on vacation club, anything to get on a mailing list.  From experience, the more you get your name out there, the more likely you are to receive promotional codes.  Discount codes can be applied and modified at any time leading up to your trip with a call to a Disney representative.  They will simply update the code in their system and apply the savings to the total cost of your trip.  Typically, we book our trips without any discounts and update the trip information as they become available.

In addition to discount codes, there is also a strategy in selecting the most cost effective time of year to plan your trip.  When you are going to spend such a significant amount of money, you want to make sure that your family gets to enjoy all that Disney World has to offer.  For families with younger kids, like ours, that means not spending most of the time waiting in lines.  For us this also means, being able to stay on Disney World property without paying a small fortune.  Oddly enough, these two requirements can go hand-in-hand.  Disney World has two sessions per year that are considered “off-peak” times and are defined by the crowd levels during that time of year.   

These times traditionally range from the beginning of January to mid-February and from the last week in August to the week before Thanksgiving.  The different seasons are well documented and can be found on various Disney planning websites, books or guides.  During these times of the year the Disney hotel rates are at their lowest.   

While taking advantage of the “off-peak” season has financial advantages, it is not for everyone.  There are 2 main reasons crowd levels are lower: 

                                                   1.      Time of year conflicts with school

                                                   2.      WEATHER!!!

While Florida in January is probably warmer than most places in the U.S. it is still cold to take advantage of the pools and water parks.  In addition, after coming off a long Christmas break most parents would not be in favor of taking their kids out of school with mid-winter break around the corner.  Therefore, taking advantage of the first “off-peak” season is not an option for most families.  In addition, Disney also takes advantage of the off-peak season to service and refurbish some of its attractions.  As a result, you may not get a chance to experience all of the popular attractions.

On the other hand, if your family is like ours and does not mind the heat and humidity Florida is known to offer, taking advantage of the 2^nd “off peak” season in late August/September is not an issue.  For those who do not enjoy +90 degree heat and +90% humidity, along with the threat of the occasional tropical storm/hurricane, that time of year is not for you.   

My wife and I were actually in WDW on September 14^th, 1999 when the parks were closed for the first time in their history due to hurricane Floyd.  I remember the day because it fell on my B-day.  Once the storm passed, Disney did re-open a park for those patrons that were staying on Disney property (just another perk).  Despite the weather and somewhat chaotic environment it created, we still look back on those days with fond memories.  So memorable, we saved the letters we received leading up to the storm.

HEADS UP!!!

A DISNEY FIRST!!!

GOOD LUCK FINDING ICE!!!

NO MATTER HOW YOU DO THE MATH IT WILL NOT BE CHEAP!!!

First off, do not be fooled.  The entire cost of a Disney World trip will not be cheap regardless of how you crunch the numbers.  For a 7 day trip for a family of 4 including airfare, food, transportation, lodging and souvenirs will cost approximately $4000.  A good friend once said “You know when you are ready for your first Disney trip when you can take a $100 bill and flush it down the toilet”.  Her intent was not to infer that a Disney trip is a waste of money, but rather that you better be financially prepared for what you about to spend.  Hence, the need to get the most for your money while being able to enjoy the full Disney experience.  If you are going to commit the money, make sure you are getting the most for it.

For us, the full Disney experience means not only attending the parks but also enjoying the accommodations provided by staying on Disney property as well as sampling a variety of foods at their numerous restaurants.  Close friends of ours who had been to the Magic Kingdom before never understood the passion and fascination that we had with Disney World until they enlisted in “Disney Boot Camp”.  In their previous visits, our friends had spent a day or two at the Disney parks while staying with relatives.  It was not until they were fully immersed in the Disney experience that they understood our perspective.  At the end of the trip, my wife’s friend stated “I get it now and that is how you need to do Disney”.  Hopefully you will find the subsequent posts insightful, helpful and maybe a little humorous as I explain all that goes into the planning of “Disney Boot Camp”.

2012 Disney Boot Camp Participants

WELCOME TO MY BLOG: SHARING THE WDW PASSION

Our 2013 trip will mark my family’s 3^rd and my 11^th trip to Walt Disney World.  My first trip to Disney World was in 1982 courtesy of my Grandpa, John. 

A trip that my cousins and I will never forget.  Thanks Grandpa!!!

Since that initial trip, I have returned three times with my parents, twice to perform on Main Street with our high school band, twice with my girlfriend (now wife) and now with my kids.  For us, it never gets old.  I know that there are many people that do not view a Disney trip as truly a vacation and many leave feeling that they actually need a vacation from their vacation.  However, my family thrives on the week long excitement and our non-stop, face-paced, see-everything, do-everything approach that we affectionately call “Disney Boot Camp”.

While I am always impressed with the high level of quality and the consistency with which Disney delivers, I am not here to sell anyone on a trip to Disney World.  That is the job of the WDW marketing department.  I started this blog to explain how our family attempts maximize our time and money and share some tips on ways we have found to get the most out of our Disney vacation while making some truly magical memories.  Again, we do not do Disney “on the cheap”.  We simply attempt to get the “best value”.  After all, it is a vacation which for us means taking the time to splurge a little and enjoy the things in life that we do not get to experience everyday.