What to Consider When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World | Meals

I'm not even going to lie - one of my favorite parts of visiting Walt Disney World is the food. If you're craving something, chances are there's a restaurant that will satisfy you!

I'm generally always craving a Dole Whip Float.

I do think that dining is one of the more overwhelming parts of planning a trip only because there are so many options. I hope that this post will help you at least narrow down your options to things that are more in line with you and your travel group's wants and needs.

Disney has three price points for dining: table service, quick service, and snacks. Table service restaurants will pretty much require a reservation (there are a few exceptions, but to play it safe, if you want to eat at a table service restaurant, make the reservation and save yourself the stress). Quick service restaurants are pretty much all set up the same way - you walk up to a counter to order, pay, and pick up your food. Snacks can be found at numerous walk-up stands, kiosks, etc. I have found that there are several snacks out there that are large enough to be a decent meal.

The Mickey pretzel is an awesome snack! You can get it stuffed with cream cheese!

One question I get a lot as a travel agent is whether or not the dining plans that Disney offers are worth it. Here's how I usually answer: if pre-paying a flat fee for your meals and not having to calculate costs once you are on vacation is important or appealing to you, then YES. The dining plans are TOTALLY worth it. They may not always work out in your favor money-wise, but for many people, it's a great feeling to have the freedom to pick whatever you want from a menu without worrying about its cost while trying to relax and enjoy your trip.

Sci-Fi Dine-In is a fun choice if you're in Hollywood Studios

There three different dining plans available to you at Disney. The first is the standard dining plan which is a good mix of snacks, table service, and quick service. The cheapest plan is the quick service plan, that only offers quick service and snack credits. The deluxe dining plan allows you to have multiple table service meals. These plans are all set up based on how many nights you are staying at a WDW resort. These are NOT available to offsite guests, so keep that in mind.

To narrow down your choices, especially for table service reservations, my suggestion is to make yourself a plan of what parks you are planning to visit on each day of your trip. From there, you can work on what restaurants to choose. Keep in mind that the Disney resort hotels also have some amazing choices, so think about what hotels are near the parks you are planning to visit. You can begin making reservations 180 days before your check-in date.

Quick service is not something to forget about, though. There are some awesome options. Disney has also upped the quick service game by offering mobile ordering at some locations! We utilize this a TON. We order, grab a table, and then we get a notification when our food is ready! Done! No waiting in line with hangry children!

 Don't let food allergies scare you from a Disney trip. They are AMAZING at accommodating special dietary needs. Our daughter is allergic to nuts and eggs, and the chefs and waitstaff are always happy to help us pick safe choices. You can also note any special needs on your dining reservation, so they will already know what is going on when you check in with a host/hostess.

If you need suggestions for a particular event or situation, don't hesitate to ask me. I LOVE talking Disney food!

What to Consider When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World | Accommodations

Disney has three basic resort tiers (with the exception of a few random outliers) - value, moderate, and deluxe. They all have their perks and (depending on your perspective) drawbacks. For example, the deluxe resorts are generally going to be closest to the parks and have more transportation options. One of my favorite resorts is Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. It's a deluxe resort on the monorail line. We enjoy it because a lot of our time is spent at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, both of which are accessible via monorail. That comes at a cost, though.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

On the flip-side, Pop Century is a resort in the value category. Value resorts are bright, well-themed, and great for families with young kids. They also have the least expensive rates. For transportation, though, you are limited to the buses (until the new gondola system is fully operational this fall). I don't generally mind the buses, but they can be a little slow. Luckily, the My Disney Experience app now has a feature that will show you when buses will arrive at your resort! We utilize this all the time! If we are going to Hollywood Studios and know we have 20 minutes before the next bus arrives, we aren't in a rush trying to get to the bus stop.

Disney's Pop Century Resort

Are you wanting something a little more relaxed but not quite as expensive as a deluxe resort? The moderate tier of resorts boasts a wide range of options, including cabins at Fort Wilderness! One of my favorite moderate resorts that I recommend to clients all the time is Port Orleans Riverside. Port Orleans is actually made up of two resorts - Riverside and French Quarter. They are both gorgeous, but Riverside grabs my heart a little more. 

Port Orleans Riverside

If you are not wanting to stay on Walt Disney World property, you have endless options in the surrounding areas, and while you may save some money on your accommodations, you do miss out on the extra benefits that resort guests have. 

These include:

• The ability to book Fast Passes at 60 days prior to your trip instead of just 30
• Complimentary MagicBands (if you want them otherwise, they're at least $13 in the parks)
• The ability to have your purchases sent back to your room (We never lug souvenirs around with us -- it's fantastic)
• The use of Disney's Magical Express, the complimentary transportation from Orlando International Airport that also includes delivery of your luggage to your room. When we fly, we check our bags in at our local airport and the next time we see them is in our hotel room.
• Disney Dining Plans (more on this in a future post)
• Extra Magic Hours (every day one of the parks is open an hour earlier or stays open an hour later just for resort guests)
• And being in the "Disney Bubble" - which is the idea that you are fully immersed in the magic from the time you check in until the time you check out. 

There are 25+ resort options, so no matter what your travel party situation is, I can help you find a resort. I can find things for large parties, for families with more than two kids (I have 3, so I know what it's like to find a room that sleeps 5), and more. 

What to Consider When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World | Travel Times and Budget

You've seen the magical commercials and "liked" social media posts from your friends' trips to Walt Disney World. Now you're considering a trip. What do you need to think about? In my next few posts, I will be talking about the aspects you need to keep in mind when you are ready to book.

Time of Travel
Just like any vacation destination, there are times when Disney World crowds are higher and times when they are lower. It probably doesn't come as a shock that school vacations mean crowded parks - summer, spring break, long weekends, etc. If you have to travel during one of these times, don't be alarmed. I can help you navigate crowds so that your trip is still amazing.

If, however, you are able to travel during a time when most kids are in school, you may want to consider that. I have two children in elementary school and one in daycare. My husband and I try to avoid pulling them out of school, but we also don't stress if we end up having to do it. For example, we are going in February for a long weekend. We will pick everyone up around lunchtime on a Thursday and they'll miss school Friday. They have a day off on the following Monday, so we are still getting in a decent trip.

Spending Labor Day at the Magic Kingdom

Budget
It's not a big secret that Disney World is not a cheap vacation; however, I can help you plan a trip that you are financially comfortable with. One great thing about Disney packages is that you only put down $200 when you book. You then have until 30 days prior to your trip to pay off your package. I know of people who will buy Disney gift cards and use those to pay off their balance. If you are a Sam's Club or Costco member, you can usually save a bit of money on gift card purchases. We do this for souvenirs. Each of our kids gets a Disney gift card to use how they'd like. Once the money is gone, though, it's gone. They have quickly realized the importance in not buying the first thing they see!

If you have no idea how much you should be budgeting for a trip, ask me. There are going to be a lot of variations in cost, but I can at least give you a starting point. It is really easy to get swept up in the magic and want to do it all, but I can help talk you through what is going to realistically work. For example, if you are spending 3 days in the parks, I'm not going to suggest adding on the water parks option. It's an unnecessary cost for you because there's so much you'll want to do in the normal parks. However, if you're staying 5+ days, then yes,  I'm going to tell you about them because you'll have the time to visit them if you wish. My goal isn't to make you spend all your money, I promise. My goal is to help you create a stress-free vacation.

This could be you!

Coming up next: resort options!

Why use a travel agent?

Before really jumping into traveling tips and Disney information and all that, I wanted to explain why you should use a travel agent and discuss how travel agents are compensated.

Why use a travel agent?

• I'm FREE to you. Yes, there are agents out there that may charge a fee for doing certain amounts of planning and other things, but I do not. 
• I wake up early and stay up late for you. Disney released a free dining promotion recently, and it was announced really early in the morning. I was awake making sure any clients I had traveling during that time frame were covered under the promotion if necessary. Dining reservations and FastPass selection windows open at 7am. If you want me to make them for you, I do it while you're snoozing. And I'm perfectly happy to do it! I think it's fun!
• I continuously find the best deals for you. Even after you have booked travel with me, if a promotion comes out while you are supposed to be traveling, I will make any changes to your package if it's going to save you money. Sometimes promotions DON'T end up being good for a particular travel package, and I take care of doing the research for you.
• No sitting on the phone on hold. I literally have phone numbers for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal stored in my phone because I have to call them often for clients. I will endure the hold music for you to make sure your vacation is what you want it to be.
• I can be as involved as you want me to be. If you like planning vacations but just need me to do the original booking, that's totally fine. If you need to email or text me with changes to your trip or questions, bring it on! I have clients who want me to do it all, and I have clients who just need me to do a couple of things. My goal isn't to hover; it's to help as much (or as little) as you want.
• I love planning vacations. I would not be doing this if it was not something I enjoyed doing. I have a full-time job but make time to do this because I think it's enjoyable. I am organized and detail-oriented, and this is a fun outlet for me. 

How are travel agents compensated?

• Even though my services are free to my clients, I do earn a paycheck doing this. How? Well, generally when you book travel, there is a service fee included in what you pay that will go to a travel agent as commission if an agent books for you. If you book it yourself, that money just goes back to the company with which you are booking. If you're paying the fee regardless, why not put it towards a human who can help you? 

The Start of My Adventure

Hi there!

I have been a travel agent/vacation planner/Disney FastPass Grabber Extraordinaire for a few months now, and I love it! My agency, Kingdom Destinations, is amazing. The people I work with are incredibly helpful, and I'm so thankful to have found them!

Now that I have a good bit of training completed and have a decent grasp on what in the world I'm doing, I want to have a space to share some stories about my travels, as well as tips, advice, and reviews on places I visit. Most of my expertise lies within Disney, but I will be sharing posts about other places and opportunities as well.

Coming up soon -- the benefits of using a travel agent and what all I can do to create your ideal vacation. I'll also explain how travel agents make money doing this. It's okay. I know you're curious.