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.