First trip to Disney, dining plan worth it?

[englanddg]

Also, if you want to read my current trip report, it's here (it's a pre-trip at this stage, so I am posting general thoughts, plans and I even went so far as to scan my mailers that came from Disney, so you can get an idea what's coming your way in a few weeks/month)

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/englanddgs-real-life-or-is-this-just-fantasy.898837/

 

[englanddg]

One other option, though it will take a bit longer to get there, for your MK days, if you can't get Chef Mickeys is the Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Ft. Wilderness. (assuming you don't mind country/bluegrass).

You'd want to take a boat from Magic Kingdom to Ft. Wilderness (the blue flag, I believe, same as going by boat to Contemporary), or take a bus from Magic Kingdom to Wilderness Lodge, and from there take the bus from Wilderness Lodge to Ft. Wilderness.

They do a live show with all the characters and dancing, it's fun. Will take you a bit longer to get there, but not more than 20 mins or so. Especially if you go by boat.

But, this is a 2 TS credit dining experience...so, you may not wish to burn two TS credits that way (assuming you get the Dining Plan).

 

[popcenturylover]

Try 1900 Park Fare.

Tried this for the 1st time on our recent trip & it was a great meal! We were very impressed. Lots of options.

 

[popcenturylover]

We really like CP's breakfast (breakfast lasagna) & Chef Mickey's dinner.(ALOT better on our most recent trip than the last time we ate there)

 

[Brandon barr]

Okay I got a new question I'm planning our days out and so far 1st day fly in and eat at downtown disney, 2nd day magic kingdom all day, then Halloween party, 3rd day is my uncles last day but my family will be there 2 more days so 3rd day plan is to hit animal kingdom up till lunch time and move on over to holo wood studios. My question is on the hours what does it mean by extra magic hours. Originally it shows Hollywood Studios to only be open from 9 to 7.30 but it says on that Saturday extra magic hours 8am to 9am

 

[englanddg]

Okay I got a new question I'm planning our days out and so far 1st day fly in and eat at downtown disney, 2nd day magic kingdom all day, then Halloween party, 3rd day is my uncles last day but my family will be there 2 more days so 3rd day plan is to hit animal kingdom up till lunch time and move on over to holo wood studios. My question is on the hours what does it mean by extra magic hours. Originally it shows Hollywood Studios to only be open from 9 to 7.30 but it says on that Saturday extra magic hours 8am to 9am

It means that, for you, you and your family can enter Animal Kingdom at 8a, while anyone who is NOT a Disney Resort guest, can come in until the park officially opens at 9a.

This means you can squeeze in some rides that will be open.

At AK...this means you can show up at, say, 7:55a (taking an early bus from the resort, they start running at 6a, iirc) and hop on a limited number of rides with little wait before the park officially opens at 9a (and there will be a VERY short wait, most guests on vacation skip morning extra magic hours).

Those rides should be:

Dinosaur (meh, FP+ this if you are doing EM hours)

Discovery Island Trails (meh, worth doing, but never a long line)

Expedition Everest (I think your kid will be too short, or he's only going to BARELY be tall enough...check that in advance as he continues to sprout over the summer months and you guys get closer)

It's Tough to be a Bug (your kid will NOT like this, based on my experience with my 5 year old when I took her, but it was still a fun experience...not worth Extra Magic Hours though...or a FastPass)

Kilimanjaro Safari (if you don't do the Tusker House breakfast I suggested, and rather do EM hours, I'd highly suggest this be where you head over to...GREAT start for a day at Animal Kingdom)

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail (meh, like Discovery, worth doing, but never a long line)

Primeval Whirl (Your kiddo won't be tall enough for this, I strongly suspect. Even if he is, it's a pretty cruddy ride.)

TriceraTop Spin (Dumbo with Dinosaurs...another cruddy ride. Worth doing, but not worth rushing to see.)

 

[Brandon barr]

okay good deal. my son is 44 inches tall at the moment so not sure if he will grow any by then or not. also he is a skinny feller so I don't want to put him in anything that don't strap him down good. we have been looking at all the rides and things together on the computer and he is telling me he is not going in the spooky castle haha.

so one thing I no for sure he wants to do when we get to magic kingdom is the buzz lightyear space ranger spin. Buzz is one of his favorite characters. my wife says she has to do the tea cups and other then that what is a ride not to miss at magic kingdom.

I may have asked this before but for my last 2 days what parks would be the best to visit again.

at epcot I know my son would love the sea base and the nemo things he loves that sorta stuff. and that Test track by Chevrolet looks like something I want to do. what rides can you not miss at epcot.

online does not look like hollywod studios has very many attractions but I do see they have a buzz lightyear thing as well and of course pizza planet that is the thing my son is telling everyone is he is eating at pizza planet so we have to go there for lunch one day. how many rides can you fast pass a day?

also I noticed on my disneyexperience account it shows my wristbands and now these cards to and has 2 by me and 1 for rest of family what is this for. Thanks again man for all your help. The family and I appreciate it. it has helped us allot.

 

[Brandon barr]

Also I was looking at lunch places for each park so far I see in magic kingdom Pecos bills is supose to be real good so going to try to get in there and for dinner either chef mickey or crystal palace

 

[englanddg]

Also I was looking at lunch places for each park so far I see in magic kingdom Pecos bills is supose to be real good so going to try to get in there and for dinner either chef mickey or crystal palace

Pecos Bills isn't bad. It's hit or miss from my experience.

I'd aim more towards Cosmic Rays (though the two experiences are similar, food quality wise, Cosmic Rays has the animatronic show).

 

[Brandon barr]

Okay thanks I'll look those up to.

 

[Brandon barr]

What park is going to be the best one to spend the most time at? Judging by the map you can get from Hollywood Studios to epcot pretty easy?

 

[LAKid53]

Thanks for all that input it is very helpfull. Me nor my wife drink alcohol so we will not have to worry about that. Is the mugs something you can carry around with you to every place and what about on the rides??

I am trying to decide if it's worth it. Since my son don't eat much a kids menu will be great for him anyways. The 3 month old won't be eating food at that time anyhow. The one with the set down dinner at night is it limited in what you can order like under a certain price.

The mugs are only refillable for free at your resort. I've seen folks carrying the mugs into the parks - not sure if CMs at quick service restaurants will fill it for you. My thought? The less I have to carry into the parks, the better.

As other posters have said, run the numbers to see if the dining plan is best for you and your family. If you plan on eating the most expensive thing on the menu (if you go with the plan that includes one table service and one quick service credit per person per night), then it may be advantageous. But you are limited to one entrée, a dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage for either TS or QS. I don't want dessert at every meal, especially lunch. Sometimes all I want is an appetizer; not on the dining plan. So we ditched using the plan and purchased a Tables in Wonderland card which gives us 20% discount at most restaurants.

Since this is your first visit, the dining plan certainly will remove any worries about eating. But my recommendation after running the numbers (look at the menus for the restaurants you would want to eat in, check the prices and see how paying out of pocket compares to the total cost for the three of you (yes, your 4 year old will be on a plan) for Disney dining. If your 4 year old would normally share with either you or your wife, then you've just wasted money. Personally, I would take the cash you'd pay for the dining plan and put those funds on a Disney gift card and then use that to pay for meals. Especially if paying out of pocket fits more with the way you and your family dine.

 

[popcenturylover]

What park is going to be the best one to spend the most time at? Judging by the map you can get from Hollywood Studios to epcot pretty easy?

I like to spend most of my time in MK & Epcot. We took a boat from DHS to Epcot on our most recent trip.

 

[LAKid53]

Awsome thanks for the speedy reply. It is crazy all the things you can do it seems like even 5 days will not be enough. We are defiantly staying for the not so scary haloween and we are also still thinking about the dining plan.

My uncle has reservations one night at a steak house called Yachtsman steakhouse I looked it up and it uses up 2 credits. But also reviews say it's good but more of a formal place. My son is real hyper and I would feel better taking him to a more kid friendly type place. That is why I am stuck between the QS dining plan and the one with ine table service meal.

If you are going to do the Halloween party, I would think about using that day as a rest/explore the resort day, giving the price of tickets for the 3 of you. You can enter the park with your ticket at 4:00PM. And still use FP+ from 4-7PM. The party runs from 4:00PM - 12:00AM, with the park closing at 7:00PM to those guests without a party ticket. Parades start around 8-8:30PM. I've gone the past two years and had a blast. Just know that the trick or treat sites get crowded and they give out GOOD candy and handfuls of it, so make sure your kids have comfortable trick or treat bags - the ones Disney gives are little plastic things.

With two little ones, I would cancel the park hopper option, if it's not too late. We rarely park hop and if we do, it's usually Animal Kingdom/Hollywood Studios.

We stayed at Port Orleans (Riverside) many times - it's a lovely resort and the restaurant is good. And take the boat, not the bus, to Downtown Disney.

 

[LAKid53]

That's what's I'm saying I would be lost without them!

I'm still so confused just because it's so much to take in at once. Is planet Hollywood good?

So I just have to cancel 24 hours before the reservation so you will not get charged.

Also since my uncle and his family are going there is 6 of them and 4 of us so maybe that's why I'm having a hard time getting a reservation for 10 people.

Would you think we will have plenty of time if plane arived on time at 5.25 pm we should be able to get to downtown disney by 8:15

I was looking at that crystal palace and we could get in there on that Thursday at 3:30 pm

I would allow at least 90 minutes to get from MCO to your resort - my understanding is that the Disney bus makes several stops and you may wait 30 minutes for it to leave the airport. So if you get to your resort around 7:00 PM, hoping that you have no issue checking in (and your luggage has shown up), by the time you get to your room and settled, it's after 7:00PM. And buses to DTD in the evening seem to take forever to get to your resort. And I've stayed at Port Orleans several times and watched several buses for each park come to our stop before a bus to DTD showed up. Which is why we plan to be at the bus stop 90 minutes before our reservation time. So as long as you can get to your resort, get settled and hit the bus stop by 6:45PM - 7:00PM, you should be okay. But take the boat to DTD since it stops at both Marketplace and Westside (at least I think the boat still goes to Westside). We try to check in at our restaurant 15 minutes before our time, especially if it is a popular one like Rainforest or T-Rex.

 

[popcenturylover]

Also I was looking at lunch places for each park so far I see in magic kingdom Pecos bills is supose to be real good so going to try to get in there and for dinner either chef mickey or crystal palace

Lunch places in Epcot; almost any QS in WS & SS in the Land. DHS; PP & Backlot Express. AK; Yak n' Yeti, Restaurantosaurus, & Flame Tree BBQ. MK; BOG, PB, CHH, & Cosmic Ray's.

 

[LAKid53]

Right. Cancel 24 hours before the reservation you think you don't want anymore, and you will not be charged. No show, or cancel within 24 hours (without a valid reason, like...one year, my kid got sick, and they waived the fees for me, cause...the LAST place she needed to be was in a restaurant!), and your credit card will get dinged.

Landing at 5:25, even if you are not picking up your checked bags (which, you don't have to do if you utilize the resort delivery option...but you may want to as you're arriving so late in the day, so...having your luggage handy may be a wise decision rather than waiting the few hours or so for Disney to deliver your bags to your room).

Anyhow, Magical Express should have you at the resort no later than 7p. From there, yeah, plenty of time to make an 8:15. If you are running a little late (10 - 15 mins) Disney won't mind. I would take the bus though, and not the boat. At least for this trip to Disney Springs (the boats shut down at dusk, I believe).

Planet Hollywood is...good. I have nothing negative to say about it. I've eaten there twice and the food was tasty and the decor (movie memorabilia) was interesting to look at (lots of actual props and costumes littered throughout the restaurant. If you are into that sort of thing, be sure to take a walk upstairs as well!).

T-Rex and Rainforest are better, imho. But, that said, you'll find I don't give them glowing reviews either (not because they are not good, but because I'm not a fan of the Landry's concepts...long story).

My kid loves them though.

The boats run until 11:00PM at least, unless the weather prevents them from running. If we stay at POR, we don't take the bus to DTD anymore - we take the boat. And Disney really does mind if you are late to your reservation. Which is why Disney Dining now recommends you allow 90 minutes for travel to your reservation. We've allotted an hour and have been 20 minutes late. Buses to DTD, especially at dinner time, are notorious for running slow.

 

[Brandon barr]

Like you said abouve u want the dining plan just because it's simple and it's done. But on the other hand we are not big time eaters and we very rarely eat any desert. I mean if I get the disney dining plan I would get desert with every meal just to do it haha. I am having a hard time right know fining ts restranuts that have any opening right know. I can see with the park hopper the only day we plan to use it is that Friday the 9th we plan to go to animal kingdom and then to the Hollywood Studios. I am so lost with so much things to reserve I almost want to do QS meals for lunch and dinner haha.

 

[LAKid53]

Right. Cancel 24 hours before the reservation you think you don't want anymore, and you will not be charged. No show, or cancel within 24 hours (without a valid reason, like...one year, my kid got sick, and they waived the fees for me, cause...the LAST place she needed to be was in a restaurant!), and your credit card will get dinged.

Landing at 5:25, even if you are not picking up your checked bags (which, you don't have to do if you utilize the resort delivery option...but you may want to as you're arriving so late in the day, so...having your luggage handy may be a wise decision rather than waiting the few hours or so for Disney to deliver your bags to your room).

Anyhow, Magical Express should have you at the resort no later than 7p. From there, yeah, plenty of time to make an 8:15. If you are running a little late (10 - 15 mins) Disney won't mind. I would take the bus though, and not the boat. At least for this trip to Disney Springs (the boats shut down at dusk, I believe).

Planet Hollywood is...good. I have nothing negative to say about it. I've eaten there twice and the food was tasty and the decor (movie memorabilia) was interesting to look at (lots of actual props and costumes littered throughout the restaurant. If you are into that sort of thing, be sure to take a walk upstairs as well!).

T-Rex and Rainforest are better, imho. But, that said, you'll find I don't give them glowing reviews either (not because they are not good, but because I'm not a fan of the Landry's concepts...long story).

My kid loves them though.

Just know that if you are late (more than 30 minutes) to your reservation, Disney will consider you a no show and cancel your reservation and charge you the $10 per person on the reservation. So, if something happens (usually a Disney transportation issue), call Disney Dining to let them know. We allotted sufficient time once and that was the night the DTD bus for our resort disappeared into thin air, lol. Finally showed up (it's a 5 minute ride from our resort to the bus depot) and we ran (again) over to Westside. I called to let them know that we would be 15 minutes late and the CM on the phone told me that if we were later than that, our reservation would be cancelled.

However, Disney does understand that things happen. My daughter got sick on the way back to the resort one afternoon (she was able to wait until we got to the resort before she lost her lunch) and there was no way she was going to make it to our dinner reservation. So I called Disney Dining to cancel (once you are past the 24 hours, you have to call), explained what had happened and she cancelled and kindly didn't charge the $10/person fee. So if something comes up, especially since you have little kids, call.

I would recommend either Rainforest or T-Rex with your young children over Planet Hollywood. Just know that the show in Rainforest does get loud and if your 3 month old or 5 year old would be upset at loud noises, that might not be the best choice to eat at.

 

[LAKid53]

Okay I got a new question I'm planning our days out and so far 1st day fly in and eat at downtown disney, 2nd day magic kingdom all day, then Halloween party, 3rd day is my uncles last day but my family will be there 2 more days so 3rd day plan is to hit animal kingdom up till lunch time and move on over to holo wood studios. My question is on the hours what does it mean by extra magic hours. Originally it shows Hollywood Studios to only be open from 9 to 7.30 but it says on that Saturday extra magic hours 8am to 9am

If you are going to do the Halloween party the same day you would normally go to the Magic Kingdom, don't get a park ticket to include that day, since you can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4:00PM with your party ticket. Save yourself some $$$$.