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Affordable Disney Vacations: Should I get the Disney Dining Plan?

Saturday, October 16, 2010 guest blogging 10 Comments

One of the most hotly-discussed topics on any Disney blog, podcast or message board is the Disney Dining Plan…or to be more correct, the Disney Dining Plans, because there are several of them. Those who have purchased one, discuss the pros and cons, and try to decide which is the *best* deal. Those who have not want to know if they should get the Dining Plan. And those who are considering a Free Dining Plan want to know if it is worth it, which level they should get, and if they will save more money with room discounts instead.

Wow. Lots of questions out there about the Disney Dining Plans.

Today let’s talk about the most common thread running through most of these questions: Should I get the Dining Plan? And the answer….as with most Disney vacation planning….is a resounding and definitive…………it depends.

Sorry, but it does. It depends on a lot of variables, and I think that to really know if any of the Dining Plans are right for your family, you need to look at a number of things. Disney vacation planning is NOT one-size-fits-all: what is best for my family will not necessarily be best for yours. There are a lot of things to consider, whether paying for a Dining Plan or getting it for Free.

So to help you decide, I think it is important to honestly, and realistically, think about the following as they relate to your family:

Consider what everyone likes to eat, especially your children: Do your children (or you) have limited “likes” when it comes to food options? Would elaborate menu options be a waste if everyone is happiest with burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets? Do your family members enjoy trying new foods? Will your family want to try multiple character meals or some dinner shows? Or do you anticipate wanting to eat many meals off-site completely?
Consider if your little ones will want to sit for long meals: Many toddlers or preschoolers are just not going to be happy sitting for an hour at a table service meal. Thinking character meals or buffets? Then think about how your child is likely to feel with characters coming to visit them throughout a meal: some kids think this is fantastic, but others are completely overwhelmed by the procession of characters invading their dinner space. I have seen children spend an entire breakfast at Chef Mickey’s in tears because they are just not comfortable with the character interaction, which is NOT a magical way to spend your dining dollars.
Consider if you will want to take the time to sit for long meals: Will you be commando touring from sunrise to sunset, with only the briefest of breaks? Do you want to squeeze as many attractions and rides out of each Disney day as you possibly can? If so, then don’t get a Dining Plan that includes table service meals, as you may not want to take the time to eat them!
Do you consider food to be an attraction all by itself? Are you a “foodie”? Do you get hungry just looking at pictures of different Disney dishes, mentally adding different choices to your “must eat” list? You know who you are…..and at least the basic Disney Dining Plan may be for you.
Consider how much you typically eat, including your children: If you had to pay out of pocket, would you buy this much food? Really? Most of the Dining Plans offer a lot of food…and some of them offer vast quantities of food. Significant quantities of food not eaten…and thrown away….is not, in my book at least, a great use of my money. There are lots of ways to make those food choices work best for you, but you need to honestly think about how much you really like to eat. If this is clearly more food than your family is comfortable with, the Dining Plans are not for you.

OK, now having said all of that, what about the Free Dining promotions…since Disney has decided that this is going to be an option for a good portion of 2011? To decide if Free Dining is right for you, consider all of the above plus:

Which Dining Plan will be offered for your accommodation choice? For example, if you will be staying at a Value resort, but want the Basic Plan, you will need to pay the difference: is it still cost effective for you? Does the Free Plan that comes with your accommodations “match” the Plan that is best for you?
Are there any other promotions that could potentially save you dollars instead? Any room discounts that might end up costing you less than Free Dining, even if you have to pay for food? This is clearly a job for you and your calculator. You will need to do the math and make comparisons. Budget Planning Worksheets can help you figure it all out.

I think the most important part of this is to make sure that the Dining Plan you are planning to buy (or get for Free) truly matches your family’s eating personality. I know when there are Free Dining promotions being offered all over the place, it can be tempting to just jump on it. And it might be best for you! But it might not too. Before you book, consider some of the other expenses/aspects of your Disney trip, such as airfare, crowds, school vacations etc. to see if, all things being considered, it is just better for you to go at another time. Yes, you may pay more for food….but if you are paying less for airfare, who knows, that may just be more of a savings. Do the math to see!

Now having said all of that, *for our family* of 3 foodie adults, the basic Disney Dining Plan is absolutely the most affordable choice for us. Since we enjoy a table service meal each night, our family has purchased the basic Dining Plan on each of our last several trips and it is a huge saving for us. We use the counter service meal for lunch, the table service meal for dinner, and we use the snack credits for either breakfast…or eat light in our room. For us, it is usually way more food than we can usually eat, and so we often get our dessert at dinner “to go” since we are so full. Other times we choose fruit and/or muffins for our lunch or dinner desserts and use these for snacks later or breakfast. We have experimented with the plan a number of different ways, and no matter how we do it, we eat very well, have food left over to bring home (snack credits purchase great edible “souvenirs”), and we spend less money/day buying the Basic Plan than we would if we were paying out of pocket for the same meals. For us, it’s a no brainer.

But that will not necessarily be the case for you, and for many, many folks, there are other, better ways to spend…and save…their Disney Dining dollars.

So, take an honest and realistic look at what your family will truly enjoy when it comes to food at Disney, use that calculator to compare your options, and then make the right choice for you.

Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.

Affordable Disney Vacations: the Candlelight Processional

Saturday, October 9, 2010 guest blogging 9 Comments

While Disney World may be in the midst of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, for many guests, their vacation planning focus is on the upcoming Holiday Season. So today, let’s answer a few questions about one of the most popular events during this “most wonderful time of the year”, the Candlelight Processional, and specifically discuss if this is an event that you will want to attend.

What is the Candlelight Processional?

The Candlelight Processional is a narration of the Christmas story which runs nightly from November 26 through December 30, 2010 with three performances each night, at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 pm. Each show runs about 40 minutes, and features Guest Narrators who read the story, accompanied by a mass choir and orchestra. That is the basic description. Beyond that, you will want to know that it is spectacular, moving, inspiring….and if you love Christmas carols you will likely find this to be a tremendously uplifting experience. For us, it is a “must see” when we visit during this time of the year.

Is there a cost for the Candlelight Processional?

Technically speaking, no, there is no cost beyond that of general admission to Epcot.

However…..there is a Candlelight Processional Dinner Package that there is a fee for.

And while you don’t HAVE to have the dinner package to get in to see this concert….not having it will mean that you will wait in line for at least 45-60 minutes prior to the show, and hope that there are still seats available by the time you get to the front of the line. During the peak of the holidays, there are not likely to be many…or any…seats available after the Dinner Package people have taken their reserved seats.

With the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package, you remove the stress about getting a seat (although you will still need to get in line prior, but you are guaranteed a seat), you have a sit-down meal at one of Epcot’s great restaurants, and you also receive access to a preferred viewing area for Illuminations.

What You Need to Know About the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package

You schedule your Candlelight Processional Dining Package meal for before the performance you will attend. So if you will attend the 5 p.m. performance, you will do the Lunch Package. For the 6:45 show, you will schedule a Dinner Package for dinner between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., and for the 8:00 performances, your Dinner Package will be for dinner between 5:00-6:00 pm.

Pricing is in 3 tiers, based on the restaurants you choose, and range from $32.99-$51.99/adult and $12.99-$17.99/ child for lunch and from $46.99-$61.99/adult and $15.99-$23.99/child for dinner. This year, you may choose to eat at any of the following for dinner: Biergarten, Garden Grill, Rose & Crown, Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Nine Dragons, San Angel, Marrakesh, Teppan Edo & Tokyo Dining, Chefs de France and Tutto Italia, and all of the above EXCEPT Garden Grill for lunch.

Meals include appetizer, entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. If you wish to use the Disney Dining Plan, it will cost two Table Service credits.

Should I Buy the Dinner Package?

The answer to this depends on several things:

How badly do you want to see/hear the entire show?
Do you have children that will be willing/able/interested to sit for close to an hour for this?
Is it in your budget?

Probably the major consideration here is if you have young children, because most are not going to be thrilled to sit in one place for the duration of this show. For anyone who wants to see/hear this show, if you have young children, in my opinion you might find that it is easier to stand along the promenade and listen from there, rather than trying to get a seat…in which case you certainly don’t need to spend the money for the dinner package. You will still be treated to an exceptional performance…but will also have the ability to move on when the little ones get restless.

As to the other two considerations, everyone is different, but for our family, we budget around this, it is that important to us. In fact, I am making sure that we arrive for our New Year’s trip in enough time to catch the final show of the season on December 30^th. If you love Christmas music, massed choirs, and inspiring performances….then I would strongly recommend you get the dinner package to insure that you don’t miss a minute!

Disney + Creativity + Saving Money = Autograph Book Magic

Saturday, October 2, 2010 guest blogging 3 Comments

Three things that I really get excited about are Disney, creativity, and saving money. When I can combine all 3, it is a red-letter day in my book. Today, we’re going to talk about how to have your own red-letter day by helping your child make their own Disney World autograph book.

Yes you can buy a generic Disney World autograph book when you get to the parks, or even at home before you leave but really, why? Why spend as much as $11 on a way to collect your child’s character autographs, when you can make one for less than half the cost…and have a blast doing it! So get your scissors and glue sticks out and get ready to have some creative Disney fun.

(Important note before we go further: DO NOT PANIC if you feel like you are not creative! The great thing about a project like this is there is no right or wrong, and no one is judging you! Creativity is all about what your child…and you…like. So no worries, and just have fun with it, ok? )

So, let’s get started! First, you will want to buy a small spiral or post-bound book, and cut out Disney pictures that your child can glue on, use some letter stickers to say whatever you want it to say (or print out from your computer and cut them out if you want), give your child markers, glitter pens, whatever you have at home, and allow them to decorate as they like. Add anything you have at home: tie ribbons to the spirals, add buttons, stickers, gems, you name it. Voila. A Disney masterpiece.

There are two keys here to making this successful:

Use items you have at home. Yes, you can buy all kinds of fantastic items in the scrapbooking aisle of your local craft store….but that is not likely to save you money here. It will look great, and be a lot of fun, but it will not be cheaper. (Note: The autograph book shown in the photo does use scrapbook supplies and is pretty elaborate, but don’t feel like yours needs to look like that…..just use it for ideas and inspiration!)
Allow your child to be creative. There is no right or wrong way to do this. As I used to tell my preschool art classes (and their parents) it’s about the process, NOT the product. It really doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect. Really. Does your child like it and are they proud of it? Then it IS perfect.

To finish it all up, you may want to invest in some sort of fixative to protect pictures on the cover, if your child uses a lot of these. Be sure to read the label of what you are buying, or talk to a craft store associate FIRST, to make sure that the fixative will protect the pictures, and not destroy them.

But other than the notebook, and maybe fixative if you need it, there really is no other cost. Isn’t that awesome?

Beyond that, the thing I absolutely love about this kind of project, is it channels all that “when are we going?” energy that kids have into something that helps them get ready to go to Disney too. Creating your own autograph book is something that your child will bring to Walt Disney World with them. Imagine how proud he/she will be when giving it to Mickey to autograph!

Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.

5 Tips for Affordable Disney Pin Collecting

Saturday, September 25, 2010 guest blogging 10 Comments

There are a number of things to keep track of when it comes to spending on your Disney vacation: accommodations, travel, food and park tickets are the 4 biggies and the ones that have the most written about them. But souvenirs often become the biggest budget buster, as many of us don’t really “plan” what we are going to buy until we get there….and then emotions take over, which is a sure sign of spending more than you want to! We’ve all been there, and it’s pretty frustrating, after having budgeted oh-so-carefully before your trip, to return home with a pair of Mickey crocs that you spent too much on and, really are you going to ever wear again?

However, when we discovered pin collecting, we discovered a great way of keeping that souvenir budget under control. Because pins are now our souvenir of choice, we are better able to plan our souvenir purchases and stick to a planned budget. We don’t get sidetracked, and don’t suffer “buyer’s remorse” when we get home either.

Is pin collecting for you? Well, if you are like my family, and find all those little pins just crazy addictive…then yes, this post is for you. So with that in mind, here are 5 tips on how to make Pin Collecting an affordable Disney souvenir strategy for your family:

Decide on your Pin Strategy: collect for fun, collect to trade, or collect seriously. If you have kids who are going to trade everything away, you don’t want to spend a lot on them, or especially worry about what they look like. If you are going to primarily “pin trade” then buy cheap ones that you don’t like as much, and trade them for more “valuable” ones. (Of course everyone defines “value” here differently. For some, it is ones that are literally worth more. For others, it is merely ones that they like better.) Point is: don’t buy pins you want to keep. Seems obvious, but it took us a bit to actually figure this out. Now on the other hand, if you want to make this a serious collection, you can purchase only Limited Editions, for example, to increase the value of your collection. If this appeals to you, there are some great books that can give you more information and help you make informed decisions.
Buy low, trade high: If trading pins is your main focus, then arrive at Disney with a dozen or so cheap pins for your kids to trade with. You can find some on eBay, on sale at DisneyStore.com, and even Amazon. The idea here is to trade these for others your kids will like more.
Set a limit …and then stick to it. At this point, with hundreds of pins, we limit ourselves to 2-3 pins per trip. Because yes, this CAN be an expensive hobby if you are not careful! While the cost of pins can start as low as maybe $6-8 each, they can go up to $20+ for some very elaborate limited editions. It is easy once you start looking at them, to get carried away, so keep to that budget!
Pick a theme, any theme: It is easier for many folks to keep to a pin budget, by collecting with a theme in mind. Maybe the resorts, or characters, or villains, or princesses. You name it Disney’s got a pin for it. Seriously. For us, we now pretty much buy our pins around dated events, as they are a great reminder of when we went and when we got the pin: for example New Years Eve 2005.
Preserve your collection: Think about how you are going to keep them when you get home. Don’t go to all this trouble to buy all these pins and just keep them in a shoebox! Some people frame the lanyards and pins. Some put their pins in a shadow box. Some keep them in a display portfolio or binder. Whatever you choose to do, keep them in a way that will preserve your investment, and allow you to enjoy them.

Good luck with your pin collecting! If you are like us, you will find that it is an affordable and fun hobby, as well as a great way to relive your wonderful Disney vacation memories!

Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.

Planning an Affordable Disneyworld Vacation

Saturday, September 18, 2010 Chip 4 Comments

Many times people ask us how to plan an Affordable Disneyworld Vacation. While we try to post tips and tricks as much as we can, but we have yet to put all those various things we have learned over the years into one location.

Not anymore…

Nancy one of our writers and founder of “The Affordable Mouse” a website and blog dedicated to helping folks plan affordable Disney vacations. Has come up up a full 50 Page planning guide to help assist you will all facets of your Disney World vacation.

To receive yours…

Click the tab at the top of the page that says Planning to sign up and receive your FREE copy today.