Review: Standard Disney Dining Plan

Disney offers 3 different types of dining plans, Quick Service, Standard Dining Plan, and Deluxe Dining Plan.  This is a review of the Standard Dining Plan.

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

• Per Night each person receives
• 1 Quick Service meal
• 1 Table Service meal 
• 2 Snacks per person
• Per your stay each person receives
• 1 refillable mug

A couple things worth noting when you have a child (9 or under) on the plan they have to order off the kids menu at table service restaurants.  This will have a relatively mild impact on your planning especially if  you have a child that wants to meet characters as those meals are generally a high priced buffet or family style option anyway.  Children (9 or under) on the plan can order anything at Quick service locations.  In other words Disney lumps all your Quick Service credits together to use as you see fit.

So for this review I will give you an idea of how we used our credits and also what those credits included. 

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs 
• 14 Adult Table Service credits
• 7 Child Table Service credits
• 21 Quick Service credits
• 42 snack credits

How did we use those credits?  Mostly character meal dinners or "experience" meals so that adds to the cost, there is no cheap way to eat at Chef Mickey so that make the dining plan a better option for those meals vs other menu order table service options.  First we will look at what were our table service meals.

• Garden Grill Dinner
• Whispering Canyon Dinner
• Tusker House Dinner
• 50's Prime Time Dinner
• Coral Reef  Dinner
• Hollywood and Vine Dinner
• Chef Mickey Brunch

We had planned to have a guest with us at Chef Mickey so I set aside a Table service credit to use at that meal.  I decided that at 50's Prime Time my husband would order the sampler, and a milkshake and a dessert, I would order the wedge salad appetizer and a iced tea.  We swapped the milkshake for the tea and I had the meatloaf from the sample with my salad.  That meal ended up with terrible service issues and they comped the drink (and my daughter ended up with a giant cup of sprinkles to take home since she fell asleep waiting on her ice cream with mickey sprinkles) so it was $9.10 out of pocket there.  Ended up that our guest did not make it to Chef Mickey so we used the credit for last minute snacks which was not a good value however I it made much more sense to pay $9 for a meal than $45 brunch buffet.  We really enjoyed Garden Grill and Whispering Canyon and our family is not a big fan of buffets so those meals were just ok.  We had a long slow meal at 50's and probably would have felt better about that meal if we had not overheard the tables around us discussing getting an anytime fastpass because of their issues.  However, we did not get charged for a drink and my daughters upgrade to a sundae, but like I said she never took a bite of the ice cream because she fell asleep, that also the reason we were so patient because she needed the nap and we had a comfy place to sit while she slept.

Now for the quick service credits, remember we had a toddler with adult credits.  Also our toddler is more likely to nibble off our plates rather than eat a full meal.

• Breakfast - Be Our Guest - 2
• Lunch - Pecos Bills - 1
• Lunch - Santuli Canteen - 1
• Lunch - Back lot - 1
• Lunch - Be Our Guest - 3
• Lunch - Wolfgang - 3
• Breakfast - Pop Century  - 1 
• Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern - 2
• Breakfast - Art of Animation - 2

So you can see that a lot of the time we just split a larger portion meal like the fajitas at Pecos Bill or the chicken and beef salad at Santuli Canteen.  Even at breakfast we could split a bounty platter or at Be Our Guest we could easily share with our toddler.  I do wish we would have picked up a few more quick service meals to at least try a few more places.  Our surprise best meal was at Liberty Tree Tavern in the American Pavilion at Epcot.  That was a selection my husband made looking through the app while we waited at Character Spot.  I got the Cobb salad and he got a Crispy Chicken sandwich and we got a cupcake to split.  When we finished my husband said "I could eat that meal again right now it was so good".  That night we realized that the kids meals had our daughter's favorite drinkable yogurt in them and I think looking back I would have ordered her a few kids meals here and there to get some kid friendly items just on our trays since we had extra credits anyway.

Next to discuss snacks, our trip before this one I found us using snack credits on things we wanted but that were not a good value use of a credit.  We used all of our snack credits through out our trip and I even paid out of pocket for a cupcake to take with us on the way out.  What I did this time was I purchased $35 worth of snacks from Amazon Prime Now.  That included 12 bottles of water, a pack of bagels, bananas, strawberries, grapes and similar items.  I also brought granola bars and fruit snacks in our luggage.  So I was able to utilize our snacks for much better value items but I had a ton to use at the end of the trip.  I used 20 snack credits at Goofy's candy company in Disney Springs which was fun and made for a good value as the check out price was over $110.  

Even doing that we still had 5 Quick Service and 1 Table Service credit we had to convert to snacks.  We used our snacks to create a better buffer between our meals we would get a snack at 10-11 am then we could eat lunch at 2pm.  This was good and bad for our toddler she would share the snack, say a pretzel or the mac and cheese (at AK Smiling Crocodile) and last a little longer then be asleep before we sat down for lunch.  That was part of the reason we had left over Quick service credits because had she been awake I would have been more likely to purchase a second meal but with her asleep we would share one and pick up something small or she would have a granola bar after her nap. Then she would last until our early dinner ADR usually between 4:30-5:30 pm.

The refillable mugs are a blessing and a curse, by that I mean having unlimited beverages are great but the refillable mugs leak and get cumbersome if you take them to the parks with you and don't actually hold that much.  So here is how I handle them.  I brought refillable water bottles to take with us in the parks.  I would take our three mugs and our two water bottles with me in the morning I would make fresh brewed sweet tea for my husband (because he hated the fountain sweet tea).  He ended up with a water bottle full of sweet tea and I had my bottle with unsweetened tea that we would take with us each morning and a bottle of water.  That easily lasted until lunch and we would refill our water bottles at lunch if we could.  So we really limited what we had to purchase as far as drinks by being a little more prepared.

Here is what the numbers ended up looking like.

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs - $60.68
• 13 Adult Table Service credits & 7 Child Table Service credits - $829.36
• 16 Quick Service credits - $290.94
• 5 Quick Service credits converted to 15 snacks - $66.85
• 1 Adult Table Service credits converted to 3 snacks - $15.00
• 42 snack credits - $220.78

• Was it worth it?
• The plan cost $1,237.11
• Cost of the items we purchase $1,483.61
• Value? We saved $246.50

Could that number have been more?  Yes it could have been, it also could have been less.  With any Disney Dining Plan  you can not leave credits unused, when you do Disney wins.  Also, the dining plans now include a "specialty" beverage that can include alcohol, we don't drink alcohol so we can't tell you much other than if you do you will save more because alcohol at Disney is expensive.  Ask your server what is included and sometimes you can get the "fancy alcohol" drinks without the alcohol but still with the light up glow cube.  

In full disclosure, we got the quick service dining free with a free dining discount and paid to upgrade to the standard dining plan.  I really think this is the plan that we will use more regularly moving forward.

Review: Disney World - Tony's Town Square

We had dinner with a group of 3 (including one 3 year old).  The food was pretty average to below average.  We had a calamari appetizer and it was chewy and ended up being left mostly untouched by our family. 

Our waitress was very kind and we discussed if the kids Ariel cup was considered a specialty beverage and she said there was discussion last week that it was but if its not she would not charge us.  She confirmed it was not considered a specialty beverage but did not charge us so my daughter was a happy camper.  She also suggested we get our daughter an adult appetizer because my husband and I both wanted a salad bur wanted to try the calamari.  She even reminded us that we could order my daughter an adult meal (since we were on the deluxe dining plan) but she was happy with the kids pizza.

We have been to Tony's a couple time before and really enjoyed our meals. However, this meal was not worth the price at all and I would have been even more disappointed if I had paid out of pocket because the check was one of the most expensive of our trip.  So, I have to agree with the reviews of hit or miss with this place. 

Not a specialty drink

Review: Disney World - Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

There is a check in station near the main walking path toward the lake side.  Its easy to walk past it if you only are looking for the restaurant sign and then you have to head back toward the lake and look for the check in station again.

We had dinner with a group of 6 (including one 3 year old).  The food was good standard breakfast food.  My family is not adventuress enough to try the lunch or dinner options so we stick to breakfast here.  Its a good mix of buffet and family style where you can go immediately to the buffet and they bring your table the warm options of eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage.

Our waitress was good just as you would expect.

The characters were good and spent plenty of time with us. They have a princess parade which my toddler enjoyed but it was a little odd because she was big enough to want to participate but not big enough to go on her own.

Overall this is a good use of a Disney dining credit and a good option if you cant get an ADR (Advance Dining Reservation) at Cinderella's castle. 

3 Adults and 1 Child

Review: Disney World - The Garden Grill Review

First off this was the best character meal we had during our last visit.

We had dinner with a group of 6 (including one 3 year old).  The food was great, basically all of it.  More specifically the meats were great even the french fries were amazing.  The broccoli was great too.  The mac and cheese was extremely cheesy.  Honestly all the food was good standard home cooked food.

Our waiter was amazing had been working at Disney for something like 26 years.  My family is a bunch of jokers so we had some great moments of banter.  He was funny and very attentive we never had to worry about our drinks going empty.  Additionally he confirmed that Garden Grill is one of the few places on property that brews their own sweet tea.  That's huge plus for my husband as he drinks a ton of tea and was bummed by the gold peak tea everywhere else.  So as a part of our waiter's joking my husband ended up with multiple glasses of tea at a time which was great because he drank the majority of them or filled up our portable travel bottle when we left.

The characters were great and spent plenty of time with us and even a couple even made it around more than just once.  Which was great because we were not waiting on that last character when we really wanted to be on our way.

This was the first time we ate here but definitely will not be the last.  We already plan to stop there on our next trip.

3 Adults and 1 Child

Value of Deluxe Dining Plan 2018

We are back from our January 2018 Disney trip.  We added the Deluxe Dining Plan to our trip because the math worked for us.  You can see the pre trip numbers here.

Our meal schedule was heavy in the character meals as it was our 3 year old's first trip.  My mother-in-law joined us in the parks for 3 of our days, that is really where our value was added by having deluxe dining.  She used 6 of our credits, without her there those credits would have had much less value.  Generally speaking we would have used those credits but probably more as a shareable lunch at a quick service instead of a full table service meal. So those 6 credits would have gone from a $35-49 value down to $20-25.  We would have still saved some money, so its still good to do the math.

Big things to remember when thinking about the difference of the deluxe dining plan and the quick or standard plan is that deluxe included an appetizer and desert for table service meals.  Our 3 year old also was not required to eat off the kids menu (I think that is not the case for standard dining plan table service).  Only 3 of our meals were not buffets the first one I did not realize that she could order a standard meal/appetizer, the second we ordered her an adult appetizer (after the waitress suggested it) but a kids meal and the third (Be Our Guest) I did not order her a meal she shared with us.  It's my understanding that for quick service the meals are all grouped together and kids are not required to order kids meals so that makes for much better value.  I would recommend knowing where the best shareable quick service locations are to maximize your value.  We used one of our credits at Flame Tree BBQ and shared it between 4 people (toddler included) because we got the chicken, ribs, and pulled pork combo.

I will admit that I did not maximize our snack credits  because I had just intended to use them instead of spending any money on snacks.  Looking back I wish I would have gotten water to take into the parks as I bought several bottles of smart water, at $4.5 a bottle its a good value but if I would bought it before hand at $1.50 a bottle it would have freed up several snack credits.  Even if I only had a bottle a day to start our day with it would have given us 5 extra snack credits.  I only purchased one cupcake out of pocket when we were leaving the hotel so our credits really covered our needs just not anything extra to take home.  I also wish I would have had a better plan to have a grab and go breakfast in our room for my husband.  A bag of bagels would have saved us a lot of stress.  I had planned several late breakfasts so that we could ride stuff first then head to breakfast on those days we really needed something to take with us for he and my daughter to eat at the bus stop or walking through the park.

As I look back the best advice I can give you is check the numbers based on what you would order at each location you want to visit.  If you plan to have two rooms really check the value of one room with deluxe dining and one room with a different plan until you find a combo that will benefit you.  Be creative if you planned on having two rooms one with 2 adults and one with 2 adults and 1 child it might make more sense to have 3 adults and 1 child on the deluxe plan and the other adult on no plan.  You have to be careful because this affects your room entry but if your all going to be together or if  your rooms are adjoining keep the door open and it wont matter.  When doing the math it always makes more sense for kids to be on the deluxe plan rather than an adult.  My sister and I have discussed this option and really think the next time we visit it will be the way to save money.  What you need to do when you plan ahead is to be sure that the standard dining plan is used for buffet meals and the deluxe is used where at non buffet table service options.  You also need to be sure that you plan if you all wont be dining together that someone has meals on their account to use.  I would also have a written plan of what room will pay for which meals so that you don't have to think about it once your there.

Day 1:
Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic Package) - 3 credits
Sci-Fi Drive In - 3 credits

Day 2:
Crystal Palace - 3 credits
Tony's Town Square - 3 credits

Day 3:
Akershus - 4 credits
Garden Grill - 4 credits

Day 4:
Be Our Guest - 3 credits
Cinderella's Royal Table - 8 credits

Day 5:
Tucker House - 4 credits
Flame Tree BBQ - 1 credit

Out of pocket	$1,339.86
Deluxe Dining	$1,090.00
Refillable Mugs (3)	$53.97
Snacks ($4.50 each)	$96.00
Total Value	$399.83

3 Adults and 1 Child

Disney Dining Plan 2018 - Specialty Drinks

So as of January 1, 2018 the Disney Dining Plan includes specialty drinks.  We just finished a 5 day trip on the deluxe dining plan under the new specialty drinks plan.  Short version: If you drink alcohol you will get great value from the new plan, if you don't you will have to be aware that there is not much for you that changes other than the price of the plan.

In previous years you could get a milkshake for your drink if you asked (or had a waitress/waiter that suggested it for you).  So that makes the value added for milkshakes not anything new.  Previously you could also get flavor added to your drinks as well, I remember getting several vanilla cokes the last time I was at Disney.  So what can you get?  If you were hoping for some new line of specialty non-alcoholic drinks available for all the kids and non-drinking adults you're out of luck.  I was hoping for some specialty coffee drinks or additional flavor options but none of that either.

What was there?  The alcoholic beverage menu that you used to have to pay to drink off of is now available to choose items.  You can order virgin items off of that menu if there are options like the pina coloda from Sci-Fi or other locations.  Also, remember that if its merchandise it is not included so no glowing lights for the kids or souvenir cups.

So if you were going to pay for alcoholic beverages you will benefit from the new change to the dining plan.  Otherwise if you decide a dining plan is a good value for your family then take a minute to ask your waitress what non-alcoholic drinks are available to you before you order.

Not Included - Merchandise 

Carriage Ride at Fort Wilderness

My husband and I took trip to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary December 2014.  We did several "horsey" things and I am going to review them over the next several posts.

Check out the first post here.
This is the second post: Carriage Rides

We actually did the Holiday Sleigh Ride at 9 pm at Fort Wilderness.  We had dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at 6:15 pm.  There was about an 45 min gap between the time the show was over and the start of our sleigh ride, so we walked around the general area and visited the gift shop and just enjoyed the quiet of the evening.  Be aware that we went in December and it things were closing as we were waiting to walk around.  If I remember correctly I think we had to wait a little longer than we thought.  The ride was nice it was cool but there was a blanket in the sleigh so it was comfortable.  We had a ride that was timed to be during the fireworks so we were able to see some of the higher fireworks over the trees but was not a great view.

The campground was all decorated up for Christmas and it was surprising how many RVs had major holiday decorations set up.  Our driver said it gets even more festive the closer you get to Christmas. The ride was a nice quite trot around the campgrounds, it was odd to be passed by some of the large buses but the horse was comfortable and the driver well trained, so it felt very safe.  This was the end of a long day and quite a romantic ride so we really just enjoyed the ride.  I only have one picture that I have found and for some reason the driver did not realize we would like to have the horse in the picture too.

Holiday Sleigh Ride

The driver indicated that the horses are the same horses that pull the trolley down main street and they all just rotate around and have days off like other cast members.  Generally the "horsey" staff seem very broad in their job duties as our driver had just helped bathe and groom Cinderella's ponies for the parade earlier that day.  He indicated that they started getting them ready at about 3 pm for the evening parade.

On a side note this reservation is paid at the time it is booked so be aware that it will hit your credit card as soon as it is processed.  There is a sign on the sleigh that tipping is not permitted, however, I always tip my sleigh/carriage drive when I do this type of thing so I tipped him as I would anywhere else I take a carriage ride.

Horseback Riding at Fort Wilderness Review

My husband and I took trip to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary December 2014.  We did several "horsey" things and I am going to review them over the next several posts.

First is Horseback riding at Tri-Circle-D Ranch
Check out the second post here (Carriage Ride at Fort Wilderness).

We ate at Crystal Palace at 9:55 am then spent a little bit of time in the park.  We had a reservation for the 1:30 pm ride (and were asked to arrive 30 min ahead of time).  We left Magic Kingdom at noon with the plan to take a boat to Fort Wilderness then the bus to the check-in station.  This was not the right choice, it took an hour and a half to make this trip.  We actually saw our ride departing as our bus pulled past the stables.  Not to worry Disney understands how this happens, probably much better than we do as visitors.

This is how Disney handled the situation, the check-in Cast Member called my cell phone while we were traveling to the check-in station.  I did not see the call until we were almost to the check-in.  The cast member told me at check-in it she had called to see if we needed assistance in finding the location or determining how to use transportation to get to the check-in area.  When we were late she just bumped us to the 2:30 ride without issue or financial penalties (before we even spoke with her).  Knowing this now, I would recommend not scheduling to do the last ride of the day in-case you have issues getting to the corral.  We did have to wait a while but it was fine, we took the time to get something to drink use the restrooms and watch the horses in the corrals.  There were picnic tables there to sit while we waited.

Picnic Tables in the waiting area

How we should have gotten to the check-in location, since the check-in location is at first bus stop for Fort Wilderness we should have taken the bus from Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness.  I am sure it would have been quicker.  Also check your phone periodically when you are trying to make it to a reservation and are behind, Disney wants to help you.

Once we checked in and it was closer to the time to ride we put our stuff in a free locker by the corral.  It's pretty small so just be aware of that, but there were multiple lockers so we could have used a couple if needed. They do not allow cameras to be used while riding.  They did take some pictures for use before the ride and I got some of my husband as he was on his horse before me. They utilize a very safe mounting area where the horses are lead up to a fairly high platform, the rider walks up about 3-4 stairs.  Then the rider just puts their foot in the stirrup and swings his/her leg a crossed, very safe for the horse and the rider.  Everyone in our group had helmets on, I can't remember if that is a requirement or a choice, as I never ride without a helmet and would encourage everyone to do the same.  There were maybe 4 other riders and 2 guides.

They will tell you more about the horse you are riding if you ask. My husband was lucky enough to ride the horse that plays Maximus.  Maximus had participated in a photo shoot earlier in the morning to be used during the Christmas parade on TV. Maximus has to start getting prepped for the shoot at 4 am that morning so he was still very white and super soft.  Don't worry, the horses have set work schedules like other cast members and they get days off,  I think they got about 2-3 days off a week.

The ride was a nice 45 min walk.  We saw some deer on the ride.  It a nice flat sandy trail that you ride.  The one thing I did not like was being told not to let the horses eat stuff along the trail, why is that so bad you ask?  Well the main reason is an invasive poisonous plant that can cause the horses to colic.  The guides indicated that they routinely trim the plants back away from the trail but having a horse that is colic prone at home, it was not relaxing trying to avoid a plant you did not know what looked like.  I think Disney might want to have a sign created with some images to help people know what the plant looks like.

When we got back to the corral we tipped our guide, like we would at any trail ride, patted our horses good bye gathered our things out of the lockers and headed by bus to the barn area near the boat dock, more on that in the another post.

Maximus

Thinking of the next trip

Sorry for the huge gap in articles but after our last trip to Disney, my husband and I found out we were going to have a daughter. Long story short she decided to come 6 weeks early after a long time in the hospital on bed rest.

So now we are looking ahead to her first trip to Disney and our first trip with a toddler.  Since the only break in pricing that you will ever get is by taking a child under 3 that's our plan.  She changed our September trip to a May trip with her early arrival as I will never go to Disney in the summer.  I can't handle the heat or the crowds.

Children under 3 don't need a ticket, don't count toward the number of guests in your room, and eat off your plate at buffets.  The ticket savings is a huge one as children's tickets are only a few dollars less than adult tickets and tickets are one of the largests expenses while at Disney.  I have already been asked the question why so early... She won't even remember.  Well we will remember and she will have the pictures and video to enjoy later.  We also know we will go back eventually so this will not be her only Disney trip.  

So, now I have been looking at how to have some balance with this trip as we will also be taking my other daughter who will be graduating college the same month.  We will most likely head to Disney shortly after her graduation.  I realized on my last trip that a break day would make things more enjoyable, so I am looking to work that into our plans.  Our last trip we used the deluxe dinning plan (DDP) and determined that we only saved about $110 dollars which could have been done by my husband and I splitting and apitizer and dessert instead of getting two each meal.  Seeing as so much food was wasted I think I would feel better about it anyway.  However, my older daughter thinks DDP is the way to go as the idea of order anything is not the norm for us and she is a bit of a foodie and loves the variety at Disney.   Honestly, I will just be doing the math ahead of time and decide later what the best value is for our family.  If free dining is available or not that will add into the decision.

So I look foward to sharing what I learn about toddler trips and plan to write some dining reviews in the near future.

Disney's Deluxe Dining Plan Evaluation

Well, we got back from our 7 night, 8 day Disney trip with the Deluxe Dining Plan.  If you have read my posts before you know I am a big proponent of the Deluxe Plan.  Well, not anymore, I saved a whopping $109 dollars over 8 days by using the Deluxe Dining Plan.  7.54 percent was our savings, that is a tiny percentage compared to the commitment you make to eat at Disney Restaurants.

We all ate more than we normally would have chosen to, our choices were limited if I would have prefered to have poutine instead of an appetizer at Le Cellier I would have had to pay extra.  If I was paying out of pocket the choice would have been mine to make.  So when you add that in it makes it less of a convenience.

I knew that it was not going to save me a ton of money but I never would have guessed I would have saved only a little over a hundred dollars.  That even adds in the snacks we purchased to use up our credits that we did not need.  Most every meal my husband barely touched his dessert so that would have saved a lot by just not ordering those.

I do like having my meals prepaid for it was nice to not have to worry about the bill or what we decided to have especially at places like Le Cellier and Be Our Guest.  I do feel like pre purchasing gift cards or mastercards would make more sense then at the end of the trip what you did not spend on meals you could spend on souvenirs or just take back home.

Its not like you will be surprised by the prices so you can plan ahead.  We averaged $38 per table service credit, or $114 per day.  I really think that next time I will not purchase the dining plan, I will do the the math ahead and if its close (it was this time but I wanted the convenience) plan to pay out of pocket.  We had all of our meal ADRS ahead of time so I could estimate the cost as well.

Photographing Letters at Disney

I recently discovered this neat idea of taking photographs of things that looked like letters to create words from the images.  There is a site that you can order "letters" from and frames from but you can also get some ideas there as well (Check this site).

My plan for my next trip is take photos of things that look like letters especially so that I can spell some fun things.  What might be fun to use this process for?

• Your last name or your first
• Your kids names
• Disney
• Character name
• Park 
• Restaurant
• Ride
• Resort

Pretty much the best thing is to find a picture of every letter of the alphabet.  The next best thing is to have a short list for a specific plan (like your last name or Disney).  I am looking forward to doing this almost as a scavenger hunt during our trip.  Encouraging others in my group to be on the look out for letters as well.

Think about how much fun you can have with this waiting in line and then what a great project for when you get home.

Disney Horses

So my husband and I are horsey people and are looking forward to enjoying all the Disney horses.  Since it seems that there are lots of others looking for the same types of experiences I am going to start gathering a list of info of how to incorporate horses into your Disney World vacation.

• Trail riding - Pony Rides
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• This is the one that most appeals to us.  Its a 45 min trail ride through the Fort Wilderness area (no exactly sure of where it takes you).  Some of horses used in the trail rides are also some of the horses used by the princesses in the parades.  I saw some post about the trail guides telling riders which princess normally rides the horses in the parades.  Additionally I saw some pictures of Cinderellas's White ponies being used for pony rides.  So the horses server multiple roles (which is common with working horses).  Some of the carriage horses are also ridden in the trail rides.  I would love to ride Maximus or Merida's horse.  We'll have to wait and see how this works out.
• Restrictions: Reservations are recommended, and closed-toe shoes are required. Riders must be over 48 inches tall and weigh under 250 pounds. 
• Cost: $46/45 min
• Times: 8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 pm, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm (this was what I found, call to confirm)
• Location: Check-in is located at the entrance of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Carriage Rides and Sleigh Ridge
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/carriage-rides/
• Restrictions: 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 kids 
• Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days in advance
• Cost:$45 or $60 per carriage / 25 min
• Times: 5:30PM, 6:00PM,6:30PM, 7:00PM, 7:30PM, 9:00PM,9:30PM, 10:00PM (this was what I found, call to confirm)
• Location:Ride through the lush pine and cypress trees of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, or travel along the charming pathways of Port Orleans — Riverside and the banks of the Sassagoula River.
• Wagon Rides
• I am hopping to be able to fit this in as some point as it takes you through the campgrounds and we will be visiting during the Christmas holiday and hear that the campsites will be decorated and that would be neat to experience.
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• Cost: $5 or $8/45 min
• Times: 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM 
• Location: Depart from in front of Pioneer Hall
• Main Street Vehicles
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/main-street-vehicles/
• Cost: Park ticket
• Times: 9:00AM to 10:15AM
• Location: Main Street - Magic Kingdom
• Visiting Tri Circle D Ranch Area
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• Cost: Free
• Times: 7:00AM to 8:23PM
• Location: Fort Wilderness Area

Disney Dining Plan (Deluxe Version)

So I have been reading several articles about the Disney Dining Plan and want to point out a couple of things I have noticed about the Deluxe version.

You have to eat 3 huge meals a day! - False

First they reference having 3 meals a day, that is not exactly the case you get 3 meals for each night you stay.  Our next trip we will arrive in Orlando in the late evening, stay at a cheap offsite hotel then arrive at the counter as early in the am as we can to get our vacation started.  Then we will be staying an extra night (not on our reservation) at the end of our trip so we end up with 8 nights but 9 days.  So take 24/9 and you get to spread out the meals a little more.  We will be eating at the castle one morning (before the park opens) and going to Hoopy Doo Music Review (also 2 credits).  So now we are taking 22/9 so that is 2.5 meals a day so now we are at 3 meals every other day.

You will waste 1.5 hours each time you eat! - False

Plan to eat at the restaurants that let you in the park early (Castle, Crystal Palace, Tusker House).  That way you will get you in the parks before it opens.  That will actually add to our usable park time as we will already be in the park at rope drop and be able to enjoy some great photos without a lot of people.

So if we start our day at 7am get to a before parks character meal at 8am.  Share a quick service meal in the afternoon (say in our hotel before our afternoon nap/pool time) everyday and then have dinner around 7 that is all we need to do (only time out of our park hours will be for dinner).

Character meals are the only time I will meet and greet with characters so it actually saves time from waiting in line you can multi-task.

The cost is too high / not a good value! - False

The Deluxe Plan is expensive but when if your going to eat sit down twice a day it is pretty similar in pricing except you get more times to eat and  more selection (as you don't have to worry about the cost of what your eating).  Also if you don't need to eat your 2 snacks you can purchase items that you can take home as gifts.  Some examples are popcorn, rice crispy treats, bagged candy and more...  If you don't use all your dining credits try and purchase snacks with them sometimes they let you.  Generally speaking you really need to plan out what you are going to eat as it might be cheaper to pay out of pocket but you might end up skimping out on a lot of fun.  Don't try and eat counter service for a week just to save $100 as you will really miss out on a lot of unique dining opportunities.

Convenience is not really something to count! - False 

My opinion is I like to have everything paid for before I go so I don't worry about money while on my trip it is not fun to see costs add up at every meal I don't want to be thinking about the bill I want to be enjoying Mickey and Eeyore.

Quick Tips

I just wanted to talk Disney today, so here is a list of general tips:

• Use the package delivery if staying onsite (it takes 24 hours to get back to your room so schedule your shopping accordingly)
• Use photopass or take plenty of pictures 
• Take a nap in the afternoon (or go to the pool)
• Be at a park at rope drop (early in your trip so you realize how great it is)
• Use the Disney Transport System (try the boats as well, study the routes before you get there)
• Have at least one character meal no matter how old you are
• Accept the fact that you wont be able to do everything 
• Enjoy the things you can do
• Ask for towel specific animals from housekeeping (its fun)
• Use all your meal and snack credits (you paid for them even if you just get nonperishable stuff from the food court)
• Be creative with snack credits (sometimes you can trade meal credits for 3 snack credits)
• Pin Trade (get pins from ebay or amazon)
• Penny Press Hunt
• Try rides you have never been on before
• Enjoy the scenery
• Take time to slow down (it is your vacation isn't it)
• Coordinate Clothing it makes for better pictures
• Don't be afraid to ask about discounts when booking your trip  

So, just some random thoughts of the day.

Disney Themed Tissue Holder

I finally got to make one of the crafts I found on pinterest a tissue holder.

I found some really cute Eeyore and Pooh material at Wal-mart so I picked up a yard without of it without any plans about a month ago.  I also got a yard of green silky material that matched as I figured I would need  something to coordinate with it.

It was  a pretty simple project and I am glad I started with it so I did not get discouraged.

So it was pretty easy, this fits the larger tissue packets (I also felt it would work with tissues you grab out of the box):

1. Gather your supplies
2. Next cut 2 7x10 inch pieces (one from each fabric you plan to use, I used the green for the lining and the Eeyore for the visible side)
3. Pin them together wrong side of the material touching
4. Sew up the short sides
5. Flip it right side of the fabric out (might be a good time to iron the seems)
6. Trim any excess material, especially on the long sides
7. This step is optional - I used a fancy stitch on my machine and ran along the edges (they will be visible at the opening)
8. Then fold it and pin it so the opening will be centered (with the inside material facing out)
9. Sew the (new) short side together
10. Flip it right side out and your done

Disney Clothing Idea

I found this material that you can print onto, and I had a unique idea.  I am going to print an applique type of image then edge the image to look like it was pieced together.  It should make for a pretty quick and handmade look to a T-shirt.

I think I will try this out with a Disney horse image.  Thinking about using one of these:

I hope I can actually make something creative soon.

Disney at Christmas

I just found out that if you are traveling to Disney for Christmas plan ahead to decorate your room window.  Anything from lights to Christmas trees were some of the items used to decorate the room window.

Don't be caught off guard or you may end up feeling like you need to spend money that you did not budget.

I am brainstorming already...  lights, window clings, some ornaments maybe some clips to clip to the back of the curtains to hang stuff from.  Definitely a pack of 3M hangers is a wreath going to far or just right...  guess there is a lot to think about.

Anyone already have some pictures of resort windows?

Ways to make your room feel more cozy and less chaotic

Here is my confession...  I am OCD and like to have some order in my life.  Sometimes it feels crazy when your on vacation with all the stuff you "have to take" with you and the tiny space you try and cram it all into.  Value resort rooms are not large but how much time are you really spending in your room?

I have been gathering some idea to make a value resort feel like a comfy happy home.  So far here is my list of todos:

• Hand soap pump dispenser (decorated in Disney style)
• Pop up clothing hamper
• Storage containers 
• For stuff on the counter 
• To bring food back to the room in (the to go boxes don't work well in a backpack)
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Laundry Soap (don't plan to have to use it but you never know if that one thing you forget to pack is going to mess with your whole plan also we will have some driving days in our trip so having enough may bet a little tough just due to the length of time we will be going)
• Consider either a hanging shoe rack or sweater rack to help give stuff a place to call home 
• Charging Station
• Basket for all the chargers to be located
• Pack a surge strip so you can plug everything in
• Separate Battery chargers that will charge your extra batteries in the afternoon
• Suction cup hooks for wet stuff in the shower

On a side note we will be spending 2 days driving down and 3 days driving back, I am planning on packing separate bags for all three sections of the trip.  Since it will just be the two of us and both of us tend to pack our toiletries in a backpack we should be able to have one night/day in the backpack and then maybe a separate combo small bag for the second travel night, then 2 bags for Disney and one bag on the way back.  That way we don't have to unpack the entire car just to find our socks.

After about 30 Seconds in the room with a large group not my preference .

Road Trip Tips for Grown Ups

So there are a ton of ideas for kids on road trips but what about adults?

Here is a list of things that you can try:

• Cracker Barrel audio books
• Famous Person Alphabet name game
• Name a person
• Next person has to name a person that their names starts with the last letter of the name before
• Movie Game - 20 Questions
• I think I will make a couple of these up Disney version
• License Plate Game
• Keep track of each state you see
• I will try and make up a check list/ board
• Get to know each other questions 
• I will be making up a question list at some point
• I will be asking my husband for input on this as well
• Scavenger Hunt
• I will be making up a check list
• Map stops gift bags
• I figure I will try this at an adult level, there is stuff I have to purchase for use to have on our trip and I will see if I can make this work out a little bit.  

Anyway I will be adding to this list over the next several months and would love to have some feedback in the comments if you have other ideas.