Happiness is...Pizza!

When I first met my husband, there was one VERY important thing I had  to learn about him. His love for pizza! So when we decided to get married and have children of our own, having pizza at least one night a week has become a regular item on our dinner menus.

This past year, our kids were finally at the perfect age (At least for us, anyway!) to plan our first “all-out” Walt Disney World vacation! Since it was our first trip with all four of us, we opted to do just the Quick-Service dining plan. While the Quick-Service dining plan did not disappoint, my husband’s
one request was to at least have one really nice sit down meal together. When he began to research, he came across Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria in Epcot and he knew he could not resist making a reservation. Perfectly enough they had reservations available for us the day we would be in Epcot. So without hesitation the reservation was made. 

Top 10 Counter Service Restaurants

Much of the time when clients are preparing for their Walt Disney World vacations the focus is on table service restaurants. It's imperative to make reservations in advance so it's no surprise it's often the focus of our planning. Today thought, I'd like to talk about my favorite counter service locations. I think Disney does such an amazing job at offering a variety of food. Disney has so much more to offer than burgers and fries!! My selections below are simply my personal favorites. They are not necessarily the best value, the cheapest or anything else...just my favorites that I tend to visit over and over!

Disney Dining Plans

An awesome video from Disney Parks that gives a brief explanation of Disney's 3 Dining Plans!

Disney Dining Plan- Top 5 Reasons I love it!

Disney's Dining plans are among the hot topics you'll come across when planning a Walt Disney World Vacation...along with EPCOT is just for adults, Animal Kingdom is a half day park and pool hopping.  For those of you who follow the blog, it's no surprise I'm a fan of the Disney Dining Plan. You can find several articles throughout the blog dedicated to just that. Today I want to talk about why my family and I love the plan.

First let's talk about what you get and the cost. Today the Plus Dining Plan will cost you $61.84 per adult and $20.96 per child, PER NIGHT of your vacation.   Remember no matter which Dining Plan you choose, it's tied to your resort stay so it must be booked for every night of your vacation.

What do you get for that price? From WaltDisneyWorld.com: 

1 Table-Service Meal
Each (adult or child) table-service meal includes 1 entrée, 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only) and 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage  Or 1 full buffet

1 Quick-Service Meal
Each quick-service meal includes 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal, 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only) and 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage.

1 Snack

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person
Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like! YOUR RESORT ONLY

Once you check-in at your resort your Magic Band will become activated and your dining plan is loaded right onto the band.  Your credits are POOLED (separated by adult and child credit). So let's say a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children 8,6) are staying 4 nights. Their Magic Band would have:

8 Table Service Credits (Adult)

8 Table Service Credits (Child)

8 Counter Service Credits (Adult)

8 Counter Service Credits (Child)

16 snack credits

4 Refillable mugs

Ok enough information overload! Le'ts get to the Top 5 Reasons I LOVE Disney's Plus Dining plan!!

#5 Flexibility

Since your credits are pooled, you can use them anytime you want!  You'll have access to your credits from the minute you check-in until midnight the day you check-out.  For instance let's say you don't arrive until 7 p.m. and you ate on the plane, you won't lose your credits! You can use them anytime during your trip.  Maybe there is a day everyone wants to skip breakfast and have a big lunch, that's ok!  Or maybe you want both breakfast and lunch (counter service), that's ok too!

Just remember that Table Service credits should be planned ahead with reservations. Most times of the year it's nearly impossible to just walk up to a table service restaurant.  To book Table Service restaurants you'll need a credit card to guarantee the reservation. If you cancel the same day you are charged $10 per person. 

#4 Prepaid

One of my favorite things about a Disney vacation is that when I arrive, everything is taken care of!   My room, tickets and food are already paid for!  The only thing I have to worry about is gratuities at my Table Service restaurants, any extra's I want to get (wine, appetizers, etc) and souvenirs! Everything is pre-paid AND I'm not restricted as to what I can order!  If I want steak every night, then I can order Steak!  there is no special menu for Dining Plan participants. Order what you'd like off each menu! Remember you each get an entrée, a dessert (lunch and dinner only) and a single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage,  or 1 full buffet.

Character dining like this buffet at 1900 Park Fare is included as a Table Service Credit!

#3 Convenience

Did I mention how easy it is to use?  Anywhere you go where you see the Disney Dining Plan logo, you can use your credits! 

Each menu at counter service and snack locations will display the logo:

Just order, tap your band, enter your pin number and off you go!

Cast Members are more than willing to help so if you aren't sure what's included just ask! Most people get it down within the first day or so!

Special Tip!

While not advertised, Disney typically distinguishes between the counter service and snack credits...that means that you can share! Disney's portions are HUGE so if 2 adults want to share a breakfast platter, Disney doesn't usually say anything (sharing is NOT allowed at Table Service restaurants). It also means kids can order from the adult menu!

#2 Savings

I think this is where people waiver on the plan. I know it's a lot of money, but so is the cost of food at Disney.  Do you have other options? Sure! You could book the Quick Service Plan . You can have groceries delivered to your room (or snag them yourself if you are driving) but most rooms only have a small dorm style fridge so unless you are staying in a Villa, you won't be able to feed your family for your entire stay out of your small fridge.

I wanted to provide some specific examples so I saved a few receipts from our last trip! Remember for an adult, the cost is almost $62 per night. I get 2 meals (1 counter and 1 Table service) a snack and my mug. Let's leave off the mug for now. Here are a few sample meals we had. We were NOT on the dining plan so we didn't always order 1 drink, 1 entree and 1 snack (although I wish we had!)

Be Our Guest
1 Croque Monsieur-$11.19

1 Bottled Water-$2.50

1 Grey Stuff Cupcake-$3.19

1 Raspberry Lemon Cream Puff-$3.19

Total with Tax-$21.22

Now with this example I wouldn't have gotten a 2nd cupcake included on my plan but that still leaves me at roughly $18 for a meal! And that's just counter service!!

La Haceinda De San Angel

1 Parillada Hacienda-$27.50 (my half)

1 Water-$0.00

1 Queso Fundido-$6.38 (again my half)

no dessert

Total-$36.09

This example I didn't order dessert because we were stuffed but had I been on the dining plan I wouldn't have ordered the appetizer....because I love my dessert lol!.  You can estimate this one is around $34.  So far that's a total of  $52 before my snack (or mug). It was probably a break even day but again I didn't have to think about it. I didn't have to wonder what I was going to spend and budget extra. It was all taken care of!

Here's another example!
Pecos Bills

Dlx Cheeseburger with Fries- $10.79

Large Bottled Water-$2.50

Total-$13.29

Ouch! $13 for lunch for ONE person...now imagine if I was a Pop (Soda) drinker or had dessert?

Sleepy Hollow

Nutella Waffle Sandwich-$6.39

Milk-$2.39

Water-$2.50

Total-$11.28

Another ouch...I'm a big water drinker (especially being pregnant) so this meal would have cost me  multiple credits or I could have paid cash but this was a quick breakfast for us...now multiply all these numbers by a family of 4 and it adds up so quickly!

Because we weren't on the dining plan we didn't eat at a lot of Table Service restaurants and I really missed it. It's nice for us to take a break out of our day and have a nicely prepared meal.

#1 Food

Bottom line is we like to eat. When we go to Disney, half the fun is the food we get to try! We get to eat at our favorite restaurants, indulge a little and relax. Even if the Dining Plan came out as a wash for me, we would still opt for it.  We never know what we'll want to order and we like being able to relax and not think about what the cost would be.  For us we weigh both the cost of the dining plan and the convenience.

Plus we get to enjoy a lot of food we don't at home! Some of our favorite options are unique offerings...remember Disney isn't all Chicken Fingers and burgers!

Pork Nachos from Captain Cook's at the Polynesian.
Normally $7.99 but part of Disney's Dining plan!

For a lot of first time visitors I think it's hard to gauge how much food would cost you out of pocket vs. the dining plan. Does it work for everyone? Nope!  I do feel for most guests it can be a great advantage and make your vacation seamless!

Character Dining Pro's and Con's

When making your choices as to where to eat during your Disney vacation, many people automatically jump to character dining. It's what Disney shows you in commercials, it's what all your friends come home talking about and you just know you HAVE to book it!  Today I'm going to talk a little about the pro's and con's of character dining to help you decide if character dining is for your family!

Lots of characters
I think the first obvious pro to character dining is, well the characters! It's true! By booking a character dining experience you can guarantee that you'll see some characters up close and personal. There is a variety of experiences available including:
-Princess
-Pooh and friends
-Mickey and friends
-Playhouse Disney

Time Consuming
While these experiences can be a great and intimate way of meeting the characters, keep in mind they can be time consuming. Character dining can often take 1.5 to 2 hours and depending on what time of day you've booked, that's precious park time!  If you are traveling during a slower season, meeting the characters in the park might be a quicker experience!

Quality of food
The quality of the food at character dining restaurants can be hit or miss depending on the location and meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner).  Many folks visit these restaurants simply to meet the characters regardless of how good the food is. Personally I've been happy with the few character meals we've been to, but they've all been breakfast. Do you research beforehand and know what to expect.

Location
Many great character dining experiences take place at some of Disney's Deluxe resorts. What a great excuse to check out some amazing locations and they are often very easy to get to from one of Disney's main theme parks (like Disney's Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Beach Club)!! You'll of course still have options within the theme parks for convenience but don't forget those outside the parks too!

Cost
Depending on if you are on the dining plan, the cost of character meals can be a bit daunting. They also might not be the best bang for your buck on the dining plan. For instance a character breakfast will run an adult approximately $25-$28 plus gratuity, although dining at Cinderella's Royal Table will cost you nearly double that!  Dinner's at most character dining locations will be closer to $40 per person.

Will your kids like the Characters?
In order to get into the most popular character dining locations, you'll need to book several months in advance (often 6 months!). For first time visitors, especially those with small children, you may not know how they'll react to the characters. For this reason I often suggest not booking EVERY meal a character experience just in case they don't warm up to the idea.

Yummy, yummy, yummy

I know I've posted quite a bit in the past about the Disney Dining Plans but it's the #1 question I get when planning a Disney vacation so I don't think we can talk about it too much! I'm going to do a Q&A that will hopefully answer some questions!

Q) What are the dining plans?

A) Basically they are a way of pre-paying for your food, sometimes at a discount. There are 5 dining plans but today we'll just talk about 3 of them:

1. Quick Service Dining 
1. Includes two quick service meals and one snack per person, per package night, plus a resort refillable mug per person
2. Plus Dining
1. Includes two meals (one table service, one quick service) and a snack per person, per night plus a resort refillable mug per person.
3. Deluxe Dining
1. Includes three meals and two snacks per person,per night plus a resort refillable mug per person.

Refillable Mugs may be used in the food court at your resort only!

Q) What is the difference between a Quick Service and Table Service meal?
A) Quick Service meals are basically quick food. I don't like calling it fast food because it's often much better!  These restaurants don't accept reservations. You basically walk up when you are hungry, order your food and seat yourself.

La Hacienda De San Angel is one of my favorite restaurants. It's counter service during the day and table service at night!

Table Service restaurants are any restaurants where you are being served by a waiter or waitress (with a few exceptions). These meals are those that you should reserve in advance. These also include character meals and fine dining restaurants.

Q) How do I know where I can eat?
A) There are lots of great resources to find out what restaurants participate (most of them). Check out the official Disney Dining Plan Guide to start. Other resources I love are:
Disney Food Blog
AllEarsNet.com
Gluten Free Dairy Free at Disney

Plus everywhere you go Disney uses the Dining Plan logo to symbolize where you can use credits. They make it super easy!

Q) So what's included in each meal?
A) For each meal credit, counter or table service, you get one non-alcoholic drink, one entree and one dessert.  Most restaurants don't have any restrictions and you aren't choosing food from a special menu. You are welcome to order additional food like appetizers and alcohol, just be prepared to pay out of your own pocket for it.

The only exception is if you are on the Deluxe Dining Plan! Then you still get the non-alcoholic drink, entree and dessert but you also get an appetizer!

Q) Will I be stuck eating at my resort every day?

A) Absolutely NOT!  There are hundreds of restaurants, both counter and table service, to choose from.  They are located in all 4 theme parks, at the resorts, Downtown Disney and more! You'll also be able to choose from a wide array of food. There is literally something for everyone!

Q) I still don't get the "credits"...how will I know what to use and when, or how many I have left?

A) Let's use an example! You have a family of 4; 2 adults, 2 kids 6 and 4.  You are staying at Disney for 5 nights and have the Plus Dining Plan . That means you have:

10 Adult counter service credits

10 Child counter service credits

10 Adult table service credits

10 Child table service credits

10 Adult snack credits

10 Child snack credits

4 Refillable Mugs

Counter Service and Snack Credits MAY be shared but technically there is a distinction between adult and child. Table Service Credits you may NOT share.

You'll want to plan your table service credits in advance. If you are using a Disney Travel Planner (like me) they should be helping you reserve those meals.

Q) But how do I use the credits?
A) Your Magic Band! Your credits are all loaded onto the band and you simply tap it!  You'll get a receipt that shows you how many of that type you have left!

Q) We are arriving late on our arrival night and won't be able to use any credits.What happens to those credits?

A) Since your credits are all pooled, you can simply use them at any other time during your stay. You have up until MIDNIGHT the day of check out.

Q) We plan to spend some time outside of Disney (GASP) so we don't need the dining plan for every night. Can we get it for a just a few nights?

A) Unfortunately your dining plan is tied to the number of nights on your reservation. Don't forget the credits are pooled so you can use them anytime!

Use your snack credits for something yummy!

Q) I've heard a lot about FREE Dining. What is it and how can I get it?

A) During certain times of year, typically fall, Disney will give you one of their dining plans for FREE when you pay full price for room and tickets. Check with your Disney Travel Planner to see if there is currently a deal.  

Check out some more posts I've done about the Disney Dining Plan:
http://www.livingwiththemagic.com/2013/01/disney-dining-plan.html

http://www.livingwiththemagic.com/2013/03/3-meals-day.html

Disney Dining Plan

There are two comments/questions I hear most often from potential clients.  The first is:

We don't want to go to EPCOT. We heard it's boring and not worth our time.

I'll address THAT comment in another post, today I want to talk about the other most popular comment/question I hear:

Is the Dining Plan Worth it?

It used to be very clear but as the dining plan price has increased over the years, the line is it a bit blurrier on what the value of the plan is.  I can say until I'm blue in the face that MY family loves it and uses but what does that mean for your family?

I think there are two things to think about when considering the dining plan; dollar value and convenience value.  Let's talk about the dollar value first. I'm not going to be speaking about the Quick Service or Deluxe plan today, just the Plus plan. The Quick Service is more of a break even plan...a way to pre-pay. The Deluxe plan is for special circumstances (i.e. you plan a lot of dinner shows or signature dining).

To help me with today's example, we have a very special guest!  

Please welcome...Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

and their 3 kids!

Mrs. Potato Head has been wanting to take the kiddos to Disney for some time now.  When Mr. Potato Head found out how much the trip would cost....well he had to get out his angry eyes!

Not to worry Mr. Potato Head! I'm here to help you save some money!  Their family decided to travel this May when the weather is starting to warm up, the crowds aren't too crazy yet and they can get a great discount.   They've decided on their resort and tickets but now they are trying to decide if the meal plan is a good deal for them!

During May when the Potato Heads are traveling its ,off peak for the Disney Dining Plan. It will cost them $55.59 per adult and $17.16 per child (for peak season you will pay $56.94 per adult and $18.16 per child). For the 5 nights they will be at Disney, the Dining Plan will cost a total of $813.30.  Up front that sounds like a lot of money, and Mr. Potato Head said they think they can do it cheaper on their own.

I'd like to show him how much of a great deal this is, so let's break it down!!  For 5 nights this is what $813.30 will get them:

25 snack credits

25 counter service credits

25 table service credits

5 unlimited refillable mugs

There are several ways we can break this down. For instance, they will be getting 50 meals on this plan (a combo of counter and table service).  If we divide what they are paying by that alone, that's only $16.27 per meal! Plus they still have their snack credits and mugs!  While for most, that math is a little too simple, let's talk a little bit more about what they are getting.

Counter service meals at Disney are located all over the parks, resorts, Downtown Disney, Water Parks and more. These are quick style meals that range in both quality and quantity. You can get something as simple as a burger and fries or something more fun and exotic like a Shawarma Platter in Morocco at EPCOT. For each meal you'll get:

• A Non-Alcoholic Drink
• An Entree
• A Dessert

The nice thing about these meals is you can SHARE! The portions are quite large and as long as adults share adult credits and kids share kids credits, you are fine! An average cost of a Counter Service meal is about $11-16 per adult and $6-$10 per child, you can see we are already close to that above average of $16.27 with just one meal!

For your table service credits, these include both character buffets and non buffets.  There are several signature restaurants that take (2) credits as well as Cinderella's Royal Table but most of the restaurants are just ONE! Let's use one of my favorite meals as an example...Ohana!!

For Ohana, Adult costs are $35.14 and kids are just $17.02 (off season).  This meal is Family Style, All You Care To Enjoy and will include the same as a counter service meal:

A Non-Alcoholic Drink

An Entree

A Dessert

So far our family has spent a total of  $48 for lunch (average) and $121.34 for dinner (not including tips).  Plus they used some snack credits for breakfast with their mugs at the resort (roughly $15).  So for one day their total could have been $184.34...a savings of $22 with their dining plan!  Of course each day will vary and some days are even greater savings! There are several ways to stretch your credits out, this is just one example.

I think my FAVORITE part about the dining plan is, even if I were to break even (never happened for us) I don't have to think about it! I can order what I like and not worry about the bill showing up.  A bill for $121.34 for dinner every night would probably send Mr. Potato Head to the Emergency Room!

Is the plan for every family? No, it's not but I think it's easy to underestimate how much food can cost while at Disney and just how much energy you spend running around the parks.  The other added value to me with this plan is the time I get to spend with my family at Dinner each night, away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. For my family, it's more than just the amount of money I'm saving, but about the ease of the plan and how much better it makes our vacation!

Plus Mr. Potato Head is happy!

And if Mrs. Potato Head is happy....EVERYONE is happy!