Downtown Disney

If you've ever booked a package with me, or even just talked to me about pricing out a Disney vacation, you'll know that 90% of the time, I'm anti Park Hopper. Of course it's really a post for another day but when clients follow my advice and don't book the Park Hopper option there is typically one night they have free, not in a park (Animal Kingdom Day).   When you have an evening free at Walt Disney World, there is A LOT  to do! You could play mini golf, visit other resorts, head to the Boardwalk or....head to Downtown Disney!!

Downtown Disney has seen many transformations over the years but currently is a mix of shopping, dining and entertainment geared toward the whole family!  Downtown Disney is split into three sections; The Marketplace, Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney Westside.

Let's start from Left to Right!  First up is Downtown Disney Westside! 

Here you'll find:

• Cirque De Soleil-La Nouba
• House of Blues
• DisneyQuest
• Splittsville Luxry Lanes *NEW!*
• AMC 24 Theatres
• Characters in Flight 

Plus a variety of dining and shops!! Here you'll find Wolfgang Pucks as well as Gloria Estefan's restaurant, Bongos! Even if you don't want to pay to do any of the above attractions, it's fun place to walk around and window shop!

Next up is Pleasure Island (named from Pinnochio!)

Pleasure Island has seen the most changes over the last 10 years or so as Disney tries to change this from an adult playground into something more for the WHOLE family. It's still undergoing changes but you'll find some of my favorite restaurants here including,

• Raglan Road
• Paradisio 37
• Planet Hollywood
• Fulton's Crab House
• Portobello

At Pleasure Island you'll also find the new T-Rex restaurant,  as well as the Design-A-Tee shop! This is one of  my favorite places just to walk around by the water BUT Raglan Road is also on my top 10 favorite restaurant  list!

Last, but not least and probably the most popular is the Downtown Disney Marketplace.

If you forgot ANYTHING while shopping, you'll most likely find it here, at the Marketplace. The Marketplace is home to the LARGEST shop at Disney, World of Disney. You'll find an array of items categorized by department here. Also, World of Disney is home to the 2nd location of Bibbity Bobbity Boutique!

If you can't find what you are looking for here, try one of the MANY shops located here including:

• TrenD 
• Art of Disney
• Basin
• Disney Days of Christmas
• Design-A-Tee
• Arribas Brothers
• Goofy's Candy Company
• Lego Imagination Center
• Little MissMatched
• Once Upon A Toy

And more! Plus there are a variety of restaurants located here including Rainforest Cafe, Cap N' Jacks.  There is a few specialty places to eat including Earl of Sandwich and Baby Cakes (Gluten and Dairy Free!!)

Whether you are looking for a new restaurant to try, a special souvenir to bring home, or just looking to window shop, head to Downtown Disney! Free transportation is provide from all resorts on property AND there is no ticket required!!  

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!

One of the things I love about Walt Disney World is when they through FREE events...that's right, I said FREE! Of course there are always events hidden within events that may cost, but in general many are free.   Today I want to talk a little bit about EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival.

This years's event will be held from March 6 to May 19th (perfect time for some great discounts that were just released!). The entire park gets transformed! One of my favorite things about the Disney parks is the attention they pay to the little details. From the tiniest flowers, to the biggest trees, everything is spectacular.   For the Flower and Garden Festival, Disney cranks it up a notch. There are larger than life character topiaries EVERYWHERE and beautiful, brightly colored flowers to match.

While the performer schedule hasn't been released yet, another great thing about this festival is the FREE concerts! Last year's performers included Starship, Chubby Checker and Jose Feliciano! Stay tuned for this year's line up!

You'll also have the chance to attend seminars, meet HGTV personalities and much more!!  Even if you don't want to take any classes, be sure to just walk around! There is so much to see and do.

Contact me today if you are interested in going to this year's Flower and Garden Festival! Amanda@Mouseketrips.com

Alaska

I have previously announced on Facebook what our big trip of 2013 will be, but just in case you missed it, in August we will be sailing on the Disney Wonder to Alaska!!

In just 7 months from today, we'll be setting sail out of Vancouver, B.C. for 7 nights aboard the Wonder. In the next 7 month we'll be talking more about our travel plans, pre-cruise and post-cruise as well as excursions, packing and much, much more!

For this special cruise, we will be traveling with our favorite west Coast travel companions....Lauren and Patrick!!

You know what that means right?? AMAZING pictures!! If you don't already follow Lauren on Facebook, be sure to!

Due to the nature of this trip, we will be traveling without our favorite traveling companion...

I know she looks sad, but don't feel to bad for her! She's going to enjoy a week with her grandparents and I'm sure be spoiled rotten!!!

So stay tuned for more exciting updated as we plan our Alaskan voyage at Sea!!

Families of 5

A common problem when it comes to accommodations at Walt Disney World, and even on a Disney Cruise, is where can a family of 5 stay without breaking the bank?  Due to Fire Code, many Disney resorts limit the number of occupants to just 4 people. There are a  few exceptions however.

What are the ages of the children in your family?
If you are family of 5, but one of your children is younger than 3, you can occupy a standard room at a Value or Moderate resort just fine. While it might be a tight squeeze, there is enough room for a pack-n-play in addition to the 2 Double or Queen beds. My suggestion, while it restricts use of the bathroom at night, if you have a little one who isn't used to sleeping in the same room as other family members, is to move the pack-n-play to the bathroom area and close the curtain :)

Are you a family of 5 with older children or are you looking for a small kitchenette?
Then a family suite is right for you! While a little pricier, it will afford your family more space and more conveniences. There are 2 types of family suites at Walt Disney World.

All Star Music
These are the original family suites at Disney.  The suites were remodeled by combining two standard rooms into one.  They include a Master Bedroom, 2 bathrooms, a small kitchenette and a living room area. These suites sleep up to 6 people.

The success of the All-Star Music suites lead to the creation of the Art of Animation family suites.  They looked at what worked and what didn't and created these amazing themed suites! These suites are slightly larger but offer similar amenities. They also sleep 6 people.

Do the suites offer more amenities then you need?
If you are still in search of a standard room for your family of 5 but the suites offer just more than you need, or you don't want to stay at a value resort, you have more options. The following resorts will accommodate a family of 5 in a standard room.

-Port Orleans Riverside Resort 
-Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
-Polynesian Resort
-Contemporary Resort
-Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
-Boardwalk Inn Resort

Port Orleans offers a trundle bed while most of the others will offer a day bed.  The square footage of moderate and deluxe resorts are slightly larger than a value, but similar amenities are offered within the room.

Do you like the idea of a kitchenette but want MORE?
If you are willing to splurge and looking for a bit more than a family suite, you might want to consider a Deluxe Villa resort. These resorts offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom Villa's that come complete with full kitchens, split bathrooms, jacuzzi tubs and balconies. The price point is higher on these rooms but they offer a lot more space.  If you have more than 6 people and don't want to split rooms, the Villa's might be a great options for you as well!

Remember, as a Disney Travel Planner it's my job to help you select the perfect resort for your family. If you want to find out more, just email me at Amanda@Mouseketrips.com.