Hi All-
Just got back from Dis with free dining....here is a very quick update.
Weather was very very hot but bareable most days... if you are going in hot weather you should really consider eating in the park in an airconditioned facility for lunch and another quick stop late day for a soda/icecream for a refreshing stop. Nothing perks a toddler up like the mention of icecream or soda....
If you are going when it is hot..please consider packing suits in your bag for the kids to enjoy the water fountains in all the parks....I just let the kids run wild in Ariel's Grotto, Epcot's fountains, Animal Kingdoms fountains etc....we didn't pack suits and they were soaked but so happy!!!!!
I found that the food plan was a little too much food some days. We are not novice food plan people..in fact this was a second year doing free dining but it might be beneficial if you have toddlers like me to eat a large breakfast and then have a snack for lunch and then an early diner. My family has to eat relatively early around 5:30/6 and we found eating a large lunch was impacting ability to enjoy our dinner.
My kids went on any ride they wanted to: Test Track, Run away train, roaring rapids, splash mountain. I kept them away from anything too scarey for fear it would ruin their taste for rides.While some kids love the Haunted Mansion, Dinosaurs etc....I let the kids set the pace for this.
Speaking of pace...let them take their time....if running in the Grotto is going to make them happy but it will mean you will miss some rides...remember you are there for them too....and you can always go next year!!!! You are there to have fun..and don't miss the opportunity to hear them screech with joy over the fun they are having over little things.
If you have toddlers who are looking forward to getting the new Toy Story ride in go to this attraction in Hollywood Studios before exploring the rest of the park. We have a large party and tend to get a late start so by the time we got to the park we explored most of the park and headed to the ride around 2pm....fast pass sold out!!!!! The second time we headed to that park we went there first around 10:30am...fast pass return was already 8pm....so we opted to wait....for over an hour...not fun at all...the ride was great but the wait was almost unbearable. What we won't do for our kids is no joke.
The food this time was exceptional....we have had poor dining experiences but this time they were great.
We stayed at Pop Century...having stayed at a Deluxe, Moderate, and also both Value resorts I have to say our stay was really great...the staff could not do enough.
P.S. we had a magical experience....we were walking to the Boardwalk after having a nice dinner at the Yachtsman....and just as we walked past the boats someone stopped us and asked if we wanted to take a boat ride for free....so....she took our whole party of 7 into a beautiful boat to watch the fireworks at Epcot in the boat...it was truely magical. We were docked under the bridge in Epcot to watch Fantasmic from the boat which included free refreshments...
P.P.S. I had never done the B.B.B.Boutique before...I made a reservation for both girls...turned out only one wanted to actually do it in the long run....what a blast we had....we brought her dress from home so we just did the package that included makeup and nails....which was significantly cheaper. We both had a nice break from the park and she wore her hair like that for days!!!!! Days!!!!! They spent a whole hour with her too!!!! She kept the makeup and nail polish too. If you are in the fence....DO IT!!!!!
Pixie dust to everyone in their upcoming trip!!!!!
Just got back from Dis with free dining....here is a very quick update.
Weather was very very hot but bareable most days... if you are going in hot weather you should really consider eating in the park in an airconditioned facility for lunch and another quick stop late day for a soda/icecream for a refreshing stop. Nothing perks a toddler up like the mention of icecream or soda....
If you are going when it is hot..please consider packing suits in your bag for the kids to enjoy the water fountains in all the parks....I just let the kids run wild in Ariel's Grotto, Epcot's fountains, Animal Kingdoms fountains etc....we didn't pack suits and they were soaked but so happy!!!!!
I found that the food plan was a little too much food some days. We are not novice food plan people..in fact this was a second year doing free dining but it might be beneficial if you have toddlers like me to eat a large breakfast and then have a snack for lunch and then an early diner. My family has to eat relatively early around 5:30/6 and we found eating a large lunch was impacting ability to enjoy our dinner.
My kids went on any ride they wanted to: Test Track, Run away train, roaring rapids, splash mountain. I kept them away from anything too scarey for fear it would ruin their taste for rides.While some kids love the Haunted Mansion, Dinosaurs etc....I let the kids set the pace for this.
Speaking of pace...let them take their time....if running in the Grotto is going to make them happy but it will mean you will miss some rides...remember you are there for them too....and you can always go next year!!!! You are there to have fun..and don't miss the opportunity to hear them screech with joy over the fun they are having over little things.
If you have toddlers who are looking forward to getting the new Toy Story ride in go to this attraction in Hollywood Studios before exploring the rest of the park. We have a large party and tend to get a late start so by the time we got to the park we explored most of the park and headed to the ride around 2pm....fast pass sold out!!!!! The second time we headed to that park we went there first around 10:30am...fast pass return was already 8pm....so we opted to wait....for over an hour...not fun at all...the ride was great but the wait was almost unbearable. What we won't do for our kids is no joke.
The food this time was exceptional....we have had poor dining experiences but this time they were great.
We stayed at Pop Century...having stayed at a Deluxe, Moderate, and also both Value resorts I have to say our stay was really great...the staff could not do enough.
P.S. we had a magical experience....we were walking to the Boardwalk after having a nice dinner at the Yachtsman....and just as we walked past the boats someone stopped us and asked if we wanted to take a boat ride for free....so....she took our whole party of 7 into a beautiful boat to watch the fireworks at Epcot in the boat...it was truely magical. We were docked under the bridge in Epcot to watch Fantasmic from the boat which included free refreshments...
P.P.S. I had never done the B.B.B.Boutique before...I made a reservation for both girls...turned out only one wanted to actually do it in the long run....what a blast we had....we brought her dress from home so we just did the package that included makeup and nails....which was significantly cheaper. We both had a nice break from the park and she wore her hair like that for days!!!!! Days!!!!! They spent a whole hour with her too!!!! She kept the makeup and nail polish too. If you are in the fence....DO IT!!!!!
Pixie dust to everyone in their upcoming trip!!!!!
