New to Disney world

[Colargol]

In less than 4 weeks we cross the Atlantic to go on our first ever Disney holiday. Along with us comes our 4yr old princess and a baby.

We have not bought a dining plan, as we did not see the benefit of it.
But of course we have planned to visit the Cinderella castle and go to a character dinner or lunch with the princesses - but to my great surprise I am now starting to realise that it is all fully booked!

Can anyone tell me if this is true? Are all meals really booked so long in advance?! What to do then? Any suggestions?


(And why do people buy dining plans? I really don't understand!)

 

[Tiffany507s]

Cinderella's Royal Table (or CRT) is one of the more difficult reservations to get. So, yes you need to book it ahead of time. I suggest to check the website everyday as people do cancel.

My husband and I absolutely love the dining plan. I won't go into much detail about exactly what you get, because I assume you know the basics about it. But we get it because it allows us to eat in the park and not have to worry about dealing with money . Everything is prepaid, except for the tip. On our honeymoon my husband and I didn't do the dining plan because we didn't stay onsite at Disney. You really lost the "Disney Magic" having to leave the park to go eat dinner or whatever, we usually didn't go back to the parks. It wasn't until the next year on our 1 year anniversary trip we realized the error of our ways. This time we stayed in Disney and got the dining plan. It was wonderful. We got to eat at a bunch of restaurants we wouldn't have eaten at, and order the most expensive thing on the menu! I also loved the dessert part!

Basically, if you plan to eat all of your meals in Disney, I would say get the dining plan. However, this is really all based on your family. I see that you have small children that may not get their monies worth out of the plan.

Hope I helped!

 

[mdsd8700]

In less than 4 weeks we cross the Atlantic to go on our first ever Disney holiday. Along with us comes our 4yr old princess and a baby.

We have not bought a dining plan, as we did not see the benefit of it.
But of course we have planned to visit the Cinderella castle and go to a character dinner or lunch with the princesses - but to my great surprise I am now starting to realise that it is all fully booked!

Can anyone tell me if this is true? Are all meals really booked so long in advance?! What to do then? Any suggestions?


(And why do people buy dining plans? I really don't understand!)

Welcome! How exciting your first trip to Disney as well, you have come to a great place to find out everything you will need to know. Be sure to ask all the quesions you have, there are lots of great Disney experts here who can help you out.

The dinining plan is very popular with lots of Disney guests and due to that many of the resturants and especially the most popular ones book up quickly as reservations are generally allowed 180 days out from the start of your trip. CRT is by far one of the most popular and hardest ADRs to come by. So you should definately keep checking the web site for any openings. As the dates get closer it is possible that people will cancel reservations they will not need. That is also true for all the resturants. So make as many ADR as you can now.

Not sure where you are staying, if you will have a car or are using Disney Transportation, however if there are meals you have no reservations for you should be able to find somewhere to eat, it just depends on a few factors including your hotel and your transportation mode.

We also have never seen the value of the dining plan and have never used it. We are not huge eaters, don't like desserts (prefer appetizers) and often like to split something with DH or DD so for us it just don't work out. Paying out of pocket actually saves us money. However it is a hugely popular plan and lots of people love it for many reasons, I think the "pre paid" is really a selling point for many as then they don't have to worry about meal cost when they are on vacation. Also others point on they just order what they what without worrying about the cost. I think for many it works out great, it just never has for us.

I hope that your trip is Magical!

 

[JimmyV]

(And why do people buy dining plans? I really don't understand!)

I'll answer the reverse. Here is why we DON"T get the dining plan. For the most part, the plan provides for entrees, desserts and snacks. Our family prefers appetizers and salads to desserts by a wide margin. And we don't snack all that much. A typical day on the dining plan might include a Mickey Ice Cream Bar, a huge hunk of cake from a counter service lunch, and another dessert with dinner. And then multiply that by the number of days that you are on the plan. That is way too many empty calories for us. And yes, you can always skip dessert, but then you lose whatever financial benefit you were getting in the first place. If you prefer soups, salads and appetizers to desserts, and you typically order wine with dinner and don't want the soft drink that the plan pays for, then you are better off paying out of pocket.

 

[JimmyV]

But we get it because it allows us to eat in the park and not have to worry about dealing with money . Everything is prepaid, except for the tip. On our honeymoon my husband and I didn't do the dining plan because we didn't stay onsite at Disney. You really lost the "Disney Magic" having to leave the park to go eat dinner or whatever, we usually didn't go back to the parks. It wasn't until the next year on our 1 year anniversary trip we realized the error of our ways.

Just to clarify for the OP who is new and may be confused by this...you do not have to be on the dining plan to eat at the parks. It is absolutely NOT necessary to leave the parks to eat dinner. You can simply pay at the time of sale.

 

[Colargol]

Thank you so much for all your answers - I must admit it is all a bit overwhelming and confusing as of now, but I am sure we'll work it out when we get there.
Just one thing that I really need to know before we leave: Is it possible to eat (lunch, dinner) at the parks, even if we do not have a dinner plan, and have not booked in advance? I understand that some (most?) of the restaurants are already booked and that we might not get a table, but we will still have a possibility to get something to eat... - or?

(i am sorry, english is as you can see not my first language, so it might seem like a very silly question to you guys, but I just need to be 100% certain that we will get something to eat without having to leave the parks)

 

[JimmyV]

No apologies necessary. I guarantee that your English is 1000 times better than 99% of the folks here would be in your language.

You will always be able to find some place to eat, as most of the restaurants in the parks are "Counter Service" which means that they operate as cafeterias. You pick up a tray and move down a line, picking up the food that you want to eat. In many instances, you order at a cash register, pay, and then pick up your food. Once you have your food, you walk around the seating area to find an empty table to sit at. No reservations required or taken. Other restaurants operate on a reservation system, and without a reservation, it will be very difficult for you to be seated during "normal" or busy hours, such as 11:45-1:15 for lunch. But if you go at 11:00 or 1:30 for lunch, you might get lucky.

That said, there is still plenty of time for you to make reservations (called ADR's, or Advance Dining Reservations). Just go to Disneyworld.com and follow the links to Dining. You will eventually get to an on-line reservation system. Simply enter the date and approximate time that you want to eat, and the system will search for and show available tables. You can narrow your search based on the park you plan to visit that day, or a particular resort.

Not sure when you are going, but I just did a random search for the Magic Kingdom on June 1 for dinner for 3 people. You can reserve early or late at the Plaza (4:00 or 8:00) or later at Liberty Tree Tavern (7:30 or 8:05). You might want to search and make a couple of reservations just to ease your mind.

 

[mill4023]

On our honeymoon my husband and I didn't do the dining plan because we didn't stay onsite at Disney. You really lost the "Disney Magic" having to leave the park to go eat dinner or whatever, we usually didn't go back to the parks.

This doesn't make any sense. You don't have to leave the parks to eat just because you don't have the dining plan.
All the dining plan does is let you pay a fixed amount as part of your vacation package that includes a certain number of meals and snacks per day. Anyone can make a reservation at a Disney restaurant whether they have a dining plan or not. And if no reservations are available, there are plenty of counter service dining locations to choose from.

Others have already answered pretty well, but I'll reiterate.

All the Disney parks have counter service and table service dining locations.

Counter service locations don't take reservations. You just walk in, order your food, pay for it, take it to a table, and eat.

Table service locations take reservations. Some of them are very popular and get booked up to 6 months in advance. Some of them are less popular and you can sometimes get reservations much closer to the time of your visit. Sometimes even the same day. Depending on the time of year, you MIGHT be able to just walk up to a restaurant and be seated. But if you want to eat at any table service locations, it is highly recommended that you make a reservation ahead of time.

Everyone has different preferences, but our family generally likes to have one table service meal each day we are in a park. It's more relaxing than a counter service meal because you don't have to wait in lines and it's a nice relaxing break from the excitement of the parks.

You can make reservations online at this website:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/

 

[mill4023]

I just did a random search for June 7th for lunch at the Magic Kingdom for 4 people and there are openings at Liberty Tree Tavern, The Plaza, and Tony's Town Square with several times to choose from.

For dinner on the same day, all 3 of those are available, plus there is a late time(8:40pm) open for Crystal Palace (character buffet with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, etc.)

For dinner at Epcot on June 7th, there are reservation times open for:
Biergarten
Bistro de Paris
La Hacienda de San Angel
Les Chefs de France
Nine Dragons
Restaurant Marrakesh
Rose and Crown
San Angel Inn
Teppan Edo
Tokyo Dining
Tutto Italia
Via Napoli

So if you want a nice sit down table service meal, it's not too late to make reservations. You just won't be able to get some of the most popular restaurants.

 

[mdsd8700]

No apologies necessary. I guarantee that your English is 1000 times better than 99% of the folks here would be in your language.

I agree This is the place to ask all the questions you have. I am so excited for you and your family with their first Disney Trip and there is a lot of information, stuff to know so ask everything you need too!

PPs have given you great information so far and I completely agree with everything they have said. You will be able to find pleny of places to eat in Disney. If you do CS, just go early as already stated and try to make as many reservations for the TS as you can via the website link that was given.

I just wanted to add a few things about ordering, as crazy as that may sound. However since you have never been I thought I would put this in the post. You can split anything you want at any of the resturants. Both CS and TS. My DH or DD and I do this all the time. Easy enough to do at a CS place but at TS just tell them you want to split and it will be served on two plates no quesions asked. Disney has no problem with it. As well if you want an appetizer as an entree, go for it, again no problem. I am just not a big eater and sharing with someone is plenty for me and it saves money too Also at the CS places if something comes with fries (or whatever) and you don't want the fries tell them to leave off the fries. Sometimes one order from someone else's meal is more than enough. Also anything on the CS menus can be ordered al la carte (or by itself) it doesn't have to be in a meal. You can even order an extra bun (no hamburger) if bread is something your kids like to snack on. Hopefully I don't sound too nuts, but I thought it would be good to let you know all your options.


The only exception would be buffets or things that must be prepaid, then each person must have their own meal.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Colargol]

I really, really appreciate all your comments & help! We have decided to go without a dinner plan as it is just "not us", but we will make a few reservations before we go. I have already found a few, but still on the outlook for a cinderella royal table for our 4 yr old orincess

Just one thing that still has me a bit confused - abbreviations! I think I have figured out most of them (CS=counter service, TS= table service, CRT=Cinderella Royal Table), but some still confuses me:

EMH?
DH/DD?


Also, I see that Memorial weekend is being mentioned. When is this? Is it some sort of public holiday, so that we might expect even bigger crowds in the parks? (we will be in Florida from May 22nd to mid-june)

 

[mill4023]

I really, really appreciate all your comments & help! We have decided to go without a dinner plan as it is just "not us", but we will make a few reservations before we go. I have already found a few, but still on the outlook for a cinderella royal table for our 4 yr old orincess

Just one thing that still has me a bit confused - abbreviations! I think I have figured out most of them (CS=counter service, TS= table service, CRT=Cinderella Royal Table), but some still confuses me:

EMH?
DH/DD?


Also, I see that Memorial weekend is being mentioned. When is this? Is it some sort of public holiday, so that we might expect even bigger crowds in the parks? (we will be in Florida from May 22nd to mid-june)

Memorial day is a US holiday to commemorate soldiers who have died in service. It's May 30th this year. Most people in the U.S. will have that Monday off for a 3 day weekend, so I would guess that the parks will be pretty crowded that weekend.

EMH = Extra magic hours (extra time in the park that is only available for people staying on-site at a Disney resort)
DH/DD = Dear husband / Dear daughter. Just shorthand internet talk for family members. I think the D at the front was added because a single letter would be harder to figure out.

I think there's actually a thread somewhere that tells you what all the abbreviations are, but I can't remember where it is. Some of us have been here long enough that we don't even think about the fact that we are talking in abbreviations.

 

[mdsd8700]

I thought possibly the abbreviations might be confusing, they are to me sometimes and I am on these boards all the time! Here is sticky to all of the common ones:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1660743

EMH, Extra Magic Hours: This is when the parks open early or stay open late for on site guests only, not those staying off site. This is a whole other topic that can be discussed. Although we always stay on site, the last several years we have avoided EMHs as in our opinion they draw to many people to the parks hosting for that day/evening. We will always go to another park on EMH and which ever park hosted one the night before that is the park we go to the next morning. Opinions can vary on this, but it works well for us.

As far as DD: Disney Daughter, DH: Disney Husband. You were correct on the others.

As far as Memorial Day goes it is celebrated on May 30th this year. It is always the last Monday of May. It commorates all soldiers who have died in military service. All schools and busniess' are closed in observance. It is sort of the offical start of summer here. It is huge holiday weekend and many people take advantage of it and take trips, Disney is one of those places people like to visit. You will probably see a surge in attendance over these days.

 

[mill4023]

As far as DD: Disney Daughter, DH: Disney Husband. You were correct on the others.

Those terms might be what some are thinking when posting on the DIS, but they are actually used on all kinds of internet forums with nothing to do with Disney. Dear Daughter, Dear Husband, etc.

 

[Atlanta GRITS]

Soon to be friends,
I seriously need help! This is my first trip in over 30 years. We are planning 2 celebrations - my mom's 60th and my daughter's 6th b-days. There is a strict budget to work with. I need some pointers, meals, what to see, what to do, character experiences (meals, etc). If you have a tip, I'd love to hear about it! Yes, I am reading everything I can on the Board here.

We plan to drive to WDW. We are not staying on property at this point. We were able to rent a villa about 15 min drive away - it was the best lodging deal I've ever gotten. I think I know where I'll purchase tickets - Undercover Tourist. I need 4 days of tickets, 4 adults, 1 child.

I can't make a dining rsvp until May 23, so, I'm just barely ahead. Where/How should I spend our leftover budget after tickets, lodging? I do have to feed the gang at some point, and I want to get the most for what I have to spend.

Has anyone had experiences with the Kids Eat Free card that is offered for Orlando? There are 3 places that I'm fairly sure we will visit that the card is valid for. The card is about $18.

Is the character meal worth it? If so, which one? How about Bippity Boppity...? She is into the Princesses, not so much Micky, Pooh etc. We can't budget the Royal table in this trip.

Thank you all in advance for your suggestions. I will value each one.

 

[jkc0325]

Welcome! I am fairly new to DIS myself, but my advice right now would be to start a new thread with your questions. As this is an older thread, people might not see your post.

Having said that, I'll try to give a little input. The character meals are "worth it" in the sense that your child gets time with some characters for autographs and pictures. The food is usually a buffet and most consider it adequate. You are paying for character interaction, not the food. If your dd is into princesses, your two best bets are Cinderella's Royal Table or Akersush Royal Banquet. All the character meals are listed here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/listing/?sortBy=nG:hasDiningExperienceFacet&fv_222815=on

As far as Bippity Boppity, if you don't want to pay that much, I've seen others suggest the Harmony Barber Shop which will do your daughter's hair for a fraction of the cost. You would need to call the reservation line and make an appointment.

I'm sure others will have suggestions as well. I'm nowhere near the expert that many of the folks here are!!! There is also a Budget board where you can get lots of advice for saving money while at Disney.

Good luck!!!!