Operation Pixie Dust » Disney Resort

Disney Dining – 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Dining Reservations

Clare Swindlehurst — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:10:33 +0000

Disney World isn’t all about roller coasters, for some people one of the highlights of their vacation is the dining. There are more than 100 restaurants to choose from across the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and some of those restaurants offer world-class dining experiences. Here are three mistakes you should avoid to make sure that you and your family get to experience the best of Disney dining during your vacation.

1. Failing to make any reservations

Disney World is a popular vacation destination and therefore there are lots of mouths that need to be fed each and every day of the year. If you want to eat at any of the table-service restaurants then you need to make a reservation in advance.

Advanced Dining Reservations, or ADRs as they are affectionately known as, can (and must) be booked 180 days in advance. Yes, you read that right, you need to decide which restaurant you wish to eat at six months ahead of your trip!

If you don’t want to decide that far in advance what you’d like to eat on any given day then there are plenty of quick-service options for you to choose from, but you’ll be missing out on some of the best restaurant experiences.

2. Making too many reservations

Some guests go to the other end of the spectrum and book far too many reservations. They’ll have ADRs for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and before they know it they’re touring the restaurants instead of touring the themeparks! You need to strike a balance, so make a list of the restaurants you really want to experience and make sure that they fit your plans, rather than making plans to fit in with your ADRs.

3. Picking the wrong dining plan

To make life easier for you Disney offers three dining plans, which can be added onto your Magic Your Way package and paid for in advance. The Quick-Service plan allows you to eat at quick-service restaurants, the Dining Plan is for use at table-service restaurants and the Deluxe Dining Plan offers the flexibility of quick and table-service options.

If you want to get the most out of the themeparks and experience as many attractions as possible then the Quick-Service plan is probably your best option. You’ll want to be able to grab a quick bite and not be tied down by table-service reservations.

If on the other hand you are there for the signature dining experiences then the Deluxe Dining Plan will be better suited to your party’s needs.

P.S. Do you want to know how to save money on a Disney World Resort hotel, or whether your employee status can get you into the parks for free? What about how to have your holiday photos taken at no extra charge or the quickest way to get to the Magic Kingdom? I answer all of these and more in my book Walt Disney World Tips & Secrets - download your copy today!

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14 Day Disney Parks Ticket for the price of 7

Clare Swindlehurst — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:15:13 +0000

If you’re thinking of booking a Walt Disney World vacation for 2010 and you live in the UK then now is the time to do it. I don’t know about you but I’ve seen countless adverts on television with all kinds of exciting offers – so I thought I’d wrap them all up here so you can see if any are right for you and your family.

14 Day Disney Parks Ticket for the price of 7

Book Disney’s 14-day Ultimate Ticket now and receive it for the price of Disney’s 7-day Premium Ticket! That’s twice as many magical days making your dreams come true.

- Unlimited admission to all Disney theme parks, water parks, entertainment complexes and attractions
- FREE unlimited transportation throughout Walt Disney World Resort
- Disney’s Ultimate Ticket created exclusively for UK guests
- Offer ends 29 March 2010!
- Can be combined with the Dine for Free and Gift Card offers

Click here to find out more about the 14 Day Disney Parks Ticket for the price of 7 offer

Dine for Free – worth £1035

- Book your magical Walt Disney World holiday before 2 August 2010, for stays from 5 July to 18 November 2010, and you’ll enjoy FREE Disney dining.
- Make your booking for a minimum of 5 nights including tickets, and everyone in the party dines for free for your whole holiday.
- And if you choose to stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa or Disney’s Old Key West Resort you can also save 56% on the price of your holiday!
- Receive Disney Quick (Counter) Service Dining Plan when you stay at a selected Disney Moderate Resort, OR Receive Disney Dining Plan when you stay at a selected Disney Deluxe Resort.

Click here to find out more about the Dine for Free offer – worth £1035

Up to $1000 Gift Card to spend on Meals, Shopping & More

Book your dream Walt Disney World holiday before 15 February 2010, for arrivals from 3 January to 18 May 2010, and you’ll receive a Disney Gift Card worth up to $1,000 USD when you stay at a selected Disney Resort Hotel.
Offer requires a minimum stay of 14 nights including a Disney’s Ultimate Tickets for every one in the party (can be used in conjunction with the 14 days for 7 ticket offer).

Make the most of the extra holiday spending money by using your free Disney Gift Card at a wide variety of locations around Walt Disney World Resort, as payment towards merchandise, dining, tours, entertainment, recreation and more.

- Stay at a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort and receive a $1000 USD Disney Gift Card
- Stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort and receive a $750 USD Disney Gift Card
- Stay at a Disney Moderate Resort and receive a $550 USD Disney Gift Card
- Stay at a Disney Value Resort and receive a $350 USD Disney Gift Card

Click here to find out more about the Up to $1000 Gift Card to spend on Meals, Shopping & More offer

Wow! Those are some great offers

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Be Shown to Your Seat at Magic Kingdom Counter Service Restaurants

Clare Swindlehurst — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:04:42 +0000

One of the most frustrating things about eating at the Magic Kingdom counter service restaurants (or at any of the other parks for that matter) is that you can never seem to find an empty table.

Well Disney is finally doing something about this issue with the introduction of new ‘rules’ at the Counter Service places in the park. Inside four quick-service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, Disney has begun restricting access — but guaranteeing seating — during particularly busy lunch rushes.

The usual practice is for guests to split up as they enter the restaurant – with one party heading to the order point while the other members of the group find a table. Apparently this can clog up one third of a restaurant’s capacity at any time!

The new method prevents you from splitting up – but guarantees you a seat, which sounds like a much better option to me!

“This has been very helpful for us from an efficiency standpoint, because everything’s so well-organized,” said Liz Clark, general manager of food and beverage in the Magic Kingdom. “It wasn’t really a good way to decompress or relax. So we’ve been really focusing on how we can enhance the whole dining experience.”

Under the new controlled access and seating programme, guests in certain Magic Kingdom counter-service restaurants are steered through a single entrance so workers can keep tabs on how many people are inside.

A greeter hands menus and steers the entire group to cash registers to place their orders. After they get their food, they are guided by another employee to an empty table.

Clark said the program has already evolved based on feedback from guests. The menus that greeters hand out were initially only available in English and were done entirely in text; they have since been changed to include multiple languages, pictures of the menu selections, and information about using a pre-purchased dining plan that Disney sells to resort guests.

Disney began testing the concept in the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. But it has since been rolled out to three other busy counter-service restaurants: Columbia Harbour House, Pinocchio Village Haus and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Those restaurants range in size from about 400 seats to more than 1,000 at Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray’s.

The controlled access is used only on days when the park is busy.

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Free Disney Dining Promotion Extended for Fall 2009

Clare Swindlehurst — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:11:31 +0000

The Free Dining promotion for Fall 2009 has just been extended. Disney resort guests who book a Magic your Way package that includes both room and Magic Your Way park passes will also receive a Disney Dining plan add-on completely free.

If you book a minimum three night stay at a Disney Value Resort such as Pop Century you will receive the Quick Service dining plan (you can upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan by paying the normal price difference).
If you book a minimum three night stay at a Disney Moderate, Deluxe or Villa Resort then you will receive the Disney Dining plan.

To be eligible you must book a minimum three night stay and you cannot stay for longer than ten nights (well I’m sure they wouldn’t force you to not stay longer – they just won’t feed you for free!). You must also include at least a one day magic Your Way base ticket.

If you’d prefer the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan or the Wine and Dine option then you can upgrade by paying the normal price difference.

As should be expected availability is extremely limited and you need to book your trip before September 26, 2009. There are black out dates for the promotion during for November 25 through 29, 2009. The last date for the promotion is December 17 – but as long as you check in by that date your entire stay will include the free dining.

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Sign Up for Disney’s “Mobile Room-Ready Notification Service”

Clare Swindlehurst — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:13:37 +0000

If you are staying at a Disney Resort during your vacation then you should definitely sign up for Disney’s “Mobile Room-Ready Notification Service”. Once you’ve signed up Disney will either send you a text or a voice message to confirm when your room is ready.

This is a fabulous enhancement to the check in process, now instead of arriving at your Disney Resort and finding that you need to wait around for your room to be ready you can hit the pool or the theme parks and just wait to be notified – check in made simple!

When you check in at your Disney Resort you will be asked for your cell number – just let them know whether you prefer a text or a call and then head out for some fun.

The Mobile Room-Readt Notifications Service is available to all guests staying at the Walt Disney World Resort, the Disneyland Resort and all Disney Vacation Club resorts.

P.S. Do you want to know the secret to being able to get the most out of your Disney World vacation? It's the one thing that the majority of guests don't know about, but that can allow you to see more in one morning than everyone else can experience in their entire trip. Click here to find out more

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Disney Mobile Magic Application for Verizon Customers

Bay Lake Tower – DVC Walkthrough Video

Clare Swindlehurst — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:33:12 +0000

I know a lot of people are avidly awaiting the opening of the Bay Lake Tower Villas so that they can stay in this great new Disney Resort which has stunning views of the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella Castle.

Check out the video below for a tour of the new Bay Lake Tower Resort, including a trip across the walkway between the Contemporary Resort and the BLK, a peek inside one of the Grand Villas and a look at the fireworks viewing platform.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_CBX8yRIs

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Affordable Trips To Disney World

Clare Swindlehurst — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:05:30 +0000

With the economy in the state that it is you’re probably thinking that your Disney World vacation will have to wait – but it is possible to make affordable trips to Disney World – if you know where to look!

DIY Affordable Trips to Disney World

The most affordable Disney vacation is the one that you book yourself. This means that you book the Disney hotel, Walt Disney World park tickets and dining options separately. It takes more time than booking Disney World hotel packages but it can lead to the greatest savings if you find some good deals and is the best way to make Disney vacations affordable.

Book a Hotel

You need to decide whether you want to stay in a Disney World hotel, or one of the many hotels near Disney World. There are pros and cons of each so you’ll need to weight up your options. Staying in a Disney Resort hotel gives you access to the free bus and boat transportation to travel to and from the parks. If you have teenagers travelling with you then this will allow you to give them some freedom. Of course the real savings are to be made if you are happy to stay in one of the many hotels near Walt Disney World. If you have a car at your disposal you can sometimes find that you can travel from your offsite hotel to the theme park entrance by car more quickly than a guest staying at a Disney resort can arrive if travelling by Disney bus!

Whichever option you decide click here to see the latest hotel deals.

Buy Disney World Tickets

You can wait until you arrive to buy your tickets for Disney World but it is possible to save money by buying your tickets online before you leave home. You can make savings of up to $25 per ticket which is great if you are trying to do Disney on a Budget.

Don’t be drawn in by offers of cheap tickets on auction sites like eBay, always buy your ticket from an authorised seller. That cheap ticket from eBay isn’t such a bargain when you arrive at the gate and find you can’t actually use it!
Theme Park Tickets – which ticket is right for me?

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Disney World Vacation Tips – How To Avoid Parking Fees

Clare Swindlehurst — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:52:46 +0000

The one thing many people don’t realise when they go on a Disney World vacation is that you have to pay to park your car at the theme parks. If you don’t plan this in advance then the $12 a day fee can soon make a big hole in your vacation budget.

Here are two ways you can legally park at a Disney theme park for free.

Stay at a Disney Resort. Hotel guests can park their cars for free at any of the four theme parks, and if you don’t feel like driving they even give you access to free transportation which drops you off right on the doorstep. Hotel prices start from less than $100 a night at the Value Resorts.
Invest in an Annual Pass. Annual Passholders are allowed free parking regardless of whether they are staying in a Disney hotel or not. If you are planning a lengthy vacation then you might actually save money by buying an Annual Pass instead of a Magic Your Way ticket. As well as free parking you also get other perks like discounted shopping at some of the Downtown Disney stores.

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