Okay, enough of that. Welcome back to week 10 of what is becoming a crazy long series. That’s the Disney Vacation Planning series, if you’re new to these parts. Back when I was just a young whipper snapper I tried to plan my first vacation to Disney World. As you have probably experienced I was COMPLETELY overwhelmed. The goal of this series is to help you lovely people make sense of it all and put the pieces together for your bound to be amazing trip!

Last week I filled you in on everything you need to know about the FastPass system at Epcot, this week we’re going to take a quick walk down the Boardwalk to talk about Hollywood Studios. (You see what I did there, Boardwalk…because…well…never mind). Anyway, it’s time to break out that Vacation Planning worksheet (In case you missed it, get yours HERE) and start filling in some more blanks.

Be sure to check out the Disney Vacation Series Main Page for any posts you’ve missed!

More Tiers

Yup. Just like Epcot, Hollywood Studios has a 2-tier FastPass system. And just as before you can pick 1 Fastpass from Group A and 2 from Group B. After you have used all 3 of your FastPass+ (FP+) reservations, you can then book one at a time for any rides available. Let’s take a look at the tier breakdown.

Group A (pick 1)

Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage

Fantasmic!

Rock ‘n’ RollerCoaster

Toy Story Midway Mania

Group B (Pick 2)

Disney Junior – Live! On Stage

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

Muppet Vision 3D

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Okay, but everything I want to do is in Group A…

And that’s what Disney is counting on. The most popular rides will always be a bit more limiting in terms of the FastPass+ reservations you can get, because there is a higher demand. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still manage to visit all of these attractions, it just takes a bit of planning.

What to Skip

Fantasmic! is a downright AMAZING show that I HIGHLY recommend, but you don’t need a FP+ to see it (unless it’s July then you may). Even if you prefer to be sure and have the reservation, you should be able to use up your first 3 passes and get this one later in the day. There are usually 2 shows per night and it is a sizeable arena, so save the pass for something bigger and better.

You’ll also want to let those reservations for Beauty and the Beast go as well. This is a stage show (also amazing) that plays all day. Again, there are a ton of seats so you shouldn’t have much of a problem at all getting in to see a performance. You may have to wait for 20 minutes or so if you are picky about your seat, but there’s really not a bad view in the entire stadium.

The Case of Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster

I’ve been to Hollywood Studios so many times and have still never ridden this. Not because I don’t want to, because it’s always broken. I booked the FP+ once, and when I arrived it was down. I wasn’t given the option to use the reservation on a different ride or at a different time I was just out of luck. And I get that, they can’t very well re schedule the thousands of people who were undoubtedly effected but it was still a let down. There are also other ways to sneak this one in such as single rider, rope drop, or EMH. There’s really not much reason to spend your FastPass+ on this Group A attraction.

So, that leaves you with Toy Story Midway Mania. This is an interactive game that immerses you in a video game like environment. It’s tons of fun, especially with a bigger group to compare scores against. However, this ride is marketed towards a young segment of audience and that means there are lots of kids in line. I don’t have anything against kids, but put them in a line for an hour (or more) and they will get bored. Bored kids do make me crazy, so I recommend avoiding this predicament and using your FastPass+ reservation to get in and get out.

Group B

The second tier for DHS is pretty substantial, there are several noteworthy rides that you do not want to be stuck in standby for. But there are also a few duds that are more place holders than anything. So, let’s take a look at the options.

Pass

These attractions have little to no line and are preformed frequently throughout the day. Not recommended unless you have a loyal fan in your group, even then it’s not really worth it.

Disney Junior – Live! On Stage

Muppet Vision 3D

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

For the rest of the attractions, it will depend on what you are schedule looks like and what you’re interested in doing.

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

As is the case for all things Frozen, there will be a line and it will be full. If you want to see this show, you should get the FastPass+ Reservation. I can’t stand the franchise, so that’s all I’ll say on that.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

This is such a fun and exhilarating show to see, and because of that it’s pretty popular. There are performance throughout the day, but it’s one of the more popular attractions. The line is entirely outside so it will get HOT! If you want to see this one, get the FastPass.

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

Get the Fastpass. With the popularity of the new films (do you guys really like those?!?!?) the wait on this ride can be downright ridiculous. It’s not uncommon to surpass 2 hours. And ti’s a really great ride, even if you aren’t a fan.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Ahhhhh!!!!

That was be screaming in fear that you might waste a FastPass+ reservation on this ride. Don’t do it!! Yes the line gets long, yes it’s mostly outside, yes you want to ride it. Make rope drop at Hollywood Studios a priority. You can easily ride this, at least twice, at rope drop before the crowds start to pick-up. You could actually do most of DHS in a half day if you can make rope drop, then hop over to Epcot or hang around the Boardwalk.

I love writing these little nuggets of information. I really hope it’s helping you guys navigate the vacation planning waters. Drop a comment down below and let me know what questions you have about Disney World!

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Last week I rambled on about FastPass+. What it is, how it came to be, and some basic strategies. I also assigned some homework, which I hope you did. Now that you know when you’re going, where you’re staying, and how much you’re looking to spend; it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and look at park details. Last week I asked you to complete the FREE PRINTABLE and fill in your dates, the EMH (Extra Magic Hours), your general rope drop ability, and decide which parks on which days. This week I’m going to help you start filling in some more details as we talk All About EPCOT FP+

2-Tiers

Epcot has 2 tiers from which you can select FastPasses; Group A and B. You are allowed to book 1 FP+ from group A and 2 from group B. You cannot book another Group A attraction, until you have used your first 3 FP+ (so essentially until you use 2 group B FP+).

Group A (Pick 1)

Frozen Forever After

IllumiNations

Soarin

Test Track

Group B (Pick 2)

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Living with the Land

Epcot Character Spot

Mission Space

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Spaceship Earth

Turtle Talk with Crush

Prioritize

You probably noticed that everything you want to ride is in Group A, right? It’s almost like they planned it that way!! So how in the world do you choose? I’m going to throw IllumiNations off the list right away for a few reasons. Mainly because the show is at night and the viewing area is huge. The FP+ will get you preferred viewing, but honestly you can see it from just about anywhere in world showcase. The best way to catch the show is to grab dinner and stake out a spot, by that time of night you’ll be ready for a break anyway. The rest of this decision making process is going to rely heavily on what your schedule is. Can you get up for rope drop, do you prefer to stay up late at night, are you going to EMH or avoiding them?

Frozen Forever After

If you want to go on Frozen or someone in your group wants to go on Frozen, get this FP+. This is still a relatively new ride for the park and the wait can exceed 4 hours at it’s worst. Even trying to sneak in at rope drop or during EMh is difficult, because it’s so popular. Now if you can avoid this ride I recommend doing so 100%. Personally I can’t stand the movie and I don’t think the ride is all that impressive. (My niece however is obsessed, so we did ride it. Twice…)

Test Track or Soarin’?

It really doesn’t matter. The lines for both rides are in-doors and they both get really long. All things being equal, either one will benefit you. If you can get your party up in time for rope drop though, then it’s going to depend on which hotel you chose. I know that sounds arbitrary, but stay with me.

Epcot is the only park that has 2 public entrances. The main entrance is where most guests enter, BUT if you are staying at one of the Epcot Area Resorts then you can go in through the backdoor – the international gateway. The main entrance is going to put you closest to Test Track, in which case you should hit that first and FP+ Soarin’. The International Gateway will put you closer to Soarin’ so hit that first and FP+ Test Track.

If you are doing the late night EMH, use your FP+ for Test Track and do Soarin’ after hours. Test Track is a thrill ride and the young adults and teenagers that flood EMH will be looking to ride this over and over again. Soarin; on the other hand, while still amazing, is not quite the adrenaline surge and the line tends to go down after the official park close.

If you fall somewhere in between, then it really depends on your group. The queue for Test Track has some interactive elements, but not until almost the end of the line. There are also some neat automotive displays in the main part of the line, but if you’re not much into cars than it’s not much more interesting.

Group B

Picking from Group B will largely be a personal preference but there are a few factors to point out that could influence your choice.

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

This is literally a showing of the Pixar shorts that play before movies in the theater. You could easily find these same clips on YouTube, so don’t waste your FastPass+ on this unless you are an extremely loyal Pixar fan.

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Figment is the alternative Epcot icon and he’s a classic ride character. He has a dedicated cult following and if you are among them, this is a great choice for you. The ride is okay, but I would rather take the line as there is a call out to Robin Williams in the queue and I miss him.

Living with the Land

Don’t laugh but, this is one of my favorite rides in Epcot. It starts as a dark ride teaching you about agriculture and humanity, but then it opens up and takes you through the living, working greenhouse that supplied the Garden Grill’s produce. It’s really fascinating to see, but there’s never a line.

Epcot Character Spot

If you want to do character photos and/or autographs this is the way to do it. There are 3-6 characters lined up in their own little cubicles and you just visit each one. The line for this averages about 45 minutes, so the FP+ is well used. Then you can move on to rides, shows, and snacks. Who doesn’t love snacks?

Mission Space

It’s actually surprising that this isn’t in Group A, because it’s pretty popular too. If you get motion sickness at all then don’t get this FP+, instead wait in the line for the Green team. Then you can watch the video and not be hurled around in circles until you well…hurl.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Again, I’ve never seen much of a line here. If you’re going at peak season everything will have a line, so you’ll need a FP+ then. Otherwise there’s not really any need.

Spaceship Earth

It amazes me how long the line for this ride gets. It’s not really an attraction I get that excited about, but it’s a classic and so it is innately popular. If you want to ride this one, you will want to use the FP+.

Turtle Talk with Crush

Crush does 15 minute shows all day long in a fairly large auditorium. It makes for a nice break actually, but no Fastpass required.

Let me know in the comments which FP+ you are planning to book.
 

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Pass on the Disney Dining Plan

If you’re not familiar with the Disney Dining Plan, you can read my more detailed post about it here. It’s basically pre-paying for your meals as part of your vacation package, and then using meal credits while you’re on property. There are more details and restrictions but that’s the jest. On our first trip we were offered free dining, which made it a great deal. Not having to budget for food allowed us to breathe a little easier during our trip. When we started planning our most recent trip my dad specifically asked that we do the DDP again, even if it wasn’t free. It wasn’t free, and it wasn’t cheap.

Yes, we were able to again experience the carefree feeling of knowing we didn’t to budget food into our . But there were still rules. Not every restaurant accepts the dining plan, in fact there were no restaurants in our hotel that accepted our dining plan. Granted that can be attributed to staying in a deluxe hotel and only purchasing the standard dining plan. But even in the parks, there really aren’t a lot of options. When you look at the list of applicable locations, it looks like there are a ton – but it’s spread out over 6 parks, 32 hotels, and Disney Springs.

The other problem was that we just didn’t need that much food. 2 meals and 1 snack a day doesn’t sound like a lot, but the meals are huge. Sometimes the snack is a meal itself. We had so many credits left on the last day, we ended up taking 3+ bags of food on the plane. And that still didn’t use up everything we had left. I wish we would have skipped this add on and instead allow ourselves the freedom to eat where we wanted.

Schedule More Break Time

I am the type of person that cannot sit still, I mean that’s why I started this blog. I was bored. I hate just sitting and not doing, even on vacation. When the person planning the entire trip is incapable of resting and is obsessed with Disney, what you get is a jam-packed schedule. And that’s what we had. We got to do everything we wanted to do. But we were so friggin tired by the end of it. One of my sisters actually decided to sleep through most of the craziness instead of trying to keep up. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am super proud of how we managed to fit everything in, but I practically needed another vacation to recuperate.

I cannot bring myself to sacrifice arriving in the parks for rope drop – not gonna happen. But, I wish that I would’ve scheduled our group to take more breaks. It gets HOT in the afternoon, and instead of hustling around the parks we should have let my niece take a nap. Hell, I would’ve liked a nap. This next tip I think will help to alleviate this issue, so pay attention.

Split Stay Hotels

A lot of people aren’t familiar with this this type of trip. Basically, you stay part of your trip in one hotel then move and spend the rest of your trip in another. You could even do more than 2 hotels, if that’s your fancy. Walt Disney World is massive, 40 square miles massive. And there are enough people there to fill 32 hotels PLUS those that are off site, so there’s a lot of traffic too. When you stay at a Disney hotel you get to use their buses to travel throughout the property, and that’s how most people get around to the parks. However, it can take 30 minutes to get from hotel to park depending on where you’re coming from and where you are going.

We stayed at the Beach Club, which is AMAZING BTW. It’s located in the Epcot area, you can walk to EPCOT in 5 minutes. You can also walk to Hollywood studios inside 15 minutes. It is so convenient. But if you’re going to Animal Kingdom, or Magic Kingdom? Forget about it. EASILY 30 minutes, each way. You see why I wasn’t hip to the idea of going back to the hotel for a break? That’s an hour plus just in transportation, gone. That’s how split stays started.

I love the Beach Club, I can’t say that enough, but I wish we would have spent a few nights at a resort closer to the Magic Kingdom. For our next trip, we will probably stay a few nights at the Contemporary resort which has a private entrance to MK. Maybe I’ll even lobby for a few nights at the Animal Knigdom lodge, I mean who’s going to argue with me about walking up to giraffes outside your window?? Spreading out our time will let us take breaks more frequently and we’ll get to experience more of the hotels. Honestly, I can’t see myself ever going to WDW again and not staying at the Beach Club so a split stay is the only way I’m gonna get to see anything else.

Spring for the Upgrades

I know, I know Disney is already expensive as it is and then they have all these additional things they want you to pay for. We definitely went big this time; stayed in a vacation club villa that had2 bedrooms, 7 full days at WDW, park hopper tickets for 8 days – just in case. I know that we went overboard more than we needed to, but at the same time we only go once every 5 years so it was worth it to spoil ourselves. Even with everything included in our package, I wish we would have done more.

I wish we would have gone to a table service restaurant at least once. I’ve never been to one, and it just seems so special. I really would have loved to go to a character meal or something, since we didn’t see many in the parks. We ate at Be Our Guest for lunch and they did bring our meals out to the tables, but it wasn’t quite the same experience. This isn’t a must for me, but since I’m making this wish list I’m going to include it.

When we left for our trip at the end of February. I had read about the Disney After Hours event happening at the Magic Kingdom, but I passed on it. I thought it was ridiculous to pay $100 per person for THREE hours in a crowded park. The people paying for this must be out of their minds, I thought. I was so wrong. I saw this video last week on YouTube about a couple who managed to hide away and stay in the park after close. In the video they were walking on rides no problem, because the park was closed – deserted. Except it wasn’t closed. About ½ way through they revealed that they were attending the After Hours event. The park looked EMPTY in the video and I am kicking myself that we didn’t do this. I SO hope they do this again and we can attend on our next trip. I highly recommend looking into this if you’re planning a stay.

Just Buy the Stupid Souvenir Already

Not only am I crazy about doing everything all the time, I want to do it as cheaply as possible. I cannot tell you how many times through the course of our trip one of us said “this is so cute! I’ll have to remember to come back here on our last day to buy it!” Wanna know a secret? We didn’t go back. We didn’t remember. I even took pictures on my phone of the things I saw that I liked, so I would remember and so I could compare it to other things I saw. That last day came and we all forgot and there wasn’t time to go park hopping just to shop anyway. The things we did remember were sold out or not available in our sizes anymore. So we had to settle, and it sucked.

There are also quite a few things that I talked myself out of. “I don’t need another coffee mug, I have so many” or “another Disney shirt? I don’t wear the ones I have!” But in hindsight I really wish that I would’ve just bought what I wanted. I’m an adult, I have a job, and I have limited financial responsibilities at the moment. I treasure the things I did bring back, but they also remind me that I really should’ve gotten those limited edition Garden Festival ears.

Less Rides, More Experiences

Every trip to Disney is different. As the kids get older interests change and so will your itinerary. Our first trip to WDW was 5 years ago, and it was very much centered on my niece who was 2 at the time. We met so many characters and she had the time of her life. We had tons of pictures to show from our trip and videos of her being a goof that I cannot WAIT to show to all her future boyfriends!

Jump forward to today and that’s not the case. We only went to meet three characters. Balo, because my dad and my niece have watched this together a million times. Elsa + Anna, because my niece lives and breathes Frozen. And Snow White, just because we caught the line when she was first coming out and it was convenient. But most of our in park time was spent on rides. Rides that I never thought this little girl would ever get on in a million years. Tower of Terror was the first ride and I thought she’d sit it out, but nope. In the picture she looks like she’s having the time of her life. It was game over after that, she was not having any of this Small World nonsense. We went on every major rollercoaster, except rockin’, it kept breaking – so pass. This kid made us all go on Everest 6 times, back to back to back.

We just printed out the Memory Maker pictures, and there’s hardly any. It broke my heart a little to not see another picture of my niece hugging Tinkerbell, or kissing Goofy. Like I said before, every trip is going to be different and kids grow up. Still, I wish we would’ve taken the time to see more characters and take more pictures. Our next trip probably won’t be for another 5 years, by then she’ll be old enough that she’ll want to branch out on her own. I don’t think we’ll convenience her to wait in line for an hour for a picture with Mickey.

Slow Down

The moral here is to slow down. It’s so easy to get caught up trying to do everything – I do it every time, at Disneyland too. Remember you’re there to spend time with your family at Disney, not to spend time at Disney with your family. If you are like me and feel pressure to do everything, take advantage of some of the time savers I suggested. It is so worth the extra money to enjoy the luxury of being surrounded by family. You’re about to go to the happiest place on earth, don’t spend it stressed out and don’t let it fly by without truly making some memories.

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Get Up Early

This is by far my #1 tip to making the most of your Disney trip. Whether you’re visiting Disneyland, Disney World, or DisneySea getting up earlier will give you more hours in your day – that’s just simple math. What’s even better is most people aren’t willing to do it. You can get more down in the few hours between rope drop and lunch than you will in the rest of your day. This is especially important at Disneyworld where it can take 30 minutes to an hour just to get from your hotel to the park.

Bring Snacks

It’s all fun and games until the crowd gets hangry (when you get hungry and start being agitated by everything). There’s nothing worse than getting half way through an hours long line and having someone say they’re hungry (well except maybe “I need to use the bathroom” but we’ll get to that). You’re probably far enough into the queue that’s it’s a lot more effort than just popping in and out of the line, plus the people behind you aren’t really going to appreciate that anyway. I will always fill my park bag with apples, small bags of chips, beef jerky – anything that won’t spoil and doesn’t require silverware really. That way we can all have a quick snack while in line and wait to grab real food until it’s convenient.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

The average temperatures in Florida and California can reach 80 degrees most of the year, and heat stroke is a legitimate concern. Even mild cases of heat exhaustion can bring down an otherwise perfect day. Being hot is plain uncomfortable and the most important thing you can do to combat the heat is to stay hydrated.

Wear Appropriate Shoes

It drives me crazy to see people walking around the parks in flip-flops or…believe or not…heels. How in the world are you walking around for 10+ miles (yes 10, I always wear my fitbit) and not breaking your ankle or getting blisters? To me it’s just a completely unnecessary accessory that is going to drag down your whole party. If you’re worried about pictures, keep in mind that most will be from the waist up anyway. Forego the influence of the fashion runway and stick to tennis or running shoes. You can check out some super cute Disney inspired outfits that don’t use heels HERE

Take a Break

Your Disney vacation is not a marathon (unless it is actually a RunDisney marathon, and then I’m super jelly). There is so much to see and you can’t help but want to do it all. But if you try to go full speed ahead for the length of your trip you and your party are going to burn out – fast. Plan to take a short break every day that gets you out of the heat and away from the crowds. There are even some great rides that offer a break without having to leave the parks.

Take Tons of Pictures

This is kind of a given, but be sure to take pictures of everything. Even if you aren’t planning on using the pictures for any specific project, you may change your mind after the fact. Disney Scrapbooks exist in their own realm of DIY and the results of them are beautiful. I made one for our first trip and gave it to my father the following Christmas (they take some time). I wasn’t planning on doing one from our most recent trip and didn’t take as many pictures, now dad’s asking for another one and I’m sort of at a loss. There are plenty more projects you can use the pictures for or even *gasp* just to look back on your memories.

Plan Your Day

Creating a daily itinerary is easily the #1 thing my family most makes fun of me for when preparing for a trip (there’s tons of others, but this is the worst). They laugh all the way up until we get there and they have no idea what to do. Hell, they don’t even really have any idea of what’s there! Let alone how to get it all done. You don’t need to schedule everything down to the minute, but have a general outline of your day will save you many headache inducing scenes of “what do you wanna do? “I don’t know, what do you wanna do?” You can click HERE to learn more about how to create your own itinerary.

Extra Magic/Early Morning Hours

If you are staying on sight at any Disney hotel, either in Disneyland or Disneyworld, you are able to enter certain parks before or after close on specific days. I did already mention that getting up early is the best thing you can do, but it’s worth a little reinforcement. Disney World also has late night hours, and in my experience the parks are next to empty during this time. My first trip we rode Space Mountain back to back to back in less than 30 minutes during the nighttime extra magic hours.

Whether you are on vacation for a week or a day, remember the 5P’s my grandmother taught me: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Results. Okay, that’s only 4P’s my grandmas version has a bit more colorful language that I’ll just leave to your imagination.

Let me know what tricks you use to keep your crowd from getting restless and check out these other great posts about even more park hacks!

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No matter the size or diversity of your vacation party, there is something for everyone.

The Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the fairy-tale jewel of the Disney World resort. With the new expanded Fantasyland and tons of princess meet and greets this park has a ton to offer for small children. But it’s also home to some of the most infamous E-Ticket attractions like Space and Splash Mountain. Check out the break down below to see which rides are best for everyone in your party!

All Ages

These rides are great for the whole family. They have smooth, easy tracks and nostalgia that everyone will enjoy.

• Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean

For Young Kids

Toddlers and Small children will be the ones to best enjoy these rides. They have minimal motion and are filled with characters your youngsters will recognize. Don’t think these are “just for babies” though – Small World is my favorite ride! Grade school kids and teens might find themselves looking for a bit more thrill.

• Casey Jr’s Splash ‘n’ Soak Station
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Small World
• Winnie the Pooh
• Astro Orbiter

For Grade School Children

With a bit more momentum behind them, these rides provide a dose of excitement for elementary aged kids but keeps them safe, sound, and not screaming for their life.

• The Barnstormer
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Stitch’s Great Escape
• Tomorrowland Speedway

Teens & Young Adults

E-ticket attractions have adventure around every twist and turn – just what those thrill seeking millenials are looking for! Young kids and seniors may find the high octane energy of these rides to be a little overwhelming.

• Haunted Mansion
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain

Mature Adults and Seniors

These attractions are slow to no movement and offer a great reprieve from the miles your no doubt racking up on your fitbit. Packed with fun facts and stories you won’t be able to turn your attention away.

• Carousel of Progress
• Hall of Presidents
• The Muppets Present….Great Moments in American History

EPCOT

EPCOT is a park focused on world culture and technology – well 80’s technology, but still. Rumors are swirling that lots of changes and upgrades are right around the corner, so this list might see some changes over the next few years!

All Ages

• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Soarin

Young Kids

• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Ellen’s Energy Adventure
• Gran Fiesta Tour

Grade School Kids

• Frozen Ever After
• Mission Space – Green

Teens/Young Adults

• Mission Space – Orange
• Test Track

Mature Adults/Seniors

• Ellen’s Energy Adventure
• Gran Fiesta Tour
• Living with the Land
• Spaceship Earth

Animal Kingdom

As one of the most unique parks at Disney World, Animal Kingdom is full of adventures and stories. Be sure not to miss Kilimanjaro Safaris, the closest you’ll come to a real African safari without the overseas flight!

For Everyone

• Na’Vi River Journey
• Kilimanjaro Safaris

Young Kids

• Primeval Whirl
• Triceratop Spin

Grade School Kids

• Dinosaur
• Flight of Passage

Teens/Young Adults

• Expedition Everest
• Kali River Rapids

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios true shining purpose is a multitude of shows and performance that will keep your whole crew entertained for hours!

For Everyone

• The Great Movie Ride

Grade School Kids

• Toy Story Midway Mania

Teens/Young Adults

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

Mature Adults/Seniors

• Star Tour

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Quick Service Dining

The quick service dining plan is the most economical choice. It includes (2) meal credits and (2) snack credits per person, per day. Most quick service restaurants on property (hotels, parks, Disney Springs area) accept the meal credits. You can see a full list of participating locations here, some favorites include Wolfgang Puck Express, Dole Whip Stand, Be Our Guest (Breakfast/Lunch) and the Flame Tree Barbecue. Approximate cost: $48/$21 for adult/child per day.

Dining

The standard dining plan provides (2) snack credits, (1) quick service credit, and (1) table service credit per person, per day. Table service credits can be used at nearly all restaurants on property, however some experiences (such as signature meals and shows) will take (2) table credits per person.  Highlights fromt he table service offering include Ohana, Via Napolli, and 1900 Park Fare. Approximate cost: $70/$25 for adult/child per day.

Deluxe Dining

Deluxe dining is just that, deluxe! Included are (3) table service credits and (2) snack credits per person, per day. The additional table credit allows for either a 3rd meal (although with the snack credits, you’ll find it may be unnecessary) or can be used towards 2 credit dining experiences. Approximate cost $107/$39 per adult/child per day.

How it Compares

So, let’s take a look at what it would cost out of pocket for the same adult meals offered on the dinning plan. Now keep in mind that this does not take into account the refillable mug, which gives you free refills of any non-alcoholic beverage at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Quick Service – $48

Snack: ~$5 x2 = $10
Meal: ~$17 x 2 = $34
Total: $44

Dining – $70

Snack: ~ $5 x2 = $10
Meal: ~$17 + $27 = $54
Total: $64

Deluxe: – $107

Snack: ~ $5 x2 = $10
Meal: $27 x 3 = $81
Total: $91

As you can see, the prices are extremely comparable. So why do some people chose a dining package? For some it’s peace of mind knowing that all your meals are covered for the duration of your trip. For others it may be the convenience that each member of your group is able to purchase their meals with their magic bands, and don’t need a parent to do so for them. There are plenty or reasons for the dining plan to make sense for some, but does it make sense for you?

Personal Experiences

I say no, the dining plans are not worth the money and do not make sense. At least not for me and my party. My family of five spent 7 days and 6 nights at WDW earlier this year, and purchased the Quick Service plan. It was great that we didn’t have to worry about paying for our meals, and my niece (7) loved being able to “pay” for everything with her band. However, we won’t be purchasing Disney Dining again.

Problem #1

There are 2 big issues that I have with the dining plans, the first is selection. Sure, there are a lot of locations when you review the participating list but keep in mind these are spread out over 6 parks, 2 out door areas (Disney Springs + The Boardwalk area), and a multitude of hotels. When you find yourself with a hungry family in the 80 degree heat, you want to grab whatever is closest. Not search through a list on your phone for 20 minutes to find which restaurants count. There are so many great places I didn’t get a chance to check out, because they didn’t make the cut. We lived on burgers and BBQ for the most part, and it became pretty monotonous by  the end of the trip.

Problem #2

My 2nd problem with the DDP is the number of credits you receive. It’s just too much food, and for at least most went to waste. This was the 2nd time we’ve used DDP and both times we also had groceries delivered. So that being said we had our own breakfast food and some fruit and chips for the park. We would stop to eat maybe 1 meal most days, sometimes just a snack. We simply couldn’t find time to stop what we were doing, figure out which places we could eat at, wait in line, find a table…ugh. Nope. Not for us.

On the last day we had like 40 snack credits and 20 meal credits, we spent the morning before our flight bouncing around Disney Springs to buy anything we could with the remaining credits. The airport security was not happy about our three huge bags of to-go containers.

So, Should You Do it?

No. Don’t do it, save yourself some money by only buying what you need. Look into grocery delivery as well, it’s a great resource to ensure your family is eating right through the duration of your trip.

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