Disney Dining Plan

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One of the main questions I get asked about traveling at Disney World is should I get the dining plan? Walt Disney World (WDW) offers several different meal plans to meet a variety of different travelers. WDW has some amazing restaurants not to mention fun character dining so it’s easy to see how dining is such an important part of the WDW experience. Meal plans are offered as part of a WDW package add on to guests staying on property. Meal plans are also for the length of stay so if you’re staying for 5 nights it covers 5 nights-it’s all or nothing. You cannot pick how many days you’d like to do the meal plan, it is simply added to your stay. Let’s take a look at each meal plan, what they offer and the pros and cons of each.

Getting ready to have some fun at Chef Mickey’s

Disney Quick Service Dining Plan offers 2 quick serve (grab and go)meals, 2 snacks and a refillable resort mug per person per night stayed. Pros-Pay ahead so you can easily budget and plan for spending on your trip. Great for travelers who enjoy spending the bulk of their time at WDW in the parks. Cons-does not cover all meals and NO sit downs.

Disney Dining Plan offers 1 quick serve meal, 1 table serve meal (seated),2 snacks, and a refillable resort mug per person per night stayed. Pros- -Pay ahead so you can easily budget and plan for spending on your trip. Includes sit downs and character dining. Cons-does not cover all meals.

Disney Dining Plan Plus offers 2 meals-any combination of quick and table serve, 2 snacks and a refillable resort mug per person per night stayed. Pros- -Pay ahead so you can easily budget and plan for spending on your trip. Has flexibility so you an change plans and grab quick meals or plan mostly table service dining and save money. Cons-does not cover all meals.

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan offers 3 meals any combination of quick serve and table serve, 2 snacks and a refillable resort mug per person per night stayed. Pros- -Pay ahead so you can easily budget and plan for spending on your trip. All meals are planned. Great for foodies who want to focus on dining while on their trip. Cons-Often can be too much food or take too much time away from park time.

Family Style Meal at Garden Grill!

Disney really does have a plan to fit all travelers. Disney distributes their dining plan in credits per night stayed. For example, if you were staying for 4 nights and got the dining plan each member of your party would get 1 quick serve credit and one table serve credit and 2 snack credits for each night. You decide how you use your credits. Some restaurants such as Cinderella’s Royal Table count as 2 credits while the bulk of restaurants in and around the parks-including at resorts-usually are 1 credits. If you don’t use all your credits on your trip you can actually trade them for snacks to take home at your resort or in the parks. The best part of the dining plan is the ability to pre pay and be stress free while traveling. You’re able to order whatever you like at table service dining so if you pick the least expensive or most expensive item it’s covered. You will also receive dessert and adults over 21 can choose an alcoholic beverage as their drink. Character dining also allows you to skip those lines in the park to meet characters. Characters come right to your table, sign autographs and take pictures as part of the dining experience.

Need help planning your magical vacation? Feel free to message me at Callie@wanderkeep.com or you can find me on Facebook at Callie@wanderkeeptravel. As always my services are complimentary!

Disney’s All Star Music Resort

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Disney’s All Star Music Resort (Music) is located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and is one of the three All Star value resorts. Music is located in the Animal Kingdom section of Disney. Music offers guests and families an affordable option when staying at Disney World.

The Rock Section

Music is themed after a variety of different music genres and each section is themed accordingly. Calypso is the area closest to the main pool and eating area followed by Jazz Inn,Rock Inn, Country Fair and Broadway Hotel. Each section is themed with oversized decorations unique to that music genre.

Jazz Inn

Music is considered a value resort and their rooms consist of double beds and standard bathrooms with plenty of rooms for families. Music also offers families the option of a family suite. The family suites can fit a family of 6 with a kitchenette as well. Each room contains a mini fridge for use during your stay.

Music’s layout is quite nice and well laid out. It’s easy to get to where you are going with two main pools laid out in the middle of the resort for easy access. The dining area is located in the front of the resort in Melody Hall which contains check in/guest services, the Intermission food court and Maestro Mickey’s which is the resorts shopping area. Buses to and from Disney parks are located directly in front of Melody Hall. Our family found the walk short, in fact much shorter than many moderate resorts at WDW to get from place to place.

Don’t forget to grab your souvenirs and snacks.

The pools are of course the main highlight of this resort. The main pool is right off the Calypso section and has a Three Caballeros water feature. The second pool is the Piano Pool which is located right in the middle of Rock, Country and Broadway resort sections. This pool is smaller and often quieter.

The Piano Pool

Music is filled with fun family activities throughout the week so make sure you check guest services for activities from dance parties and games at the pool to Food Truck Fridays and don’t forget to hit up the arcade! There is also a playground, movies under the stars and jogging trail available.

So many fun games at the arcade.

Music is a great and affordable option for families wanting to travel to Disney world while staying within the resort.

Want to find out how you can book a magical trip to this resort? You can find me on Facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel or email me at callie@wanderkeep.com and as always my services are complimentary.

Disney’s Magical Express

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Disney’s Magical Express is a shuttle system that offers transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World (WDW) Resort for guests staying on Disney property.

Once you have booked a reservation and WDW and have obtained flight information and tickets you can simply message your travel agent the details of your flight or sign up online for this included service. Roughly a month before your trip you will receive, in the mail, an envelope with yellow luggage tags and directions for how to attach your tags  to your luggage and how to reach the Magical Express bus transport, run by Mears at the Orlando International Airport. You will also receive paperwork with a map telling you which terminal to find your Magical Express bus. Your Magical Express reservation has been loaded onto your Magic Band so feel free to put them on once you board your flight.

 

The yellow tags are not in place of checking your bags at the baggage check before you board your flight but are merely for Disney Cast Members to know where you and your party are staying on Disney property. Simply check your bags upon arriving for you flight as you normally would. Once you reach Orlando no need to grab your bags at baggage claim, simply go straight to the Magical Express terminal. Bring your carry ons and any items you think you may need for the day-if you’re hoping to swim on arrival pack your swimsuit in your carry on. You will be off on your motor coach to WDW and Disney cast members will get your bags for you, transport them to your resort and bring them to your room. No need to wait around! If you have plans that day simply go and come back to your room to find your bags are already there. It usually takes about 2-3 hours. How amazing is that!

If you are traveling with a service animal or pet you are welcome to bring them on the motor coach with you. Children will not need car seats for the ride but you are welcome to bring them. There are 2 restrooms on the same level with the Magical Express and also one on the motor coach ride to WDW. You can expect about a 45 minute ride and you will stop at several resorts. There is not a ton of storage on the bus so make sure you store any larger carry ons beneath the motor coach, especially strollers and luggage. Magical Express runs non stop through out the day. The baggage claim portion of Magical Express runs from 5am-10pm so if you arrive before or after those times you will need to get your luggage at baggage claim and bring it to the motor coach with you.

 

The day before your check out of your Disney Resort you will get an envelope with all the information you need about Magical Express on your door. Do not loose this. It will have luggage tags and a paper ticket for your return to Orlando International Airport. This ticket must be given to the driver before entering the motor coach. The paperwork will also give you a specific time that your motor coach will pick you up. Simply check your luggage in the morning at the airline check in at your resort. The cast members will automatically check your bags for your flights and deliver them to the airport for you. You are welcome to leave any carry on items at bell check, usually right by airline check in at your resort. I recommend coming back at least an hour before your designated Magical Express time. You are also welcome to bring your luggage with your on the motor coach and go to baggage check at the airport. Bell services are available to help but usually take about an hour. We often grab our bags and walk down in both Deluxe and Value resorts-if you are staying at a Moderate resort you can hop on the resort bus and ride up to the lobby with your luggage.

 

The Magical Express is just one more way the Disney does vacationing right! Let me make all your vacation drems come true. You can fins me on Facebook at Callie at Fairy Godmother Travel or email me at Callie@fairygodmothertravel.com  my services are included when you book with me!