Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1253

When Will Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Open?

By Steve Bloom

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©Disney

 

Everyone is getting excited about the final piece of New Fantasyland, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The new Magic Kingdom roller coaster was first announced on January 18, 2011. It has been over three years, and we still do not know when the attraction will open.

Since we don’t like to speculate or go on rumors, we’re going to let you do it! When do you think the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will soft open? (We will define a soft open as the first day Disney guests are allowed to ride.) Disney cast members will get to ride before the soft open date.)



Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of February 14, 2014

By Rikki Niblett

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Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! My loving present for you all today is the latest in Disney news, as well as some random fun too! Enjoy! (And let me know what you liked in the comments too!)

In Case You Missed It – Disney News and Rumors

Looking for romantic date ideas while spending time at Walt Disney World. Babble has some great ideas on how to have a fairy tale evening. (My romantic date idea: Go mini-golfing while at Disney. Hear me out. While it’s not an option that many would necessarily consider as romantic, I like it because it sort of takes you to when you went on these kind of dates back in the day. You get to have a fun-filled competition with your sweetie and maybe make a fun bet-like loser buys ice cream to share after at Ghirardelli. I’m a full believer in the mini-golf date!)

Jimmy Fallon is currently poised to take over The Tonight Show starting on February 17. But on his final Late Night performance, he had a group of guests on stage with him that I think, we all love. (Hint: Their name rhymes with The Muppets…oh wait…I gave it away…)

Are you ready for the Oscars? One person who’s getting ready is Idina Menzel (the voice of Elsa in Frozen). She’s going to be performing the hit song, “Let It Go” live on the Oscars stage. I cannot wait to see her belt this song out live. (And hopefully it wins the Oscar for Best Original Song.)

Disney California Adventure celebrated its 13th birthday on February 8. (Yay!) To honor this special occasion, Geeks of Doom took a look at 13 Reasons Why Disney California Adventure Rocks.

Ever thought of getting married or renewing your vows at sea? USA Today shares that Disney Cruise Line is one of the places where this fairytale “Happily Ever After” can happen.

It’s the weekend…so who’s ready to imbibe in a drink? The Disney Food Blog shares some fantastic concoctions that are themed around different Disney heroes and villains. These are so gorgeous, you almost don’t want to drink them. (I said almost.)

In Case We Missed It

What did we miss? Send your idea attached to a copy of The Jungle Book (I can’t get Bare Necessities out of my head!) and send both to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.

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Mouse Laughs: Unexpected Romance Around the World

By Scott Sevener

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Today is a day of romance … a day of love … a day for the celebration of those special bonds that we’re lucky enough to share with one another as we walk these hallowed roads together, two as one, without but a single worry in our love-struck hearts…

That’s what all of those hearts all over the place are all about, if you hadn’t heard!

And of course, those who find themselves in or around Walt Disney World today will no doubt be overwhelmed by a sea of romantic gestures as they meet characters walking hand in hand, and pastries dazzled with pink and red frosting, and that distinct aroma that can only mean that love is most definitely in the air … and also that there’s a turkey leg stand just around the corner … but mostly love, at least for today!

And yet that’s just the thing, right? How does one stand out with his or her own romantic offerings when you can’t throw a Mickey plush without hitting somebody making a grand gesture of proposing to their significant other around every bend?!

A well-timed smooch at the end of Wishes? Yeah, you and about a thousand other people!

A romantic lunch in the Rose Gallery at Be Our Guest? Take a number, and I hope you brought some snacks!

A nice walk through the typically quiet nature trails at the back of Animal Kingdom? Ok, so that one’s actually a pretty good one…

Fortunately, however, there are still a few special places out there – off the beaten path, if you will – where love and mushy stuff thrive just the same, but without having to compete with 100,000 other hopeless romantics at the same time! You just need to know where to look for them, and because I’m such a nice guy, here are some great places where I’d suggest you start:

Journey of The Little Mermaid @ the Magic Kingdom

It’s the tale (tail?) of a girl who sacrifices everything that she has for true love! Crustaceans sing, the plaice play the bass, and even though it doesn’t get as big of a production as Under the Sea, you’re missing out on a prime opportunity there just before the grand finale if you don’t take a quick moment to lean in close and Kiss the Girl…

“Shalalalalala, don’t be scared!”

Cirque du Soleil @ Downtown Disney’s West Side

What can I say – there’s no denying that the ladies and gentlemen that flip and fly through the air in this 90-minute gymnastic spectacle have to be extraordinarily flexible … you know, if you need any sort of – ahem – inspiration!

Just do keep in mind that the light fixtures in your Disney Resort hotel room are not load bearing…

Whispering Canyon Café @ Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Now I know what you’re thinking – “Scott, what’s so romantic about barbecue?!”

Well, A) their barbecue is delicious…

And B) on account of the unique opportunity that such décor itself offers, as a wise man by the name of Homer Simpson who resides at a competing park once taught me – There’s nothing more romantic than giving your wife the last pork chop…

‘Nuff said.

The Affection Section @ Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Nestled way back as a part of Rafiki’s Planet Watch, not a lot of folks ever even make it out to this end of the park, and yet it should be such an obvious one! Adorable baby animals … that you’re allowed to pet! For the type of person who rides best on autopilot, this is the kind of place where all you have to do is show up and all of those cuddly, little animals will do the rest…

Captain EO @ Epcot

And finally, the most charming of epic space dance battles that one will find at Disney World, or dare I say anywhere, if there’s one thing that Captain EO teaches us, it’s that all it takes is a little bit of love … and some sweet dance moves … to transform a creepy, old space hag back into her formerly Greek-inspired beautiful self.

It’s probably the most romantic story that you’ll find at Walt Disney World … a timeless classic … a tale as old as time … or at least as old as 1986, anyways!

Of course, this list of mine is really only the beginning – churro stands, a rousing laser battle of the sexes, a la Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger spin, any of roughly 14,817 gift shops on property – as they say, love is what you make of it, whether romance to you means souvenirs plastered with tiny hearts or simply riding your love’s favorite attraction fourteen times in a row despite having a deep-seeded fear of both time traveling and dinosaurs.

Whatever you do, though, do be sure to grab yourself one of those special Red Velvet Cupcakes because those things look divine…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Celebrate The Love With Disney Princesses and Princes this Valentine’s Day

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

If you have the opportunity to be at the Magic Kingdom to celebrate Valentine’s Day today, head to the nearest Princess meet and greet opportunity.  You see, for today only, Disney will be offering special meet and greets with the lovely Disney Princesses and their handsome Princes.

Briefly, a few of the couples I have seen that are meeting with guests include Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in Liberty Square at Tiana’s Garden Glen. At Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland, Cinderella and Prince Charming, as well as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, are sharing the love.

This is a very rare opportunity to see Disney couples together.  But a very fun one too!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

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Bad Disney Advice

By Daisy Lauren

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It happened again this weekend.  I was on the monorail heading to the Magic Kingdom when I overheard a family talking about where they wanted to go for dinner.  They all agreed that the Beast’s Castle looked like the most fun so they’d go there.  Then they struck up a conversation with another family and found out there was a restaurant IN Cinderella’s Castle!  They decided that’s where they would show up for dinner later that night.  Yep- one of the hottest tickets in all of Walt Disney World and they were planning to stroll up like a dinner at Denny’s.  I couldn’t help mentioning to these folks that they might want to check at Guest Services if there were reservations available but they dismissed my suggestion.  The other family agreed they should be fine to get in by just approaching the podium whenever the felt like it.

Have you been in this situation before?  Holding your tongue because you know that people are giving bad advice… and there is nothing that you can do about it.  I find myself in this position really often.  I’m surprised how often I hear advice that is bad or just plain wrong!  So today I’m going to cover some of the absolute worst advice I’ve heard.  I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you’ve heard something worse or if you’ve unfortunately fallen for one of these before.  Thanks in advance for sharing!

There’s a great view of the fireworks from the Yacht Club… or not.

Don’t waste your time doing anything besides Disney when you’re in Orlando.  Wow, I love Disney!  I live for Disney!  If you cut me I bleed pixie dust, but even I don’t agree with this statement.  There is so much to do and see when you’re here.  Why not visit one of the other parks?  Or spend a day at the beach or Kennedy Space Center?  Or have I mentioned the awesomeness that is Gatorland?  If you’re on a budget it’s totally understandable to limit your trip but if not at least see what else is available.  Orlando might just surprise you!

Get there in the afternoon to avoid the heat.  This is one I hear all the time and it’s honestly terrible advice.  Of course, I don’t practice what I preach.  I get to the parks in the afternoon all the time but I also don’t do very much when I get there as the lines are all very long at that point.  Not to mention, during the hotter months it’s still incredibly hot in the afternoon.  If you’re going in the summer it’s a better idea to go first thing in the morning and head out BEFORE noon.  That way you get the coolest temperatures of the day and the shortest lines.

You can get tickets cheaper at…  I always shy away from shady sounding ticket offers.  Sure there are reputable travel agencies that offer slight discounts but if anything sounds too good to be true it probably is.  Disney isn’t cheap and I understand the temptation when you can’t drive 2 miles in Kissimmee without seeing neon signs advertising discounted tickets.  Just keep in mind you might have to sacrifice an entire day of your vacation on a timeshare sales pitch to get that price on your tickets.

You should go all day every day.  I think it’s important to accept you’ll never do everything at Walt Disney World during your trip.  I feel sorry for people that try to go all day, every day during their vacation.  It’s a frantic pace, I don’t know how people do it!  More often I think people try and fail at this strategy.  A better idea is to go in the morning, take a nap, and then head back in the evening.  When you’re walking back in refreshed be sure to look at the haggard people heading for the exit.

The best time to go is… The honest truth is there is no “best” time to visit Disney World.  There are peak times, slower times, hotter months, colder months, and different festivals and events throughout the year.  Everyone will have a time they prefer but there isn’t a universal “best” time.  Do your research and decide what makes sense for your family.  Our crowd calendars are a great resource for tracking how busy the parks will be during different times of the year.

Pomme frites obtained without a reservation at Cafe Orleans in Disneyland!

Wing it!  Planning what time of year to visit brings me to some of the absolute worst advice I’ve heard.. to just be spontaneous on your Disney vacation.  In a perfect world this would be a great idea!  But we live in a world where reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table open up for booking 180 days in advance. Especially with the addition of Fastpass+ it’s becoming increasingly impossible to have a great time at Disney World without a game plan.  If you want to wing it Disneyland is a bit easier with dining reservations but you’re Touring Plan will be just as important to not get stuck in long attraction lines.

There are shorter lines during parades and fireworks.  Depending on the season this can be true.  However, if the lines are short enough to really empty out during the night time events then you likely would have time to ride them during the day.  During busier times if Space Mountain had a 90 minute wait all day then the wait might get down to 70 minutes during Wishes.  Is it really worth saving 20 minutes to miss the parade and fireworks?  It might be for someone like me that can go see them any night, but for most people I would think the fireworks are more important.

You have to stay on property / off property.  I just wrote another article on this topic but it continues to be an area where I hear a lot of bad advice.  There are good reasons for both sides of the debate and they should be weighed against what you’re looking for in your vacation.  Here are some of the things you should consider when making this decision.

It’s the Sunshine state!!  Yep, that’s a name that we earn with beautiful, clear, blue skies.  But you have never seen rain until you’ve seen crazy, sideways, Florida rain!  In a matter of minutes the sky can turn black and dump more water than you thought possible.  In the summers you can almost time your watch with our afternoon downpours.  A rain plan is a must when touring the parks.  I’ve determined after many years of trial and error that a nice rain coat, crocs, and a baseball cap will get me through any storm.  If you can brave through the weather you’ll be rewarded with much shorter lines.  Some attractions (like the HauntedMansion) will let you ride over and over with no wait when it’s pouring!

Photopass is a scam – just bring your camera!  I will start this one with admitting that I used to be a person that gave this advice.  I have a great camera why would I pay Disney’s crazy prices just for photos?  But I ate crow a couple years ago at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  My entire extended family was able to attend and the photo I wanted more than anything was all of us with the seven dwarfs.  Earlier in the night I had just taken a Photopass card because it was easier than declining over and over.  At the end of the night I was looking through all my photos and realized my lens was zoomed in on my seven dwarfs photo.  The photo was garbage and I was broken hearted.  Later that night I found the Photopass in my pocket and pulled it up online.  There it was – my dream photo!!  And it would have been a bargain at twice the price.  So now I will say Photopass is my insurance policy.

So there are ten of my favorite pieces of bad advice.  What are yours?  I’d love to hear!  Please share in the comments below.  As always thanks so much for reading.

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Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade to End in June

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade will be ending its run in Disney’s Animal Kingdom sometime this June. No official date has been announced as of yet.

An article that ran in the Orlando Sentinel states that the parade, which debuted on October 1, 2001, is expected to close due to expansion work that will “soon impede on the parade path and viewing areas for guests,” according to Disney.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade is a wild, whimsical party celebrating Mickey and friends going on safari. The parade includes five character based safari vehicles, four drum sculptures, three rickshaw taxis, eight animal puppets, fourteen Disney characters, ten Party Animal stilt walkers, and twelve Party Patrols. It also features a fun soundtrack.

There are no current plans to replace the parade.

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Raytheon to Celebrate National Engineers Week at Epcot

By Rikki Niblett

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©Raytheon

Did you know that February 16 – 22 is National Engineers Week? To celebrate, Raytheon (the sponsor of Sum of All Thrills) will bring park guests closer to the action and showcase that science really can be fun. At Epcot’s Innoventions West, from February 17 – 21, guests will get to participate in hands on experiments led by real scientists in a show called Raytheon’s “Science Thrills Live.”

During this interactive stage show featuring the host of “The Dr. Erika Show,” guests will get to participate in science experiments such as nucleation-triggered eruption (explode soda), conservation of angular momentum (go head to head against each other in a giant tug of war), thermoplastic recycling (melt milk jugs), and more.

Showtimes are at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. The presentation is free to park guests and will last approximately 20 minutes.

Bonus! Everyone who visits will walk away with a giveaway. Once guests have participated, they can then head over to Sum of All Thrills to utilize more science in an effort to design and experience their own thrill ride.

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Disney Upgrades My Disney Experience App

By Rikki Niblett

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This week, Disney has released a brand new version of the My Disney Experience app for Apple users. With this upgrade, I noticed a lot of things that I wanted to share with you.

First off, the new app has an entirely different look and feel to it. It seems to run a lot faster and smoother. It also uses the Mickey icon that’s found in the parks (like at the turnstiles or at the FastPass+ entry areas) when it’s loading a page. The navigation also seems more streamlined. Fonts are bigger, and everything seems easier to read. Overall, things look more visually appealing and cleaner.

Here’s a peek at the new app and what changes have been made:

The first change is in the sign in page. It is certainly more visually appealing.

Old Version ©Disney

New Version ©Disney

 

Next, we see a change with the home page. Here, instead of taking you directly to the map, it allows you to make and change plans, see your existing plans, and lists suggestions of things you may enjoy. It also has a quick access menu at the top, allowing you easy access to check out different attractions, characters, dining establishments, restrooms (always handy), entertainment offerings, events and tours, guest services, and shopping destinations for the current park you are in.

Old Version ©Disney

New Version ©Disney

 

Under the previous attractions tab, you could search by attraction name, wait time or location, and the same is true for the new version. The new version highlights the wait times, though, to make them more noticeable. The updated version also indicates which attractions are available for FastPass+ and easily allows you to make reservations. (Keep in mind that right now you have to be staying on property and have a reservation included in your My Disney Experience profile to be able to make FastPass+ reservation.)

 

Old Version ©Disney

New Version ©Disney

 

At the bottom of the new page, you’ll see a blue task bar. This will allow you to switch parks that you’re exploring. The icon that looks like a funnel will allow you to filter your choices by things like age, interest, and physical considerations. The location icon will let you switch between list and map views.

©Disney

©Disney

 

Also, if you’re in the park, you’ll be able to find wait times for attractions that are nearby. In addition, you’ll be able to see where you are in relation to the attractions.

©Disney

 

The dining tab saw some changes, as well. Both old and new versions allow you to view menus, as well as easily make Advance Dining Reservations, but the new version is more streamlined.

Old Version ©Disney

New Version ©Disney

 

I particularly like that there is now a restrooms tab. It will come in handy for many, I’m sure. Especially those parents who have a little one who has to go NOW!!! (Bonus for parents: it lists if it’s a regular restroom or a companion bathroom.)

©Disney

 

As I mentioned, there also is a list of different shopping destinations you can visit within the park.

©Disney

 

Overall, the changes seem nice. The old version seemed a bit clunky. This version is much easier to navigate, comparatively speaking. It’s great that it’s a much faster moving app now, too. That will make life much easier while touring the parks and hopefully it means it’s less of a drain on my battery.

While the Apple version is currently live, the Android version is slated to be released this spring.

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How to Determine the Value of a Disney World Vacation Package?

By Erin Foster

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If you’re planning to visit Walt Disney World, there’s a good chance that at some point you’ll see an offer for a Disney vacation package.

Packages bundle the components of your trip.

It’s all but impossible to open the travel section of a major US newspaper and not see several Disney packages offered with language like: “Save 20% on a Five Night Stay” or “Kids Stay Free.” With call-outs like these, many packages LOOK fantastic, and indeed some of them are, but it’s important to put on your analyst hat to determine whether a package really makes sense for your needs. We’re here with tips on how to how to determine the value of a Disney World vacation.

Disney vacation packages include some combination of the basic components of your travel: hotel room, food, theme park tickets, entertainment, and possibly airfare.

In some cases, buying a package makes sense, and in other cases purchasing your vacation components separately is more cost effective. Here are some things to think about as you work out your vacation budget and decide whether a Disney vacation package is a good value for your family.

BASIC MATH, BUT LOTS OF RESEARCH

To decide whether to purchase a package, you’ll want to compare three versions of your travel elements: the basic, non-discounted price (which you can find on the WDW website) vs. the discounted price of your vacation components purchased separately (hunt for discounts on sites like mousesavers.com) vs. a bundled package price (usually promoted in advertising).

Finding the non-discounted price and the package price are fairly easy, but it’s really column two – the discounted component price – that will tell you if a package makes sense. Most of the information below discusses how to put together equation two.

UNDERSTAND THE COMPONENTS OF THE PACKAGE

The most basic Disney vacation package includes a stay in a Disney resort hotel plus theme park tickets. While this seems fairly uncomplicated, even this starter package may include additional items to sweeten the deal. Some recent “sweeteners” we’ve seen include:

A discount at Splistville doesn’t mean much if you’re not going to bowl.

Mini-golf vouchers
Resort arcade card value cards
DisneyQuest vouchers
Recreation discounts of 10-15% on water sports or fishing
Discounts of 10-15% on children’s activity centers (group babysitting)
Discounts of 10-15% on salon or spa treatments
Discounts on bowling at Downtown Disney’s Splistville lanes.

A long list of items such as these sure looks pretty, but they may be of limited value depending on your vacation needs.

The next category of packages include a room, park tickets, and a dining plan. There are three primary variations on the Disney Dining Plan (all include a refillable mug for each guest age three or older, for use at the resort hotel):

Quick Service Dining Plan: One snack credit and two quick service meal credits, per guest for each night of your stay
Standard Dining Plan: One snack credit, one quick service meal credit, and one table service meal credit, per guest for each night of your stay
Deluxe Dining Plan: Two snack credits plus three credits that can be used for either quick service or table service meals, per guest for each night of your stay

More complicated packages include the Premium and Platinum plans which include allotments of entertainment and recreation items such as golf and tennis, full-service spa treatments, Cirque du Soleil tickets, backstage tours, and the like. We’re just going to say up front that those super swanky package plans rarely make sense from a financial standpoint.

EVALUATE WHETHER YOU’LL ACTUALLY USE ALL THE COMPONENTS OF THE PACKAGE

Before even looking at the pricing of a package, you should sit down and honestly evaluate whether you’ll use the components of the package.

Some decisions will be easy. For example, if you’re traveling with a party of only adults, you won’t be using a childcare discount coupon. If you’re visiting for just a few days, you may not have time to indulge in a spa treatment.

Other decisions, particularly those involving the dining plan, may necessitate a bit more soul searching or number crunching. For example, you should sort out your personal philosophy about the “live to eat” vs. “eat to live” question. If you’re in “live to eat” mode, elaborate table service meals may be a focus of your vacation, whereas “eat to live” folks may think sit-down meals are a waste of time. Each choice will impact the relative value worth and utility of the Disney package options.

WILL A PACKAGE COMPONENT ACTUALLY FORCE OR ENTICE ME TO SPEND MORE MONEY?

Some package components may seem like a deal, but upon closer inspection some items might be stealth money spenders rather than savers. An example of this might be something like an offer of two free DisneyQuest vouchers with a package purchase. If you’ve got three people in your party, you may end up spending about $45.00 on person #3′s DisneyQuest admission ticket, when you didn’t really have to go there at all. Similarly, 15% off a massage may be a good deal, but not if you hadn’t intended on spending $150 on a massage in the first place.

Pay particular attention to this topic if you’re considering something like a Free Dining offer. You might have been content to eat primarily quick service food during your vacation, but an offer of a “free” Standard Disney Dining Plan enticed you to book some table service meals. Although the meals themselves may be “free” with promotions such as this, remember that tips are not included when using the dining plan. The tip for your “free” table service meal could actually approach the cost of out-of-pocket quick service dining, depending on what you order.

LOOK AT THE FINE PRINT

There’s always fine print.

Many Disney package offers include a full-time attorney’s worth of fine print. Common benefit restrictions include time limits on the use of a package component. For example, many packages include blackout dates. If a portion of your intended travel falls during the blackout period, you’ll be subject to a higher rate for some, or even all, of your vacation. Some resorts or room categories may be excluded from packages or promotions. Even the minor “sweetener” benefits may have caveats. For example, your package may include a mini-golf voucher, but that may be of limited value if you’re required to use it before 4:00 p.m. when you’re likely to be playing in the parks.

In addition to looking at benefit restrictions, the purchase of a package may make you subject to additional constraints on required deposits, cancellation deadlines, payment deadlines, or the refundablity of your vacation payments. Be sure to compare the details of components purchased separately with those found in the package.

Another consideration for packages is that, in most cases, all guests sharing a single room must be on the same package. For example, if one member of your party (in the same room) is participating in the Disney Dining Plan, all must participate in the same configuration of the plan. This might not make sense if not all party members will be present for the entire duration of the trip or if different party members have markedly different eating habits.

UNDERSTAND YOUR BASELINE PRICING

Disney World pricing information is readily available online. Your first step in evaluating any travel package is to find the baseline rate for each of the components.

Go to DisneyWorld.com and click on the “Places to Stay” tab at the top. Input your party size, travel dates, and hotel selection to see the listed full price rate (rack rate) for your resort stay.

Similarly, at DisneyWorld.com click on the “Parks and Tickets” tab. Then input the number of guests in your party, the number of ticket days you’ll need, and any add-ons you’ll use such as the Park Hopper or Water Park Fun & More option. This will give you a quote for your ticket pricing. Remember, there may be days that you don’t need a theme park ticket. If you’re spending a day at Universal Studios or SeaWorld, or taking a down day at your resort pool, then you won’t need to purchase a theme park ticket for that time period.

The more complicated part of this process is understanding how much you’re likely to spend on food. Again, both the Disney Dining Plan and individual Disney food pricing is readily available online but you’ll have to do both some soul searching and some math to figure out your baseline food expenditure. To find pricing, head over to the Touring Plans menu pages. You’ll find full listings of what’s available in the Disney World restaurants and how much they cost, don’t forget to consider snacks and tipping in your plan. If you have questions about portion size or plating, you may want to visit DisneyFoodBlog.com which has photos of most Disney food items.

To decide whether the Disney Dining Plan makes financial sense for you, ask yourself:

Do I like to splurge on vacation, eating more than I usually do at home?
Are any members of my party particularly fussy eaters?
Do any members of my party have limitations to the types of food they’ll consume due to vegetarianism, medical considerations, religious considerations, or the like.
Do I want to take time out from park touring and rides to have sit-down meals?
Do I want to have dessert every day? With more than one meal per day?
Do I want to partake in character dining experiences?
Am I interested in gourmet dining experiences?
Am I interested in dinner shows which combine entertainment with a meal?
Do the members of my party have big appetites? Are they willing/able to share an entree, dessert, or other item?
Am I willing to prepare some meals myself? For example, am I OK with have cold cereal or a granola bar in my room for breakfast?
Am I willing to drink tap water rather than bottled water or other beverages?
Will character dining be a big part of our vacation?

Based on your responses, construct a sample plan for your party and price it out using the menu links. We’ve done a sample daily food plan to give you some idea or what yours might look like. You should also consider whether having most food paid for in advance gives you a measure of budgetary peace of mind that outweighs a potential cost premium of the Dining Plan.

Creating a sample food expense plan can help you determine whether the dining plan component of a package adds value for your family.

Please note that this rough sample one-day food plan does not include character dining. Character meals are often prix fixe and often expensive. Including a few character meals in your sample dining plan can radically alter any food-related equation.

For informational purposes: the 2014 standard Disney Dining Plan (1 snack, 1 QS, 1 TS per night of stay) is $18.88 for kids ages 3-9 and $58.66 for all guests ages 10 and up. Children under age three are not eligible for the plan.

Finally, take a look at the supplementary entertainment and recreation items you can add on to your Disney vacation. First time or quick-trip visitors may not have many (or any) of these items to add to their vacations, but Disney World veterans may water to take a tour, enjoy some water sports, or indulge in a spa treatment. The inclusion of discounts on any of these items may make a package more or less valuable to an individual guest.

SEARCH FOR NON-PACKAGE DISCOUNTS

Now that you know the baseline pricing of your Disney trip, take a look for discounts on the individual components of your trip. Mousesavers.com is a wonderful resource for locating Disney discount information. Also check the Disney World Special Offers page for current promotions. You’ll find more offers listed on the Disney World website if you’re logged into your My Disney Experience account and have any Disney affiliations linked there. For example, when I clicked on the Special Offers page when not logged in, I saw three promotional offers listed. When I tried again while logged on, I saw seven offers, including some reserved for Annual Pass and Disney Vacation Club members.

Common Room-Only Discounts

Annual pass holder discounts are often available. Consider whether purchasing an annual pass and using AP room discounts will save you money, even if you don’t need all the ticket days.
Florida resident room-only discounts are often available.
Disney Visa card holders may find room-only discounts.
Starwood Amex users may use points for free nights at the Swan & Dolphin resorts.
Teachers, nurses, first responders, and other public service personnel may be entitled to discounts at the Swan & Dolphin.
Off-site hotels may be priced significantly less than on-property Disney resorts.
“Bounce Back” discounts may be offered to guests when they book their next Disney vacation while still on their current vacation.

Common Park Admission Ticket Discounts

Use the Touring Plans Ticket Calculator to find lower priced Disney park tickets via reputable non-Disney vendors. Reputable non-Disney vendors include Undercover Tourist, Maple Leaf Tickets, OfficialTicketCenter.com and others.
Disney Vacation Club members receive discounts on annual passes.
Annual pass renewals are cheaper than annual pass initial purchases.
Special ticket pricing for military families.
AAA members may receive discounts on park admission for advance purchase tickets.

Common Food Discounts/Savings Tips

Annual pass holders and Disney Vacation Club members receive discounts at some restaurants.
Annual pass holders and Florida residents may purchase the Tables in Wonderland discount card.
Bring you own food into the theme parks rather than purchasing on site.
Eat dinners outside Disney property. Many local restaurants offer their own coupons.
D23 fan club members may be allowed discounts at some restaurants.
Coupons for restaurants on Disney property are often found in the back of Birnbaum’s Official Guide to Walt Disney World. (By the way, this is the only acceptable use of the Official Guide. For all research and planning purposes, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is the way to go. )
Share large-portion meals between several family members.

Common Entertainment/Recreation Discounts

Annual Pass holders and Disney Vacation Club Members receive discounts on most backstage tours.
Birnbaum’s Official Guide to Walt Disney World often includes discount coupons for select tours.
Sammy Duvall’s Water Sports Center at the Contemporary often has promotional pricing codes listed on their website.
Disney Vacation Club members often receive discounts at Cirque du Soleil La Nouba.

Annual Pass Holders are offered lots of promotions.

CONSIDER SMALL CHANGES IN YOUR TRAVEL PLANS TO REAP BIG DISCOUNTS

When determining your baseline pricing, it can pay to look a bit deeper than just searching for promotional discounts or coupon codes. Tiny tweaks of your vacation plans might make a significant difference. For example, changing your travel dates by a night or two might put you into a different pricing category for your room, your flight, or both. A particularly large savings might make it worthwhile to pull your kids out of school for a bit. Choosing a different resort might change your need for a rental car, potentially reaping savings. Tinker a bit before settling on a strategy.

FREQUENTLY OFFERED PACKAGE PROMOTIONS

While there are no guarantees about when/if Disney will offer package promotions in the future, there are some packages that tend to show up year after year. Some commonly seen package promotions are:

FREE DINING – Details vary but a typical version of this includes a rack rate (full price) room for a minimum of three nights, a minimum of two-days of park admission tickets, with a dining plan added at no additional charge. Often guests of the value resorts will receive a free Quick Service Dining Plan and guests of the moderate and deluxe resorts will receive the Standard Dining Plan.
ROOM DISCOUNT AND EXTRA TICKET DAY WITH PACKAGE PURCHASE – Value resort rooms offered at something like 20% off, moderate rooms at something like 25% off, and deluxe rooms at something like 30% off, buy a minimum four-day park admission and get an additional day free.
KIDS STAY AND PLAY FREE – With the purchase of a rack rate room stay, children ages 3-9 receive a free park admission ticket. Typically this is limited to one child free per adult.

There are variations on these promotions and other offers that pop up sporadically, keep your eyes peeled for new package permutations.

DO THE MATH

Once you’ve gotten a package price and a baseline no-package price you can compare whether the package offer makes sense for your family.

For comparisons, I’m pricing out a hypothetical three night vacation for a family of four (two adults, a 12-year-old, and a six-year old) during mid-May 2014. They’re staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in a Garden View room and visiting the theme parks on five days with base (non-Park Hopper tickets).

VERSION ONE: NON-DISCOUNTED PACKAGE PRICE

Non-discounted (rack rate) room: $772.00

Non-discounted tickets: $1,210.92

Standard dining plan: $194.86 x 4 nights = $779.44 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,762.36

VERSION TWO A: UNBUNDLED PRICE (for the light-eater family in sample version A)

Publicly available spring vacation offer room: $579.00

Discounted ticket price: $1,139.80 (via OfficialTicketCenter.com)

Dining out of pocket based on actual food needs: 132.07 x 4 days = $528.28 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,247.08

VERSION TWO B: UNBUNDLED PRICE (for the big-eater family in sample version B)

Publicly available spring vacation offer room: $579.00

Discounted ticket price: $1,139.80 (via OfficialTicketCenter.com)

Dining out of pocket based on actual food needs: $217.57 x 4 days = $870.28 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,589.08

VERSION THREE A: ANNUAL PASSHOLDER PRICING (for the light eater family)

Annual pass holder room offer: $540.40

Ticket price: One adult annual pass $648.59 + Two adult and one child discounted price (via OTC) $849.85 = $1,498.44

Dining out of pocket based on actual food needs (light eater family) = $528.28 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,567.12

VERSION THREE B: ANNUAL PASSHOLDER PRICING (for the big eater family)

Annual pass holder room offer: $540.40

Ticket price: One adult annual pass $648.59 + Two adult and one child discounted price (via OTC) $849.85 = $1,498.44

Dining out of pocket based on actual food needs (big eater family) = $870.28 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,909.12

VERSION THREE C: ANNUAL PASSHOLDER PRICING USING THE DISNEY DINING PLAN (must buy tickets from Disney)

Annual pass holder room offer: $540.40

Ticket price: One adult annual pass $648.59 + Two adult and one child Disney direct price $903.13 = $1,551.72

Standard dining plan: $194.86 x 4 nights = $779.44 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $2,871.56

VERSION FOUR: “FREE DINING”

(While Free Dining is not currently offered, this may happen again in the fall. Because dates are not yet available, real pricing for this is not yet available, so I’m assuming a room rates consistent with the above examples.)

Non-discounted (rack rate) room: $772.00

Non-discounted tickets: $1,210.92

Standard dining plan: $0.00

Total: $1,982.92

As you can see, there’s more than $1,000 difference in what you’ll spend for this sample Disney visit depending on how you book, the options you choose, and what you eat.

Some things to note:

If you can travel during an annual pass discount period, buying an annual pass for one member of your might save you enough money to make up for the increased ticket cost, plus then you can reap AP discounts on tours, merchandise, etc. which were not considered here.
If you’re a family of light eaters, then purchasing the Disney Dining Plan will rarely make sense for you.
Even if you’re a big eater family, the Dining Plan is not always your best option, but it can be (compare version 3B to 3C).
Your dining style and food preferences make a significant different in the value of the Dining Plan. This is particularly true if you have light eating tweens. Many younger tweens (and even some older teens) are perfectly fine eating child meal portion sizes, but if you purchase the Dining Plan, they will be charged at the adult rate, regardless of what they eat.
For the big eater family, the bundled non-discount package price is within $200 of the a la carte discount price. It’s certainly possible to amass $200 worth of savings in the package “sweeteners” often offered to bundlers. Dig into the details if you think you may actually use some of the sweeteners. On the other hand, those doing due diligence may also find similar discounts via coupons or other deals.

FREE DINING IS NOT ALWAYS A NO-BRAINER

In my example above, there’s a $264.00 savings with Free Dining vs. even the lowest light-eater estimate. It seems like taking advantage of Free Dining is a no-brainer. However, this is not always the case.

For instance:

If the room rate were higher (a very likely possibility), the savings would disappear.
If Sally were 10 years old instead of 12 years old, she would be billed at the adult rate, making the savings above closer to $100 rather than $264. This more modest savings might not make the loss of flexibility worthwhile.
The room category level can make a big difference. What makes sense at the moderate level might not make sense at the value or deluxe level.

RUNNING THE NUMBERS FOR A DELUXE LEVEL RESORT

Let’s see what happens if instead of choosing Coronado Springs, we chose the Grand Floridian.

Non-discounted (rack rate) room: $679 x 4 nights = $2,716

Non-discounted tickets: $1,210.92

Standard dining plan: $0.00

Total: $3,926.92

Common publicly available discount offer price for the same room: $543.20 x 4 nights = $2,172.80

Discounted ticket price: $1,139.80 (via OfficialTicketCenter.com)

Dining out of pocket based on actual food needs (light eater family) = $528.28 (does not cover all meals needed during five park days)

Total: $3,840.88

By choosing to get Free Dining rather than unbundled discount prices for their vacation components, the light eater family is losing $80+ and a big measure of freedom in their flexibility. The big eater family would still come out ahead.

A NOTE ABOUT ADDING AIR TRAVEL TO YOUR PACKAGE

While you can purchase airfare through Disney, I don’t recommend it. There are rarely any cost savings involved with adding airfare to your package and if you book through Disney, you lose all control of your flight selection – they’ll do it for you. I’ve been cautioned by both a specialist travel agent and by a travel specialist Disney cast member that Disney air bookers will get you from point A to point B, but they won’t pay attention to the presence or length of layovers, fine details about departure times, size of the aircraft, local airport selection, or other details that can turn a good trip into a logistical headache.

I witnessed an egregious example of this while on my Adventures by Disney trip to China last summer. Our return flight was direct from Hong Kong to Newark, which we researched and booked ourselves. A New Jersey resident tripmate had Disney book her flight for her as part of a package, thus ceding control of her air travel plans. Despite the fact that she lived equidistant between Philadelphia and Newark, Disney booked her Hong Kong – Tokyo – New York – Philadelphia, with a six hour layover in Tokyo, alone with an eight year old child. Her pricing was slightly more than ours. You’re unlikely to encounter anything that extreme with domestic air travel to Orlando, but why worry about it.

You may also find that flight refunds are more difficult to obtain if you arrange your air travel through Disney. Book your flight yourself or use a travel agent who will consider personal factors and logistics as well as pricing.

IN SUM

As you can see there are innumerable variables that can tip the odds for or against the purchase of a particular package or particular discount plan. An hour or so of research and calculation could save you many hundreds of dollars. However, if you don’t have the patience for that, a few rules of thumb generally apply:

The bigger your appetite, the more likely the Disney Dining Plan is to make sense for you.
Free dining often, but does not always, makes financial sense.
The more guests ages 10 and up in your party, the less likely adding the Disney Dining Plan to your vacation will make sense.
You’re unlikely to find any package discounts during peak holiday seasons (Easter, July 4, Christmas). At these times your best bet for saving money is to purchase tickets from a third party vendor, use food coupons, and watch what you eat.

Do you have the patience to research your vacation in detail? Do you find it easy or challenging to locate discount information? If you’ve mapped out a food budget, do you tend to stick with it? Let us know in the comments below.

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Atlanta Braves Spring Training Starts Soon at Walt Disney World

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

The first sign of Spring is here! While I haven’t seen a robin in my backyard yet, I do come bearing good news, because the pitchers and catchers for the Atlanta Braves are scheduled to report to Orlando tomorrow to get ready to gear up for the 2014 baseball season.

That means that spring training is scheduled to start up soon at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex found at Walt Disney World. Games are scheduled to take place starting at the end of February and lasting through most of March.

This is the 17th year the reigning National League East Division Champions will play at Champions Stadium. During spring training, The Braves will play against popular clubs such as the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets, and (my team) the St. Louis Cardinals.  It all kicks off when The Braves play the Detroit Tigers on February 26. The complete season is as follows:

Wednesday, February 26
Detroit Tigers
1:05pm


Friday, February 28
Houston Astros
6:05pm


Sunday, March 2
Detroit Tigers
1:05pm


Monday, March 3
New York Mets
1:05pm


Tuesday, March 4
Washington Nationals
1:05pm


Thursday, March 6
Washington Nationals
6:05pm


Saturday, March 8
Miami Marlins
1:05pm


Tuesday, March 11
Philadelphia Phillies
1:05pm


Wednesday, March 12
Washington Nationals
1:05pm


Friday, March 14
Tampa Bay Rays
1:05pm


Saturday, March 15
St. Louis Cardinals
1:05pm


Wednesday, March 19
New York Yankees
1:05pm


Friday, March 21
Detroit Tigers
1:05pm


Saturday, March 22
Boston Red Sox
1:05pm


Sunday, March 23
New York Mets
1:05pm


Monday, March 24
Houston Astros
6:05pm


Wednesday, March 26
Miami Marlins
1:05pm

Spring training games bring a ton of fun with them. Guests will be treated to game day entertainment and additional fan experiences, from character appearances, to an exclusive on-field spectator experience and kids running the bases after the game.

For those who would like to take in a game, they may now purchase individual game tickets through ticketmaster.com or at the sports complex box office.

So, let’s root, root, root for The Bravos, at the old ball game!

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