The Disney First-Timer Class I Give to My Friends, Part 1

When one of my close friends, Jennifer, wanted to take her family on their first Walt Disney World vacation, she asked me to help her prepare. At first, I directed her to a few websites, including my own, of course. I'd ask Jennifer at preschool drop off if she had made any plans and she'd grin and say no. There was just too much to consider and as a busy, working mom, she just found it hard to get excited about facing the mountain of information available about Walt Disney World. It was simply overwhelming to her and she needed someone to condense it all. 


In hallway conversations at school, Jennifer told me they could budget time and money for three days in the Disney Parks. Based on her family and their interests, we decided she would be best served to plan on two days at Magic Kingdom and one day at Animal Kingdom. At the time of the trip, her children were 6 and not quite 3. As much as I thought Jennifer and her husband would enjoy Epcot, I felt it just didn't make the three-day cut for this trip. 


We didn't have to discuss accommodations, as they had decided to go with an off-site timeshare resort and this was set well in advance. But for the record, I like Port Orleans Riverside for first time guests. Follow the link if you'd like more information on the resort. We've stayed at many Walt Disney World resorts over the years, so let me know if you have questions on one you are considering.


I loaned Jennifer one of Tink's copies of Walt Disney World for Kids (yes, Tink owns multiple years) and told her to look over it. I suggested she peruse the attractions to make sure my park picks fit her family. Then we set aside one of our regular Friday night family dinners as Disney 101. First, you may wonder why I gave her the kids’ book? As much as I love the Unofficial Guide series, it's a bit like a sip from a fire hose. The books are really thick and are a terrific resource for someone gung-ho about planning but could be too much for those only ready for the highlights. But if you are ready for the nitty-gritty, click the link above and have one sent your way.


On the night of our Disney 101 class, Jennifer and I sat down and talked for a couple of hours about Disney; me with the notes that turned into the rest of this post and her with a notebook. After our talk, she felt ready to make some dining reservations and was excitedly looking forward to her vacation for the first time. 


Let's dive on in, shall we? Here is the first installment of things I wanted this special family to see/do/know, in no particular order. This turned into a really long post, so I'll be sharing it over several days. If we have written about the topic previously on Growing Up Disney, I may not elaborate much, but I will include a link if you need more information. And as always, leave a comment or send me an email if I can help you as you plan your vacation. 

There is also an attraction and dining component to the class, but it will have to wait for a separate set of posts. When I planned these notes for Jennifer, I wanted to familiarize her with the culture of the parks and to help her maneuver like a pro.

(If you are just beginning to research for your Walt Disney World vacation, please start with this post: First-Timer Planning Tips)

Park Hopping:  You'll see the term "Park Hopper" when you begin researching tickets.  This feature is an upgrade to the basic ticket and allows you to enter more than one park on a given day.  My family usually has annual passes which include hopping priviledges and we don't often visit more than one park per day.  We might get back to that more when the kids are older.  Please note that you cannot use an extra day on your ticket to enter a second park on the same day.   

FastPass+: This system allows you to reserve your place in line for more popular attractions. Simply go online and choose the attractions/experiences that are most important to your family. Select times that work for you and you're all set. On your day at the park, arrive at the attraction during your assigned window and ride with little wait. Like anything else with reservations, the really popular attractions fill up quickly so you may need to be flexible when choosing times online. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can book FP+ 60 days in advance. Those staying off-site can make FP+ reservations 30 days out. Three advance FP+ are allowed per person per day. Once you have used those three, you can reserve more at a FastPass+ kiosk in the park. Note: you will need an online account and have park tickets tied to that account before you can reserve FP+.

Rider Switch: Jennifer's six year-old son would be able to ride some of the thrill rides that her preschool daughter was still too small to enjoy. To assist families like this, Disney has a program called "Rider Switch." To use the service, check with the Cast Member at the entrance to the attraction. The specific procedure depends on the location but essentially Dad and Son can ride while Mom and Daughter wait. Then Mom and Son can ride with little time in line while Dad takes care of Daughter. Jennifer said this worked perfectly for them, except for Everest. Her son was not up to taking on the yeti a second time. Rider Switch is available at most attractions with a height requirement. The Cast Member at the entrance to a given attraction will be happy to answer questions about Rider Switch at that location.

MagicBands: MagicBands are wristbands that serve all sorts of purposes: room key, park ticket, FastPass redemption, credit card substitute, PhotoPass link, and fashion statement.  If you have a Disney resort hotel reservation, you will receive these in the mail at no additional charge and you will have the option to personalize them a bit.  If you are staying off-property, you can buy a MagicBand for around $12 or just use your regular ticket for claiming FastPasses and such.

PhotoPass: Disney's PhotoPass Service has photographers stationed in good spots all over the theme parks.  Simply have them scan your MagicBand or ask for a PhotoPass card if you aren't using a MagicBand.  Then smile for your photo.  It's a great way to get the whole family in the shot and they will even take a set of photos with your camera too.  The service itself is free and you only pay if you buy photos or gifts customized with your photos.  You can also purchase Memory Maker prior to your trip and it will include all of your PhotoPass shots as well as those from attractions and dining locations.  I think it's really important to get photos of yourself with your kids and other traveling buddies.  Follow this link for "Get Yourself in the Photo."

Restaurant Reservations: Reservations (407-WDW-DINE or online) open up 180 days prior to your visit.  Some of the most popular restaurants book up on that first day.  So while it may seem crazy, if you have your heart set on dining at any particular location, reserve as early as you can.  A credit card is now required to hold your spot and you'll be charged a per person fee (usually $10) if you cancel within one day or no-show.  However, if someone is sick, call and speak to a Cast Member at the dining line.  They will help you if they can.

That's a good start for today.  Please come back for parts two and three of the series where I'll give all sorts of tips to help make your first or tenth Walt Disney World vacation a great one.
Link to Part 2  Link to Part 3

Magical Blogorail: Favorite WDW Planning Resources

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

For this month's Magical Blogorail topic, we were asked to share our favorite planning resources, other than ourselves and our Blogorail buddies.

When it's time to plan my own Walt Disney World vacations,  I have a few sites that I always visit.  I check TouringPlans.com for the crowd calendar.  It's handy for choosing travel dates and getting input into which park to visit each day.  AllEars.net is a great all-around resource and I'll double-check there for any special events we may need to work around.  AllEars.net is also terrific for restaurant menus when we are choosing where to make dining reservations.  I'll also visit DisneyFoodBlog.com when planning meals.

Honestly, for years I barely referenced the official Disney site.  The large unofficial resources had so much more detail.  However Disney.com is stepping up their game and now offers menus, resort photos, special event details and more.  My family used the new My Disney Experience website and app for our vacation in May.  It has some nice planning features, such as making reservations on the go (handy when you've had enough of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area and need to make sure you have a table waiting at Mama Melrose.  Oh, wait. maybe that's just me.) 

I listen off and on to a bunch of Disney podcasts but before a trip, I'll tend to catch up on WDW Today.

We have a Links tab here on Growing Up Disney, where we keep track of our favorite sites and blogs, podcasts, books, radio stations, and vendors.  It's handy for quick access to additional resources.  I know I am not really supposed to include them in my list for this article but my Blogorail pals and our own Minnie Moms are awesome for reviews, tips, ideas, and magical stories.


Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ A World View

2nd Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

3rd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

4th Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

Final Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

Magical Blogorail: First-Timer Planning Tips

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Red. Enjoy the ride as we share our tips for planning your first Disney vacation.

A good friend of mine is planning a very special Walt Disney World vacation for this fall and has asked me for help.  Technically she has visited WDW once but since it has been about 30 years, we're considering her as a first-timer.  On this vacation, Ann will be traveling with her husband, their daughter who will be almost 4, and Ann's retired parents. They are all looking forward to seeing the little one take in the magic and Grandpa really wants to spoil his grandbaby.

You have to admit the volume of information available about Disney World is daunting. The options are nearly endless and a first-timer could quickly get overwhelmed with the research project required for a Disney vacation. I've tried not to bombard my friend with tons of information as she begins the process but rather break it down into smaller tasks.  Here are the first few things to consider as a first time Walt Disney World guest-to-be.  I'll write additional posts on this topic as I help her plan for the big trip.

The first step is to select travel dates. They were originally considering September, wanting lower crowds with weather still warm enough to enjoy some pool time.  Ann and her husband had not heard about the Food and Wine Festival but of course, it peeked their interest.  They were at our house for dinner, asking tons of Disney questions, when F&W came up.  Looks now like they'll visit in late September or early October, depending on which works best with school.  I reviewed Touring Plan's crowd calendar for my friend and that time of year is fabulous.  I also suggest checking the calendar at All Ears to see if there are any special events, conventions, tournaments, etc that a guest would either like to see or avoid.

Step two is to choose a Disney resort hotel.  There are some really good off-property options but you just can't beat the magic 'bubble' that staying on Disney property provides.  Especially for infrequent guests, the special touches, theming, and terrific Cast Members of a Disney resort hotel are really worth spending a little more.  Ann and her family are really interested in being very close to the Magic Kingdom and will likely book a room at the Grand Floridian.  Ann first let me know they were starting to plan via a text message.  She asked if I had heard of the Grand Floridian.  I told her I loved to visit there but I wouldn't personally pay the "Grand" prices and suggested Port Orleans Riverside.  What I didn't know was her father had already made up his mind that they were staying at the Grand and it was pretty much a done deal.  My husband and I had a suite there for our wedding night and it was beautiful.

If you are deciding where to stay for your first Walt Disney World vacation, know that Disney offers a wide variety of accommodations.  The prices vary widely from the cheapest value resort to the most expensive deluxe suite.  Once you've decided your budget for the vacation, you still have options within a category.  Be sure to browse Disney's site and check out the theming and amenities of a resort. For instance, a larger family might consider the Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort or a Family Suite at the new Disney's Art of Animation Resort.  Both sleep 6 and are about the same price but the experiences would be very different, as Fort Wilderness is rustic and AoA is as colorful as it gets.  That's one thing I love about Disney...something for everyone!

For a value resort, I've stayed at All Star Music twice.  Once in a standard room and once in a family suite.  It's not exciting but ASM has all the perks of being on property.  Pop Century is a very popular value resort in the Disney online community.  The newest resort is Art of Animation and I'm surprising the girls with a few days in a Little Mermaid room at the end of our fall trip.  They will love the theming and the gigantic pool.

The favorite moderate resort of the Growing Up Disney family and a fair number of our team is Port Orleans with most of us leaning toward Riverside.  This resort is divided into two sections, French Quarter and Riverside.  French Quarter is themed exactly like it sounds.  It's smaller and has a good cajun/creole food court.  Riverside has a more bayou feel, a little more space to wander, and a table service restaurant as well as a food court.  I don't think you can go wrong staying anywhere in this resort.

My favorite Disney deluxe resort hotel is the Polynesian.  I've stayed at all three of the monorail resorts and the Polynesian would be my choice for my family.  However, we are a Disney Vacation Club family and almost always book at Old Key West.  It's a lovely relaxed resort with huge villas and many of the comforts of home with full kitchens and washers/dryers.

Step three is contact a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner to reserve a room and purchase park tickets.  We use Travel with the Magic and they don't pay me to say that.  Yes, you can book on your own online or by phone but when you can get the help of a Disney expert for free, why not?  Your travel agent can check the latest deals for you and advise on ways to maximize your travel dollar.  They'll also watch for future offers to see if you could save more.  The current ticket pricing structure offers a myriad of options (park hopping, no expiration, water parks, etc.) and sometimes it's a good deal to purchase an annual pass for one member of your party in order to get annual passholder room discounts.  Back to my previous advice, let your travel agent run the numbers for you.

Step four TAKE A DEEP BREATH.  Again, it's easy to get in over your head in research so if you've wandered off into exactly how rider swap works at this point, walk away from the computer for a few.  You'll have time later to learn those things.

Step five is to make dining reservations.  Popular Walt Disney World restaurants book up far in advance.  This is the biggest surprise for pretty much everyone who has ever asked me for advice on a first-time vacation.  People just can't believe that they need to book a table six months before they'd like to dine with Cinderella or in Beast's Castle.  So if you are planning around the six month mark or less and are interested in the quintessential Disney dining locations, you need to get on the dining reservations fairly quickly.  If you are at around the one year mark when you read this...see step four.

Keep in mind that there are many options with Disney dining, just like with resort hotels.  If you have your heart set on having dinner with your favorite princess and it's booked throughout your vacation, try another similar restaurant.  I have two little girls and they will love Cinderella's Royal Table someday.  We don't tend to book far in advance and I'd like to save their first meal in the castle until they are a bit older.  However, we had a FABULOUS time at the Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus in Epcot's Norway Pavilion.  Hands down my favorite dining experience in ages and it's less expensive than Cindy's and a little easier to book.  You can always take a shot at last minute reservations for popular restaurants.  We managed to get a late breakfast a couple of hours in advance for Akershus.

We here at Growing Up Disney (and my blogorail pals) have shared many restaurant reviews and photos over the years.  When I am planning my own dining reservations, I always look at the menus at All Ears or the official Disney site.

Disney has a wide variety of dining options, from the character meals mentioned above to the exquisite five diamond/four star Victoria and Albert's to world cuisine to the casual cafe.  Check out our trip planning tab above for articles on the favorite restaurants of our family and guest contributors.  Our team of Minnie Moms has discussed our lists of best and worst restaurants for children.

Making reservations is simple.  Either send your list to your travel agent or book online with Disney or call 407-WDW-DINE.

Ok.  That's enough tasks to get you started on planning your first Walt Disney World vacation.  I'll be back later with more tips and you can always peruse our site for yourself in the meantime.  

Happy planning! 
~Amy

Be sure to check out our First Timer Class series.


Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

2nd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

3rd Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

4th Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

Final Stop ~ A World View

Trip Prep: One Week Out

We are down to one week before our next Walt Disney World vacation.  We have been busy this week getting ready for this trip, having the kitchen painted, and enjoying a visit from my husband's parents.  Here's what I accomplished toward our trip during this past week.

• Bought clothes for me
• Made list of items to go in park bag(s)
• Used diaper/camera bag to test it out and condense as much as possible
• Worked on park schedule a bit, deciding to cancel breakfast ADR at Hollywood and Vine
• Started packing the girls' clothes
• Started watching weather forecasts 
• Looked for more disposable bibs and decided against them. Don't think Minnie will leave them on. Will carry my JJ Cole snap bib. 

Minnie sporting our favorite bib

Magical Blogorail: Best Uses of Disney Dining Plan Snack Credits

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.

Today my Magical Blogorail Red buddies and I are discussing our favorite uses for Disney Dining Plan Snack Credits.

1. Food & Wine Festival or Flower & Garden Festival Marketplaces

Many of the food items available at these Epcot special events can be purchased with snack credits.  Just check the menu boards for the ubiquitous purple DDP logo.  This can be a great way to make the most of your snack credits as some of the festival foods can get pricey.  Make sure to schedule your table service meals so that you have some stomach space available.  We don't normally make any dining reservations on the same day that we would like to 'eat around the world.'

2. Bakeries, ice cream shops

Don't assume that you must use your credits at the various carts around property.  You can also pop into a bakery for a morning "snack" of pastry, enjoy one of the freshly made ice cream cookie sandwiches, or the oh-so-magical carrot cake cookies.  That said, one can never go wrong with a Mickey ice cream bar.

3. Treats to go

If you get to the end of your vacation and still have snack credits on the table, pick up a few of the prepackaged treats at your resort's gift shop to take home.  Extending the magic with some character shape cookies will bring smiles to both the kids and the vacation planner in your family.  Just check the tags in the store for the DDP logo.  (This same tip works for quick service credits.  If you have a credit left on your departure day, consider getting lunch to go.  Prepackaged, refrigerated sandwiches from resort food courts make a good lunch while you are killing time at the airport.)

Our travel party from Fall 2006

As Disney Vacation Club members, we don't get "free dining" however we did purchase the plan twice, once each in 2006 and 2007.  It was new at the time and really a bargain.  We got one table service meal per day with appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage with gratuity included.  The daily quick service meal was entree/combo, dessert and beverage.  One snack credit per day was a part of the plan. It was a convenient plan since there were extra friends or family traveling with us.  There was no squabbling over the check at dinner; my dad would give the server his Key to the World card and all was well.  Of course, Ridge and my husband tried to see how much they could "spend" at every meal.  I'd blame them that the dining plan is no longer a great deal.  While it was fun, the Disney Dining Plan does not match how we would eat if paying directly out of pocket and is no longer a good idea for us.  We prefer Tables in Wonderland.

Do you prefer to use one of the Disney Dining Plans or pay as you go? What is your favorite DDP snack option?  Please leave a comment below.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

2nd Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

3rd Stop ~ A World View

4th Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

Final Stop ~ My Dreams Of Disney

Spring Fever or No WDW Reservations!

Spring Fever or No WDW Reservations!

Cinderella Castle - One of my favorites sights at WDW

OK… we are getting close to the end of winter.  Spring will begin soon and spring fever will begin to set in.  For me it has started already. 

Today is March 1^st and I don’t have any reservations for a trip to Walt Disney World!

In January, Amy went to Walt Disney World with her girlfriend from college, Amy, and daughters, Tink and Minnie.  It was the first time my granddaughters had been to Walt Disney World without me.  I sat at home reading emails, seeing her posts to Facebook (link to FB here) and to here at Growing Up Disney, just as many of you did.  IT WAS HORRIBLE!  They were at Walt Disney World and I was at home! (See Amy's January Girls Trip report under the Trip Planning tab)

Looking towards Olivia's at OKW

As I sit writing this, I do not have any reservations to go to Walt Disney World and don’t know when I’ll be going back.  I am very busy at work this year and dreaming of the time I can retire when trips will be easier to plan.  I’ve been talking to my wife about a trip in December for our 40^th wedding anniversary, but have not made any reservations.  We went to Walt Disney World on our Honeymoon in 1973. (See The Family Behind the Blog tab for an almost 40 year old picture from our honeymoon).  I had talked to her about going on the Disney Vacation Club Members Cruise on the Disney Cruise Line in September to celebrate our anniversary but she did not want to spend that much money on a trip.  Since Amy and her family live a few states away, if her family is not going with us to Walt Disney World, I rather vacation at her house to visit with the granddaughters. (Thank goodness for FaceTime so I get to see them occasionally).


Tink and Minnie at OKW resort before a day at the Parks

So I sit here with my spring fever getting worse, thinking about our next trip, yet to be planned.  My wife asked me last week where I’d like to go for dinner.  I answered, “Olivia’s” and she surprise me by saying, “Me too!”  Of course, Olivia’s is the restaurant at Disney’s Old Key West Resort and is pretty much my stock answer to where I’d like to go for dinner.  There are better restaurants at Walt Disney World than Olivia’s, but it is the restaurant at my Home-away-from-Home at Walt Disney World for the past 20 years and I enjoy eating there. 

And besides, if I can eat at Olivia’s it means I am at Walt Disney World!

Disney's Old Key West Resort --- like the sign says :-)

December is a long way off, and it may take till then before I go back.  There may have been an occasional year over the past 20 years since we became Disney Vacation Club Members that we have not been at least once… but not very many.  And I do have Amy and Ridge who would love to use our Vacation Club Points for a stay if they can (both of them are listed as owners on our DVC deeds).  Ridge has a reservation for May for Star Wars weekend.  Amy currently does not have any reservations as this year is busy for her too. 

And I sit here dreaming of when I will be back.

--DisneyDad

Tink at Animal Kingdom

 Do you have reservation?  When is your next trip?  When is your favorite time to visit Walt Disney World?  Have you seen New Fantasyland? 

I’d love to hear about your trip plans. - DisneyDad

I Love EPCOT!



Entrance to New Fantasyland at The Magic Kingdom

 

Minnie Moms: Favorite Character Dining: Akershus

Today I have the honor of completing our Minnie Moms series on our favorite character dining at Walt Disney World. Please also take a look at the previous posts while you are visiting us. ~Amy

In the trip report for my girls only vacation last month, I began to tell you about our visit to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall but stopped short so I could devote an entire post to it.  And here it is.

To review, we had been looking forward to breakfast with the princesses more than anything on this vacation.  I was at Walt Disney World with my two young daughters and my best friend from college.  Nothing went according to plan since my oldest daughter had a stomach bug bad enough to land us in the Celebration Health ER.  I had cancelled our 9:30 a.m. reservation but when Tink felt better that morning, I called Disney Dining and they found a spot for us at 11:00.  A little pixie dust if we ever needed it.  We arrived at Akershus few minutes early per the standard instructions and were almost immediately escorted inside.

Tink was thrilled to meet Belle and ran over for a hug.  Minnie was a little more apprehensive even though she loves Belle at any other time.  This meal is pricey ($40+ adult, $25+ child) but a photo package is included in the cost.  We chose to have our whole group in the photo as a special souvenir but I could have opted for it to be just the little girls.  The photo package was delivered to our table during the meal.  It consisted of one 8x10 and four 4x6, all of one pose, and was presented in a lovely folder.  For larger parties, you get more poses and photos. Basically one set per four guests but I am not sure if children under three would count in that total since you don't pay for them here.  Minnie ate for free!  There is a PhotoPass code on the pictures so you can add them to your account if you'd like.

Confession time.  I actually did a happy dance in the restaurant when I realized they were still serving breakfast.  I had thought we were there for lunch.  My girls eat breakfast foods far better than anything I had seen on the lunch menu.  And as a bonus, the place was nearly empty during the switchover period.  Score!

The food at Akershus during breakfast is pretty standard but the great thing is that most of it is brought to your table family-style.  The hot food (eggs, bacon, sausage, and potato casserole) was served on a big platter and we could have requested more of any of it.  Mickey waffles are available but you have to ask for them and of course, we did.  The buffet is for the cold items and offered a nice selection of fruit, yogurt, granola, cheese, etc.  There were also several smoked or pickled fishes, several flavors of cream cheese and bagels.  We all ate plenty.  My youngest was 19 months old and seemed to care more about her Mickey waffles than she did about the princesses.  

Ah, yes, the princesses.  That's really why you dine here.  No disrespect to the lovely Norwegian Cast Members but we were here for royalty.  Belle stays in her meet and greet area at the front of the restaurant but the other princesses visit you at your table.  They were all understanding when I wanted to take a moment to pull Minnie's high chair away from the table for photos.  I hate seeing dirty dishes in my pictures.  No specific list of characters is guaranteed to appear but we met Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella (!) and Aurora.  All of them took time to chat with the girls.  When it was time for the Princess Processional, Aurora came back to our table.  Tink happily pranced around the dining room with her but Minnie wanted to stay put with us.  And since they don't want you following your child during the parade, that was really for the best.

We used a Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount.  For those on the Disney Dining Plan, this experience is one credit versus the two required to dine at Cinderella's Royal Table.  

Overall, we were thrilled with our experience here.  Quick seating, good food, and time with our favorite princesses; what's not to love!

The rest of our Minnie Moms shared their favorite Disney character dining earlier this week.  Did your top pick make the list? What is on your "must-do's"?

Minnie Moms: Favorite Character Dining: Hollywood & Vine, Chef Mickey's and Hoop-Dee-Doo

Thank you for joining us for the next installment of the Minnie Moms' look at our favorite character dining experiences. 

Janine: We've only done 2 meals so far - Play n Dine at Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club. Both were all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets. Play n Dine was with Disney Junior characters, at the time they were Jake, Oso, Handy Manny and June from the Little Enstiens. Cape May was Minnie, Donald and Goofy in their swim gear. We really enjoyed them both. Personally, both hubby and I preferred Cape May. The Beach Club is exquisite and we loved eating there. It was clean, luxurious, the buffet was delicious and the characters were fab. Tink loved it too, but she definitely favoured Hollywood and Vine. Being a confident 2 and a half year old though, it was just what the Doc ordered, singing, dancing, a real easy going atmosphere with the characters really making a fuss of the kids.

The food was pretty similar, again Tink preferred Play n Dine and ate more (she liked the scrambled eggs and yoghurts) but we all ate well at Cape May too. And thankfully there were Mickey waffles at both :)

For next time we are hoping to do Tusker House with Donald and Cinderella's Royal Table. Very excited already!!!

Kelly: My family dined at Chef Mickey’s for dinner back in 2006 and had a wonderful time. I do not love Chef Mickey’s for breakfast because my boys are not big breakfast eaters and I feel it’s not a good value of a table service credit on the Disney Dining plan. That is a debate for another time though. I find the dinner to have good quality food and it offers a chance to see the Fab Five all together. My sons are now 13 years old and 8 years old so Chef Mickey’s is no longer on the “must do” Disney Dining list. I remember this dinner fondly though as kids were eating up the food aka ice cream sundae bar and the atmosphere. The characters, the singing, and the napkin twirling were all too much and they loved all of it. We did dine there several more times over the years but this is the meal that stands out to me and I have some wonderful photos of that evening.

Natalie: If you have never seen this show, you really need to invest the cash to do so! I will admit that I am always looking to save money so I waited to see this show when I had free dining. The show is located at the Fort Wilderness Campground and it can take up to 1.5 hours to get to the dining location so be sure to plan accordingly!

For my first show, I went with my mother and three-year old son. We had a table that was located on the bottom floor in the back of the hall. The seating was pretty good. We had a wonderful server that was both attentive and entertaining. He was even able to sweet-talk my son into sitting in his seat the ENTIRE show. (I say sweet-talk. He told him that he would glue him to the seat if he didn't sit there the entire time. At first, I was a bit flabbergasted at his words. But then when his words worked, I thought he was brilliant! An entire meal without me pleading for him to stay seated!)

The show was interactive, entertaining and catchy. I found myself attempting to sing along, but rather looking the fool because I didn't know the words ;) The food was excellent! I had read the menu before coming and was not overly impressed. But somehow they make "cowboy beans" or country-style baked beans that enter my dreams since seeing the show! Bring me more beans, bring me more beans... All of the food is all you can eat so loosen that belt!

I have since been to this particular show 5 to 6 times. Of those times, I have had someone in my party get onstage half of those! So, know, you may just get called up onstage to help out with the hilarious performance! You may ask why someone would see a dinner show that many times. Well, it is loads of fun and something you will want to experience with others.

So, go ahead and get your dinner to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue booked for your next Disney vacation! I bet you too make it a Disney vacation tradition!

Janine of Growing Up Disney and Meet the Magic, Kelly of Travel with the Magic, and Natalie of Meet the Magic, thank you for these terrific stories!  Readers, please visit our Minnie Moms page to learn more about these ladies and to read our past articles about all things Walt Disney World.