Tips about Disney Dining Plan and Planning

We found out during our visit (8/26 – 9/3) that snack credits could also be used for the "trail mix" types of snacks (in hotel gift shops and park candy shops) even though they were often over the $4.00 "limit" (some were $4.25 - $4.50). These are great for in-room and trip-home munching! - Connie Leonick

If you have any snack credits left on your Disney Dining Plan at the end of your stay, a good way to use them is to go to your resort gift shop. They usually stock boxes of cookies from "Minnie's Bake Shop." You can get any box of her cookies as long as they are under four dollars. They have many choices and the cookies are delicious. We had seven credits left and bought seven boxes of these cookies. We felt they were so nice we gave them out as souvenirs to our friends at home. - YensidRocks

One way my mom and I got ready for our trip to Disney World was to make a list of every animated Disney movie (in order of when each came out) and watch a movie a day until the trip! It helps you remember the magic of the movies while you get ready to experience the magic of the parks! - Chelsea

This year I bought the travel BINGO cards at a store before we left for Disney World. I gave each of my children a card when we got in the car. The first round of BINGO was postage stamp, the next round was horizontal, etc. Each time one of the kids won, they would receive a Disney Dollar. The final round was a $10 Disney Dollar. Of course, no one wants to leave Disney World, so on the way home they played BINGO again. This time, while we were there, I had picked up a few pins, pens, an ornament, keychains, and a cup for the prizes. The grand prize was another $10 Disney Dollar to save for the next trip. - K. Watson

This year I bought the travel BINGO cards at a store before we left for Disney World. I gave each of my children a card when we got in the car. The first round of BINGO was postage stamp, the next round was horizontal, etc. Each time one of the kids won, they would receive a Disney Dollar. The final round was a $10 Disney Dollar. Of course, no one wants to leave Disney World, so on the way home they played BINGO again. This time, while we were there, I had picked up a few pins, pens, an ornament, keychains, and a cup for the prizes. The grand prize was another $10 Disney Dollar to save for the next trip. - K. Watson

My family and I were on the dining plan during our trip and we found that some days we had so much food for lunch that we didn't need the extra snack in the afternoon. However, we were spending $4.00 per day to buy milk in the morning at our resort (two pint-sized bottles). We didn't find out until our fourth day that we could have used the snack coupons for milk. We would get them the night before and put them in our ice chest for the next morning. Most places give you the pint-sized bottles, which was enough for our family of five because my husband only drinks coffee. All of the places we got the milk from had white or chocolate and some even had strawberry milk. We found this to be the best use of some of our snack coupons. - Angela B.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Disney has been updating its menus to make it easier to identify which items are eligible for the "snack" option of the Magic Your Way Dining Plan. Look for the purple and white DP rectangle designating eligible items.

1. We planned to eat at a Swan and Dolphin restaurant for dinner and were surprised at the $9 parking fee. However, a couple of the restaurants will validate the ticket so parking was free. So be sure to get your ticket validated.

2. Think about whether adding the Dining Plan to your package is really right for you. Yes, it's a great deal. However, we found for the table service restaurants where the two of us could get two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts, that that was really too much food for us. Had we not been on the Dining Plan we probably would have only ordered one appetizer and two entrees (and maybe a dessert). We may have saved money and we certainly would have saved calories.

3. The Dining Plan is still very confusing. I would recommend you always ask the Cast Member at the register what counts and what doesn't. At the Pepper Market in Coronado Springs, a bakery item didn't count as "Dessert," but other places it did. The cast members will also sometimes help you -- like the dinner at Pepper Market where we had three entrees and a fruit bowl (which doesn't count on the dining plan), but no desserts. The cast member said she would ring up my fruit bowl as three cookies instead so we didn't have to pay for that. - Michele Buchecker

Flying the red-eye from Las Vegas to Orlando (three-hour time difference) on the first day of your vacation, after exhausting months of work earning this vacation, guarantees that when the excitement wears off you will hit the wall hard! I love the researching and planning and getting the most for my time and money, but stop! Think! After three eight-day vacations, I've learned that the best time I ever had was when I didn't hit the parks on the first day, but instead went to a water park for some exercise and sunshine (to reset my clock), then to World of Disney in Disney Srpings to get my pin collecting/souvenir shopping out of the way (check for discount deals from Disney Visa), then to an early seating at 'Ohana at the Polynesian. Trust me, a slow start will give you tons more energy over the next few days. - Leslie Seibert

Disney's Hollywood Studios - You are now allowed to use the Magic Your Way Dining Plan to purchase the Fantasmic Dining Package. - Heather Stevens

EDITOR'S NOTE: We've confirmed that as of September 2, 2005 this is true. Hollywood & Vine and Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano both count as one Table Service meal for the Dining Plan, while the Brown Derby counts as a Signature experience, or two Table Service meals. When you call to make a reservation, your credit card number will be taken but the charge won't be put through (unless you are a no-show, or do not cancel at least 48 hours before your dining date). You will pay with your Magic Your Way Dining Plan when you dine, just as you would for any meal.

http://allears.net/din/fantdin1.htm

If you are an American Automobile Association (AAA) member, be sure to tell Disney when booking reservations. We just saved $100 per night at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! You must specifically ask the Disney employee on the phone though. They never volunteer money-saving opportunities like this one! - Amy

For those Disney visitors who live in Florida, unless you specifically ask for a Florida residency discount when making reservations, they don't offer it. Case in point: when calling to make my reservation at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I told the Cast Member that I was a Florida resident, and she quoted me the same rate as it was online. Only when I asked about a discount for Florida residents did she quote a rate substantially lower. I asked her why she didn't quote the lowest rate from the start and she informed me that it's Disney policy not to "assume" that because you mention being a Florida resident that you are asking for a discount. - Bill

A really helpful site to visit when considering Priceline is biddingfortravel.com. Scroll down to Florida -- Orlando/Walt Disney World and see what bids others are winning. It's helpful to know prices that others got and on what dates, what hotels are in the different zones, and to read reviews from other travelers about the hotels that Priceline offers. - Christina

Regarding your tips on priceline.com, here is a tip for those who don't live in or fly out of major cities. (Example: my husband and I live 2 1/2 hours south of Chicago, but usually fly out of O'Hare going to Orlando.) We tend to take early flights before 10 a.m. Allowing for the two hours they recommend to be there before your flight plus driving time, it makes for an early morning departure. For a great way to save some morning hours, stay the night before near the airport. We have gotten rooms near O'Hare for as little as $40 a night (in a 3 star hotel) via Priceline, and it has saved us from being too tired the next day! - Sara

I have a file called WDW tips that I use to copy and paste any of the news bites and tips that I read on AllEars(R).Net or elsewhere. Now I won't forget anything when I plan my next trip to WDW. ALL EARS.net has the greatest tips and ideas. You don't want to forget any of them! - Diane Taylor

We have found it very difficult in the past to manage maps, stroller, our other child and all the gear that goes with them. To maximize space, we trimmed the park maps from the PassPorter Walt Disney World guidebook and had them laminated in an 8x10 sheet. We then placed velcro dots on the map and the canopy of the stroller. The night before, my husband and I would circle the attractions we really wanted to get to, including Fastpass information, and write our Priority Seating number and any other info we might need during the day. Our map was always available and in plain sight. We had many folks tell us what a great idea this was. A few Cast Members were even surprised to see how accurate and up-to-date the PassPorter's maps were. - Melissa Pagel