Tips about Disney World Dining, Food & Beverage, Magic Kingdom and Planning

ALL PARKS - Just a reminder to check when counter service restaurants close. We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios three weeks ago, counting on eating our meal at one of the counter service restaurants. All were closed by 8:15, except for the one closest to Fantasmic, so we had to eat at Mama Melrose's and pay $150. It was a lovely meal, but we were on the dining plan and had carefully planned when to use our dining credits. - Ellen

ALL PARKS - Just a reminder to check when counter service restaurants close. We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios three weeks ago, counting on eating our meal at one of the counter service restaurants. All were closed by 8:15, except for the one closest to Fantasmic, so we had to eat at Mama Melrose's and pay $150. It was a lovely meal, but we were on the dining plan and had carefully planned when to use our dining credits. - Ellen

ALL PARKS - Just a reminder to check when counter service restaurants close. We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios three weeks ago, counting on eating our meal at one of the counter service restaurants. All were closed by 8:15, except for the one closest to Fantasmic, so we had to eat at Mama Melrose's and pay $150. It was a lovely meal, but we were on the dining plan and had carefully planned when to use our dining credits. - Ellen

Our friends at ALL STAR Vacation Homes send in these tips to remember when booking a vacation home:

-- Verify that the vacation rental services and facilities are reliable. Look for third-party endorsements on vacation rental websites and membership in industry associations, including AAA, Better Business Bureau, Vacation Rental Managers Association, local conventions and visitors bureaus or other tourism and vacation rental management groups. It is also helpful to read guest reviews, comments and testimonials and listings on guest review websites.

-- Review the terms and conditions of the rental agreement carefully. If you have any questions, be sure to inquire prior to reserving a home.

-- Only make reservations over a secure website or phone system that has the ability to accept major credit cards. You should expect to make a security or a reservation deposit.

-- Consider and inquire about travel insurance. Many professional management companies offer travel insurance to provide coverage should any unexpected or last minute emergencies cause a change to your travel plans.

-- Check for guest service contact. The vacation rental company should provide an emergency contact number that you can call at any time for maintenance issues, questions and guest services.

-- Choose a vacation home managed by a professional management company. Vacation rentals managed by a professional management company ensure quality and consistency, and present a variety of hospitality services, including professional cleaning and concierge services. Look for an "About Us" section on the vacation rental website for an established company history.

Tea drinkers -- I have also brought iced tea mix and made it before we left for the water parks. I filled the container with ice and the mix and some water. If I left it in the locker, in the afternoon when we were leaving it would be very cold and still sometimes had ice left in it. You have custom-made iced tea and it's much cheaper than buying drinks. - Teri D.

Being a tea rather than coffee drinker, I want to fix my beverage of choice in the room. On my last trip I packed a ceramic mug from the local dollar store filled with my favorite tea bags. I could put the mug in place of the coffee pot, remove the interior of the brew basket, and run the hot water through without getting "coffee tea", a brew that many tea drinkers are familiar with. At the end of my trip, I just left the mug in the room, and had a bit more room for souvenirs. - Grandeb

Do you want real coffee on your trip? Sick of Nescafe? Can you find hot water at your resort? Bring Starbucks Via instant coffee (or your favorite instant coffee packets)! It's delicious, and it's small enough to carry in your pocket in case you want it while you're at a park. - Dani Maz

EDITOR'S NOTE: And if you don't carry instant coffee with you, refer to the AllEars.Net list of places you can find fresh brewed coffee around Walt Disney World: http://allears.net/din/coffee.htm

For those interested in low-carb dining -- There is a great fruit and cheese plate at Sunshine Seasons at the Land in Epcot -- less than $6 for a good amount of food. These disappear fast so grab one early for lunch. - Sue McGill

A great way to psych yourself up for an upcoming trip to the World is to save your AllEars® newsletters for later reading. I've spent the last few weeks "catching up" on the latest Disney news in preparation for our upcoming trip. They help keep the Magic alive in the meantime, and are invaluable in terms of tips and information before you go! I, for one, can never get enough Disney information, and being able to read my newsletters one after the other is a wonderful treat when it feels like the Disney countdown isn't moving fast enough! - Karen P. Jordan

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, Karen, both for the positive feedback, and for giving us a chance to shamelessly promote AllEars®!

Here's a tip for UK guests -- If you need to phone Disney to make reservations (restaurants, dessert parties, etc.), try phoning the US telephone number direct using Skype, as this is much cheaper than landline or mobile calls to USA. - Nicky

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is actually a good tip for US vacationers, too. If you use Skype or some other VOIP (voice over internet protocol) service, you can avoid a lot of long-distance charges.

I LOVE your YouTube videos. I watch them a lot -- especially when I am missing Disney World, and want to go right now! I'm not sure how many of your readers know that you have this channel on youtube. But I think it'd be a great "tip" or comment to make! I love your website and appreciate all the work you put into it. We go to Disney every year, and this site is my first site for planning, and for just keeping in touch with my favorite place in the world! - Melissa

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks for giving us a chance to plug our YouTube.com channel here, Melissa! You can see all of AllEars.Net's videos, covering a wide array of Disney subjects, at: http://www.youtube.com/allearsnet

I just used the online dining reservations for our trip in July. There will be six of us and an infant. You have to include an infant in the number of guests for every meal. I called to confirm this and was told that was correct. Thanks for the great website! I do all my research for my trips here! - Alana DeFazio

Epcot - I just wanted to let you know there is now an additional place to get kosher food in Epcot. It is at the Electric Umbrella restaurant in Future World. This is helpful, because if you need the kosher food, you don't have to go all the way to the American Adventure's Liberty Inn in World Showcase. - Michael Lorch

Epcot - I just wanted to let you know there is now an additional place to get kosher food in Epcot. It is at the Electric Umbrella restaurant in Future World. This is helpful, because if you need the kosher food, you don't have to go all the way to the American Adventure's Liberty Inn in World Showcase. - Michael Lorch

ALL PARKS - You know how everyone always asks for the front on Space Mountain and Expedition Everest? Ride in the back for a fun time! On Space Mountain, you feel every little drop, it jerks you around a little more and the ride feels longer. As for Everest, the backward part feels more dramatic, and the drop whips the back end of the train up and feels way longer. First-timers, ride in the front. But once you're familiar with these mountains, ask for the back -- you're in for a wild ride! - Chloe Ferreira