Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage and Magic Kingdom

Early entry/rope drop for Frozen or Remy's is nice but be aware that the rest of World Showcase doesn't open until later morning. So plan that you will need to go to the front of the park for things to do until later morning. I had planned to tour the pavilions & gift shops but very few were open until later and by that time it was raining.

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I recently returned from Walt Disney World and was at Animal Kingdom on a very hot and busy Saturday at lunchtime. I kept finding long lines of people standing in the sun waiting to place orders. Not wanting to wait in one of these lines, I decided to try Mobile Ordering. It was beyond easy and I am not savvy with electronics. If you ever made reservations on My Disney Experience then they have your credit card on file. The menus are easy to see, but what was even better was I placed my order and a few minutes later I walked into Satu'li Canteen and got my order in two minutes -- no waiting in a long line and blaring sun. I am sold on this now. - Bonnie L.
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Use your leftover dining plan snack credits to buy gifts for friends at home! Goofy's Candy bags are often one snack credit. Same goes for candy apples and rice krispie treats! - Kristy
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're flying, though, keep in mind that TSA at the Orlando airport may ask you to take out all food items from your carry-on bags for examination when you pass through the security line.
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Make sure you tip your servers for good service in the restaurants! Even if you are from a country that doesn't use a tipping system, you should tip here. The tip is NOT built into the price of the food. There is nothing more frustrating for a server than to give good service, see that the guests enjoy the food and service, and then not get a tip! - Joanne C.
6 Users found this helpful.
My niece reserved breakfast at Tusker House for 10:45 a.m. She realized that we could take advantage of early FastPasses and have more available later, PLUS breakfast starts to turn into lunch a little after 11 a.m. so we had the best of all worlds. - Helen F.
My niece made a breakfast reservation at Askerhus in Norway for 9:15 a.m. We were sent to a special queue to check in and entered before the park opened at 9. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told we could go on the Frozen ride before everyone else got there. It was fantastic! - Helen Friedlander
3 Users found this helpful.
My niece made a breakfast reservation at Askerhus in Norway for 9:15 a.m. We were sent to a special queue to check in and entered before the park opened at 9. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told we could go on the Frozen ride before everyone else got there. It was fantastic! - Helen Friedlander
3 Users found this helpful.
Save yourself and others time going through park security by bringing in a drawstring backpack instead of a backpack with multiple zippers. Security tends to look into every zipped compartment, including things like zipped camera bags, sunglasses cases and cosmetic bags within the backpack or purse. Use clear, zipper-top bags for storing smaller items. - Sarah Zwickey
3 Users found this helpful.
I use an ECV to get around the parks. Several years ago I rode Toy Story Midway Mania [at Disney's Hollywood Studios] and was given a car with a push-button cannon. It made a world of difference as I am spastic and cannot pull the string fast enough to ever score very well. When they built the addition to the ride, they started routing me to the new "regular" load platform since I can walk a bit, but it only had regular cannons and the ride lost its magic. On my most recent visits I asked if they still had the push-button cannons, and lo and behold they sent me to the "old" handicapped load platform. It was such a wonderful experience, and shout out to cast member Melissa -- she let me ride twice because it wasn't crowded. In fact when I went back two months later, she recognized me and said hello. It made both trips absolutely magical for me. So if you are handicapped and can't pull the string, ask the ride attendant for the button car. There is only one car with the buttons so I'm adding to my future wait time, but it makes the ride so much more enjoyable! - Melissa Henderson
The Savor the Savanna experience at Animal Kingdom has undergone a food change recently. It was very different from the tin camp cans with a few bites of food. Now, it is set up as a sort of appetizer buffet. They said that the change came about to make it more like a cocktail party and less camp-like, like they do for the Wild Africa Trek tour. The offerings still include the spicy nut mix, and now there is also a selection of cheeses. We had a cheddar and goat cheese with grapes and strawberries. There are also fig cakes, pita, fennel and garlic hummus, cilantro lime shrimp, teriyaki beef jerky, prosciutto, edamame, and roasted cauliflower. For dessert, the offerings included a non-dairy brownie (which was more like a bite-size cookie), a strawberry cookie, an "African version" s'more with meringue and ganache, and another bite-size, bar-type cookie/treat. We found this set-up a bit more enjoyable. - Kelly Adams
1 User found this helpful.
At the risk of sounding like a cheap old crank, I would just like to encourage you to consider getting enough groceries to eat breakfast in your room. This is easy with a car, and quite possible otherwise. (We have had good experiences with Garden Grocer delivery.) Whether you save a lot of money depends on a number of variables, but more importantly, you save time -- and time IS money, especially at Disney World! Instead of lining up at the food court, family members can take turns showering/dressing and eating in the room (or out on your balcony or by a nearby garden or pool), and you'll have more time to make the rope drop to utilize those precious less-busy early morning hours in the parks. In addition, eating some healthy, familiar food to start off the day can help ward off unpleasant travel-related GI-upset episodes. It also is a convenience to have your own snacks and beverages handy at the end of a long day instead of hiking back to the food court. You still will have plenty of opportunities to experience Disney dining for lunch and dinner, at places of your choosing. - Theresa A.
4 Users found this helpful.
My tip for any park, in regard to parking, is to take a photo of the parking row (ex. Goofy 12) so that you don't forget where you are. As a bonus you'll have a unique photo collection when you get home. I had all of my parking row photos printed out and put in a collage. - Jacquie Peskett
My tip for any park, in regard to parking, is to take a photo of the parking row (ex. Goofy 12) so that you don't forget where you are. As a bonus you'll have a unique photo collection when you get home. I had all of my parking row photos printed out and put in a collage. - Jacquie Peskett
My tip for any park, in regard to parking, is to take a photo of the parking row (ex. Goofy 12) so that you don't forget where you are. As a bonus you'll have a unique photo collection when you get home. I had all of my parking row photos printed out and put in a collage. - Jacquie Peskett
My tip for any park, in regard to parking, is to take a photo of the parking row (ex. Goofy 12) so that you don't forget where you are. As a bonus you'll have a unique photo collection when you get home. I had all of my parking row photos printed out and put in a collage. - Jacquie Peskett
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