Art of Animation Opening Dates

Today Disney announced the opening dates for their newest Walt Disney World resort, the Art of Animation Resort. The resort will open in phases according to this schedule:

Finding Nemo - May 31, 2012
Cars - June 18, 2012
Lion King - August 10,2012
Little Mermaid - September 15,2012

Though we have been able to book the Finding Nemo suites for some time now, we will be able to book all the rooms beginning tomorrow, March 23, 2012.

I'm really excited about this resort and can't wait to stay there later this year!!

Disney Dining Plan

With the recent announcement of the free dining promotion, I figured it would be a good idea to talk the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). The DDP is great option to add your vacation package, but it can be difficult to decide which plan, if any, is right for your family. In essence, the DDP makes your Disney vacation very similar to an all-inclusive trip in that you are pre-paying for your food. This can make budgeting for food a lot easier and it means you don’t have to worry about the cost of food when you are ordering - it’s already been paid for! By purchasing one of the Disney Dining Plans you can save approximately 20% on food costs.

Before we can fully understand how the DDP works, I think it would be beneficial to briefly talk about the restaurant types available at Walt Disney World. There are two types of restaurants at Walt Disney World: Table Service and Quick Service. Table Service restaurants are those where a server seats your party and then a waiter/waitress comes and takes your order. All of the Character Dining restaurants are considered Table Service restaurants. Quick Service restaurants, which can also be called counter service, are those restaurants where you walk up to a counter, place your order, and then receive your food on a tray to be taken back to your table.

The DDP is divided into 5 plans which are described below (all prices are current as of March 2012):

Quick Service
This plan includes 2 Quick Service Meals and 1 Snack per person, per night. It also includes 1 Resort Refillable Drink Mug per person. This souvenir mug can be refilled unlimited times at your resort during the length of your stay, up to 14 days.

The cost of this plan is: $34.99 for guests ages 10 and up.
$11.99 for guests ages 3 - 9.

Disney Dining Plan (sometimes called Plus Dining)
This plan includes 1 Quick Service Meal, 1 Table Service Meal, and 1 Snack per person, per night. 1 Resort Refillable Drink Mug is also included per person.

The cost of this plan is: $51.54 for guests ages 10 and up.
$15.02 for guests ages 3 - 9.

Deluxe Dining Plan
This plan includes 3 meals (any combination of Quick Service and Table Service Meals) and 2 Snacks per person, per night. The Resort Refillable Drink Mug is also included per person.

The price for this plan is: $85.52 for guests ages 10 and up.
$23.79 for guests ages 3 - 9.

Premium Dining Plan
This plan includes everything from the Deluxe Dining Plan. It also includes Golf, Guided Fishing Excursions, Water Sports, Watercraft Rentals, Bicycles, Cane Pole Fishing, Tennis, Horseback Trail Rides, Pony Rides, Carriage Rides, Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, Miniature Golf, Archery, and Disney Tours.

Platinum Dining Plan
This dining plan includes everything from the Premium Dining Plan as well as a Fireworks Cruise, Fantasmic! Reserved Seating, Spa Treatments, Disney’s Photopass CD, and Richard Petty Ride Along Experience.


Some important things to note about the DDP:
The DDP is only available to Walt Disney World Resort guests.
There is no charge for children under 3. Kids under 3 are allowed to eat off of their parents' plates.
Guests ages 3 - 9 are required to order from the children's menu.
Alcoholic beverages are not included in the price of the DDP.
Gratuities are not included except at Dinner Shows, Private In-Room Dining, and Cinderella's Royal Table. These dining experiences cost 2 Table Service credits instead of 1.
Items that are more than a single serving are not included (such as a box of donuts).
Items that come in a souvenir container are not included.
Items that are considered merchandise are not included.

When you check in at your resort you will receive your Key to the World card (room key), which will have your dining plan credits loaded onto it. Your dining plan credits are calculated this way: # of guests x # of nights = total dining/snack credits. For example, if a party of 2 is staying for 4 nights with the Disney Dining Plan (Plus Dining) they would have a total of 8 Table Service meals, 8 Quick Service meals, and 8 Snacks.

After checking in you can begin using your dining credits right away. You then continue using your dining credits until they are all used up or until midnight of the day you checkout. Something important to note here is that the dining credits expire at midnight on your checkout date. The dining credits can be used in any combination you want. They can all be used up on the first day, some can be used each day, or they can all be saved for the last.

The snack credits can be used the same way as the meal credits. You can use as many or as little of them each day until they are used up or they expire. There are many different food items that are considered snacks throughout the Walt Disney World property. Snacks can be something small like a piece of fruit or a small container of milk (picture a milk box from grade school lunch), to something bigger like a muffin or danish. My advice would be to pay cash for that piece of fruit and save the snack credits for something bigger like the muffin or a Mickey Ice Cream Bar. This way you get more value from your snack credits. Items that qualify as snacks are indicated by the DDP icon next to them.

When you are seated at your table (Table Service Restaurant), your server will ask if you are on the dining plan. They will then go over what exactly is included in your plan. At the end of the meal you present your Key to the World card with your bill and the server will charge your dining plan accordingly. After placing your order at a Counter Service Restaurant you simply present your Key to the World card to the cast member who will then charge your dining plan. Snacks are also purchased by using your Key to the World card.

Now that the DDP has been explained, the next logical question is: which of the dining plans is right for my family? Well, the best answer is: it depends. There is more than one dining plan because every family is different, and as such, there is no one-size-fits-all dining plan. The best way to decide which dining plan to pick is to talk to your vacation planner. He/She can go over some of the many different ways/strategies to use the dining plans.

Free Dining!

On March 1, 2012 Disney announced that the Free Dining promo was again available. Book a 5 night, 6 day Magic Your Package now through May 18, 2012, and receive a free Disney Dining Plan when you stay at a Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa. Book a Value Resort and receive a free Quick Service Dining Plan. This offer is valid for stays most nights August 25, 2012 through September 29, 2012. Contact me if you would like more information on this very popular promotion.

Cars Land Announcement

Earlier today, March 7, Disney announced that Cars Land and the Carthay Circle Theatre at the Disney California Adventure Park will officially open June 15, 2012.  In order to complete preparations for the grand opening, the Disney California Adventure Park will be closed on June 14, 2012.

Cars Land will feature 12 acres of Cars themed attractions, dining, and shopping.  The new attractions include Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi's Flying Tires, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.

I'm excited about this opening and can't wait to take my kids to see it...especially my son who absolutely loves Cars!

Check out this video from DisneyD23:

Welcome To My New Blog

Hello and welcome to my new blog! This is where I plan to talk about all things Disney. Many of my posts will focus on traveling to the different Disney destinations...but, particularly Walt Disney World.

A little about me: my name is Jerry and, like many others, I have been a Disney fan for a long time. I grew up watching Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto along with Disney's live action movies and TV shows. When I was 10 years old my family took a vacation to California and we spent a day at Disneyland. That was my only trip to a Disney theme park until I was much older.

Fast forward a bit and now I'm married and have 2 kids. We decided to go on vacation to Walt Disney World one year during Easter week. We mostly focused on attractions for the kids and character meet and greets...it was a fun week, but it went by fast! In addition to the souvenirs we bought, I brought home a healthy addiction for Walt Disney World! From the moment we got back home I couldn't wait to go back! I immediately began trying to figure out when we could go back. And that has been the case since...my family and I visit Walt Disney World at least once per year now (sometimes more), and I'm constantly planning our next trip.

I recently began working as a travel agent with Mickey's Dream Vacations. We focus on helping our customers plan their vacations to any of the Disney Destinations...Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures By Disney, and Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii. This is what I plan on talking a lot about on this blog...news & updates at the Disney Destinations along with tips and tricks to make a Disney vacation a successful vacation.