Walt Disney World Vacation with Dining Plan in YOUR Future--Plan ahead for Best Results

Okay...I have to admit, the first time we did the Disney Dining Plan, we flew by the seat of our pants. Yes, that means we didn't schedule any ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations). You read that right...zero, zip, nada. We didn't know any better. But fortunately for us, it was well in advance of the FREE dining plans that are now a regular perk with an onsite Disney vacation.

How did we manage? Did we have to resort to all quick dining meals? Not at all. We called the Disney Dining phone line a few minutes prior to when we wanted to eat and asked what restaurants in the park or at a nearby resort that had immediate availability. The upside of this lack of scheduling was that the dining reservation Cast Members were very knowledgeable of the restaurants and we were introduced to some now favorite restaurants like Ohana and Garden Grill. The downside was that we were disappointed that we couldn't get in to the Prime Time Cafe as it was completely booked. To avoid disappointment and frustration I was prepared called ahead before the next trip.

Yes, it does seem weird to be making dining plans 6 months ahead of time but that is what is necessary to get into some of the most popular restaurants in the world like Teppan Edo at the Japan pavilion. Be ready when you call too because you will get a confirmation number for every ADR you make. This number can save you if your reservation gets lost in the system. But keeping track of those ADRs can be confusing. If you make your reservations online, the system does keep a list of your ADRs but if you make them over the phone, they do not tie in with the ones online until after you check in. Your only record is what you write down so listen carefully and jot down those confirmation numbers.

So for our upcoming 8 day trip, we have about 14-17 confirmation numbers for everything from our Segway tour to the Candlelight Processional and Fantasmic as well as a dozen or so restaurants. In the past, I kept all my handwritten notes with all the numbers until I received a print out from the concierge at check-in. For this trip, I made a excel spread sheet to keep track of the reservations complete with the date, time, location and confirmation number. It took about 30 minutes to set the whole thing up but it is in one place and makes an easy reference if one of my sons asks when we will be eating at Chef Mickey's or seeing the Hoop de Doo Review!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disneyworld on a Shoestring--Awesome Disney Souvenir Under $20

Okay, you've saved for the trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World in Orlando but no one fully prepared you for the constant barrage of Disney souvenirs and keepsakes your kids would ask for. Around every corner there is a new kiosk with stuffed Mickeys and Minnies, colorful printed t-shirts, blinking Buzz Lightyear toys, sparkling princess tiaras and hundreds of Disney trading pins. It is tough to continually say no but you do have a budget.

I remember feeling overwhelmed by requests from my little ones during our first visit. We made two purchases right away. An autograph book and a Penny Collection folder. The autograph book was to keep track of all the characters we met over the 10 days we spent at the world. But the penny collection folder was a wonderful, dare I say, cheap find! For a few bucks our boys had a place to store their collection of squished pennies.

Not familiar with a squished penny? They are machines that for 51 cents turn your penny into a souvenir. Disneyworld is loaded with the machines and even if you completely fill 36 penny slots, your investment is less than if you purchased 3-4 pins, a shirt or a stuffed animal. There are 6 large slots for holding squished quarters too...these are a bit bigger investment as it takes 5 quarters to get one squished keepsake. But usually the dies for the quarters are limited to one year of use so they are more collectible too.

My kids found that searching for the penny flattening machines was part of the fun and  adventure. Pressed penny machines are located all over in the parks and resorts throughout Disneyworld. Similar to the trading pins, there are fun characters like Buzz, Dopey and Mickey as well as designs that commemorate a visit to a park, like Epcot or Magic Kingdom, a resort, like All Star Sports or Animal Kingdom Lodge, or an attraction like the Rockin' Roller Coaster or Test Track. And at 51 cents mom and dad can say yes over and over without breaking the bank!

Just one additional piece of advice...start saving the shiny new pennies for a few weeks before the trip as the new shiny cents make the best imprints!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales