Food! Food! Food! (From the Stomach of a Picky Eater)...

I hear people all of the time talk about the amazing food at Disney World. I agree with them - it is amazing! But my idea of amazing is pretty much what a kid would want to eat - I’m super picky. Are you a foodie? Apparently you’ll be even happier with the food selection. While I’m no expert on the gourmet options, take a look at the yummy food I had on my last trip.

Peter Pan Float!

Chicken Guy at Disney Springs

Mickey Waffles at the All-Star Sports Resort

Free Snacks from After Hours Party

Batuu Bits - not my fav!

Blue Milk from Oga's - Yum!

Pizza/Breadsticks from Pinocchio Village Haus

LeFou's Brew from Gaston's Tavern

My fav meal with a view - Casey's!

Be Our Guest Breakfast

Jungle Juice Slush - Animal Kingdom Lodge

Dinner at Mara - Animal Kingdom Lodge

Snack from France at Epcot

Ice Cream from Ample Hills at the Boardwalk

Num Num Cookie

Num Num Cookie!

Woody's Lunch Box in Toy Story Land

DOLE WHIP!!

Satu'li Canteen in Pandora

Want more info on any of this food or any other options? Call me!! I LOVE to chat Disney and my planning/booking services are always FREE!

Now More than Ever!

The most common question I receive from people considering a Disney World trip is “when is the best time to go to have the best experience?” 

Although I have written in the past about the best/worst times (take a look here), we’re getting to the point where crowd levels are going to be high no matter the time.  With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening, crowds will be flocking to the parks in droves. 

Disney is currently running a marketing campaign called “Now More than Ever!”  and I couldn’t agree more.  I wouldn’t normally recommend visiting in the middle of the summer due to the crowds and heat.  But it will be a while until the crowds slow down after Star Wars opens.

So you’ve got until the end of August to get there and enjoy what is turning out to be a slower summer for the parks.  A lot of people are putting off trips until Star Wars opens and that leaves rooms open this summer.  Disney has even put out a rare summer offer to lower the costs of some rooms.  In fact, in looking at a quote for a family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 kids, for 5 nights with a 4 day park hopper ticket in June, you’re looking at less than $3000.  That’s typically one of the higher priced times to travel to Disney so a great deal at the moment. Costs will most likely just keep going up from here with all of the new attractions/resorts/entertainment options heading to the World.

Need more reasons to travel to Walt Disney World Now More than Ever?   Here you go!

Join Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom Park!

Party with Pixar Pals to Celebrate 30 Years of Disney’s 
Hollywood Studios

Celebrate the Circle of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

Satisfy Your Cravings for Food, Entertainment and Fun at Epcot

Other Can’t-Miss Experiences at Walt Disney World Resort

How to Save Money and Time at Disney with Grocery Delivery

When we go to Disney, we always order groceries ahead of time and have them waiting for us at our resort.  This is a super simple and convenient way to save money and time at Disney World.  First of all, we can eat breakfast in our room before we head out (except for the day we do Tusker House breakfast which is a must!).  

We also buy snacks and bottled water to take into the parks with us.  Disney will allow food and drink to be brought in and it's way cheaper to take in your own water than it is to buy drinks at the parks.  I have a slight caffeine addiction so I buy flavor drink packets that include caffeine.  My family appreciates that as they don't want to be around me when I get a caffeine headache!!  I also bring non-caffeinated ones for the kids since they haven't become addicted yet.  :)

I also pack a sharpie to bring with us and each morning, I put the boys' initials on a bottle.  That way we're not all sharing germs.  Don't forget your backpack to carry the water and snacks!!

If you're in a villa or Fort Wilderness Cabin, you'll have a full-sized fridge so order all the groceries you'd like!  In standard resort rooms, you'll have a small dorm-sized fridge so think about what you really need to refrigerate.  And I wouldn't do anything that needs to stay frozen as it may or may not have small freezer section in your fridge.  

Each night when we returned from the parks, I would put in the water for the next morning.  Of course, I had a few Diet Cokes in there and some milk for the boys.  So you don't have a ton of room but if you plan ahead a bit, it's great.

Here are the things we ordered for our trip just to give you an idea:

Keep in mind these prices were from last year so probably not still valid.  This is from Garden Grocer - a grocery delivery service that takes the items directly to your hotel at Walt Disney World, leaving them with bell services (which refrigerates perishable items). I highly recommended them and most do as they are the most popular with Walt Disney World guests by far.

The process is simple:  You go to Gardengrocer.com and click on "Create Your Account" and fill out the form to register your account.  Browse through over 5,000 products and add them to your cart. Shop by brand, category, or use the search toolbar to find the products you want.  Click on the shopping cart at the top of the page to begin the checkout process. Fill out the form with your billing information & let them know what resort you're staying at and what time frame you'd like your groceries to be delivered in.  

So other than the cost of the groceries, are there any delivery fees?  Yes.  Disney charges a flat $5 to recieve the order.  Garden Grocer charges a $14.00 delivery fee but if you spend over $200, the delivery fee is waived.  You need to plan ahead though - if you need same day delivery, the fee is $30 and next day delivery is $20.  Keep in mind that there are limited delivery time slots so if you wait until the last minute to order, there may not be availability for delivery. I tend to order several months in advance - you can add on to your order later if you think of something else you need.   They also usually offer a discount for ordering early - this is the current discount and it was the same when we traveled last year:

Besides the cost savings of eating breakfast in the room, taking your own water and snacks, having groceries delivered saves time too.  We can eat while getting ready or while on our way to the parks so the minute we get there, we're ready to get on our favorite attractions while the lines are still small.  Even getting a quick service breakfast can take what feels like forever when you want to be on Space Mountain!

Same thing goes for standing in line for drinks and snacks.  Don't get me wrong, an apple won't replace Dole Whip but it does limit the lines to stand in.  (FYI, don't forget about Mobile Ordering to also limit those lines).

A couple of other things to consider - beside bringing along your own sharpie, I pack a bunch of ziploc bags.  It's nice to have those when you want to have individual snacks in your bag or you want to save that last bit of candy.  

Please give me a call if you have any questions!  I would love to help you plan and book your Disney or Universal vacation!  And even better - there's NO fees for my services!!

Quiz - What do Sonic, Chick-fil-A and Disney Parks Have in Common??

Besides being three of my favorite places, they all offer something I've realized I can't live without. You might be thinking the answer is excellent customer service.  That's usually true although Sonic needs to step up their game to be in the same category.  

The one thing they all now offer is Mobile Ordering.  If you haven't gotten on this bandwagon yet, you are truly missing out.  In all of these cases, you get on the company's app on your phone and order your food/drink.

You can customize it to your liking in most cases.  Then when you are near the location of your food, you let the app know and your food is ready for you.  No more waiting in lines!!!  

I won't go into details on how the Sonic and Chick-fil-A apps work (I do love them but I'm not trying to sell their products).  But for details on the Disney app, click this link to a blog post I did in the past:

http://www.tripsbymouse.com/blog/2017/11/6/mobile-ordering-at-disney-world-parks

The changes to keep in mind from that blog post are that you can now use Disney Dining Plans to pay for your food.  AND Disneyland now offers mobile ordering at the following locations:

Disneyland park locations – Bengal Barbecue, Galactic Grill, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, Hungry Bear Restaurant, Jolly Holiday Bakery Café and Red Rose Taverne.

Disney California Adventure park locations – Award Wieners, Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Corn Dog Castle, Flo’s V8 Café, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Pacific Wharf Café, Paradise Garden Grill and Smokejumpers Grill. 

Obviously, this is on the Disneyland app (Disney World has a separate app). 

Call me to plan and book your Disney trip today!!  Remember my services are always free.  And if you want my recommendations for Sonic and Chick-fil-A, feel free to ask about those too.  :)

Best Breakfast on the Planet

Ever wondered where you can get the best breakfast on Planet Earth???  Lucky for you, I know!  It's at Tusker House Restaurant in the Animal Kingdom at Disney World.

Jungle Juice!

Unlimited MICKEY WAFFLES

Buffet area

First of all, unlimited Mickey waffles.  That right there is enough to make this the best place.  But wait, there's more!!  The Jungle Juice is quite literally the best juice I've ever had.  Pretty sure I drank 10 glasses of the stuff last time we were there which is probably 2000 calories.  But don't worry, that's when Ryan and I ran the half marathon so I was short a few calories up to that point!!

Partially delirious from the race, but mostly just excited to see my old pal, Mickey!!

Besides the delicious food, the breakfast meal is a character meal.  Your table will be visited by Mickey, Daisy, Donald and Goofy (subject to change but we've always seen that same group).  Once there was a PhotoPass photographer out front capturing pics, but haven't seen that in a while.  So be sure to have your camera and autograph books ready as the characters come around to your table.

Sometimes you get lucky and the PhotoPass people are there!

Watch out - Goofy might steal your hat!!

Goofy being Goofy

Also, for the younger crowd, Daisy usually has them join her in a parade around the restaurant.  He's too big now, but Luke used to live for these parades and it was a highlight of the day for him!  Check out the parade in this video...

I'm not a very adventurous eater so mainly stick to the normal American breakfast type foods.  But if you are into trying new things, be sure and check out the African foods also like the Beef Bobotie.  Honestly, I haven't tried it but everyone raves about it!

Have me book your trip for you and I'll hook you up with an early morning reservation.  You might be able to get in before the park opens!  That's great for getting a start on your day, you can get some great pics without a crowd, and you can hop right on the Safari when you're done without needing a FastPass!!  Call me so I can get you there!

Is it Worth the Price to Dine at Cinderella's Royal Table?

In all my years of visiting Walt Disney World, I'd never had the chance to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table until this most recent trip.  I'd always wondered if it would actually be worth the high cost just to eat in the Castle.  In this post, I'll let you know what I discovered!

Thanks to my sweet kid Luke, I was finally able to check out Cinderella's Royal Table.  Having 3 boys, it was just not something we thought would appeal to them enough to justify spending our time or money.  But I've had many clients ask me what I thought so I decided to just go it alone this trip while the boys played golf.  Luke heard me talking about it and said he didn't want me to have to go alone so he went with me!  (I told you he was sweet).  

He didn't love the idea of meeting all the Princesses, so I made him my Photographer and he did an excellent job.  The Princesses were awesome to catch on right away that they had a guest that didn't want to be fawned over so they focused their attention on me and let him just take the pics.  Those Princesses are some smart women!  Here are the great pics he took...

One of the best perks of the meal was the fact that I made an early morning breakfast reservation so we got into the park early.  Look for a blog post in the near future explaining that process and how it's a great thing!

Once we were at the Castle, we checked in at the desk and were shown to a small waiting area.  In just a few minutes, Cinderella made a grand entrance and met with the few guests in the room.  We each had a turn to visit with her and there was a PhotoPass photographer on hand to capture the moment.  (FYI, there are no photographers in the restaurant so bring your own - like Luke!).

Cinderella had Luke help her sign my medal lanyard - bring your autograph books!

After meeting Cinderella, we made our way up the winding staircase (I enjoyed this more than the average person I imagine...) in the turret of THE CASTLE!  The restaurant itself is really pretty small so once again, get those reservations 6 months in advance!!  We nabbed the absolute best seat in the house with a view of Fantasyland.

The winding staircase!

Restaurant Interior

Best Seat in the House

Here's Our Table!

Before the Princesses came around, we were served a pastry plate and gave our order.  Even though Luke is older than the standard kid's menu, they let him order off of it.  We also each received a fun souvenir - his was a sword and mine was a magic wand!

Kid's meal with Mickey Waffles!

Pastry Plate

Adult Meal

My wand and Luke's sword

So, is it worth the price?  I'd say a big YES.  At least once.  I don't know if I'd do it again just because I'm pretty cheap. It was around $100 for both of us to eat breakfast.   If I had daughters that loved meeting the Princesses I would definitely do it again.  But since it's just for me, I feel like I've been there and done that.  Totally worth it once though!  

The good news is that you pay in advance (unless on the Dining plan) and all is included - tip and everything.  So even though I know you're not getting anything for free, it kind of feels like it at that moment which is nice!

And honestly, any time I get to go on a date with Luke to eat at a fancy restaurant (notice he's got his pinky up being all fancy in this next pic), it's practically priceless!!

Give me a call so that we can get you booked for your next Disney trip!!  You really need to get these reservations 6 months to the day before your trip and I'll take care of it for you.  

Whoa Pardner!! You're About to Miss Out on Those Reservations You Want!!

I know it's still Winter.  And ridiculously cold where I am so I don't even want to think about winter anymore.  But Summer is coming!  It may seem a long way off but June will be here in 4 short months!  

Have you made plans for your Summer Vacation yet?  If you're like me you're thinking, "Well I've got 4 months - tons of time to figure it out!"

The problem is that if you're thinking of a trip to Disney World (and if you aren't, I don't know if we can be friends...), you need to be well into the planning process for a summer trip.  Yes, you can certainly go without planning and have a spectacular time.  But if you want to have a spectacular time where you do everything you want and with the least amount of waiting possible, you've got to plan in advance.

Advanced Dining Reservations (Disney speak for sit-down restaurant reservations) are available starting 6 months out.  So if you or your kids have dreams of eating at a specific restaurant (like the castle!), you really need to get those reservations on the 6 month mark.

All hope isn't lost if you don't get them 6 months out - sometimes Disney Magic works in your favor and a reservation opens up.  But sometimes, it just doesn't.  I have a client right now wanting to eat at Be Our Guest and nothing is open for their timeframe.  I log in and look for open slots up to 6 times a day and have been doing that for a few weeks now and nothing.  Makes me sad to think of them at Disney World and not getting to do something they had their hearts set on.

So please - call me and let's talk about what you'd like to do!  Disney requires a $200 deposit to book a vacation package.  Of course, plans change, so that amount is fully refundable as long as you cancel at least 30 days prior to your trip.  So you really have nothing to lose by booking early - and I'll be able to get all of the reservations you'd like if we do it far enough out!

Bring on SUMMER!!!  

Mobile Ordering at Disney World Parks

I love how Disney World is always improving their product.  As you know, I LOVE Disney World and typically see it in a positive light even when something might not be exactly perfect. 

Others might have an issue at Disney World (or truly, amusement parks in general) with the crowd and the lines that can become long due to the crowd.

Disney has taken steps in the past to help alleviate this problem with the FastPass+ system, Extra Magic Hours for on-site resort guests and Advanced Dining Reservations.  I also love the fact that they have made many of the attraction queues interactive so that even if you missed out on the FastPass, you have something fun to keep you occupied while you wait in the standby line.

Well, their newest innovation to help guests avoid waiting in lines is one I can’t wait to try out - Mobile Ordering for Quick Service food locations.

This new service saves you time by allowing you to order on demand, pay in advance and skip the line. 

I tend to go more for Quick Service locations at Disney since I’d rather spend my time on rides and enjoying the park rather than sitting down at a Table Service location for a longer meal.  But it’s frustrating to do that only to end up standing in a long line at Casey’s Corner for a hot dog.  (Although I do love those dogs and always think it’s worth the wait!)

Now you can order food for your entire family while you are out enjoying other parts of the park.   Rather than standing in line at a counter service restaurant, you’re able to place your order on the go from your phone, bypassing the ordering line and picking up your food directly at the counter when you arrive at the restaurant.

It’s easy to use - just sign in to the My Disney Experience app and tap the “Order Food” button, which lists restaurants that offer the service. Browse restaurant menus, select items, customize your order and prepay, all right through the app. 

When you arrive at the restaurant, just tap “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” in the app, which notifies the kitchen to prepare your meal. When it’s ready, a notification will alert you to pick up your meal from the “Mobile Order Pick Up” area in the restaurant. Here are the restaurants that currently offer Mobile Order with more expected to be added:

ANIMAL KINGDOM

-- Flame Tree Barbecue Discovery Island

-- Harambe Market Africa

-- Restaurantosaurus Dinoland USA

-- Pizzafari Discovery Island

-- Satu'li Canteen in Pandora The World of Avatar

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

-- ABC Commissary

-- Backlot Express

-- Fairfax Fare

-- PizzeRizzo

-- Rosie's All-American Cafe

DISNEY SPRINGS

-- D-Luxe Burger at Disney Springs

MAGIC KINGDOM

-- Aloha Isle - Adventureland ***They made it EASIER to get DOLE WHIP!!!!  Yes!!!***

-- Casey's Corner - Main Street U.S.A.

-- Columbia Harbour House- Liberty Square

-- Cosmic Ray's - Tomorrowland

-- Lunching Pad - Tomorrowland

-- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe - Frontierland

-- Pinocchio Village Haus - Fantasyland

-- Tomorrowland Terrace - SEASONAL Tomorrowland

EPCOT

-- Electric Umbrella - Future World

-- Liberty Inn - American Adventure World Showcase

-- Sunshine Seasons - The Land Future World

While Mobile Ordering certainly will not save you 60 minutes (or more) of time like a FastPass for Avatar Flight of Passage or Frozen Ever After, it will save you anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, and also eliminate the stress of having to deal with potentially crowded ordering bays.

** One thing to remember is that the only form of payment currently accepted through Mobile Order is credit card, but they’re working on adding more payment options soon. Anyone with special dietary restrictions, or those who want to use discounts or redeem dining plan entitlements must place their order with a cashier.

5 Desserts Around the World

The 22nd Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is currently happening at Disney World.  It runs through November 13.  If you're lucky enough to be there during this time, I have 5 delicious desserts to try from the different locations.  

And if you don't have plans to get there this year, let me know so I can help you plan a trip for next year!!  

Here are some mouth-watering options to try:

Australia:

Lamington yellow cake dipped in chocolate and delicious shredded coconut.

India:

Pistachio cardamom bundt cake with chocolate coconut mousse.

Germany:

A festival favorite!  Apple strudel with vanilla sauce.

France:

New!  Creme brulee with fresh house-made raspberry jam.

Italy:

Chocolate covered cannoli with sweet ricotta cheese and candied fruit.