I recently came across an extremely critical review of a Walt Disney World vacation in which the writer complained about how much money he had spent compared to what little “value” he received in return on his investment. He urged his readers to “think twice before (they) book and do (their) own research.” I found this statement to be rather funny because the writer had obviously not done HIS research based on his comments. He went to Disney incredibly unprepared and had not done ANY pre-planning prior to his arrival.  For instance, he did not make any reservations prior to his arrival at the parks; he waited until he was IN THE PARK to try to get a decent reservation for dinner as well as fast pass reservations. (Remember:  Guests may begin making dining reservations as early as 180 days prior to their trips and fast pass reservations 60 days in advance if staying on property (30 if off-property). WHY would anyone think that there would still be any availability the day of???

The reason I do what I do is to help people avoid the negative aspects of this man’s trip; my job is to help ensure that our clients have the “magical dream vacation” that people expect out of a trip to Disney. So, where do I start? First of all, I check a crowd calendar posted by TouringPlans.com. I pay a small annual fee for access to this website. I don’t understand the science behind their technology, but they somehow calculate expected crowd levels for every day of the year at each of the four parks. When I put a plan together, I usually choose the park with the lowest expected crowd level to visit on a particular day.  Once we know which parks will be visited each day, the clients can choose where they want to eat. Some people plan parks around restaurants, but I think you should choose park first, restaurant second.  (NOTE: To maximize park time, you want to eat either in the park that you are visiting or just right outside of that park.  You DO NOT want to waste valuable time in traveling from one park to another when there are good choices in and around every park.) I also assist clients in booking fast passes and then create a logical route through the parks so that they can avoid the question of where to go first. If you show up at the park and you don’t know where you are headed, you will waste so much time; if you plan to just hop from ride to ride in whatever order you come to them, you will waste time standing in unnecessary lines. So a plan is critical to making the most of your park time. So take a look at what I create when you book your Disney vacation through Book with Brooke:

I know, I know… with this much detail, some people believe that I have killed the idea of spontaneity on vacation. I would argue though that Disney is no place to be spontaneous. If you don’t like the idea of having a trip planned out in detail, you might consider other options for your vacation in place of Disney.

Deciding where to use your quick serve dining credits in Walt Disney World can be a little overwhelming when you consider the vast number of options.  These last few blog posts were intended to help guide you through the Wonderful World of Dining at Disney, and I’ve saved the final post for what I think is the most difficult park in which to make a decision:  Welcome to Epcot!

In the other three parks, it is easy for me to make clear recommendations based on my own personal favorites; but at Epcot, there are so many options (many of which I’ve never experienced first hand), so it becomes much more difficult to suggest a “can’t miss” quick serve dining experience. However, with a little research and knowledge of the layout of the parks, I should be able to give you a few suggestions to help you make a more informed decision.

The first thing you need to know about Epcot is that it is divided into two sections:  Future World and the World Showcase.  Most people begin their day at Epcot in Future World because the World Showcase does not officially open until 11:00 AM, so if you are planning on a quick serve breakfast at Epcot, you only have one option:  Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion (on the RIGHT side of the park, the same pavilion in which the popular Soarin’ attraction is located). Featuring multiple stations including The Sandwich Shop & Bakery, Asian Wok Shop, Soup & Salad Shop, and the Wood-Fired Grill, Sunshine Seasons offers a wide variety for breakfast as well as for lunch and dinner, so this dining location gets my recommendation for guests looking for a quality quick service meal at any time of the day.  A point of interest of this location is that they use the produce grown in the green houses located in the pavilion, so if you would like to see what you are eating beforehand, take a ride on the Living with the Land attraction for a behind the scenes look at the greenhouses.  This facility was “farm-to-table” before that became a growing trend.

   

So, now let’s talk about the World Showcase.  This is where things get a little more complicated and individual preferences must be considered.  As you read this, you may want to the map of the World Showcase area of the park because I will be starting my “tour around the world” on the right-hand side (Mexico) and “walking” in a clockwise direction making stops at each of the quick serve locations that accept the Disney dining plan credits.  So let’s get started:

• Mexico–La Cantina de San Angel

   

This first stop is located next to the World Showcase Lagoon (not in the same building where the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction is; that restaurant is the TABLE SERVICE Mexican food location). To sum up this location in one word:  MARGARITAS!  But of course, they do offer more than just liquid sustenance.  You can dine on tacos (beef, chicken, or fish) and nachos, queso and guacamole, AND they have chicken tenders for the children who do not enjoy the traditional Mexican fare.  Also, if you need a sweet treat, they serve churros for dessert!

• China–Lotus Blossom Cafe

   

Our second stop is in the China Pavilion.  Traditional Chinese favorites including potstickers, egg rolls, orange chicken, fried rice, and noodle soup are the featured fare on the menu. This restaurant also serves featured adult beverages. The kids’ meals are typical “kid-friendly” Chinese food, but if your children aren’t adventurous eaters, you may have to make a different stop for their meal to find them a hamburger or chicken nuggets.

 

• Germany–Sommerfest

       

Guests can find authentic German beer and wine at this stop and also dine on German bratwurst and frankfurters with sauerkraut.  There is not a separate kids’ menu here, but if the little ones like pretzels, then you may want to try this location.

 

• The American Adventure–Liberty Inn

      

Liberty Inn might be the most kid-friendly quick serve location in the World Showcase due to its “safe” menu of hamburgers, chicken nuggets, sandwiches, and salads.  As far as adult beverages go, you can definitely order a beer with your burger, and one of the more interesting options is a coke float with a splash of Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

 

• Japan–Katsura Grill

          

If you find yourself hungry for Sushi while in Epcot, then you are in luck.  You can find sushi and other teriyaki selections as well as adult beverages, but just like in China, the kids’ meals feature teriyaki flavors, so your “picky” eaters may not like the selections here.

 

• Morocco–Tangierine Cafe

      

If you are looking for something really “different” than your typical theme park food, Tangierine Cafe may suit your needs perfectly.  This quick serve location features Mediterranean flavors in their chicken and lamb entrees, and your finicky younger guests will be happy with the hamburger and chicken nugget options on the kids’ menu.  This location does not serve alcoholic beverages.

 

• France–Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie

          

This location is a traditional French bakery featuring soups and salads and fresh baguette sandwiches and pastries.  They also serve champagne, beer and gourmet coffee. There is no separate kids’ menu, but with a large selection of sandwiches and sweet treats, your little ones should be happy as you enjoy the ambience of France in Florida.

 

• United Kingdom–Yorkshire County Fish Shop

       

Our final stop on our tour through the quick serve dining in the World Showcase brings us to the ONE quick serve location of which I have first-hand knowledge.  In 2013, my family ordered fish and chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop and then sat at some table located right next to the lagoon inside the United Kingdom pavilion.  We had EXCELLENT seats for the IllumiNations nighttime spectacular that evening. (I think we ordered our food around 8:15 PM, and then ate while we rested and waited for the fireworks to begin.)  Our family loves fried fish, so this was an easy choice for us; and yes, this location serves “ale”…

 

I hope you will find this information helpful as you begin to make your park touring/dining strategies.  By no means is this list comprehensive of ALL quick serve/counter serve locations in Epcot; there are other locations that serve beverages and snacks, but  I wanted to focus on the locations where you can actually get an entire meal.

Happy Planning!

Lori

 

In an earlier post, I wrote about what I believed to be the #1 character dining experience in all of Walt Disney World Resort–Chef Mickey’s located in the Contemporary Resort, but since I’ve started working with Brooke Cartwright, a real Disney pro with Kingdom Magic Vacations, I’ve been introduced to what some would argue is even better than Chef Mickey’s:  Tusker House in Animal Kingdom.  Tusker House offers a very similar line-up of characters:  according to the latest information from the WDW website, guests will meet Donald and Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy.  At Chef Mickey’s guests meet Pluto and Minnie, so there’s not a huge difference between the two locations.  If you schedule a breakfast at Tusker House, the food is even similar. However, if you are a more adventurous “foodie,” you might consider scheduling a lunch or dinner where you will be offered a buffet “brimming with African flavor.”  I read on one website where if you schedule a later breakfast you can even sample some of the lunch offerings as the cast members are switching out the buffet lines.

So why would Tusker House be BETTER than Chef Mickey’s?  Since it is located INSIDE one of the theme parks, you don’t have to give up valuable touring time to travel to the restaurant. For families who will have multiple days at the Magic Kingdom, traveling to Chef Mickey’s is not that big of an issue, but if you only have a four day ticket, you probably want to maximize your time inside the parks.  Tusker House is the best of both:  a great character experience and awesome location inside a park.

When my family last went to WDW in 2013, we had our table service meal at Yak & Yeti Restaurant.  While this doesn’t seem to be one of the more “popular” or requested restaurants, we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal here.  They offer pan-Asian inspired fare, so if you happen to like chains like P.F. Chang’s or Panda Express, you would definitely be able to find food to your liking.

 

As far as the “CAN’T MISS” restaurant in Animal Kingdom, I would have to give that honor to the quick service Flame Tree Barbecue. Especially for visitors paying out of pocket, you get A LOT of food for your money.  As the name suggests, this is a barbecue restaurant and the portions are Texan-approved LARGE.  Depending on how hungry you are, two people could probably split a plate here.  As good as the food is, though, the view is even better.  After you order and get your food, find a spot in the outdoor seating area that looks over toward Expedition Everest and give your feet a much needed rest while enjoying your ribs and/or chicken!  This will become your go-to spot when in Animal Kingdom.  Happy eating!

A while back,  a friend suggested that I start a blog to share some thoughts about planning trips to Disney parks and possibly include some helpful tips about other trips I have been on with my husband and children.  I honestly didn’t give it much thought at first because so many other people are already writing blogs about how to plan the perfect Disney vacation.  Who would have any interest in what I have to say?  After all, I have only been to a Disney park 6 different times in my life:

• Walt Disney World–Summer 1979
• Walt Disney World–Summer 1986
• Walt Disney World–Summer 2009
• Walt Disney World–Summer 2013
• Disneyland & California Adventure–Summer 2014
• Walt Disney World–January 2017

When my daughter proofread my draft of this post, she said, “ONLY 6 times, Mom? Really?” So ok, it’s a matter of perspective, but I know people who go to Walt Disney World multiple times a year, so surely there are people out there way more qualified to be giving advice about trips, right?  My friend, Brooke Cartwright, who is a travel agent with Kingdom Magic Vacations, continued to encourage me to use my writing ability and overzealous planning/organizational skills to share my own experiences with people who are in some stage of the planning process of a Disney trip, so here I am (almost midnight) trying to figure out where to begin with my first post.

During my sixteen years of teaching composition writing in English I, the most difficult task for 14-year-old writers was in determining how to begin their introductory paragraph. Most often, they would either begin with a quotation or with a question.  These trite introductions were sources of great aggravation to me, but now, I feel compelled to imitate my former students:

Why do people travel?

Perhaps we should change the word “people” to “families.” There are a multitude of reasons why an individual person would need to travel, but when FAMILIES are traveling, what is the primary objective?  What does the family unit hope to gain from the experience of a trip?  There is obviously not just one right answer to this question, but for the majority of families, I think it is safe to assume that the #1 reason why families plan vacations is to MAKE MEMORIES.  Memories, therefore, will be the subject of my first blog list.

Favorite Disney Vacation Memories:

1. In 1979, I was four. To be honest, I don’t have too many vivid memories of my own from this trip to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Most of my recollections of this time come from looking at the faded pictures in the photo album that my mother put together or from hearing the stories that my parents told me about this vacation, so if you are planning “the trip of a lifetime” and your children are under the age of 5 or 6, you might consider waiting until they are old enough to really remember the experience.

   

   

   

   
2. In 1986, I was 11. This was my younger sister’s first trip to Walt Disney World. Technically, she was there in ’79, but she was still in the womb.  On this vacation, my family went to the Magic Kingdom and the very new Epcot park.  What I remember most was being completely in awe of the Imagination Pavilion with all the state-of-the-art interactive exhibits, and specifically the jumping water fountains captured my attention every time we walked past them.  It just didn’t make sense to my 11-year-old mind how the water could jump from one circle to the next!  Of course as a pre-teen I could ride more of the attractions than I could when I was four, so this was definitely more fun than the first trip!  Unfortunately, my mom couldn’t find any pictures from this trip.  I know we have some somewhere, just have no idea where to look.
3. In 2009, I was 34, but more importantly I was a parent taking my three children (a 7-year-old boy, and 4-year-old twins, one boy, one girl) to Disney World for their first visit. My husband and I planned this trip with his parents as well as his sister and her family (she has four children), so this was a large travel party (a total of 13).  I remember counting to 13 every time we walked anywhere in the park.  We stayed at the Yacht Club during this trip, and I remember having meals at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club resort, Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, The Nine Dragons in China pavilion at Epcot, Primetime Cafe in Hollywood Studios, and Akershus Princess Storybook Dining in Epcot.  What struck me most profoundly as I walked down Main Street with my children was the sudden urge to call my parents and tell them “THANK YOU!” When I was growing up, my family did not have a lot of “extra” money, so I’m sure my mom and dad had to make some real sacrifices to be able to take me and my sisters to Walt Disney World.  I had no idea of the expenses involved in such a trip until I was the adult helping to plan and pay the bills.  Sharing the magic of Main Street with my children, however, was definitely worth it.  After we stopped for the traditional ice cream cone at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, I DID call my parents, and I think they really appreciated my new-found appreciation for what great parents I have.

   

   

   

   

   

4. I was 38 in 2013.  This was the trip where I really began my obsession with learning how to get the most for my time and money.  This trip was with my husband, my 11-year-old son, and 8-year-old twins.  We met up with my mom and dad who were in Orlando for a conference, and we spent a couple of days with them in the parks before they had to head home.  My crew then spent a few more days in the parks.  I spent HOURS researching and planning the PERFECT trip for my family. The Polynesian Resort was our home during our stay, and we LOVED the theme and location of this resort.  Some of our meals included the Happily Ever After Character Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, Coral Reef seafood restaurant at Epcot, Be Our Guest lunch at Magic Kingdom, Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom, Chefs de France in the French Pavilion in Epcot, Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom, and Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom. We ate VERY WELL!  One of my VERY FAVORITE memories of any of my Disney trips occurred during this visit:  we had been with my parents in Magic Kingdom from prior to park opening to the firework display at park close.  We were in Fantasyland when the fireworks began, and we realized that my parents’ resort bus would soon be departing.  We had to SPRINT from the back of the park, pushing our way through the throngs of fireworks spectators.  Right as we were rushing past the front facade of Cinderella’s castle, a huge burst of color erupted in the sky, and my 8-year-old son turned around to face the castle and proclaimed, “I’m gonna get married here!”  He was, and still is, such a sweet boy!

   

   

   

   

   

5. We had such a great time at WDW in 2013 that my husband and I decided to take the kids out to California during the summer of 2014 (I was 39).  We flew to Anaheim and spent 4 days at Walt’s original park, Disneyland, and its sister park, California Adventure.  I’ve heard many people discuss which park is “better”…World or Land?  Having been to both now, I still couldn’t really answer this question because I love them both.  One is not better than the other; they are just “different.”  I will say that my very favorite “land” of any of the Disney parks that I’ve ever visited is found in California Adventure.  Carsland was truly incredible.  I honestly felt like I was standing on the set of the animated movie. We even got to eat at Flo’s V8 Cafe! Visiting Disneyland is quite different from a trip to  Walt Disney World due to the fact that the parks are in the center of a metropolitan city (Anaheim) rather than out in the middle of hundreds of acres of Disney-owned property with little sign of life from the outside.  At World, you really seem to be a “captive audience”; at Disneyland I didn’t feel like we had to plan our meals within the parks because there were so many choices right outside the entry turnstiles.  However, we did take advantage of the World of Color dining package, so we had one meal at the Wine Country Trattoria to ensure we would have a good seat for the “World of Color” nighttime spectacular.  That combination of fireworks and water show is also my all-time favorite of any firework show that I’ve seen at a Disney park, so a trip out to the west coast may be in order if you want to see some of the best that Disney has to offer.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

6. In April of 2016, I talked my younger sister into signing up to run the Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon with me in January 2017.  I had decided to run this race in November 2015, and I began to run (or as my boss calls it “slog” [slow jog]) on a regular basis.  Months of “training” prepared me for the longest run of my life; I was 41.  This trip was a little different in that I left my family at home; however, I was joined by my parents and my sister and her 6-year-old twins (one boy/one girl).  Due to the shorter length of this trip, we decided to splurge and stay at the Grand Floridian.  One of my favorite memories of this stay was just walking through the grand lobby after checking in:  my nephew’s eyes were wide as he exclaimed with extreme enthusiasm, “This place is FANTASTIC!”  And it was; however, I would not recommend spending the money for this location if you are planning on park touring from open to close and not spending any time in the lovely resort.  The only time we were on property was as we were walking out of our rooms in the morning and back to our rooms in the evening.  On my next trip, I want to plan a “split stay” where we stay at less expensive location when all we are doing is sleeping in the rooms and then on an “off day” when we don’t go to a park, we could move to the Grand to relax and enjoy all that this beautiful resort has to offer.  Our dining choices included the following:  Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort, Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom, Garden Grill at Epcot, and Mama Melrose at Hollywood Studios.  Before I conclude this post, I must sadly confess that I didn’t actually get to participate in the 1/2 marathon that weekend.  An unusual storm moved into the area prompting the RunDisney officials to cancel the 1/2 marathon that Saturday morning.  After my initial bitter disappointment (yes, I cried), I decided to make the most of the rainy day, and I delighted in walking down Main Street with my sister, who had not been to Disney World since SHE was 6, and now she was there with her own 6-year-old children.  It really was a magical moment, and one memory that I will always cherish.  By the way, if it rains while you are at Disney, don’t hide out in a gift shop!  Put your poncho on and GO!  We felt like we had the park to ourselves that day, and we ended up walking over 10 miles through the Magic Kingdom from park opening to park close. And the 6-year-olds walked with us; we never stopped long enough to get them a stroller!