Disney | Well Heeled Blog

Disney World Picture With Stitch

Written by WellHeeled on February 17, 2010 · 16 Comments

Our Disney World adventure concluded in December. Two months later, we finally printed out 200 – a fraction – of our pictures. Here’s one of my favorites.

A Disney World vacation isn’t complete until you get pictures with some of its characters. I don’t normally like to wait for pictures, but since we were in Disney World, of course we’re going to take as many character pictures as we can.

We never got a picture with Lilo, but it’s okay. We all know that Stitch stole the show in the movie! For this picture, we didn’t even have to stand in line and wait – most of the other character photo shoots at Disney World required at least 20 minutes of standing in line.

We did wait to take pictures with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Buzz Lightyear. At a dinner, we took pictures with the Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore. We did see Lilo at a photo shoot, but decided we didn’t want to wait. I would’ve loved to get pictures with Woody, but he was no where to be found! Maybe Stitch scared him away?

P.S. I had wanted to get Mickey Mouse Ears for us, but they were really expensive (over $20 a pair). Luckily, as we were waiting for the bus to take us from All-Stars Sports Resort to Epcot, a nice Disney Cast Member gave us the pair of reindeer antler ears you see in the picture.

She assured us that many people will be wearing the same antlers because Disney was giving them out for Christmas Day. “You’ll be a herd of Santa’s Reindeers,” she said. Curiously enough, we never saw another person with those antlers. Could it be that that Cast Member was really an… antler fairy!? I think so!

Disney World Recap

Written by WellHeeled on January 5, 2010 · 15 Comments

I realized that I haven’t really talked about my Disney World adventure (aside from the Dining Plan review) on this blog yet… and well, that oversight must be rectified! If you have any specific questions about Disney World, please ask away and I’ll do my best to answer.

We Got To Disney World…

CB and I went to Disney World for 5 days between Christmas and New Year’s. It, was, in a word, FUN.

We took a red-eye from the California to Florida on Christmas Eve, and we were both so excited that we couldn’t sleep on the plane. We landed in Orlando at the crack of dawn on Christmas. Then we took the Magical Express (Disney’s bus line between airport and the Resort hotels) to our hotel. We were the only ones on the bus, which made it extra cool.

Our hotel was All-Stars Sports, a Value Resort (read: the cheapest). It was comfortable and roomy with two double beds, a big TV, and a small sitting area. The bathroom was a bit small, and thought the room itself was plenty big for the two of us, it would be tight for a family of 4. The bad thing about Value Resorts is that they are situated farther from the parks, but the bus rides are really convenient (they come around every 20 minutes), and it was a relief not having to worry about car rentals or directions or parking.

And Visited ALL the Parks…

We spent two days at Epcot (really a day and a half because we just had to take a nap after a night of not sleeping on the plane), and a day each at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom was absolutely magical. The Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, but it just seemed… even more magical. Cinderella’s Castle was bigger, and at night, the entire castle was aglow in lights. Then at night, it started “snowing” – small bubbles that floated down from the sky and made you feel as if you were in a winter (but still not too cold) wonderland. We saw so many shows and fireworks at all the parks, including Hollywood Studios, where we caught an extreme stunt show and saw the big fireworks show Fantasmic.

Animal Kingdom is what your zoo would be like if it had billions of dollars, hundreds of acres of land, and the Disney marketing machine at it’s disposal. It’s the park that is most unlike any of Disney’s other parks. It’s also the largest park in terms of sheer size. CB and I did pretty much everything in the park in one day, but a family with young children who really wants to see all the attractions might be better off spending 2 days here.

I loved the Kilamanjaro Safari ride – we saw real animals (rhinos, giraffes, ostriches) lounging about. The experience made me want to go on a real African safari (like Madame X did). Better start saving! We had buffet dinner at Tusker House – it was okay. Probably the least memorable meal of the trip, although the food was good enough. We also went on the Dinosaur ride – we were sent off to retrieve a dinosaur and of course run into all sorts of adventures on the ride. A nice lady just gave us her FastPasses because she couldn’t use them, and so we zipped through the lines in less than 10 minutes.

How to explain Epcot - it’s a huge park, made up of two areas FutureWorld and WorldShowcase. It was CB’s favorite park. The FutureWorld portion is devoted to space travel / technology themed rides. We went on the Test Track ride and Mission Space ride (where CB swears it’s at least 4 G’s). It’s so fun to just walk around and see the small buildings of each nation in WorldShowcase. The Mexico spot was house inside a giant pyramid, and we took a boat ride that featured Donald Duck as a singing caballero.

You can buy wine at Italy and France, beer in Germany, and sake in Japan. We saw many adults holding plastic wine glasses… the funny (though not unexpected) thing is, they were mostly the harried parents of young children. Disney offers something for everyone! Epcot also has the best restaurants of any of the parks. There are several excellent sit-down places, especially at the France, Italy, and Japan spots.

At night, over the large lake in the middle of the park, is a fireworks show called IllumiNations. On Christmas Day, we watched the fireworks from our table at a French bistro in “France.” Then CB whipped out a pair of beautiful brio earrings. It was a Christmas present – he had went back to the store by himself after we looked at it in the store because he saw how much I loved the earrings. There, you see, Disney World can be tres romantic!

For our last proper sit-down meal at Epcot, we went to Teppan-Edo. It was most entertaining meal I’ve had at Disney World. Our chef was a petite Japanese girl – she was hilarious. I ordered sirloin steak and shrimp – both were grilled to perfection. Then CB ordered a ginger chocolate carrot cake and I ordered green tea pudding. Both were good, but the green tea pudding was exceptionally rich and creamy. It was so so delicious that CB kept stealing bites.

Where We Ran Around Like Kids…

Disney World has a lot of romantic and picturesque spots, but aside from the romance, it’s just fun to act like kids for a while. We even took pictures with many Disney characters – Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger.

Plus, if you are only in a party of 2, you can zip through everything quickly. It’s easier to get everyone up and ready and be the first ones in the park in the morning (when you can get through 2 rides in less than an hour), and for many attractions you’ll be sitting in front because a party of 2 is the easiest number to slot in different rides. We sat in the front on 5 or 6 rides and have skipped over 10+ people on a few rides because they all had larger parties and there were 2 seats open.

And For That We Paid A High, But Not Unreasonable, Price…

Aside from our package costs, we really didn’t buy anything else while at the park. We purchased 2 rain ponchos for $16 total our first day there because it was raining (it was an oversight on our part, we could’ve gotten the ponchos for much cheaper at home). Then in Italy, CB bought us two small chocolates for $2. We spent ~$70-$80 on tips (you have to tip, even at buffets).

We probably spent another $20-$25 on magazines, snacks, drinks for the trip and at the airport. So Disney World is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be unaffordable, especially if you consider that we went during THE most expensive time of the year (between Christmas & New Year’s) and our cost included $1,200+ in airfare for the two of us.

But It Was So Worth It…

If you go during less busy seasons, or if you live closer to Orlando, you can easily knock off $400-$800 per person. But I have to say that nobody does Christmas like Disney World does. The lights were amazing. The whole place was just infused with this sense of – cliche to say – holiday magic. Plus, Orlando in December is nice and cool, and there is no threat of hurricanes!

We took thousands (yes, literally!) of pictures during our 5 days there. Now we’re in the process of culling the pictures down to a more manageable 200 or so that we can put together in a photo album. One more thing – if you can avoid checking any luggage, do so! It was great breezing through check-in with only our carry-ons when there was a huge line for all the passengers checking luggage. For the 5 days, I basically lived in 3 pairs of pants and 2 jackets / sweatshirt.

Bottom-line, I had an absolutely wonderful time at Disney World.

We are already talking about going back! (In ten years, when hopefully we can afford to stay at a Deluxe hotel. CB likes the Contemporary Resort while I would love to check out the Wilderness Lodge).

A lot of people think of Disney World as primarily a family vacationing spot. It’s true, Disney really goes out of its ways to make things easier for parents and more memorable for young children, but Disney World is also a really good place for couples. It’s the perfect place for our first big vacation together. Once you’ve paid for the trip – especially if you buy the Dining Plan, you don’t have to worry about anything. You’ll eat pretty well and with A LOT of food. Everything is taken care off – transportation, meals, all the entertainment within the parks. Disney Resort is a well-oiled machine!

image source: babble.com

Walt Disney World Dining Plan Review: Worth The Money?

Written by WellHeeled on December 30, 2009 · 8 Comments

This post was Consumeristed! Woo.

I’m back from the Most Magical Place on Earth! It was a wonderful trip, and the food was surprisingly good – I’ve always associated theme parks with run-of-the-mill, overpriced fast food, but I’ve had a couple of really amazing dining experiences (albeit still with the Disney premium) at Disney World. Because food is such an important part of any vacation, let’s talk about a review of the Disney Dining Plan.

For my first trip to the Disney World Resort, boyfriend and I have decided to purchase the Disney Dining Plan (a feature available to guests staying within a Disney World Resort hotel). Would we do it again? As you’ll read on, although overall I was fairly happy with the plan, I have to say…. there are a few caveats.

Mickey Waffle 300x238 Walt Disney World Dining Plan Review: Worth The Money?

Mickey is magically delicious!

Basic Dining Plan Information

We got the Basic Dining Plan (there are also Dining Plans a few tiers up, which offered more options but of course also cost more), which gives 1 Quick Service meal, 1 Table service meal, and 1 Snack per person, per day. The fee was $40 per person, per day. We spent 5 days at Disney World, so our total Dining Plan cost was ~$400. The Disney Dining Plan includes taxes but not tips or alcoholic beverages.

Quick Service = counter-service meal (think fast-food / food cart entree combo types) + 1 drink + 1 dessert. Usually around $10 - $20.
Snack = 1 dessert, drink, or pastry. Usually around $2 – $5.
Table Service = sit-down meal (entree + 1 dessert + 1 drink) or a buffet. Usually around $30 - $45.

Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth The Money?

If you select an expensive table service dinner (above $40), you will usually come out ahead of the Plan than if you had purchased the exact same meals not on the Dining Plan. But you’ll see that the Plan is very heavy on dessert – if boyfriend and I were purchasing our meals with cash, we wouldn’t be getting a dessert with every. single. meal.

That is one of my biggest problems with the Dining Plan – it would be much more convenient if we can choose either an appetizer OR a dessert with the Quick Service or the Table Service meal.

The first day we were there, we had dinner at Les Chefs de France, where we selected a prix fixe menu for $37 (soup + entree + dessert) and a drink (~$3). Total for the two of us including tax came out to around $85+. This means that we made back our $40/person Dining Plan fee that day. The last day at Disney World, we ate at Teppan-Edo, another delicious meal that cost us $80+. The other dinners during our stay ranged from $60-$75. Those days we probaly went $5 or $10 above the $40 / per person Dining Plan fee.

To truly take advantage of the Dining Plan, you MUST make advanced dining reservations (ADRs in Disney parlance). People make these reservations several months ahead of time. I made our reservations about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of time, and had to settle for very early (4pm) or late (9pm) dinners because all the other times were taken already. While at Disney World we’ve encountered many families turned away from sit-down restaurants because all the spots were taken. The chances of you getting a walk-in table is very very slim.

If you don’t have an ADR, you won’t come out ahead for the day in terms of Dining Plan costs because basically you will have forfeited your Table Service meal for a second Quick Service meal.

Was the Disney Dining Plan Enough Food?

YES! One thing you don’t have to worry about while on the Dining Plan is going hungry! We were quite stuffed during our trip - good thing we did a lot of walking, or else I might not have been able to fit in the airplane seats on the way back. If you’re not big eaters, two people can even split a Quick Service meal for lunch and be comfortably full.

In Summary: Disney Dining Plan Worth the Money But with Caveats

The biggest benefit of the Dining Plan is the fact that your meals are prepaid and you don’t have to worry about not going to nice sit-down dinner because of money. The Dining Plan is convenient, and, as a big dessert person, I have to say that I did appreciate the fact that we could get desserts with every dinner (although I would’ve preferred the choice to select appetizers).

If you decide not to get the Disney Dining Plan, but you still want to have nice sit-down dinner at the Parks, you won’t save much money – if any – money. A sit-down dinner will cost at least $30 per person, and a fast food lunch will be close to or over $10.

If you are willing to forgo the sit-down meals (i.e. no Table Service), however, you can probably save a little bit compared to the Dining Plan. Assuming 2 counter service meals (i.e. Quick Service) and 1 snack / water a day at $25-$30, you can save $10-$15 a day, per person, compared to the $40 / per person Disney Dining Plan fee. However, for that marginal amount of savings, I’d rather forgo eating out at home and be able to splurge a little on vacation at Disney World.

image source: disneydreaming.com

Paid off My Disney World Trip (aka My Most Expensive Vacation Ever)

Written by WellHeeled on November 25, 2009 · 13 Comments

When CB and I booked our trip to Disney World, we put the entire amount on my credit card so I can get the points. Then CB transferred his portion of the travel costs to my checking account.

So a few days ago I paid my credit card bill (which was much higher than usual because of the ~$3,200 Disney-related costs), but it feels so good to get that out of the way and know that we’ll only have incidentals to worry about on our trip. This trip (around ~$1,500 for my portion) will the most expensive trip I’ve ever gone on by myself. It will also be the most expensive trip CB has ever gone on.

But this is why I think Disney was the right vacation spot for our first big trip together:

Last night, as we were driving on the freeway, CB had this HUGE smile and said, “I am so excited!” And without even skipping a beat, I told him, “I know what you’re excited about about!” Then we both just sort of blurted out, “Disney World!” (and in a Disney movie, this is when our car would suddenly transform into a magic carpet and we would glide off into the clouds, singing a rendition of A Whole New World).

And yes, that is how excited we are. And that’s what makes an expensive vacation worth the price.

What’s the most expensive vacation you’ve ever went on? Give me details!

Disney World’s Money Magic: What We’ve Spent So Far

Written by WellHeeled on November 11, 2009 · 14 Comments

Disney World promises to deliver the magic – what’s also magical is how effective Mickey & Co is at getting money out of my wallet. Our Disney adventure has already cost us $3,198.56, and we haven’t even set foot in Orlando yet.

Costs Already Paid

$1,828.16: Disney package including 5-day base ticket, 5-night stay at a Value Resort, 5-day basic dining plan, and travel insurance.
$1,370.40: Plane tickets including cost of $300 to change flights.

Costs Planned But Not Yet Incurred

$50: Tips. We will be having 4 sit-down dinners (and one buffet). Assuming an average of $30 per sit-down dinner per person, and 20% tip, our total amount for gratuity should be ~$50. (Disney dining plan does not cover tips).
$50: Miscellaneous food items / airport items, etc. We’ll try not to spend this much, but things happen.
$65: 2 photo books of our magical memories from Blurb or Shutterfly – one for me and one as a gift for CB.

Costs We Don’t Plan To Incur

Checked luggage: United charges $15-$20 for the first item you check. Not unreasonable, but just not something we’ll be paying for. 2 pieces of carry-on should be enough for me for a 5 day-trip. I just have to make sure I bring good walking shoes and a jacket and sweater.
Souvenirs: Mickey Ears, stuffed animals, sweatshirts, etc. – I’ll be happy to forgo these items so I can save money to do the photo books.

Given that we are going to Disney World during what is arguably the most expensive time of the year (the week between Christmas and New Year’s) and the scheduling snafu, I think we’ve done the best we could in keep costs down.

And on the “bright” side – all those holiday lights and decorations will be at the Resort! I’m guessing it will be – oh what’s the word – magical.

Disney Dining Plan @ Disney World

Written by WellHeeled on November 9, 2009 · 7 Comments

CB and I both decided to get the basic Disney Dining Plan (1 snack, 1 quick service, 1 table service credit per day, for about $40 per person, per day) for our stay at Disney World this Christmas. Apparently, some restaurants at Disney World fill up so quickly that reservations are needed 90 to 180 days in advance. *blink* I didn’t even know I was going to Disney World three months ago!

Fortunately, I was able to quickly book a few dinners for two through our Disney Dining Plan. Our times are either a bit early (4pm) or a bit late (9pm), but I was pleasantly surprised that not everyone was as gung-ho as I’d thought and so there are still spots open for us latecomers! So far, I’ve made reservations at Les Chefs de France in Epcot, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios, and Crystal Place at Magic Kingdom. Still have to make a reservation for Animal Kingdom and our second night at Epcot.

We decided that we will be using our table service credit for dinner to get the most bang for our buck. We also decided to forgo signature dining experiences or character dining (two types of dining / restaurants that would require 2 table service credits per dinner per person). If we want to do character dining, i.e. having dinner with Mickey, we’d have to spend 2 table service credits per dinner, per person. I love Mickey, but I love food more. So, no thanks!

I am really glad we decided to get the Disney Dining Plan. The plan takes a lot of the pressure off for trying to figure out where to eat and what our dining budget is. For breakfast and lunch we’ll be relying on the quick service and snack credits – I also plan on bringing crackers and some non-perishables (canned tuna, anyone?) to make quick and easy snacks in the hotel room.

P.S. Learning how to plan a vacation at Disney World is like learning another language. Disney World must be special – instead of calling reservations plain ol’ “reservations”, it must be called “Advanced Dining Reservations” (ADRs).

P.P.S. My post on Disney World is up at the 230th Carnival of Personal Finance. Thank you to host Canadian Finance Blog for including it.

The Ordeal of My Disney World Vacation Planning

Written by WellHeeled on November 3, 2009 · 8 Comments

Wait. You mean this isn’t a Disney movie?

Okay then, well, let me tell you how planning really went down.

Planning Take 1

The first steps were really smooth. I searched for our plane tickets through kayak.com and bought a pair of United tickets. CB and I did our own research, pricing different options, including staying off-Disney Resort at a Downtown Disney hotel.

Then I got an online quote from Small World Vacations, a specialized Disney-certified travel agency that were recommended by MouseSavers.com. The SWV quote came out to be a few hundred dollars lower than anything comparable we could’ve cobbled together. So I booked my trip through the agency. Best of all, the service is free.

I have never worked with a travel agent before – but I am SO GLAD I did this time (you’ll see exactly why in a few moments). There are so many different types of vacation packages, dining plans, ticket options that I wanted to have a professional in my corner. My agent was friendly and knowledgeable. She didn’t try to upsell us. There was no pressure, just a lot of helpful information. I liked that.

Planning Take 2

Then, today, after our tickets and packages were booked, CB called me to let me know that he got his vacation dates mixed up by a week. *blink* So that’s when I went into the Rescheduling Mode. United charges $150 a person to change / cancel a flight (not to mention their automated voice recognition system annoyed the heck out of me). I managed to rebook us on a flight that is cheaper than our original flight, but with the change fee the flights came out to be around $70 more than our original cost.

Then, the package cost more too, because of the difference in dates. So, the grand total of our vacation will come out to be $3,400. CB very nicely offered to pay for the change fees, so I think my part will be slightly less at $1,600. The trip is still doable, and I’m still excited. This was just a snafu that fortunately got resolved with some (but not insurmountable) mental stress and financial pain.

Why I Am Glad I Worked With Small World Vacations

My agent at Small World Vacations was great. She immediately called Disney and rescheduled our package and managed to get the $50 Disney change fee waived. Having a professional Disney planner working with me helped me stay calm. I don’t want to imagine trying to navigate the Disney system on my own. Now that all this planning is done, I am going to start daydreaming about the lovely sit-down dinners we’re going to have.

Moral of the Story

Make sure of your vacation dates before you book. And I highly recommend Small World Vacations. At least one good thing came of this change in schedule – we’ll be spending Christmas Day at Disney World!

Disney World in December will be a Christmas to Remember

Written by WellHeeled on November 3, 2009 · 17 Comments

Did you know that Disneyland in Anaheim, California is known as ‘The Happiest Place on Earth” while the Magic Kingdom park at Disney World in Orlando, Florida is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth”?

couples in love at disney world copy Disney World in December will be a Christmas to Remember

Money Can Buy Me Magic

This Christmas, CB and I will be heading to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the magic that only the corporate juggernaut Walt Disney Company can manufacture. And yes, I am checking one off my You Only Live Once travel list.

Let’s Talk Money

The costs will run $2,800-$3,000 for the both of us. We got a 5-day ticket, 5-night hotel stay package at an Value resort including a dining plan for ~$1,400. Plane tickets were ~$1,200 (we splurged for an red-eye with no layovers). Add in travel insurance, allowances for tip, transportation between from home to airport, and miscellaneous costs, I estimate the total cost should come in under $1,500 per person. For planning, I’ve found that mousesavers.com is extremely helpful – it’s a great resource if you’re a Disney fan like me!

Obviously, this is a big, big travel expense. I don’t know if this is the wisest financial decision – I mean, I don’t see how I can argue that it is. I am still job-hunting and thus still income-less (aside from some freelancing). Before I was laid off, I’ve earmarked money for a “big” vacation for 2009. And then I got spooked by the economy and had to study for the GMAT and decided not to do it. (and I really can’t imagine how much Suze Orman would rip me a new one for going to Disney World while unemployed).

***Okay, true story: I was actually a little apprehensive about writing on my decision to go on an expensive trip right now because of what happened with Krystal and the car. But after balancing many considerations (personal, financial, timing, etc.), I’ve decided that Disney World is an okay decision for me. If you disagree, please don’t be too harsh!

Disney World certainly isn’t the lowest-cost destination we could’ve picked (think Vegas, Mexico, Grand Canyon). So we are doing things as cheaply as we could given certain parameters: (1) we’ll be going during the expensive Christmas season, (2) we want to stay at a Disney Resort hotel to take advantage of extra park hours and ease of transportation (we won’t have a rental car), (3) we are getting a dining plan.

The Bottom Line

Despite the big financial commitment, I am so, so, incredibly excited about this trip. This will be our first big vacation together, and probably will be our last vacation until CB comes to visit me in China in 2010 (more details will be forthcoming on that front as plans are firmed up – but in short, there’s a very very high chance I’ll be working abroad in a few months). I don’t know anyone else my age who’d be as excited about Disney World as CB is – I am so happy we’re going together.

When I get back, I’ll be sure to do a detailed write-up of Disneyland costs.