Dining at Disney 

Emily-Anne Willey • January 28, 2019

Keep the Disney Magic, but also Keep your house!

Going to Disney is expensive. I won’t lie! We just got back from Disney World, and I am baffled by the expenses that add up in just one day of ADVENTURING. But, I wouldn’t be Adventures Made Easy, if I just wrote about how expensive traveling is! I’m here to tell you how to make it more affordable, and doable. I’m also here to make sure that you still get to experience the MAGIC that is Disney.

Here’s an example of how someone (ME) did a breakfast WRONG one morning in Disney World….We arrived from our red eye flight to our hotel. ( I love using red eye flights when traveling, especially with kids) It was 7 am and our 3-year-old was hungry. So, I walk to the hotel food court thinking I could grab something quick for the 3 of us. Well, my first mistake was taking the 3-year-old with me TO AN OPEN FOOD COURT. He has no idea that I must pay for whatever he picks out. He thinks it’s just one giant buffet! He heads straight for the pastry case. He wanted ALL THE THINGS. He proceeded to tell me he LOVED bagels. Bagels! He has never happily eaten a bagel in his 3 short years of existence. But in this moment that is all he wanted. I was not about to get a bagel (a $4 bagel mind you) so we compromised on a cup of donut holes ($4) that had a Mickey sticker. I felt it was a win because….at least they were sharable. Then we headed to the fruit case. The toddler wanted a cup of grapes, a cup of watermelon, a cup of strawberries, and even a cup of cubed cheese (again something he would not eat otherwise). I made the executive decision to go with the grapes. Again, they are sharable. I headed straight for the register (without a second look at anything else in the food court), grabbing 2 bottles of water, because have you ever tasted Florida water? It’s like they filter it through old cardboard. Anyway…. Donut holes, grapes, and 2 bottles of water………. $19!!!! I would need to mortgage my home before I headed home if I wasn’t a planner. This was $19 for what would equate to a snack for ONE PERSON at home. On top of this information…my husband and I consider ourselves “foodies”, so how the heck would we be able to afford this……for a week.

Well, like I said…I like to make Adventures Easy. I’m here to help you. Plan for you. Give you my tips so you can plan and not make this mistake either.

Before arriving at the resort, I did some research and found that I could do grocery delivery. Some resorts charge a $5 fee to hold your groceries and deliver them to your room. This is on top of the delivery fee, if there is one from the company you choose to deliver your groceries. Amazon Prime Now, Instacart, Walmart, and a few small companies all deliver to Disneyland and Disney World area resorts. I used Walmart this time because I found a free delivery code online, saving me $9. I also priced it out this time and it was about $70 cheaper than Instacart for my groceries. I did have to meet the delivery driver, rather than picking it up from the bell desk, or having it delivered right to my room. It was worth it to me on this trip, seeing as we were there for a full week. Yes, I did have to do some research in prices and delivery fees, and I did have to make sure I was at our resort during the delivery time. But, again it was worth it. If I was at Disneyland, and there for only 3 day I would probably use Instacart and have my groceries delivered by bell service. My time is worth something. I’d rather be in the parks, then at the hotel waiting for my groceries.

So, what did I get from the grocery store? I bought bottled water, soda, Powerade, juice, snacks to take to the parks, stuff for making sandwiches, chips, carrots, and breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, chocolate milk, granola bars, and load of fruit because my kid loves fruit. I also bought pull ups, and random toiletries that I knew we’d need for a week, and only a week. I do this because it’s one less thing I have to pack, saving me luggage space.

At this point you may be thinking…well, this doesn’t cover everything for a week of eating! To that I say, you’re right! I want to still enjoy the food of Disney. It is still part of the adventure of visiting Disney! We still eat at Disney, but we eat smarter.

Here’s how it goes…..In the morning, we have breakfast in the room. I bought breakfast items. Sometimes if the hotel has a freezer and microwave, I’ll buy those breakfast bowls and sandwiches. Those are a little more filling then a bowl of cereal and fruit. Also, if we are staying somewhere with breakfast, I won’t order those items from the grocery store.

Once we are at the park we can stop for snacks at any time. Especially if it’s a new Disney released treat, or a trusty favorite(like that mac and cheese)! Most of the time it’s only a snack though because we have a meal coming up.

Here’s my biggest tip when it comes to dining at Disney! Always schedule ONE sit down meal a day. You spend a little more to sit down, but only a little more than a full meal at a quick service location. At a quick service location, you are paying for your entrée, drink, dessert, and any ala carte items. At a sit-down location you may be paying for the same items, but you may also be eating at a buffet. You are also getting a comfortable place to sit down and be waited on. Which also means free drink refills. Many sit-down locations also have price fix menus so you are getting a 3-4 course meal. There really is just no competition. The biggest things about this tip is that you must be prepared to book in advance. Use the Disney app. Get on there 180 days before for Disney World, and 60 days before for Disneyland. I like to book my meals between 1:30-3:30. This is my family’s “sweet spot” for eating a late lunch that holds us over. Doing this always allows us to get the necessary break from the park and allows us the time to DINE DISNEY and get the magic. Yes, it’s expensive and our meals are always over $100, but it’s our MEAL for the day. When spending the day in the parks you’re going to spend the money, so I believe it might as well be on something good. Something that isn’t a burger, or nuggets and fries that are all over the park. My only complaint is (that I still haven’t found a solution for) that my son is only 3! If we eat at a buffet, we are spending between $30-$50 for him to eat. I never feel like his meals justify the cost, but until I figure out a solution……I absorb the cost as part of the experience since most of the time it’s a character meal where he gets to meet someone cool without having to wait in a forever long line.

For the remainder of the day, and night we stop for snacks or eat the snacks we brought. At the end of the night, after we are done at the park we head back to the resort where we can have sandwiches, chips, and carrots if we are hungry. If we are still super hungry, then we will order a pizza.

This is all “best case” scenario, but sometimes our MEAL reservations are for dinner, or breakfast. In these cases, we always do our best to eat away from the parks. We love using Yelpfor picking fun local places. But there will always be scenarios where you have to eat more than one meal in the park. My best recommendation in that case is to use the “ order online” feature that the app offers. It makes it so much easier when you are hungry, not to have to wait in line to order your food. Plus, it takes away precious ride time.

Like all things I do to make Adventures Easy, it’s all about planning ahead. I love planning, so it comes naturally to me. If it doesn’t come naturally to you…. then, you are welcome! I’m so glad I can share these fun tips with you. I hope it makes dining in Disney a little easier on the wallet for you and your family. Also, if you have any tips for making dining in Disney with a 3 year old cheaper, I’m all (Mouse)ears.

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Disneyland's Magic Key

By Emily-Anne Willey • August 4, 2021
Alright friends, Disneyland Annual Pass Program(AP) is a thing of the past and the NEW MAGIC KEY(MK) Program has taken its place. The namesake is a throwback to the Pre-1968 coupon book that allowed guests access to any ONE ride or attraction. Free admission to the park with coupons to rides and attractions seems almost laughable now. But, this new Magic Key program is exactly what some people have been looking for since the AP program went away. The Disneyland website describes the Magic Key Reservation System as a “cornerstone components of the Magic Key program” which leads us to believe there is more to come…which we hope for....since we are already curious about MaxPass and PhotoPass. The system will be located on the same app we currently use to visit Disneyland, but with exclusive access to opportunities for Magic Key members. During this first launch of information on Magic Key we know there are a few perks to being a MK holder. MK holders will have access to discounts on food and merchandise in the parks as well as Downtown Disney, special dining experiences, access to the Magic Key Terrace with a custom menu, exclusive festival offerings, a special MK month(bringing back the hugely missed AP appreciation program), specialty merchandise, early access to events, Photopass opportunities, and exclusive embroidery options for those mouse ears. Speculation also indicates some pretty cool perks if you are a charter member. If you become a MK holder within the first 66 days(as the 66th anniversary of Disneyland occurs) you will receive a special welcome package. The package will include a specialty pin, celebratory button, magnet, and more. MK holders who enter Disneyland will also have access to a limited time experience at Starcade in Tomorrowland(starting Sept 1) with charging stations, photo opportunity, and other fun surprises. If all of this sounds amazing, you can begin purchasing your pass August 25, 2021 at 10 am PT . Remember, to be a charter member, you’ll want to buy before October 30, 2021. You’re pass won’t officially start until you use it, but you’ll want to hop onboard to be eligible for these charter member perks. It’s actually possible to purchase your pass, AND make a reservation, and be in the park as a charter member ON August 25. That’s right…you still need a reservation. Since the park opening post pandemic, you need a reservation. The new MK takes these reservations into consideration. Gone are the days(as of right now) of just deciding to drive to the parks for an evening adventure. Some of the fine print states “Theme park reservations and valid pass for the same park on the same date are required for park entry. Park reservations are limited, subject to availability, public health orders, and applicable pass blockout dates, and are not guaranteed for any specific dates or park. Additionally, park reservations may not be available on select holidays for certain theme parks at any time.” This post pandemic system also only allows park hopping after 1:00 pm(unless indicated differently in the app). Now, you have to decide which Magic Key is right for you. In true Disney fashion there isn’t just ONE magic key. You have 4 options. Let’s see what they are, and decide which one will be best for your family.

Legoland California

By Emily-Anne Willey • June 15, 2021
It's no secret that our little family is a Disney family through and through, however the last year has taught us that we can visit other places, and do other things that are NOT Disney. Why would someone do this, is beyond me(ha)...but trying other adventures outside of Disney has been fun. We decided about 6 months ago that we were going to go to California for Buddy's birthday, whether Disney was open or not. As the trip got closer and Disney was still not allowing out of state visitors, we decided to take on the challenge of having fun in Southern California WITHOUT our beloved Disney. I have always been a fan of the area, but only when in conjunction with a Disney trip. My goal was to do other fun things in the area...and we did. We visited Universal Studios, Sea World, my favorite beach(Moonlight Beach in Encinitas), and a trip to Legoland in Carlsbad, California. I have always wanted to go to Legoland, but have heard so many criticisms on when and why you should and shouldn't go to Legoland. Buddy is now 6, and according to the reviews I had read, this would be the perfect time to visit. So, we did it! We planned a proper Legoland vacation. We spent 2 days in the park, and 2 nights at the Legoland Hotel. Let me start...the Legoland Hotel is not cheap. At around $400 a night it is NOT something I would do every time, but because I had decided before we arrived that this would be our ONE visit to Legoland, I wanted to make it the best experience for our family. The hotel is meant for kids. I would happily compare it to a Great Wolf Lodge in that it caters to kids. We did visit while Covid related restrictions were still in place(so no Lego pits around every corner) and some activities had obviously been adapted, I think that we still received the standard service and experience. You stay at the Legoland Hotel, or the Castle hotel for 1 main reason....it's proximity to Legoland. Everyone who enters Legoland must walk between these 2 grand hotels. They are the perfect welcome to this Lego playland. The decor outside and inside are Brick-tastic. So many lego sculptures everywhere you turn. Our Buddy especially loved 2 fun features.....1 lego faucet, and the elevators. I don't want to ruin the elevator for anyone, but if you are staying on the 1st floor, you may want to just take a quick ride up to the 3rd floor. The rooms are also unbelievable. If you are looking for a nice calm place to go and relax away from the world of Lego, don't stay at these hotels. The room is covered in Lego features, bright wall decals, and carpet that I just kept thinking I was going to trip over. Buddy loved the cool Lego bugs, and pirates, and the monkey! The monkey is part of a scavenger hunt in your room, and around the resort. If you don't want to play, don't worry. Our "treasure chest" was unlocked. After Buddy accidentally locked it, it was easy to ask the front desk for the code again. It features some pretty cool treasure, that you can keep.

Build Your Own Adventure: Bryce Canyon

By Emily-Anne Willey • May 13, 2021
After our adventure last November , I knew we needed to plan another trip to South Central Utah. Utah really is amazing, and I was so excited to go see, and explore more. This time we decided to spend most of our time in ONE place. We decided to spend 3 nights at Bryce Canyon. We did not however ONLY see Bryce. We explored all around and had a really great time. Itinerary: 4 Days around Bryce Canyon Who: Our little family of 3(2 adults, 1 (still) adorable 5 year old) When: Early Spring 2021 (April) Details:……………………………………………………………………………………………. Day 1 : We left around 8:00 and headed down south. We decided to travel off the beaten path and left I-15 in Spanish Fork. We stopped in Price, Utah at a little diner called Farlaino’s. It is very similar to our favorite breakfast place, Penny Ann’s Café in atmosphere. They have a lot of random décor and memorabilia on the shelves and walls. Service was kind but took about an hour to get our food (there was only one other table). The food was good, and if you decide to go there…only order 1 pancake for the table. It is giant…Nothing special, but it is giant. It could feed several children and be a side for adults as well. We then drove about an hour and a half to Goblin Valley State Park. This place is amazing. We drove into the lookout and ended up spending a couple hours wandering among the hoodoos, and caves. There weren’t any designated trails in this area, but it sure was fun wandering around and climbing all over. We didn’t expect to spend 2 hours here, but it was totally worth it. We then drove to Capitol Reef National Park. I had scheduled us to do a couple little hikes and get pie. But, after spending too long at breakfast, and our 2 our adventure around Goblin Valley we ended up missing the pie and decided to just continue our drive to Bryce Canyon. We did see things in Capitol Reef from our car, and I want to go back again. We just continued our drive straight through (about 3 hours) and stopped at Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant for some dinner. It is quite possibly THE BEST place to eat around Bryce Canyon. They have tasty food, and amazing pie! Don’t miss the pie. At the end of the day, we checked into our hotel, Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel . We stayed here last time and loved it. It did not disappoint, and we’d easily stay again. They offer a hot breakfast and have a fun hot tub that we enjoyed all vacation long. Day 2: We woke up early this morning…only because our son was ready for adventures. It helped us get out the door and on the trails. We headed straight into Bryce Canyon with the intent to do one hike in the morning, and another in the afternoon. I had found several great hikes from my friends here . We ended up doing 3 hikes and were done by noon. Our first goal was the Navajo Loop. It was supposed to be 1.3 miles round trip. However, the “loop” part near Wall Street was closed, so we could have just turned around, but we decided to continue and explore. We ended up leading ourselves to the Queens Garden trail which added another 2 miles to our trail. The only problem with this is that you come out of the amphitheater at Sunrise Point, so to get back to your car you need to hike the half mile back to Sunset Point. It’s not terrible, you just must be aware that you are not making a loop. After getting back to our car we decided to do the 3-mile round trip hike to Upper Inspiration Point. All 3 of these hikes had hard moments and required several breaks with little legs. But we made several friends along the trail and one mother and daughter pair became our hiking buddies and made the trip out of the canyon so much more doable and enjoyable. Always talk to people on the trail, it’s such a great way to pass the time and make new friends. After our hikes we headed back to the hotel for some lunch and some much needed pool time. The hotel pool was closed but the hot tub was nice and big, and open. We made several trips to the hot tub and it was never too hot for our buddy. Around 7:00 we headed to Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill . I had done some research and thought this place sounded like fun. It’s a dining hall where they perform nightly country music concerts. It is a unique dining experience, and I do recommend it if you are visiting Bryce between the end of April and mid September. When you arrive, they have several fun photo ops outside. We love the face cutout walls. So much fun. When you get inside, they check your reservation, give you a paper card that identifies your meal choice (that you make during reservation), and direct you to your table. We were near the front and felt like it was a great spot to view the show. You are seated at a round table for about 8 people, so you will get to know new people if you are a smaller party. We enjoyed our table mates, as well as the show. Food is served buffet style and seemed smooth considering post covid standards. I enjoyed the pork and chicken, while my husband had the flat iron steak. The entertainment was also great. We aren’t huge country music fans, but we really enjoyed the show. My favorite was the song about Bryce being founded by a guy who lost his cow . Check out this video for my favorite song of the night. After the show we headed back into Bryce to see the night sky at the amphitheater overlook. The moon was almost full so we didn’t see as many stars as we wanted, but it was unique experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Dollywood Dreams

By Emily-Anne Willey • May 7, 2021
I believe everyone should have a bucket list , and do everything they can to make those dreams happen. I have an amazing friend who lives in North Carolina, and when I realized it was 3 short hours from Dollywood, I created a dream to visit. Dollywood has been a place I knew about, but never had a reason to travel to Pigeon Forge, TN., no matter how amazing it looked online. But, with my friend living so close, I thought...why not? We made plans to visit in June of 2020, but then Covid happened. So, we postponed. A few months ago I was deciding what to do for my birthday and April seemed like the perfect time to head to Dollywood with a couple of my favorite people. We set out on the road from North Carolina, traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains(Dolly's childhood playground), and landed in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We stayed at an adorable wood cabin, nice and close to Dollywood. The night we arrived we visited the Dolly Parton Stampede, which is like Medieval Times, but more western. The next morning we were headed for Dollywood. The current spring hours are 10-6, but closed on Tuesday and Thursday. We left our cabin around 9, got to Dollywood nice and early, parking in the B(Butterfly) lot. Many things are Dolly themed, including Butterflies, Mountains, Country Music, etc. We took a short shuttle ride to the entrance. We could have walked, but the shuttle was right there, and I was ready to start our FUN! At the end of the day we walked back to our car(it was that close). Once we arrived at the entrance there was a queue to enter the park. They started allowing people in at 9:30, but the rides didn't open until 10. Much of the park was blocked off, but we were able to take a quick restroom break and line up at our first ride! Because of course, we were here for the rides, or food, or entertainment?! Rides The rides are BY FAR the best part of Dollywood. I will happily tell you about the other stuff, but first....Rides. There are so many rides to please any age of visitor, but we rode over 10 thrilling rides! That's a lot for 1 amusement park. I'd rank them, but they are all amazing, and worth riding. One of my friends noted that the more stairs you have to climb, the better the coaster would be. With the amusement park being built in the mountains, there are lots of hills and many of the ride queues lead you up many flights of stairs. And, she's right...the best ones do have lots of stairs. I do have a couple favorites, and one that could have been avoided. So, let me start with the one to avoid(just to get it out of the way). It's called Blazing Fury, and it's an indoor coaster. An indoor coaster....my first sign it wouldn't be AWESOME. The track was speedy, but with only 2 dips it wasn't "thrilling". It would be great for little kids, maybe. Now, for my favorites..... Wild Eagle seats you on the side of the track(as if you were the wings of the eagle). It's super thrilling to look down and not see the track. Lots of fun. My second favorite is the Thunderhead . This is a fast, thrilling, wooden coaster. So much fun. I loved how fast it was, and everything amazing about wood coasters makes this a "can't miss" ride. My favorite though, and I mean possibly my favorite coaster EVER was the Lightening Rod . This ride LOOKS like a wooden coaster, but it is an incredibly fast (74 mph) steel coaster. It has fast curves, corkscrews, big drops, and crazy speed. It is currently my FAVORITE coaster, by far.

Topolino's Terrace Character Breakfast

By Emily-Anne Willey • February 25, 2021
Disney World is open, and things are DIFFERENT. The magic still exists, and that is most important. It is not the same, but it is still fun, and magical, and full of exciting things. When we visited at the end of January it was especially important to me to check out the newest Disney hotel, The Riviera Resort and see and dine at Topolino’s Terrace. Topolino’s opened with so much excitement being a sit down character meal (plus an amazing view). Seeing others visit, I knew that we would check it out on our next visit. What I did not know is that when we visited it would be during a pandemic and things would be different. Sharing my experience will hopefully give you some insight into what it is like dining at a character meal, where social distancing is enforced. Let me start with getting a reservation. Topolino’s reservation are hard to come by anytime, but during the pandemic it is super important to make your reservation right exactly 180 days before your trip. Yes, if you want to eat somewhere specific you MUST book early. With this being said, if you do not have 180 days before you travel you MAY still be able to snag a table, just keep checking the My Disney Experience website or app and hope for an opening. Another thing to note is that during a pandemic you can not have large parties sitting together. Our group was a party of 11 and I knew we would not be able to sit together. At all our dining locations we made 2 reservations (group of 5 and a group of 6). Most of the time we were able to sit near each other, which was nice. At Topolino’s it ended up being just the 3 of us, so we did not have to worry about accommodating a big group. We took an Uber from the Pop Century to the Riviera. We would have taken the skyliner, which is fun, but it planned to open at 8 and our reservation was for 7:55. Taking an Uber was super quick and not more than $10. When we arrived at the Riviera, I was flabbergasted. It is a beautiful hotel. Right when you walk in you can see all the way through out to the lake. It was easy to navigate from the lobby to the elevator. Once at the top we were checked in and took some time to admire the views. It is a beautiful restaurant itself, but the views are the reason to dine here. While you are dining, or after you can also take a visit out to the terrace for views like this.

Packing for Disney During the Pandemic

By Emily-Anne Willey • January 20, 2021
Packing for an adventure can be fun. I enjoy the organizing, planning, and the “tetris” like skills it can take to actually put STUFF in a suitcase. Packing for Disney World during a pandemic adds a whole other level of organization. I love planning, so this adventure has been unique and I can’t help share some of the things I’ve learned, discovered, and just HAVE to share. First off, I’m planning for 3 people, one of which is a tiny human. I am also planning on only using 1 carry on, and checking 1 bag for a 7 day adventure. This may seem challenging, but I’ve got this! The first thing I’ve done is decide what toiletries we will need, and see if I can bring them in carry on size, full size, or if I can put them on a grocery delivery list. Yes, some things like shampoo, soap, lotion, sanitizer, and deodorant are added to my grocery pickup. I like using grocery pickup for a few reasons, all of which can be found here . After I figure out toiletries, I get down to business. I decide on outfits(ears included). I like to lay everything out and decide what bottoms can be used multiple days, which shoes go with the most outfits, and make sure I have enough underwear for the entire trip(unless I’m planning on doing laundry while away). I also make sure to grab my swimsuit, rain jacket, and a sweater. Most months are pretty warm in Florida, but when the sun goes down it can be super chilly(especially now in January/February). Now for the more random, and pandemic period items: Spray Hand Sanitizer. I like the spray kind best and Target and Trader Joe’s have some of my favorites. Reusable and Disposable Face Masks. I like having both depending on the ride and time of day. Sometimes the heat creates MASK-cne, and nobody wants that. Battery Charger. Between checking wait times and catching a character selfie “on the dot” you’ll need a extra boost of power to get through the day. Reusable Straws. Nobody should have to deal with the terrible paper straws found Disney wide. Magic Bands . Disney is going away from using Magic Bands, and opting for phones and cards with the same features. I however prefer the Magic Bands, especially to help with no contact purchases and room entry for the whole family. That’s it! I also have random things like homework, phone chargers, water bottles, and a toy or 2 for my son. The goal though is not to go overboard on anything. The time goes so fast, and we don’t need a lot. Are there things that you would add to this list? What are your “must haves” for travel?
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