Category — e. What to Budget for Walt Disney World

SPECIAL DEAL FOR AND ACCESS TO “MNSSHP” AND “MVMCP” FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

My friend Steve has posted about military discounts on the two late 2013 Magic Kingdom special parties, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP).

For his scoop on military family deals on the Halloween Party, see this, and for his scoop on the Christmas Party, see this.

Steve has also worked with Disney staff to make sure that these parties don’t turn military families away because of being sold out. The details are in the links–and thanks, Steve!!!

MEMORIAL DAY 2013

And on Memorial Day 2013–God bless our fallen defenders…especially those from our local 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines…

From a different war, I ran across this yesterday from a soldier’s last letter to his mom:

“How often you will have me near you when wood smoke drifts across the wind, or the first tulips arrive, or the sky darkens in a summer storm… Think of me today, and in the days to come, as I am thinking of you this minute, not gone or alone or dead, but part of the earth beneath you, part of the air around you, part of the heart that must not be lonely.”

–Caleb Milne, killed in the Tunisia campaign May 11, 1943, quoted in An Army at Dawn.

Thank you, and God bless…

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FALL FREE DINING MEANS SLIGHTLY LONGER LINES–BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MATTER

Every year shortly after the traditional fall free dining offer comes out, I start getting questions like Katie’s about whether free dining will make the parks more crowded than my forecasts.

The short answer is “no.” Free Dining this period has been happening forever, and is thus already built into the crowd forecasts.

The longer answer is a little more complicated, but still mostly no:

• Yes, free dining increases crowds more than they otherwise would have been (though, as noted, this is already reflected in the crowd calendars). But not much. If Disney sells 30% more of its hotel capacity because of free dining, that’s on the order of 30,000 more people in the hotels per night.  But divide this across four theme parks, the water parks, Downtown Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and off days, and it’s a drop in the bucket!  And, to boldly repeat myself, this is already reflected in the crowd calendar.
• Because the free dining periods is shorter this year, it may have slightly more of a crowding effect in September 2013, as people who can do so–most can’t–move trips from the later August periods traditionally offered into September.  The effect of this is naturally capped by both the limited number of WDW hotel rooms, and resistance to taking kids out of school their first month back. Moreover, savvy travelers avoid going to Florida during the peak of the hurricane season–which (along with September being a tough time to take kids out of school) is exactly why Disney offers this deal!
• September crowds have been going up bit by bit for years now, principally because of growth in South American visitors on their “spring break” (recall that the seasons in South America are upside down). This actually has more of an impact than free dining, but it’s still small.
• Finally, because of the kick-off of Mickey’s Not-So-Halloween Party September 10, 2013 which days you go to the Magic Kingdom will really effect the level of crowds there.  See this.

Now when people like me talk about “crowds” we really mean “wait times.”

You may well see larger crowds in the streetscapes of the parks (you have larger street crowds during low-wait times, as not as many guest are in the lines!), and because of free dining, all the more fun restaurants will be booked solid.

But the wait times for rides will still be low compared to other times of the year. 

Now if you roll in at 11.30a, wait times will be high–as they always are by late morning.  Common sense and a good itinerary are still required. But wait times will still be much better than the equivalent times during the more crowded times of the year!

VICTORIA AND ALBERT’S AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Victoria and Albert’s, located on the second floor of the Grand Floridian, is Walt Disney World’s highest-priced restaurant, the only restaurant at Disney World that does not seat children younger than 10, and the restaurant at Disney World with the most strict dress code—for men, dress pants, dress shoes, collared shirts and jackets.

Astonishingly expensive (expect dinner with wine pairings for two to exceed $500 including tax and tip), Victoria and Albert’s provides an even more astonishing dining experience—one worth well more than the price. [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES COULD INCREASE AT ANY MOMENT

(This page is sponsored by my friends at Undercover Tourist.)

Universal Orlando increased ticket prices yesterday, so Walt Disney World ticket prices likely will go up any day now.

Disney World has multiple ticket packages and multiple day lengths, but I expect overall increases will range from 4.5% to perhaps as much as 7%.

Currently–this may change someday–Disney tickets, once bought, can be activated anytime without any additional payments needing to be made.  So if you buy your tickets now, and prices go up, you’ll save the difference.

My friends at Undercover Tourist, a sponsor of this site, can save you even more. Savings there vary, but can be another 3-5%.  So buy your tickets now from them and you could save 7.5% to 10% compared to buying them from Disney after the price increase!

That could save the typical family following one of this site’s itineraries more than $100!

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DO YOU HAVE A FREE DINING PIN CODE? ARE YOU SURE?

Since the September Disney World Free Dining deal was announced, Disney has been emailing lotsa people with “pin codes” for free dining for other dates in 2013.

According to one of my readers (the mysterious “B”), the eligible arrival dates are…

• 8/25 – 10/2
• 10/18 – 10/31
• 11/11 – 11/23
• 11/30 – 12/4
• 12/15 – 12/22

..and these deals need to be booked by August 15.

Lots of you have asked how to get one of these pin codes emailed to them and my answer has been consistently that I have no idea.*  Crack commenter Jennifer emailed Disney to find out, and the canned response she got was that these “are offered randomly.”

But then I got a curious report via email–crack emailer Rachel called Disney to book her dates, and, according to Rachel,  the reservationist “said ‘let me see if you have any pins.’ Then she told me there was a pin tied to my account!”

Rachel ended up moving her arrival dates so she could get the offered free dining in early December!

So the moral of the story: even if nothing has been emailed to you, you might have a 2013 free dining pin for Walt Disney World after all!

Does this mean free dining will come out for the general public for those dates? Honestly, I have no idea* on that either…but I still do doubt it.

Update:  Nichole just posted this on the Facebook page:

“I just called and they did say it was random to some extent, but that it was more likely to be offered to those that have had a recent visit.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a pin associated with my reservation.

At the end of the call she told me to watch the website closely though because if they were to extend the offer to include October reservations they would probably announce it very soon.

That gives me hope that they may extend it!”

*Oh, I have lots of ideas, but none I have any confidence in…

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DISNEY WORLD FALL 2013 FREE DINING DEAL

As expected, Walt Disney World announced today a free dining deal good for most arrival dates from September 2 through September 25. You need to book this deal by July 31.

Savings vary by resort, and not resort hotels are included in the deal.

Here’s the basics of what’s available:

Deluxes, Disney Vacation Club, and Moderates:

• Free “regular” dining plan, which gives you credits for one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack per night of your hotel stay.

Values:

• Free “quick service” dining plan, which gives you credits for two quick-service meals and a snack per night of your hotel stay.

For more on the dining plan, including how/when you can use these credits, see this.

The best-loved dining venues will book very quickly, so make your dining reservations as soon as you can!  See this for ideas, and also this.

While I’m widely booed for saying so, I expect this to be the only free dining offer for US residents in 2013.  For why, see this.

Oh, well, gotta call em as I see em!  And at least I’ll get a free breakfast out of this!

For more, see Disney’s page on this deal here.

Also today Disney World announced a room rate deal covering most arrival dates August 15 through September 28

Many smaller families aimed at more expensive hotels will save more with the room rate deal than with the free dining deal.  See this for more on this room rate deal.

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