Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

Update: the 2017 deal is out, see this for details.

Free Dining is the favorite deal of many Disney World fans, and I get questions about it all the time.

In an unusual attempt to actually provide good answers, a while ago I put heads together with DISboards.com legends Smitch425 (Sarah) and Black562 (Joe Black–Joe’s also on Facebook here; Sarah’s shy).

We–well, mostly they–came up with the following FAQ. I’ve updated it for 2017, including the February price increase.

WHAT IS FREE DINING AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Q: What is free dining?
A: Free dining is a Disney World deal where, if you buy other stuff, you can get one of the Disney World dining plans for free. Most recently, eligible folk staying at an eligible value resort have gotten the quick service dining plan for free, and those staying at eligible moderate or deluxe resorts have gotten the regular dining plan for free. In 2017, moderates will get the quick service plan.

Q: Is this a big deal?
A: For many families, it really is. The regular Disney Dining Plan costs $69.35 for people ten or over, and $24.95 for kids 3 to 9.

So a typical family of four with one younger kid and one older who would have otherwise paid cash for the dining plan will save more than $230 per night.

In the 2016 deal, you had to buy a Park Hopper or Water Park and More add on to your tickets to be eligible for free dining.  For 2017, I expect the requirement to be to buy the Park Hopper or even Park Hopper Plus. If you hadn’t planned on buying one of these, you have to deduct the extra costs from your free dining savings to see if it’s a good deal still. The hopper cost is $64 to $80 per person (not per night) extra, depending on the length of the ticket.

Savings are less but still substantial for the quick service plan that’s free for value resort stays (and, perhaps, moderates in 2017)—at $48.19/20.88, the same family would save $165/night.

Q:  Blah blah blah on that typical family–how much would my family save?
A: See the tables below (as always on this site, click them to enlarge them):

Q: Is it the best deal?
A: Not always.

The value of any deal is the difference between it and your next best option. Room rate deals are usually out for the same dates as free dining, and for some families—especially smaller families with younger kids staying at more expensive deluxe resorts—the room rate discount saves more money than free dining.

The least expensive Grand Floridian rooms during September 2017 at 30% off generate savings of about $190-215 a night. From Regular Plan part of the chart above, you can see many family types will do better here at 30% off than they would from free dining, especially if they had not been already planning to buy a hopper.

Q: What’s the Disney Dining Plan, anyway?
A: See this!

HOW TO GET FREE DINING

Q: OK, I’m sold. Now what?
A: In 2016, the deal came out in late April, and a lot of resorts sold out almost immediately.

You have to be willing to stay at an eligible resort, with an arrival date within the announced deal’s eligible dates, for likely a minimum of three (or four) nights, and you likely will have to buy a minimum of two days of tickets for all in the room 3 and older.

Q: I already have a reservation just like that! Will Disney automatically convert it to the deal?
A: Disney don’t do nothin’ automatically.

If you already have a reservation, to get the deal if/when it is offered you have to try to change your reservation online, or call and change your current reservation, or make a new free dining reservation online and then call when that’s set to cancel your old reservation.

Q: Tickets? But I already bought tickets!
A: That’s a whine, not a question.

But yes, to be eligible for free dining, a new minimum 2 day Magic Your Way hopper or hopper-plus likely will be required for each person on the reservation age 3 and up.

However, you can save your tickets for a future trip–multi-day Magic Your Way tickets bought in 2017 which have not been activated by first use will remain valid until 12/31/2018, and even after that can have their value credited to new tickets.  Annual Pass holders can use the un-activated extra 2 day ticket toward renewal costs when it is time to renew. Or you can just use both tickets to get 6 FastPass+ per day.

Q: Are all resorts and rooms in the deal?
A: All recent Disney World deals have excluded some resorts and room types—mostly those for which demand is high enough that no deal is needed to get heads in beds at full prices.

Recently, most commonly excluded have been Little Mermaid standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, All-Star Movies, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and one or the other of the Port Orleans resorts, most commonly French Quarter. This year, because of construction at both Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs, I would not be surprised [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Shades of Green, see this.)

THE POOLS AT SHADES OF GREEN RESORT

There are two pools at Shades of Green:

• The Magnolia pool, closer to all Palm wing rooms and about half of Magnolia Wing rooms, and
• The Mill Pond pool, closer to the other half of Magnolia wing rooms

Each has a few distinct features–including some added recently–but either is a great choice for most visitors.

The Magnolia pool is the only one with a hot tub; the Mill Pond pools the only with a pool slide and near a playground and arcade–and right next door to Evergreens!

THE MAGNOLIA POOL AT SHADES OF GREEN

The Magnolia pool is to the right and down as you cross from the lobby to the Magnolia wing. On the map it’s near the top, just a little left of center.

This U-shaped pool was extensively redeveloped in 2013. It now features a zero-entry area (at the bottom of the image) and a hot tub (at the top).

Here’s a closer view of the hot tub.

Although the Magnolia pool has a slight feel of “the pool for adults,” with its basketball hoop (on the right), pool volleyball net and other features, kids find it fun as well.

The Magnolia pool at night.

THE MILL POND POOL AT SHADES OF GREEN

The Mill Pond pool is at the far end of the Magnolia wing (it’s the Mickey-head-shaped pool at left on the map), right next to Evergreens.

It has two pool slides…

…one for bigger kids…

…and one for littler ones that also has a splash play area.

Just outside the pool fences you’ll find this playground…

…and inside the building that also contains Evergreens, this arcade.

The Mill Pond pool at night.

The arcade, playground, slides and water play area make the Mill Pond pool feel a little more like the family pool. But you will find many adults here as well.

My advice: try them both!

USING THE AMENITIES AT SHADES OF GREEN EVEN IF YOU AREN’T STAYING THERE

This review continues here. 

PAGES:  Previous |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  Next

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF SHADES OF GREEN

• Overview of Shades of Green
• Photo Tour of a Standard Shades of Green Room
• Amenities at Shade of Green
• The Pools at Shades of Green
• Using Shades of Green’s Amenities Even if You Aren’t Staying There

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(For the first page of this review of Shades of Green, see this.)

AMENITIES AT SHADES OF GREEN RESORT

The scope of amenities at Shades of Green is comparable to what you’ll find at a Disney deluxe resort.

You won’t find fun transport, water sports or a beach–which you will find at all Disney deluxes except the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

And there’s no fine dining.

But you will find pretty much everything else you’d find at a deluxe, and much more than what most moderates except Coronado Springs offer.

Moreover, unlike any Disney resort except Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, you are in the middle of championship-quality golf opportunities, one course (the Magnolia) with its clubhouse just minutes away.

Shades of Green has two accommodation wings with a lobby in the middle. See the map–and as always on this site, click it to enlarge it.

Most amenities are near the lobby, and most of the rest are in the older Magnolia wing.

In the center area you’ll find the check in location.  There’s also a cute little area to entertain the kids or your other brother Darryl while check-in is happening.

The lobby decor otherwise has a nice woodsy feel…

…and the fireplace was a nice touch in our cooler January/February visit.

At the Magnolia side of the lobby you’ll find the Java Cafe.

This combines former options for coffee, ice cream and drinks.

Downstairs from here are two of the principal dining options at Shades, the Garden Gallery…

…and Mangino’s.

Go downstairs, outside and towards the Palm wing, and you’ll find the workout area.

Also downstairs–but reached from outside the lobby entrance, near the valet parking drop off–is the bus stop. On the way to the bus stop is the Express Cafe.

Back upstairs in the lobby area, if you head towards the Magnolia wing you’ll find more services.

This includes a gift shop…

…with all kinds of stuff, from beer (alcohol can only be bought with a military ID) to souvenirs.

Between the shops is a location where you can buy attraction tickets.

At minimum, you won’t have to pay taxes. Many tickets are heavily discounted beyond this–though typically not Disney World tickets. The best current deal for Disney tickets is the Armed Forces Salute for 5 day passes.

Further down the Palm wing you’ll find both pools (more on these later), the Magnolia spa…

…and the Magnolia yoga center.

Keep going and you’ll find the Evergreen sport bar…

…and these tennis courts.

DINING AT SHADES OF GREEN

The good news about dining at Shades of Green is that there’s tons of options–everything that you will find at any Disney resort except fine dining–and all are at prices better–sometimes much better– than  you’ll find elsewhere at Disney World.

There’s so many options that Shades provides a chart laying out what they are and their hours (specifics may be different on your visit).

The bad news is that nothing is particularly special or reliable except for the breakfast buffet at the Garden Gallery.

Some observations:

Room service is much less expensive than you’ll find in most hotels. You won’t find room service at all in Disney’s value resorts, and only at Coronado Springs among its moderates.

The three main dining venues are

• Evergreens, back by the Mill Pond Pool, similar to a sports bar
• Mangino’s, a classier restaurant, but not remotely on par with the fine dining you’ll find at most of Disney’s deluxe resorts like Jiko and the California Grill
• The Garden Grill, serving a great breakfast buffet but a weaker dinner buffet–check what’s available in the dinner buffet before you decide to eat here.  In particular it had the weakest salad bar I’ve seen outside the dining hall at Boy Scout summer camp

Beyond these, the Java Cafe (lobby) and Express Cafe (near the bus stop) are worth noting as places to get grab-and-go stuff.

For more on dining at Shades of Green, see this.

THE POOLS AT SHADES OF GREEN RESORT

This review continues here!

PAGES:  Previous |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  Next

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF SHADES OF GREEN

• Overview of Shades of Green
• Photo Tour of a Standard Shades of Green Room
• Amenities at Shade of Green
• The Pools at Shades of Green
• Using Shades of Green’s Amenities Even if You Aren’t Staying There

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

PETER DOMINICK JR. AND THE WILDERNESS LODGE

By Jim Korkis

Hundreds of thousands of people have contributed to the magic of Walt Disney World over the last four decades.

Most of their contributions are anonymous, a tradition started by Walt Disney himself in order to reinforce the “Disney” brand.

However, during the era of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, noted architects were recruited and publicized.

They expanded the vision of Walt Disney World and were given prominent recognition in all the publicity associated with their buildings.

“In our architecture, Disney continues to produce the kind of groundbreaking entertainment that keeps the Disney name magical to people around the world. Our architecture is part of the show,” said Eisner in August 1992 at the ground-breaking ceremony for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge resort.

Peter Dominick Jr., who headed the Urban Design Group of Denver, Colorado and was an avid outdoorsman, had been commissioned to design the upscale Wilderness Lodge resort near the Magic Kingdom.

Dominick was well known for having a great passion and understanding of the building traditions of the Rocky Mountain West.

As part of their research for the Disney resort, Dominick and members of the Disney Development Company visited lodges at Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

Dominick’s primary inspirations for the Wilderness Lodge were clearly the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Natural Park and the Awahwanee Lodge in Yosemite National Park that are referenced in the final design.

“(Disney’s Wilderness Lodge) does, in fact, capture the spirit and sense of place one associates with our National Parks, icons of our American heritage …with their art, architecture and dramatic landscapes,” stated Dominick.

“There are romantic and endearing qualities associated with the early national parks movement—the Northwest, the Native Americans, the great lodges. All of these elements have been combined in wonderful detail, creating a unique wilderness experience.”

Dominick was inspired by Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, who insisted on using whatever building materials were indigenous to an area in building a hotel so that it blends all aspects together and becomes more organic to the setting.

This style was known as “rustic architecture”. The concept was that art, architecture and landscape should be fully integrated in the design and construction of the building.

Dominick set out to create a log hotel from the early 1900s in the Northwest Rockies incorporating authentic Native American elements, natural lightning and wherever possible traditional building materials like natural limestone.

Eighty-five loads of lodgepole pines were harvested from “standing dead forests” (meaning the trees had been killed from a natural cause, like insects) in Oregon and Montana to build the resort. No living trees were chopped down to create the lodgepoles. Stretched end to end, they would be forty miles long.

The wood floor in the lobby is composed of Brazilian cherry, white oak, bird’s eye maple, and burl walnut.

Only the rockwork is fabricated, using gunite. Real rocks were used to create molds for cement that was later spray painted to look like granite or sandstone. So don’t take it for “granite”.

Dominick’s work on the Wilderness Lodge was so well received by guests and critics that he went on to also design the Animal Kingdom Lodge at WDW and The Grand Californian in Anaheim for the Disney Company. Dominick passed away at the age of 67 in 2009.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And for more on Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and its theming, see this.

Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis! In the meantime, check out his books, including The Vault of Walt, Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South?, and The Book of Mouse, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

MORE DISNEY WORLD HISTORY POSTS FROM JIM KORKIS

• “Summer Magic” on Main Street
• Muppets and Mama Melrose
• Peter Dominick and the Wilderness Lodge
• Dixie Landing and Port Orleans Riverside
• The History of Splash Mountain
• The First Disney World Hotel
• The “Sharing the Magic” Statue
• The First Disney World Monorails
• The Water Park River Country
• The Epcot Fountain
• The Fireplace at the Wilderness Lodge
• Sid Cahuenga at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Spaceship Earth
• Downtown Disney
• The Missing Resort Hotels
• Echo Park and Echo Lake
• Typhoon Lagoon

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My friend Allison had a chance to try out the new breakfast offering at the Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest. Here’s her report!!

BREAKFAST AT BE OUR GUEST

By Allison

One of the most popular restaurants at Disney World is Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom. Until recently this restaurant served only lunch and dinner. A few days ago, Disney opened this restaurant to include breakfast.

We know a lot of guests were really excited about this new breakfast, so I grabbed my own family and headed off to Magic Kingdom. I have dined at Be Our Guest many times for lunch and dinner and was anxious to try the breakfast.

The breakfast is a counter service meal. However, it is a set price. The adult meal is $19.99 and the child meal is $11.99. This does include a beverage and a complimentary pastry plate of treats.

You select one entree from a list of menu items; including Eggs Florentine, Vegetable Quiche, Open-Face Bacon and Egg Sandwich, Croissant Doughnut, Scrambled Egg Whites, or Assorted Meats and Cheeses. For the kids, you can choose from Crepes, French Toast, Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, or Cereal.

Since this a counter service meal, you walk up to an electronic kiosk to order your food and then are escorted to an area to sit. You still seat yourself, get your own beverages and utensils.

Your MagicBand (if you have one) or “rose” (themed after Beauty and the Beast) will tell the Cast Member where to deliver your food. They do deliver your food in a very “cool” way that you can see in the video below. You do not have to bus your tables after your meal, Disney will do that for you.

During your breakfast, all three rooms are open so you can wander throughout Be Our Guest. The atmosphere and dining inside Beast’s Castle is the real fun of dining at Be Our Guest. It is truly magical! Enjoy our family’s breakfast experience at Be Our Guest, including an honest opinion.

Since we were at Magic Kingdom, we had to hit some rides, including Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Little Mermaid.

We even spent some time at the new hub in front of Cinderella Castle and saw the Easter Bunny!

What do you think of Be Our Guest Restaurant? Leave a comment below. We would love to hear about your experience!

* * * * *

Thanks, Allison!  For those of you who don’t know her, Allison has either worked or played at Disney World for the past 35 years.

She was a past Cast Member at Typhoon Lagoon and Tower of Terror.  She continued her love of Disney by starting Destinations in Florida Travel.  With over 60 agents, Destinations in Florida is considered the premier travel agency by guests, media, and the destinations themselves.

Contact Allison at allison@destinationsinflorida.com or Kelly at kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com if you would like to book your upcoming Disney & Orlando vacation.

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More details will come later, but so that you can hold the date and start yearning in your diary, here’s the scoop:

The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit co-authors Josh and me, plus the contributor of the “Jim’s Gem’s” vignettes in The easy Guide, Jim Korkis, will meet our fans–if there are any–and sign our books in April.

That’s me and Josh on the left from December, and on the right Jim as Merlin at the Magic Kingdom from a while ago.

We’ll be in Epcot outside the Liberty Inn in the American Pavilion Monday, April 20 from 7p until the line for Soarin goes down a bit.

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