The Power of Dreams

Besides trying out the dining plan, we decided to try out Disney’s Fantasmic Dining Package as well.

Fantasmic is a night show staged at the Hollywood Studios. To get in, people start lining up two hours before show time. My family doesn’t do that sort of wait time. So, while searching for a way for us to see the show, I came across the dining package. We went to Hollywood and Vine for an early dinner. If you have small children, I’d suggest going here as it does have the characters from Playhouse Disney stop by. And even if you’re like my family, with no small children, you’ll like the food.
It is a buffet with a wide selection of food. I had delicious herb-crusted turkey, string beans, rice, and bread and apple butter. Which, by the way, is delicious. For dessert, I had some apple crisp. This was one of our favorite options on the dining plan as we could control how much we ate and not overstuff ourselves. When we were seated, our server brought us our golden ticket. Okay, yellow ticket.

Tonight We Dine…

The other day, a co-worker of mine—Joe—told me some startling news. Joe, like me, is a frequent Disney visitor. He and his wife go every November. He called Disney Dining to make reservations for their trip—exactly 90 days from their vacation. But they found out something that had surprised them and he passed it along to me.

Disney had gone back to a 180 day (6 month) window for dining reservations.

When did that change? And why wasn’t there any notice about it?

So, Friday night, my dad and I focused on making our dining reservations. We tried calling, but we were ten minutes too late—the call center shuts down at 10PM EDT/EST. But we did try the Online Booking. And I must say, it was quiet easy. You can search by a park or hotel or you can find a specific place. You can also search for restaurants that are on the dining plan. Next, you select the day you would like and a desired time to make the reservation. The system will then check to see if your time is available. If it isn’t, they will find the next available time closest to your desired one. You can book your reservation then and there and specify if there are any special dietary needs or allergies of which the staff should be warned. They give you a confirmation number to keep with you.

For those who know where and when they want to eat and do not have any questions, I would suggest you use the online booking. It’s easy and quick.

We only made two reservations online—reservations for the Liberty Tree Tavern and for the Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. We would’ve made the others, but we’re trying the Fantasmic package. My father and I felt it wiser to talk to someone for that reservation.

The next morning, I called the Disney Dining Call Center and was quickly connected to a cast member. I told her when we were going to Disney and that we wanted the Fantasmic dining package. The lady was very helpful and we were soon booked for reservations at Hollywood and Vine for the package. The cast member also helped me book the rest of our reservations for the Rose and Crown, San Angel Inn, Cape May Cafe, the Primetime Cafe, and Teppan Edo.

At the very end, I stayed on to take a survey. I felt odd answering the question “How would you rate the service you received?” Because it’s Disney, I always expect excellent service from their employees. And this one was no different.

But seriously—did anyone know that Disney had changed their reservation policy?

50 Days to Go: Disney Memories (3)

This Disney memory is courtesy of my 2004 trip, which was my class' senior trip!

On our day in Hollywood Studios, we were given dinner and group seats to the show "Fantasmic!" The dinner was not the greatest, which made me wonder if Disney chefs cooked it at all or if they brought in outside food (because seriously, that food was bad). We were a bit too high for great views (or pictures) but the show was magical itself. As the April night wore on, we got chilly. Being seniors in high school, we hadn't developed the foresight to bring our jackets with us before leaving our rooms, so we were huddling together and shivering. The ever courteous Disney staff saw this and cast members handed out table clothes for us to use as blankets. And we watched Mickey save the day, wrapped together in table clothes and happy. Upon returning to the room(s), my friends and I decided to order pizza. A few of us went to pick it up (and I went to refill my cup) and ate it in our room while we planned our next day. The teacher came to pick up our room keys so we couldn't sneak out and wished us a "good night."

A few days later, we were thanked by the same teacher for never giving her a problem as some girls had been caught sneaking out. She knew we followed the rules and made our own after hours fun in the rooms (normally planning sessions that just evolved into gabfests). Those were some of the best nights ever.