Walt Disney World Holidays – The Key to Planning Magical Mealtime on Your Disney Christmas Vacation
Are you planning a visit during the Walt Disney World holidays? A Disney vacation during the Christmas season can be especially magical, filled with fun, festivity, and good food as well. This article will focus on what you should know about meals at Disney World during this time of year, and some strategies for the best way to plan a Disney vacation to make the most of your time and dining budget.
To begin with, you need to make dining plans, because if you are visiting between Christmas and New Year’s, you will be at Disney World during the busiest time of the year. This is one time of year when you can’t really be spontaneous about eating…unless you like waiting in line for hours, or not being able to get seated at any table service restaurant at a decent time. You will be sharing the parks with many, many other people, so be prepared to plan a little ahead about your meals.
So the first tip is to make your dining plans in advance, and if you plan to have any table service meals, make your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) before you leave for Disney World. More importantly, if you are visiting during Christmas week, make them now.
It is important to understand that, when it comes to ADRs, Disney policy allows people the chance to make Advanced Dining Reservations months ahead of time, currently 180 days in advance. So this means that folks have been making ADRs for Christmas week for a long time now. The most popular restaurants and times fill quickly, especially for the big days of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day. So it is not realistic to expect to just walk up and get a table during this week: you might get lucky, but why chance it? If table service dining is something you really want to do, then don’t delay on this.
So what happens if you can’t get ADRs for any of the restaurants you want? While the popular ones at the parks may be full, chances are the ones at the hotels are not: many are wonderful, and it is a great way to see some of the fantastic Holiday decorations at the resorts. While you may not be in the thick of things, it can be nice sometimes to have a little peace and quiet, away from the crowds at the theme parks.
You can also think about eating meals at “off” times. Try having your main, table service meal for lunch instead of dinner. Eat early: lunch at 11, dinner at 5…or late: lunch at 2, dinner at 8. You may actually be able to get table service seating this way, and if you want counter service meals, the crowds are usually a little thinner this way, especially the earlier times.
Think also about the benefits of eating some meals in your room, especially if you have access to a kitchen. Having breakfast in the room is one of the easiest ways to save time and money. And believe it or not, many folks who have a full kitchen like to do their entire holiday meal in their room, turkey and all. This is a wonderful way to create some special memories…to say nothing of saving money as well.
So what is the best way to plan a Disney vacation during the Walt Disney World holidays when it comes to meals? Plan ahead. You will be rewarded with less stress for dining, and a wonderful trip filled with special holiday memories.
Nancy Bobby has been planning Disney World vacations (and doing it affordably) for over ten years, and has had 11 (and counting) family trips to Walt Disney World. To discover how to plan an affordable Disney family vacation, and to receive a free Disney vacation planning guide, visit www.theaffordablemouse.com.
