Planning Archives - Magically Capable

11Mar 2024 by chicagocraftgal

Disney Dining Reservation System Major Update!

Blog, Disney, Planning, Travel, While You're There, While You're Waiting

The Disney Dining reservation system has received a major update. You can now search restaurants for up to 10 consecutive days for available dining at your desired restaurant. This is huge! (Especially for those who are annual pass holders and/or traveling with large groups like I do with my family of eight.) Break down of how the Disney Dining reservation system update works: From the Disney World page, select "Make Reservations" under the "Things to Do" tab. You are first prompted to select the number of people in your party, and the date you are interested in. Next, select what time of day you are interested in dining. At this point you’ll be able to see available times and locations for dining. Images captured from disneyworld.disney.com website Let’s say you…

25Jan 2020 by chicagocraftgal

Free Dining Dates for 2020

Blog, Planning

New this yearDisney modified its usual "Free Dining" offer to be just for kids so far this year. Disney Free Kids Dining Plan 2020 2020 Dates and resorts participating in FREE Disney Dining plan for kidsWith Disney's dining plans you can always pay the difference to get the next plan up, but you can't go down in price if you want a smaller meal plan. In other words, depending upon where you stay, it may not be as great a deal as it was in the past. Kids Free Dining is something new this year. I've been following Disney Free Dining for a number of years and this is the first time I'm seeing it offered for just kids. These plans have been Disney's way to get families to the parks…

25Aug 2019 by Tiffiny

Character Meals

Blog, Disney, Planning, Travel, While You're There

[caption id="attachment_1787" align="alignnone" width="735"] Child walking and dining with Mickey Mouse at a character meal[/caption] Character Meals-What are They? Character Meals are Disney Dining experiences where one of more characters come to your table while you are eating at a particular restaurant. It's one of our favorite ways to fill two needs with one activity--eating and character greeting. How Do I Get a Character Meal? Character meals like all other Disney table service meals require a reservation. You can make a reservation 180 days in advance. If you stay on Disney property, you can make the reservation 180 days out from the first day of your reservation. That means if you are staying for five days starting October 6, and your 180th day out is April 3, you actually can…

16May 2019 by Tiffiny

Disney Shirts

Blog, Craft Activities, Disney, Planning, While You're Waiting

Today's Throwback Thursday is a craft from 2011 and updated in 2013. While You are Waiting for Your Trip...One of the things I like to do while I wait for our trip date to draw near is make Disney-themed crafts. It's a bonus for us if they also will serve a purpose in the parks. I made matching shirts for our family. Originally I did it because I had seen the idea on social media and thought it would be really fun for us. Since then I have learned that dressing identically helps a lot in crowded locations. It makes it so much easier to spot each other. It also makes it easy when and if, despite my best efforts and constant head counting, one of my children wanders off…

07Mar 2019 by chicagocraftgal

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening Dates

Blog, Disney, Planning

[caption id="attachment_1764" width="1280" height="720"]Artist rendering courtesy of Disney Parks Blog[/caption] Just in! Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opening dates announced! The Disneyland expansion will open on May 31 and Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios expansion will open August 29! The Hollywood Studios date is a full two months before most people expected an opening (it was previously announced late fall). This is exciting, but also tempered by the fact they have divided the opening into phases. Phase II will still be late fall. No-cost reservations will be required in Disneyland May 31-June 23, 2019. No reservations are needed in Florida when it opens later in August. Additionally FastPass+ will not be an option for initial opening of Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. That may change in the future. Stay tuned for future…

07Feb 2019 by Tiffiny

Our Family’s Disney Packing Lists

Blog, Planning, While You're Waiting

Trying to find the perfect Disney packing list can be challengingBefore we left, I scoured the web for ideas for our packing list. There are a multitude of packing lists out there, but none of them really quite fit our family. Ultimate Packing List is really very good, as is this one, but I've made a few changes to it based upon our family's needs. Some of the items on the lists are overkill. Why do I need to pack a portable high chair when the restaurants have them? Do I really want to be lugging that into the park? Even when we stay off site, we use our stroller as a high chair if we need one. Also, why bring walkie talkies when I get decent cell…

01Feb 2019 by chicagocraftgal

Understanding Dining Options at Disney World

Planning, While You're There

Wanting to Eat at the Disney Parks?Then you should know there are two main types of dining options at Disney World: Quick (or Counter) Service and Table Service. What is the Difference? Quick ServiceQuick Service is the Disney Equivalent of fast food, though you can get some healthier (often premade options) depending on the establishment you are eating at. Quick Service meals require no preparation whatsoever. Hungry? Find a Quick Service restaurant, stand in line and order. (Or order online ahead of time through the Disney World app. This is an option at some, but not all Quick Service restaurants). For a list of restaurants which utilize online ordering go here. Table Service MealsTable Service meals require an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) which can happen as much as 180 days…

03Jan 2019 by chicagocraftgal

Happy New Year!

Blog, Planning, While You're Waiting

Happy New Year Everyone! The kids just got back in school, so I am hard at work again with more great tips about planning your Disney World trip. I'm still working through the vestiges of my family emergency, so hang in there with me a little while longer. I should have more new content up next week. In the meantime, head over to my Instagram to find out about a fun giveaway I'm participating in. You have a chance to win a $100 Disney gift card or PayPal cash when you enter!

22Dec 2018 by chicagocraftgal

5 Days of Christmas- Day 3: Disney Lover’s Gift Guide

Blog, Planning, While You're There, While You're Waiting

Have a Disney Lover in Your Life?Do you have someone in your life who loves all things Disney? Trying to figure out what to get for them? I've complied a list of items ranging in prices that would be thoughtful gifts this year. I'm including it as part of my 5 Days of Christmas. 1. Mickey Waffle Iron Disney fans often joke that food tastes better when it is Mickey shaped. This waffle iron helps you bring that magic home. 2. LEGO Disney Castle. This ambitious 4,080 piece LEGO set would proudly be displayed in any Disney lover's home. Standing at over 29" high, this massive set has five mini-figures and lots of fun details inside. For those who want a smaller and more affordable option, the Cinderella Dream Castle…

26Nov 2018 by chicagocraftgal

Understanding MagicBands at Disney World

Blog, Planning, While You're There

Understanding MagicBands Disney World now uses Magic Bands across all parks and hotels. They are an integral part of the park system and you'll need them to access many of the systems at Disney World. What are they? They are adjustable plastic bracelets with a unique RFID chip/radio inside them. The bands are adjustable for even small children by removing the dark grey border around them. They are battery operated. No one is quite sure how long the batteries last. Why do I need one? MagicBands link you and your party to pretty much everything around the parks. It's the key to your Disney resort hotel room, your credit card (you can opt to use it for purchases), your means of utilizing the dining plan (if you have one), your…