Touring the TOP OF EUROPE…

Jungfraujoch is an actually the rail station to take you to the summit of Jungfrau. However, many people will just use the term Jungfraujoch to talk about the entire journey to the top of the mountain. Jungfrau is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. At 13,642 ft above sea level, you can get quite a bit of altitude sickness from the journey but totally worth it!

The best way to get to Jungfrau is by staying in Lucerne, Switzerland. From here you can take one of many tours offered to help you get to the Top of Europe. You can start out in a motorcoach which will whisk you off to the

Lauterbrunnen rail station. Here you will board the rare cogwheel train on a 50-minute ride to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest-altitude railway station sitting 11,333 feet above sea level. Along the way, travel through the breathtaking mountain pass of Kleine Scheidegg, situated beneath the famous Eiger North Face.

The best place to view the Aletsch Glacier, Europe’s longest glacier is at the Sphinx observatory. At the observatory you can enjoy panoramic views of the mountains as far as you can see, on a clear day of course. If you are there on a day with windy conditions, you may not be able to see your hand in front of your face, see picture.

You will also want to see the “Ice Palace.” An ice maze full of fun ice sculptures. Just be careful where you are walking as it can be quite slippery. You will also want to make sure to wear a nice heavy jacket as it is cold in there.

Once you are done at the observatory you can take the subway train back down to the Lauterbrunnen rail station where you can enjoy a train ride down to see the unique and iconic town of Grindelwald. Overall, this tour will take you a good eight to ten hours, but on a clear day the pictures that you will take and the memories that you will make are priceless.

Let us help you plan your next vacation to Switzerland, give me a call at 919-606-4604 or reply to this email requesting a quote.

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Have you KISSED this?

Mary Yohannan on

Kissing this might bring you luck…

Photo by James Sterganos

Everyone wants the gift of eloquence and the luck of the Irish. Some say the Irish are gifted with this by kissing a stone, the Blarney Stone to be exact. It’s all down to the Blarney Stone, not Leprechauns. For over two centuries people have been coming to Blarney Castle in the south of Ireland to kiss this stone set into the battlements in the hope of gaining a silver tongue. It used to be that you were hung over the battlements from above by your ankles, and I guess it was luck if you made it back up alive. These days there’s less risk involved in leaning backwards from the parapet walkway while holding securely to a metal railing.

The origins of this magic stone are still debated. Was it Jacob’s pillow, St Columba’s deathbed pillow, or the stone that gushed water for Moses? Was it brought to Ireland after the Crusades or given to the Irish by Scot Robert the Bruce in gratitude for helping him defeat the English in 1314? We’ll probably never know. But after you kiss it, tour the ruined castle, visit elegant 19th century Blarney House, and wander around the lake, you sure will have some good stories to tell back home.

If you’re thinking of a trip to Ireland, make sure to visit this magic stone in the South of Ireland near Cork. You can easily get there as a day trip from Dublin, or if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, try a self-drive itinerary. You don’t want to miss out on the luck of the Irish, after all, when in Ireland!

Call us today to book your Ireland trip. Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect Ireland vacation for you and your family’s needs.

Phone: 919-606-4604

Email: mary@lifeisbettertraveling.com

About Mary Yohannan, CTA

Travel is a passion of mine and it is something I absolutely love to do. When I personally travel, I get feelings of excitement, relaxation, interest, curiosity, and a bit of anxiety. When it all comes together I have created a memory that reminds me of all of these emotions. I have traveled to 17 European countries, and in each country, I experienced what I just described. I felt excitement when we were roaming the canals of Venice and thinking this is nothing like Italy in Epcot Center. I felt relaxation in Scotland when my husband and I enjoyed an anniversary dinner on Rose Street in Edinburgh drinking Scottish beer. I was interested in touching a 1000-year-old entrance to a library while in Ephesus in Turkey. I was curious what smoked lard and Palinka tasted like in a small café in Bucharest, Romania. I was anxious going up the cogwheel train to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland while my head was pounding from altitude changes. The best part of travel is that when I am not traveling and I think of those places I instantly get a smile on my face regardless of the emotion that I felt.

#1 Rated Travel Agent in Pittsburgh by Travel Leaders

Passport Card vs. Passport Booklet

Mary Yohannan on

Passport Card vs. Passport Book

Which one is better?

I recently read an article on Facebook about a lady whose daughter booked her and four of her friends on a week-long vacation to Turks and Caicos. The daughter booked everything through an Online Travel Agency (OTA), which I will not name, but an OTA is Expedia, Travelocity, or Hotels.com. The ladies were excited, all packed, ready to go, and at the airport the lady whose daughter booked the trip was denied boarding. She had a passport card instead of a passport book. She could not get through to the OTA so she called a local travel agency and one of their travel agents told her what to do so she could get to Turks and Caicos.

So why couldn’t she board with a Passport Card? According the U.S. Department of State, a passport card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at, here is the big red flag, land border or sea ports-of-entry only. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. As this lady was flying to Turks and Caicos she was required to have a passport book.

Picture from Pixabay

So why is there a passport card? The passport card is very convenient to have as it is the size of a driver’s license and can easily be carried around in your wallet. It is much less expensive than getting or renewing a passport book. The passport card also contains an RFID chip that according to the U.S. Department of State does not contain any personal information. When the chip is read, it “points” to your secured information in one of the government databases. Border Patrol can then access your information and photo identification. Each card comes with an RFID blocking sleeve, just in case.

If you plan on crossing the Mexican or Canadian border often, a perk of having the passport card is that you can go through Ready Lanes. These are certain lanes at the border that can expedite inspection when you are crossing the border. Not all ports of entry have these lanes, but if you are interested in learning which ones have these Ready Lanes you can visit www.travel.state.gov.

If you are an avid cruiser and leave from ports of call in the US, then having a passport card is a convenience. But next time you are flying out of the US, please keep in mind to grab that passport book on the way out of the house so you don’t get denied boarding at the airport. Having the wrong identification will surly have you starting your vacation off on the wrong foot, and could cause delays in getting you to your destination.

If you have any questions about photo identification for travel, please contact me with any questions or visit www.travel.state.gov.

NOTE: Life is Better Traveling always recommends a Passport Booklet even when cruising out of a US port. Why? If something were to happen and you were left behind on the island, you would need a passport booklet to return back into the states. The Passport booklet is just a few dollars more, and is good for 10 years, so we always recommend getting a passport booklet.

I fell in LOVE with the parks at…

Mary Yohannan on

I fell in LOVE with the Parks at Universal Studios Florida!

A few weeks ago I talked about my resort experience at the Loew’s Royal Pacific Hotel on Universal Orlando™ property. This week I want to talk about the changes I saw at the parks since having been there last in 1994.

One thing I like to do when I travel to a place that I haven’t been in a really long time is to imagine that I have never been there. Why do I do this? Easy, then I won’t be disappointed. If I really liked a place, and it changed into something hugely commercial, tacky, with poor customer service, then I tend to be disappointed. Now 23 years ago there was no Islands of Adventure™ and Universal Studios Florida™ could be done in only 6 hours. Not on this trip! It took us a good 2 days to get through everything, but we also had a secret in our pockets, Unlimited Express Passes!

When you stay at the Loew’s Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, or Portofino Bay Resort you will automatically receive complimentary Unlimited Express Passes. This pass allows you to go to the front of the line on select rides an unlimited amount of times during your visit. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone I am comparing this but for Disney people this is like having FastPasses for almost every ride!) If you aren’t staying at one of those resorts, but are at one of the other resorts you can pay an additional fee for this Unlimited Express Pass or the Express Pass, which allows you to skip the line once per ride. I prefer the Unlimited Express Pass because you are able to go to the front of the line an unlimited number of times for your favorite rides.

Having the extra passes was very helpful on our first day in Islands of Adventure™. When I first walked through the gates, which had no lines because security is handled way before you get to the gates, I was amazed by the façade. For me it felt like I was at the North Pole and Moroccan trading marketing at the same time, which gave me a very warm happy feeling. Being on property resort guests, we were able to enter Islands of Adventure™ at 8am but we were directed to Harry Potter® world of Hogsmeade. If you are a Harry Potter® fan, walking into Hogsmeade is like the very first time you sat down to watch the first Harry Potter® movie, AMAZING! I felt like I was actually in the world of Harry Potter® . Now Harry Potter® world is split over both parks and if you want to ride Hogwarts Express you must have the park to park ticket, and as much as I loved riding the train, it was not my favorite part of the Harry Potter® worlds. My favorite part was in Universal Studios Florida™ the ride Escape from Gringotts. A 3-D roller coaster taking you on a journey through Gringotts bank while escaping from He Who Must Not Be Named! But first you have to find Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida™, which is hidden behind a huge façade.

Let’s head back over to Islands of Adventure™ because I really was amazed at how real, authentic, and alive the attractions felt to me. The amount of thought, care, and detail to plan out each attraction was the most surprising and exciting part of being there. In Jurassic World™ the dinosaurs looked so real, and the ride made me feel like I was in the movie. On the Kong ride, there were many times I felt like the truck was falling but it was just the 3D effects and mechanics of the ride. I can go into each section of Islands but this would begin to get long. One last thing I will say about Islands of Adventure™ is that no matter which section you are in, you really, truly feel like you are part of that world.

Now, let’s dive into Universal Studios Florida™, the originally built portion. It is so much larger than it was 23 years ago, but to me the attention to detail was not as strong as the Islands. It felt more like an amusement park than an experience, except when you are in Diagon Alley. However, that all changes once you enter a building to get on a ride. WOW, you are thrown head first into that attraction. You feel like you are talking to Jimmy Fallon while racing around the streets of New York City, or looking down on the headquarters of Men in Black while waiting in line to shoot aliens with lasers. The details that go into the rides, are like no other amusement park I have ever been to.

Overall, I loved my experience as Universal Orlando® and we will be taking the kids there soon. Most rides you need to be 40 inches or taller to ride, but the play lands in Islands will keep those under 40 inches entertained for hours. I must warn those who experience motion sickness on 3D simulator rides, this may not be the destination for you. There are several rides where you have to wear 3D glasses to experience the full effect. The effects are amazing, but will make you feel a bit off the rest of the day.

Call me to book your next Universal Orlando vacation with your family. If you are thinking you want to split your time between Universal Orlando and Disney, that’s easy! We can easily set that up for you.

Mary is a graduate of the Disney’s College of Knowledge and a Universal Orlando Specialist.

NOTE: All Photos taken by Mary Yohannan, Rights Reserved

How Universal!

Mary Yohannan on

What a UNIVERSAL Destination…

I am excited about this newsletter because this is the first time I am writing about something that has changed so much since I had previously been there. As with all high school band students, the trip to Walt Disney World® to showcase your talents was something I really looked forward to doing. On my 1994 band trip, our group also had a chance to head over to Universal Studios® for the day. At that time It was not a large park by any means, but the rides were thrilling.

When an opportunity to attend a travel agent conference at Universal Orlando® came up, I quickly took the opportunity and booked my room at the on-property Loews Royal Pacific Resort. It took all of two seconds to convince my husband to come down with me for a few days so we could run around the parks like teenagers. But I will get to that a bit later.

Since my band adventures 23 years ago, Universal Orlando® is now a destination. With five on-property hotels, two theme parks, and CityWalk™, shopping, restaurants, and activities, there is so much to keep you occupied that it is hard figuring out where to start. They are also opening their own waterpark, Volcano Bay™ next week, and building another hotel, Adventura set to open soon. Again, it is no longer just a theme park, it is a destination.

Seeing all of this “destination” while pulling up to our resort was confusing for me, but the moment we stepped out of our transfer from the airport, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort made us feel like we stepped into the French Polynesia. Lush greens, waterfalls, blue water, tiki torches, and animal totems. Everyone says “aloha,” and the lobby and check-in are very welcoming with all the natural light that floods in. Our room was exceptional clean, and large for two people. Since we were staying at this particular property, we had access to the Unlimited Express Pass for the parks, and boat transportation to take us to the parks and CityWalk™.

The resort offered plenty of dining options from burgers and salads at Jake’s American Bar to top notch cuisine at the Emeril’s restaurant, Tchoup Chop. The pool area was much larger than I expected. The main pool itself was long and curvy, with a separate kid splash area. There were plenty of chairs around the pool area so you didn’t feel like you had to claim your space. Seeing a state of art fitness center was something that I had not seen before at any resort I have stayed. When I say state of the art, I mean several treadmills, elliptical machines, weights, etc, and you they had an attendant on hand to make sure the equipment was clean. For a rainy day with the kids, the game room would be able to keep them occupied for a few hours.

My overall impression of the resort was that it was quite large, but when I was attending the conference, it felt even larger. The conference space that our travel agent group was in took up an entire wing, and there were two other conferences going on while we were there. I didn’t venture to see where they were meeting, but I imagine that area was quite large also.

Being that I was extremely curious how the other resorts faired in comparison to the Loews Royal Pacific, I checked out each resort. I loved them all for different reasons, but one thing they all had in common was that they will not disappoint. They all offered a different vacationing experience, and depending on the needs of your family, I can say with confidence that I will be able to pair the hotel perfectly for your family’s Universal Orlando® vacation needs.

Stay tuned for my next article where I will get into the difference in the theme parks since 23 years ago, until then, remember…Life is Better Traveling.

Loews Portofino Bay

Hard Rock Hotel

Loews Saffire Falls

Cabana Bay

All Photos in this article taken by Mary Yohannan

Hotel Rooms, how to tell if they are clean

Mary Yohannan on

What is REALLY in your hotel room?

5 Places You NEED to be Checking

Recently I have been traveling a lot which means I have been staying in a lot of hotel rooms. Some of the hotels received not so good reviews, so I was cautious as to what to expect in staying there. For one of the hotels, the reviews consistently said that it wasn’t the cleanest. I understand everyone has different perspectives as what is clean, but I always like to be prepared. After seeing several shows on what actually gets cleaned in hotels, I have started a cleaning and checking routine when I walk into any hotel room. Here is what I do:

1. Check the bed/mattress for bed bugs. I look for reddish coloration, tiny black marks, and yellowish small dots around the edges where the mattress is sewn. You can also move the mattress back from the wall to see if anything starts to move up the wall. Needless to say, if I see any of this, I immediately ask for another room.

2. Check the sheets. If there are hairs, discoloration, or any visible stains this to me is a clear indication that the sheets have not been changed since the last person occupied that room. It has been known for years that the top spread does not get changed between guests, but the sheets must be changed for me to stay in that room.

3. Check bathroom. There are several things in the bathroom that need to checked.

a. The shower/bathtub needs to be looked at closely. Is there hair in the drain still? Is there mold anywhere including on the shower curtain? Are the last person’s shower items still there?

b. I also lift the toilet set to see if there are any stains under the seat and also to see if the toilet bowl has been cleaned. There are many times I have walked into someone else’s “stuff” still in the toilet.

c. I check the towels to see if they are damp. They may not have been used by the last person, but were in there when they showered and got ready.

d. Is the sink area clean? Is there a new soap dish or is it a re-usable one? I also bring my own toiletries so I don’t have to worry about the ones they provide, but you should check them to see if they have been used by someone else.

4. Make sure the locks on the doors work. This sounds simple but I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a hotel room and the dead bolt to the door doesn’t work, or the lock on the patio door doesn’t work. I don’t take those things lightly, as anyone can easily get into my room when I am not there or when I am sleeping.

5. Clean all touchable items in the room. Once most of my checks have passed and I have decided it is a good room to stay in, I get out my antibacterial wipes or a nice cleaning wipe and start to wipe down all things that people touch. The remote control, the phone, any light switches, all door handles, mini-refrigerators, coffee-makers, etc. I try to wipe down as many things as I can especially when the kids are in the room because they tend to touch everything!

6. Check under the bed! Some beds you can’t check under, but the ones that you can you will find the most interesting things people leave behind. I check under the bed because I want to make sure there are no cleaning products stored under there or anything like old food. This can turn into a bad situation when you have kids who like to play on the floor.

These are a just a few things that I do to make sure that I have a pleasant stay at any hotels, and to make sure that my family and I are safe.

Photos by Mary Yohannan

I use a Travel Agent for the same reasons you do…

Mary Yohannan on

I use a Travel Agent for the same reasons you do…

I have not always been a travel agent. Before I was a travel agent, I used a travel agent to book my vacations. I needed help, support, and understanding of the “W’s.” Where, What, and WOW. I always wanted to make the most of my time while I was on the vacation, but for me the problem was that I didn’t have the time to do all the research.

I always knew where I wanted to go whether it was a region, country, or city, but I didn’t know the logistics of the best routes to get there, where to stay, what to see, and what was one thing that was going to WOW me while I was there. Now, when I say WOW me I don’t mean that I needed my adrenaline at the highest level. I just wanted one thing while on the vacation that for me to look at it, taste it, or feel it and I would say WOW. Something that would leave such an impression on me that every time I would think about it I would experience that same feeling over and over again. Even with all the guide books that I purchased, there was always one suggestion from our travel agent that gave us the WOW.

Today, I will still use a travel agent to book a vacation for me if it is a place that I have never been to and want to make sure I get the full experience. How do I find a good travel agent? If I don’t personally know someone who I met at a professional development conference, then I go online. A survey done in 2016 found that of those asked how they found a good travel agent, 47% of the people said online and 31% said through word of mouth. So how did they find a good travel agent online? There are many websites where you can put in your zip code and find travel agents in your area and who specialize in the area where you want to take your vacation. You may still get a long list of agents to weed through, but the best way to determine who is the best to work with is by their reviews.

Travel Leaders has a really good site where you can find travel agents in your area and the agents will list their specialties including European vacations, Australia, etc. It will also show you if they have any reviews. The reviews are posted by actual clients of those agents who have used them to plan their vacations. Another good place to look for honest reviews from clients is on a travel agency’s Facebook page. These reviews are posted by actual clients as you can see their avatars next to their reviews.

When I am reading reviews, there are a few key things that I look for. Do the reviews talk about making the planning stage easy or effortless. Do the reviews say that the person will work with them again. Do the reviews explain what the travel agent did for them. Do the reviews include any WOW’s that occurred while they were on the vacation.

As I always say, if you find a good travel agent DON’T let them go!

P.S. I would love for you to check out my reviews from all of my amazing clients…CLICK HERE

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Take Back Those Vacation Days!

Mary Yohannan on

Take Back Those Vacation Days!

Use it or Lose it, what??

In my previous career it was quite normal to bank your vacation hours so that you would eventually be in the status of “Use it or Lose it.” For some people it took them years of not taking any vacations to be able to get to this status. I, personally, have never understood why you would wait years to take vacation! In fact, I would always have people asking me how I had time to take my vacations. It was quite simple: I used the hours I earned. There is a credit card commercial noting that 400 million hours of vacation time are lost each year by Americans! 400 million hours! If a weeklong vacation is worth 40 hours that is 10 million vacations not being taken. I think where I am getting confused is why would you want to risk losing your vacation time? You have worked so hard over the years and have taken very little leave. You have built-up your annual leave empire that you now officially have 6 six weeks cached and you are earning another three to four weeks for the year. Four whole weeks of leave you HAVE to take before the end of the year. Couldn’t at least one of them be taking nice, relaxing vacation!

I have found that where most people fail in using their four weeks is because they use it to do housework. I will admit that I have taken a day or three to stay home to catch up, but to take weeks off for housework? Now most people are saying that she probably doesn’t have any children, Wrong! Two toddlers who are the messiest tornadoes that I have ever encountered. I probably could use more time to do housework, but to me it is housework and I feel like it is never ending. I know that my mess will still be there to greet me when I get back from my vacation. I think that most people would agree that a vacation away from home gives you peace of mind, even if that means housework is nagging at the back of your brain. I say let’s leave the housework for those three day weekends when there is a federal holiday. After all, that is what most of us probably end up doing during those long weekends.

We all work so hard throughout the year and work is stressful. I don’t know a single person who isn’t stressed out by their job, their co-workers, their commute, their time away from their children, etc. Your annual leave is for family time or personal getaways. But GET AWAY!!! You don’t have to go far. Explore a city in a neighboring state and stay a couple of nights. Take the kids to that amusement park they have been bugging you about, but make it a road trip. Take the week and go explore the mid-west or rent an RV and go across country (one of my dreams!). There is a commercial out there, I can’t remember by whom, but they exclaim “Take your vacation days back!” Do it and get away!

I always tell my husband that I don’t want to be in the nursing home when we are in our 80’s talking about things that we should have done. I want to remember all the great things that we did, spark those memories, and laugh. After all, you can’t put a price on memories especially when those memories give you warm feelings of relaxation.

P.S. Want to get away! There are some amazing deals to the Caribbean for March and April to get away. Call me or email me with where you want to go!

All inclusive resort, what does it mean?

Mary Yohannan on

What does it REALLY mean to an “all-inclusive” resort?

You found an amazing deal on a travel website for an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, so you decide to go for it. You get to the resort and it is as beautiful as the pictures. After settling
into the room you decide to head down to the pool for a nice refreshing cocktail. You order your favorite drink over the rocks and the bartender asks you if you want to charge it to the room. With a confused look on your face, you say you have the all-inclusive package, but the bartender tells you that it doesn’t include top shelf liquor. With the drink in your hand, you agree to charge it to the room.

You start to wonder what you booked with this deal vacation you are on. Is it just the top shelf alcohol that is not included? What other items, activities, food, drinks, etc will you have to pay for? Often when someone books an all-inclusive resort, they truly believe that they are paying for everything upfront including premium alcohol, food, activities, transfers, and resort sharing to name a few. Unfortunately, the term all-inclusive can sometimes mean more exclusive. All of this is usually explained in the fine print when booking the vacation, but when you think you are getting an amazing deal who reads the fine print! I know I don’t.

The truth is, if you want an all-inclusive resort then you really do want to pay for everything upfront. You have set your budget, and you want the food, drinks, transfers, activities, and resort sharing to all be included in that cost. You don’t want to have to pull out your credit card for any extras. But how do you know that everything is TRULY included in the pricing? Besides reading the fine print, look for key words when a resort is advertising. Sometimes you will read alcohol is included but that doesn’t mean premium alcohol. When it comes to food, the advertisement may say that the resort is a la carte, but if you wanted to eat at one of the specialty dining restaurants at the resort it may not be included in the all-inclusive pricing. Many resorts boast about their onsite activities including water activities, but have you ever noticed that they do no specifically say “motorized” water activities or games such as bingo. Be cautious when the wording says “some” activities “may be included.” Many times when you book your vacation you forget that you will need transportation to and from the resort. Transfers can be very expensive once you get to the destination, so getting them included in the package pricing upfront will help save you money.

Trying to find the best all-inclusive resort for your next family vacation, one where you won’t have to pay more out of pocket when you get there, can become overwhelming and exhausting. The good news is I am going to give you 4 nuggets of advice to help you make it easier:

1. Give up on the deal. The saying “you get what you pay for” is always TRUE and when it comes to all-inclusive resorts it holds VERY TRUE!

2. Sit down and figure out a budget like you would for any other vacation. When you have a budget to work with you will find many more resorts that are going to fit your needs, without having to get out the credit card on vacation.

3. Look for key words on the resort’s website that would indicate what is NOT included in the all-inclusive pricing. These words include: some, limited, a la carte, minimal fee, varying, typically

4. Call a travel agent. Why make it harder on yourself than you have to. Pick the destination and then let a good travel agent do the research on which resorts will fit your needs.

Don’t forget to tell your travel agent at Life is Better Traveling to give you a quote for travel protection when planning your next vacation.

P.S. Call me this year to plan your AMAZING All-Inclusive vacation. I guarantee we will plan the perfect vacation for you!

Are the Disney Dining Plans Worth Your Money?

Mary Yohannan on

Disney easily comes up in conversations with random people I meet, but when they find out I am a travel consultant they always ask me if the Disney Dining Plan is worth the money. I have read so many different opinions on various Disney blogs, Facebook pages, and travel agent outlets about people’s views on this subject matter. It seems like people are split, some love it and some say it is a waste of money. Well, we recently went to Disney and I decided to add the Disney Dining Plan to our package so I could see if it is worth it.

Before I go into if is it worth or not, I must explain that there are several dining plans available through Disney. Because of the variety, I am wondering if those who feel that the Dining Plan is not worth the money may have been talked into the wrong Dining Plan for their family, see chart below for quick reference. Why so many options? It is easy to understand, there are many cultures and different types of families that go to Disney so they are really catering to everyone. One family may say that a particular plan has too many meals for their family while another may say this is the perfect amount for us. I will tell you, that no matter which plan you choose for your family, it will be perfect.

For my family we choose the Disney Dining Plan which includes 1 quick service, 1 table service, and, new for 2017, 2 snacks per person per night of stay and 1 resort refillable mug. The refillable mug can be used at your resort. You cannot use this mug in the parks to get refills, but I will tell you that we did take our mugs along with us to the parks and asked for ice water, which is free. We then transferred our ice water into the mugs. With each table service meal, we were able to choose one entrée from the menu, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage. When you choose an entrée you are not limited to a select menu specifically for those on the dining plan. You receive the same menu that everyone receives and get to choose any of the entrées including steak or salmon. Dessert at Disney is fantastic! It is gourmet and no matter what you choose it will not disappoint.

However, having dessert every day could be a lot for some people, as it was for me. There is a little known fact that isn’t shared by the wait staff, but some restaurants now allow you to substitute your dessert for an appetizer. You have to ask your server when you sit down if this is one of the participating restaurants and which appetizers are included, but you may have an option of a salad instead of the that rich chocolate cake.

Quick service meals are just like the combo meals that you get at any of your local fast food places, and snacks include a variety of foods including popcorn, cookies, cupcakes, a banana, or the famous Mickey Mouse ice cream bar.

When you purchase a dining plan that has several table services with it, you must make your reservations in advance. You can start to make your dining reservations up to 180 days prior to your arrival date for the entire length of your day, but not to exceed 10 days of stay. What this really means is on the 179th day you can call to make your reservations. I would recommend calling to make your reservations. It is much faster and you will also be able to make any additional reservations such as Pirate’s League or any tours, all with one phone call. If you don’t make a reservation in advance, you could be told that the restaurant is full for the day or you may have a two-hour wait. A two-hour wait with hungry children is not fun for anyone!

So are you ready to find out if the dining plan is worth the money? For a family of four going to Disney for seven nights, who elect the Disney Dining plan, it is a little over $1000. (Now that is just for the Dining plan, not including park tickets or resort stay.) For four people on this seven day Disney vacation, it comes to between $33 to $40 per person per day. One character meal is around this same cost, so if you do one character meal you have paid for your entire day right there! Even if you are doing non character meals, your meal cost with entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage can easily reach the $40 to $50 range per person. When you look at the numbers you really see that you are paying for table service but getting a quick service meal and snack for free. I, personally, find that the dining plan is worth the money and saves me time when we are there. My meals are planned out, they are paid for, and everyone is happy because the food is so good.

Now, one thing you must know is that tip/gratuity is not included. The suggested tip is based on your total meal cost prior to deducting your plan. It is up to you, how much you want to tip unless you are a party of six or more than 18% is automatically added to your bill. When you receive your bill it will tell you how many of that service you have left. So if you had six table services to start and just finished eating, then your bill will show that you have five remaining. You can always get your entire amount of allotted meals from the concierge or guest services area at your hotel. It is important to note that meals do not roll over after your stay. If you don’t use them up you will lose them so I highly recommend planning out your meals for each day you are at Disney. Also, the meals are to be used at your discretion. If you want two table service meals on one day and two quick service meals another day, it is up to you how you use them, but again, use them up!

P.S. Call me this year to plan your AMAZING Disney vacation. I always recommend to start planning your Walt Disney World vacation 8 to 12 months in advance so we can start planning everything out for you.

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