May 15, 2025 • 14 mins
In part three of our Disney Beginner’s Guide, we’re diving into all things food, fun, and fan-favorite characters! We’ll walk you through how to make dining reservations, break down the Disney Dining Plan, and share the best ways to meet your favorite Disney characters. Plus, we’re answering some of your most burning Disney questions, like: Can you bring your own food into the parks? and Where can you find free water? Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned pro looking for the latest tips, this episode has you covered!
Links & Resources:
Check Disney’s official dining reservations page: Disney Dining
Learn more about the Disney Dining Plan: Disney Dining Plan Info
Character experiences: Meet Disney Characters
Love this episode? Subscribe to our podcast and leave a review (please)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @thegenxcouple for more. Don’t forget to share this episode with friends or family who might also like it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I'm Robin and I'm Chris together. We're the Gen X couple
(00:23):
Hey guys take one. Hello everyone
We made it to part three of our beginner's guide to planning your Walt Disney World vacation in part one
We talked about booking your Walt Disney World vacation the different categories of the Disney resorts the
Park ticket options and the modes of transportation around the Disney property
(00:43):
Last week we discussed rope dropping extra magic hours park tickets and the lightning lane
Multi-pass versus the lightning lane single pass if you haven't listened to parts one and two we would recommend listening to those
Before you listen today
Because today we're going to talk about dining reservations the Disney dining plan
(01:04):
And how to meet your favorite characters if you're wondering if you can bring your own food in the parks
We're going to answer that today too. Yeah, it's going to be another jam-packed episode. So let's dig in shall we let's do it
First up, let's talk about the traditional character meet and greets
These are designated locations where you can line up to meet characters take photos and get autographs
(01:25):
Some of the best meet and greet spots include at the Magic Kingdom
You can meet Mickey at Town Square Theatre catch the princesses at
Princess fairy tale hall or visit Ariel in her grotto at F caught you can say hi to Anna and Elsa in Norway
Or make classic characters like Mickey and Goofy at the Epcot character spot
(01:47):
Over at Hollywood Studios Star Wars fans can meet Darth Vader Chewbacca and BBA at Star Wars launch bay and over at animal Kingdom
You'll find Mickey and Minnie in their safari outfits
outfits at adventures outpost and
Even rare characters like Kevin from up so show up sometimes
One of the best ways to find character locations and wait times is through the app and you guessed it
(02:11):
we've talked about the app in both of the previous episodes and
Just like you can check on the app for wait times for your favorite rides
You can do the same thing for character meet and greets and do you want to skip the lines and still meet your favorite characters?
Well, you can book a character dining experience. These meals give you one-on-one with
(02:33):
Time one-on-one time with Disney stars while you're enjoying delicious food
Some of the top spots include Cinderella Cinderella's royal table at the Magic Kingdom
We get to meet Cinderella and other Disney princesses in her castle
Accra sure royal back
(02:54):
Banquet Hall and that pot. It's another great place for princess lovers
Chef Mickey's one of our favorites. Yes is that Disney?
Contemporary resort you get to hang out with Mickey
Minnie Donald and other friends while enjoying a buffet style meal
The Tusker House in the animal kingdom get to meet Mickey Donald goofy in the Safari gear and
(03:22):
Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood studios great for meeting Disney junior characters at breakfast or
Mini and friends at dinner. Yeah, there's a few others like the Cape May cafe or Ohana at the Polynesian
So you can find them all on the app and
Reservations for character dining can fill up very quickly. Yes, that's true
(03:43):
So book your table as early as possible up to 60 days in advance through your my Disney experience app
Yeah, definitely especially for Chef Mickey's that goes quick. Yes, book that 60 days out for sure and
Although most of them do not all character interactions happen in a planned spot
Sometimes Disney characters pop up for surprise sightings throughout the parks. I know it doesn't seem likely but it actually really happens
(04:09):
So for example the Mad Hatter and Alice often stroll around near the tea cup tea cups rides
And I've caught sometimes Mary Poppins shows up at the UK Pavilion while Mulan can be found in China
We've seen this many times actually over on Hollywood Studios the stormtroopers and even Chewbacca patrol
Galaxy's Edge and they interact with guests like you can just walk into them as you're walking around and
(04:36):
Sometimes over at the animal kingdom Pocahontas may appear along the Discovery Island trails and last time we actually saw Jack Sparrow
Right outside the Pirates of Caribbean. He was just standing there. Yeah, I was hanging out
Actually, I think you ran into Cinderella's ugly stepsisters somewhere to over near the tea cups
Yes, they were just walking around. It was cool
So make sure to bring an autograph book and a shoppy Mary many characters love signing autographs and it's a great souvenir
(05:04):
Yeah, and since Chris mentioned reservations for character meals
This seems like a good time to talk about dining reservations at Walt Disney World
There are many popular restaurants at Disney and we highly recommend making a reservation if there's someplace you definitely don't want to
miss while you're there
So like I said first things first reservations open up 60 days in advance at 6 a.m. Eastern time
(05:26):
But if you're staying at a Disney resort hotel, you get a little extra magic you can book your
Dining reservations for your entire stay
Which up to 10 days starting at 60 days before check-in now?
Where do you book these reservations? Yeah, three options the Disney World website?
Just head to the dining reservations paid pick a restaurant choose a time and boom you're booked
(05:52):
Also again, you can use your my Disney experience app. It really has everything. It does. It's the same process
But on your phone super convenient or you can call Disney dining at 407
WDW dash
D I N E dying if you prefer to speak with a real person
(06:15):
Yeah popular spots like Cinderella's Royal Table chef Mickey's and be our guest Philip super fast so book those ASAP
Keep checking back and in if you don't get your first choice people cancel all the time
Yeah, it's true. Sometimes you can find a sneaky reservation in there
Some restaurants require a credit card hold and you may be charged if you don't show up
(06:37):
So always check the cancellation policy and if you don't get a reservation don't stress many locations offering
Offer walk-up list and then my Disney experience app
So you can always try walking up in person the worst they can say is that they can't fit you in and
Since we're on the topic of food, we're gonna break down the Disney dining plan options for your off
(07:00):
Yes, the Disney dining plan is a prepaid meal package available to guests staying at the Disney resort hotels
It helps you budget meals in advance and adds convenience to your trip instead of pulling out your wallet for every meal
You use dining credits that are included in your plan now Disney offers two dining plan options
(07:20):
the quick service dining plan which includes two quick service meals per day one snack per day and
One refillable resort mug for unlimited refills at your Disney resort and this is for each individual
Yes, and the second Disney dining plan is the Disney dining plan. This is one step up
(07:42):
It comes with a one quick service meal per day one table service meal per day
including character dining one snack per day and
One refillable resort mug. So you're probably wondering what's a quick service and what's a table service?
So a quick service meal are their grab-and-go style. So think like burgers hot dogs sandwiches
(08:04):
Table service meals include sit-down experiences at the restaurants
Whether the dining plan is worth it depends on your eating habits
If you love character dining and table service meals, the Disney dining plan can save you money
If you're more of a grab-and-go person the quick service plan might be better fit
Keep in mind snacks can use things for like Mickey pretzels
(08:29):
Dole whip Mickey ice cream ice cream and even starboard drinks and sometimes Disney offers package deals
Which include free dining plans. So that's something to keep in mind as well. Yes
There's always offerings or rewards happening all the time. So check
To keep updated for sure and another thing we wanted to talk about were wheelchair
(08:51):
Scooter and stroller rentals at Walt Disney World. Yes. So first up
Let's talk about where you can rent these essentials Disney offers rentals at all four of the theme parks and Disney Springs
You can get a stroller and they're available single or double which are perfect for kids who get tired
Quickly you can rent a wheelchair. So they have standard push wheelchairs
(09:15):
Who for people who need a little extra support and then you can rent a scooter
Which is a great option for people who need mobility assistance who want more independence and
Also those scooters they can go on the buses too. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, they get to go on first actually. Yes
So Disney rentals are on a first-come first-serve basis and you can't take them
(09:38):
Between parks, but there are multi-day rental options where you just show your receipt at each park. Yeah, it's super easy
And if you want even more flexibility, you can consider renting from an outside vendor companies like scooter bug
Buena Vista rentals and gold mobility deliver directly to Disney resorts and the benefit of those would be you keep your rental for the entire trip
(10:00):
Including your hotel and going between parks
Disney strollers start around
$13 per day for a single and $31 for double
ECVs are about $60 per day
Wheelchairs are around $12 per day, but prices may change so always check Disney website before you go
(10:21):
Yeah, and if you're bringing your own stroller, which is
Totally allowed you just have to make sure it meets Disney size requirements
And they also don't allow wagons or oversized strollers and
Consider a stroller tag or a ribbon to help identify yours in the mass of stroller parking areas
(10:44):
Seriously, there are hundreds of strollers in the parking areas and you want yours to stand out
Yeah, he's not exaggerating the stroller parking areas. It's like a sea of strollers
So yeah, I think ribbons or like some sort of accessories to make your stand out as a smart idea
Now we want to give you all some tips to make your park days a little bit easier
These are just some things we've learned over the years and we want to share our knowledge with you
(11:08):
Yes
I think one of the most common questions that people ask is if they can bring their own food into Disney parks and the answer is yes
Disney World allows guests to bring their own food and drinks into the parks with a few restrictions
So here's what you can bring you can bring snacks sandwiches and meals in small containers
You can bring non-alcoholic beverages, but you can't bring them in a glass bottle
(11:33):
Actually, I think Magic Kingdom is dry completely
I don't think they sell alcohol at the Magic Kingdom, which I don't think they do
I don't think they do think just Epcot Epcot
I don't know maybe animal kingdom, but I'm not sure I don't quote us, but I know the Magic Kingdom is dry
So you can bring your own drinks, but just not in glass bottles
And you can bring a small soft-sided cooler like if you're packing sandwiches or whatever
(11:55):
But it can't be larger than 24 by 15 by 18 and of course you can also bring in baby food and formula
Now here's what you cannot bring like I said glass containers, but you can bring baby food jars, which are glass so
You can bring baby food glass jars. You cannot bring alcoholic beverages
(12:15):
You cannot bring loose ice
So you have to use reusable ice packs instead and you cannot bring large coolers or anything that requires
Heating now bring in your own food and snacks for the parks is a great way to save money
Yeah, and have options that fit your family's dietary needs
Yeah, we usually bring things like cheese it's goldfish crackers and depending on the weight of our carry-on bags
(12:40):
Sometimes we bring bottles of water
And if you don't want to carry your snacks and water with you on the plane
You can get food delivered right to your resort from places like Amazon fresh
Instant cart and gross garden grocer most of the hotels will hold your deliveries for you at Bell services
Yeah, it's a great way to save a little money by bringing your own or
(13:01):
Ordering food and drinks to your hotel room to bring with you to the parks
We usually order a couple cases of water when we are there, but you can also bring your own bottles and refill them at parks
There are refill stations throughout the parks
Yeah, also any quick service restaurant with a solar fountain will give you a free cup of ice water if you ask and then also goes for
Starbucks locations inside the parks. All right, I think this is a good stopping point for us today
(13:26):
We've thrown a lot of information out there and we want to give you a chance to digest everything
Yeah, we've given you guys so much information
But as always feel free to email me with your Disney questions
You know, I love talking about Disney and of course I'll answer the questions as best I can
You know where to find me, but in case you don't it's the Gen X couple podcast at gmail.com
(13:48):
And next week we're gonna wrap up our series with some tips and tricks that we've learned over the years
And I think we may also touch on some Disney topics like parties
Extras and tours. Yeah, but in the meantime, see you later alligator in a wild crocodile
Hi, I'm Robin and I'm Chris together. We're the Gen X couple
(00:23):
Hey guys take one. Hello everyone
We made it to part three of our beginner's guide to planning your Walt Disney World vacation in part one
We talked about booking your Walt Disney World vacation the different categories of the Disney resorts the
Park ticket options and the modes of transportation around the Disney property
(00:43):
Last week we discussed rope dropping extra magic hours park tickets and the lightning lane
Multi-pass versus the lightning lane single pass if you haven't listened to parts one and two we would recommend listening to those
Before you listen today
Because today we're going to talk about dining reservations the Disney dining plan
(01:04):
And how to meet your favorite characters if you're wondering if you can bring your own food in the parks
We're going to answer that today too. Yeah, it's going to be another jam-packed episode. So let's dig in shall we let's do it
First up, let's talk about the traditional character meet and greets
These are designated locations where you can line up to meet characters take photos and get autographs
(01:25):
Some of the best meet and greet spots include at the Magic Kingdom
You can meet Mickey at Town Square Theatre catch the princesses at
Princess fairy tale hall or visit Ariel in her grotto at F caught you can say hi to Anna and Elsa in Norway
Or make classic characters like Mickey and Goofy at the Epcot character spot
(01:47):
Over at Hollywood Studios Star Wars fans can meet Darth Vader Chewbacca and BBA at Star Wars launch bay and over at animal Kingdom
You'll find Mickey and Minnie in their safari outfits
outfits at adventures outpost and
Even rare characters like Kevin from up so show up sometimes
One of the best ways to find character locations and wait times is through the app and you guessed it
(02:11):
we've talked about the app in both of the previous episodes and
Just like you can check on the app for wait times for your favorite rides
You can do the same thing for character meet and greets and do you want to skip the lines and still meet your favorite characters?
Well, you can book a character dining experience. These meals give you one-on-one with
(02:33):
Time one-on-one time with Disney stars while you're enjoying delicious food
Some of the top spots include Cinderella Cinderella's royal table at the Magic Kingdom
We get to meet Cinderella and other Disney princesses in her castle
Accra sure royal back
(02:54):
Banquet Hall and that pot. It's another great place for princess lovers
Chef Mickey's one of our favorites. Yes is that Disney?
Contemporary resort you get to hang out with Mickey
Minnie Donald and other friends while enjoying a buffet style meal
The Tusker House in the animal kingdom get to meet Mickey Donald goofy in the Safari gear and
(03:22):
Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood studios great for meeting Disney junior characters at breakfast or
Mini and friends at dinner. Yeah, there's a few others like the Cape May cafe or Ohana at the Polynesian
So you can find them all on the app and
Reservations for character dining can fill up very quickly. Yes, that's true
(03:43):
So book your table as early as possible up to 60 days in advance through your my Disney experience app
Yeah, definitely especially for Chef Mickey's that goes quick. Yes, book that 60 days out for sure and
Although most of them do not all character interactions happen in a planned spot
Sometimes Disney characters pop up for surprise sightings throughout the parks. I know it doesn't seem likely but it actually really happens
(04:09):
So for example the Mad Hatter and Alice often stroll around near the tea cup tea cups rides
And I've caught sometimes Mary Poppins shows up at the UK Pavilion while Mulan can be found in China
We've seen this many times actually over on Hollywood Studios the stormtroopers and even Chewbacca patrol
Galaxy's Edge and they interact with guests like you can just walk into them as you're walking around and
(04:36):
Sometimes over at the animal kingdom Pocahontas may appear along the Discovery Island trails and last time we actually saw Jack Sparrow
Right outside the Pirates of Caribbean. He was just standing there. Yeah, I was hanging out
Actually, I think you ran into Cinderella's ugly stepsisters somewhere to over near the tea cups
Yes, they were just walking around. It was cool
So make sure to bring an autograph book and a shoppy Mary many characters love signing autographs and it's a great souvenir
(05:04):
Yeah, and since Chris mentioned reservations for character meals
This seems like a good time to talk about dining reservations at Walt Disney World
There are many popular restaurants at Disney and we highly recommend making a reservation if there's someplace you definitely don't want to
miss while you're there
So like I said first things first reservations open up 60 days in advance at 6 a.m. Eastern time
(05:26):
But if you're staying at a Disney resort hotel, you get a little extra magic you can book your
Dining reservations for your entire stay
Which up to 10 days starting at 60 days before check-in now?
Where do you book these reservations? Yeah, three options the Disney World website?
Just head to the dining reservations paid pick a restaurant choose a time and boom you're booked
(05:52):
Also again, you can use your my Disney experience app. It really has everything. It does. It's the same process
But on your phone super convenient or you can call Disney dining at 407
WDW dash
D I N E dying if you prefer to speak with a real person
(06:15):
Yeah popular spots like Cinderella's Royal Table chef Mickey's and be our guest Philip super fast so book those ASAP
Keep checking back and in if you don't get your first choice people cancel all the time
Yeah, it's true. Sometimes you can find a sneaky reservation in there
Some restaurants require a credit card hold and you may be charged if you don't show up
(06:37):
So always check the cancellation policy and if you don't get a reservation don't stress many locations offering
Offer walk-up list and then my Disney experience app
So you can always try walking up in person the worst they can say is that they can't fit you in and
Since we're on the topic of food, we're gonna break down the Disney dining plan options for your off
(07:00):
Yes, the Disney dining plan is a prepaid meal package available to guests staying at the Disney resort hotels
It helps you budget meals in advance and adds convenience to your trip instead of pulling out your wallet for every meal
You use dining credits that are included in your plan now Disney offers two dining plan options
(07:20):
the quick service dining plan which includes two quick service meals per day one snack per day and
One refillable resort mug for unlimited refills at your Disney resort and this is for each individual
Yes, and the second Disney dining plan is the Disney dining plan. This is one step up
(07:42):
It comes with a one quick service meal per day one table service meal per day
including character dining one snack per day and
One refillable resort mug. So you're probably wondering what's a quick service and what's a table service?
So a quick service meal are their grab-and-go style. So think like burgers hot dogs sandwiches
(08:04):
Table service meals include sit-down experiences at the restaurants
Whether the dining plan is worth it depends on your eating habits
If you love character dining and table service meals, the Disney dining plan can save you money
If you're more of a grab-and-go person the quick service plan might be better fit
Keep in mind snacks can use things for like Mickey pretzels
(08:29):
Dole whip Mickey ice cream ice cream and even starboard drinks and sometimes Disney offers package deals
Which include free dining plans. So that's something to keep in mind as well. Yes
There's always offerings or rewards happening all the time. So check
To keep updated for sure and another thing we wanted to talk about were wheelchair
(08:51):
Scooter and stroller rentals at Walt Disney World. Yes. So first up
Let's talk about where you can rent these essentials Disney offers rentals at all four of the theme parks and Disney Springs
You can get a stroller and they're available single or double which are perfect for kids who get tired
Quickly you can rent a wheelchair. So they have standard push wheelchairs
(09:15):
Who for people who need a little extra support and then you can rent a scooter
Which is a great option for people who need mobility assistance who want more independence and
Also those scooters they can go on the buses too. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, they get to go on first actually. Yes
So Disney rentals are on a first-come first-serve basis and you can't take them
(09:38):
Between parks, but there are multi-day rental options where you just show your receipt at each park. Yeah, it's super easy
And if you want even more flexibility, you can consider renting from an outside vendor companies like scooter bug
Buena Vista rentals and gold mobility deliver directly to Disney resorts and the benefit of those would be you keep your rental for the entire trip
(10:00):
Including your hotel and going between parks
Disney strollers start around
$13 per day for a single and $31 for double
ECVs are about $60 per day
Wheelchairs are around $12 per day, but prices may change so always check Disney website before you go
(10:21):
Yeah, and if you're bringing your own stroller, which is
Totally allowed you just have to make sure it meets Disney size requirements
And they also don't allow wagons or oversized strollers and
Consider a stroller tag or a ribbon to help identify yours in the mass of stroller parking areas
(10:44):
Seriously, there are hundreds of strollers in the parking areas and you want yours to stand out
Yeah, he's not exaggerating the stroller parking areas. It's like a sea of strollers
So yeah, I think ribbons or like some sort of accessories to make your stand out as a smart idea
Now we want to give you all some tips to make your park days a little bit easier
These are just some things we've learned over the years and we want to share our knowledge with you
(11:08):
Yes
I think one of the most common questions that people ask is if they can bring their own food into Disney parks and the answer is yes
Disney World allows guests to bring their own food and drinks into the parks with a few restrictions
So here's what you can bring you can bring snacks sandwiches and meals in small containers
You can bring non-alcoholic beverages, but you can't bring them in a glass bottle
(11:33):
Actually, I think Magic Kingdom is dry completely
I don't think they sell alcohol at the Magic Kingdom, which I don't think they do
I don't think they do think just Epcot Epcot
I don't know maybe animal kingdom, but I'm not sure I don't quote us, but I know the Magic Kingdom is dry
So you can bring your own drinks, but just not in glass bottles
And you can bring a small soft-sided cooler like if you're packing sandwiches or whatever
(11:55):
But it can't be larger than 24 by 15 by 18 and of course you can also bring in baby food and formula
Now here's what you cannot bring like I said glass containers, but you can bring baby food jars, which are glass so
You can bring baby food glass jars. You cannot bring alcoholic beverages
(12:15):
You cannot bring loose ice
So you have to use reusable ice packs instead and you cannot bring large coolers or anything that requires
Heating now bring in your own food and snacks for the parks is a great way to save money
Yeah, and have options that fit your family's dietary needs
Yeah, we usually bring things like cheese it's goldfish crackers and depending on the weight of our carry-on bags
(12:40):
Sometimes we bring bottles of water
And if you don't want to carry your snacks and water with you on the plane
You can get food delivered right to your resort from places like Amazon fresh
Instant cart and gross garden grocer most of the hotels will hold your deliveries for you at Bell services
Yeah, it's a great way to save a little money by bringing your own or
(13:01):
Ordering food and drinks to your hotel room to bring with you to the parks
We usually order a couple cases of water when we are there, but you can also bring your own bottles and refill them at parks
There are refill stations throughout the parks
Yeah, also any quick service restaurant with a solar fountain will give you a free cup of ice water if you ask and then also goes for
Starbucks locations inside the parks. All right, I think this is a good stopping point for us today
(13:26):
We've thrown a lot of information out there and we want to give you a chance to digest everything
Yeah, we've given you guys so much information
But as always feel free to email me with your Disney questions
You know, I love talking about Disney and of course I'll answer the questions as best I can
You know where to find me, but in case you don't it's the Gen X couple podcast at gmail.com
(13:48):
And next week we're gonna wrap up our series with some tips and tricks that we've learned over the years
And I think we may also touch on some Disney topics like parties
Extras and tours. Yeah, but in the meantime, see you later alligator in a wild crocodile
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