When you make your reservations, you need to consider whether you want a room only reservation or if you want a package.
Now I know that if you talk to a Disney cast member, they will tell you that the packages are great and easy to understand. I’m not a cast member and to me they are confusing. After you look at them, let me know what you think.
There are six different packages, some of which have meal plans with them, that are available at the time of this writing.
- Magic Your Way (This is the basic package upon which everything else is built.)
- Magic your Way Plus Quick Service Dining
- Magic your Way Package Plus Dining
- Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining
- Magic Your Way Premium Package (includes dining)
- Magic Your Way Platinum Package (includes dining).
These package vary from the basic to the “outrageous”. Depending upon where you are staying, not all of the packages are available to you.
The breakdown goes something like this.
The following packages and dining plans are available at all five categories of resorts (Villas, Deluxe Resorts, Moderate Resorts, Value Resorts, Campground) and do not require a minimum number of night’s stay.
- Magic your Way Plus Quick Service Dining
- Magic your Way Package Plus Dining
- Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining
The Magic Your Way Premium Package (includes dining) is also available at all five categories of resorts, but does require 3-night minimum length of stay.
The Magic Your Way Platinum Package (includes dining) is only available at the Villas and Deluxe Resorts and requires a 3-night minimum length of stay.
The Magic Your Way Package includes the following: accommodations of your choice, basic Park ticket, discount at the Children’s Activity Center, meal voucher and souvenir at Planet Hollywood, Miniature Golf ticket, discount at the marina, arcade card, discounts on spas, fishing and water sports and a souvenir luggage tag.
If you decide on the Magic Your Way Quick Service Dining Package, you get all that is in the Magic Your Way Package, plus two quick-service meals and one snack per person, per night and one refillable resort drink mug.
If you decide on the Magic Your Way Plus Dining Package, you get all that is in the Magic Your Way Package, plus one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, one snack per person, per night plus one refillable resort drink mug.
If you choose the Magic Your Way Deluxe Package, you get all that is in the Magic Your Way Package, plus three table-service meals, two snacks per person, per night plus one refillable resort drink mug.
If you decide on the Magic Your Way Premium Package, you get all that is in the Magic Your Way Package, plus three table-service meals, two snacks per person, per night, unlimited use of certain recreation activities, ticket to La Nouba (the Cirque du Soleil show), preferred fireworks viewing, unlimited admission to selected Park tours, unlimited admissions to Children’s Activity Centers plus one refillable resort drink mug.
If you decide on the Magic Your way Platinum Package, you get all that is in the Magic Your Way Package, plus three table-service meals, two snacks per person, per night, unlimited use of certain recreation activities, ticket to the Cirque du Soleil show (La Nouba), preferred fireworks viewing spot, fireworks cruise for your group, a spa visit for each adult in your group, unlimited admission to certain Park tours, reserved seating at Fantasmic!, in-room child care as well as unlimited access to Children’s Activity Centers, photo CD from Disney Photo Pass, nightly turn-down service, personalize pre-arrival itinerary, a Ride-Along Experience or Driving Experience at Richard Petty, plus one refillable resort drink mug.
Hopefully I’ve broken each one of them down as they truly are. If you want to see for yourself, you can go to the following Disney website and read the information presented there. I highly suggest that you do this so that you can see and read all the information about each one of the packages before you make a decisions on what you want to do or not do. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/disney-dining-plan/ From this page you can pull up PDF documents which will give you graphic information on each of the plans.
If you want information about each of the individual packages presented in a different format, you can also go to the following website to get more information. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/vacation-packages/2013/base/ From this page, you can easily go to the page for each of the other packages.
Okay. So which one do you want? If you’re like us, some of them are immediately eliminated because they have features we neither need nor want. Others are eliminated because we are not staying at a qualifying resort or because we’re not traveling with children.
In the end, we find that because we have annual passes, don’t eat as much as the plans provide and often stay in a unit with a kitchen, we usually don’t take advantage of the packages.
Bottom line? Look at the options and decide whether you need what the various packages have to offer. I also suggest that you talk to friends and family who have bought a package and see what they think. When you have gathered all of the information, you can make an informed decision on what will work best for you.
Good luck …
Keep moving …
handimouse 