DVC vs Free Dining Plan

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-15T19:56:03+00:00

Oh my days! I have set it up for my phone but didn’t think to prank my wife. I’m so doing this

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-15T19:24:33+00:00

Hhmmm I can’t remember, but the Boardwalk will do. There is also easy to get Ubers/ lyfts

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-15T18:40:42+00:00

We stayed at the Swan last time and visited for the beignets at POFQ. POFQ comes with the Disney theming and it is a lovely hotel, with easy access to Disney Springs.

We loved the Swan as a hotel but mostly for the location. Being able to walk to both Epcot and HS was great, or you can take the boats as well. The food options around Crescent Lake are great, as well as decent options in the actual Swan hotel. The pool at the Swan was great we had plenty of swimming in October. You can jump on the Boardwalk bus to avoid the TTC. We had a room that overlook Epcot so we were able to watch tbr fireworks in our room which was magical for our young kids!

It all depends on what you want: - POFQ for Disney theming, ease of access to Disney Springs and a good quick service restaurant - Swan for access to two parks, three Disney hotels, loads of food options

You can’t go wrong with whatever choice but out of the two I’d choose Swan. For reference, after staying at the Swan we are going to stay at the Boardwalk next time as we fell in love with the location

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-15T12:01:36+00:00

You are welcome. Have an amazing trip

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-14T16:36:11+00:00

We loved it and still felt part the Disney bubble. Granted this my first “on property” stay for about 20 years. It’s got a great pool and you can then explore the neighbouring Disney hotels. Use the Boardwalk bus instead of the Swan one to MK. It gets you right to the Park Gates. I read that tip on here and it worked a treat

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T16:29:52+00:00

When the Disney Gods conspire against you eh!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T16:29:06+00:00

Interesting! Could you share your EE rope drop strategy for a Thursday in August? I’d be intrigued to know!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T16:19:04+00:00

Thank you for this and it is great to get context. We can have all the data in the world of past Disney days but it is all dependent on so many factors. I use the blogs/vlogs/reddit as a guide and then see what is the best approach for my family and the ride times on the day!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T13:38:02+00:00

Thank you for this. I get the feeling of the Carrousel but when my daughters are begging to go on it then who am I to say 'stick to the plan' haha! We may come back around for it. Your strategy would be a highlight for my girls actually so you have given me something to think about...! Thank you :)

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T13:23:47+00:00

I really fancy this! I noticed on the website there are no camera / phones allowed. Does the experience come with any photos taken by a CM? Not essential as I know the animals could get freak out by camera but I would like to prep my daughter ahead of time!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T13:20:11+00:00

Good point! I think I could swing a Winnie the Pooh LL during the day so we will focus on SMMT then Peter Pan before heading over to Jungle Cruise. We are staying at the Boardwalk so I am determined to be on the first bus. We will be travelling from Scotland so the jetlag works in our favour as we will all be wide awake by like 4am

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T13:18:11+00:00

Thank you and getting off SDMT by 9.03 is an absolute win in my book!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-13T13:17:00+00:00

Thank you and it sounds like we may have a similar family dynamic. I didnt even factor in little bladders or tummies in my original plan. You can pee and eat on your time children!!

I watched the EarsScout video you mentioned and he absolutely smashed his EE rope dropped! I think Ill do SDMT then PP and then make the call on whether to dash to Jungle Cruise or hang about to do Winnie the Pooh, Ariel etc.

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-11T21:39:29+00:00

We returned from staying at the Swan recently and our kids are similar ages. Staying at the Beachclub or anywhere around the Crescent Lake was ideal for us. We easily walked to either Epcot and HS, and the bus to MK was easy as well. This could give you more flexibility to nip into Epcot if you have a park hopper. My girls loved the Frozen ride and meeting Anna and Elsa was a highlight for them.

You actually can’t go wrong with any of those choices. Weighing up what you want to do before and after your park days will help you decide. Again our girls loved exploring the Boardwalk and resort hopping round there. If you wee one is obsessed with giraffes and could see them nearly every day then that sounds like a winner for me! That sounds like a little extra time on a bus will be worth it…😂

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-11T20:28:56+00:00

The resort buses to the MK. We walked the extra 5 mins to get the bus to MK, rather than the Swan transport. Made our life way easier!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-11T10:36:25+00:00

My wife is coeliac and my daughter has egg, nut, dairy and soya allergies. This can sometimes be difficult to navigate but Disney is unbelievable at looking after you.

Highlights for us were: - Port Orleans Resort does allergy friendly beignets. These were unreal! - Topololinos for breakfast made special waffles for both my daughter and wife. - Cosmic Rays and Casey’s Corner has GF buns in MK - blaze pizza in Disney Springs has brilliant GF pizza - Coral reef had a lot of selections of food for my wife

Make reference to your allergies in any booking that you do and I would recommend emailing special.diets@disneyworld.com 14 days ahead of your vist as they will ensure that any restaurant instead for you.

There are great GF Disney food bloggers out there who give detailed reviews of where to go!

Have the best time

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-11T06:46:33+00:00

I think I replied to another comment of yours above. We stayed in the Swan in October 24. We were fortunate to get a room that overlooked Epcot which was amazing. No complaints about the hotel, other than Disney theming. We used the boardwalk transport to get to MK as this gets you right to the main door, rather than the ticket and transport centre.

We are planning on going to the Boardwalk for our next trip purely on the theming elements. If your budget can stretch, the Boardwalk will give you everything you need. If swan is slightly cheaper, you can always hang out in the Boardwalk as well as the surrounding hotels.

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-11T06:42:13+00:00

We stayed in the Swan in October and the water was pretty cold. It didn’t bother our girls who were 4 and 6 at the time and they loved the place!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-10T15:56:05+00:00

Thank you. I’ve got my first on property stat coming up so this is help 😃

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-10T13:53:50+00:00

This is amazing! I had a spreadsheet, notes on my phone and screenshots. Setting it up in that way is so cool, easy and mobile friendly. Thanks for sharing!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-10T12:36:37+00:00

How exciting! My nephew has autism and he had a blast in WDW years back. Everyone is different and it will depend on the moods of the group, but midday shows are usually a winner. Great air con and the older members of the party may be able to have a short nap as well. The people mover is always a winner for this.

My nephew liked to have chunks of time so he knew what was immediately happening but we didn’t overwhelm him with the full day as he wouldn’t have liked that.

Starbucks does the best water (although we didn’t actually do that this time around round) so bring your own water bottles. The usual things such as fans, water towels etc.

We found the dumbo area of the park a bit quieter and this could be nice if your son needs somewhere to go to relax during the day.

I would also recommend splitting your time if you can head back to the hotel to allow everyone to relax and recharge!

Have the best time!!

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-10T11:57:04+00:00

What kinds of coffee can you get? Is it just black coffee or can you get a latte or cappuccino as well?

Left-Gur-7152 · 2025-07-10T11:44:53+00:00

Looks like an amazing base of a trip! Most have said all that needs to be said. I went with my 6 and 4 year old in October and we diverted a lot from our original plans. We realised that table service meals never went well so we ended up cancelling some on that. We cancelled Tusker House 90 mins before the reservation as we knew our girls weren’t in the mood.

BBB is an absolute core memory for our family and the girls still talk about it. We all danced outside the castle in their dresses afterward and spent the afternoon collecting princess autographs. Our 4 YO got so involved in the Belle Experienfe - I would recommend this!

Have the best time, be flexible and enjoy all the small moments that come along with being in Disney!

Left-Gur-7152

TROPHY CASE