New to Disney!!!

**ayankauskas** · 01-08-2011, 05:15 AM

Hi I'm new! Want to go to Disney at the end of September! Wanna ride dumbo and see the golden camel!

**daveann** · 01-08-2011, 07:24 AM

**Tink** · 01-08-2011, 11:20 AM

Hello and welcome to Disney Secrets. So! You've never been before?

Do you have your arrangements made regarding where you are staying and reservations for any full service restaurants where you want to have a meal?

**ayankauskas** · 01-08-2011, 12:40 PM

Yes it will be my first time! I figure at age 23 I'm about 20 years to late!I haven't booked anything just yet. I was thinking of doing it on the Disney website and just doing a meal package for my dining arrangements and hotel stay. Any recommendations? I'm not trying to go crazy just kinda keep it basic wellmaybe a little more than basic.

**uscwest** · 01-08-2011, 01:13 PM

Dining reservations open up 6 months in advance. If you are planning to do any sit down means it may be very difficult to book them at this late juncture.

BTW

to Disney Secrets.

**Tink** · 01-08-2011, 02:45 PM

Your best bet is to call Disney Dining and ask what is available, and be flexible. Disney never used to be so hard to book for meals but with the dining plans, it's crazy anymore.

You can make fine meals from counter service places though, so don't fuss too much. Some of the nicer ones are Sunshine Seasons Food Fair in EPCOT, and any of the countries in EPCOT (they all have counter services with menu selections reflective of their respective countries) and nearly any counter service in the other parks.

Animal Kingdom is mostly counter service anyway.

There are places to eat in Downtown Disney that shouldn't be as difficult to get into, as the Disney park and resort restaurants.

Oh, and each resort has a counter service restaurant that you can have a decent meal from.

Beaches and Cream is a very popular one at the Beach Club.

So, you won't starve, but you may not be having dinners at some of the restaurants you may have wanted to.

Disney is huge, huge, huge so don't overlook that fact, either. Learn the Disney transportation system. It's a little cumbersome when you try to go from resort to resort, but otherwise it's very serviceable. Plan on an hour's travel time if you are trying to move from resort to resort. You'll need to go to a park or to DTD to accomplish that as the buses don't run between resorts.

**Tink** · 01-08-2011, 02:48 PM

Oh, and if you haven't made reservations for a Disney resort yet, you'll do well to get that going. It's a very popular place and fills in fast. You will have to be flexible on your stay dates as well.

September sees the start of the Food and Wine Festival too.

I'd get on the phone or the website very soon and see what you can come up with if I were you.

Do NOT buy the Disney Dining full service (table service restaurant) package at this late date. You won't be able to book the full service restaurants. IF you want a DDP then go with the counter service one.