When it comes to add-ons, making your selections can be confusing, especially at Walt Disney World, where customization is the order of the day. Do you want a dining plan? What about park hopper tickets? Should you add Water Park Fun & More? The questions just keep coming.
While the type of tickets you should buy and whether or not to purchase a dining plan are highly individual decisions that depend on how you tour, other add-ons are a little easier to decide upon. Here we will take a look at the 5 add-ons that provide the most value for your money. Of course, whether or not you take advantage of them still rests on your personal tastes and budget.
1. Dining Packages
The Disney Dining Plan, in all its variations, is something that only works out well for a relatively small portion of Walt Disney World visitors. The dining packages, however, can provide real value for a relatively low cost. They are sometimes offered for different events, but the two that the majority of people are familiar with are the Fantasmic Dining Package and the Candlelight Processional Dining Package.
Both work the same way. For a set price, you will enjoy lunch or dinner at a table-service restaurant and then priority seating for the show. The Fantasmic Dining Package really isn’t necessary, except on extremely crowded nights, but if you plan to dine at the Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood and Vine, or Mama Melrose anyway, it allows you to avoid the crush of people waiting to get into the theater.
The Candlelight Processional Dining Package technically isn’t necessary either, but your only other options are to stand in a VERY long line outside the theater or simply watch from the back, behind the last row of seats. With the dining package, you are guaranteed a seat. Note that the time you dine will determine which performance you can attend. You can choose from a long list of table service restaurants, provided that you book early enough.
You can combine a Dining Package with a Dining Plan, using your credits. Paying out of pocket (a fixed price that varies by season) is also permitted.
2. Theme park view
If you’re already paying a premium to stay at a Disney Deluxe resort, then this one might not be worth it to you, especially if you plan to spend most of your time away from the room. If you are staying at a Downtown Disney partner hotel or another local property, however, this is a great value-added bonus. Most nearby locations charge only a few dollars extra (often $20-$30 per night, depending on the season) for an excellent view of the fireworks from at least one park. Some even have balconies where you can relax and enjoy the view in comfort.
3. In-Room extras
If you stay in an official Walt Disney World resort, you can have quite a few items delivered to your room. Naturally, the big, over-the-top extravaganzas run into the hundreds of dollars or more. But many smaller packages are priced at under $100, and a la carte items can be had for less than $20 each. Whether your loved one is a Halloween aficionado or a Jedi in training, Disney Floral and Gifts can provide that special something to push a birthday or romantic getaway to the next level.
4. Backstage Tours
You might think you’ve seen and done it all at Walt Disney World. But have you explored the mysterious Utilidor tunnel system? Or learned the backstage secrets of the Haunted Mansion? Backstage tours actually cost less than you might think, with even the priciest all-day affair clocking in at just $299 per person before any discounts for which you might qualify. The majority cost less than $100, and a few are priced at just $34 or less before discounts. It’s a whole new world, indeed!
5. Memory Maker
While it doesn’t make sense for small groups who are not particularly into being photographed, Memory Maker is pretty much a no-brainer for big groups and photo lovers. While Disney has long offered onboard ride photos and stationed Photo Pass photographers throughout the parks, until recently guests had to purchase photos individually at $15 each. Memory Maker is a true game-changer.
With Memory Maker, you own the rights to ALL of your Walt Disney World vacation photos for a particular trip. It costs $169 (2015 pricing) if you purchase at least three days in advance, or $199 after that. You will be able to download and edit the photos at will, print them out at a local printer, send them to off to sites like Shutterfly or Snapfish to create customized products—in short, anything you could do with your own photos, you can do with your Memory Maker photos. In addition, there are a few Memory Maker-exclusive perks such as on-ride video and animated Magic Shots.
Note that only the person whose My Disney Experience (MDE) account “owns” the Memory Maker (whoever it was originally linked to at the time of purchase) can edit and download the photos. However, you can link everyone in your party’s MDE accounts as friends and family, making everyone eligible to add their photos to the MDE. Many groups take advantage of this to split the cost, designating one person responsible for “owning” the entitlement and managing the photos after the trip.
While not all add-ons make sense for everyone, those detailed here provide an excellent value for those who are interested in them. Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg in what Disney has to offer. Do you have a beloved add-on? What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments what we left out!
