Book Review: Magical Meals

Bob finds magic in Nancy Bobby's new Disney dining guide

- by Bob McLain, March 4, 2011

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Nancy Bobby runs the wonderfully useful site, The Affordable Mouse.

It's essential browsing for those who want to save money on Disney World vacations. In other words, it's essential browing for everyone.

I'm happy to report that Nancy isn't content just to be a website owner.

The Mouse. The Meals. The Magic.

Drawing upon her extensive Disney knowledge and her impressive ability to explain tricky concepts clearly and concisely, Nancy has written Magical Meals: A Guide to Affordable Dining at Walt Disney World.

Is there, you ask, such a thing as affordable Disney dining?

Well, I wasn't sure. So I asked Nancy to send over a copy of Magical Meals. It came as a 60-page PDF file, attractively formatted and stuffed with useful information. Many pages have links to websites where you can find even more information, and Nancy covers such niche topics as vegan dining, kosher meals, and planning special events at Disney World.

Magical Meals costs $10.95 directly from Nancy.

Want to peek inside?

Making Sense of Disney Dining

Disney dining is not for the faint-hearted.

I'm not talking about the food. I'm talking about the options!

From speaking the language of the Disney Dining Plan; to making reservations far enough in advance; to comprehending the differences between table-service and quick-service (and whether you're eligible for either!), it's an edible minefield out there.

Nancy begins her guide on the assumption that you've never eaten at Disney before.

She intuits the basic questions you'll surely have and answers them in simple terms.

If you're putting on your ears for the first time, I recommend that you inhale the chapter about the Disney Dining Plan. What ought to be a no-brainer requires significant cranial effort, but Nancy clearly describes the different dining plans, how they work, and whether they're a good deal for your family.

Once you've decided whether to buy the dining plan, move on to the chapter about the many different food options at Disney World and learn how Disney classifies its grub.

Nancy provides a common-sense structure to explain what's there, where to find it, and when to do without it by venturing outside Disney World for a non-magical meal.

Nancy also goes into detail about Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs), explains how Disney caters to the special dining needs of its guests, and then trots out the tips, lots and lots of tips, that will not only save you some dining dollars but help you to unlock the full benefit of the dining plan.

Magical Enough to Pay For?

I'm not modest. I'll admit that I know quite a bit about Disney World. But I learned some new things from Magical Meals.

For instance, did you know that you can book a birthday party at Goofy's Candy Company in Downtown Disney? I didn't know that.

It costs $350 for a 90-minute party with up to 12 guests (kids, presumably). I think that's pretty reasonable, and it sounds like it'd be a lot of fun, too.

Although Magical Meals is mostly about the basics of Disney dining and how to keep it affordable, you'll find plenty of hidden nuggets like that one inside.

Let me play devil's advocate: "hey, Nancy, all that stuff is on-line, so why should I bother paying you for it?" True, the facts are on-line, but Nancy isn't spewing facts: she has organized her material, simplified the arcana of Disney dining, and provided plentiful tips - all in a single document that you can print and take with you.

My recommendation is to make Magical Meals part of your Disney dining plan.

To buy Magical Meals, head over to The Affordable Mouse:

http://theaffordablemouse.com/disney-dining-guide

Magical Meals costs $10.95 and you'll have your copy in minutes.

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