“Ugh! I can’t find an ADR for CRT in MDE!”
Huh? What? Do you know what that means?
If your answer is, “no,” you have come to the right blog post! The World of Disney has a language all of its own, particularly when it comes to planning a trip.
The deeper you get into the Disney boards, blogs, and websites, the more shorthand and acronyms you’ll see. Planning a Disney trip is much like planning the invasion of a small country, so it is appropriate that we speak in code, like spies!
We have prepared this primer to help you on your journey to speaking Disney with the best of Disney Fans.
VCDA (or Very Common Disney Abbreviations)!
WDW = Walt Disney World — This may seem basic, but we see “DW” all the time, rather than “WDW.” Remember: it’s Walt Disney World®!
MDE = My Disney Experience — This is your official Disney account, both online and as an app on your phone. It is CRITICALLY important to having a magical experience!
DME = Disney’s Magical Express — This is the FREE transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport for all on-property guests.
ADR = Advanced Dining Reservations — ADRs can be made up to 180 days in advance, and reservations at many popular restaurants go very quickly.
DP = Dining Plan — WDW offers three levels of dining plans: Deluxe, Basic and Quick Service.
FP+ = Fast Pass Plus — This system enables you to reserve a time to experience an attraction up to 60 days in advance, but only for those staying on property in a WDW resort.
CM = Cast Member —All Disney employees are called Cast Members. They are really knowledgeable and can be of great help!
Walt Disney World Restaurants
Some of these acronyms can be tricky because many restaurants are not necessarily known to all by their official names. There are more than 100 restaurants at WDW, but here are some of the most popular:
CRT = Cinderella’s Royal Table – Many newbies just call it the “castle restaurant” or “Cinderella’s restaurant.”
BOG = Be Our Guest – This is the restaurant located inside Beast’s Castle, and lots of people think it is called “Beast’s.” Side note: This is a quick-service restaurant for breakfast and lunch but offers table service for dinner. It’s the only quick service that requires a reservation.
1900 = 1900 Park Fare – Different characters are featured at different meals, so be sure to you know who will be there when you go.
CM = Chef Mickey’s – Not to be confused with “Cast Member” (see above). Sorry, but on this one, you’ll just have to cipher it out from context!
Walt Disney World Attractions
Lots of the attractions have long official names, so shorthand is very helpful.
7DMT = Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — Often referred to as “Snow White’s roller coaster”
FOP = Avatar Flight of Passage — Some call it the “Pandora ride”
FEA = Frozen Ever After — Frozen-themed dark ride in Norway, Epcot. I’ll admit that I called it “Frozen Maelstrom” for a while!
TT = The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
VOTLM = Voyage of the Little Mermaid — This is a show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, not to be confused with the attraction Under the Sea
~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, located in the Magic Kingdom® Park.
Walt Disney World Resorts
In general, resorts are almost always referenced by their initials:
GF=Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
POR=Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—Riverside
POFQ=Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter
AOA=Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
AKL=Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
You get the point. There are a few exceptions: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is just “the Poly” and Disney’s Pop Century Resort is “POP.”
The All-Star resorts use a variation of the system:
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort=AS Mu
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort=AS Mo
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort=AS Sp
(If you think about it, it is not hard to see why it is necessary for those to be a bit different …)
Disney Travel Planning Experts
While Disney has a language all its own, it doesn’t have to be that complicated to get your memory-making adventure planned. We do it all day, every day and would love the opportunity to work with you and your family. Simply click here and let’s get your WDW adventure started!
Ashley Russell, a CPA by training, is an Expert Disney Travel Planner for Small World Big Fun. Small World Big Fun has planned over 10,000 Disney Trips and works for you — for free. To get started planning your trip with Ashley click here.