Disney

Disney Bound? Navigating The Parks

by Shelley on July 10, 2012 · 0 comments

in Disney, Travel

There are 4 Disney Parks all with their most popular attractions without knowing how to make good use of the Fast Passes you can spend most of your time standing in line. Fast Passes are are available to anyone with a Disney Park Ticket not just to those staying onsite. Tour Guide Mike has a guide for each park, what fast passes to grab first and how to get the most out of your park visit.

Grab a park schedule:

Just inside each park you will find a printed schedule for the day. Be sure and grab one and you will know the times of the shows and parades for the day.

Fast Passes:

Fast Passes are for anyone with a park ticket. They are not reserved just for the people staying onsite. Using fast passes will make your park experience a much better one.

There are fast pass machines near each fast pass eligible ride. You just insert your park ticket and it will spit out a fast pass with a time to return to the ride, enter into the fast pass line and the wait is much less that the standby line. Your fast pass will tell you when you will be eligible to get your next fast pass for the same or another attraction.

**Please note: On prior visits the return times where not strictly monitored and you could ride at anytime after the fast pass printed time but now I am reading that they are adhering to the fast pass return time or you will have to either get another fast pass or ride standby. I am also reading that they are distributing many more fast passes, making the fast pass lines a bit longer than they were in the past but they are still faster than the standby lines.

If you are planning a trip to Disney, Tour Guide Mike is a must have for my Disney trips and worth every dollar. I have no affiliation with Tour Guide Mike other than I have used his service for all my Disney trips. Just subscribe in time to read and study his recommendations for the time you are there.

For an index of all the post in this series go to Disney Bound

 

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Disney Bound: How Do We Get There?

by Shelley on June 14, 2012 · 1 comment

in Disney, Travel

Pinit

When thinking about Disney you have to figure out how you will get there~driving or flying?

With the price of gas flying seems cheaper and faster at times then when you throw in the new charges for baggage and seating arrangements it can be pricey!

Flying:There are a lot of things to consider.

Car Rental /Transportation: if you are staying onsite you more than likely will not need a vehicle.  Disney has transportation to and from the airport via Disney’s Magic Express as long as fly in and out of Orlando International. If you fly into the Orlando/Sanford airport you will have to find and pay for your own transportation to and from the Disney Resorts. Flying into Orlando/Sanford tickets are usually cheaper but when you calculate  in the cost of transportation  once you arrive flying into Orlando International may be a better deal. Also, unless you have someone to drop you off at the departing airport you will need to calculate parking while you are away as well, that adds up fast.

Time: Driving certainly takes longer but I live 9 hours away. The best price on flight was from an airport 2 hours away. By the time we drove to the airport, got there 2 hours early , arrived at Orlando International, boarded the Magic Express and arrived at the resort we may have saved 2 hours. Though the flight was only a little over an hour the process was around 7 hours, so it cost more for 4 of us and only saved us 2 hours. I will probably drive from now on.

Driving: The cost of gas keeps going up and down but regardless it is up! Calculate the cost it may be a cost effective way to travel verses flying but that is all based on the number of people traveling and what airport you are flying into. If you have a dependable vehicle and plenty of time make it a road trip for your family and make some stops along the way.  There are toll roads in Florida so have some change handy.

 

Just take these things into consideration and calculate what would work for you best, time wise  and dollar wise.

 

 

 

Unless you are South of Tennessee you will probably be passing through Chattanooga. Click on over and read more about my hometown, Chattanoga and make that a stop along the way. 

 

 

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Disney Bound? When Do You Want To Go?

by Shelley on May 28, 2012 · 0 comments

in Disney, Travel

When do you want to go? How long do you want to stay? 

There are a lot of things that dictate when you can go and when you want to go to Disney World. School schedules, available vacation days, costs and much more can make the choice for you.

Most Crowded and Least Crowded Times To Visit:

Summer and Christmas time are the busiest seasons. At Christmas the park is decked out from head to toe for the holidays and it even snows  on Magic Kingdom’s  Main Street and at Hollywood Studios. The closer to Christmas day the more crowded it gets! (Use Tour Guide Mike and follow his recommendations and you will be ok can you tell….I am a fan?)

Fall usually is less crowded and the resort rates are less expensive. Typically Free Dining is offered in the Fall but I have went at Christmastime and received Free Dining.

Whenever you choose to go Disney is magical and there is always something going on.

Children and School:

Some schools will work with you and allow your children to miss school. They may require a special report from your child, check with their school and see what they may require or if they will allow those days to be missed. Disney is a learning experience as well as fun. Animal Kingdom and Epcot are the most educational parks. Animal Kingdom of course has the animals to learn about but they also have an environmental theme. Epcot has all the countries that you can visit, eat their foods and learn about their traditions.

I know in my area most schools have a Fall Break as well as Spring Break so that would be a great time to go.

How Long Do You Want To Stay? 

There are 4 parks and 2 water parks and Downtown Disney. I would suggest staying at least one day longer than the number of parks you want to visit. Why? To rest. Take your down day sometime in the middle of your trip. Get some rest, you won’t regret it. Your trip will be more enjoyable.  Disney can be totally exhausting. Sleep late, hang out at the pool, explore your resort, explore other resorts (they are amazing) head out to Downtown Disney for dinner. You will be invigorated for the rest of your trip and not so exhausted when you return home.

*Once you get past the cost of three or four day park tickets additional days are only a few dollars, additional costs would come from the room and food. You can also upgrade to a season pass and that may be a good deal if you plan on returning within a 12 month time period.

For links to all the posts in this series head on over to the first post in this series, Disney Bound?

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Disney Bound? Where Can I Get More Information?

by Shelley on May 25, 2012 · 3 comments

in Disney, Travel

Where can I get more information?

FREE Online Resources

Disboards: One resource with an abundance of information is DisBoards. DisBoards in an online forum that is free to join. There you will find a ton of  information on the resorts, codes and discounts, touring plans even Disney crafts and ideas.

Mouseforless: is also a forum that is free to join

AllEars: has a wonderful list of restaurants and includes prices and menus and what category they are on the Disney Dining Plans

Disney.go.com: Disney’s site to price your vacation and make your reservations, plus much more.

Passporter.com: Another online site jam packed with information and forums that are free. They also have a book about Disney that I recommend scroll on down for my WDW book recommendations.

Online Subscription Services: 

Tour Guide Mike: It is not expensive and worth every penny. The one service that I would not go to Disney without is Tour Guide Mike! Awesome, this site will lead you through the parks with ease, get on rides with minimal wait. What days are the least crowded days to attend during your vacation. He doesn’t meet you there you have to do some reading and learning but if you do it and follow his plan you will have a much better WDW trip I can assure you. When you see people standing in lines with wait times of 90 minutes you know they didn’t follow Tour Guide Mikes Plan! To make this even better The Mouse For Less has a $3 off discount code.

Touring Plans: Touring plans is a toned down simplified version of Tour Guide Mike. Cost less but to me less information (there is also a smart phone app to use on site for Touring Plans.

Books That I Recommend :


PassPorter’s Walt Disney World 2012: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake!
Design magical vacations with this award-winning travel guide and planning system for everyone’s favorite playground. With four major theme parks and 20 hotels packed into 47 square miles, planning a trip to Disney World can be a daunting task. This indispensable travel planner simplifies the process, keeping travelers on schedule, within budget, and ready for fun. Each of the four major parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — gets an in-depth layout, complete with full-color fold-out maps and a description of every ride and attraction. Exhaustive profiles of Disney-owned resort hotels feature detailed maps, color photos, and room layouts. The guide also covers all of the park’s 300+ dining options. A concise, up-to-date review with average meal cost is provided for each venue, from full-service restaurants to counter-service eateries. Fourteen handy organizer pockets store maps, passes, receipts, itineraries, notes and to-do lists.

Source: Amazon

Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World 2012


Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World, the most respected and well-known name in travel guides, takes readers to the world’s most popular tourist attraction. Since ours is the only guidebook that’s official, this book includes the most accurate information on prices, changes, and new attractions for 2012. Highlights include complete coverage of Walt Disney World’s newest resort-in-the-making: The Art of Animation; expanded information about the ever-popular Disney Vacation Club, including details on Aulani, a deluxe Disney resort and spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii; and an insider look at Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy—a luxury ocean liner based out of Barcelona, Spain.
Fans of Fantasyland will be thrilled to hear that is it now the center of the greatest growth-spurt in Magic Kingdom history! We’ll deliver all the info on this happy expansion—including a description of new attraction featuring The Little Mermaid. Also, come here for the scoop on Star Tours II–an immersive 3-D journey into the beloved Star Wars realm.

As always, Birnbaum will provide strategic sample itineraries; an insider’s look at the newest attractions, stage shows, and restaurants; and tips for travelers of every age! And with more money-saving coupons than ever before, this guide is a must-have for every Disney World guest!

Source: Amazon
**Please note that the Amazon links above are for the 2012 season that are current at the time of this post. If you are finding this post at a later time or plan to visit in 2013 or later please look for the current versions once you arrive at Amazon.  Things change at Disney from year to year. These book if outdated will still give you some valuable information but may not be as current as you would need. 
For the index to find more from this series head on over to the original Disney Bound? post.
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Tagged as: Disney, Disney Books, Disney information. Online Disney Resources, Disney Touring Plans, WDW

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Disney Bound? Where Do You Want To Stay?

by Shelley on May 24, 2012 · 2 comments

in Disney, Travel

Where do you want to stay? 

Where you want to stay at Disney depends on many things, onsite or offsite, how much you are willing to spend, how many is in your party, what kind of  experience you want to have?

Personally unless I had family in Orlando I would choose to stay on property or at least accommodations that have dependable transportation to and from Disney I would stay onsite. Disney hotels have all that you would need, from laundry services to dining choices and offer guests many amenities such as the dining plan (sometimes FREE), extended park hours and free transportation to and from the parks.

There are lots of perks to staying onsite.

Onsite Resorts:

Disney offers resorts that fit any budget from Value resorts to just plain fancy! I have stayed at a moderate and value resort and I must say I love Pop Century which is a Value Resort.

You can price your stay based on time of travel and resort choice at http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/

***Paying a few extra dollars for a preferred room is worth every penny in my book! Preferred rooms are usually closer to the main building, dining and bus stops. These resorts are HUGE! Walking to a room in the back forty after a long, fun but exhausting day at the park can be a killer. I would suggest asking for a room near (but not right next to) an elevator. Each building is HUGE the elevator is usually centrally located and once you ride up or down you may have a long walk. Trust me you will get plenty of walking done in the parks!

The Value Resorts are: You can rent a fridge or get in on a *fridge swap

Pop Century~Has a theme of popular oversixed icons through the centuries

All Star Sports ~Sports Themes

All Star Movies~Disney Movies Themed

All Star Music ~Music Themed

Disney Art of Animation ( Brand New, opening in stages) ~ Disney Animated Movies Themed

The Moderate Resorts: Slightly larger rooms that have a mini fridge and pools are a little more elaborate and have slides. 

Caribbean Beach

Coronado Springs ~ Aztec themed

Port Orleans-French Quarter

Port Orleans-Riverside

The Cabins At Fort Wilderness

The Deluxe Resorts: larger rooms, full service restaurants, larger more elaborate pools. Some of the themes carryover to the outside with the Boardwalk and the animals you will find just outside your window at Animal Kingdom. Some are situated on the monorail or have park transportation by boat.

BoardWalk Inn

Contemporary

Wilderness Lodge

Polynesian

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Yacht Club Resort

The Deluxe Villas: Can be found at most Deluxe Resorts.

If you have a family of 5 or more you will probably need to choose a Family Suite at one of the Value Resorts and/or Port Orleans Riverside offers trundles that can accommodate a younger child.

Do the Disney Math! 

Sometimes Disney offers FREE dining! Yes, you read that correctly. For the Value Resorts that usually includes counter service meals, for the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts that usually includes Table Service meals, so do the math if you are wanting table service meals it may be in your best interest to upgrade to a Moderate Resort than to pay for the upgrade for the Full Service dining plan at a value.

Please feel free to ask any questions and get a conversation started in the comment section: What has been your favorite resort? What did you like best about your resort. Did you stay offsite? What was your experience like?

*Fridge swap- A mini Fridge is not included in the price of a value room unless you have medications that require refrigeration, such as insulin or antibiotics (Disney can let you know what documentation you will need). Some forums have fridge swaps going and you may be able to get in on one, the first people pay for the fridge a few dollars each, when the first person leaves the fridge will go to storage at the resort and it will be available for the next person to pick up, return it to storage before you leave for the next arrival.

For the directory of all posts in this series go here.


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Tagged as: Disney, Disney Resorts, Disney Tips and Tricks, Vacation, Walt Disney World, WDW, WDW Resorts

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Disney Bound?

by Shelley on May 24, 2012 · 0 comments

in Disney, Travel

 

When I became a mom one of the things that was on my agenda was to take my daughter to Walt Disney World. I wanted to wait and take her at an age that she would remember it and little did I know I would become a single mom and it would take me until she was 15 before we would ever make it…but we did and it was a truly magical experience.

Disney is a truly magical place but it is overwhelming, expensive and can be utterly exhausting and I am creating this series in hopes to  help you plan a magical time while you are there. I am not a Disney expert but we have visited a few times and I am a planner so I read and read and read. What I learned worked for us so I hope this series will help you.

I will cover:

Join me in this series as I share all the information that took me hours and hours to learn. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment and I will try my best to answer them or find the answer for you.

 

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