Disney Diva

Blogging Live from Walt Disney World

2008-07-25T03:35:00.001-07:00

Thanks to modern technology, I'll be able to blog live from Disney on my upcoming trip August 6-12th. Disney offers Internet connections for a small price at their resort hotels ($10.00 per day).
But even if I wasn't taking my laptop on the trip, I would be able to blog and post from my Blackberry. I might just try both! It will be fun to try blogging while waiting in line for Space Mountain or waiting for the Main Street parade to begin.
A couple years ago I received a great tip about taking a power strip to Disney. At first I thought it would be odd taking something that I use to plug in all my electronics at home. But I took it along and realized it was worth its weight in gold! With 4 people all having cell phones, they all need to be charged at night. Add to that the laptop and MP3 players! I recently received an IPod ITouch. I'm taking that to play a movie on the plane. And of course, maybe I'll listen to a few Disney podcasts too. But that too needs to be charged.
All these gadgets need to be charged every day. Finding enough outlets in a hotel room for these pieces of modern technology (that we can't seem to live without) is impossible.
So now, on the top of my packing list is the power strip - the lifeline to all our electronics!

Dining without the Disney Dining Plan

2008-07-21T03:42:00.001-07:00

I've done the Disney Dining Plan twice, once for free and once where I paid $37.99 per day, per person. While I liked the opportunity to try many of Disney's fine restaurants, this trip we're dining on our own without the dining plan. There's two reasons for this. Disney changed the dining plan this year and gratuity is no longer included. That costs me more money, making the plan more expensive. Also, since many people use the dining plan, you almost have to make reservations for your table service restaurants. How can I be sure we'll all be hungry at a specified time? Or even in the park where the restaurant is located? We did 10 days of the dining plan in June 2007. While I feel I definitely got my money's worth, I didn't like having a reservation time and restaurant etched in stone. And now that gratuity is not included, I just keep thinking of the $40 tip I'd have to shell out if my family racked up another $200 dining tab at Spoodles on the boardwalk.
So this trip we're dining on our own. And just know that if you don't choose the dining plan, you don't have to eat hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries for a week!
Disney has a lot of options for counter-service and food court meals. Salads are available almost everywhere. Sandwiches are not your run-of-the-mill type (I definitely recommend the Cuban sandwich with plantation chips at the ABC Commissary in Disney Studios!).
You can get a good dinner meal such as spaghetti and meatballs or chicken with mashed potatoes, at the food court of the Disney resorts. Pizza is readily available at the resorts also. While I've never ordered pizza at a Disney resort, my 17-year-old daughter who stayed at All Star Movies with her school chorus last December, raved over the pizza they had delivered from the food court.
If you still want to do a restaurant meal or two and can't get a reservation for dinner at a time you want, try eating there at lunch. In some restaurants the menus are the same or similar.
But no matter where you eat, save room for a snack! Mickey pops, fresh popcorn and Dole Whips (only in the Magic Kingdom) are on my must-have list every trip.

Florida's Heat and Humidity

2008-07-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

The heat and humidity levels in Florida in the summer make wearing the same outfit all day almost impossible. Many of our trips occur over the summer so I believe we now have surviving the heat down to a science.
Start your day as early as you can. Even though you were up late watching fireworks and SpectroMagic, it's best to get your day started as early as you can.
Parks open at 9 a.m. and for Disney Resort guests, one park each day opens at 8 a.m. While I always try to make that 8 a.m. park, I never do. So I shoot for 9 a.m.
It's cooler in the morning. Not by much, but it is. We usually get in as much as we can before lunch and then after lunch, when the heat is the worst of the day, we head back to the pool.
Disney resort pools are as warm as a bath tub in the summer but at least it's wet! After an hour or two of chillin' by the pool, we get ready to head back to the parks. But that means wearing a different outfit from the morning due to heat and humidity. And no, I don't pack 14 outfits for my 7 day trip. Usually halfway through the trip, I do a load or two of laundry at the resort. I get it done during an afternoon pool break and that's the only "work" I do on vacation.
The coin-operated laundry facilities at each resort are clean and efficient. But they're pricey. However, I think they're comparable to local laundromat prices (learned that the other day when my dryer broke down!). It's a bit of a pain to do laundry on vacation but it makes packing easier, especially when you're telling teenage girls they can only have one suitcase! The $25 the airline charges for an additional suitcase, will go a lot further in the gift shops!

First Day Tradition

2008-07-17T03:53:00.001-07:00

I always try to take an early morning flight when going to Disney World. Of course, when I arrive at the resort before noon, our room is not usually ready. But that's not a problem. Bell services at the resort is happy to take my luggage until my room is ready. The front desk prepares our park tickets which will later also serve as our room key, and we're on our way to enjoy the parks till our room is ready for check in.
We don't usually map out exactly what we're doing on certain days but the first day, somehow we've created this tradition.
It always begins in the Magic Kingdom. For some reason, to my kids, it's just not real until we see the Castle. Walking down Main Street with ear-to-ear smiles on their faces, they head right to Splash Mountain. Somehow, that has become our "first ride tradition." If that line is long, we get a fast-pass and head right to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The line usually moves fast and it's inside and air conditioned! By the time we get finished with that ride, it's time for our Splash Mountain fast-pass return. Then we ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, because it's right there.
And after that we move throughout the park with no particular plan in place.
Ironically, on our last day in the park before returning home, the tradition tends to repeat itself.

The countdown begins

2008-07-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

We always countdown days to our Disney vacation, usually starting at 99. We used to have a small dry erase board on the refrigerator and someone (usually my youngest daughter, Kristen) would change the number of days every day and sometimes she'd even add a little Disney art.
This year, we've all been so busy, we never officially started counting down. Though we don't have it written down, the countdown still goes on in every one's head.
Kristen recently said to me, "Mom, do you know we leave for Disney in 25 days?"
And Kelly, who recently graduated, is working, and preparing for her first year of college, also noticed how close it's getting.
"Mom, I'm so busy I've hardly had time to think about Disney and it's coming up fast."
These last few weeks is when we map out all the little details of our vacation. Although most things aren't written in stone, there are some things that have to be. The visit to the water parks can't be on the weekend because the locals are there then, adding to the crowds. Friday nights are a good time to take advantage of the Magic Kingdom because many people travel on the weekends and it's less crowded.
This trip we're plotting a horse-drawn carriage ride for our daughters from the Port Orleans Riverside resort. They don't know we've planned this so we have to figure out how we'll get them over there without raising suspicion. Those reservations are written in stone and can only be changed if there's inclement weather.
The clubs at Pleasure Island are closing in September and we've never made it to the club 8-Trax that we always said we wanted to go to. Now we have to figure out how to squeeze that in.
The girls want to ride Surrey Bikes at the resort while we're there. This is something we didn't get around to on the last two vacations to Disney so we figure we'd better make sure it happens this time. The last time we rode surrey bikes, the girls were 7 and 11 and could barely pedal the 4-person vehicle. My husband and I were in the front and did most of the pedaling! This time they're 17 and 15, and they want the front seats. Maybe now they can pedal us around!
It's said that planning a trip is half the fun. I agree. And when you're just weeks away and vacation seems within reach, it's fun to plan all the little details.

Using Disney Transportation

2008-07-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

My family has taken advantage of the Disney transportation system on every trip. From the Magical Express bus that picks us up at the airport and takes us to our resort, to the buses that provide transportation for Disney resort guests to and from the parks.
Depending on the time of year, resort, and even bus stop that you're waiting at, your wait time for a bus will vary. If you're at a resort with multiple bus stops and your stop is picked up last, you might see a bus or two drive right past you because it's full. That's frustrating when you're anxious to get where you're going. And if you're at a large resort such as Pop Century, where there's only one bus stop (but lots of people trying to catch a bus), you may also have to wait for a second bus because the first one fills up before your portion of the line gets there.
While some people complain about waiting on a bus, I use the opportunity to relax. I've never waited more than 20 minutes for a bus at any Disney resort but I've heard complaints from others who say they've waited longer. During busy seasons in Disney there's usually a Disney employee at the bus stop with a phone talking to someone at the dispatch station and making sure the buses needed at each resort arrive.
Make sure if you're heading to a dinner reservation to give yourself enough time to get there. Ask any cast member at your resort and they'll gladly suggest how early you should leave to make sure you arrive on time.
Everyone's idea of a long wait is different. I'm pretty patient and I like the Disney bus system enough to keep using it again and again. It sure beats driving!

Changes at Pleasure Island

2008-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Disney recently announced that it will close 6 clubs at Pleasure Island September 28th as a part of changes it will be making to the Downtown Disney area. The changes are being made in an effort to make the Downtown Disney area more family friendly, according to published reports. Disney plans to add more restaurants and stores to that area.
While I always liked the idea of the clubs such as 8-trax, the Adventurer's Club, Comedy Warehouse, Motion and Mannequins Dance Palace and Bet Sound Stage Club, I never managed to go to them in all my trips to Disney!
Why?
We always went to Downtown Disney but when you're vacationing with children the dance clubs aren't high on the priority list. And even on our Disneymoon, we never made it to the clubs. Probably because we were so tired from spending long days in the parks, there was no time or energy left for dance clubs.
I agree that there are more restaurants needed in Downtown Disney. Aside from Captain Jack's and Fulton's Crab House, there's not much else to choose from unless it's counter service you are looking for. Even though counter service in Disney is quite different from "fast food" we get here at home, sometimes you just want a sit down restaurant.
Adding more shops is probably a good idea too. The Disney Store in Downtown Disney is always very crowded. And who wouldn't like another specialty store or two?
Still, I feel compelled to make it to at least one or two Pleasure Island clubs on my trip next month just to check them out and see what I was or wasn't missing.

I probably shouldn't compare...but I do

2008-07-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that when I travel to places other than Disney, I compare the hotels to the Disney resorts. Now, my husband said it's not a fair comparison, but I'm only comparing the rooms, not amenities. On a recent trip to a well-known chain hotel, we got our room key and as soon as we walked into our room my first thought was: this room is smaller than any rooms I've stayed at in Disney (even at a value resort!). Then there was the issue of drawer space in the dresser (or lack of).
While the bed had lots of pillows, it would seem the mattress had seen firmer days. It also appeared that the air conditioning didn't work but after a visit to the front desk, I found out that we must insert our room key into this digital thermostat and then it would go on. That meant, when we weren't in the room, the air conditioning wasn't on. This resulted in returning to a very stuffy room. And even then, we never managed to get the room to a comfortable temperature.
On the morning of checkout, I reminded my family to check around the room again for anything they may have left behind. This isn't Disney, they're not going to ship home my forgotten items free of charge! Nor will they give me a courtesy call to let me know what I left behind and that it will arrive shortly in the mail.
It's difficult staying in other hotels because even though I shouldn't compare them, I do.

July 4th in Disney

2008-06-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

Disney has fireworks every night of the year but they step it up a couple notches when it's the Fourth of July. If you're planning to be there on the Fourth, just be prepared for crowds in the Magic Kingdom that usually push attendance to it's capacity. It's very common that you cannot enter the park by noon July 4th because Disney does close entrance to the park when it reaches capacity.

In July 2001 we were in Disney with the Boyertown Alumni Band. The marching unit was performing in the 3 p.m. parade in the Magic Kingdom. We were told to get into the park before 10:30 a.m. And we did. The weather was extremely hot with temperatures reaching 99 degrees. You'll also need to line up for that 3 p.m. parade extra early. When we were there, people began claiming their spots along Main Street 2 hours before the parade was scheduled.

In addition to the Alumni Band performance, an exceptional fireworks show that night was also well worth the wait.

Adding to the Disney fireworks shows is the night time lights parade called Spectromagic.

I've mentioned this parade in previous blogs but it's worth repeating. The lights in the Magic Kingdom are dimmed and then this parade - dripping in lights - spills out into the streets.

In true Disney fashion, they wow guests with this awesome parade. It's usually not scheduled every night so you'll have to check a park schedule to see when it's scheduled during your visit.

Some nights there are two performances of the parade, one just after the Wishes Fireworks and another around 11:30 p.m.

E-mail me your questions!

2008-06-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

I'm going to answer a couple questions I recently had e-mailed to me from readers. One reader asked if it's worth it to get Disney's Photopass. My answer was yes!
When you enter any of the parks in Disney you'll likely see a Photopass Photographer somewhere near the entrance taking pictures. You can walk up to one of the photographers and get a card with a bar code on it and then all the pictures you have taken by the Disney Photopass Photographers will go onto that card. Before leaving Disney you can go to the camera shop in the Magic Kingdom and view all the pictures taken and even add the photos you've taken to a CD.
Now there's 2 ways you can do this. First is to buy the Photopass CD which costs about $100. That allows you the rights to reprint your Disney photos as you wish when you get home. The other way is to take the card home with you, login at www.disneyphotopass.com create an account, enter the bar code number on your card and view all the pictures the Photopass Photographers took. From there you can choose to order and pay for the prints you want. The photos aren't terribly expensive ($12.75 for a 5X7) and sometimes you'll find some added features to your photos that were not there when you had the picture taken! (I'll leave the rest be a surprise).
Another question I was asked this week was from someone who was leaving for Disney this weekend and had never been there. She was looking for suggestions on what not to miss. I told her to make sure she sees the Spectromagic Parade in the Magic Kingdom. It's a parade that doesn't occur every night but on nights that it does, it's often twice. The lights are turned down and all the parade floats and characters are drenched in lights. This is a must-see in the Magic Kingdom! She had also asked about the Fast Pass system in Disney. That's the best way to get on more rides in less time. Kiosks are located near the entrance of the most popular rides. If you insert your park pass into the kiosk, it will spit out a ticket which will have a time range to come back to the ride and enter via the Fast Pass line. That line moves quickly! One quick little known secret for those using Fast Pass. You'll get a time range to return to the ride. If it's after the end time on the ticket, my experience has been that they will still allow you in the Fast Pass line right through the end of the day! But don't try to go in before the time starts, they watch it and monitor it to the minute. A cast member is posted at the entrance to the Fast Pass line.
I'm sure there are other questions out there and if you have one, feel free to e-mail me at disneydiva1@gmail.com

A Disney Princess in training

2008-06-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

Disney makes it easy to take babies on vacation. Although I never took my daughters when they were that young, I find myself looking at my 4-month-old granddaughter wondering when we'll take her. My family speculates that I will have her there before she's 2. She already has a Disney wardrobe and a plethora of Disney items around our house to look at. She hears Disney all the time since it's the name of our black lab. She received her first set of mouse ears on one of her first visits to the Disney Store. And everyone in our house has speculated on how cute it will be to see her reaction to Disney World for the first time.
I haven't quite figured out how 6 of us will stay in Disney. It would have to be a suite, villa or vacation club resort in order to accommodate all of us. Having a small kitchen with a refrigerator and a microwave would definitely be helpful with a little one. And you definitely need a resort that's close to the parks so it's convenient to go back for her nap.
Then there are all the things we don't do in Disney now because the girls are 15, 17 and 23. Now we'll have to include Toontown, the Bippidy Bobbidy Boutique, more time in Fantasyland, character meet and greets and autographs!
But accommodating families with babies is something Disney does well.
Baby stations are located in all four theme parks. They have a breastfeeding room, rocking chairs, high chairs, and smaller bathrooms for those little ones. If you don't bring your own stroller, you can rent one in any of the parks. The strollers are convenient so that children as old as 6 can sit in them when their little legs get tired.
When you wait in line for a ride it's usually in a building that is air conditioned. Many of the buses are handicap accessible so if you have a sleeping infant in a stroller, you don't have to disturb them to fold up the stroller for the bus ride. Disney transportation system is very efficient so if you need to get back to your resort quickly, you can.
So although the jury is still out on when our little Princess Arianna will make her Disney Debut, I know when we arrive, they'll be ready for us!

Airline changes for summer travel

2008-06-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

If you've already purchased airline tickets for your Disney vacation you might be relatively unaffected by the most recent changes some airlines made because of rising fuel costs.
American Airlines and US Airways just made changes that include a $15 charge for the first checked bag. United had already made the change. Previously, US Air allowed one bag per passenger and charged an additional $25 for an extra bag. US Airways passengers have until July 9th to purchase tickets without enduring the charge.
And if you think you might get thirsty on your US Airways flight, you'd better have some cash on hand.
The airline will no longer have complimentary drinks on its flights. Sodas are $2 and acoholic beverages are $7.
Finding deals on flight may also be harder now. And they can be found but most likely you will have to fly on the less than desirable flights. Those are the ones where you fly out later in the evening and have a return flight scheduled for the inconvenient time of 6:30 or 7 a.m.
Remember when booking your return home flight if using Disney's Magical Express, that the service will transport you from your resort to the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight time. This means if you schedule that 7 a.m. return flight, you'll be catching your Magical Express bus around 4 a.m.!
I try to book my flight to Orlando early in the morning and my return trip home in the evening giving me extra time in the parks on my arrival and departure day. But there's a price to pay for that too. I either have to get up at 3 a.m. for the airport and then I'm tired by mid-afternoon or I pay to stay in a hotel near the airport the night before and get a couple extra hours of sleep. I usually choose the latter. Despite the additional cost, I have to pay to park my car for the week anyway.

Let's do the Math

2008-06-10T03:47:00.000-07:00

There are many people still under the impression that it's cheaper to spend a week at the beach than to go on a Disney vacation. I maintain that depending on how and when you vacation, the expense can be very similar and even less, when all the costs are tabulated.
Granted, if you're driving to the beaches in Delaware or Jersey, you're not going to spent the same as I will for an airline ticket. But the costs of lodging, eating out and entertainment at the shore might just put you right up there!
Yes, you can go to the shore and rent a house/condo and cook your meals all week and save a lot. But let's say you don't cook and you eat all your meals out.

Here's my comparison based on staying 7 nights:

Disney Value Resort: $82/night
Beach condo: $200/night (Myrtle Beach)
Disney Meals for 4: $0 (Aug. free dining)
Beach Meals for 4: $1,100
airline tickets: $800
Beach trip Gas: $320
Disney park tickets: $1,200
Myrtle Beach Dixie Stamped: $200
Disney transportation to/from airport: $0
Myrtle Beach Water park: $200
Myrtle Beach Miniature Golf: $60
Myrtle Beach Aquarium: $120
Myrtle Beach Car trip check-up: $75
Myrtle Beach Total: $3,225
Disney trip total: $2,574

These numbers are based on actual expenses from our Myrtle Beach 2005 trip and our Disney 2004 trip. Free dining has been offered in Disney in certain weeks in August for the past 4 years, so if you can go during those last few weeks of August, you can have all your meals free!
Even if you go to Disney and there's not free dining, we've calculated our food expenses for 2 adults and 2 teens to be about $900 for the week. That pushes the cost higher than the beach trip, but not by much!

Disney water parks

2008-06-04T03:39:00.000-07:00

If you're heading to Disney this summer, expect crowds at both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Who wouldn't want to spend the day wet when the temperatures are soaring well into the 90's?
I've found a couple ways to fend off some of the crowds. First, we never go to the water parks on the weekends. Locals who have annual passes often go at that time adding to the crowds.
Disney resort guests get the added benefit of being admitted every day into the water parks at 9 a.m. while everyone else has to wait till 10 a.m. Add to that the fact that many people won't get up early because they were out late, and you have very low crowd levels at both water parks early in the morning. Many people choose to hit the parks in the morning and head to the water parks in the afternoon. I reverse that and head to the water parks in the morning and get on all the popular rides multiple times before the big crowds arrive. Then when it starts getting full, we head to the lazy river or the wave pool. We usually have lunch in the water park and by early afternoon when the crowds peak, I'm wrapping up my water park day. This also allows us to escape the ever-popular afternoon thunderstorm that's a regular occurrence in Florida during the summer months. Disney has an elaborate radar system that is used to determine how close to the parks (and resort swimming pools also) lightning is striking. Disney takes no chances when it comes to thunderstorms and lightning and acts quickly to get guests out of the water until the storm passes.
Both water parks have their own unique highlights and I wouldn't recommend one over the other. I always try to get to both parks when there during the warm weather.

It's A Small World

2008-05-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

It's definitely a small world after all and I'm not just talking about the ride in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.
You know how sometimes you go somewhere and run into people you know from home? Well it becomes down right ironic when it happens multiple times.
The first time this happened, we were at the check in counter at Philadelphia International Airport. I heard a voice call my teenage daughter Kelly's name and say "Hi." My first thought was: Who here would know my daughter?
It was her Math teacher, his wife (who is her guidance counselor) and their daughter. It turned out, they were headed to Walt Disney World too. And not only that, they were on our plane and sitting right behind us! Fast forward to the following summer. Just before school lets out, Kelly sees her math teacher and guidance counselor and tells them we're going to Disney again. Ironically, so are they! This time they weren't on our plane however we were there during the same week and at the same resort.
So this year Kelly is graduating from high school. She doesn't ask for a BMW for graduation (thankfully!), she asks for a trip to Disney one more time before starting college. So we make our plans to go and of course, she checks in with her teacher and guidance counselor to see if they're going too...and guess what? They are!
While our weeks don't quite align (we're leaving Disney one day after their arrival), we have to laugh at the irony of it all.
And it's not just that family we've run into that we know while vacationing in Disney. A couple years ago we were in Disney Quest when my husband saw someone he knew that worked at one of The Mercury's sister papers.
While on our honeymoon, my husband and I were talking to the cast member at the gift shop at our resort and learned that she was good friends with someone my husband knew here in PA. Then there was the bus ride to the parks last year where we got to talking to people and found out that we both knew some of the same people from the Boyertown area.
Now I think we've gone beyond coincidences and can truly say: It's A Small World after all!

The wickedly crowded weeks in Disney

2008-05-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here and everyone is thinking about vacation so I have to tell you what weeks in Disney are on my list of "when NOT to go."
July 4th week is number one. My family vacationed there during that week in 2001. On the Fourth, we had to get to the Magic Kingdom early because it was rumored that the park reaches capacity early in the day and then they no longer allow entrance. And that's exactly what happened. The temperature was well into the upper 90's, lines were extra long. We needed to stay for the 3 p.m. parade to watch my husband in the Boyertown Alumni Band march down Main Street in the parade. Well worth the heat and crowds to see :)
The week of Thanksgiving is another busy week in Disney with families taking advantage of the extra days off school so their children don't miss an entire week of school.
Another week I avoid Disney is the week of Christmas. While the weeks leading up to it are quite pleasant, I understand that week is at least as crowded as July 4th.
A lot of people say summers are crowded. I say it depends on when in the summer you go. I've been there in June, July and August and I'm headed back this summer again. I'm another parent who would prefer not taking the kids out of school for an entire week during the school year.
Last summer we were there at the end of June and it was not overly crowded. The crowds in early December were also bearable.
This year will be our third trip in the month of August and while I'll admit it is hot, we take advantage of the fact that many of the schools in the southern states are back in session in early August, freeing up the parks for us northerners.
Holiday weekends are another time to avoid since many locals go to the parks during that time.
The water parks are busiest on the weekends and the Magic Kingdom is busiest on Saturday, the day most people arrive and the park they usually visit first.

Disney Guide Books

2008-05-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

I have two favorites when it comes to books for Disney trip planning. The first is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger with Len Testa.
This book has more details than any book I've read. This is actually one you could purchase then refer back to a couple years later. But don't let it get too outdated or you'll miss all that's new in the parks. The book is updated every year and the updates are highlighted. If you're a first-time Disney visitor or haven't been there in many years, this is a book you'll want to buy.
My other favorite book is the Passporter Walt Disney World. Now this is a book that I buy for every year that we go. This spiral bound hard cover has a wealth of information about planning. This book was named one of Disney Magazine's editors' favorite source for planning a trip to Walt Disney World. This book is made to take along with you. In the back of your Passporter are pockets where you can keep receipts or airline tickets. It also has 10 days worth of pages so you can journal about your trip and log information like weather, the best thing about the day, the funniest and the worst. This is a great feature for anyone who travels to Disney because you can write down little details you want to remember for your next trip. It's also a good way to remember what the weather was during that time of year. In one section, the rides and attractions are described and rated by authors Jennifer and Dave Marx. Their daughter rates the rides also. Passporters tend to sell out quickly at book stores and are harder to find the further into the year you get, so if you know you're going, purchase one early!

Recession-proof Disney

2008-05-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

Recently in the news it was announced that Disney isn't suffering from a slow economy like many other businesses. And actually, they're revenue increased 33% for the first quarter of 2008.
I have a couple of theories on this.
The weakness of the U.S. dollar has prompted international travelers to flock to Orlando in droves, getting more for their money than they previously had.
Also, Disney has done a great job of offering vacation packages for every budget. In the early 1990's, more than half of Disney resorts were deluxe or premium priced. Now, 75% are moderate and value priced.
Value resorts in Disney are nothing like the "value priced" accommodations you find in other places where you may not get what you expected.
Disney's apparently a better bet than Las Vegas right now. A recent news story on MSNBC, claimed Vegas is struggling with gambling revenues down 4% and convention bookings down 10%.
Disney doesn't appear to be offering any more discounts than they do any other year, but they're apparently doing something right.

Disney Vacation Club

2008-05-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

In my family, the jury is still out on whether a Disney Vacation Club is the answer to our future Disney trips with a growing family. It's become increasingly difficult to share a room for a week with 2 teens. And while we always say we'll just deal with it for a week, we usually leave our vacation wondering if in the future we should invest in a vacation club.
Future trips in the next couple of years will also include our oldest daughter and our granddaughter. Now that brings us to 6 total. At that point, just a room is no longer an option.
Disney's Vacation Club operates on a point system. The minimum amount of points you can purchase is 160 for a cost of just over $16,000. The vacation club is good for 50 years and can be transferred to your children or whoever else you want to leave it to.
For that amount of points, you can spend 10 nights in Disney per year, according to the Disney Vacation Club person I spoke with. You choose your vacation club resort based on how many people you need to accommodate. Depending on the time of year, that is how the points are charged. You'll be charged more points on weekends than during the week and peak season will also cost you more points.
Then there's the maintenance fees. They will cost you about $65 a month.
You also have to factor in the cost of financing the vacation club unless you plan to pay cash. If you don't use a home equity loan or line of credit to pay for your vacation club, you can expect to pay about 10% interest on the financing. OUCH!
So while doing my research and seeing the cost of this investment rising rapidly, I decided to check out booking a suite at one of the deluxe hotels that would accommodate six of us. I was again surprised when I saw the price range from $3,500 to $8,000! OUCH again!
Fortunately, our granddaughter is only 3 months old so we still have at least a couple years to make this decision.

Upgrades

2008-05-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

It's always a nice surprise to arrive in Disney and find out you've been upgraded free of charge. There seems to be no pattern to Disney sprinkling a little pixie dust on your vacation, but it happens on a fairly regular basis.
Some upgrades are small like a water view instead of a woods view. This happened to my family in August 2004 when Hurricane Charlie forced us to drive instead of fly because the airport terminal was damaged and no flights were going in or out for days. We had booked a "woods view" at the Wilderness Lodge. We called the resort to let them know that because of the hurricane, we'd be driving and arriving very late. We were given a room with a view of Bay Lake, overlooking the dock where the boat picks you up for the Magic Kingdom. My guess is Disney wanted to add a little magic to a trip that was starting out on the wrong foot.
In December I booked a package with a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Savannah view rooms (where you can watch the animals from your balcony) were not available when I booked. So I booked a standard view room. Our flight arrived early in the morning and our room wasn't ready when we arrived. We got our park passes and were told to come back at 3 p.m. and our room would be ready. When we returned, we had a room overlooking the Savannah. Now these are nice little surprises! But I've heard talk about upgrades at deluxe hotels that include being upgraded to concierge or club level. I've also heard about upgrades from value resorts to deluxe resorts, though they appear to be a little more rare.
The only advice I have on upping your chances for a free upgrade, is letting Disney know (when you make your reservation) if you or anyone in your family is celebrating anything while there, such as a birthday, anniversary or graduation.

Finding Characters in Disney

2008-05-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

It's not hard to find characters in Disney. They're everywhere. But to get an up close visit with a specific character, you might have to do some planning.

If you don't want to stand in line at the parks with your child waiting for a photo opportunity with a character, you may want to consider a character meal. Chef Mickey's at The Contemporary has Chef Mickey Mouse, Chip and Dale and Chef Goofy and the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom has Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eyore. While you dine on good food at these restaurants, the characters make their way around the tables to interact with you and your children.

One of my favorite places for a character meal is the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. Here you'll find family-style dining on smoked pork loin, turkey and roast beef, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls and butter. Oh and for dessert, warm cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. One nice thing about Liberty Tree Tavern is that for many of the character meals in Disney you must make advance reservations, sometimes you can get a reservation at the Liberty Tree Tavern by checking with them when they open. If you definitely want to dine there, by all means, make the reservation, but depending on the time of year and crowd levels, you might be able to get a reservation when you arrive.

On our Disneymoon in 2004, my husband and I walked into the Magic Kingdom donning our bride and groom ears, a tell-tale sign we were newlyweds. A cast member stopped us and asked if we had made plans for dinner. We said we hadn't. She told us to go to Cinderella's Castle right away and they would make sure they found a seating for us. We did, and at 4 p.m. that day we were eating at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Castle. Our table was decorated with confetti and after dinner and dessert, we were brought a boxed "wedding gift" from The Castle. It was a pair of champagne flutes that said Cinderella's Royal Table.

Whether you're celebrating an occasion or just want some up close interaction with Disney characters, booking a character meal is the way to go.

The happy faces of a Disney vacation

2008-05-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

"We're going to Disney World." The words my kids wait every year to hear. Now that our trips have become yearly, our daughters have come to expect the yearly dose of magic. And although we've vacationed a few other places, you can't capture these kind of smiles anywhere but Disney.

There's the "I'm getting dessert with my dinner every night" faces.

A picture with her favorite Disney princess (even if she had to stand in line with a bunch of 5-year-olds!)

And it's not just the kids having fun....

My husband gets in on the fun in Disney MGM Studios as he seized the opportunity to play Gene Kelly "Singing In The Rain." The umbrella came complete with a rain shower!

The saddest faces are on the last day when it's time to say goodbye till next year~

Buying park tickets

2008-05-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

Part of planning your Disney vacation is deciding what tickets to buy. You can include your tickets in your package if your booking through Disney or any other travel agent, but you still have to decide which ones are best suited for how you'll roam the World once you get there. The more days you stay, the less expensive the park ticket. The Magic Your Way base ticket gets you into one park per day. If you're going for 7 days, it breaks down to about $32.00 per day for an adult. And in Disney, adults are anyone 10 years old and older. I don't think you can get into any of the local amusement parks for that price. If you think you may want to go to more than one park a day or at least have that option, you'll want what's called a park hopper added to the ticket. That brings your price to just over $40. per day for an adult and just over $34 for a child 3-9. If you want to add options such as waterparks and Disney Quest, the amount only goes up about $5 per ticket. You also need to know that you'll be asked if you want the No Expiration option. If you're staying 7 days and planning to use the tickets every day, you don't need a no expiration option which costs more. The one benefit to adding tickets to your package if you're staying in a Disney Resort is that your park ticket is your room key and can also have charging priveledges added if you choose. Last year in the Animal Kingdom, my youngest daughter's ticket got lost when we forgot to take it out of the fast-pass machine. Since we were Disney resort guests, we just went to guest services in the park and they gave her another temporary ticket. When we got back to our resort, they issued another pass like the original with her name on it.
There are a couple Web sites where you can buy discounted tickets but after checking them out I didn't see much savings. For me, it's more about convenience. I'm not sure we would have been able to replace that park pass that was lost had we bought them online or stayed offsite and had regular paper tickets.

Let's talk about resorts

2008-05-02T03:17:00.000-07:00

How do you choose where to stay when there's 22 themed resorts to choose from? Money always factors into the decision but even the deluxe resorts can be had at a fairly reasonable price at specific times of year. I've spent most of my Disney trips at moderate resorts. These are the middle of the road in price, location and amenities. So now it comes down to theming. The four choices include Port Orleans Riverside, a southern-style resort along the Sassagoula River with Mansions and lush gardens. It's sister resort, French Quarter, will give you a healthy taste of Mardi Gras. Riverside offers horse-drawn carriage rides at a very reasonable price. And from both Riverside and French Quarter you can take a boat ride to Downtown Disney, which is something not offered at any other resort. The Caribbean Beach resort has an Island theme. There you have the unique ability of mailing someone a coconut instead of a postcard.
Then there's the Coronado Springs, a Southwest style resort that boasts one of the best pools with a 46-foot tall pyramid and a cascading waterfall. So just when you think you've narrowed the choices down to four, the decision becomes more difficult because each resort offers something unique.

Bounceback offers

2008-04-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

If you're planning more than one trip to Walt Disney World this year you may be lucky enough to take advantage of what's known as a bounceback offer. Fliers are left in Disney Resort rooms explaining the offer and the dates available. If you are planning more than one trip within a 12 month period of time it can save you money. A friend recently visited Disney and said a flier was in her room for 30% off a deluxe resort if she booked before she went home. Sometimes the bounceback offers free dining and sometimes it's a room discount. Either way, it's a significant savings. There are blackout dates for the offer but it's worth checking out. The flier will have a phone number that you can call from the resort. If you don't see a flier in your room, check with the hotel concierge and ask about a bounceback offer. To book the offer you need to make a $200 deposit on the trip. Then Disney, like many other travel agencies, allows you up to 45 days before your arrival to finish paying for the trip.