Magical Journey, What to pack

Now that you have figured out when to go, where to stay, where to eat, and have researched the parks (or, in this blog's case, Magic Kingdom), you are finally ready to pack!

I won't go into what to pack in your suitcase.  We're all grown ups here and know how to pack for ourselves and our kids.

Just....please...lay fashion aside for a week and wear your tennis shoes.  Its ALOT of walking.

Let me tell you what to bring into the park if you have small kids.

My children are 6 and 5.  If you have younger kids, obviously, stick in some formula, diapers, wipes, baby food...whatever.

But, this is what Yankee Peach is packing in the backpack that will go into the parks with us every day...

Let me explain in list form (my favorite):

1.  Large plastic bag

You will need this in case of an accident.

2.  Extra pair of undies, socks and shorts for each child.

My poor 4 year old daughter went an entire week without messing up.  Then, at 11:55pm, with 5 minutes left until closing, she peed RIGHT before getting on the carousel.  Just all over the place.  My husband panicked, but I simply pulled her into a bathroom, changed her into the clothes I had, shoved the nasty things in the plastic bag, and we still had time to squeak in a carousel ride.

3.  Ponchos!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE!!!  Remember...Florida...sub-tropical.  I bought 11 of these for .89 each at Walmart because they rip easy.  But its better than be gouged in the park for the Disney Ponchos in the middle of a 10 minute downpour.  I bring 5 into the park, per my sister's advice.  One for each family member AND one for your stroller or that sopping went bench that you try to sit on later in the day.

4.  Sunscreen

Sunburn and the Happiest Place on Earth do not go together.

5.  Band-aids and Wipes

My daughter bit the dust one year and was bleeding profusely.  Being lame, I had nothing to clean it with and had not brought band-aids.  Other moms had to run to my rescue.  Never again!

6.  Snacks

True, we get snacks with our dining plan, but you just never know when your kids will get cranky or you feel your blood sugar taking a dive.  We always do the individual trail mix packets and Goldfish.  I used to do little chocolate chip cookies, but they melted.

7.  Camera and Phones

Not pictured, but self-explanatory

That's it!  Maybe bring your touring plans and some swimsuits if you want the kids to be able to splash around in some of the water fountains that they have in Magic Kindom and Epcot.  We purchase water in the park.  Water bottles are heavy to lug around and, to be honest, the water in Disney is NASTY.  It tastes like lukewarm swamp water.  So we do splurge on buying water bottles in the park.

My brain always gets frazzled trying to pack our suitcases for our trip AND pack the stuff I'll want in the park.  I have to re-remember where I shoved it all at 7am of our first day in the park.  I always forget something.

THIS year, I've already packed all my stuff!

I'll just stick it in my suitcase, then pull it out when its time to pack for Magic Kingdom.  I'm so smart.

If any of you seasoned Disney Veterans have other packing tips, let me know!

Magical Journey, MAGIC KINGDOM!!!

Okay, I may not get to everything before our trip because I desperately want to tell you how to pack for Disney eventually, BUT I HAVE to tell you about Magic Kingdom.  I. Love. Magic. Kingdom.  Sometimes, in the middle of any given day, I will stop what I am doing, sigh, and think, "I wish I was on Main Street right now..."  Yeah.  I'm in love.  But there's alot to know about Magic Kingdom so...

Consider this your Magic Kingdom Primer

1.  Getting There

If you've never been before, its important to plan ahead.  You cannot drive in your car or shuttle and be dropped off on Main Street.  Oh no...Disney plays hard to get with its most magical of all magical places on the planet.  You first, if you are driving, must park your car in their expansive parking lot.  You then, unless you get there early, must take a little shuttle that drops you off at the Monorail.

Most get on the Monorail.  If the line is long, take the Ferry.  Its a lesser known and used method of getting to Magic Kingdom and the kids love it.

Once off the Monorail/Ferry, you must get through security..."Security" being a kindly retired cop who probably paid his dues bustin' perps for 35 years in the ghetto of Detroit, who glances in your purse and tells your daughter that she looks like Cinderella.

THEN!  You may enter the Magical of Magicals.

2.  The Set Up

Disney has several "Lands", with Main Street being the sole artery into the place.  A helpful tip from my sister...don't wait forever to get your picture taken on Main Street by a Photo Pass guy.  If you walk down Main Street and veer right toward Tomorrow Land, there will be a photographer, bored to tears, standing near a rose garden.  The picture turns out tons better and you never had to wait.

Here's a map:

3.  The Rides

If you have small children, this section is very important.  Disney specializes in what they call Dark Rides.  These are indoor rides that are typically "dark" so that they can spotlight their stunning anamotronic characters.  Most of the Dark Rides are in Fantasyland and are for young kids.  They are super safe.  I once nursed my 8 week old daughter on Peter Pan.

However, the order in which you do the Dark Rides is key for a newby.  Do NOT start with Pirates of the Carribean.  Your child might be so terrified that they refuse to ride anything else.  Even the Pooh ride is a little intense.

Try this:  Its a Small World, then Peter Pan, then Winnie the Pooh., Splash Mountain, then MAYBE Haunted Mansion and Pirates. If they are good with that, then its just up to you as a parent what else they see.   In Janurary (hopefully) they will debut their newest Dark Ride, "Ariel's Undersea Adventure".  I can't wait.

4.  The Story

Something you need to know to appreciate Magic Kingdom, is that Walt Disney is all about The Story.  As you enter the tunnel that leads to Main Street, there are fake movie posters on the walls.  He meant these to remind you of movie previews.

Next, you'll notice in the top windows of the Main Street shops that there are names listed.  These are the original Disney guys.  Its supposed to be like the opening credits.

Main Street guides you through the beginning of the story...of YOUR story...the different lands are simply vehicles for the adventure that you and your family create.

Beautiful.  However, this does make things a little tricky for small kids.  You see, each ride is not just a ride unto itself.  It adheres to the rich Disney tradition of story telling.  There is the set up, there's meeting the characters, but then there is always some friction...something tense happens.  The Pooh ride has a thunderstorm/bad dream, for instance.  Splash Mountain has a scary cave where Brair Rabit looks like he will meet certain demise.  But they always end with a happy song and everyone living happily ever after.

Just keep that in mind with your little ones.  I suggest getting on youtube and letting the kids "tour" a ride online so that they are used to the dark rides and robots (anamatronics) within the ride.

5.  Mickey Punches In

One of our favorite things to do is to go to Magic Kingdom our first full day at Disney.  If the park opens at 9am, get there at 8:30am.  You will be rewarded.  The Mayor of Main Street comes out and welcomes you from on high at the Disney Railway Depot as you wait in anticipation below.  A bunch of singers come out and sing/dance.  Then, the anticipation builds.  In the distance, you'll see smoke.  You realize its the train!  Into the station it rolls with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and several princesses all ready to go to work.

No joke, my husband cried a little.  Its SO exciting and the kids love it!  Under a spray of confetti and streamers, the Mayor declares the park officially open, and in you walk to virtually no crowds at all.

6.  Tips and Tricks

Which leads me to my next section.  Here's what to do and not do in MK.

• Get there early!  You'll have the park to yourselves for about 2 hours.
• As you enter, to your left is a souvenir cart.  As the cast member for the day's schedule of events.  Its very useful.  
• Enjoy the ambience, soak in the atmosphere of Main Street, then make a bee line to Fantasyland
• Ride the crap out of Dumbo, Its a Small World, Peter Pan, and Winnie the Pooh before the lines form.
• Head to the Buzz Lightyear Ride before the lines form.
• If you have older kids, book it to Splash Mountain or Space Mountain
• Skip Tiki Birds, its so dumb.  My Dad is shedding a tear somewhere, because this is his favorite. 
• Skip Tom Sawyer's island. You get herded on to a raft that is standing room only, you wait 10 minutes for it to fill up, you put-put across to the island that is really not that big of a deal, then you repeat the herding process and wallow in your disappointment that you just wasted an hour at a glorified park.  Again.  Personal opinion
• Do Astro Orbiter at night...so worth it.
• Need a nap?  Take the kids on the super lame People Mover in Tomorrowland.  Its dark, slow, and sometimes you can make eye contact with the attendant and they will let you take a couple circuits around if there isn't a big line.
• Eat a Mickey Premium Bar.
• The famous Dole Whip is over-rated.
• Its about $15/day to rent a stroller.  Our children are almost 7 and 5 and we still take strollers with us.  Those little legs do ALOT of walking!  Tie something to the top of your stroller, because castmembers sometimes move strollers to make room.  We found ours about 2 rides down the way once!
• If you do Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, take your child to the bathroom first!!!  They do not have one there and you end up hoofing it across Fanstasyland while praying they don't call your kid's name in the Boutique during your long absense...trust me.
• WEAR TENNIS SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
• Bring ponchos.  .89 at Walmart.  Its a sub-tropical climate and pop up rain storms come and go.  We've only had to break them out once, but boy am I glad we had them!  That's a tip from my sister, who practically lives at Disney. 

I hope this lengthy post helps you!  I also highly recommend Unofficial Guide to Disney 2012 (or 2013 which usually comes out in August).  It has great tips and lots of touring plans to beat the crowds.

As always, have a magical day and let me know if you have questions!

Magical Journey, Part 3 "Top 10 Restaurants"

Ohhhh, the restaurants of Disney.  If you are a food snob, you will not necessarily have your palate tickled.  But, if you are a kid inside, your imagination will love Disney Dining.

I could wax eloquent, but lets get to the list.

Okay, I LIED.  Couple of things first.

Practically speaking, please call Disney...their website search engine is not very sophisticated.  I DID score Cinderella's Royal Table on a random search, but I also called (407) WDW-DINE and found out that there were a couple different options that weren't showing up online.  Also, the kindly, fairy godmother-like lady on the other end coaxed me into which time slot was better since I have small kids.  You don't get that on a website.

Also, as SOON as you book your package, start planning your meals.  Do some research.  There are tons of great food offerings with clever and entertaining themes.

Now.  The good stuff.

Yankee Peach 's Top 10 Disney Restaurants

1.  Sanaa 

Located in Animal Kingdom Villas (aka Kidani House), it was our 5th choice after everything was booked.  The operator said, "Well, you could try this new place..."  It ended up being our most favorite of all time.  It opens at 5pm...book the 5pm slot.  Perfect for your Animal Kingdom day, since that park closes around 5 anyway.

In Disney, you typically have to choose between great food and great experience.  Sanaa gets both right.  The food is to die for and is VERY gluten free friendly.  Their chai mousse changed my life.

See those windows?  There are now tables at each one...with zebras!

Experience wise, if you book early, you get a table in an alcove that has floor length windows right on to Animal Kingdom Lodge's savannah.  Its a cool, dark, quiet atmosphere after a hot sticky day in the park.  Our kids loved watching the zebras and giraffes graze right in front of us.  And, once our food came, a gnu stared at us intently as if to say, "You gonna eat that?"

Sanaa is a 1 sit-down meal credit with the Dining Plan.

2.  Cosmic Ray's

We are groupies of this guy!

Located in Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom, Ray's is a quick service place.  It has several stations that serve different styles of food.   There is a Deli/Salad station, a Burger station, and a Barbecue place with some fairly good ribs for quick-service.  The eating area is great. Sunny Eclipse, an anamatronic alien lounge singer, entertains your tired little children while you eat.  One of our favorite memories is watching our kids dance like maniacs to Sunny's alien vocal stylings. Its on the Dining Plan, but is also very reasonably priced if you don't use the plan.

We literally plan our Magic Kingdom touring day around lunch at Cosmic Ray's.

3. Cinderella's Royal Table

Okay, I've never been.  BUT, you have to go if you can.  The room is small and the demand high, so book early!  Be persistent if you don't get in right away.  We finally got in after trying for 30 days and will be there next week!

You have to go because, as a child, you and I beheld Cinderella's Castle in all its glory and mystery but could do nothing but pass through its arches to the other side of the park.  I always peaked around each corner in that tunnel and looked up each set of stairs wondering what was up in that castle.

Now, our kids can walk up the stairs to Cinderella's Table and meet her and some of her friends!  Do it for you...although your kids will love it too!

The food is okay, but this is one time where the experience outweighs the food.  Some of my friends love the fare offered them, but the kids' selections are pretty average when you look at the menu.

CRT will cost you two sit-down meal credits.

4.  Whispering Canyon

You'll find WC in Wilderness Lodge.  The Whoop -De-Doo Review costs 2-sit down credits and has only average food.  Whispering Canyon, on the other hand, is 1 credit and has GREAT barbecue!  PLUS, its alot of fun.  If you get there early and have a cute child with you, the crusty old cowboy that guards the entrance MIGHT let your child ring the triangle to signal the opening of the restaurant...or so I am told ;)

I may have ordered this...without sharing

Whispering Canyon's name is ironic.  Its loud.  Very loud.  But very entertaining.  I won't give away some of the things, but you better watch yourself or you will be jailed if you do not ask for ketchup correctly!  There are also races for the kids, singing, dancing and fabulous service.

Plus, you get to have the jaw-dropping experience of walking in to Wilderness Lodge to get there.  Its a beautiful resort.

5.  Akershus

Located in "Norway" in Epcot, its a great alternative to Cinderella's Table.  Many of my friends prefer it. I wasn't a huge fan of the food, but many rave about it.  You walk in to a room inhabited by whichever princess is "hosting"....usually Belle...and get a picture taken and presented to you in a keepsake folder during your meal.  As you eat, you are greeted at your table by Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and, in our case, Pocahontas.  My kids LOVED it.  It stressed me out, hopping between trying to get the kids to eat, getting them out of their boosters to meet a princess, then settled down to eat again until the next princess came, but the kids were delighted.  AND, as my friend Sarah pointed out, it beat waiting in a 20 minute line per princess to meet them throughout the park. And the princesses are truly charming.  Cinderella did not fail to act like she was in love with my son and commented that my blonde, blue-eyed daughter looked JUST like her.

Its also only 1 sit-down credit.

6.  Hacienda de San Angel

In "Mexico" of Epcot, you MUST go into the Mayan temple and experience Disney's true genius in transporting you to another world.  Soak in the ambiance.  Shop the market. Ride the little boat ride.  Then get the heck out of there.  That restaurant in there,  San Angel Inn, is notoriously slow and has been since I was little.

Instead, hop across the street to the inexpensive quick-service Hacienda de San Angel.  The food is to die for.  The red sauce they put over everything is delicious and the portions are huge.  Good place to share food if you are not on the Dining Plan.

7.  Pretzel Cart

Okay, I don't know the name.  BUT there is a pretzel cart in "Germany" that will change your life.  I don't know what they do different, but their big, soft, smushy, buttery pretzels are sent from heaven.  Get one.  True, its not a restaurant, but who am I to judge if you make one of these your lunch?

8.  Liberty Tree Tavern

I should've put this up further in the list.  Liberty Tree, in Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom) is one of the most pleasant dining experiences.  Again, it was a "Well, everything else is booked...lets eat at the boring colonial place."  Boy were we surprised!  After a busy, crazy day, its a great place to catch your breath.  Its themed, but not in the sensory-overload way that Disney tends to celebrate.  And, most importantly, the food was good and came FAST.  Think American comfort food.  Cobb Salad for me and Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes for my husband.  Normal chicken nuggets for the kids, but again...it was fast!  Much appreciated.

9.  Sunshine Seasons

Epcot has the best food in the 4 Kingdoms.  This quick service place located in The Land has well-made, healthy fare.  Again, it was a gluten free girl's dream.  Quick and yummy.

10.  Coral Reef Restaurant

Looks pretty cool to me!

Again, my host of Disney-loving friends helped me with this one.  Its located in the Nemo pavilion in Epcot.  I have never been, but MANY people gave it rave reviews...many of those friends have sophisticated (for me) palates.  Not only is it good food, but you the restaurant surrounds an aquarium.  As you eat, your kids can enjoy watching sharks and the occasional diver swim by.  And, I am sure, you will hear many shouts of "Look, Mommy, its Nemo!" :)

Notice that I did not put anything on Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom on here.  We've never been to Hollywood Studios and I was not super impressed with the food in AK.  However, many of my friends suggested that The Brown Derby and the 1950s Diner in H.S. are great.  We are doing a character meal at Hollywood and Vine next week.  I'll let you know how it goes.

In Animal Kingdom, my friends suggested Tusker House and Yak and Yeti as not only park favorites but favorites of all time.

If your kids love Pooh, then you will HAVE to do Crystal Palace along Main Street of Magic Kingdom.  The venue is pretty but the buffet left me frustrated.  I felt sure we would miss the characters if we went for more salad, so we sat planted at our seats...starving and impatient.  However, my kids are still young and love those characters, so we are going again!

Oh!  And every book, website, and many friends rave about Peco's Bills in Frontier Land of Magic Kingdom.  Its quick service taco fare.

Hope this helps you all as you plan and dream!    NEXT....we pick apart Magic Kingdom and the rides...my FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Magical Journey, Part 3 "Disney Dining"

So far, we've discussed when to go and where to stay.  NOW EVERYBODY ON SPACE MOUNTAIN, WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Hold your horses, space cowboy.

Before you get into the fun of planning which parks and which rides to visit, you need to consider your dining options.  Why?  Because any sit down dining place in Disney requires advanced reservations.

If you want to do Cinderella's Table, located in Cinderella's Castle, you need to book it months in advance.  In your mind, you may want to go to Magic Kingdom on a Thursday.  However, Cinderella's Table is only available for breakfast on a Tuesday.  That pretty much determines your park schedule.

Lets break this down to make it easy for you.

1. Dining Plan vs. No Dining Plan

The Dining Plan is a Disney offering that allows you to purchase all your meals ahead of time in one lump sum.  Typically, it saves you about 20%  on your total food budget.  One of the most common questions I get is, "Should I do the Dining Plan?"  First, consider these questions.

Are you staying on Disney Property?

The Dining Plan is only offered to folks staying in one of Disney's hotels.  So...there you go.  HOWEVER, every Fall and Spring Disney offers Free Dining Plan.  It might actually save you money to spend more on your hotel and get all your meals for free!

How old are your kids?

If you are staying on Disney Property , the Dining plan is offered for everyone 3 years and older listed in your package per night of your stay.  If your child is younger than that, do the Dining Plan! When my son Caleb was only 2, we didn't have to pay for his Dining Plan.  The meals were big enough that he could just eat off of his 4 year old sister's plate and it saved us tons.

HOWEVER, once Caleb was 3, we tried to not do the Dining Plan.  We thought we could just have everyone split meals instead of being forced to essentially pay for 4 meals every single time.  This did not work out.  You just don't realize how many times you eat at Disney!  All the Mickey Premium bars just to keep a crying child happy or sips of Coke to wake them up enough to hug Cinderella...they all cost.  In our fear of spending a large lump sum of money up front, we ended up nickel and dim-ing ourselves to death and spending even more.  Not. Cool.

Do the Dining Plans meet your family's needs?

There are three types of plans on Disney's Site.

The Quick Service Plan includes 2 quick service (fast food-style eateries) meals, 1 snack per person per night of your stay, plus 1 refillable beverage mug per person to use during your trip. 

Typical Child's Quick Service Meal

The Deluxe Plan is the typical plan.  It includes 1 quick service, 1 sit down (reservations must be made prior to your visit), 2 snacks, plus 1 refillable mug.

The Premium Plan includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus 2 snacks and the refillable mug.

We do the Deluxe Plan, which costs our family of four $932 for 7 nights.  Don't. freak. out.

Go on Disney's site and search for a couple quick-service and sit down restaurant's prices...its actually a good deal.

We like the Deluxe because we eat a light breakfast that we can make in our room or buy fairly cheaply.  We then are too antsy two sit through 3 sit-down meals when we could be riding rides but also need to force ourselves to take a break once a day for a nice meal in a (semi-)calm and air conditioned environment.

Edit:  Yesterday, I noticed a plan called Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining, which offers 1 quick service, 1 sit down and 1 snack per day.  My friend, Sarah, also brought it to my attention, because they always had too many snack credits left over and couldn't use them all.  I have never seen that before, but its definitely there if you go to actually book a package.

Do you want to do Character Dining?

Meet Pooh and friends at The Crystal Palace

If you want to have a sit down meal where your kids can meet Mickey and friends, Pooh and friends, or Cinderella and friends, then a Dining Plan might be a good choice.  These meals cost more than the normal sit down meals at Disney.  We have never been able to do Cinderella's Table (which books up VERY quickly and requires reservations 30-180 days in advance, depending on when you go).  It was important to me on this trip but to pay cash would be $200!  Now, it DOES require TWO of our sit down meals per person, because its extra special, but we'd gladly grab a burger for much cheaper on a different night and have that special experience through our Dining Plan.

Do you want to be counting pennies in The Happiest Place on Earth?

In these hard economic times, this seems very trite, but guess what?  You are going on a trip to Disney during these hard economic times, so you must be at least somewhat willing to spend a little money.  Here's the thing...Disney is very special.   But every bad thing is magnified in Disney.  So what if my daughter has the stomach flu here at home?  But once she had the stomach flu IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!  See how that seems tragic?

So, do you really want to have a melt down with your spouse over if you should buy your children popsicles in Fantasyland?   HOW COULD HE ARGUE WITH YOU IN THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!

I swear, I have almost served my husband with papers more times in THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH than anywhere else.

With the Dining Plan, you just present your "Key to the World" card to the cashier or waiter.  Each person in your group is issued a "Key to the World" that has all your info and each person's allottment of meals, snacks, etc.  Use them like debit cards.  You can even just use one person's card until it runs out and then start using someone else's.  So easy.

For us, anyway, the Dining Plan is one less stresser while in the parks.  I am sure there was a shorter and more normal way to tell you that.

Sigh...Okay...I've only gotten through the first point.  I really want to guide you through some of the restaurant choices, but maybe I'll make a Top Ten tomorrow and give you all a break!

Again, this is alot of info!  PLEASE contact me if you have more questions.  Tonight, I'll come up with a top ten for you, I promise!

As they say at Disney..."Have a Magical Day"!

Magical Journey, Part 2 - "Where"

The Yankee Peach household is all in a tizzy.  We had originally chosen a slow week in September for our trip to Disney.  We've done the same week in other years, so everything was working like clockwork since, as you now know,  the "When" of your Disney trip is your first and most important decision.  However, we have had to move our trip up by several weeks.  Its all good and I will explain when we talk about where to stay.

The second most important decision, before which rides to ride and which overpriced T-shirt to buy, is simply "Where".

You need a place to stay.  And Yankee Peach has tried something new.

First of all, there are several options.

1.  On-site at a Disney Resort

If you can swing it, its the best.  The service is unmatched.  The hotels are carefully themed so that you feel like you are stepping into another world.

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Deluxe Resort

Disney also provides an escape for your inner child.  Trust me, the inner child throws a major tantrum when you are on International Drive watching the same traffic light turn red, then green, then red again over and over and all you want to do is be in Disney World!  You will suddenly wish you'd spent the extra money to already be inside the inner sanctum.  The inner child also feels kind of "meh" about leaving the park at night only to stop at Walmart with "normal people" to get milk and cereal.  It just feels kind of lame.

Disney has three levels of resorts.  Value (which are motel-like), Moderate (Caribbean Beach is our favorite) and Deluxe (very nice, but we've never been able to afford to stay there).

Its more expensive than staying off-site, but there are several nice features of staying on property.

First, you get free parking at all the parks, which saves you $14.00/day.
Secondly, anything you purchase in a park can be sent to your room.
Third, you may partake of the Disney Dining Plan, which has always saved us money and stress.  More on that on a later post

2.  Off-site Hotels

In order to compete with Disney for your business, the off-site hotels are remarkably cheap.  We once stayed in a suite with a full kitchen for $79/night.  That same room would've cost us about $350/night in a Disney Deluxe resort.  When you are pricing these bargains, though, be sure to check for "Resort fees" or "Daily Parking fees".  We have often found that, with those sneaky additions, it puts us within range of a Disney Moderate Resort.

We also have greatly enjoyed the Sheraton Vistana.  It has a pirate pool and family suites, although it is a good 15 minutes from the hotel to the park.

If budget trumps everything.  Stay off-site.  You could also look at renting a vacation home.  We have never done this but many of my friends enjoy it immensely.  You can try www.vrbo.com for help.

BUT!!!! Now for the exciting news!  We have just done something magnificent.  We are staying at a Deluxe Resort in a room that would've been $400/night...for $85/night!!!

Its my brand new third option...

3.  Stay On-site for Off-site Prices with Vacation Club Points

Disney has a timeshare plan called Disney Vacation Club (DVC).  You can front $20,000 to stay in special villas at specific resorts..  You purchase, with that 20k, a certain amount of points, say 150, to use at Vacation Club Resorts.  

However, some people cannot use all of their 150 points up in a year.  SO, they let US...the common folk...purchase them for bargain basement prices.  This is totally legit, by the way.  You are not sneaking in to Disney, they are well aware of this process.  The trick is finding the right person and making sure its not a scam.  Here is a great site for learning about the process and finding links to DVC point brokers.  Using a broker, you know its not a scam and can pay about $13/point.  That site also had DVC points calculators so that you know how many you will need to purchase for your resort.

If an Animal Kingdom Villa is 100 points for a week and you rented Vacation Points, it would be $1300...a MAJOR SAVINGS for you.

Or you could go hardcore like us.  We got our Villa for $6.30/point.  My husband searched craigslist in a couple of major cities.  He found a guy in Pennsylvania who had to use his points by the end of August.  We looked him up on Orange County, FL's Comptroller site and saw that he had entered into a contract with DVC, and was therefore not going to take our money and run.

We then switched our trip to a slow week in August.  We gave the guy our dates and requested a Studio Standard View Room at Animal Kingdom Villas.  (Our "villa" is actually a normal basic room with a kitchenette, but the guy only had 90 points to give us, so we are fine with that.  The resort itself is amazing.)  The man called Disney and made our reservation.  We used Pay Pal and sent him the money.  Once we did, he emailed us our Confirmation Number.

It is up to us to call Disney and add our Dining Plan and make any Dining Reservations.

We have never been able to stay at a Deluxe Resort and we LOVE the Kidani House, where we will stay next month.

I know this blog is loooooooooooong.  I wanted to break it up into 3 separate blogs.  However, with our trip moved up, Yankee Peach is moving a lightening speed to plan our trip!  Strap yourselves in and hold on...there is much more to come!

Magical Journey, Part 1 - "When"

Well, the Edwards family is planning a trip to Disney World.  If anything will inspire me to start blogging again, it will be Disney!  In fact, we used to have a Disney blog.  We took a huge trip in 2010, fell in love, and could not get enough of all things Mouse-related.   We even got free press passes to Disney events in the Atlanta area!  It was glorious.

Dang...I may need to start that thing back up again...

Anyways, I will attempt to walk you all through the beginning to end journey of planning a trip to Walt Disney World.  It can be confusing.  It can be overwhelming.  It can make you cry...but not the good kind of cry like when you are 31 years old and Cinderella gives you a hug and you don't care that you are 31 years old because CINDERELLA JUST HUGGED YOU!!!

BEFORE you start researching where to find Cinderella for your hug or which rides are best for your 3 year old or your 13 year old, stop.  Take a breath.   Calm down.

Simply determine when to go.

Some of you can't help it.  You get one week off and its in July or December and the crowds will swallow you up.  That post will be for a later date...I can help you! And, you will still have a magical time.

But, for most of you...you just want to go to Disney.  You want it to be inexpensive and worry-free.

Fortunately, inexpensive and worry-free (read:  "crowd-free") go hand in hand at Disney.

1.  Go during the "Value Season"

We once found a chart, buried at the bottom of the internet, in the same place where the government keeps the Indiana Jones Ark, that had all the room rates and the different "seasons" for Disney.  When I find it again, I will post it for you.  But, until then, just know that Summer is NOT a "Value Season".  September, October, parts of November, January and February have majority "Value Season" pricing.  But, the prices per night goes up slightly ($20 or so) for weekends and the price goes into another category of season if its near a Holiday or 3-Day Weekend.  So, even though school is in session and crowds are typically light in September, the week of Labor Day will still be more expensive.

I have got to find that stinking chart...

(Edit:  Here's the link to the chart and a great Disney website)

2.  Avoid Holidays and 3-Day Weekends

As mentioned above.  February is a fantastic time to go!  Except for President's Day weekend.  October is beautiful!  Great weather!  No crowds!  Except for Columbus Day. 

If you aren't certain when to go, just Google "WDW Crowd Calendar 2012".  Lots and lots of people have tracked the crowds for you already.  It will give you a good idea for your trip.

For instance...

                      

This is December.  Yellow =Heavy.  Red = Out of Control  Purple = We warned you!  Black = Crushing Crowd.

Do not go the week of Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's July

  See?  Holidays are evil.  Weekends are also not awesome.  Even yellow means 30-90 minute waits for rides, or longer for the major attractions.

Now, follow me to Disney heaven...

                                                  
Ahhhhh, Sweet September. It even looks calm, doesn't it?  Green and blue mean, "Come on in!  The water's fine!  Want to ride Peter Pan 3 times in a row?  Sure!  What's stopping you?  Want to eat lunch when you are hungry without waiting in a 30 minute line for a lemonade?  Of course!!!  Right this way..."

"But Sara!" many of you are saying, "My kids will be in school!"

Um...yeah...so??  Its totally worth it.  At least when the kids are young.  My children go to a VERY academic school.  However, its still only Kindergarten and Pre-k.  I asked my friend, a 2nd grade teacher, and she said that its often better to give the teachers the option to collect the homework while the kids are gone.  I guess collecting as the class works is easier than putting together a gigantic packet ahead of time.  Our teachers have always opted to do a packet ahead of time and our kids did not miss a beat when they came back to school.  I am SURE this gets harder when your kids are middle school or high school, but most Disney trips are for the young 'uns, anyways, right?

3.  Try to avoid weekends

Even during September, we were SHOCKED to find we had to wait 30 minutes for Peter Pan when we went to Magic Kingdom on a Sunday.  We'd just been on Thursday and had the run of the park.  However, 30 minutes would be a dream come true for someone going the week of Christmas, so its all relative.

4.  Consider Extra Magic Hours

If you stay on Disney Property, you get to use Extra Magic Hours.  You get to enter certain parks on certain days an hour earlier than opening or stay up to 3 hours later after closing.  Our favorite is Sunday...Magic Kingdom's Extra Magic Hours that mean getting to stay in the park until Midnight.  Our 5 and 3 year old were full throttle the entire day and Disney truly is Extra Magical at night.

HOWEVER, when you are planning which parks to go to on which days and are staying off Disney Property...avoid those days like the plague.  They are busier.  This is not such a big deal in "Value Season" but it is a MUST to avoid a park with Extra Magic Hours during busy seasons...and that includes people staying on Disney property. 

Here is the current Extra Magic Hours schedule (although Disney likes to change this frequently):

Morning
Mon.   Tues.       Wed.     Thurs.     Fri.        Sat.    Sun.
AK       Epcot         X           MK             X        HS        X

Evening
Mon.    Tues.       Wed.     Thurs.     Fri.          Sat.     Sun.

HS          X             X            X             Epcot          X      MK

(AK=Animal Kingdom, MK=Magic Kingdom, HS=Hollywood Studios)

5.  Hidden Obstacles

We did our research last year and picked a pleasant little weekend in March for a quick Disney trip.  Our first day was splendid.  The 2nd day, although the Crowd Calendars predicted a very slow (on a scale of 1-10, it was a 2) day, it was CRUSHING!  It ended up being a 10 day crowd!  And the park was only staffed for a light crowd.  Turns out it was Mardis Gras weekend and New Orleans schools bussed ALL (apparently) of their kids over to Disney World to escape the madness.  We were constantly in line behind groups of 50-100 kids all in coordinated shirts from different schools in Louisiana.  Avoid Disney the weekend of Mardis Gras.

Also,  if going in the Fall, get on Disney's site and look up the "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween" calendar.  Starting in Sept, on selected days, Disney kicks out the Magic Kingdom visitors at 7pm to allow in the guests for the special Halloween event.  You may inadvertently pay for a full day at MK only to get booted out of the park 2 hours early.  Technically, you can stay in the park, but you won't be allowed on any rides without the special "Not So Scary" stamp on your hand....which will cost you dearly to get ($50-$70/person).  We plan our Sept. trips around this Calendar more than any other.  The same will be true in Nov./Dec. for "Mickey's Christmas Party".

SO...

That is the theory.  Here is the practice.

The Edwards family Googles "Crowd Calendars", does some research, discusses what WE want from our vacation, then make a calendar in Excel of September...we write in the different Crowd Calendar numbers, EMH days, and Mickey's Not So Scary days on it. 

We pick a week in September that avoids Holidays....it will still be HOT...but so be it.

Saturday - Travel
Sunday - Magic Kingdom (love Extra Magic Hours!)
Monday - Epcot (don't need EMH...Epcot is huge and my kids will be exhausted before the end of the day)
Tuesday - REST (ALWAYS REST.  That's a post in itself)
Wednesday - Animal Kingdom (park closes at 5 so there's no need to consider PM EMH)
Thursday - Hollywood Studios
Friday - Magic Kingdom (we always do MK twice.  Future post again)
Saturday - Travel

PLEASE contact Yankee Peach if you have questions.  Is this a record long post and there is still so much to consider.

My family has now moved on to Determining Our Budget, Where to Stay,  Considering the Dining Plan, Arguing over If Our Kids Need Naps, and are ALMOST to the fun part of Where To Eat and What Rides to Ride.

You will be a part of all of these choices in an effort to help you plan your trip to the MOST Magical Place on Earth!

The Disney Strategy

I know, I know, its my second Disney post.  But, get used to it.  I love that place with a passion.  And not because I love to whirl around on Dumbo 18 million times with my kids.  The entire Disney concept immerses you in a world of near-perfect customer service.  Did you know that the employees, during their training, are told how to make magical moments happen?  They are TRAINED to do things that make incredible stories just for you and your family!  If you've had that happen to you while there, please post and tell your story.

My daughter and one of our favorite princesses

A-N-Y-H-O-O

The real reason that I am writing is because I know at least half a dozen families planning or contemplating a trip right now.  Many of them feel like their heads are going to explode with the details.

Disney seems to lose its magic somewhere between seeing the commercial where Cinderella's Carriage arrives at your front door and actually planning a trip to the Happiest Most Behemoth Place On Earth.  You feel slammed with details.  At the same time as you are trying to set a budget, you are thinking about where to stay, and that makes you wonder if you should drive, and that makes you think of rides, and which parks to go to, and how to meet Cinderella, and where to eat...bam!  ALL at one time. 

Let me help you.  I won't go into many details, because that would mean writing a book.  But let me give you the 4 Stages of Planning a Disney Trip.

1.  SET A BUDGET

We have several spreadsheets that come up with every possible scenario.  Staying on-site in a Disney hotel without the Dining Plan.  Staying on-site with Dining Plan.  Staying off-site but having to pay parking daily at the parks.  Staying off-site in a condo versus a hotel room.  We look up Disney Menus and get an idea of what our daily meals will cost.  We estimate (be realistic here) how much we will spend on souvenirs daily.  Typically, for us, a short 2-Park/3Day visit means staying off-site and buying our food.  Our longer Disney Extravaganzas end up being more cost-efficient when we stay on-site, somehow.  I don't know...spreadsheets don't lie. It seems very Un-Magical, but it takes your mind off that stuff when you are actually on vacation.  AND it will determine the next Stage.

2.  DETERMINE WHEN AND WHERE

Do NOT skip right to which meals to plan so that you can meet Mickey Mouse.  Don't do it, you hear me!  Stick with the boring things first!  Try to avoid Summer, but if you can't, try to go at the very beginning or tail end.  Especially if you are from Georgia, you can sneak in there in late May/early June before most schools are out and not have record high crowds.

Lots of websites and books can help you determine peak and slow seasons.  September and January/February are our favorites, and, yes, we are those naughty parents that pull our kids out of school.

Even during slow seasons, avoid all holidays.  President's Day may not be celebrated at your office, but it pushes Disney crowds to full capacity!  And, from personal experience, skip it the week of Mardi Gras.  APPARENTLY all of New Orleans escapes the crowds by destroying other people's peaceful Disney vacation...bitter...

Disney's Pop Century - An Economy Resort

This is the time to get online and research the different Disney Resort options, as well as any condo or hotel options in the surrounding area.  Its best to stay on-site for the entire experience, but nice hotels have to lure you away by offering very cheap rates for beautiful rooms and suites. If you are on a tight budget think off-site or Disney's Economy Resorts.

NOW....you can make that magical call to Disney and book your vacation!!!!!   You can also take a little breather before moving on to the next step.

3.  DETERMINE WHICH PARKS YOU WANT TO VISIT AND WHEN

Its important to have a strategy.  Again, it sounds stressful, but working it out on the front end will make your actual trip worth every penny!  There are 4 Disney Parks.  Magic Kingdom really deserves 2 days, if you can do it.  Epcot is a full day and alot of walking.  You may want to build in a Rest Day after Epcot.  Animal Kingdom closes at 5pm, so you have time to relax in the evening.  Hollywood Studios is not a full day if you have small kids.  There's alot of great stuff to do there for little ones, but its mostly geared toward pre-teens and older.

Really, it should be its own country

Our first time, we were overwhelmed by where to go.  SO, we made another spreadsheet:)  We listed all the rides in each park and rated them on which were our favorites.  It was obvious that we needed two days at MK and could maybe even cut out Hollywood Studios since our kids were really young.

Please, do yourself a favor, and make a schedule.  Disney is huge.  And you paid alot of money to be there.  And no one wants to use their brain on vacation.  Use your brain now.  Determining a schedule is also mandatory if you want to have sit down meals...

4.  MAKE YOUR DISNEY RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS

Sanaa

With so many Character Meals (where you meet princesses and other characters) and the surprising lack of sit down restaurants, you HAVE to reserve your seats ahead of time.  You can start calling 90 days before your trip. (Edit:  It is now 180 days!)  This is why having a schedule is important.  If you try to make reservations before determining which day you are in the park, your head will be liable to explode again.  Reservations go for non-character meals, as well.  Any sit down restaurant where the food is served to you needs a reservation.  Make a calendar with your top 2 or 3 options for each day, then make the call.   The Disney folks are wonderful to work with.  Please call before going online.  I once could not find ANYTHING available on a particular day.  That poor woman searched and searched for me, and found me a new, little-known restaurant outside Animal Kingdom called Sanaa.  It is now our absolute favorite Disney restaurant.

There you go!  You've planned your trip!  Was that so hard?  Of course, now there is forming a strategy for getting to all your rides once in the park, figuring out if you need a stroller, knowing what to bring into the park with you, etc., but that's small potatoes with  many online resources to help.  Plus, your local Yankee Peach is ALWAYS willing to give endless advice and thoughts on the matter...for free!