The Poor Mom's Guide to Disney

NEW Haunted Mansion interactive queue at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

2011-03-23T13:18:00.000-04:00

The Magic, The Memories, and You! New show at the Magic Kingdom Disneywo...

2011-03-15T11:25:00.000-04:00

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

2010-11-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to say that I will be going to this event in less than two weeks! For those of you who are not aware of what this is, let me tell you that it is a treat!

On selected dates, the Magic Kingdom hosts "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party". The cost of the ticket is around $53 if you buy in advance and $59 when you buy at the gate. Why go to this? Okay, first of all, there are the decorations. No one does Christmas decorations like Disney. The Magic Kingdom is decked out with every type of Christmas decoration known to man including a giant Christmas tree when you walk through the Main Street train station.

Christmas music plays throughout the park and it will snow on Main Street before the night is through! There is a special Christmas parade and fireworks show, too. The biggest perk, to me, is that Disney only sells a small amount of tickets to this event so the park closes to the general public at 6 p.m. and then it's only the "Christmas party guests" roaming the park.

All of the rides are open, there are cooking and hot cocoa stations set up where it's all complimentary. The last time we did this back in 2004, my older son refused to drink any of the cocoa (because he is not a big fan of it) and would not drink from the water fountains and basically carried on like he had spent 40 days walking the desert! I think he'll be a bit more agreeable this time around.

We opted to do the Christmas party as our one-day in Disney because A.) it is cheaper than a full-day ticket and B.) it is just magical! While the event is ticketed as at 7 pm - Midnight time frame, you can usually get in around 5 pm. So our plan for the day is to go to Downtown Disney in the afternoon and shop and eat an early dinner and then drive over to the Magic Kingdom to get in by 5. We'll do all of our shopping at Downtown Disney so we won't have to lug bags and packages around the Magic Kingdom and then we can truly just enjoy the holiday magic that Disney does best.

Have you ever been to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party? Did you love it?? Hate it??? I'd love to hear your stories!

Walt Disney World: The Modern Marvels Edition

2010-09-06T22:26:00.000-04:00

I recently was shopping at Barnes and Noble and found a DVD of the History Channel's "Modern Marvels: Walt Disney World". Now, it was done in 2005 so it is a little outdated but really, if you are a WDW enthusiast, it is a must see for you!

I love learning all about the history of the world and how Walt Disney, the man, worked. One of the cool things about this DVD is that it is 90 minutes long. If you had watched the regular TV version, you would only have seen less than an hour of it with commercials. So to have all of this extra footage was definitely cool.

Each park has it's own lengthy segment and you even have a segment on the building of Disneyland in California. It is interesting to see how far technology has come and how it all began. As a big fan of all-things Disney, it made me want to be there all over again.

My older son once had dreams of being an Imagineer; this type of documentary was something that we would have loved. Although he no longer has that dream (it's still painful for me to talk about), it was still interesting to watch. From seeing Cinderella's castle under construction, how Spaceship Earth was created, the secrets to the Tree of Life...if you are curious about any of the "magic" of Walt Disney World, this show will feed it just enough without giving it all away.

If you are planning a trip to Disney, this would be a great planning tool. Sometimes it helps for the kids to see a little behind the scenes so that they see that there is nothing to be afraid of .

New Disney Resort Coming Soon!

2010-08-29T19:55:00.001-04:00

Much thanks to my dear friend Alison for this info!

Three years ago on our last family trip to the world, we stayed at the POP Century Resort. The resort is broken up in to the last 50 years of pop culture icons. We stayed in the 70's complex and it was very groovy.

The original plan for the resort was that there would also be a second "complex" that would include pop culture icons from the early 1900's. When we were there, you could see the buildings, but they were only marginally completed and there was a bit of construction debris and overgrown greenery. You could tell that it had been neglected for some time. Disney claimed that finances was the reason for the delay on the early years portion of POP but now, they are moving forward with a NEW plan for that property!

Per WDWinfo.com:

"Disney has announced that they will soon open a new 2,000 room resort themed around the history of Disney Animation. Disney’s “Art of Animation” resort will open by the end of 2012 and will feature 1120 family suites as well as 864 standard rooms all themed around such Disney animated classics as “Finding Nemo”, “Cars” and “The Lion King”. The location of the new resort will be adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

The resort will fall into the “value” range (similar to the All Star and Pop Century resorts), but this marks the first time Disney will open a hotel that features mostly family suites. While it may be a ‘value’ resort, it should be noted that the current ‘family suites’ available at Disney’s All Star Music routinely command an average nightly rate that is usually more than double the cost of a standard room. A room at Disney’s All Star Music during value season is listed at $82 per night, where a family suite is getting $190. Depending on the popularity of these new suites, the availability of 1120 new ones could drive the price down – but it could also drive the price up. This remains to be seen.

Even though some of the structure of the resort was built years ago (when it was presumed it would be an expansion to Pop Century), this will still add hundreds of construction jobs to the Orlando economy at a time when they are sorely needed. This marks the 26th resort built at Walt Disney World."

I have to admit that I'm more than a little bit excited about this. I mean, by the time that opens, we will be a family of three on vacation and won't need the more expensive family suite but it's nice to have that option!

FREE Dining!!!

2010-07-14T14:53:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is absolutely the BEST program that Disney has to offer and although it keeps changing every couple of years, it's still the best deal around. Disney has extended their FREE Dining promotion through selected dates in December.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Disney dining program, let me give you a little bit of a history. Back in 1998 when we first went on our family trip, we booked our package deal with our hotel (All-Star Music), our passes (Park Hopper Plus) and then were given the option to add food. Now back then, you paid in to the plan with a certain dollar amount per person, per day. I think it was $34 per adult and maybe $15 per child. No matter what, we paid in to it and then could spend it no matter how we wanted; if we wanted to eat at fast food style places for all of our meal, we could. If we wanted to starve all day and then eat at the most expensive restaurants for dinner, we could. The only down side was that if you did NOT use all of your money, you lost it.

So we went, we spent, we ate like royalty! Literally, we ate at the castle! We had budgeted it down to the last penny and on our last night we went for a late dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios (then, MGM). We sat outside, the park was near closing so it was quiet, we ordered and then...they forgot about us! Seriously, for 45 minutes we were invisible! So when our server FINALLY remembered us, they comped the meal! Sure it was a sweet deal but now I was left with $75 in my food account that I was going to lose because we were leaving after dinner to go home! Thinking fast, we went back to All-Star Music, went to the food court and LOADED our cooler up with food and drinks for the ride home and some snacks for a later date. Sweet!

But I digress, so back then you paid in to the plan, then Disney changed it and you got dining credits and every year at some point, Disney offers free dining to it's resort guests. You would get one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack per person in your group, per NIGHT. That is a tricky little catch but if you think about it, you are there say five days but only four NIGHTS! So you end up short a day.

Now, the food plan has changed again and depending on the TYPE of resort you stay at (Value, Moderate, Deluxe) will depend on what kind of food plan you are eligible for. So Value resort guests get the quick-service plan which includes 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks per person in your party per NIGHT. If you are staying at a moderate or deluxe resort you get the other package of one counter, one table, one snack per night.

Either way, the dining is FREE when you book right now for most dates for the rest of 2010. You can save close to $600 on a family of four with a deal like that! Don't miss it!

The Mouse for Less

2010-07-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

Many, many, many years ago (maybe 1997?) when I was planning our family's very first trip to Walt Disney World, I was amazed at the amount of information I could find on the internet. Yes, back in 1997 it was all pretty new to me! So through my searchings I found a group through Yahoo Groups called "Disney Dollarless". Well, this was a WONDER for me because it was a group of people just like me who wanted to go to WDW and didn't have a lot of money.

I became a member of this group and over the years I have seen it evolve and grow in to something so much bigger than those early days. Now under the name of "The Mouse for Less", this group is not only a yahoo group, but they now have a web-site and some of it's members have gone on to start their own travel company called "The Magic for Less" - which is who I use every time we book and Ric is my go-to travel guy!

Honestly, in all of my years of going to Walt Disney World and booking our trips and helping so many others book and plan their trips, I could not have done it without the help of these great sites.

The Mouse for Less website is full of information to help you plan your trip and get information, but if you join them on Yahoo Groups, you can actually interact with other Disney fanatics and ask questions and get honest answers on what's good, what's not, what's worth doing and what's not. One of the best programs that they offer to their members is their postcard program. I love this...I know it has another, more magical name, but for right now it has escaped me! Sorry! Anyway, you put in a request with them (on the yahoo group) and say when you are going to WDW, who your favorite Disney character is and something that you would like said. So what they do is, one of the members who is actually AT Disney will get a postcard and send it to you FROM the character of your choice.

For example, on our family reunion trip back in 2001, it was our first trip with our now-ten year old and the second trip for our now-18 year old. Well, back then our older son was overcoming his fear of the Haunted Mansion and his favorite characters at the time were Pooh and Tigger. So we got a postcard FROM Pooh and Tigger telling him that they couldn't wait to see him and look forward to him riding the Haunted Mansion! He loved it! On the first trip that I had taken with my mom since 1981, I had Minnie Mouse send her a postcard telling her how excited she was to see her again. It was priceless!

Disney fans are some of the sweetest people I know and we all share that sense of joy, wonder and excitement and really, The Mouse for Less group has just blessed the masses with it's wisdom. Check them out!

Fun Disney Sites

2010-06-25T22:16:00.001-04:00

There are a LOT of websites out there that cover every aspect of Walt Disney World - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Personally, I don't waste my time with going to haters-of-all-things-Disney sites because they just make me mad. I mean, everyone can have a bad experience anyplace in the world and every company has "secret" things that they do that they would prefer the public not know about. That's fine - but it seems to me that there are people that go out of their way to FIND things wrong with "the World". I will not support them or promote them on this blog.

Now, having said that, today while watching the latest episode of "Travel with Rick" (which he took us on Epcot's Mission Space - the Green version) he introduced us to another Disney blog called "The Disney Driven Life". Okay, first, I know I have mentioned "Travel with Rick" here several times and what I find fun about him is that he video tapes all of the Disney rides, attractions and whatnot and shares it with us. This is a great tool if you are a first-time visitor and have kids that might find an attraction or two scary and you want to check it out before you go. It's a very informative site, and not to be missed.

But now..."The Disney Driven Life" is geared towards us Neurotic Disney Fans - and you know who you are. We think, dream and obsess about all-things Disney and cannot wait for any and all trips where we can just be immersed in the magic. Per the website, this is their description of a Disney Driven Life: "If your lifestyle revolves around incorporating the Disney brand into all aspects of your life, then you are leading a Disney Driven Life. This includes activities like watching Disney movies, listening to Disney music and podcasts, discussing Disney topics with family and friends on a regular basis, participating in Disney communities online and enjoying every minute of it. But the paramount event in the life of a Disney Driven person is planning and anticipating a Disney vacation."

I LOVE THAT!!!~

So if you fit in to that category, go on over and check out "The Disney Driven Life" and get that acceptance and know that you are not alone! I know it made me feel better!

Need a Disney Fix!

2010-06-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

So we decided that we were definitely going to do one day in Disney when we are down in Florida in November. Normally, I would be against such a thing because really, it's very expensive to just go for one day; Disney makes it worth your while to spend more days with them by discounting ticket prices by how many days you stay. Meaning, the longer you are there, the lower the cost per day. But I am personally willing to bite the bullet on this to get in my Disney fix!

The plan is for us to go the Monday after Thanksgiving because the crowds should be quite low - the folks who went for the holiday weekend will have all left either Sunday night or by Monday morning.

We're going to Magic Kingdom because we are taking my son's girlfriend with us who has never been to Disney and really, the Magic Kingdom really is what Disney is all about! So to save money on the whole thing we decided to sacrifice eating at the big-name restaurants. I'm kind of bummed about that because I would LOVE to go to the Crystal Palace for lunch and then take the monorail over to the Polynesian and do O'Hana for dinner and watch the fireworks from there. But, that is just not going to happen.

By skipping the restaurants, we are not only saving money, but time. On a recent visit, a friend of mine spent 90 minutes waiting for her seating at the Crystal Palace! She had made her advanced dining reservations (ADR's) and yet still had that long of a wait. Add that to the time it took to actually EAt and she lost probably close to three hours of ride time on that one meal. We certainly don't want to do that when we only have one day to play.

The plan will be to drive to the Disney complex early that Monday morning - we'll be coming from about an hour away - and arrange to be in the parking lot at least 30 minutes before the park opening because, remember, Magic Kingdom's parking is the furthest away. We will have to park and then take a tram to either grab the ferry or monorail over to the park entrance. After going through security and waiting for the ropes to drop, we'll be on our way.

The only thing that I don't like about this plan is that well...I don't have to actually PLAN anything! Part of the fun of going on a Disney vacation is doing all of the planning: figuring out which park to do first, deciding on restaurants, etc. With only one day there's really not much to do. There are plenty of wonderful counter service restaurants to choose from and really, no matter where we are in the park when we get hungry, there's something near by.

So now the countdown begins...

Fantasyland Construction

2010-05-25T10:56:00.005-04:00

If you are a fan of the Magic Kingdom, chances are you also enjoy your time in Fantasyland. While it is very dated, the rides are classics. With options like It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventure, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's Philharmagic, Cinderella's Carousel, Dumbo and the Mad Tea Party, Fantasyland has not had a good rehab in a while.

Per WDWMagic.com, construction has begun on the rehab/extension of Fantasyland. For you long-time visitors of Walt Disney World, you probably remember the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea Ride that has been long gone but never demolished. I am hoping that they will incorporate this in to the new construction.

From the website:

Announced at D23 Expo on 12 September 2009, Jay Rasulo outlined plans for the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom, vastly increasing the size of Fantasyland by 2013. Guests will soon be able to:

Visit their favorite Disney Princess in her castle, cottage, or chateau to share a dance with Cinderella; celebrate Sleeping Beauty's birthday with the Good Fairies; or join Belle in an enchanting story performance in the Beast's castle library.
Be Our Guest and dine in one of three enchanted rooms inside the Beast's castle.
Fly with Dumbo high above brand new circus grounds, twice the size of the existing attraction with a new interactive, three-ring circus tent.
Journey under the sea with Ariel, The Little Mermaid, in her very own attraction - also opening at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim in 2011.
Meet Tinker Bell and her friends in the magical world of Pixie Hollow.

The new Fantasyland will be opened in phases, with the majority of the new land opening in 2012. The Pixie Hollow area will open in 2013.

What are the major components of the new Fantasyland?

Ariel’s Adventure - a massive, E-Ticket ride based on The Little Mermaid. It uses an Omni-mover ride system (similar to that of the Haunted Mansion). This will be the same ride that is opening in Disneyland Resort's California Adventure, however, the Fantasyland version at Walt Disney World will feature a different exterior.
Elaborately themed areas for Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Pooh, and Tinkerbell.
New table service and counter service restaurants. The largest being the 552 seat Be Our Guest restaurant located in Beast's Castle, which will be a counter service restaurant by day and a full table service restaurant by night. The Be Our Guest restaurant will feature 3 dining rooms - Beast Ballroom, West Wing and the Castle gallery. The Beauty and the Beast area will also include the quicks service restaurant Gastons Tavern.
Interactive next generation meet and greets with the Disney Princesses.
An entire new Dumbo area based on a circus theme. The new Dumbo will feature 2 ride systems, more than doubling the capacity. It will feature a new "queueless" entry with interactive games and playgrounds, along with seating for parents.
An entire mini-land devoted to Pixie Hollow - featuring a huge play zone and meet and greets with Tinker Bell and the other fairies.
Construction of a castle wall to separate the existing Fantasyland to the new highly themed Fantasyland area. The wall will begin around by Pinnochio Village Haus and run across the front of the Cinderella Golden Carousel towards Snow White and Winnie the Pooh.
The existing Toontown Fair train station will be completely rebuilt to for the new theme of that area.
A number of shops, restrooms, and smaller food and beverage locations will be included in the area.

What will happen to Mickey's Toontown Fair?
Mickey’s Toontown Fair will be removed to make way for what will be the Pixie Hollow area of Fantasyland. It is expected that the Barnstormer (to be re-themed as part of Dumbo's Circus) will remain. The Mickey and Minnie meet and greet is rumored to be relocated to the Expo Hall on Main Street USA.

To Buy or Not to Buy a Refillable Mug

2010-05-04T15:24:00.002-04:00

As soon as you check in to your Disney resort, you will see lots of Resort Refillable Drink Mugs. Guests will be toting them around and the food court will have them for sale. Is it a smart purchase?

Here are a few things to consider first. Keep in mind that the mugs can only be refilled at a Disney resort. While you can take them into all of the parks and Downtown Disney, you can not get them refilled for free at those places. Our family spends most of our time at the parks, not at the resort. If this is the case with you, you may think it is not a good deal to purchase the mug. However, consider the advantages. Anytime you are at the resort – before heading to the parks in the morning, mid-afternoon rests by the pool, and returning to the resort at night – you can fill this mug up at no cost. If you choose to have a rest day at the resort, the refillable mug comes in handy. If you are not on the dining plan, it can be used for your drink if you dine at the food court.

There are many conveniences to having this mug and not needing to pay for a drink anytime you are at the resort and thirsty. Also, it is a relatively inexpensive Disney souvenir. You get to take it home and drink from it anytime you like. My resort mug from 2007 is by my side as I type this up right now. As a matter of fact, ask any friend who has visited my home, and they will acknowledge that I always have a Disney souvenir mug within arm’s reach. When asking ourselves “to buy or not to buy?” we bought! However, we did not purchase one per family member. The first year we bought two mugs and realized that we did not really need two mugs. We were at the parks much more than at the resorts, and when we arrived back for the night, we shared. When we spent time by the pool, we were close enough to the food court to just walk in and refill it. Back at home, only I carry the mug around as if it is a security blanket! We discovered that one mug per family for each visit to the World is just right for us.

*Special thanks to my dear friend and fellow Mouseclubber, Alison, for this post!*

Don't Be Afraid to Ask!

2010-05-04T08:03:00.002-04:00

Most people make their travel plans and go and are very happy with everything that they get. And while a trip to Walt Disney World is a dream-come-true type of vacation, you can make it even more!

For example: On a trip that I went on with my sister, we were staying at the Boardwalk Inn. We were traveling without the kids or husbands and were looking to be able to relax a little. So while we were checking in and chatting with the desk clerk, we asked where our room was. He said "First floor". We asked "What view?" and he said it was a parking lot view. We looked at each other and then at him and said "Justin, do we look like first-floor-parking-lot-view kind of people to you?" We said it lightly, but really, we were serious. It just so happened that a manager was standing near-by and heard our conversation and when he came over to investigate, he upgraded us (for free!) to a fifth floor, water view room! Could we have lived with the first floor room? Absolutely. Was the fifth floor better? No doubt!!

We had the same experience when we went two years earlier (again, just my sister and I) and stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We wanted to stay in a quiet section of the hotel. I know, big request being that most people there were traveling with children! But the desk clerk took our original room assignment and changed it and while we ended up with a much longer walk to our room, we had a corner room overlooking the Savannah! It was beautiful!

Don't be afraid to ask for what you want! Disney is more than happy to try and accommodate you wherever they can! Room requests are only one aspect of what you can ask about. On another trip where we were celebrating my birthday, I had on my "It's my birthday" pin and a cast member came over to talk to me and asked what I wanted for my birthday and I said that I always wanted to be the first rider of the day on Space Mountain (it was early in the morning at Magic Kingdom). Well, he escorted us under the rope and over to Space Mountain! I was pretty psyched!

Back in the day you used to be able to request a ride up in the front of the monorail. After an accident last year, Disney has suspended that policy but I had the opportunity to do that twice - because I asked!

Speak up! It's your vacation and you've paid a lot for it. There's no need to get greedy but if there is something that you would prefer or something that you would like to do (within reason), don't be afraid to ask. You may be pleasantly surprised by the answer!

A Booking Dilema!

2010-04-24T12:55:00.002-04:00

So our family is starting to discuss our next trip to Disney. We go in the off-season and we always go when there is free dining. The problem that we are running in to is that Disney seems to not be releasing these deals as early as they used to.

Our favorite time to go is the first week of December. For starters, that's when my birthday is, but really, we enjoy the low-crowds and the fact that the parks are decorated for Christmas. I called the WDW Travel Company yesterday to get a quote on our trip. We are going to be four adults and one child for that trip and we got a price of $2650 and that included two rooms at POP Century for five days and four nights plus five days worth of park hopper passes for five people. I was thrilled with that because it works out to $530 per person or $106 per day per person. Not a bad deal for all that we will get out of our visit.

As of right now, however, the free dining dates have not been released. If we book during the free dining offer, our price will not change - we'd still pay the $2650 BUT then we'd get one table service meal, one counter service meal and one snack per person, per day. Not THAT is a deal. If we included food, we'd end up paying close to $600 more.

I know that we can book this trip now and hold our rooms and then when the free dining offer comes out we can modify our reservation. That's not a problem. I just wish I knew the dates that it was being offered because I've heard rumors that it will not include December. Bummer.

So I'll wait, thank you very much.

Attention Imagineers!

2010-04-22T16:16:00.004-04:00

One of the things that stands out to most people who visit the Walt Disney World Resort is the amazing attention to detail around the parks and hotels and the technology within the rides. After our first visit, my older son decided that he wanted to be an Imagineer. If you think that you have no way of finding out how things are done, you're in for a surprise!

There are many books available to help your inquiry minds learn almost all of the secrets of the world. For example, there are "The Imagineering Field Guides to..." and these pocket-sized books deal with the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom. Per Amazon's website: "These user-friendly, beautifully illustrated guides are innovative and entertaining books that will enrich the guests’ time at the happiest places on earth. And now the series is being updated to include all the new attractions, shows, and lands in the Disney parks. Who better to tour you around the Disney parks than the Imagineers who created them? And what better than to have the most recent insider information? It’s all in the Imagineering Field Guides."

Another great resource for finding some secrets of "the World" is "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom." I have to admit, I just bought this one and it has some great secrets! For example: The ride "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" is located in the same building that was once "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride". In there, you can see a picture of Mr. Toad handing over the deed to Owl! I know I'm going to be looking for that on my next trip to Disney!

One of the greatest ways to always find something new at Disney is to find all of the hidden Mickey's around the resort. Hiding Mickey Mouse around the rides and parks has become a job in itself! For example, in the "Haunted Mansion" in the dining room scene, one of the place settings at the table is set in the shape of Mickey's head! On one of my trips that I went on with my sister, we stayed at the Grand Floridian and there were hidden Mickey designs in the wallpaper in the hallways! That was pretty cool. See this picture on the left? That was our room number right outside of our door. Can you see the Mickey hidden in the wallpaper pattern? In such a fancy hotel, who knew that there would be something so silly hidden right there in the decor!

But if you want your family to have a scavenger hunt to find these tricky little heads, check out the book "Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secret!" This is also a pocket-sized book that helps you see things that most of us miss! If you are someone who visits Disney a lot, this little guide could be just the thing to make your next trip different. We've come to find that it's not only in the parks where Mickey is hidden, but in some of Disney's classic movies, you can find some mouse ears hidden in the scenes.

If you have a child who is interested in what it takes to become a Disney Imagineer, there are now tons of books available to help them learn what it's really all about. You can click HERE for an Amazon.com listing of some of the more popular titles. On TV, look for "Modern Marvels: Walt Disney World" for even more behind-the-scenes looks at how things are made.

And finally, though this isn't something a "poor mom" would get to do, there are several behind-the-scenes tours that you can take at Walt Disney World. There are over a dozen to choose from and each one takes you through a different experience. They can be costly and some are only open to a select group of guest. Click HERE for a complete listing of tours that have been offered at WDW and what you can do to book one for your family.

Room pricing and extra people

2010-04-21T22:21:00.002-04:00

Since I started planning our family vacations, we have always stayed at a Disney value resort because we are a family of 4. Actually, on our first trip we were only a family of three! For our next trip we will be a party of five because we want our son's girlfriend to join us and so staying at a value resort is not an option.

I started to recently plan our next trip and that's when we decided to add our extra person. Being that we still have to have a tight budget, I was fearful of moving up to a moderate resort. Then I remembered that the family suites at the All-Star Music sleeps 6 people. I contacted my favorite Disney travel guy - Ric from Magic for Less Travel - and what he had to say surprised me.

For starters, it is cheaper to book two rooms at a value resort than to book the family suite. PLUS he said that while the suite does sleep 6, with four adults in our party, it would be really tight in there. When I saw actual photographs of the suite I had to agree. While the sofas and chairs all open up in to sleepers, they were really close together and didn't allow much room for fully grown people to move around. It's great when you are two adults with more kids, but four adults was pushing the level of comfort.

Then there was the moderate resorts. While most moderate resorts can sleep 5 people, that could be awkward for us, as well. I am unsure how comfortable his girlfriend would be with sharing a room and bathroom with the rest of us and it really lacks privacy. Price-wise, it was still up for discussion. There wasn't a great big price difference between having the two rooms and it was pretty much equal to having the suite, but again, we have to think of comfort, too.

Our friends who are going on their first trip, first thought of going to the campgrounds at Fort Wilderness because in theory, it seemed like the less expensive option. Turns out, it really wasn't. There was only a $10-$20 a night difference between getting a "tent" campsite or staying at a moderate resort! I mean, you would really have to LOVE camping to be willing to sleep on the ground, in a tent, with outdoor living and having to walk to a bathroom and using a community shower as opposed to having a private room with a bathroom and heating and air conditioning!

Bottom line, don't be afraid to explore all of your options. Had I not talked to Ric, I would have just assumed that the family suite was the way to go. Go on line, investigate, talk to a travel agent. In the end, you'll be glad you did.

Park Order

2010-04-20T10:57:00.003-04:00

I have some friends who are going on their first trip to Disney next month and they asked what order to do the parks. At the time there were four Disney-crazed women there offering advice and we all seemed to have different points of view.

For me, I had always heard to not go to your favorite park first; particularly if your favorite park is the Magic Kingdom and you have kids traveling with you. The reason? Because Magic Kingdom is the ULTIMATE in the Disney experience for kids, that they will be disappointed in the other parks after that. Now, several of the gals disagreed because their kids (and them!) are so excited to see the castle, that it is the first thing that they want to do.

So as our discussion progressed, we realized that if you are the type of person that does not really mind what order to do things in and you are staying on Disney property, you should ultimately look at the schedule for Extra Magic Hours which is only is available to Disney resort guests. Knowing which parks open early or which ones open late can help you determine your order of park visits. This information does not necessarily mean that you should GO to the parks that are opened for Extra Magic Hours, but can actually help you AVOID those parks so that you won't be with the crowd.

Is there a guaranteed formula to order of the parks? No. It is a personal preference. As I said earlier, we never do Magic Kingdom on the first day. For us we tend to to Hollywood Studios first, Magic Kingdom next, then Epcot, then Animal Kingdom and on our last day, we park hop and hit all of our favorite rides one last time.

If you get park hopper passes, you can use them to hit two parks in a day but you won't see an entire second park that way. Animal Kingdom closes at 5:00 and can be done in half a day if you get there at park opening time. So hitting a second park could be a good thing. But that is a topic for another post!

Free things to do at Walt Disney World

2010-04-15T15:11:00.004-04:00

So you've spent what seems like a small fortune for your dream vacation and you're wanting to find some things to do while on property that are free. Yes, there are free things to do in the "world".

If you booked your trip in advance, you most likely got your hotel and park passes in your package. You may have even invested in the dining plan. So while you have already paid for these things before you even arrived, it would be nice to NOT have to spend money while you are there. Here are some suggestions of freebies at Disney:

- Go for a ride! You can ride the monorail around from the Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center and then on to Epcot and see a lot of the un-developed Disney property in the process. You can also ride the monorail to three of Disney's top deluxe resorts and explore them. You can ride a boat around the Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian and then over to the Polynesian - again, to explore. From Epcot you can take a boat ride over to the Boardwalk and then on to the Hollywood Studios park.

- You may not be able to take a boat to all of the resorts, but you can get to them from the bus from any of the theme parks. Disney's resorts are SO amazingly themed that no matter where you stay, you can go and explore other Disney resorts and check out what they have to offer. The Animal Kingdom Lodge has some wonderful viewing areas of their Savannah for you to see the animals. You are not allowed to swim in any resort pool except for the one you are staying at, but exploring is okay.

- Go to Downtown Disney. There is no admission to this area and it is loaded with shops and restaurants and you still feel like you are in the magic. There is a wonderful Lego Imagination Center there that the kids will love - and they can build at Lego stations for free.

- In Epcot, there is a a drink station called "Club Cool". You can get free samples of Coke products from around the world. Not everyone has Coca Cola Classic and this is a great place to grab a free drink (maybe some ginger ale for after your wild ride on Mission Space!).

- Also in Epcot in Innoventions, there are usually stations set up where the kids can build a toy and take it with them. There have been free robot building, free frog building...it changes but usually you can always find something to make and take. And along those lines, in Epcot there are Kidcot stations where your kids can get their Epcot Passport stamped and make a craft throughout each of the countries of World Showcase.

- Watch the fireworks. You can see Magic Kingdom's fireworks without BEING in the Magic Kingdom. You can view the fireworks from anywhere along the Seven Seas Lagoon (Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary Resort areas). You can view Epcot's fireworks from the bridge at the back entrance to Epcot near the Boardwalk Resort and Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.

- Watch the Electric Water Pageant. This is a water parade on the Seven Seas Lagoon that can be seen from all of the resorts surrounding it including (I think) the Wilderness Lodge. The lighted Floats put on a beautiful display.

- You can go to the campfire at Fort Wilderness and watch a Disney movie for free nightly.

- Back in Epcot, you can send a 10-second free video e-mail to friends and family back at home!

- You can visit the petting zoo at Fort Wilderness.

- You can take a free garden tour of the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts or a free tour of the Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge.

- Walk the Boardwalk at night and take in all of the entertainers performing along the way.

So you see, there is still plenty to see and do that doesn't involve spending any extra money or having to stay inside the theme parks. Enjoy!

PassPorter's Walt Disney World

2010-04-15T09:05:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, I LOVE a good guide book to get me psyched about a trip to Disney World. I had heard of the PassPorter guide book from several Disney-related sites but never purchased one...and then I won one back in 2006. Funny enough, I just won a new one - the 2009 10th Anniversary Edition - this week! So what's it all about? Why is this a worthwhile book to use when planning your trip?

For starters, the PassPorter's Walt Disney World is very well organized. There are maps and diagrams throughout the book to help familiarize you with each resort, park and the entire Walt Disney World Resort Property. Some of the other books will give you basic descriptions but not include maps. I found that to be very helpful.

Next, it is spiral bound but has an actual hard cover over the binding so that it is easier to read and hold your pages open to what you want to see. Plus, each individual resort, has it's own page. Other books will describe one or more resort per page. The PassPorter really does a great job of making each resort it's own personal space so that you get even more information on where you are staying.

There are pocket folders in the back of the book so that you can take your book on your trip with you an place items, receipts, etc. or take notes about expenses and whatnot about your trip. There is a folder for "Our Journey" which you fill in all about the basics of your trip: Departure time/Arrival time, flight numbers, reservation numbers, rental car info, etc. plus a pocket to put receipts and notes in. Then there is a "Memories of Our Journey" page where you right some specifics like "best thing about our trip" and "worst thing about our trip". Plus there is a small budget workspace for expenses and meals and notes for next time.

Next is a page about "Our Room(s)" followed by several pages listed "Our first day" all the way through a "Our Tenth Day". If you are a scrapbooker, this book would be SO helpful in keeping track of notes that you want to journal and holding on to little mementos of each day. Personally, I enjoy getting napkins or wrappers or un-used FassPass stubs to put in to my scrapbook.

The last two pages is just a general "Memories of Our Trip" section. Each section, as I said, has a pocket for you to slip stuff in to so that it is easy to remember "Oh, we shopped at MouseWorks on Tuesday and spent $47" - if you are so inclined to do so. There are even stickers included to help personalize you pockets as well as the rest of the book.

New to the later editions is a beautiful full-color picture section with pictures submitted not only from the editors but also from readers of the PassPorter guide. There are more than ten chapters and 300 pages of information for you to use to plan your trip.

I would highly recommend the PassPorter's Walt Disney World by Dave, Jennifer and Allison Marx. It is definitely an asset to every aspect of your trip planning. You can also visit their website by clicking HERE. Per the book cover information: "Plan the perfect trip with 300+ pages of advice, maps, and photos of the resorts, restaurants, and theme parks, plus our famous organizer pockets". This book has it all!

Camping at Disney

2010-04-13T18:20:00.007-04:00

Did you know that you can stay on Disney property without staying in a Disney hotel? If you are a fan of camping, you can enjoy the campgrounds at Fort Wilderness to save you money on hotel lodging!

Per waltdisneyworld.com:

"Get back to nature at the Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, where you'll find family fun as big as the great outdoors. Nestled on 750 wooded acres of lush pine and cypress trees, the fully-equipped campsites let you camp out in comfort. Time seems to slow down while you wander the quiet trails, and roaming ducks, deer and rabbits add to the sense that you are far away from the bustle of modern civilization."

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort offers 4 different types of campsites, including new Premium Campsites, and can accommodate everything from tents to 45-foot and longer vehicles, with a maximum 10 Guests per site. Amenities vary, but each campsite is equipped with privacy-enhancing landscaping, water, cable television and electrical hook-ups, premium picnic table and charcoal grill; most locations also include sewer hook-up. High-speed internet access is available for an additional charge. Groups of 20 or more may reserve the tents-only Creekside Meadow campsite.

Some more specifics of campsites at FW, non-preferred, preferred and premium. Preferred sites include a cable TV hookup and are located near the Settlement Trading Post, Pioneer Hall and marina areas. Loops 100 through 500 and loops 700 and 1400 contain the preferred campsites. Non-preferred sites have no cable hookup and are located farther from the Pioneer Hall/marina area. Preferred sites are $9/day more during value season, $8/day more during pre-holiday season, $6/day more during regular and peak season and $5/day more during the holiday season. There is room to park one vehicle per site (in addition to the camping vehicle) and each site is limited to 10 people. Additional parking is available at the main parking lot. Check-in time for the campsites is 1:00pm; however, early arrivals will be allowed to check in if their campsite is ready. Check-out is at 11:00am. Multiple tents or combination's of campers and tents can occupy a site; however, there is a $2 charge per adult when there are more than two adults per campsite. Weekly and monthly discounts are sometimes available in the off season.

So how much will it cost you to camp at Fort Wilderness? During the value seasons rates start out as low as $43 a day and go up to $72 (prices vary and can change at any time), but during the regular or peak season you are looking at rates of $71-$110 a day. Also available for those who want to "camp" without really being outdoors, there are cabins available that sleep up to 6 people. The rates range anywhere from $265-$395 a night depending on the time of year that you book.

There's a great Fort Wilderness fact sheet that you can read HERE.

For a map of the campgrounds, click HERE.

Quick Planning Tips

2010-04-10T14:25:00.001-04:00

If someone needed a quick list of what to do to plan their vacation, this is what I'd suggest:

1. Order the free vacation planning DVD & watch with the entire family before you go.
2. Read through as many guide books as you can and take notes!
3. Shop around for the best deals before you book.
4. Make a touring plan based on what YOUR family wants to see.
5. Research restaurants & make your advanced dining reservations on time.
6. BE FLEXIBLE!!!
7. Stay up to date on what is going on at WDW via the internet so that there are no unpleasant surprises (like ride closings) when you arrive.
8. Set up a souvenir spending budget before you leave home.
9. Rev up/get in shape by walking with your family before you leave for your trip.
10. Remember that this is supposed to be FUN!!!

Weather - Be Prepared!

2010-04-10T14:14:00.003-04:00

You can read all of the books and check all of the websites and watch the Weather Channel until the cows come home. The thing is, you need to be prepared for all kinds of weather when on vacation in Florida.

If your five-day forecast called for sunny skies before you left and then you arrive and see that now there are 40% chances of rain, don't let it get you down! Just because it rains does NOT mean that you have lost a day! If anything, look at it as an adventure! Most of the rides and attractions in Disney World are indoors so really, it is just a matter of getting from one place to another. The other benefit is that the crowds will be minimal and so you will most likely have few to no waits! Always, always, ALWAYS pack emergency ponchos in your luggage. You can get these at the Dollar Store or Walmart. They are very small and compace and can fit in a back pocket or in your fanny pack. They also come in handy on the water rides (Splash Mountain & Kali River Rapids). The parks are open on rainy days so don't fear having to stay in your room.

News Flash - it's hot in Florida! Even in December, it can still be 90 degrees. If you are not a fan of the heat, fear not! There are ways to survive the heat and still have fun! For example: Most of the rides are indoors with A/C so you know that once you get inside, there will be relief. Also, most of the queue areas are at least partially shaded and have overhead fans running to circulate the air a little bit. As you walk around the park, you will notice that there are concession stands all around where you can grab a cold drink, ice or some ice cream. One year, we bought a battery-operated "water fan" in the park that spritzes you with water while fanning you. It was a worth-while investment! Also, there are tons of tree shaded areas in most of the parks where you can sit and cool down for a little while. And lastly, there are first aid stations located around the parks, as well, in case the heat gets really overwhelming for you.

Keep yourself hydrated and don't be afraid to take a break to cool down. No one wants to get heat stroke or sick on their vacation. Magic Kingdom has some lovely shady areas to sit on the Liberty Square side of the castle. Plus you can take a 25-minute ride on the Walt Disney World railroad to cool down and relax. You get a nice breeze while riding along. In Animal Kingdom, there are tons of shady areas to sit. You don't have to go far to find them - but particularly, near the entrance to the park is the Oasis - very shady, very cool and beautiful to look at. Hollywood Studios and Epcot are a bit harder to find shady spot, but they have TONS of shops and pavilions that you can go and sit in to cool down.

Packing Tip

2010-04-10T13:01:00.002-04:00

When you are traveling with kids, you have to be organized. When you are traveling with kids to Walt Disney World it is even more important because they will want to be up and dressed and out the door before you even have your eyes open!

When packing for younger children, place complete outfits in to a Ziplock one gallon sized bag. I would place one pair of shorts, a t-shirt, socks and underwear in each bag and put their name on it so that SHOULD he get up and get dressed before I was up, I knew he would at least be dressed and matching! Plus, it saves time - there's no need to be going through drawers or suitcases trying to find anything because it's all right there in their bag.

The other good thing was that we could put yesterday's clothes in to the now empty Ziplock bag and it keeps dirty laundry contained.

Disney's Fastpass

2010-04-10T12:43:00.002-04:00

One of the things that can put a damper on any Walt Disney World vacation is the waiting in lines to get on rides. If you are in the park during a peak season, your wait time can be crazy and you may even miss out on riding some of your favorites because the line is too long.

Disney created a system to help alleviate SOME of the congestion. FASTPASS is a service that is free to all Disney theme park guests. It is available on most of the most popular rides throughout the entire resort and makes it possible to almost "reserve" a time for you to come back and ride the ride without having to wait.

Per Waltdisneyworld.com:
Wouldn't it be great if you could cut your wait time for some of your favorite attractions? Now you can! Our complimentary Disney's FASTPASS Service saves your place in line for an attraction while you enjoy the rest of the theme park.

To Use Disney's FASTPASS Service:

Look for the "Disney's FASTPASS® Distribution" sign near the entrance of an attraction.
Check the "Return Time" displayed on the sign.

The sign will indicate the time you would return to enjoy the attraction using a FASTPASS ticket.
For attractions, the return time is a one-hour window (e.g., 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.), so you don't have to be there exactly at a given time. For shows, your return time will be for a specific performance.

If the return time is one that works for you, just insert your admission ticket into the Disney's FASTPASS Service machine. (You may use your Walt Disney World Resort admission ticket, readmission ticket, Disney Resort Hotel keycard or Annual Passport.)
A FASTPASS ticket will emerge with your return time printed on it. Now you're free to go and enjoy the rest of the theme park!
Go back to the FASTPASS ticketholder entrance when your return time rolls around, show your ticket to the Cast Member and enjoy the attraction with a minimal wait.

Please keep in mind:

FASTPASS tickets are only valid on the day of issue.
Everyone in your party using the FASTPASS ticketholder entrance must have a FASTPASS ticket.
There's a limit to the number of FASTPASS tickets you may have at one time. On your ticket will be printed the time at which you can get your next one. Disney's FASTPASS Service machines won't issue another ticket until the time stated on your current one.

Currently, the following attractions offer Disney's FASTPASS Service:

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Primeval Whirl, Kilimanjaro Safari, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, and Expedition Everest

Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park:Toy Story Mania, Rock N Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, Star Tours, and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Peter Pan's Flight, Jungle Cruise and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Epcot: Test Track, Maelstrom, Mission Space, Soarin, and Honey I Shrunk the Audience

The thing to keep in mind with the FASTPASS system is that it may cause you to loose your pattern of park touring that you had going on, but it is well worth the back-tracking to go back and practically walk right on to the best rides.

Magic Your Way!

2010-04-10T11:19:00.002-04:00

I often remind people that it is better to book a package deal when you book a Disney vacation rather than trying to do an a la carte version. In an earlier post we mentioned that it is truly more cost effective to stay on site. I know some would disagree or would argue about the bonuses of renting a house or condo or doing a time share, but for the sake of my sanity (and my site!) we're going to proceed as if you are staying on Disney property.

When you go to book your reservation, you will see a "Magic Your Way" ticket option. The best way to explain this to you is to quote from a favorite website that I visit often when planning a Disney vacation, and that is the direct source, themagicforless.com:

The Magic Your Way Package includes a Resort stay at a Walt Disney World Resort^® and a Magic Your Way Base Ticket that gives each member of your travel party entry to one Theme Park every ticket day.

And there's more. You can customize Tickets for your travel party with options that let you visit multiple Theme Parks each day, include entry to other Parks and attractions, and allow you to save any unused days on your ticket for future visits - so you can enjoy the Disney experience that best suits your preferences and budget.

Accommodations:

Staying at a Disney Resort is the best and most comfortable way to enjoy a Walt Disney World ® vacation. With a Magic Your Way package, you can tailor your vacation so that you enjoy your visit, your way. And remember: The longer you play, the less you pay per day with an affordable Magic Your Way package.
Select from Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts - there's a category for every budget:

Value Resorts - Enjoy colorful, whimsical places that are big on fun but small on cost.
Moderate Resorts - Escape to enchanting, wonderfully affordalbe locales.
Deluxe Resorts - Experience the ultimate in Disney luxury, style and service.
Deluxe Villa Resorts - Relax in comfortable accommodations with all the conveniences of home.
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground - Stay in secluded campsites for tents and all types of RVs.

Tickets:

A Magic Your Way Base Ticket with choice of ticket length from 1 to 10 days (one Theme Park admission per day). Add-on options for this ticket include:

Park Hopper® Option - visit more than 1 Theme Park on the same day.
Water Park Fun & More Option - includes a certain number of "Fun Visits" based on the length of the Ticket. Each "Fun Visit" allows entry into one of the following: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Disney's Blizzard Beach, DisneyQuest®, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course or Disney's Wide World of Sports® . (Subject to seasonal or weather closures. Age restrictions may apply for access to certain facilities.)
No Expiration Option - unused Theme Park Days and unused "Fun Visits" never expire so they may be used on a return visit.

Special Features:

Planet Hollywood® - Receive a $15 voucher valid for food and non-alcoholic beverages and a souvenir merchandise keepsake at Planet Hollywood, Downtown Disney West Side. VIP Preferred Seating is available from 11 am through 6 pm. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. (One per room).
Miniature Golf - Receive a voucher valid for one round of miniature golf at either Disney’s Fantasia Gardens or Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf courses. (One per room).
NEW! Niki Bryan Spa Discount – 15% off the regular price of any Body Treatment or Water Therapy at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. (Massage, facial, and hand and foot treatments excluded. Age restrictions apply).
ENHANCED! Walt Disney World Marina Discounts – Receive a voucher valid for 30 additional minutes of watercraft fun when you buy a 60-minute rental of any of the following: Sea Raycers® by Sea Ray, Boston Whaler® Montauk, or Sun-Tracker® pontoon boat at participating marina locations. (One per room; not valid all dates; restrictions apply).
NEW! Bass Fishing Discount – 10% off the regular price of Guided Bass Fishing Excursions and Bass Nitro Fishing Excursions at select Walt Disney World marinas.
NEW! Sammy Duvall's Watersports Discount – 10% off the regular price of all activities including parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing trips at Sammy Duvall’s Watersports Centre located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. (Subject to availability; restrictions apply).
Arcade Game Card - 100 points game play in arcades located in Disney Resorts. (One card per room; available only with Magic Your Way Packages).
Luggage Tag - Walt Disney Travel Company commemorative luggage tags (one per person)

Everyone in the room must be on the same package and ticket options. All tickets and options must used within 14 days of first use, unless the No Expiration Option (unused days never expire) is purchased. All tickets and options are nontransferable and exclude activities/events separately priced.

Now this is just the BASE package. You can add dining plans, park hoppers, water parks, and more on to this plan but really, this is a great way to start your vacation planning.

Disney's POP Century Resort

2010-04-09T17:06:00.008-04:00

As a family of four with a limited vacation budget, whenever we travel to Walt Disney World, we always stay at a value resort. As I've previously stated, on our first trip we stayed at the All-Star Music Resort and on our family reunion trip we stayed at the All-Star Movie Resort. On our last trip, we wanted to try something new (Sports is not our thing) and so we opted for POP Century.

At a first glance, I did not want to stay at this resort because it is far away from all of the...well, everything. It seems like it is off in a corner of the property and that it would take forever to get anywhere. Well, we decided to take a chance and booked our trip and I have to say, while it wasn't my favorite "theme" wise, it was certainly a great place to stay.

Per Waltdisneyworld.com:

Guest rooms are located in 10 brightly colored and whimsically decorated 4-story buildings—trimmed with huge letters representing iconic sayings from the decade they represent. Different sections of the hotel represent the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s.

The Resort's central building is named Classic Hall, and the facility includes the Main Lobby check-in desk, the Fast Forward Arcade and the Everything Pop shop and food court.

Unwind and enjoy 3 swimming pools—the main flower-shaped Hippy Dippy Pool, the smaller bowling pin-shaped Bowling Pool and the monitor-shaped Computer Pool. Younger Guests can cool off at the Goofy Kiddie Spray Area, an interactive play fountain located between the '60s and '70s section.

Disney's Pop Century Resort has been designated by the Florida Green Lodging Program, recognizing the Resort's environmentally responsible practices.

My husband is a child of the 70's so we asked for a room in the 70's complex. The building was adorned with all-things-70's like Mood Rings, platform shoes, leisure suits and 8-Track tapes. It was wild! We got a corner room on the third floor right on the lake. It was quiet and the scenery was lovely. We even saw fireworks from Epcot each night. The walk to and from the main building was not long and the bus service to and from the parks was amazing. I had stayed at deluxe resorts with my sister that didn't have such wonderful bus service!

The rooms were clean - housekeeping was great - and in general, it was a lovely place to stay. The only negative that I'd have to say is that there is a whole second phase of POP Century that construction has halted on and we could see it all from our room. I mean, I understand progress and all that and it wasn't like there was a any noise coming from the construction site, it was just a bit of an eyesore. Picky, right?

Our check in was speedy and the main building housed the lobby (obviously), the food court, gift shop and arcade. Once you walk out the back doors of the main building it's like stepping in to a colorful new world. With giant icons and Disney characters all around you, you almost can't wait to see what is waiting for you around the next corner. We found a larger than life Foosball court, a giant Big Wheel, giant yo-yo's, Goofy getting ready to go surfing in his shiny new sports car, a giant Twister game spot...I mean, we could have spent a sold half a day just exploring the resort property!

I have to admit, when we go on our next visit, I am torn between staying at POP again and perhaps giving the family suites at the All-Star Music a try. I guess it depends on how many are in our party. Bottom line is that this is a great value resort that is a lot of fun to stay at. The average cost is $89 per night. It is sort of like a upscale motel with the doors leading directly to the outside - there are no interior hallways or rooms, really. But again, most of us that are going to Disney are going for the parks and that's where we'll spend the bulk of our time, not in our rooms. So if you are looking for a good value resort, I would highly recommend the POP Century. It has it's own buses as opposed to the All-Star's which share their buses so that is a plus in travel time - less waiting.

Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland in California – Episode 64

2010-04-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland in California – Episode 64

A really helpful tool when planning your first trip to Walt Disney World and going with kids is to check out some of the rides first so that you can see whether or not your child will be scared. I think that poor planning and not knowing what the rides are like are a sure-fire guaranteed way to ruin your trip. Even though some of the rides look innocent or are themed after beloved Disney animated movies, they can be dark and scary for younger ones. A great source for checking out rides before you go is my favorite video Disney blog site, Travel with Rick. This particular episode is from the Alice in Wonderland ride in Disneyland but I thought that it was a pretty cool ride and a good intro for you to look at to see what is available when investigating the Disney rides before you go.

Enjoy!

Money Saving Tip...

2010-04-08T16:16:00.002-04:00

If you are driving down to Walt Disney World, this would probably be easier. Having said that, when it comes to eating at Disney, the cost can be high. With the dining plan, if you have to pay for it, you save some money but obviously the ideal situation would be to go when they offer the free dining.

But even with free dining, you get one snack, one counter service meal and one table service meal per person, per night. So if you used your counter service for lunch, your table service for dinner and your snack somewhere along the way, what about breakfast?

Our family is not big on breakfast. I know, I know, it's a bad thing but that's the truth. We usually don't eat breakfast or eat something light. So when we go to Disney, we usually drive, so we pack a cooler. In that cooler or sometimes in a separate bag, I pack up breakfast-type foods like Nutrigrains, granola bars, fruit, etc. along with some juice boxes and then we eat them in the room before heading out to the bus stop.

Even if you went to the food court of your Disney hotel, chances are you are going to spend $6-$8 per person on a light breakfast. Why do that when you can bring it in yourself? The portions that you get with the meals on your food plan are huge, anyway, so really, a light breakfast is the way to go.

Disney Transportation

2010-04-07T21:58:00.003-04:00

One of the biggest perks, for me, about staying on-site at a Disney hotel is being able to take advantage of the Walt Disney World transportation system. There are buses, boats and monorails to get you everywhere that you have to go.

All of the hotels offer bus service. These buses will take you to and from the parks or to the Transportation and Ticket Area. The buses are usually pretty prompt and arrive around every 20 minutes. The hardest time to get that kind of service is at the end of the day when the parks are closing and there is the mass exodus from the parks. At those times, your wait can be considerably longer because only so many people can fit on a bus. The buses will NOT take you from one resort to another, however. For example, say you are staying at the All-Star Movies resort but you are having dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You would have to take a bus from All-Star Movies to the Animal Kingdom PARK and from there take a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It can take a while so at times like that you MAY want to drive your own car, but for the most part, what's the hurry?

Some hotels offer boat service to and from each other or to some of the parks. Hotels like the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian have a boat that goes between the two and then takes you to the Magic Kingdom. The Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness also has a boat that takes you to the Magic Kingdom. The Boardwalk Inn along with the Swan, Dolphin and I believe the Yacht and Beach Clubs all have boat service between them that will also take you to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

My favorite form of Disney transportation is the Monorail. Only three hotels are on the Monorail loop and they are all deluxe resorts. I had the opportunity to stay at one of them and the experience was well worth it for the convenience of the monorail alone. The Grand Floridian, the Contemporary and the Polynesian each have a monorail station. For the Contemporary resort, the monorail actually goes THROUGH the middle of the hotel and the station is inside! It's pretty cool.

The final form of Disney transportation that is there to truly help you is the one that gets you to and from Orlando International Airport and that is Disney's Magical Express. If you fly in to Orlando on certain airlines, you are eligible for the Magical Express. When you book your trip and tell your travel agent that you are flying in and give them your flight info, 2-3 weeks before your trip you will receive a packet that includes special luggage tags and vouchers. The bright yellow tags go on your bags and when you arrive in Orlando, you skip the baggage claim because Disney is going to get your bags for you! How cool is that? Then you will board a deluxe motor coach that will take you directly to your resort. While on the bus you will watch a video of what is going on in the parks and give you a basic overview of the entire resort complex. Your luggage will be delivered directly TO YOUR ROOM at no extra charge! On your final day of your trip, the Magical Express will take you back to the airport. And again, there is no charge for this service.

So whether you need to get to and from the airport or to and from the parks, Disney has all of your transportation needs covered. No need to take your keys or fill up the tank, while you are a guest of the Walt Disney World Resort, there is no need for you to get behind the wheel!

Our Second Trip: 2001 Family Reunion - A Poor Mom's Testimonial

2010-04-07T21:41:00.002-04:00

Back in early 2001, I decided to plan a family reunion for my husband's family at Disney World. No one in his family (other than him) had ever gone before. I started by sending out a letter to each family and letting them know that I wanted to do this and got everyone's reaction - they were all on board. Next I sought out pricing from all of the resort categories and let each family choose which resort they wanted to stay at - hoping that we would not all be joined at the hip.

We were.

We all decided on the All-Star Movies Resort. We were going to be a total of 13 people for five days with 2 extra people one of the days. We booked four rooms and everyone was responsible for getting in their own deposits/payments/monies. I sent out newsletters each month updating everyone on what aspect of our trip needed to be planned next. I did this so that everyone was aware of our dining options, park options, park hours, ride info, etc.

Everyone was responsible for their own transportation to and from Florida. My in-laws and one sister-in-law (along with her husband and 2 kids) were flying in from New York. They had the same flight down but different flights home. My other sister-in-law was coming from Washington state and she decided to fly to us in North Carolina and then we rented a minivan and all drove down together (there were 7 of us in the van).

I was a little bummed at first that we were all going to be at the same hotel but it kind of worked out nicely. At night, we'd all sit outside our rooms and just hang out and talk. All of our room doors were open and the kids just sort of ran about in and out. My in-laws spent one day each with the individual families and one day on their own. I made dining reservations for our sit-down meals and whoever wanted to come, came, otherwise they were on their own.

The important thing to remember if you do this is to NOT make yourselves be joined at the hip the entire time. Take time out away from each other and do things on your own. Less chance of getting on each other's nerves that way! The trip worked out nicely because we got to spend time together but each family really had their own vacation.

It was after that trip that Disney introduced it's Magical Gatherings where they help you coordinate your group's activities and what not. Personally, I didn't find it that hard to do. We didn't do matching outfits or anything, we were just a large group on vacation together. With everyone staying at a value resort, we had free dining, park hopper plus passes...it was all very reasonable and the pictures that we have from that trip are priceless!

Have you ever considered planning a family reunion to Disney? Don't be afraid! It can be done!

Disney in a Day

2010-04-07T14:54:00.003-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a friend who was going to Disney thanks to the "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion. Her main concern was only having a day and how much could they do, realistically, and while on a budget. Some told her that it could not be done, others told her that she could not do it without bringing at least $500 with her. I reassured her that it could be done and it could be done on a budget.

Okay, if you only had a single day in Disney, how would you do it? For starters, you have to have a plan. Decide on the ONE park that you are going to go to. I've seen it done where people actually hit all four parks in one day but your are basically SPRINTING around and only hitting the main rides and then running to the next. That is not fun or relaxing. My friend is going as part of a family of 4 - herself, her husband and two teenage sons. They are each getting their tickets for free thanks to the Disney promotion but if you were going to buy your tickets, you are saving money by only purchasing the one park/one day tickets. Park hopper passes are considerably more money.

They decided that they wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom. Excellent choice. They are staying with friends outside of Disney so they will be driving in that morning. First thing to do is check the park hours and get there 30-45 minutes before opening time so that you have time to park. Magic Kingdom's parking lot is the furthest away so you will have to park, then, depending on how far away you are, grab a tram to get you to the platform where you will choose either the ferry or the Monorail to get across to the park entrance. You want to try and beat at least some of the crowds.

They are packing a cooler and keeping it in their car to save money on food and they are each bringing either a fanny pack or back pack in to the park that will have some snacks in it to hold them over. You can dine well in the park without going to a sit down restaurant, however. With places like the Main Street Bakery or Cosmic Ray's you can dine counter-service style without breaking the bank. A great way to figure out your dining options and cost in advance is to go to Allearsnet.com and click on dining. You will find all of the menus there and you will be able to find places to eat within your budget.

When you decide what park you are going to go to, it will be handy to have a Disney guide book available so that you and your family can go over what that particular park has to offer. The reason? Know in advance what everyone WANTS to ride and what you can skip. For example: On our first trip back in 1998, none of us were in to thrill rides of any kind. So when we planned our days, we knew that we could skip the biggest attractions like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror, etc. because none of us wanted to ride them. We discussed it as a family so that at the end of the trip, no one was disappointed because the did not get to ride something that they wanted to. This makes for less confusion once you hit the parks so that you're not standing around going "What do you want to ride next?" "I don't know, what do you want to ride next?" This could take way too much time and then before you know it, you are out of time!

When I sat down with my friend, not only did I have a guide book to show her, but I also had a park map of the Magic Kingdom. You can order these for free from the Walt Disney World website or by clicking HERE. Since she had never been to Disney before, being able to look at a map and seeing the lay of the land, really helped.

Have a budget and be prepared to stick to it. With a cooler in the car, snacks in their bags, and bringing in water to drink, a family of four could get by with only spending maybe $50 on food for the day. You can limit the kids spending money for souvenirs, as well, and remember, you have to be firm and stick with it if you are on a budget. Of course you are going to see things and want things because Walt Disney World merchandise is amazing. But you can be strong and reel yourself back in before breaking the bank.

So can it be done in a day? YES! The key is to plan, plan, plan!! Know your budget, know your times and know exactly what you want to do and you won't be disappointed.

Picture of the Day: Living the Dream!

2010-04-02T20:20:00.004-04:00

It took me YEARS to get this picture! I could never find the Beast except when he was in a parade. So on our 2007 trip, I asked a Disney Cast Member (CM) and they pointed me in the direction of France in World Showcase at Epcot. So we walked over and spotted him and just as I got on line, he and Beauty left!! I grabbed another CM and told her my tale of woe - the Beast IS my favorite character - and she told me he'd be back in 30 minutes. So we got back on line and there was one family ahead of us and they were like "Gee, the things we do for our kids" and I'm like "Kids? This picture is all for me!!"

It's hanging on my wall in my living room - cropped and enhanced thanks to the Photopass!

Vacation cost/comparisson analysis

2010-04-02T19:51:00.002-04:00

As stated in an earlier post, many people believe that a trip to Walt Disney World is so much more expensive than other vacations. Depending on what you are comparing it to, I'm sure that it can.

A friend of mine does a family trip to the beach with her extended family. They rent a house and chose to do a minimal amount of recreational activities. They do some cooking in the house and go out to eat. She refers to this as the cost-benefit analysis. They did a 7 night trip to the beach and compared it to an 8 night stay at Disney. This is actual data from two trips that her family has done. Thank, A.D.!

Housing Cost: Beach (7 nights) - $861
Disney (8 nights) - $800

Food: Beach - $314 (combines both self-prepared and eating out)
Disney - FREE (included 2 meals & a snack per person/per day)

Entertainment: Beach - $298 (included golf, mini-golf, mini-cruise, trip to aquarium and a short trip to a local amusement park where the kids rode 4 rides each)
Disney: $881 (included 8 days of park ticket to 4 parks for four people)

Total: Beach total - $1473
Disney total - $1681

The difference in price is minimal and really, they had an extra full day on the Disney trip that they did not have at the beach. They were conservative with their time and money while at the beach whereas at Disney, there was non-stop entertainment.

So don't sell your Disney vacation dreams short. With the constant promos and specials that they offer, your cost to take your family there may not be any more expensive than if you took them someplace else.

Free Vacation Planning DVD

2010-04-02T19:42:00.003-04:00

You don't have to buy books or take out ones from the library to get your information from. You can order a free vacation planning DVD directly from Disney.

By going to the main Walt Disney World website or by clicking HERE, you can order your free vacation planning DVD. It gives you a pretty brief overview of each park with an even briefer description of each of the rides. Why this is a good thing to have, however, is that it is great to show the kids - especially if they've never been before and may have character anxiety. You can order a DVD for Disney World, Disneyland or the Disney Cruiseline.

Personally, I enjoy watching the DVD a couple of times before each trip because it just gets me excited about going. I usually watch it while we are counting our change jar to see how much money we've saved. That's just good family fun!

Getting the best deal when booking

2010-04-02T19:23:00.004-04:00

Booking a vacation to anywhere is no longer a difficult task. With travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, you really can't go wrong. You can go to WaltDisneyWorld.com and get pricing on your own vacation and book it on line, but is that the best way to do it?

From what I can tell, Disney has the policy of "Don't ask, don't tell" - meaning that if there is a special going on and you don't know about it when you are booking, they do not have to tell you about it. Having said that, I have found several great Disney travel sites that not only tell you what deals are going on but will even keep checking for you between the time you book and the time that you leave for your trip so that you are getting the best prices and the best deals on your trip.

I mainly deal with The Magic for Less Travel. I LOVE them. I first found out about them through a yahoo group called "Disney Dollarless" which then became "The Mouse for Less". I have gotten amazing information from them but the one that has stuck with me time and time again is The Magic for Less Travel. My travel guy is named Ric and he is amazing. Whenever I am thinking about booking a trip, I go directly to him, he lets me know what promos are going on, what's coming up, etc. He'll keep checking prices for me, he helps me make all of my dining reservations, makes my Magical Express reservations and most vacation packages include some gifts from the agency. I've gotten luggage tags, pass holders, insulated cup holders...I always love getting free stuff!

I have a friend who solely deals with AAA. What I learned from her was that AAA is sort of in a partnership with Disney and therefore if you are a AAA card holder, you get certain perks. You get special parking, admittance to private lounges, invites to certain story times with the characters...it kind of pays to book with them if any of that interests you. For me, we don't drive once we get to the park so the parking pass doesn't really mean much to me. My kids are too old for storytime and the lounge? Well, that could work!

Another great travel agency that I enjoy working with is Kingdom Magic Travel. There's another Rick there who is the owner and he is most definitely a Disney fanatic! He does the video travel blog that I mentioned in an earlier post and he sends out weekly newsletters that let you know all of the promos going on with all things Disney - be it Disney World, Disneyland or the Disney Cruiseline. Back in 2004, I actually won a trivia contest with them where I won a 4-day/3-night stay at the Radisson Orlando that was 5 minutes outside of Disney. It was pretty sweet. I have gone to Kingdom Magic for vacation quotes but I have to admit, I'm sort of loyal to The Magic for Less and Ric over there. Their vacation quotes are identical and so it's not like you get a different price if you chose one over the other.

Some specials and promos that Disney has offered in the past include: Free dining, 30-40% off of your room rate, buy 4 nights get 3 nights free, get in free on your birthday...I'm sure that there are others but these stand out the most to me. Sometimes there are discount codes released for certain travel dates where you get a discount...if you search your travel section of your Sunday newspaper you are almost guaranteed to find one.

Bottom line is that it is better for you to book with a travel agency because they find you the best prices, they keep looking for specials and discounts and then handle all of the changes for you. Check these great sites out and ask for Ric...or Rick!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Walt Disney World Resort – Episode 26

2010-04-02T14:11:00.001-04:00

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Walt Disney World Resort – Episode 26

Nothing can bring your Walt Disney World vacation to a screaming halt like a child who becomes frightened on a ride and then won't go on anything else. While you can read about all of the attractions at Walt Disney World on their website or in any guide book, sometimes it helps to SEE what exactly is going to happen and how "dark" is dark.

With the invention of the internet, you can see just about anything on line. I've seen videos of Disney rides on YouTube, but my personal favorite is "Travel With Rick" at travelwithrick.com. Each week Rick posts a new video of someplace in Walt Disney World and sometimes from Disneyland. He posts videos of rides, attractions, hotels...he tries to hit everything.

If you are traveling with a young child, I highly recommend going to his site and looking up what he has to offer because not only does he post the video but he also tells you a little about the ride, as well. Kind of makes it a little more interesting. This particular episode takes you through the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland at the Walt Disney World Resort. Enjoy!

How'd They Do That? Disney's Photopass

2010-04-01T15:55:00.005-04:00

I love to scrapbook and I love to take pictures - or maybe I love to take pictures because I love to scrapbook! Either way, on most vacations I am never in the pictures because I am the one taking the pictures!

Disney offers a great service called Photopass. With this service you can walk in to any Disney park and at the first Disney photographer that you see, ask to get your picture taken. They will pose you and your family in some of the greatest locations in the park and take several shots. When they are done, they hand you a card that is about the size of a credit card. Throughout your stay, whenever you want your picture taken, you give that card to any Disney photographer and all of your pictures are actually loaded on to it! Then, when you get home, you go to the Photopass website, click in the number that is on your card, and you can view, edit and purchase your pictures!This can be a LOT of fun because sometimes the photographers do something special to your pictures like add a Disney character! Check out me and Tinkerbell! I had no idea what he was going to do when I was asked to pose like this but I was thrilled when I saw it! When you are viewing and editing, you can add borders and icons, you can crop your pictures...there are tons of options and in the end you have the exact picture that you want!

Now you can get your pictures the same day in the parks, but they tend to be on the pricey side - $12.95 for a 5x7. But with the Photopass option, you can order an entire disc of pictures and then do what you want with them. For example: My last trip to Disney I went with my mom, my sister, my aunt and my cousin. We all chipped in to purchase the Photopass CD. It was $125. I know that is a LOT of money BUT we took a lot of pictures while in the park and then when we got home and played and edited them, we had almost exactly 125 pictures so then I'm only paying $1 per picture and they are top quality, customized pictures! Not a bad deal, right?

There is no cost to have your picture taken by a Disney Photographer. In fact, most of them will even take a picture with your camera if you want them to. But I know that I have stood next to the photographer with my own camera while the kids were with the characters and my pictures never come out as good as theirs. Plus, I don't have all of the neat photo editing software that comes with the Photopass website to make my pictures even more magical. Give it a try on your next trip. It is money well spent!

How to pack Mary Poppins bag in a fanny pack

2010-04-01T15:14:00.002-04:00

I used to laugh at people who wore these just for the sake of wearing them but nothing beats a fanny pack when you are at Disney! I cannot survive without one. My husband won't wear one and neither will my sons. Well, my then 7-year old wore his briefly on our 2007 vacation.

I have multiple packs and really the one that holds the most, I use the most, except for when I want to be styling and wear my black one that has "Disney" embroidered on the front. But when I go with my husband and kids, I need the one that has the most compartments.

Okay, my standard fanny-pack contains: Emergency Ponchos ($1 at Walmart), sunscreen, gum, Tums, Advil, my camera & case (for extra protection), our passes, money, cell-phone, credit card, pens, sunglasses, restaurant reservation numbers, park maps, Photopass card and lip stick. I mean, I need to look somewhat presentable in all those pictures! Essentially, it is my goal to not have to stop and purchase anything while we're in the park no matter what is thrown our way. I think on our last trip I even had a Benedryl pen so if anyone got any bites we could just whip out the Benedryl and roll it on. It was great!

I learned the importance of the well-stocked fanny pack on our first trip in 1998. My husband gets cluster headaches and you never knew when they were going to hit. Well, his hit the week before our trip. I did most of the drive down to Florida because he just could not do it. So we found that Excedrin Migraine was the only thing that worked for him IF he took it at the first twinge of a headache. My fear was that he would wait too long to take them and never make it back to the room without collapsing. So I kept them with me at all times and there were a couple of times that we had to stop and let him rest for 10 minutes but that was it - he was up and ready to go and we were back on the rides in no time. I used to get chronic heartburn and so having the Tums with me really helped and then there are those unpredictable Florida rain storms - that's where the emergency ponchos came in. We never had to run in to a store for any kind of emergency because we were prepared.

A fanny pack works better than a purse/pocketbook because it keeps your hands free. Of course, if you have little ones, you are most likely going to have a diaper bag with you at all times so you won't need the fanny pack, per se, but you should keep all of the essentials with you to save you time and money in the parks.

Why a Value Resort?

2010-04-01T13:46:00.008-04:00

Because the Walt Disney World Resort has so many resorts and room options, most people assume that they must all be expensive. They are not. Then you get some vacation planners that want the full-on Disney experience and want to stay at one of the deluxe resorts because they figure that the value ones must not be any good. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The first thing to take in to consideration is that you are hardly EVER in your room when vacationing at the Walt Disney World Resort. Our family gets a wake-up call every morning between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. and we are all showered, dressed and at the bus stop by 8:00 a.m. We want a FULL day in the parks. On an average day, the parks open at 9:00 and close at either 8:00 or 9:00 pm - on average. We will stay in the park the entire day. Then, by the time the park closes and you fight the crowds, get a bus and get back to the hotel, it's pretty late. Essentially we are just sleeping in our rooms so why would I spend $250 a night when I could spend $89?

I've stayed at three of the four value resorts with my husband and kids and I've taken a few trips with just me and my sister where we've stayed at the deluxe resorts and to be honest, yes, the deluxe resorts are beautiful and the rooms are bigger, essentially, I'm still just sleeping in the room.

Disney value resorts are not like off-site "value" resorts. These are not cheezy motels. There are three All-Star Resort: All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies. The fourth value resort is the POP Century Resort. All of these resorts have great themes and have these larger-than-life icons all around the buildings and complex. Their colors are all bright, primary colors that just grab your attention! POP Century has icons based on some of the biggest pop-culture icons of the last 50 or so years and each section is based on a different decade: 50's - 90's.

The All-Star Sports is completely sports themed, All-Star Music features all different kinds of music genre's, and All-Star Movies is based on some of Disney's best movies. We've stayed in the Rock n Roll building of All-Star Movies and in the Toy Story section of All-Star Movies - actually, we were right outside of Andy's room where there were three-story tall Buzz Lightyear and Woody! That was back in 2001 and the kids LOVED it! There was even a life-sized RC Racer that the kids could sit in and pretend to drive. I have GOT to scan those pictures in!

The rooms, in general, are pretty small. You can only fit four people in them and even then it's a little tight. You get two full-size beds, a dresser, a table and chairs, TV, night stand and your standard bathroom and vanity area. Like I said, if you are just going to be using the room to sleep in and crash for the night, then you would have no problem here. But if you need a little space to sprawl out...well, the All-Star Music Resort does now offer family suites! These suites sleep up to 6 adults and have a queen size bed, a full-size pull-out sofa, and convertible ottoman and chair sleepers. There are two bathrooms, a kitchenette, mini-refrigerator and microwave. There is a private master suite. This is a nice option because you can fit more people and it is still less expensive than moving up to a deluxe room which is the only option if you have more than 5 people in your party.

There is plenty to do on all of the Value Resort complexes, as well. Each resort/complex has at least two pools. Each resort is also equipped with a food court, gift shop, arcade, playgrounds and plenty of places to explore! Each resort has bus service to and from all of the theme parks, as well.

One down side to these resorts is that they not as close to the parks as some of the others. You can see Blizzard Beach from some, or Epcot's fireworks from others but for the most part, they are a bit remote. Another down side is that these resorts are usually the most crowded because they are such a great deal. Because of that the buses are more crowded and actually, the three All-Stars do tend to share bus service which slows things down even more at the busier times of year.

But if you are looking for bang for your buck, you cannot go wrong with a Disney Value Resort. The cost, the themes, the service...you never leave the magic of the parks because you are surrounded by it even back in your room.

Picture of the Day! Can you spot the fossil?

2010-04-01T13:31:00.003-04:00

I'm sure he'll want to kill me for posting this picture, but it cracks me up every time! We were on line for "Dinosaur" at Animal Kingdom and you pass through this room that shows all of the layers of the Earth with the fossils embedded in to it. Well, the line was taking a bit long and so my son joked that much longer and he'd be a fossil! He makes me laugh like no one else in the world!

Driving to Disney (and all the joy that goes with it!)

2010-03-30T15:30:00.003-04:00

As a frugal family going on vacation to Walt Disney World, we found the least expensive way to go for our family of four is to drive. We live in central North Carolina and the drive takes anywhere from 10-12 hours depending on how we break the trip up.

The first time we drove down, we stayed with friends before hand (1998 trip). Other times that we went, we've gone and stayed with my in-laws who live about an hour North of Orlando - we'd visit with them for a few days and then on our first Disney day, we'd leave their home at around 7:30 in the morning, drive to Disney and be able to get a full day in at the parks.

Now I know that we are fortunate because we are a one-day drive there. We prefer to do the drive in one day. On our 2001 trip we left here at around 8 in the morning (we had family members traveling with us so we were 7 in the van!). The adults all shared driving duty and we switched it up in each state so no one was driving for more than 3 hours at a shot. We had made reservations for an inexpensive motel right outside of the entrance to Disney and paid only $29.99 for the night! The number was great, the hotel? Not so much.

Our thoughts in doing it this was was so that we would get the big drive out of the way, get a good night's sleep and then get up refreshed the next morning and ready to enjoy a full day at whatever park we chose. Our reservation at the on-site Disney hotel is good no matter what time you arrive on your first day and even if your room is not ready for you, they will store your luggage and give you your passes in to the parks and you are on your way. So again, on that 2001 trip, we were checking in to the All-Star Movie Resort at 8:30 in the morning and there was one room ready (we were a large group and needed 4) so we stored our luggage in the one room and headed out to Hollywood Studios where by lunchtime, we met up with the other 6 people we were vacationing with.

Now I have friends who prefer to do the drive in two days - but with the bulk of it done in one. So from North Carolina they'd drive in to Northern Florida, stop for the night and maybe only have a 2-3 hour drive the next day and then they are in the parks either by lunchtime or right after lunch.

So okay, you can drive there but how do you survive the drive?? On our first trip, my son was 6. We packed him up everything that we could find that would entertain him - books, games, walkman's (it was 1998!), a Gameboy, etc. We listened to the radio, we talked about all of the things that we were going to do. He was an AWESOME traveler. We packed up a big cooler of sandwiches, snacks and drinks and really, we only stopped for gas and the bathroom. In 2001 when we did the drive with my sister-in-law and her husband and 6 year old daughter, my older son was 10 and I had an almost 2 year old. We were crammed in the minivan and the kids essentially entertained themselves with books, games, and the like. We stopped a bit more often but again, had a huge cooler full of sandwiches, snacks and drinks and everyone seemed happy. The kids even napped a bit.

As my boys got older, we invested in the portable TV's and DVD players for the car and it became a ritual where they would - in the days leading up to the trip - each pick out 4-6 DVD's that they would bring with them and we even had one of those plug in type games that had all kinds of Sponge Bob video games to play. We load up the cooler and really, I think I have a harder time with the drive than they do! I wish I could sit in the back and watch the TV for a little while!

The key to a smooth car ride on a long-distance drive is to be well prepared; have more stuff than you'll need and think of every possible scenario so that you won't be surprised. I pack a very intensive first aid kit so that should anyone have any issues - cuts, nose bleeds, splinters, rash, heartburn, headache, cough...I've got it covered. I pack enough food for at least two full meals plus 3 snacks per person and at least 4 drinks per person (I limit how much they can drink otherwise we'd be pulling over every 30 minutes!).

As a frugal mom, I buy a lot of my supplies at the Walmart or on sale so that packing my cooler is a way cheaper alternative to stopping for fast food. Plan as far in advance as you can so that when your local grocery store is offering buy one-get one deals on juice boxes, snacks or soda, you can start stocking up for your trip.

Also, it is important to make sure that your car is in good condition and that your tires are in good shape otherwise you risk breaking down on the road. That happened to us once and that took almost $300 out of our vacation fund. True, it was a water pump and we had no way of knowing it was going to go, but if you know a good mechanic, let him check your car out before you go.

The Benefits of Staying on Disney Property

2010-03-29T22:00:00.002-04:00

When most people start planning their Disney vacations and are on a budget, they immediately believe that they need to stay outside of Disney at a cheap hotel/motel. Nothing could be further from the truth!

For starters, you need to consider more than the price. At certain times of the year, you just might find a hotel that is only 5 minutes from the entrance to Walt Disney World for $50 a night and compare that to the $89 a night for a Disney Value Resort. A first glance would point to the obvious: The outside hotel is a better deal. But is it really?

When you stay at a Disney resort there are several things to factor in to the price:
1. Free parking/free transportation. When you stay at a Disney resort, you get free parking at your hotel and at the parks. If you stay at an off-property hotel, you will have to pay up to $14 a day to park your car! Plus, while staying on Disney property, you have free transportation from your hotel to all of the parks via their buses, the monorail and boats. If you chose, you don't have to get in your own car for the duration of your stay.

2. Location, location, location! When staying at a Disney Resort, you are always in the middle of the magic. The value resorts are brightly themed with larger-than-life icons and the Disney theme is carried throughout. Even when you leave the parks, you are still surrounded by the festive atmosphere. Disney transportation gets you to and from the parks with bus service that will arrive every 20 minutes (excluding high attendance days). At an off property hotel, you are going to have to drive yourself from the hotel on to Disney property, to the park of your choice, find and pay for parking and then walk to the park entrance. That can take 30 minutes to accomplish, cutting in to your day. Some local hotels offer shuttle service in to the Disney complex, but sometimes it's only twice a day and it takes you only as far as the TTA (Transportation and Ticket Center) and then you have to take Disney transportation to the park of your choice.

3. Service. Disney resorts have it all; their level of service is amazing. They take customer service above and beyond the typical hotel clerk.

4. Amenities. Each of the Disney Value Resorts hosts a gift shop, arcade, pools, and a food court. With the giant sized icons around each resort's property, and their wonderfully themed pools, you could spend an entire day at the resort and be thoroughly entertained.

So if you took your $50 a night hotel, added your $14 a day parking fee, then added all of the convenience of staying on property you would find that the $25 more a night you pay at a Disney Resort could really still make it quite a deal for your family. With four value resorts to choose from - All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, All-Star Movies and POP Century, you have plenty of rooms to choose from!

Our First Trip to Disney: A Poor Mom's Testimonial

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Back in 1998 I decided to plan our first family trip to Walt Disney World. Actually, it was probably late 1997 that I started to plan. My husband had never been to "the World" and although he admitted that it really held no interest to him, he agreed that we should do it. Our son (we only had one at the time) was 6 years old and we thought he would be the perfect age to take. So I started a journey that started a hobby that has helped us have some awesome vacations.

I was a stay at home mom and my husband was a self-employed painter. We rent our home, we drove a really, really, REALLY old car...we were so not living the dream, but I was totally determined to have this vacation. I took a job cleaning houses once a week, we started a change jar, we booked our trip for five days/four nights at a Disney Value Resort. We even took on the meal plan which, at the time, was not free, you had to pay a set amount in to it and you could spend it as you wanted.

The change jar paid for 25% of our trip that first time. We were very faithful about not dipping in to it and made sure that money went in to it daily. We asked for Disney Dollars for holidays and special occasions. We cut back on some of the spending that we did. That first trip cost us $1,532 and that included our resort/hotel room, theme park tickets with the park hopper plus option and our meals for five days.

We were there from December 1-5; we spent my 30th birthday in the Magic Kingdom. We drove down to Florida from North Carolina and spent a couple of days with friends who lived about 90 minutes south of Disney and then arrived there early on the Tuesday morning. On the Saturday that we checked out, we spent the entire day in the parks and then stayed overnight at a local hotel right in Orlando that cost us something like $49 a night. We packed up a cooler for the drive down, we brought snacks to keep in the room and because we still had money on our meal/food plan account, we filled up our cooler before leaving our resort on that last night and had enough food for the ride home!

We stayed at the All-Star Music Resort in the Rock N Roll complex and it was amazing. The bus service was good, the room was great...I mean, we really were comfortable and pleased with the accommodations.

With the food plan we had an amazing dining experience. We ate the first day at Toy Story Pizza Planet for lunch and The Brown Derby for dinner. Our second day we at breakfast at the Main Street Bake Shop, lunch at the Crystal Palace and dinner in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. I got free desert at both places because it was my birthday. Day three we were in the Animal Kingdom and ate lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ...I honestly cannot remember where we ate dinner! Day four we were in Epcot and had lunch at the Garden Grille and had dinner in World Showcase in Japan. On our final day we sort of park hopped around. I remember eating on Tom Sawyer's Island at Aunt Polly's for lunch and then we went back to Hollywood Studios (MGM back then) and ate at the Brown Derby again. The funny thing was, they sat us outside and it was beautiful but they forgot about us and we got dinner for free! It was a problem for us because we wanted to use up our food account because you don't get a refund on unused funds. That $75 that we saved on dinner stocked our cooler for the ride home!

So you see, we didn't skimp on anything. We ate at wonderful restaurants. We went to all of the parks. We stayed on property. Growing up, when I went with my family to Disney, we never stayed on property so this was a HUGE treat for me. I would never opt to stay outside of Disney again.

And so my family's love affair with the Happiest Place on Earth Began...

Picture of the Day: Can you find the Hidden Mickey?

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On our trip back in 2007, we had gotten off of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and were sitting and trying to decide what to do next when my husband asked "What's with the Mickey?" I had no idea what he was talking about so he took this picture and sure enough, there was Mickey's head on my pants! It came from getting wet on the small water fall/drop on the ride! How cool is that?

What time of year should you go?

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This is an age-old question: When should we go? Well, this will, of course, depend on when you CAN go, but if you have the freedom to plan for whenever, you will find that you can save yourself a LOT of money.

Most people who go to Disney World have children. Of course, you can go even if you don't have kids, but a majority of those going will have their kids with them. Because of this fact, we tend to plan our vacations around school vacations. The problem with this is that you end up being in WDW at the busiest times of the year or the hottest time of the year.

For example: The majority of the population has off for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those are two weeks that you want to avoid at all costs. The actual COST of going on those weeks is higher than others and the attendance rates are at their highest. You also want to avoid Easter week due to Spring break for the same reason.

Then there are the summer months. These are the worst because of the oppressive Florida heat and the high crowds. Your wait time on most rides will be close to an hour and you will spend most of that wait hating yourself for ever even THINKING of going on this vacation! That is so not necessary!!

Most teachers will want to smack me for saying this but the best times to go to Walt Disney World require taking your child out of school for at least a week. We have gone in late September, early October, the week before Thanksgiving and the week after Thanksgiving and they have all been delightful because the crowds are low and the temperature was great. The bonus to going the week after Thanksgiving is that the parks are all decorated for Christmas and you've missed the masses that were there for the holiday.

If at all possible, make the sacrifice. You will find that you will enjoy yourself so much more and you will save on your total over-all vacation cost. "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" is a great resource to use to show you the charting of the traffic patterns for different times of the year. "Tour Guide Mike" is a website that you need to pay to have access to ($19.99, I think) and he will give you the most amazing details on the best actual DAYS to visit down to which parks on which days! A great resource but not if you are looking to save money.

Getting Started!

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When most people think of a trip to Walt Disney World, the first thing that they think of is the cost. The fear of the expense can keep you from planning your dream vacation. While it is true that a vacation to the happiest place on earth is not cheap, it is possible for any family on any budget. The key to making the most out of a trip to Walt Disney World without breaking the bank is planning.

I first went to Disney World as a child with my family when all there was was the Magic Kingdom. I still remember that trip: Walking down the street with Mickey Mouse, riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (previously known as the WEDway People Mover) with my mom and aunt while my dad and uncle took my sister on to Space Mountain. It truly was a magical trip.

Over the years I have gone back over a dozen times and have had every kind of travel experience. I have gone and stayed off property at small, chain-style hotels/motels, I've stayed on property at value and deluxe resorts, I've gone for day trips, and I've gone just for a special event. The common thread through each stay is that they were all wonderful! It didn't really matter where I stayed or for how long, a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort is something that always guarantees a great time and great memories.

I have helped many friends and family members plan their trips as well as co-lead a seminar on how to make a Disney trip affordable. It always strikes me as funny how people automatically assume that a trip to Disney is out of their reach because of the cost. After much research, discussion and personal experience, I have learned that that just is NOT the case! We live on a very low income. My husband is self-employed and there are times when there is just no work but even under those circumstances we have gone to Disney as a family four times without breaking the bank.

I hope that this blog will be a helpful resource for you and that you will come back and visit soon.

Have a magical day!