Need a Disney Fix!

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...

Free things to do at Walt Disney World

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!

Disney in a Day

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.