Category Archives: Disney Travel Tips

Overthinking Your Disney World Vacation

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Checking-the-Disney-World-ScheduleMore and more lately I hear people despair (rather than rejoice) over their upcoming Walt Disney World vacation – especially if they’re planning their first trip.  “It’s overwhelming! There’s too much to plan!  We don’t how to choose a place to stay, where to eat, what to ride!”  I’m totally sympathetic – it IS overwhelming.  With dozens (hundreds?) of planning websites offering advice, not to mention Pinterest, Facebook, rumors, false information, a bajillion details to worry about – I can see why it might seem a lot easier (and cheaper!) to just head to the beach!

Part of the problem, caused by information overload, is spending too much time worrying about what you don’t know and what to do with the overwhelming, often contradictory, information you DO know.  This will cause a bad case of…

Overthinking Your Disney World Vacation

For todays Friday Five, I’d like to offer (yet again) more sage (I have reached a pretty ripe old age, I think I qualify for “sage”) advice.  Today’s words of wisdom, according to me (because I’m guilty of several) – five ways to avoid the frustration brought about by the aforementioned overthinking.  Here you go:DSCN2615

1.  Yes, you have to plan, but perhaps not as much as you think.  You should book at least a couple of ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) in advance.  Six months ahead of your vacation for the most popular restaurants/character dining experiences.  If you have the opportunity to book FastPasses, you should do that (especially during Spring Break, summer, and the holiday season) – plan to ride what you think you’ll enjoy!  Try to avoid the mindset of “It’s SO expensive, I must plan to get my money’s worth!”  Be mindful of height requirements, but other than that, take the reviews and ratings of others with a grain of salt.  I loathe Stitch’s Great Escape, but plenty of people love it.  (Joseph’s not a fan of It’s a Small World, but he’ll always take one for the team.)IMG_1227_face0

2.  When you overthink, you often cause undue pressure – you imagine exactly how your day(s) in Magic Kingdom will be, how everything will happen just as it appears on TV, how you and your children will be blissfully happy, how you’ll see and do everything you watched on YouTube.  This creates unrealistic expectations and leads to disappointment.  When things don’t meet your expectations, your vacation enjoyment is diminished.  It’s best to be open-minded – everyone’s experience is different!  Because we are individuals, what we each find joy in will be unique.  Your 5-year-old may care much less about rides and attractions than they do about the pool at your resort – such was the case with our Megan back in 1996.IMG_2139

3. Under-promise and Over-deliver.  Where your kids are concerned, share vacation details in broad generalizations.  Do NOT promise that they will ride certain rides or meet certain characters.  Even if you have FastPasses booked for Anna and Elsa, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, talking Mickey Mouse, or Splash Mountain – unforeseen factors can spring up at any minute.  Rides break down, crazy summer storms (complete with hail!) spring up, the Florida heat takes a toll, meltdowns (of all types) occur.  You WILL see and do some incredible, magical things – that’s what you should focus on.  Last year, we were in Magic Kingdom when some computer glitch caused many rides to be down at once – we could hear people talking about how they’d promised their family they would ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on their ONE day at Magic Kingdom.  This computer problem was RUINING their vacation.  Do not be those people.1900 Park Fare / Drizella and Anastasia

4.  Over-planning often costs you magical moments.  Does that sound wrong?  Think about it – you’ve thought out every moment, every contingency, every possible situation – You’ve brought matching tee-shirts, snacks, rain ponchos, Band-Aids, antacid, sunscreen, toys, games, stickers, and so on.  You’ve scheduled meals, rides, attractions, and even photo opportunities – trust me, I know what this is like!  I’m a reformed compulsive over-planner.  WDW Park Touring NecessitiesMost of our happiest vacation memories happened during the UN-planned moments.  Build in time to waste, time to wander, time to experience some things on the spur of the moment – you won’t be disappointed!Volunteering for the Studios Backlot Tour

5.  Use a Travel Agent.  There are excellent Disney travel experts out there and there is absolutely NO cost to you for taking advantage of their expertise.  You can still plan as much (or as little) as you want to, but having someone “in the know” about what resorts and restaurants are really like, what their previous clients’ actual, recent experiences were, what room locations at each resort will best meet your family’s needs, where money savings opportunities exist, and so on, is a tremendous help to avoid overthinking.  I am not a travel agent, but I’ve used one before (and I’m friends with a great one, if you need a recommendation).  As much as I love to plan, it helped having someone to answer my questions, book things for me when I didn’t have time to waste waiting on hold, and help me stay within my budget.

Are you guilty of overthinking a Disney vacation?  Feel free to confess, you’re among friends here.

7 Elements of a Great Disney Vacation

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RM-BalloonsFor our family, after so many years of Disney vacations, there are certain aspects…particular elements I’ve identified that make each trip fantastic and unique.  So many things are the same – which is what brings us back, right?  Favorite rides, beloved snacks, c’mon! The pre-show dialogue for Soarin’ or MuppetVision3D, the upside-down singing ‘possums on Splash Mountain or hearing “We Wants the Redhead” on Pirates or even the smell of Rome burning on Spaceship Earth are all awesome and have each become an expected treasure on every trip!  Today I’m talking about the DIFFERENCES that are important.  Gee, this is harder to explain than I thought it would be.

There are very identifiable somethings on each and every Disney vacation that make a trip memorable.  If our vacations were all exactly the same, it would be hard for us to distinguish one trip from another – see where I’m going with this?  Every Disney vacation is memorable for a particular list of reasons – I’ve thought long and hard about this!  Here are the…

7 Elements of a Great Disney VacationRM-Fiesta-Donald

1. Characters – Because he’s my favorite, I’ll use Donald for this example.  On one trip to Disney World a few years back, Raymond and I ditched the kids allowed Megan and Joseph some time on their own one morning.  In Magic Kingdom, Raymond and I ran into Frontierland Donald and were able to have our picture taken with him – I remember how tiny he was and how I had to lean down to hug him.  During this year’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend, I met Fiesta Donald at the Mexican Pavilion in Epcot.  He was particularly funny and made ma laugh a lot.  And let’s not forget the Donald interaction that made me a fan for life.  All the same character – but each interaction was completely different and made unique memories for each vacation.

Cast Member in Norway Pavilion2. Cast Members – Some of them are generic – pleasant, but generally unmemorable.  I’m talking about the extra-special, Pixie-Dust-specialists that make your day, or even your entire trip, extra Disney-ish.  I talked about the critical importance of Cast Members in this post and I stand firm by my assessment – Disney Cast Members are crucial in making each vacation magical and memorable.

3. The Perfect Souvenir – Lots of times, it’s a single Disney pin trade that we remember because we found a particular pin we’d been hunting for.  Maybe it’s several pins – like the Orange Bird collection I started in 2012 and completed in 2014.  We fondly remember the Disney cruise we were on when we bought Remy for our kitchen.  Every time someone compliments my watch I think about our first Food & Wine Festival trip last year for our anniversary.  See?  Inexpensive or a splurge – the perfect souvenir can set one Disney vacation apart from another in your mind.

4. A Particularly Memorable Meal or Snack (or two or three) – Because it’s such an importantRM-Magic-Kingdom-Parade-Watching-1996 tradition to sit down together and relax at the end of the day, our family tends to remember particular table service dinners the most (Flying Fish comes to mind as one of the best memories).  Food and fun combos make me recall certain moments so clearly – having Mickey bars in Animal Kingdom just after getting completely soaked on Kali River Rapids.  Enjoying some Casey’s Corner fare while waiting for the parade on Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom – I remember it so well and that was 19 years ago!

5. Magical Details – There are always new discoveries to be made!  Hidden Mickeys, footprints in the walkways in Animal Kingdom, the windows on Main Street USA or in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, interactive queues…too many to name, but finding new and interesting, funny or clever Disney touches makes us happy – AND makes great vacation memories.

6. Live Entertainment – On a Disney cruise, on the Boardwalk, around Epcot’s World Showcase,Epcot's Voices of Liberty parades, musicians, comedians, magicians…For us, finding these unique and wonderful entertainers makes our vacations extra memorable.  I will remember the details of the first time I heard the Voices of Liberty forever.

7. A Hilarious Happening…that will later become an inside joke.  Megan’s face when she found out SHE was the Rebel Spy!  Joseph “getting engaged” to Drizella at 1900 Park Fare.  That snake in the China pavilion at Epcot…all these and dozens more unexpected, unplanned and perfectly wonderful moments are precious – like souvenirs in our memories that set each Disney vacation apart from the rest.

I really want to know!  What elements for a great Disney vacation are on your list? 

Geekin’ on Disney Trip Planning

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Meeting TiggerPlease join me in welcoming back another one of my favorite Disney podcast hosts, Curtis Stone.  Curt and his daughter, Lindsay, (and a bunch of special guests) can be found (I should really say heard) weekly on the Geekin’ on WDW Podcast.  If you haven’t yet listened to an episode of this show, you really need to give it a try – it’s another great podcast to keep you going between Disney vacations.  You can also follow the Geekin’ on WDW on Facebook and you can follow Curt on Twitter.

Geekin’ On Disney Trip Planning – By Curtis Stone

I’m excited again to make a trip down to Disney World. I think I’m on number 20. I’ll have to get back to you on that. When I tell people at work that I’ll be “Out of Office” next week, they say, “What are you going to Disney?” I excitingly say “Yes” and proceed to tell them a small pre-trip report. For you guys, I’m giving you a full pre-trip and I hope you can sense my excitement once again for my trip “Home”.

Purpose

This trip has a bit of a purpose to start. My wife and I will be flying with my youngest (19) to Ft. Lauderdale. He’s attending a college level baseball training program for the next two months. I’ve never been to either coast of Florida. It will be fun to check out the baseball facilities and see the Atlantic Ocean from the deep South. We’ll just stay one night there, rent a car and drive up on Monday morning to Disney World.

Curtis on Splash MountainSecond, purpose of trip is to spend some time with our daughter Lindsay who’s been participating in the Disney College Program since February. The three of us are the total Disney Geeks of the family and we always have a great time. Smiles never leave our faces as we enjoy all aspects of the resorts and parks.

Must Do’s

I like to build a list of Must Do’s for every trip I take to the World. One of the great things about hosting a Disney World Podcast is that I get lots of great ideas from my guests and friends I’ve made. It’s amazing to me that I continually get new suggestions of things to try. Plus, Disney World has been creating new things on such a rapid pace, there will be new things since my last trip in February of this year.

The List In No Particular Order

Polynesian DVC

We bought DVC at Bay Lake Tower about 5 years ago. Love it!

RM-Polynesian-SignLove it so much, I seem to always be in a deficit when it comes to points. Our use year is June and our 2016 points become available on June 1st this year. We love the Polynesian and it was the first deluxe resort our family ever stayed at when the kids were young. We always dreamed of the day they would expand to include DVC rooms. I can’t wait for our 3 night stay in one of the new deluxe studios. I promise to do some live trip recordings for the podcast describing the entire resort. We could only get 3 nights so we’ll spend one night at Bay Lake Tower.

Hoop De Doo

Hoop-Dee-Doo-Musical-ReviewI can’t believe we’ve never attended the Hoop De Doo Revue. I’ve begged my wife and she’s never caved until this trip. We’ve had so many friends talk about this dinner show over the years. I can’t wait to check this out.

German ChallengeGermany-Pavilion-Beer

This one comes from a podcast episode where Erika Murphy suggested to me but didn’t tell me what it was. I still don’t know what it is but I have to believe it has something to do with beer. My intention is to walk up to the Beer attendant in the German Epcot pavilion and ask them to surprise me.

Scotch Flight

RM-Rose&Crown-Scotch-Flight2This one is inspired by our host blogger, Lisa. I’ve had every intention of trying this out on my last trip but was denied. It’s a big priority for my next World Showcase adventure.

After Hours at Epcot

I listed this one because we did it last year in Italy and really enjoyed it. It was a drink flight and cheese platter after Illuminations. It now appears they won’t be doing this again this year. In it’s place, we’ve booked a dessert party with drinks during Illuminations. They rope off a prime spot for viewing Illuminations and we can have a little relaxing party. Cool!

Splitsville

I keep hearing great things about the food at Splitsville. I’d like to check it out as well as take a long walk to see all the things happening at Downtown Disney.

Tonga Toast

My wife had Tonga Toast at the Kona Cafe back in the day. I wished I’d tried it then. I’m thinking I can get one or two over at Captain Cooks on one of my early morning strolls through the resort for my coffee. This is one of my favorite times of the day. It will be fun and relaxing to sip my coffee and enjoy my first Tonga Toast outside on the Captain Cooks patio with all the beautiful surroundings.

Lava Pool

We received a letter from Disney explaining some of the continued construction at the resort which includes the “quiet” pool still under construction during our stay. The good news is that the main Lava pool is complete. I can’t wait to check out the new pool. I’m hoping I get some down time on this trip.

Pork Nachos

A recent guest on our podcast, David Castro, raved about the Pork Nachos at Capt Cooks at the Polynesian. Nachos and Pork separated are two of my main food groups. Putting them together intrigues me. David assures me I won’t be disappointed. He describes the spice and deliciousness so intently. Yum…

American Music Machine

The American Adventure / Epcot / Walt Disney WorldI’m a little disappointed I’ll be too late for the Flower and Garden Festival and too early for the Summer Concert Series music acts. I really love the music shows over at the American Pavilion in Epcot. Luckily, Epcot has added this new music group. I’ll get a fresh American beer and relax to the Summer breeze and cool music.

Star Wars Lounge

My daughter Lindsay recently tried out the Star Wars lounge at Hollywood Studios that is there for Star Wars weekends. It’s one of the main goals for me while I’m over there. I heard our friend Nick Maglio had some fun with friends, drinks and characters.

Mickey Pants Sundae

My wife and I were really disappointed when we were last in Disney World and the entire resort ran out of the Mickey Pants Sundae. We love ice cream and we both need to score this treat this time.

Avocado Margarita

Anyone who’s listened to a few of our podcast shows knows how much we love the Margarita stand in the Mexican pavilion of World Showcase. Simply the best in all the World and always an 11am must do for us. It’s just our thing, baby. We also like to get retrained on how to drink tequila shots in the bar inside of Mexico. It’s fun to interact with the bartenders there. I’ve had samples of the Avocado Margaritas but never a full drink. I must rectify this issue.

Yak and Yeti Quick Serve

RM-Yak-&-Yeti-Menu-BlueAlthough I’m a huge BBQ guy and the Flame Tree BBQ restaurant should be reopened, I’m excited to finally try the quick service at Yak and Yeti. I was on my way there for lunch on my last trip when we were interrupted by Lindsay to have lunch somewhere else. Denied again. I must try this one out this trip.

Trader Sam’s Grotto

Let me finish with my biggest one. We are really excited to check out this new lounge at the Polynesian. It sounds like fun with great drinks and atmosphere. Our kind of place. My intention is to copy a trick from Lisa, Dave and Nick’s recent podcast on resort loop hopping. We’ll start at Trader Sam’s for food and drinks and then do the same at Grand Floridian and Contemporary with a finish at the Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian. I’ll add a cheese plate or two also.

I may come up with more but this is a pretty good start of fun stuff to explore on this upcoming trip. We’ve not booked too many restaurants or fast passes. We do have Boma one night and Hoop De Doo. I’m hoping this is a bit relaxing instead of the usual commando style we’re accustomed too. It’s a bit shorter than a full week and it’s sure to go fast. Check out our podcast in June if you’d like to hear my live trip reporting where I’ll describe my trip everyday as it happens.

If you have more suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I’m always ready to hear more advice to add more fun to my trip.

 

The Burden of Happiness

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Akamai 2Fans of the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast will love today’s guest writer!  Having been fortunate enough to have been invited into the Tiki Hut, I can attest to how funny and sweet the show’s hosts are.  When Keith agreed to write some guest posts for me, I was so excited for you guys to get to know him a little better.  He’s a great guy and I’m lucky to count him as a friend.  Enjoy!

The Burden of Happiness

As many diehard Disney fans know we take the Disney Parks very seriously. I can’t tell you how many “debates” I’ve had with people who don’t share the same opinion of Disney as I do. However, when those folks need advice on their trips to Walt Disney World I’m always the guy they turn to. I jump at the chance to do this, because I love to live through them even if I can’t get to the parks as often as I’d like.

I usually surprise them at the lengths I will go. From binders with show times, parades, hidden gems, restaurants, kids activities, etc. Even the most disinterested person comes back with so many smiles and excitement. That is the fun for me is to make someone who doesn’t want to go into someone who can’t wait to go back. I know that feeling all too well, because I was “that guy”. Since that fateful first trip I came home with a hunger for knowledge. I read everything I could on Walt himself, the parks, etc. Then, I started writing for a blog. Which lead to my own site. Which lead to co-hosting a podcast and the rest is still writing our story.RM-WDW-Entrance

You can imagine my excitement when I was approached by my mom about a “big family trip to Walt Disney World”. The last time we were there as a family I was two years old (a long time ago). Being the Disney guru that I am I was tasked with planning said trip. The trip is several months away and prices for 2016 haven’t been announced yet so I have had some time to think about how to attack this.

This is where the burden comes in. We will have three separate families spanning three generations to consider. We have everyone from the Disney addict (me), casual Disney fans, skeptics, and those who want a trip with an extra helping of shows-hold the thrill rides. As I said earlier I take the Disney Parks very seriously and want everyone to see it through my passionate eyes. The more I think about planning this the more ovewhelmed I become.RM-Cinderella-Castle

So I am sure some of you out there were or are in the same boat I am. I have some things that I know for sure.

  1. Get a Disney authorized travel agent. I have done trips both ways and believe me it is much easier with a travel agent. It doesn’t cost you any extra and the time you save is remarkable. I don’t want to publicly endorse one but if you wish to know who I use please let me know (@dolewhipdaily or keith@enchantedtikitalk.com)
  2. Each family will have a separate reservation. This way if life gets in the way it won’t affect the whole party. I have had to cancel trips because of changing jobs. So it is just easier and they can pay for the trip at their own pace.
  3. Have a big ol’ family meeting. Before our 180 day mark we will all get together and hash out what we want to do. We all won’t want to do the same things, ride the same rides, eat at the same places. So we will either have to compromise or agree that certain times we will be apart.
  4. Park hopping is a must. I always suggest this anyway, but I think in large groups it even makes more sense. All of us know that even the best laid plans get changed due to many factors. So having the flexibility can ease tension and the possibility of a un-magical day.
  5. Let each family plan a day. I know many people do this with their kids to help them feel a part of the process. For me not only will it lessen the “burden”, but it allows each family to research and get involved in the fun as well.DSCN2870

I am sure as I continue in the planning I will have many updates for you. Let me make one point clear before I finish. I use the term “burden” very loosely. There is nothing I like more than spending time with my family. To have us all together at Walt Disney World has been a wish of mine that looks like is finally coming true. I am even getting emotional writing this, because I know the memories we make there will last many lifetimes. Mostly because when my brother and I get together things tend to get crazy and stories will be handed down for many more generations!

To hear more about Keith’s passion for all things Disney, listen to the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast, follow Keith on Twitter, and Like Enchanted Tiki Talk on Facebook.