Category Archives: Disney Travel Tips

Headed to Disney World – Time to Pack!

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I’m a week away from our short trip to Disney World for the Dark Side Challenge.  It may be for only four days, but the same packing strategies I use for longer vacations still apply.

Headed to Disney World – Time to Pack!

I think about what I’ll be taking along in three categories:  Must-go items, things I’d like to have, and “if there’s room” extras.

Must-go Items

  • Magic Bands, IDs, money (gift cards, credit cards, small amount of cash), medical insurance card, DVC membership card, and Tables in Wonderland card. (Note:  I would never choose gray for a Magic Band color.)
  • Phone & chargers (both plug-in and on-the-go varieties)
  • Rain Poncho, cap and/or visor, and sunglasses
  • One outfit per day and as few pairs of shoes as possible (I’m a reformed vacation shoe over-packer).
  • Sweater or light jacket (I tend to get cold during sit-down meals)
  • Sunscreen, hair and makeup bare necessities
  • Running outfits for runDisney events & armband or waist carrier for my phone
  • Headphones
  • Mini first aid kit (Tylenol, antacid, Band-Aids)
  • Carry-on and park bag
  • Disney pins for tradingHeaded to Disney World - Time to Pack!

Things I’d Like to Have

  • 2-3 Extra shirts & an extra pair of shorts or pants – Sometimes it’s nice to have a fresh outfit to put on if we get back to our resort before going to dinner.  Especially if we’re eating someplace nice.
  • Swimsuit & Cover-up – We almost never swim, but it’s nice to be ready just in case.
  • Extra park bag(s) – I can make do with one, but having a couple of different sizes to choose from is better.
  • Snacks and/or Pre-race fuel – If I can bring Cliff bars or granola bars, I’m going to be much happier on race day(s) without the stress of trying to find something to eat that I’m sure won’t bother my stomach.  If I’m not going for a runDisney event, it’s nice to have snacks or breakfast items along to minimize the possibility of becoming “hangry”.
  • Flat iron – I don’t use one every day at home, but with the way my hair behaves in Florida, it’s certainly nice to have.

If There’s Room

  • Disney Exchange Podcast tees and pins to give away – I love meeting listeners and having something handy to give them.
  • Book and/or magazine – Nice at the airport and on the plane, but not a necessity.  I can always listen to music on my phone.
  • Extra cap(s) – I like choices and I like to color coordinate if I can.
  • My own hairdryer – Silly, but I’m used to it and get better results with my own versus the one supplied by the resort.
  • Laptop – I don’t have to have it, but it sure is nice if I want to whip up a blog post while I’m in the Disney Bubble.
  • Extra space for souvenirs – Yep, I’d like a little unused room.  There’s nothing worse than wanting to do some shopping and realizing you’ve got no way to carry anything home.  Sure, Disney will ship, but that adds a lot to the price.

That’s it.  On each and every Disney trip we take, I use this strategy and almost always come home with only one or two things I didn’t use or wear.  In the winter I pack a couple of extra layers and more pants, fewer shorts.  I refuse to pay for overweight luggage so I weigh my bag at home before we leave just to make sure.  Honestly, if I could get by with only a carry-on this trip, I’d be thrilled, but I doubt even the minimalist-packing me could pull it off.

What’s your Disney vacation packing strategy?

 

 

 

 

Disney World Vacation Photo Must-Haves

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This is just me talking.  Part of my overbearing big personality is that I never experience a shortage of opinions and as usual, I’ve decided to offer you some of them.  I’ve always been a picture-taker and am particularly photo-snappy on a Disney vacation.  After 25+ years of said Disney trips, I’ve noticed certain patterns in my photography and decided to share.  Hopefully, this will cause you to examine your own Disney picture-taking style and share your favorite types of pictures with me.  Sharing is good, dontcha think?

It’s like a Friday Five times two!  I’ve compiled a list of TEN…

Disney World Vacation Photo Must-Haves

The Classic Shots – You know the ones.  The iconic must-haves in front of Cinderella Castle and the other park weenies (Yes, that’s the correct term for a Disney park’s centerpiece.  Really.  Look it up if you don’t believe me.).  I particularly like the Tree of Life and have pictures from every possible angle and time of day.

The Character Meet & Greets – In-park Characters, Character Dining Experiences, the random encounter – all are exceptionally tempting as memory capturing moments, no?  It might make me a little nostalgic to look back at the ones from when Megan and Joseph were little, but the ones from our last trip make me just as happy.

Foodies’ Favorites – Not quite as good as the real thing, commemorating an excellent snack or meal with a photograph allows me to remember my favorite flavors of Disney and better plan my dining and snacking strategies for future trips.

Attraction Action – Pictures or it didn’t happen, right?  You never know exactly how ride photos will turn out, but they are absolutely some of my favorite pictures!  Yes, I love the ones from Memory Maker, but I also like the ones I took myself.

Tropical Paradise – I can’t help myself.  I have to capture at least a few pictures of the lush Florida landscapes and the amazing sunrises and sunsets.  When I’m at home, I’m usually getting ready for work as the sun comes up and in the evening I’m likewise occupied with cooking dinner or some such activity.  On vacation, though, I stop to soak up those spectacular moments and you should too. 

Five Down, Five to Go…

Hidden Mickeys – If you’re constantly on the lookout for those little, sometimes elusive Mickeys, you probably snap a pic or two of your favorites like I do!

The Group Selfie – What ever did we do before the wonders of technology allowed us to take pictures of ourselves so easily?!?  I’m a huge fan of the group selfie.  Unless maybe it’s a really hot day and we’ve been hitting the parks pretty hard.  Looking back, we seem less likely to clump up for those close-together shots as the day wears on.  Huh…just now noticed that.

Boredom Busters a.k.a. queue pics! – Even if you plan everything just right and book FastPasses for all the most popular attractions, you’re bound to wait in a line or two from time to time.  Don’t waste the opportunity to create some awesome family memories!  We have even developed photo traditions for some particularly taxing waits…like the one for Fantasmic.

EarHat Fashion – How could anyone not love a good EarHat photo?  Not into amazingly fun headwear?  Certainly someone in your family is, right?  There’s nothing like capturing the happiness of a loved one sporting their favorite Disney chapeau in a Disney park.  Look at those happy faces!

Cast Member Memories – Sometimes you just get extra attached to a particular Cast Member and want them to be part of your photo album.  They don’t mind if you take their picture – the best ones are used to it!  If you’re on Twitter and you’ve had an awesome Cast Member experience, you can tweet to @WDWToday with the #CastCompliment hashtag and say a few words about how the Cast Member made your vacation extra special.  Disney will then track down that Cast Member and present them with a certificate.  They will photograph the moment and tweet it back to you.  It’s an excellent way to ensure your favorite Cast Members get the recognition they deserve.  We did this for Kile from Tiffins because he’s wonderful!

BONUS – This one has almost reached the ridiculous.  I’ve been on Kilimanjaro Safaris at least a dozen times.  Each and every one of my tours of Africa involves me madly taking pictures and videos as if I’ve never seen any of these animals before in my life.  Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this!  Drives my family crazy, I’m sure, but they love me enough to let me sit on the outside and stay out of my way.Rhino on Kilimanjaro Safari Kilimanjaro Safari / Animal Kingdom One last thing about taking pictures on a Disney vacation…

Even though I love Memory Maker, you should not feel like you have to spend the money if it’s not in your budget.  Cast Members are always happy to take pictures for you with your own camera or smart phone.  You’ll still have amazing memories to look back on!!!

Okay, now it’s your turn!  Share with me!!!  What are your favorite types of Disney vacation pictures to take?

 

Disney World Bound? Under Versus Over Planning

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Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, finding the just right when planning a Disney World vacation can be challenging!  With all there is to see and do, it’s easy for seasoned Disney vacationers to imagine the horrors of under planning.  For the uninitiated or infrequent visitor, knowing how to plan appropriately can be highly intimidating.  Again – So much to see and do!

Disney World Bound? Under Versus Over Planning

Under Planning – This plan is too small.

I understand a low-key, go-with-the-flow vacation mentality.  If you dream of drifting through quiet days in a tropical paradise, rethink that decision to visit Disney World.  It’s huge, often crowded, expensive and requires at least a little bit of planning.  Some advance research is advised.Memory Maker - Rafiki

Luckily there are many books and websites like Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos, All Ears.Net, Your First Visit, WDW Prep School, Disney Tourist Blog, and more.  These sites offer a variety of perspectives on how to plan a successful Disney getaway.

At a bare minimum…

Review Park Attractions – You can’t do it ALL, but you can do a lot.  Pick some attractions in each park that you think your family will enjoy.  Check out point-of-view videos on YouTube to get an idea of a particular ride’s scare-factor.  Prep for vacation by letting your little ones watch these videos.  They’ll have realistic expectations about what’s going to happen – for many children, this preparation makes trying new attractions less scary.  If you’ll be staying on Disney property, 60 days pre-trip book those FastPasses (like ride reservations to skip the long lines) for your top must-do choices.  Off-property guests can book up to 30 days in advance.Memory Maker - Tower of Terror

Review Restaurants – (menus are always available at Disney’s site) and please, make some Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for at least a couple of places.  Popular restaurants like ‘Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) and Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom) and many Character Dining experiences book up way in advance.  You can always cancel up to 24 hours before your dining time with no penalty.  Please!  Better safe than sorry.

Over Planning – This plan is too big.

Four parks, Disney Springs, Advance Dining Reservations, FastPasses, special events, nighttime spectaculars, Memory Maker – What do you need, what don’t you need.  Are you planning too much?  I’ve been guilty of over planning.  Once you get the hang of ADRs and FastPasses, it’s easy to try to cram too much in and leave little for spontaneous fun.

When Megan and Grant honeymooned at Disney World, they had the Deluxe Dining Plan and made a ton of dining reservations.  Later, Megan felt they’d have been much better off with fewer meals booked.  They often felt like they were rushing around to fit attractions in between dining reservations.  They got to experience some fantastic meals, but the travel time to and from restaurants really cut into their vacation.Yellow Monorail / Walt Disney World

I’m a fan of park-hopping and will often plan a morning at one park with no FastPasses, get there at park-opening and go, go, go!  Then hop to the park where I’ve scheduled our three FastPasses before moving on to a dinner reservation, usually at a resort.  This plan maximizes the attractions we get to ride/see, but is not relaxing and leaves little room for simply soaking up the amazing Disney details.  Classic case of over-planning.

Too busy for Memory Maker.  If you’re prone to over planning, you may want to skip the Memory Maker photo package (currently $149 purchased 3-days in advance of your trip / $169 regular price).  We’ve found that planning time for pictures is critical or Memory Maker can be a waste of money.  If you’re rushing to a FastPass or dining reservation, you won’t stop and wait for a Disney photographer.Memory Maker Buzz Lightyear

Making plans that are just right for your family depends on what’s important to you.  A successful Disney vacation takes at least a little advance prep, but trying to do too much can lead to a less-than-relaxing experience.

Have you been guilty of planning to little or attempting to do too much?  What’s the best planning tip you’ve learned?

Disney World Christmas Crowd Busting Plans

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I suppose we’re gluttons for punishment.  Raymond and I had such a great time at Wald Disney World last year during the much-maligned Christmas week, we’re going back for more!  And this time, we’re taking Joseph with us.

A few years ago, we took a Disney Cruise in Alaska (see post here) with both Megan and Joseph.  Joseph was young enough for the teen club and activities and once he checked in, we barely saw him again.  This meant that we had a ton of mom-dad-daughter time with Megan and those memories are among my most treasured!  It was so wonderful, in fact, that now we’re spending a mom-dad-son vacation with Joseph.  Megan, in her typically sweet way, has offered her (and Grant’s) services for house and dog-sitting.  Excursion on Disney Cruise Line in Alaska

Disney World Christmas Crowd Busting Plans

Arriving Christmas Eve, we’ll have seven days at Disney World during the busiest time of the year.  I’ve planned, schemed, booked, and rebooked what I hope will be a fabulous vacation to remember with our youngest offspring.  I’m using some tried and true strategies along with a couple of new plans for what I hope will be a great holiday experience.  The number one item on our packing list?  Patience!  We know the crowds will be insane, but thanks to last year, we know how to have fun around them.Christmastime at Walt Disney World

Christmas Eve – Our midday arrival means that while we have afternoon FastPasses in Magic Kingdom, we may not get to use them due to the crowds.  We’re okay with this!  Plan B is to drop our things at Bay Lake Tower and, starting at the Contemporary, do the monorail pub crawl while checking out the decorations at all the resorts along the way.  Our dinner is at Kona Café that night, so we can stick to the resort loop, enjoy dinner, and end the evening at the Top of the World Lounge.  If we DO use our FastPasses, they’re for Jingle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.Jingle Cruise Sign

Christmas Day – We’ll need to rise and shine to make our early breakfast at Be Our Guest.  Before the crowds become totally insane, we’ll use FastPasses at Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain.  We’ll be finished by lunchtime and plan to grab something very light at a quick-service place in or near Magic Kingdom before heading back to our room to relax.  Early dinner will be at California Grill.tusker-house-goofy

December 26th – I’ve planned an early start to the day again, but this time at Animal Kingdom for breakfast at Tusker House (because we loved it so much in October).  We’ll be able to relax and do what we want all morning since our FastPasses are all for the afternoon (Expedition Everest, Primeval Whirl, and Festival of the Lion King…don’t judge!).  Dinner’s at Tiffins, again because we had such a wonderful experience in October.tiffins-wall-detail

December 27th – We’re rope-dropping Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a plan to get in and out by 11:00 am at the latest.  We’ve got just two FastPasses booked for Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania.  Raymond and I did this last year and were able to ride Rock’n’ Roller Coaster and Star Tours with little to no wait.  Then we plan to hop to Epcot and slowly make our way around World Showcase, grabbing lunch while we go.  Dinner will be at Citricos in the Grand Floridian.  This day is designed to be relaxing with a huge play-it-by-ear factor since the next day will be the exact opposite.

December 28th – I’ll confess to over-planning, but I have faith in our abilities to see this day through!  At least we get to sleep in a little later before we head to the Boardwalk for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno.  The reason we’re going?  I needed a Candlelight Processional dining package and the Trattoria was included in eligible restaurants.  I LOVE that our meal gets to be breakfast!  When we finish eating, we’re heading to Disney Springs where we plan to stroll and shop until it’s time for our lunch ADR at Morimoto Asia.  Morimoto-Asia-Disney-SpringsAfter lunch it’s back to Epcot for a couple of FastPasses:  Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo & Friends.  We’ll see the 6:45 Candlelight Processional (Cal Ripkin, Jr. is our narrator) and then we, full of Christmas joy, will walk back to the Boardwalk for a late dinner at Flying Fish.  I have no idea what I was thinking when I booked all this, but we’re not a family that shies away from a challenge!

December 29th – I regained my sanity when booking this day’s activities.  We don’t have to be anywhere until lunchtime for an ADR in the Studios at The Hollywood Brown Derby.  RM-Brown-Derby-StoryAfter lunch, we head to Epcot where we have FastPasses for Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth.  Dinner’s at Shula’s Steak House.

December 30th – This day’s plan was originally based solely on the fact that we wanted to squeeze in a Dinner at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge on this trip.  Then I heard about the Jingle Bell Jingle BAM! Dessert Party at the Studios.  Then I heard that Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular was coming back beginning on December 16th.  Now the day looks like this – Hit Animal Kingdom at a leisurely pace until mid-afternoon.  Lobby at Animal Kingdom LodgeThen we’ll head to Animal Kingdom Lodge and enjoy the lobby atmosphere, the Savannah Overlook, and perhaps a cocktail at the Victoria Falls Lounge before our dinner at Jiko.  I was luckily able to re-book dinner for an earlier time when I decided we needed the Dessert Party and possible double fireworks shows at the Studios.  As of now, I can’t tell when and if the Star Wars show will happen that night.  We know there are nighttime Extra Magic Hours and we’ll already be there…keeping our fingers crossed!

Home for New Year’s Eve!  Raymond and I have a long-standing New Year’s Eve tradition of a lobster dinner at home and we know we’ll enjoy that more than staying for the craziness of ringing in a new year at Walt Disney World.  Plus, we’ll be tired!  If everything goes as planned, we’ll have had a great time enjoying some special, new experiences while revisiting our usual favorites and, in spite of the crowds, will have some wonderful new vacation memories to cherish.

Have you been to Disney World for Christmas?  What did you love most about it?  Do you have any crowd-busting tips to share?