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5 Obstacles – Walt Disney World Vacation Happiness

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Disney Planning Tips by MailYou’ve done the research, picked the date, booked a resort, purchased park tickets, settled on your mode of travel to Walt Disney World, selected FastPass+ options, and packed the suitcases!  You’re home free now, right?  All you have to do is get this vacation started and have the best time EVER!  I don’t want to burst your bubble and I hate to break it to you, but there are a few obstacles here and there that may mean the difference between an okay trip and a fantastically well-remembered family vacation.  That’s why you’re here, right?  You’re reading this blog to get the scoop on these potential party poopers?  Good, you have me and I have a few suggestions to help you avoid any ugly Walt Disney World vacation pitfalls.  Ready?

5 Obstacles – Walt Disney World Vacation Happiness – AND how to overcome them:

1.  Compromised Comfort – I’d be willing to bet the average Walt Disney World visitor has Mini First Aid Kit for Walt Disney World Travelno idea how much walking, standing, and jostling will be involved in taking this particular brand of vacation.  Sore feet, blisters, motion sickness, overheating, sunburn, soaking from sudden thunderstorms, dehydration, and exhaustion – these must be avoided at all costs.  Nothing ruins a vacation faster than pain!  Make like a good Boy Scout and be prepared.  Bring a travel-sized first aid kit and some rain ponchos, pack well-broken-in shoes and comfortable clothes.  Everyone in your travel party should drink plenty of water throughout the day and for heaven’s sake, be prepared with snacks to avoid becoming “Hangry” (hungry+angry=bad attitude).

Walt Disney World MagicBand2. Blown Budget – Magic Bands are so convenient…until you see the bill from all that touch-to-pay action!  Nothing kills Disney vacation joy like realizing that you’ve overspent.  If money is no object, move on along to the next item on the list, but if you’re like me and want to have a good idea about how to avoid a panic attack at check-out, try some of these strategies (and shout out your own in the comments!):

  • Purchase gift cards just to use for souvenirs and snacks – or consider buying them ahead of time.  You read that right – buy souvenirs and snacks before you leave home and dole them out during your vacation.  Little kids won’t care where the cool toys, books, and new tee shirts come from – they’ll just be excited to have them.
  • Pre-paying for snacks and meals with a Disney Dining Plan really helps with budgeting.
  • Important:  Get a printout of your charges from your resort’s front desk every day or two and make sure your spending is not getting out of hand.
  • Not on a Dining Plan?  Eat counter service (quick service) for most meals and consider eating your table service meals at lunchtime when the prices may be lower.  Buffet’s are the easiest meals to budget due to fixed pricing.
  • Stick with your budget!  It takes some (an incredible amount of) self control, but it’s worth it in the end.  Go home happy – not broke.

Crazy Crowds – If you’re going to Walt Disney World during peak seasons like Spring Break, Walt Disney World Crowds During Star Wars WeekendSummer Break, Thanksgiving, or Christmas – the crowds may be huge!  Knowing that going in will hopefully help you be more patient.  With the exception of Thanksgiving, we’ve traveled to WDW during all of those times and still had a lot of fun – the crowds did not ruin our trips at all, but they did slow us down.  Patience helps a lot as do some alternative plans when the parks just get too crazy.  Consider more resort time – the resorts often have a schedule of special activities to enjoy – ask at the front desk.  Eat outside the parks and try some restaurants at different resorts – gives you a chance to check out places to stay on future vacations.  Having realistic expectations helps – I liken it to the mental preparation it takes for me to Christmas shop on Black Friday!

Bus Transportation at Walt Disney WorldOpportunity Overload – There are an incredible number of things to see and do!  There are so many rides, attractions, shows, shops, snacks, characters, playgrounds, pools, restaurants – YIKES!  It can be totally overwhelming, confusing, and logistically challenging.  Research is the best remedy – specifically knowing the following things can help:

  • How to get around and where to go – Park and resort maps are available on the internet, in travel books, and at your resort.  Please, I’m begging you, at least get an idea about where you need to be and how you’re going to get there before you start out on your first day of vacation.  Getting lost and wandering around is horrible.  Missing a FastPass window or restaurant reservation shouldn’t happen with proper preparation.
  • Speaking of FastPasses – Pick what you think you’ll like.  Yes, if you’ve never been Choosing Activities in MyDisneyExperiencethere before, it can be daunting.  There are so many choices, it gets confusing and frustrating.  Again, research will help – especially the various rides’ height requirements if you’re traveling with children.  For a first visit, it’s hard to know what rides are really busy all the time and which ones rarely need a FastPass – you can make yourself crazy.  Go with what sounds fun.  (Check out YourFirstVisit.net)
  • Be flexible, be willing to compromise, take turns.  If everyone knows what to expect ahead of time, is ready and willing to change plans if necessary (rides break down, stormy weather causes some rides to close) and each person gets to select at least one or two special experiences  (ride, show, character meeting, restaurant, pool time, etc.) – there’s less chance of succumbing to opportunity overload.

Too Tired to go On / Disney Vacation TipsFizzled Finale – Doing too much for too long can really toast the end of your vacation, especially if you’ve got a long trip home.  It’s easy to try to pack in so much park action that by the time it’s over everyone is fed up and exhausted (and crabby!).  Pace yourselves, allow for plenty of sleep (and naps, if needed), set aside time for packing to avoid a last minute frenzy.  Make sure there are fun activities for the way home, too.  My grandmother used to say, “Quit while you still want more” and that’s good advice.  If you leave happy, wanting to go back again someday, isn’t that a sign of a really great vacation?

What are your best tips for overcoming the obstacles to Walt Disney World vacation happiness?

WDW in October – What we Plan

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Epcot in SummerJust 52 days from now, Raymond and I will be off on our dream vacation – solo, alone, sans kids, as a couple – and pretty stoked about it (in case you were wondering).  Yes, indeed, we’re celebrating quite a few things at our house this year – Raymond and I both have milestone birthdays, our 25th wedding anniversary is this fall, and, after the first year, we’ve adapted (admirably, in my opinion) to our empty-nested-ness.  Time for a well deserved sort of second honeymoon!

Trying not to break my own Walt Disney World vacation planning rules, we’ve tried to strike the perfect balance between over- and under-planning.  Usually, when we hit the World as a Epcot's World Showcasefamily, we rope-drop, park-hop and squeeze as many rides, attractions, and experiences into each day as possible.  I’ve always been a little envious of those travelers who have the luxury of not planning blocks of time between parks and FastPass+ appointments.  I’ve wanted to try being one of these UN-planners and now is my opportunity!  I’ve also asked a bunch of you guys out there on social media and really tried to take your excellent advice to heart (see Safari Mike’s Food & Wine Festival tips here).  On 3 of our 7 nights there, we have no ADRs – this is unprecedented UN-planning!

DVC Resort Bay Lake Tower / Walt Disney WorldI’ve divided our plans into three categories –

  1.  Must Do – Includes special events we’ve pre-paid for and some plans we’re super excited about – all are things we have never experienced before,
  2. It’s on the Agenda – the things we’d love to fit in if at all possible, and
  3. If We Get to It – the rest of our plans that we hope we get to, but we will be okay if we have to pass.

Let’s get on with the plans…

Must Do –

  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – We’ve heard so many positive reviews and comments about this seasonal bash, we can’t pass up the chance to see what all the Epcot's France Pavilion / Monsieur Paulhubbub’s about.  I’m working on a couple of semi-costumed looks for the big event.
  • Italian Food & Wine Pairing – Gosh, there’s nothing about the sound of that we don’t love!  Available at Via Napoli, Italy Pavilion, 1:30 – 3:30 pm on Thursdays during the Festival.
  • French Regional Lunch – This takes place at the French Pavilion’s Monsieur Paul (Fridays and Sundays during the Festival) from Noon – 3:30 and includes 4 courses (highlighting a specific region of France) and information on the wine pairings from a visiting winery representative.
  • Dinner at California Grill – We haven’t eaten at this restaurant (Contemporary Resort) since it’s extensive refurbishment in 2013.  This is our official Anniversary Dinner Celebration.
  • Massage for Two at the Senses Spa (Grand Floridian Resort) – It sounds romantic and relaxing – just the ticket for a trip like this one!
  • Tutto Gusto in Epcot's ItalyEpcot After Hours Wind Down – This sounds like the perfect way to end an evening (especially during Food & Wine).  We’ve got FastPass+ for special seating at Illuminations before we head on over to Tutto Gusto (Italy Pavilion) for a late night snack and wine flight.
  • FastPass+ for Meeting Talking Mickey Mouse – Why not?  We haven’t seen the Big Cheese in this new high-tech version and I’m a big advocate of at least one character meet-n-greet on every Disney vacation.  I picked this one.
  • Dinner at Sanaa – This is on the evening of our fist day.  We have to visit Animal Kingdom Lodge (unbreakable tradition for every trip) and have yet to try Sanaa after hearing its praises sung repeatedly.  Now’s the perfect time!

It’s on the Agenda –

  • Dinner at Citrico’s (Grand Floridian Resort)- We’ve never been before, so we made an ADR.Festival of Fantasy Parade  If something interferes with this, we won’t be heartbroken – it was just something new to try that sounded good.  Since it’s on the monorail loop, it’s an easy ride back to the Contemporary (we’re staying at Bay Lake Tower).
  • Dinner at Be Our Guest – If there’s anyway possible to make this into a lunch, we’re doing that instead.  I’ve not heard the food’s all that great, but getting inside for a look around was on my Disney New Year’s Resolutions list and I’m running out of time to get that accomplished.
  • FastPass+ for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.  We loved this parade when we saw it for the first time in May and would like to see it from the special FP+ area this time.
  • Trying a certain 10 of the 66 special dishes at the Food & Wine Festival booths.  I let Raymond pick these by himself for two reasons:  First of all, I chose all our FastPasses without asking for his input and second, Raymond’s a more discriminating diner than I am – Let’s face it; if it’s food, I’ll eat it.  Pretty much everything sounds good to me!  It’s “All in WDW” had the list Raymond used to make his selections here.  I’ll share our 10 foods in another post (coming soon) and write up a review on each when we get back.

Schofferhoffer Grapefruit BeerIf We Get to It –

  • The rest of the FastPasses I selected.  I did pick some in each park, but if we don’t get to them all, no big deal.  One day for Epcot, I was somehow allowed to only choose two, probably because the first one is for 6:00 pm.  We’re taking it easy, ride-wise.
  • Specialty beers and adult beverages around the World Showcase.  We know those will be available and would like to sample a few.
  •  The Kiss Goodnight in the Magic Kingdom.  That would require us to make it to park closing and beyond, but it’s been recommended and we’re going to do our best to be there Cinderella Castle at Nightfor it one night.
  • Electric Water Pageant – We haven’t seen it in a few years and I love this perky little show on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake.  Hopefully, we’ll get back to Bay Lake Tower early enough one evening to catch at least some of the pageant.

I’d like to give a BIG Shout Out to the Mighty Men of Mouse – the podcast that gives back!  In exchange for an iTunes review, the hosts of this show (Russ Shuttlesworth, Kip Springfield, and Dutch Lombrowski) will give you “Three Good Minutes” on their show, discussing a topic of your choosing.  I emailed the Mighty Men recently, having finally decided on a topic (I left a review back in January) and requested ideas for our October vacation.  Thank you, Mighty Men of Mouse (Episode 167)!  Many of your suggestions were incorporated in the plans detailed in this post.

As always, I’d love to hear from you!  Anything you think we should add, change, skip?  What Must-do’s have you planned for your next trip to Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World – Great Places to Take a Break

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Resing along Sunset Blvd in Disney's Hollywood StudiosSometimes when you’re at Walt Disney World, you just need to sit a spell.  You know, take a load off, rest your feet, relax for a minute.  It’s a good time to enjoy a snack, maybe engage in a little of the primo people watching Walt Disney World affords.  I mean, c’mon, in my daily life I never get the chance to watch folks go by from all over the world – it’s fun!

Here are my most favorite places in the whole Walt Disney World to enjoy a few quiet moments:

Magic Kingdom – Over in Fantasyland, by the Tangled bathrooms – shoot, that doesn’t Fantasyland / Rapunzel's Towersound very appealing, does it?  But you know where I’m talking about, don’t you?  Right past It’s a Small World, in the Tangled rest area, you’ll find seating with charging stations (cleverly hidden in faux tree stumps) and a great view of Rapunzel’s tower, the floating lanterns, and, yes, there’s excellent people watching as folks pass along the path between Fantasyland and Liberty Square.  The handy restroom is just a bonus.

Animal Kingdom – Back behind the Flame Tree Barbeque, above the Discovery River, there’s an excellent seating area with a terrific view of Expedition Everest!  Enjoy lunch or simply sit and rest for a while – it’s usually quiet in the morning or between lunch time and park closing.  Like most of the best places to take five, there are great Disney details to soak up!

Resting in Epcot's Italy PavilionEpcot – There are many excellent places to take a break in Epcot!  For some reason, one of my absolute favorite spots is in Italy.  I love the buildings, the view of the Venetian gondolas on the water, the perfectly aged look of each detail, the very excellent statues – sit along the sides of the Doge’s Palace where the benches are shaded under the palace’s arches.  If you want to snag a glass of wine from the pavilion’s nearby wine shop – it makes the relaxing even more…well, relaxing!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – This is my favorite place to sit on a cloudy or even a rainy day – Taking a Breat in Disney's Hollywood Studiosdown by Echo Lake, the tables by Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner are the place to rest.  Why I like them so much is purely due to my own happy memories of having a snack or a cold beer and being so happy about being on vacation at Walt Disney World – are there more scenic places to sit at the Studios, sure, but that’s my favorite.  Another good option is anywhere along Sunset Blvd. – especially along the end closest to Hollywood Blvd.  Resting there ups your changes of running into a spontaneous performance by the incredible Streetmosphere actors.

Bay Lake Boat Transportation / Disney's Contemporary ResortOutside the Parks – When I really want to rest and have a few quiet moments of tranquility, I catch a boat and it’s not just any boat.  I want to boat that leaves from the Contemporary’s boat dock (or you can catch one at the Magic Kingdom) and travels over Bay Lake to Fort Wilderness.  I just get on the boat and ride.  Maybe catch a power nap if I’m really beat.  The view is incredible and the experience is a nice change from the busy atmosphere of the parks.

Where are your favorite places to take a break?  What makes them special to you?

Walt Disney World Group Activity Must-dos

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Celebrate a Dream Come Trup ParadeCall me crazy (no, really -it’s okay, lots of people do) but I think there are some really fun activities that everyone should do – as a group – while vacationing at Walt Disney World.  I’m not talking about the usual stuff like ride this ride or eat in this restaurant – I’m talking about specific group events that, if you’ll take my advice, are certain to enhance the enjoyment of your entire travel party!  What’s perfect is that these are suitable for all groups – children, adults, friends, family – everyone plays, everyone has fun.

Ready?  My 5 Walt Disney World Group Activity Must-dos:Yoda and Chewie Hats

1. Try on Hats – No, really – it’s almost symbolic of embracing your ability to let go and enjoy being in the moment.  Be silly!  There are thousands of hats at Walt Disney World in nearly every shop, in every park and resort.  Try on hats in each country in Epcot’s World Showcase.  Chapeau, lid, cap, sombrero…just have fun!  And have your camera ready.

Tower of Terror Ride Photo2. Stage a Ride Photo – Nothing says “I had the best time EVER” like a ridiculous ride photo.  Once you figure out where the cameras are, get busy!  You will have to fork over a few bucks to buy the picture(s), but what could make a better souvenir than you and your – insert group description here – having the time of your life on iconic Disney attractions.  Need suggestions?  Check out these hilarious pics!

3. Meet a Character – If you have a few extra bucks, especially if you’re travelling with children, Meeting Minnie at Chef Mickey'sspring for a character meal.  At the very least, make the time for at least one character meet-and-greet.  Nothing brings out your group’s collective inner-child like the chance to pose for a picture with a favorite Disney character.

4. Hunt for Hidden Mickey’s – You can find the classic shape of Mickey Mouse’s head hidden everywhere.  Big, small, obvious, subtle – make it a group activity and throughout your entire visit to Walt Disney World you’ll be amazed and astounded by the number of Hidden Mickey’s there are and how much fun it is to look for them.  Bring a little gift bag along and keep score – the person who spots the most Mickeys wins!  Find everything you need to know here.

Dale in Festival of Fantasy Parade5. See a Parade or Nighttime Show – I know a lot of people who don’t take the time for this – I think they’re missing out on some incredible Disney magic!  The Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom (most days, 3:00 pm) is simply breathtaking!   The Main Street Electrical Parade, also in Magic Kingdom (most evenings, sometimes twice) is completely different, but unique and super entertaining.  See Fantasmic (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) or Illuminations in Epcot – choose one or see them all!  I cannot think of a better way for your entire travel party – be it friends, family, or both – to stop and relax for a few minutes and be amazed…together!  Of all the shows, our family’s favorite is Wishes (Magic Kingdom) which takes place most nights and involves audio, video (projected on Cinderella Castle), and fireworks – all combined in a way guaranteed to bring goose bumps at the very least.  It usually makes me a little teary-eyed.

Have you and your friends or family done any of these?  What are your favorite group activities?