Tag Archives: Disney Travel Tips

Five Disney Planning Resources – Books

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Disney Resources 2014 - BooksI did an earlier post about Disney resources available online, detailing websites that I believe are excellent for researching all manner of Disney travel information – specifically Walt Disney World trip planning tidbits.  Today I want to talk about some of my favorite Disney resources of the old-school variety – the ones you can carry around with you, the ones that have pages you can touch and turn.  Ones that you can enjoy for hours and they will never give you a “low battery” warning.  Strange as it may seem in this day and age of technology, I still love books and find them invaluable as Disney vacation planning resources.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, although I do possess mad internet searching skills, wicked Pinterest pinning prowess, and ingenious Instagram involvement.  I think books are still useful and important to my everyday happiness.  I currently have in my Disney planning arsenal three excellent, hot off the presses, up to date Walt Disney World informational books…but I promised you FIVE Disney resources and I’ll deliver, but the last two are less travel planning info and more trivia, stories, and historical information-type books that I believe are excellent entertainment.

Here we go:

1.  Birnbaum Guides 2014 Official Guide to Walt Disney World – “Expert Advice from the Inside Source” (for Kingdom Keepers fans, this book has tie-ins to that book series).  With only 275 pages, this Official Guide has some good, well-organized information – all will be 100% positive.  The glossy pages and beautiful pictures bring Walt Disney World to life in your hands.  Looking for balanced feedback?  Look someplace else.  Just the happy facts here, but the information on Birnbaum's WDW 2014things like budgeting, vacation planning (6+ month plan), sample park schedules (one-day and half-day versions), transportation and dining is excellent and well presented.  In each park’s section, there’s a “Park Primer” page that consolidates useful information like the location of baby facilities, disability information, lost and found, ATMs and more. The resort-finder matrix pages allow resort comparisons at a glance and the book’s color-coded easy to navigate sections are really packed with excellent, useful information at a very reasonable price.  MSRP $17.99 U.S.

2. The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2014, by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa – Before the Appendix and Index, this baby packs a whopping 774 pages with mostly Disney information.  No glossy pages or colorful photographs here (only the occasional map or cartoon), this book is 100% information and does make an effort to provide balanced feedback.  The section on “How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package” gives the lowdown on how to get the most for your money.  The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2014Disney property hotel section is very thorough and also (like book #1) has comparison tables for quick reference.  Extensive park touring plans, feedback/reviews from “real” vacationers (both positive and not-so-positive) and a section called “The Ecstasy and the Agony” gives sincere and helpful advice on the reality of vacationing at Walt Disney World with children – Let’s face it, those Disney commercials make Walt Disney World look like such a magical vacation spot that everyone is happy and having fun 100% of the time – tips and tricks for managing expectations (and helping children and parents have a great vacation) are what make this particular book super helpful.  For research purposes, this book gets a double thumbs up – be prepared for NO pictures, no frills.  You can also find tips/details on hotels and restaurants (and even some rides) outside the Disney bubble.  MSRP $19.99 U.S.

3. Cross book #1 and book #2 and you get PassPorter’s Walt Disney World by Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx, and Alexander Marx.  292 pages before the index (plus post-index bonus features), this book does have glossy pages and lovely photographs plus some very unique features not to be found anywhere else.  I must confess, I did receive a review (free) copy of this book, however, if you’ve read previous posts you’ll know that I, a) have an abundance of opinions and am not afraid to share them and b) tend to be…well…brutally honest.  The wear and tear on my 2009 edition of PassPorter’s WDW can attest to how much I’ve relied on this tome in the past for assistance with trip planning.  The fact that I didn’t pay for this year’s version won’t keep me from telling you how I really feel.  Back to the book review:  In addition to the well-organized, easy to read information, this book has fold-out maps (plus mini maps of each resort), and pockets in the back for organizing/storing paperwork, maps, tickets,Passporter's WDW 2014 reservation information, etc.  These pockets allow space for 10+ individual days-worth of documents AND on the outside of each pocket, provides places to makes notes, plans, record reservation numbers, travel time schedules, and more.  The book’s cover folds out to encompass the contents and has its own attached elastic strap to hold it all together…pretty darned NIFTY!  The sections are easy to navigate and each restaurant, attraction, show, etc. is given a rating by three different reviewers (on a scale of 10) – so, yes, an attempt is made to provide balanced reviews.  However, please DO NOT rely heavily on these ratings – they’re the reviewers’ opinions – I like to form my own opinions on things and encourage you to do the same.  For example, the book’s ratings for the Columbia Harbour House restaurant in the Magic Kingdom were a 5 and two 6’s.  We LOVE Columbia Harbour House and eat there at least once every time we visit Walt Disney World – our ratings would be much higher.  The book’s reviewers gave Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios scores of 7, 8, and 8 – we thought that show was just so-so (or maybe not even that good) and wished we hadn’t wasted the time…our scores would have been considerably lower.  Don’t let the ratings in the book keep you from trying something you’re really interested in.  In the “Planning” and “Getting There” sections, PassPorter’s offers excellent money-saving, budgeting, and packing tips, and resources.  MSRP $24.95 U.S.

4. The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness – “Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom” – Raymond picket up this little book for me as a birthday gift back in November.  While, after many visits and much pod-cast listening and blog-reading, I was familiar with many of the magical facts and trivia the author shares in this book, there were plenty of new/unusual things to discover.  It’s an easy, fun read, I could see how sharing the bits and pieces of Disney magic pre-vacation or while traveling to Walt Disney World would be a great way to pass time and get everyone excited to see it all!

5. The Revised Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis (forward by Diane Disney Miller) – This little book is jam-packed full of short stories about Walt Disney, Disney movies, Disney parks and more.  There are even recipes for some of Walt Disney’s favorite foods!  If you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Korkis talk about anything/everything Disney-related, you’ll know how passionate, sincere, and fascinating he can be.  This book gives readers new insight on the man behind the theme parks, movies, TV shows, and characters that we grew up with and have loved all our lives.

Now it’s your turn!  What are your favorite Disney books for travel planning or just plain fun? 

 

Collecting Disney Character Autographs

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Aladdin and Jasmine at Walt Disney WorldFor Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line guests, one of the best, most fun things about meeting Disney characters is getting their autographs!  A great, inexpensive souvenir to treasure forever – what could be better than obtaining the actual signature of your favorite Disney superstar?  Whether you wait in line to meet your favorite character or run into them on the spur of the moment, having that special, face-to-face meeting is one of the most magical experiences of a Disney vacation.

What you need to bring:  Large, easy to hold markers or pens (several colors) and a stable  Disney Character Autographs - Mickeysurface for characters to sign.

A basic, easy to carry and use means of autograph collecting is the autograph book.  Advantages:  Autographs are all in one place, great for showing friends and family the different characters’ signatures, children can easily carry these small books and present a blank page for signing, characters can easily sign (or in some cases, stamp) their names.  Downside is that the signatures are inside a book – viewers have to take the time to see them.

Disney Character Autographs - Aladdin and JasmineAnother alternative, is having characters sign a tee shirt or pillowcase.  This takes a little bit more effort than a book because the fabric must be positioned strategically for each signature and something solid must be placed under the area to be signed to make it as easy as possible for those superstars to make their marks (an empty DVD case works well and is light and easy to carry along).  The pros of obtaining autographs on a tee or pillowcase – you (or your pillow) can wear the final product!  A great way to show off all those unique signatures at one time. Cons are, your autograph collection wears out over time (or is outgrown).

Photo mats are another great place to collect autographs.  Photos of character meet-and-greets can be showcased alongside those characters’ signatures!  I particularly love this option.  Pros:  a fantastic option for all ages, lasts Disney Character Autographs on Photo Matsmany years, displays your pictures and the autographs!  Cons:  Harder to carry around, may be more difficult for certain characters to sign/fit their names within a somewhat narrow area.

Finally, another great idea I recently read about (and one we will be using on our next WDW vacation) is to bring along some Christmas ornaments (I recommend shatterproof!) for characters to autograph.  Now, this probably won’t work with characters who stamp instead of sign their names (like Kermit and Miss Piggy, if I recall correctly), but prince and princess autographs would be beautiful on ornaments.  The ornaments I’ve chosen, are medium-sized, clear plastic and they come in two pieces – trinkets/souvenirs can actually be placed inside before the ornaments are assembled.  This Clear Ornament for Disney Character Autographsallows for some fantastic, creative options.  (These ornaments were less than $2 each at my favorite craft store.)

A couple of examples: if I manage to get Ariel’s autograph, I could put sand and shells inside the ornament.  A Belle ornament could hold little books, a rose, some yellow lace, etc.  Any of the Fab Five’s ornaments could contain actual character figures, Elsa’s could have snowflakes, Winnie the Pooh’s could hold toy honey bees – the possibilities are endless!   I’m planning to carry two each day, tucked securely in a small backpack – I’ll let you know how it goes.  I’m also considering more fancy pen options (rather than our usual colored Sharpie fine-point markers) – like metallic paint pens?  If you’ve tried this or have thoughts to share, please comment away!

You should know:  On a Disney cruise, items needing autographs may be left at guest services – the Characters will sign the shirt, pillowcase, or photo matte, etc. and the final collection of Pillowcase for Disney Character Autographs autographs will be conveniently left in your stateroom when finished.  If you’re planning a Disney cruise, take advantage of this wonderful service!

Other tips for character interactions can be found here.

What are your favorite character autograph gathering methods?  Do you have any tips I haven’t mentioned?

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Vacation Planning – Using a Travel Agent

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IMG_3280Hello Fellow Disney Vacation Fans!  Recently I was talking about our upcoming Disney vacation plans with some coworkers – In my excitement I was passionately describing our ADR’s (Advance Dining Reservations) and how we were going to decide what park(s) to visit each day and what rides would receive our precious allotment of FastPass+ choices.  I was enthusiastically weighing the pros and cons of crowd levels based on Extra Magic Hours….when I noticed my friends’ expressions!  The emotions clearly on their faces ranged from confusion to horror – finally one spoke what they’d all been thinking – How on Earth would anyone vacation at Disney World successfully if they didn’t know what all that “stuff” was and how to use it?

I’m a veteran of many, many Disney vacations…plus I love (madly, passionately) vacation planning, researching, studying, debating; you get the idea.  Not everyone has the desire or the time to devote to squeezing every drop of potential vacation fun into the weeks, months, and yes, even years of planning leading up to a vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth.  This DSCN3118realization prompted me to invite a very special guest contributor to my blog today.

Please welcome my dear friend Rebecca Kelly.  Rebecca is a Disney travel expert – a travel agent with an Earmarked agency, Fairytale Journeys – who is here today to share with you the advantages of booking your Disney vacation through an agent.  Travel agents do not make money directly from their clients – they make money by booking travel.  Their services are absolutely free to their clients – yes that means it costs you nothing extra to use an agent.  It’s in your travel agent’s best interest to book you the best vacation you can have within your vacation budget – they thrive on repeat business and pour their hearts into making sure your vacation dollars and time give you the very best possible return on your investment.  You can find Rebecca on Twitter @rkellyWDW and on Facebook at Fairytale Journeys by Rebecca Kelly (be sure to “Like” her page – she shares great info!).  Rebecca also has a great Disney blog of her own called Disney With Me – You’ll want to check that out, too.

Advice on Using a Disney Travel Expert – by Rebecca Kelly

Prior to becoming a travel agent myself, I booked two smaller trips on my own and two bigger trips with an agent (alternating each). I actually enjoyed it both ways, but there was something really genuinely neat, an extra element of fun, that went into the two trips with the agents… A shared sense of enjoyment, and an added peace of mind.

Booking a trip through a travel agent may not be right for everyone, but if you’ve ever wondered about it, or been curious as to the benefits of using a travel agent, here are a few of the pro-sides – as someone who has been on both sides of the experience. 🙂

1. First of all, travel agents who work with Earmarked agencies specialize in Disney – meaningIMG_2532 that they take an extensive training course from Disney, which they are expected to stay up to date on, and they get frequent emails about new services, changes, events and more. (We even get trained on MyMagic+!) Plus, very often we’re coming from a background of vested interest – most Disney specialists in travel planning are doing it because they LOVE Disney. So we keep up to date with news and things even beyond what Disney officially sends out, because we want to!

2. This training and self-motivated research means that if you’ve got a question, there’s a good chance your travel agent has an answer. And if not, we know where to look. 🙂 So you can go to your TA for questions about pretty much anything related to your trip, instead of having to Google for your answers.

3. A step up from dealing directly with Disney when you have questions or needs is that you’ve got one person you’re working with the whole time. Your travel agent knows your background, your needs, and what’s most important to you – so you won’t be answering the “And are you going to be celebrating anything on this visit?” question every time you call or email. You can develop a good rapport with agents too – I’ve become good friends with quite a lot of my clients!

4. A good way to think of your travel agent service is as “concierge service without paying for the concierge upgrade.” If you need something done last-minute, we’ve got you.  We’ll wait on hold while you drink Diet Coke and eat peanuts in the lounge, as one friend of mine put it. 🙂  We can call the resort directly with a last-minute request while you’re flying in, or extend a reservation by a day, or whatever needs doing. All of this is free, because travel agents work on commission. There’s no markup, no fees to the client.

5. In the same vein, when you use a TA, you don’t have to worry that a better rate has comeMM+ADRs out for your trip – your travel agent keeps track of that.  Once promos are announced, we figure out what option will save you the most money and jump on it. This means you can book as soon as you’ve got the deposit ready and you know your dates – you don’t have to wait for a promotion to come out in order to be able to apply it later.

6. Your travel agent can put together the entire trip for you. Are you going someplace other than Disney? You don’t have to make multiple phone calls to get it all lined up; unlike when you work directly with the destination you’re visiting, a TA can book multiple destinations and get the whole thing lined up. Rental car, shuttle pick-up, tours, off-site hotels, dining reservations, your travel agent can put all those things together.  We can even recommend best parks for a particular day, book FastPass+, or make up a customized itinerary for you!

7. But we don’t have to. Anything that you love doing, you still get to do! If making dining reservations is your thing, but you want someone to just line up all your hotel and car reservations, not a problem. The only thing a travel agent HAS to do is be the one to put the booking through and make the subsequent payments. The TA will also be the one to call in any changes to the booking.

IMG_25318. MyMagic+ and the MyDisneyExperience.com site make it a lot easier for you and your travel agent to keep track of your planning. Once your reservation is linked in the system, you can make your own ADRs online – or your TA can. You can schedule your FastPass+ selections – or your TA can.  These are things that you have complete access to at all times, plus an informational backup (in the form of your agent) to rely on if it gets too confusing.

9. An additional little bonus about booking with a Disney specialist is that you are usually booking with a Disney fan.  This means that you’ve got someone to bounce ideas and comparisons off of, and also just someone else to get excited with over the little details of your trip! Sometimes it’s just fun to share that excitement of your upcoming trip, or the things you’ve booked, with someone else in the moment.

10. Finally, it may not seem important to you, but I can promise you it is to us: remember that with every booking, you’re helping out a Disney fan do one of their favourite things. If I can’t be planning my trips every single day, helping you plan yours is the next best thing!

 

Walt Disney World’s Monorail – Five Great Things

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IMG_1008Stated simply, I love the monorail.  I’m pretty sure it’s a family thing, too, since we ALL love the monorail, and the resorts, restaurants, and shops on the monorail loop!  We have stayed at all three resorts on the loop (The Contemporary, The Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian) and became DVC members at the earliest possible time once Bay Lake Tower was complete.  Yes, we can walk to the Magic Kingdom from our DVC “home”, but let’s be honest – it’s the MONORAIL that drew us in.

If you’ve ridden the monorail EVER, then I’m sure you love it too!  I’m sharing today the FIVE things I love most about this most unique, special, fantastic, dare I say magical mode of transportation in the whole wide World!  Please don’t hesitate to comment with what YOU love most about Disney’s “Highway in the sky”.

1.  The VOICE – and I’m not as picky as some.  I do love the late Jack Wagner’s “Please Stand Clear of IMG_1007the Doors. Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas.” – the original voice of the monorail system and still the voice that says that particular line.   I’ve loved ALL the voices!  Joe Hursh, voice of the monorail from 2004 to 2012 is probably the one I like the best – because I have incredibly happy vacation memories from those years!  In 2012, voice actor Tom Kane (Star Wars, The Clone Wars) took over…taking a bunch of flack from die-hard monorail fans for being too bland in his delivery.  The first time Joseph looked me in the eye (around age 9) and deadpan, perfectly lip-synced “Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas” was one of the most memorable, happiest moments of my life as a parent!

2. The SMELL – call me weird, but the monorail has a unique smell and I love it!  Maybe it’s the air IMG_1264conditioner – for sure, on a hot day, the monorail is a cool and relaxing oasis – nearly a destination on its own – the fact that it takes you places while you’re listening to #1 and riding in cool, shaded comfort is just a great bonus!

3. The WRAPS – if you missed “Tronorail” or “Avengerail” I’m so sorry!  The outside of the monorail occasionally gets a totally fabulous new groove.  There have also been wraps for Iron Man 3 and Monsters University.  Inside and out, the monorail often adopts an alter-ego based on Disney’s latest cinematographic endeavors.  It’s just the coolest thing EVER.  Anybody IMG_5265remember when Stich was inside the monorail with you?  Ah, good times.

4.  The EATS – No, the monorail hasn’t started serving snacks, but it can take you to some of the very best, most exciting (and delicious) restaurants on Disney property.  Take ‘Ohana for example – this resort-loop favorite has been, for a long time, one of the hardest places to get into for a meal.  Or, how about Chef Mickey’s?  I’ve waxed poetic a time or two about the wonders of eating with the Fab Five.  Soon, I’m going to post another “Unfair and Unbalanced” review of the resort loop eateries, so stand by for more on that topic.

5.  The CONVENIENCE – even if you are not staying at a resort hotel on the monorail loop, you DSCN0958can’t beat the ease of jumping on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom, making a quick switch at the TCC (Ticket and Transportation Center) and…presto!  Arriving at Epcot!  If you haven’t had the pleasure of riding the monorail into the station at Epcot, you’ve been missing out!  Also, if you ever want to see some truly exceptional Christmas decorations – jump on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom, hop off at each resort for a look-see, and end up back at the Magic Kingdom.  Grownups can do the very same thing for happy hour – hop off at each resort for a snack and a beverage!

One time, six of us were anxiously awaiting the monorail to whisk us off to our ADR at ‘Ohana and we could see it in the distance (Magic Kingdom station) – inching, literally, barely moving forward.  As our ride drew slowly closer we could see what the problem was…not a mechanical DSCN2472malfunction as we would have expected, but a squirrel on the rail!  And that squirrel was running for his life – straight towards all the spectators on the platform now watching the drama unfold with rapt attention.  Surely, that squirrel would jump off the track and head for safer ground….but NO!  He kept on running towards us – the HUGE crowd waiting for a ride – and holding our collective breath in anticipation of what fate the squirrel might face.  As it ran ever closer, the poor thing began stopping every few feet to rest – and we all just quietly looked on!  The air fairly crackling with anticipation.  Finally, AT THE STATION – the poor squirrel leaped for safety and the crowd sighed in relief before, as one, everyone began to cheer!  With that uproar, the monorail came to a stop and shortly, we were off – to enjoy our evening.

Now, it’s your turn!  What do YOU love most about the Walt Disney World monorail system?