Disney Cruise Line offers the top standard for family vacations and entertainment. This is an excellent vacation both for families traveling alone with friends or for a big group family or college/High school reunion. Adults can spend time alone relaxing in the adult only area and enjoying the spa while children play in the children's area learning to animate and participating in science experiments. Teens and tweens have their separate spaces on the ship to relax and mingle in supervised settings. Families can watch a Broadway show together and dine together or separately afterwards. There are night clubs for dancing and family lounges for Disney trivia and bingo. Watch a movie together in the family pool, take part in a shore excursion. this vacation has it all! Now you have more access than before with new ports of call around the country from New York City, Galveston, Texas, LA, Seattle and Florida. Contact me for quotes amandag@mei-travel.com. You can learn about the exciting new Cruise opportunities below.
New York Sailings
Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York.
8-night Bahamian cruises include a day at Disney’s Castaway Cay and a stop at Port Canaveral, gateway to the Walt Disney World® Resort. As part of this itinerary, your Client will receive a one-day Park Hopper® Ticket and roundtrip transportation between the ship and resort.
5-night Canadian/New England cruises will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick.
2-night cruises are perfect for Clients looking for a quick getaway at sea over a weekend.
Seattle Sailings
Beginning May 28, 2012, the Disney Wonder® will sail a total of 14 cruises to Alaska from the Port of
Seattle, Wash.
7-night Alaskan cruises will call on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan plus Victoria, British Columbia.
Galveston Sailings
Beginning Sept. 22, 2012, the Disney Magic will sail 12 cruises from the Port of Galveston, Texas.
7-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, as well as Grand Cayman.
Los Angeles Sailings
In addition to 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises, the Disney Wonder will set sail on Disney’s first-ever voyage to Hawai‘i on April 29, 2012.
15-night Hawaiian cruise departs from the Port of Los Angeles and includes stops at Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai and Ensenada, Mexico.
7-night Pacific Coast cruises will call on San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.
The Disney Dream™ will continue to sail 3-, 4- and 5-night Bahamian cruises. The new Disney Fantasy™ will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, beginning with the maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. Sail dates for both ships are now available through December 2012.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Magic on Main Street
In January, my whole family participated in Disney's Marathon weekend in Walt disney World. I am on Team All Ears a running team affiliated with the wonderful Disney informational website http://www.allearsnet.com/. We run with purpose raising money for the Avon Foundation for Breast Cancer and in two years we have raised $75,000.
My husband ran the 5k and tore his meniscus and was consequently on crutches cheering me on with the 4 kids. I ran the 1/2 marathon and was sore and tired after finishing on Saturday around 9:30am. We decided to head to the Magic Kingdom after the races and realized after getting off the monorail from the Polynesian that we were both dragging and sore. With 4 young excited kids, and no help, this can be cause for some concern in the Magic Kingdom on a beautiful and sunny day.
However, what I discovered that day was how much there is to do in the circle at beginning of Main Street USA. This is an area where most people enter the park and rush through to do the fast walking sprint down Main Street up to the castle and into one of the lands for the attractions. However, as we discovered that day, there are many different types of activities to keep a family busy before you even get a glimpse of the castle.
We started with lunch at Tony's Town Square restaurant located on the right hand side after you enter the park right next to the Town Square Exposition Hall. We were seated against the window and had a fantastic view of all of the guests coming into the parks. We also watched the characters meeting and greeting guests and we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing lunch. After lunch, we decided to go next door to the Chapeau' an adorable hat shop that connects with a sweets shop. The kids had gotten new Mickey Ears the day before from the Marathon Kid's Fest and we wanted to have their names embroidered on them They can have their names embroidered on ears here for a small fee. We dropped off the ears and browsed in the candy shop. They each selected an oversized colorful lollipop that they would never be allowed to eat at home. Hey, that is what Disney is all about though, the magic! A place where parents lose all sense of reason and let you eat lollipops bigger than your child's face!
With giant lollipops in hand, we decided to walk acrosss the circle to the fire station where a crowd was gathering. The firefighter had come out of his fire house and was chatting with guests and showing off his axe, his engine and answering all sorts of questions. He enteretained our kids and many others for about 30 minutes with tales and tours. We then noticed the Harmony Barbershop next door to the fire station. I popped my head in to ask how long the wait was for a haircut and they told us to come right in.
The Barbershop is small and charming. They offer a package for a child's first haircut complete with a certificate and Mickey ears and also offer haircuts for children of all ages. My son decided to get a haircut and was delighted when at the end, he was asked to select a colored gel to spike his hair with and then had his blue hair sprinkled with pixie dust. Upon seeing this, my two oldest girls decided they must have this done as well. The girls had their hair put into a ponytail and we watched as their hair was turned pink with pixie dust! This was a surprising and delightful treat, as we had only had this done before at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We were lucky to walk in, but they do also take advance reservations.
With fancy hair and sticky hands we left the barbershop at about 2:30pm and found a perfect viewing spot for the 3pm parade in front of the Christmas Tree with a fantastic view of the Castle. Cast Members came over to the kids handing out Toy Story Memory games to take home and then got the children up to plan with chalk, bubbles and hula hoops before the parade started. The parade was entertaining and exciting as it always is and the kids were delighted as several characters gave them high fives as they were passing by.
After the parade, we picked up our embroidered ears and headed back to our hotel for a relaxing pool break and dinner and capped off the evening by watching Wishes from the Polynesian Beach.
We spent an incredible afternoon in the Magic Kingdom without ever walking down Main Street or riding any rides. There is an abundance of magical and unique things to do in the Magic Kingdom. So, if you are sore after a race and don't have the energy to walk far, you can be assured that you can still enjoy a magical afternoon in the Magic Kingdom. Next time you are tempted to make that initial sprint down Main Street, stop and look around at the magic you may be missing!
My husband ran the 5k and tore his meniscus and was consequently on crutches cheering me on with the 4 kids. I ran the 1/2 marathon and was sore and tired after finishing on Saturday around 9:30am. We decided to head to the Magic Kingdom after the races and realized after getting off the monorail from the Polynesian that we were both dragging and sore. With 4 young excited kids, and no help, this can be cause for some concern in the Magic Kingdom on a beautiful and sunny day.
However, what I discovered that day was how much there is to do in the circle at beginning of Main Street USA. This is an area where most people enter the park and rush through to do the fast walking sprint down Main Street up to the castle and into one of the lands for the attractions. However, as we discovered that day, there are many different types of activities to keep a family busy before you even get a glimpse of the castle.
We started with lunch at Tony's Town Square restaurant located on the right hand side after you enter the park right next to the Town Square Exposition Hall. We were seated against the window and had a fantastic view of all of the guests coming into the parks. We also watched the characters meeting and greeting guests and we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing lunch. After lunch, we decided to go next door to the Chapeau' an adorable hat shop that connects with a sweets shop. The kids had gotten new Mickey Ears the day before from the Marathon Kid's Fest and we wanted to have their names embroidered on them They can have their names embroidered on ears here for a small fee. We dropped off the ears and browsed in the candy shop. They each selected an oversized colorful lollipop that they would never be allowed to eat at home. Hey, that is what Disney is all about though, the magic! A place where parents lose all sense of reason and let you eat lollipops bigger than your child's face!
With giant lollipops in hand, we decided to walk acrosss the circle to the fire station where a crowd was gathering. The firefighter had come out of his fire house and was chatting with guests and showing off his axe, his engine and answering all sorts of questions. He enteretained our kids and many others for about 30 minutes with tales and tours. We then noticed the Harmony Barbershop next door to the fire station. I popped my head in to ask how long the wait was for a haircut and they told us to come right in.
The Barbershop is small and charming. They offer a package for a child's first haircut complete with a certificate and Mickey ears and also offer haircuts for children of all ages. My son decided to get a haircut and was delighted when at the end, he was asked to select a colored gel to spike his hair with and then had his blue hair sprinkled with pixie dust. Upon seeing this, my two oldest girls decided they must have this done as well. The girls had their hair put into a ponytail and we watched as their hair was turned pink with pixie dust! This was a surprising and delightful treat, as we had only had this done before at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We were lucky to walk in, but they do also take advance reservations.
With fancy hair and sticky hands we left the barbershop at about 2:30pm and found a perfect viewing spot for the 3pm parade in front of the Christmas Tree with a fantastic view of the Castle. Cast Members came over to the kids handing out Toy Story Memory games to take home and then got the children up to plan with chalk, bubbles and hula hoops before the parade started. The parade was entertaining and exciting as it always is and the kids were delighted as several characters gave them high fives as they were passing by.
After the parade, we picked up our embroidered ears and headed back to our hotel for a relaxing pool break and dinner and capped off the evening by watching Wishes from the Polynesian Beach.
We spent an incredible afternoon in the Magic Kingdom without ever walking down Main Street or riding any rides. There is an abundance of magical and unique things to do in the Magic Kingdom. So, if you are sore after a race and don't have the energy to walk far, you can be assured that you can still enjoy a magical afternoon in the Magic Kingdom. Next time you are tempted to make that initial sprint down Main Street, stop and look around at the magic you may be missing!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Duffy the Bear Invasion!!
I was researching the food and wine festival in October, smelling the intoxicating scents of garlic and lamb and listening to the beautiful orchestra of World Showcase music when something felt strange.
I had entered Epcot through the International Gateway and walked past the gift shop on the left after you move through the turnstiles and in my rush to get to Spain for the cheese and meat plate; I did not process what I had seen in the window of the shop until I had finished sampling the ham and cheese spetzle in Germany.
Where was Mickey and who is this Bear that is EVERYWHERE????? Instead of seeing Mickey piled up neatly on a cart, I saw Duffy the Bears piled up, not one Mickey in site. Suddenly, it registered that I had seen Duffy and not Mickey in all the windows in the store as well in the International gateway.
Duffy is an adorable and cuddly classic style Brown teddy bear. He has a cream colored hidden Mickey as the shape of his face. He has a cute black nose and inviting brown eyes. Perhaps his most endearing quality is that he has several hidden mickey's on his body. The large one in his face, a brown one on his bottom left side above his pom pom tail and a mickey on each cream colored paw. His fur is soft and he is made for snuggling. He comes in his bare bear birthday suit, but you do have the option of buying him clothes to wear. They feature a sailor outfit for him complete with a sailing cap. This reminded me of the chain Build a Bear and I can only imagine that a larger variety of Duffy outfits from each country he has visited with Mickey are in production right now waiting for release.
Attached to Duffy is a small book label that tell the story of Duffy. "One Day Mickey was getting ready to set sail on a long sea voyage. Minnie Made Mickey a special teddy bear to take with him so he would never be lonely. Mickey loved the bear and named him Duffy. Mickey and Duffy sailed around the world. They visited all sorts of exciting places and made lots friends along the way. Mickey and Duffy took pictures with their new pals and made memories that would last a lifetime. at the end of their voyage, Mickey and Duffy sailed back home to share all their magical journeys with Minnie."
Side Note: The travel agent in me sees this story as a fantastic plug for Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World Parks around the World.
After sampling delicious sesame noodles with shrimp in China, I walked to the Kid Cot stop. I had promised Hook, Tink, Cinder and Beast I would bring them home masks to color with a few charms.
Wait, What did I see? No more masks! No more charms! They have been replaced by a Duffy on a stick. I asked the cast member if the masks were coming back and he told me no, Duffy had replaced the masks and charms about a week ago. I am disappointed about this change, I loved the masks and the creativity they sparked. The Duffy on a stick while cute, is essentially a coloring page on a stick rather than a blank canvas. I will miss the masks.
Duffy the bear is greeting guests in a new meet and greet area located between the Mexico Pavilion and the entrance to the walkway to Future World. There was a long line backed up behind him. Duffy is going to be a popular addition to the Disney family.
Disney marketing genius is of course in action, after greeting Duffy you can not only color a Duffy on a stick, but find hundreds of Duffy's spread all throughout Epcot ready to purchase, dress and cuddle.
The Duffy Bear Invasion Phase One is complete, I am guessing Phase two will include many more outfits and a Duffette to keep Duffy company. We shall see.
Do we have a Duffy? Of course we do! He is sitting next to me and he approves this message!
I had entered Epcot through the International Gateway and walked past the gift shop on the left after you move through the turnstiles and in my rush to get to Spain for the cheese and meat plate; I did not process what I had seen in the window of the shop until I had finished sampling the ham and cheese spetzle in Germany.
Where was Mickey and who is this Bear that is EVERYWHERE????? Instead of seeing Mickey piled up neatly on a cart, I saw Duffy the Bears piled up, not one Mickey in site. Suddenly, it registered that I had seen Duffy and not Mickey in all the windows in the store as well in the International gateway.
Duffy is an adorable and cuddly classic style Brown teddy bear. He has a cream colored hidden Mickey as the shape of his face. He has a cute black nose and inviting brown eyes. Perhaps his most endearing quality is that he has several hidden mickey's on his body. The large one in his face, a brown one on his bottom left side above his pom pom tail and a mickey on each cream colored paw. His fur is soft and he is made for snuggling. He comes in his bare bear birthday suit, but you do have the option of buying him clothes to wear. They feature a sailor outfit for him complete with a sailing cap. This reminded me of the chain Build a Bear and I can only imagine that a larger variety of Duffy outfits from each country he has visited with Mickey are in production right now waiting for release.
Attached to Duffy is a small book label that tell the story of Duffy. "One Day Mickey was getting ready to set sail on a long sea voyage. Minnie Made Mickey a special teddy bear to take with him so he would never be lonely. Mickey loved the bear and named him Duffy. Mickey and Duffy sailed around the world. They visited all sorts of exciting places and made lots friends along the way. Mickey and Duffy took pictures with their new pals and made memories that would last a lifetime. at the end of their voyage, Mickey and Duffy sailed back home to share all their magical journeys with Minnie."
Side Note: The travel agent in me sees this story as a fantastic plug for Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World Parks around the World.
After sampling delicious sesame noodles with shrimp in China, I walked to the Kid Cot stop. I had promised Hook, Tink, Cinder and Beast I would bring them home masks to color with a few charms.
Wait, What did I see? No more masks! No more charms! They have been replaced by a Duffy on a stick. I asked the cast member if the masks were coming back and he told me no, Duffy had replaced the masks and charms about a week ago. I am disappointed about this change, I loved the masks and the creativity they sparked. The Duffy on a stick while cute, is essentially a coloring page on a stick rather than a blank canvas. I will miss the masks.
Duffy the bear is greeting guests in a new meet and greet area located between the Mexico Pavilion and the entrance to the walkway to Future World. There was a long line backed up behind him. Duffy is going to be a popular addition to the Disney family.
Disney marketing genius is of course in action, after greeting Duffy you can not only color a Duffy on a stick, but find hundreds of Duffy's spread all throughout Epcot ready to purchase, dress and cuddle.
The Duffy Bear Invasion Phase One is complete, I am guessing Phase two will include many more outfits and a Duffette to keep Duffy company. We shall see.
Do we have a Duffy? Of course we do! He is sitting next to me and he approves this message!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
To Surprise or not to Surprise that is the Question
I love working with all of the amazing families whom I plan Disney vacations with . The excitement is palpable with every meeting. However, no parent really understands how important and how huge the words that are delivered to their children and the emotional impact they carry. Those 6 words: We are going to Disney World!!!
Thus the main question other than what is the right age to take them, is how do we tell them? Should it be a surprise? Should we tell them right away? What do we do?
Personally, for a first time visit, I think the surprise is the way to go. This does not mean the preparation, what my husband refers to as the brainwashing does not happen, it just happens in a silent way. For the two months prior to the trip you watch a new Disney movie once a week, you pick out Disney books from the library and read the stories. You play Ariel or Toy Story games at play time. You might watch some of the behind the scenes documentaries or talk about hidden mickeys and pin trading. All in the thought that you are just exploring Disney because some day when you are older we will take a trip, wink, wink.
Then you scoop them out of bed sleeping and tell them on the airplane that they are going to Disney. I sob just thinking about it!
If you are doing a trip for the second, third, fourth or fifth OK, I am back out of my dream, or if you have multiple age children traveling and want to tell them, there are excellent strategies for corralling their excitement.
You can tell them a month in advance and create a blank month calendar. Each day have the kids each put a Disney sticker on the day to count down. Have a couple of days designated as read a new Disney book day and a day a week designated as watch a new Disney movie night. You can also assign chores and if the children complete the chores they can earn a Disney dollar to use toward a souvenir in Walt Disney World.
Another idea is to create a chain link with a different Disney Trivia question on it, everyday the kids can take a link off the chain and answer the trivia question. This is a fun way to countdown to the excitement and an excellent math activity as well, if the kids ask how many days, you can tell them to go count the links left and that is their answer.
It is a personal decision how and when to tell them, but the end result is always the same an amazing vacation filled with magic and wonder and beautiful family memories that will last a lifetime.
Thus the main question other than what is the right age to take them, is how do we tell them? Should it be a surprise? Should we tell them right away? What do we do?
Personally, for a first time visit, I think the surprise is the way to go. This does not mean the preparation, what my husband refers to as the brainwashing does not happen, it just happens in a silent way. For the two months prior to the trip you watch a new Disney movie once a week, you pick out Disney books from the library and read the stories. You play Ariel or Toy Story games at play time. You might watch some of the behind the scenes documentaries or talk about hidden mickeys and pin trading. All in the thought that you are just exploring Disney because some day when you are older we will take a trip, wink, wink.
Then you scoop them out of bed sleeping and tell them on the airplane that they are going to Disney. I sob just thinking about it!
If you are doing a trip for the second, third, fourth or fifth OK, I am back out of my dream, or if you have multiple age children traveling and want to tell them, there are excellent strategies for corralling their excitement.
You can tell them a month in advance and create a blank month calendar. Each day have the kids each put a Disney sticker on the day to count down. Have a couple of days designated as read a new Disney book day and a day a week designated as watch a new Disney movie night. You can also assign chores and if the children complete the chores they can earn a Disney dollar to use toward a souvenir in Walt Disney World.
Another idea is to create a chain link with a different Disney Trivia question on it, everyday the kids can take a link off the chain and answer the trivia question. This is a fun way to countdown to the excitement and an excellent math activity as well, if the kids ask how many days, you can tell them to go count the links left and that is their answer.
It is a personal decision how and when to tell them, but the end result is always the same an amazing vacation filled with magic and wonder and beautiful family memories that will last a lifetime.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Why do I need a travel agent???
In this day of the internet, facebook, expedia, and orbitz many people have fallen into the realm of the travel world where they feel that they can and should book their family vacation all by themselves. They can on any of these sites so why should you use a travel agent?
The answer to this question is simple. We make your lives easier! We take away the stress! We do all the work and at no cost to you. We also save you money!
It costs you nothing extra to book your vacation with a travel agent, in fact it saves you time and money! It provides consistency.
If you book a Disney Vacation with the Disney Travel Company, every time you call you are working with a different agent. They do not know you or your family or your preferences. They are not invested in you emotionally. They do not care about your details. If you book with a travel agent, you work with the same person throughout the process. I know mommy mouse will be available to you throughout your vacation and before to call, text and email with any and all questions. Or, just to share experiences!
Disney, Beaches, Club Med, Universal are always releasing new promotions, if you book with a travel agent, we are constantly monitoring promotions and reservations. If a promotion comes out that can lower your price, we will find it apply it and call you with the good news. If you book trough the venfor directly, they will not do this!! If you call them with a question, they will not offer you the better deal! Booking with a specific travel agent saves you time and money!
DO NOT EVER BOOK A DISNEY TRIP THROUGH EXPEDIA! They do not have access to promotions and if you have a problem you are speaking with a random person in India. Why would anyone ever do this?
It does not cost you anything to extra to book with a travel agent, but it can save you $$$ and provides you with superior service.
The answer to this question is simple. We make your lives easier! We take away the stress! We do all the work and at no cost to you. We also save you money!
It costs you nothing extra to book your vacation with a travel agent, in fact it saves you time and money! It provides consistency.
If you book a Disney Vacation with the Disney Travel Company, every time you call you are working with a different agent. They do not know you or your family or your preferences. They are not invested in you emotionally. They do not care about your details. If you book with a travel agent, you work with the same person throughout the process. I know mommy mouse will be available to you throughout your vacation and before to call, text and email with any and all questions. Or, just to share experiences!
Disney, Beaches, Club Med, Universal are always releasing new promotions, if you book with a travel agent, we are constantly monitoring promotions and reservations. If a promotion comes out that can lower your price, we will find it apply it and call you with the good news. If you book trough the venfor directly, they will not do this!! If you call them with a question, they will not offer you the better deal! Booking with a specific travel agent saves you time and money!
DO NOT EVER BOOK A DISNEY TRIP THROUGH EXPEDIA! They do not have access to promotions and if you have a problem you are speaking with a random person in India. Why would anyone ever do this?
It does not cost you anything to extra to book with a travel agent, but it can save you $$$ and provides you with superior service.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Inside or out Part 2: Two families a comparision in experiences day 1
Meet Family Mickey, mom and dad and their three kids ages 6, 4 and 2 on their first trip to Disney. They chose to stay inside Walt Disney World at the Moderate Resort Port Orleans Riverside. They purchased a package from their trusty travel agent mommymouseplans aka amandag@mei-travel.com. They are staying for 7 nights and have purchased a 7 day park hopper ticket with the basic dining plan.
Meet family Minnie, mom and dad and their three kids ages 6, 4 and 2 on their first trip to Disney. They chose to rent a 2 bedroom condo advertised as being 3 miles from Disney, rent a car, and plan to purchase a 7 day base ticket. They did no planning, made no dining reservations, figured they could wing it.
Day 1 Travel Day
Family Mickey
Pack their bags being careful to secure their yellow luggage tags to their checked luggage. They check their luggage at the airport and board their plane to Orlando. When they arrive they head downstairs to the Disney's Magical Express bus bypassing baggage claim and get their tickets scanned and walk to their Magical Express Resort line. Withing 10 minutes, friendly cast members with big white Mickey gloves escort them onto a comfortable air conditioned coach. within minutes they are headed to their resort and watching a movie about all of the exciting adventures that await them.
Family Minnie
Pack their bags and head off to the airport, lugging booster and car seats in addition to their luggage. They end up having to pay extra at the airport check in because of the extra car seats and pack and play that they have brought for the 2 year old. They board their plane and land in Orlando and head to the baggage claim where they wait 30 minutes for their luggage to arrive, then they rent a luggage cart and juggle the three kids and the luggage cart and start searching for the right car rental desk. After waiting in line for another 30 minutes, they get their rental car papers in order and go wait for the shuttle to take them to their rental car. 30 minutes later they get to their rental car after loading all of their baggage onto and off the shuttle they now load their luggage again into their rental car and start installing the car seat. Finally, they are heading out of the airport with a map to find their rented condo.
Family Mickey
Within 90 minutes of exiting the plane, they arrive at Port Orleans Riverside, mom heads to check in while the kids relax in comfy seats in front of Disney cartoons while coloring on their coloring pages. Mom gets her room assignment and is handed resort maps, park maps, park hours including extra magic hours and the Key to the World Cards which have their room keys, meal plan, park tickets and charging privileges all on one card. After checking in they head to the resorts counter service restaurant to grab some lunch and don't have to pay since it is pre-paid on their dining plan. After eating, they get to their room and Dad decides to go for a quick swim with the older two while the 2 year old naps in the pack and play that had been waiting in the room for them with clean Mickey sheets.
Family Minnie
Gets lost on the freeway after taking the wrong turn and starts heading to Tampa, after a 30 minutes lost from a detour, they finally make it to the condo office 3 hours after landing. They unload their luggage once again from the rental car and drop it in the condo and then head out to find a restaurant and a supermarket to shop for food for the week. The kids are thrilled to be in a Floridian supermarket rather than swimming in a pool and start nagging when are we going to Disney when are we going to Disney?
Just to recap money spent by Family Mickey at this point 0
Just to recap money spent by Family Minnie at this point $$ extra baggage check in, $ luggage cart at airport, $$$ rental car, $$lunch at a restaurant, $$$$ groceries for the week.
Fun had by Family Mickey at this point, watching a fun movie on motor coach, coloring and watching cartoons and swimming in pool.
Fun had by Family Minnie at this point, waiting in line and grocery shopping.
Family Mickey
After a swim and the toddlers nap, it is time to head to the park. They catch a bus to the Magic Kingdom and in 18 minutes are walking through the gate just in time to catch the 3pm Parade. They use a snack credit from their dining plan to grab a Popsicle to eat during the parade. After the parade, they start riding the rides. they make it to their character dinner just in time for their reservation at 6pm and use their table service credit from the dining plan for their dinner. They catch the Spectro Magic Parade after dinner on Main Street and then the fireworks show Wishes and then exit the park walking 5 minutes to catch their bus back to their resort. Within 20 minutes of exiting the Magic Kingdom, they are in their room and heading to bed, exhausted, but excited for the next days adventures.
Family Minnie
After unloading groceries, they deiced to pack up the kids and the car and head to the Magic Kingdom. It is only 3 miles away! After driving for 35 minutes, they reach the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom, park and wait for the tram, they they board the tram and then they wait for the monorail, then they wait to go purchase their tickets deciding not to spend the extra money on the hopper. Finally just as the Spectro Magic parade is just ending, they are entering the Magic Kingdom. They decide to pick a restaurant to try and walk up to get seating at the Castle for a character meal. They are asked for a reservation when they tell them they do not have one, they explain that they can check at guest services for any openings. Confused, they walk to guest services where after waiting in line, they are told that all restaurants in the Magic Kingdom are sold out because people usually make dining reservations 90 to 180 days in advance. They get frustrated and end up eating over priced hot dogs and pay $55 dollars for a counter service dinner. They catch the fireworks show and begin the long trek back to the condo. They wait in line for the monorail back to the transportation and ticket center. Then they wait in line for the tram back to their car. They walk to their car from the tram, load into the cars and wait in traffic to exit the parking lot. They drive the 35 minute ride back to the condo unloading exhausted kids and finally head to bed. Mom and dad actually fall asleep in the same room as the kids after being exhausted from such a busy day.
Money spent by Family Mickey 0. Didn't they have to pay for their gratuity from their dinner? No, after they had booked their package, their travel agent who had monitoring their reservations for any promotions found a free $500 gift card offer by Disney and being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner was able to apply it to their reservation. At check in Family Mickey was given a free $500 gift card by Disney to use for expenses while on vacation.
Money Spent by Family Minnie $$$$ Money for parking the car, money for dinner, money for Popsicles after dinner during fireworks.
Hmmm which family vacation would you rahter be experiencing? Stay tuned for Day 2 coming soon.
Meet family Minnie, mom and dad and their three kids ages 6, 4 and 2 on their first trip to Disney. They chose to rent a 2 bedroom condo advertised as being 3 miles from Disney, rent a car, and plan to purchase a 7 day base ticket. They did no planning, made no dining reservations, figured they could wing it.
Day 1 Travel Day
Family Mickey
Pack their bags being careful to secure their yellow luggage tags to their checked luggage. They check their luggage at the airport and board their plane to Orlando. When they arrive they head downstairs to the Disney's Magical Express bus bypassing baggage claim and get their tickets scanned and walk to their Magical Express Resort line. Withing 10 minutes, friendly cast members with big white Mickey gloves escort them onto a comfortable air conditioned coach. within minutes they are headed to their resort and watching a movie about all of the exciting adventures that await them.
Family Minnie
Pack their bags and head off to the airport, lugging booster and car seats in addition to their luggage. They end up having to pay extra at the airport check in because of the extra car seats and pack and play that they have brought for the 2 year old. They board their plane and land in Orlando and head to the baggage claim where they wait 30 minutes for their luggage to arrive, then they rent a luggage cart and juggle the three kids and the luggage cart and start searching for the right car rental desk. After waiting in line for another 30 minutes, they get their rental car papers in order and go wait for the shuttle to take them to their rental car. 30 minutes later they get to their rental car after loading all of their baggage onto and off the shuttle they now load their luggage again into their rental car and start installing the car seat. Finally, they are heading out of the airport with a map to find their rented condo.
Family Mickey
Within 90 minutes of exiting the plane, they arrive at Port Orleans Riverside, mom heads to check in while the kids relax in comfy seats in front of Disney cartoons while coloring on their coloring pages. Mom gets her room assignment and is handed resort maps, park maps, park hours including extra magic hours and the Key to the World Cards which have their room keys, meal plan, park tickets and charging privileges all on one card. After checking in they head to the resorts counter service restaurant to grab some lunch and don't have to pay since it is pre-paid on their dining plan. After eating, they get to their room and Dad decides to go for a quick swim with the older two while the 2 year old naps in the pack and play that had been waiting in the room for them with clean Mickey sheets.
Family Minnie
Gets lost on the freeway after taking the wrong turn and starts heading to Tampa, after a 30 minutes lost from a detour, they finally make it to the condo office 3 hours after landing. They unload their luggage once again from the rental car and drop it in the condo and then head out to find a restaurant and a supermarket to shop for food for the week. The kids are thrilled to be in a Floridian supermarket rather than swimming in a pool and start nagging when are we going to Disney when are we going to Disney?
Just to recap money spent by Family Mickey at this point 0
Just to recap money spent by Family Minnie at this point $$ extra baggage check in, $ luggage cart at airport, $$$ rental car, $$lunch at a restaurant, $$$$ groceries for the week.
Fun had by Family Mickey at this point, watching a fun movie on motor coach, coloring and watching cartoons and swimming in pool.
Fun had by Family Minnie at this point, waiting in line and grocery shopping.
Family Mickey
After a swim and the toddlers nap, it is time to head to the park. They catch a bus to the Magic Kingdom and in 18 minutes are walking through the gate just in time to catch the 3pm Parade. They use a snack credit from their dining plan to grab a Popsicle to eat during the parade. After the parade, they start riding the rides. they make it to their character dinner just in time for their reservation at 6pm and use their table service credit from the dining plan for their dinner. They catch the Spectro Magic Parade after dinner on Main Street and then the fireworks show Wishes and then exit the park walking 5 minutes to catch their bus back to their resort. Within 20 minutes of exiting the Magic Kingdom, they are in their room and heading to bed, exhausted, but excited for the next days adventures.
Family Minnie
After unloading groceries, they deiced to pack up the kids and the car and head to the Magic Kingdom. It is only 3 miles away! After driving for 35 minutes, they reach the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom, park and wait for the tram, they they board the tram and then they wait for the monorail, then they wait to go purchase their tickets deciding not to spend the extra money on the hopper. Finally just as the Spectro Magic parade is just ending, they are entering the Magic Kingdom. They decide to pick a restaurant to try and walk up to get seating at the Castle for a character meal. They are asked for a reservation when they tell them they do not have one, they explain that they can check at guest services for any openings. Confused, they walk to guest services where after waiting in line, they are told that all restaurants in the Magic Kingdom are sold out because people usually make dining reservations 90 to 180 days in advance. They get frustrated and end up eating over priced hot dogs and pay $55 dollars for a counter service dinner. They catch the fireworks show and begin the long trek back to the condo. They wait in line for the monorail back to the transportation and ticket center. Then they wait in line for the tram back to their car. They walk to their car from the tram, load into the cars and wait in traffic to exit the parking lot. They drive the 35 minute ride back to the condo unloading exhausted kids and finally head to bed. Mom and dad actually fall asleep in the same room as the kids after being exhausted from such a busy day.
Money spent by Family Mickey 0. Didn't they have to pay for their gratuity from their dinner? No, after they had booked their package, their travel agent who had monitoring their reservations for any promotions found a free $500 gift card offer by Disney and being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner was able to apply it to their reservation. At check in Family Mickey was given a free $500 gift card by Disney to use for expenses while on vacation.
Money Spent by Family Minnie $$$$ Money for parking the car, money for dinner, money for Popsicles after dinner during fireworks.
Hmmm which family vacation would you rahter be experiencing? Stay tuned for Day 2 coming soon.
To Stay inside the Park or out?
You are going to Disney and you are wondering, should we stay out of the Walt Disney World Park or should we stay"on-property"? What does staying on property or off property mean anyway?
There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. In order to receive all of the benefits of staying on site you need to stay in one of those 24 Disney owned properties.
Benefits:
Magical Express service: Round trip airport transfers and luggage delivery.
Extra Magic Hours: You can enter certain parks one hour earlier in the morning and stay up to three hours later to play after park closing time.
Dining Plan: Choose from three different dining plans with wine and dine and Platinum and Premium add on options. Save 40% on meals during your stay!
Key to the World Card: Your room key, park tickets, meal plan and charging privileges all on one card that is a keepsake souvenir.
Disney Transportation: Bus, boat and monorail service inside the park from your hotel to all of the theme parks, no need for a rental car or tram, you will be dropped off at the park gates.
I find there is often a misconception that staying off-property is more convenient and less expensive. People often say "well the place I am staying at is only 3 miles from Disney." OK, let's first address that issue. When a hotel or condo advertises that it is "only" three miles from Disney, it typically means that it is 3 miles to the entrance of Walt Disney World. At its peak, the WDW resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres or 47 square miles, about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan.
Some of the land has since been sold off and is now closer to 42 square miles. The point is that Walt Disney World is enormous! Many people think of the Magic Kingdom as being synonymous with Walt Disney World. Thus, the misconception that staying 3 miles from WDW means you are 3 miles from the Magic Kingdom. Often people translate that into meaning that within say 15-20 minutes they will be riding Dumbo, ahh only 3 miles. That is not the reality.
Here is the reality. Once you pass through the main gates to WDW, you have a 15-20 minute car ride to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. From that point when driving you must park, then board a tram to the ticket and transportation center and then you can choose to wait for monorail or boat transportation to take you to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Interesting fact: Did you know that the entire Disneyland Park can fit inside the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room for several hundreds of cars for additional parking?
Once you get to the gates of the Magic Kingdom you will need to pass through security and enter the main gates. If you have not purchased your tickets yet you may find yourself waiting in a long guest services line waiting to buy your tickets. Depending on the time of year and the crowd level, staying 3 miles from WDW could translate into being anywhere from 2 hours to 45 minutes from arriving at Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
What are the options for staying out of the park? Perhaps you have family in the area and you plan to stay with them. Perhaps you want to stay in a condo because you want more room and space. Perhaps you want to stay in an off-site hotel because you found a "cheaper" rate. Or perhaps you want to divide your stay between Disney and other Orlando attractions like Sea World and Universal.
Did you know that you can pre purchase a ticket to visit Universal Studios? This ticket will include admission to both parks at Universal Studios as well as round trip transfers from your Disney hotel to Universal and back. You can still stay on-site at Disney and visit Universal easily. Round trip transfers to and from Sea world can also be easily arranged.
Many people say they need a really inexpensive room rate. Did you know that prices for the Disney value resorts during value season are as low as $82 per night for four people? Well, people will say, we need a suite. Did you know that the All Star Music Resort has family suites start at $184 a night and sleep up to 6 people?
I often hear that "We want a 2 bedroom condo." Disney has studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. "We like our privacy and want our own condo or house." Did you know that you can stay in a 3 bedroom Tree house that is freestanding with a BBQ grill, a deck a full kitchen, a master bath and is still on Disney property? Or you can stay in a free standing cabin at Fort Wilderness. You can even camp in a tent on Disney property! Staying on-site is not necessarily more expensive than staying off-site.
You also save money on rentals cars, gas, parking fees and most importantly, you save time! Time is money. You save frustration and stress, who wants that on a vacation?
Don't get me wrong, once you are inside a park in Walt Disney World you will have a magical time, I am trying to enlighten you to the reality of the differences of staying on site vs off site. Choose wisely and evaluate all of the options, personally we always choose to stay inside the park in a Disney owned property, it is the most economical and stress free way for our family to enjoy a Disney vacation.
There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. In order to receive all of the benefits of staying on site you need to stay in one of those 24 Disney owned properties.
Benefits:
Magical Express service: Round trip airport transfers and luggage delivery.
Extra Magic Hours: You can enter certain parks one hour earlier in the morning and stay up to three hours later to play after park closing time.
Dining Plan: Choose from three different dining plans with wine and dine and Platinum and Premium add on options. Save 40% on meals during your stay!
Key to the World Card: Your room key, park tickets, meal plan and charging privileges all on one card that is a keepsake souvenir.
Disney Transportation: Bus, boat and monorail service inside the park from your hotel to all of the theme parks, no need for a rental car or tram, you will be dropped off at the park gates.
I find there is often a misconception that staying off-property is more convenient and less expensive. People often say "well the place I am staying at is only 3 miles from Disney." OK, let's first address that issue. When a hotel or condo advertises that it is "only" three miles from Disney, it typically means that it is 3 miles to the entrance of Walt Disney World. At its peak, the WDW resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres or 47 square miles, about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan.
Some of the land has since been sold off and is now closer to 42 square miles. The point is that Walt Disney World is enormous! Many people think of the Magic Kingdom as being synonymous with Walt Disney World. Thus, the misconception that staying 3 miles from WDW means you are 3 miles from the Magic Kingdom. Often people translate that into meaning that within say 15-20 minutes they will be riding Dumbo, ahh only 3 miles. That is not the reality.
Here is the reality. Once you pass through the main gates to WDW, you have a 15-20 minute car ride to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. From that point when driving you must park, then board a tram to the ticket and transportation center and then you can choose to wait for monorail or boat transportation to take you to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Interesting fact: Did you know that the entire Disneyland Park can fit inside the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room for several hundreds of cars for additional parking?
Once you get to the gates of the Magic Kingdom you will need to pass through security and enter the main gates. If you have not purchased your tickets yet you may find yourself waiting in a long guest services line waiting to buy your tickets. Depending on the time of year and the crowd level, staying 3 miles from WDW could translate into being anywhere from 2 hours to 45 minutes from arriving at Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
What are the options for staying out of the park? Perhaps you have family in the area and you plan to stay with them. Perhaps you want to stay in a condo because you want more room and space. Perhaps you want to stay in an off-site hotel because you found a "cheaper" rate. Or perhaps you want to divide your stay between Disney and other Orlando attractions like Sea World and Universal.
Did you know that you can pre purchase a ticket to visit Universal Studios? This ticket will include admission to both parks at Universal Studios as well as round trip transfers from your Disney hotel to Universal and back. You can still stay on-site at Disney and visit Universal easily. Round trip transfers to and from Sea world can also be easily arranged.
Many people say they need a really inexpensive room rate. Did you know that prices for the Disney value resorts during value season are as low as $82 per night for four people? Well, people will say, we need a suite. Did you know that the All Star Music Resort has family suites start at $184 a night and sleep up to 6 people?
I often hear that "We want a 2 bedroom condo." Disney has studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. "We like our privacy and want our own condo or house." Did you know that you can stay in a 3 bedroom Tree house that is freestanding with a BBQ grill, a deck a full kitchen, a master bath and is still on Disney property? Or you can stay in a free standing cabin at Fort Wilderness. You can even camp in a tent on Disney property! Staying on-site is not necessarily more expensive than staying off-site.
You also save money on rentals cars, gas, parking fees and most importantly, you save time! Time is money. You save frustration and stress, who wants that on a vacation?
Don't get me wrong, once you are inside a park in Walt Disney World you will have a magical time, I am trying to enlighten you to the reality of the differences of staying on site vs off site. Choose wisely and evaluate all of the options, personally we always choose to stay inside the park in a Disney owned property, it is the most economical and stress free way for our family to enjoy a Disney vacation.
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