Monorails and boats and buses- oh my!

As my husband and I anxiously await our first time staying at a resort on the monorail line for our upcoming early 2016 trip, I can’t help but think that for those who are unfamiliar with the transportation options at Walt Disney World, that it must be very daunting to try to figure out how to get to where you are going using Disney’s complimentary transportation. But have no fear- I am here to try to make this seemingly daunting task just a bit easier to figure out!

If you arrive via airplane to Orlando International Airport, then you may take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express, a complimentary shuttle service which will take you to your Walt Disney World resort hotel, and back to the airport at the end of your trip. Besides being free, another great perk to using the Magical Express service is that they will drop your luggage off in your room for you (several hours after you arrive). Let me explain- a few weeks before your trip, you are mailed several yellow luggage tags with your name and resort hotel name printed on them. You place these tags on your luggage at home before you leave for the airport, and once you drop them off with the airline at your home airport, you do not see these bags again until you are checked in and settled at your resort. There are a few exceptions to watch out for (namely, if you have a late-arriving flight, or are taking one of the few airlines that the Magical Express does not work with), but otherwise, I would highly recommend using the free luggage service. Before we had our son, my husband and I did not take advantage of this service, as we didn’t want to wait the several hours for our luggage to be delivered to us; however, now that we are traveling with a toddler, and therefore a stroller, diaper bag, etc, it is VERY nice to be able to worry about a few less bags as we travel to our Disney resort. We do take a carry-on suitcase with a pair of pajamas for each of us, our bottle warmer and bottles, and a swimsuit and one casual outfit for each of us just in case our luggage happened to be delayed for an extended period of time, but we have never had a problem with this service to date.

If you have received a copy of Disney’s free vacation planning video from www.disneyworld.com, as recommended in the post ‘Disney for the Novice Traveler’ (http://danasmousetails.blogspot.com/2015/11/disney-for-novice-traveler.html), then you know that there are 3 types of transportation to get you to and from the resorts, Disney Springs, and the theme parks. These 3 types of transportation include buses, boats, and the monorail.

(The Magic Kingdom monorail station)

The monorail is, in my opinion, the most exciting of the 3 transportation options mentioned above. And for those of us with children in strollers, a big perk to being on the monorail is that you may leave your child in his stroller on the monorail- this is the only method of transportation which allows a child to remain in his stroller! I have listed the three resorts on the Walt Disney World Monorail System below (also keep in mind that Epcot is accessible by monorail, via the Transportation & Ticket Center):

-Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

-Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

-Disney’s Contemporary Resort  

(My beautiful family taking the monorail to the Contemporary Resort for breakfast)

The Contemporary Resort is the only resort on Disney property within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom- a big perk to those parents who have children who still nap during the afternoon. My family has never been the type to leave the parks in the afternoon for a break, but with our resort being so close on this next trip, I think this time we may!

 

For guests staying at the following resorts, boats travel frequently to the Magic Kingdom from the pier outside their resort:

-Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort

-Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

-Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

-Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Now- on to the Epcot resorts! If you are going to be visiting Walt Disney World in the fall during the International Food and Wine Festival, and/ or are a childless couple, then may I suggest an Epcot resort if your budget allows? Before our son came along, my husband and I spent many fun moments at Epcot in World Showcase, sampling food and beverages from different regions of the world. We still enjoy World Showcase and all that it has to offer, but we now focus more on the food than the beverages! A great perk to staying at the Epcot resorts along Crescent Lake is that you are able to stumble back to your resort directly from World Showcase when the night is over. The Crescent Lake resorts include:

-Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort and Villas

-Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts

-The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts

(My nephew and son looking out over Crescent Lake from Disney's Boardwalk Resort)

From the 5 resorts listed above, boats are available to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks, or you may walk to these parks instead. Remember that if you take the boat or walk to Epcot, you will not arrive at the front of the park where the monorail is, but you will arrive at the back of the park, inside World Showcase, at what is called the International Gateway (next to the France and United Kingdom pavilions).

The final resorts offering modes of transportation other than the bus are the Disney Springs area resorts. From any of these resorts, boats will whisk you away to Disney Springs, and back to your resort at the end of your day. Additionally, the option to walk to Saratoga Springs from Disney Springs is available, and depending on which area of the resort you are staying in, may be quicker than the boat (this resort is huge!). Disney Springs area resorts include:

-Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

-Disney’s Old Key West Resort

-Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts (which are comprised of Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter)

(My son and I taking the boat from Disney's Port Orleans Resort to Disney Springs for lunch)

Please note that many people think that the option to walk to Animal Kingdom theme park from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge resort is a possibility, but it is not. While the resort is on the savannah where live animals roam, a bus is needed to get to the theme park from this resort.

Please also note that to get from resort to resort (for dining reservations at a resort other than where you are staying, for instance), Disney recommends one-and-a-half hours travel time, as multiple modes of transportation may be needed. If you happen to arrive early to a restaurant reservation, then have no fear- the resorts are all beautifully themed, and a great way to pass the time is to check out the décor in and around the resort!

If you suddenly find yourself on Disney property with no clear direction of how to get to where you are going, then please find a Disney cast member, and they will be happy to direct you to your destination. With about 40 square miles of land, the Walt Disney World resort is huge, and it’s easy to feel lost once on property- but the nearest cast member shouldn’t be too far, and will point you in the right direction quickly and efficiently.

As always, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with ANY travel-related questions. Happy New Year, and thank you so much for checking out Dana’s Mouse Tails! Happy travels!

Disney for the Novice traveler

Recently, a college acquaintance mentioned that she was dreaming about a Disney vacation in about two years’ time. She stated to me that she was already overwhelmed with the vacation planning, though she was very excited about her future trip to Walt Disney World. That got me thinking… I should really try to step back and put myself into the shoes of a Disney novice. There is SO MUCH to think about and plan, and I do have a lot of friends ask me where to begin when it comes to booking their first trip (or their first trip in many years). Please join me as I lead you through the planning stages of a trip to the most magical place in the world!

First things first: I encourage you to begin by reading my previous blog articles, as I will be building upon those. ‘It’s all in the research’ (located here) explains some different options for travel agents, if you choose to go that route. If you choose not to use a travel agent- no fear, you can do it! The friendly cast members available when you call Disney are, for the most part, phenomenal. Nearly everyone that I have ever called has been nothing short of pleasant and helpful. Once you decide whether or not you are going to use a travel agent, then let the planning begin! ‘When shall we visit the World?’ (located here) explains how your trip will vary depending on when you choose to visit the World. If there is a specific event that you feel you can’t miss, then this will narrow down your options. Some events, such as the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, run over a period of several months; if you are looking to do a RunDisney Marathon, however, then you will have a specific date to be in the World. For more information on different events throughout the year, I recommend watching the Disney Planning Video, available for free online at www.disneyworld.com. This video is a great planning tool, and it will really get you excited to visit the most magical place in the world! If you are interested in any of the RunDisney events, please visit www.rundisney.com to check out the different runs through the parks!

(My husband visiting the Mexico booth at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which typically runs from the end of September through November)

Once you decide when the best time period for your family to visit is, then your next step is to research hotels. I highly recommend staying on property. The perks to staying on property include never leaving the ‘Disney bubble’, free transportation from Orlando International Airport to your resort, free transportation to all locations on Disney property, Extra Magic Hours at the theme parks (1-2 hours that the parks open early or stay open after park closing, just for those staying on property), free Magic Bands (fun, colorful bands that are used to get into your resort hotel room, as your park ticket, as your dining plan if you’ve got one, and take the place of a credit card), and more! There are 4 distinct categories of resorts on property: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Villas. All resorts (even those within the same category) vary greatly on theming- do you picture yourself at a resort that overlooks a savannah, watching giraffes and zebras graze while you sip your morning coffee, or do you prefer a room with subtle hints of Disney, overlooking the monorail whisking by below. Begin by checking out prices- a room at a value resort offers few frills, but you may pay as little as $89 for a parking lot view with a short walk to the bus stop. On the flip side, a club-level room with a great view at the Boardwalk Resort will cost you upwards of $500 per night. Please note that for holidays, RunDisney events such as the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, and even on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year, you will pay steeper prices.

(Entering the pool area at the Beach Club resort- this resort offers an amazing sand-bottom pool, shipwreck water slide, and more!)

I would like to point out that the option to ‘rent’ Disney Vacation Club points for a villa (all villas include a kitchen or kitchenette) may be worth considering. Companies such as David’s Vacation Club Rentals (www.dvcrequest.com) are backed by the Better Business Bureau, and offer much better pricing than by paying cash for the same room through Disney. The catch, however, is that these rooms are 100% non-refundable from the date of purchase, whereas by going through Disney, the rooms are refundable through a certain date (100% up until 30 days before travel at this time). My family and I have decided to try out this option for a 2016 trip we are planning, and once we are back, I will be writing an entire post dedicated to renting points. What I can tell you at this point is that the process has been remarkably smooth, and I am very happy with David’s Vacation Club Rentals so far! (Edit: This post is located here)

The next step is to figure out whether you will book a package, or just your room. As previously reviewed on this blog, a package includes your resort, theme park tickets, and a dining plan. Keep in mind that if anyone traveling is in the military, Disney offers an amazing deal on park tickets- currently the offer is an adult 4-day park hopper for $177 plus tax (Edit: In 2016 these tickets cost us about $196 per adult) (the standard rate for these tickets is $369 plus tax). If you’ve read other posts, it’s no secret that my family is a big fan of the dining plan- we are big eaters, we love taking the time for sit-down meals, and we really enjoy snacking throughout the day. If you and your family are not big eaters, then the dining plan may not be for you- I find it’s best to review Disney food prices, think about your family’s dining preferences, and make the decision based on your family. Currently, the cost of a one-day adult Disney Dining Plan is around $60 per day (pricing varies depending on the time of year traveling)- since my family uses our credits for roughly a $5 snack every day, a $17 quick-service meal, and a $45 table service meal, we find that we do generally come out ahead.

(Enjoying dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, located at the Yacht Club resort)

Next, I like to make a rough timeline of my trip, plotting out which days I intend to visit theme parks, and which days are going to be spent exploring the rest of the World. I try to take park hours into consideration, though sometimes it can be hard to find estimates of park hours further than 6 months in advance. There are other variables to consider when purchasing theme park tickets, such as whether you’d like the option to visit multiple theme parks per day, and whether you’d like to add on the ‘water parks and more’ option (I have to say, Disney’s two water parks are a great time, and though I haven’t visited in several years, I’m looking forward to going back soon!). Remember that you can always change your plans if you like, but having a rough schedule will make your life much easier in the long run!

Now that I have a timeline, it’s time to figure out my dining reservations! This is probably my favorite part of my trip planning- what a shock, right? Disney’s restaurants are amazing- one day you can eat at an African-themed buffet at Animal Kingdom resort, visiting with cast members from various African regions; the next night you can spend your night in Epcot’s Germany pavilion, feasting on German fare while enjoying traditional German entertainment. I HIGHLY encourage you to make your dining reservations 180 days (6 months) in advance if at all possible. Many restaurants- especially character dining locations and Signature locations- will fill up at the 180 day mark. You can always go back and tweak your reservations if you’d like- reservations can be changed or cancelled up to 24 hours before your reservation time (remember to cancel unwanted reservations, or else you will face a $10 per person fee for not showing up to your reservation!).

Tip: There is one quick-service location that, due to popularity, requires a reservation. Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom is a quick-service spot for breakfast and lunch, but you must make reservations for this location!

(One of the dining rooms at Be Our Guest restaurant- the Ballroom)

One of the last big planning days comes at 60 days out from your trip (if you are staying at a Disney resort)- at this point you are able to make FastPass+ selections for your trip! FastPass+ is fairly new to Walt Disney World, and it enables you to pre-select a window of time to enjoy 3 different attractions per park day. For example, if I am planning to visit the Magic Kingdom on the first full day of my vacation, I can choose a FastPass+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from 10am-11am, Peter Pan’s Flight from 12pm-1pm, and Pirates of the Caribbean from 6pm-7pm. Please note that after you’ve used all 3 of your FastPass+, you may visit a kiosk in the park and select more FastPass+, one at a time through park closing if they are available. If you are not staying at a Disney resort, you may select your FastPass+ 30 days out. FastPass+ works the same way as dining reservations, with the most popular attractions running out of FastPass+ the day they are released. You are able to make your FastPass+ at midnight on the 60-day mark, and I would recommend being online at midnight if at all possible in order to get the best selections! (Edit: FastPass+ selections now begin online at 7:00am EST, not midnight!)

(I got online at midnight- which required meticulously planning my lunch break at work for 11:55pm exactly 60 days out from our trip- so that I could get a FastPass+ for everyone in my family for Toy Story Midway Mania- one of Hollywood Studios' more popular attractions)

So, to recap: Walt Disney World planning for the novice WDW traveler. Begin by determining what time of year your family would like to visit. Once you have your travel dates figured out, research resort hotel rooms, and figure out a few that you’d be interested in staying at. Check out the pricing, and be sure to note any promotions that might be going on at that time. Next, decide if you’d like to purchase a package, and figure out how many days you’ll be visiting the theme parks during your stay. Remember that there are options when it comes to tickets- park hopping ability, and the ‘water parks and more’ options should be taken into consideration. Planning out a rough timeline of your trip is a must, especially for you first-time visitors! Finally, decide what restaurants you would like to try if you plan on enjoying table-service dining, and plan to make your reservations 180 days in advance. And don’t forget that at the 60-day point, you are now able to make your FastPass+ selections.

I hope this has helped my Disney novice friends- as always, if you need advice or Disney travel planning help, please email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Happy travels!

Group travel to Walt Disney World

I just returned from 9 magical nights in Florida with my extended family, including my parents, my brother and his family, my aunt, and of course, my little family. That makes for a total of 9 people. This trip was very different from our January trip, which consisted of just my husband, son and I, in that we moved at a much slower pace, and we actually did fewer park days with the larger group. Nonetheless, I would HIGHLY consider a family trip to the World if possible- we had so much fun reconnecting with each other. We had lots of laughs, and we all have a million memories that will last a lifetime!

When planning a multi-generational trip to WDW, you must consider all members of your travel party, from the babies to the grandparents. Of course, everyone’s needs will be different. We planned this trip last October, so I had a year to talk to each family member about what they were hoping to get out of this trip. My sister-in-law was looking forward to getting a cold beverage and sitting by the pool enjoying a new book, my Aunt was looking forward to spending time with the two toddlers, and I was looking forward to taking photos of Cinderella’s Castle- lots of different needs to consider. Fortunately, Disney makes this all possible, which is why I love traveling to Disney with the large group that I am fortunate enough to call my family.

My family was able to take advantage of FREE DINING for this trip, as we booked the Bounceback offer on last year’s trip- this means that before we checked out of our resort in October of 2014, we called in to Disney reservations with a specific code number we found in our resort hotel room and booked our 2015 trip. There are very specific travel dates offered, and it is necessary to purchase at least a 2-day park hopper park ticket for each person in the room, but these guidelines fit into my family’s plans. If possible, I would highly recommend your entire group staying at the same resort- some of my favorite memories were made in the food court eating breakfast each morning together, which wouldn’t have been possible if we were staying at different resorts.

(Enjoying breakfast together in the food court at Port Orleans Riverside)

One thing to keep in mind when traveling with a larger group is that you will not be able to get as much done in a day as you would with a smaller group. That is just a fact of life, and you must remember that it is a small price to pay when considering that you are visiting the happiest place on Earth with those that mean the most to you! 

I know it may sound like I am contradicting myself here, but stay with me- while I do believe that it’s important to do many things together as a large group in Disney, I also believe that splitting up at times is the key to making (and keeping!) everyone happy. On our first park day, only half of our group spent the morning at Animal Kingdom- my husband stayed in the room to get a bit more rest, and my mom and Aunt went off to Magic Kingdom to enjoy some of their favorites together before the rest of us met them there. The rest of my group headed to Animal Kingdom bright and early, with Kilimanjaro Safari being our main focus. Speaking of- I highly recommend riding this early in the morning, as the animals seem to be out enjoying the cooler air in full force, as opposed to later in the day, when they may be hiding in the shade trying to cool off. After enjoying our African Safari, my dad offered to take the two little boys so that my brother, sister-in-law and I could enjoy Expedition Everest. 

Tip: If a family member offers to take the kids so that you can ride a thrill ride, take them up on it! My son is at that age where he just wants mommy 24/7, but taking a few minutes to myself every now and again to ride some of my favorite rides proved to be a real treat. My parents can deal with a few minutes of tears, and usually, they found that by offering my son a treat of some sort, he would calm down. For those that do not have the luxury of grandparents, do not worry- yes you will still be able to ride Splash Mountain! Disney offers a service called Child Swap- this means that, for instance, dad can wait in line with his older child for his favorite ride while mom takes the young children to ride something more tame. Dad asks for a Child Swap pass when he first gets in line (sometimes you’ll have to show that you are traveling with younger children, sometimes you won’t) and holds onto this to give to mom later. Once dad and his younger child have ridden their favorite ride, he can meet mom and the tots and give mom the Child Swap pass. Now she can take her older child (lucky duck gets to ride twice!), present the Child Swap pass at the Fast Pass line, and she now gets to ride with little wait (since dad already did the waiting). I love that Disney offers this service, as my family utilized this multiple times. Child Swap is available for any ride that has a height restriction.

(Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom- one attraction that does offer Child Swap)

Ok, back to our group travels. On our Hollywood Studios morning, my family split up to ride thrill rides, then we got back together for breakfast at Starring Rolls Café (tip- ride Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before a large breakfast!!). Our Fast Pass time for Toy Story Midway Mania rolled around as we were finishing breakfast, and so the nine of us headed to Pixar Place to ride together. After competing against one another (I believe my husband and my brother got the highest scores!), we once again split up. My mom and Aunt headed to use their Voyage of the Little Mermaid fast passes, my dad went to check out show times for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and the rest of the gang headed to Disney Junior Live on Stage. The two toddlers LOVED this show, and it’s a lot of fun, as they get to dance around and be kids, however, I didn’t think this was the best option for the grandparents, as everyone sits on the floor. There are a limited amount of seats around the perimeter of the attraction if you are set on staying together, but for the most part, I’d say that grandparents usually sit this one out. One of my favorite parts of splitting up was getting to hear about everyone’s adventures when we’d get back together- there were always some fun stories!

(My son enjoying Disney Junior Live on Stage)

My least favorite ‘splitting up experience’ happened in The Land pavilion at Epcot. Camden had just dozed off in his stroller for his afternoon nap, and everyone agreed that it was time for lunch. Our favorite Epcot quick service spot is Sunshine Seasons, and so we headed there. Once there, we were told that strollers are not allowed inside the pavilion. My husband and I debated heading to World Showcase with the stroller for lunch, but we had really been looking forward to Sunshine Seasons, and so I told Jeff to go ahead and eat, and I would stay behind with Camden. My dad ended up offering to stay behind so that Jeff and I could eat lunch together with the rest of the group, and once again, we took him up on that offer. After I enjoyed my sandwich and strawberry shortcake (which I HIGHLY recommend trying- their strawberry shortcake is what dreams are made of!), I went and swapped places with my dad so that he could eat lunch. He was allowed to come inside the entrance of the pavilion with the stroller, and there were benches there that he could sit on and relax. This ended up working out very nicely, as we staked out this spot for a couple of hours, taking turns staying in the air conditioning with Camden while others went and enjoyed rides in Future World. 

Here is another tip for anyone, really, but especially for those traveling with young children- finding an indoor spot really helped to recharge our batteries. There are places in every park where you and your toddler can go to cool off for a while. One of my favorite places ended up being the lobby of the Hall of Presidents attraction at the Magic Kingdom. We never ended up seeing this show (we’ve seen it multiple times before), rather, we just hung out in the lobby for about 45 minutes so that we could all cool off. Camden enjoyed running around in here, and he even made some friends while doing so! If you are a nursing momma, I would recommend going into the theatre here to nurse while you watch the show- it’s cool, dark, and the show lasts about 20 minutes, giving you plenty of time to feed (this was one of my favorite spots to nurse during our 2014 trip!).

I think my biggest takeaway from this trip was that splitting up into smaller groups, and getting together periodically for family-friendly attractions and meals, really worked well for us. We had plenty of time together, but everyone was still able to ride their favorites this way. While I loved spending time with my family, I even took some time to myself at Epcot while Camden was sleeping- my husband brought me a Starbucks Frappuccino after he and my dad rode Test Track together, and I went and enjoyed Spaceship Earth (a true Epcot classic!) alone. This ended up being just the break I needed, and I was excited to return to my family once Camden woke up to head to World Showcase together.

(Enjoying a few moments to myself at Epcot)

Speaking of needed breaks, can I recommend taking a day (or at the very least, half of a day) to enjoy the pool at your Disney resort? My nephew LOVED swimming at the pool at Port Orleans Riverside, and while at the parks several times, he would mention that he wanted to go back to the pool to swim. I know some people state that they are paying good money to visit the parks, and they feel that pool days are a waste; I, however, think that they are a very necessary break from the hustle-and-bustle of the parks. My family takes more pool days than most folks, as this is just how we like to vacation, but I assure you that kids of all ages LOVE the resort pools. Moderate and Deluxe resorts even all have neat waterslides for your family to enjoy! All Disney resort pools are heated and the Moderate and Deluxe resorts also have hot tubs for those cooler afternoons.

(Enjoying the pool at our resort)

Please remember that when traveling in groups, it becomes even more necessary to make restaurant reservations well ahead of time. You can call or go online and make dining reservations 180 days in advance- I tend to go online at 6am EST at the 180 day mark to make my reservations, as I find that this gives me the best selection, and I am able to make reservations for those restaurants that fill up quickly for my large group (Chef Mickey’s, Be Our Guest, ‘Ohana, Le Cellier, and Cinderella’s Royal Table are a few that fill up rather quickly- as in, by noon on the 180-day mark, reservations may no longer be available). Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you may make dining reservations for your entire trip 180 days from your check-in date. If you are staying offsite, then you will have to make your reservations each day- for instance, if you will check-in on a Friday, and your 180 days from this date falls on a Sunday, you may make Friday’s dining reservations on Sunday, but you will have to make Saturday’s (Day 2 of vacation) reservations on Monday, etc.

Along those same lines, please know that Fast Passes can be made for Disney resort guests 60 days in advance, but for those staying offsite, Fast Passes can only be made 30 days in advance. If you are hoping to visit Anna and Elsa, or ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom’s two most popular attractions), then please note that if you are not staying on property, it is likely that you will not be able to obtain Fast Passes for these two attractions. Fast Passes can be obtained at midnight, and I have been known to clock out for lunch at work (since I work nights) at 11:55pm on the eve of my 180-day mark, so that I can be logged into my phone at midnight ready to get the Fast Passes I want.

One final piece of advice when traveling with a large group is to try and accommodate everyone. I asked everyone in my party MULTIPLE times where they would like to eat, and I feel that I accommodated everyone well. On our last night in Disney, we went to Disney Springs for the night to enjoy Splitsville Luxury Lanes for dinner and bowling. It was no secret that I was unsure about this option, as to me, it didn’t feel very ‘Disney’. My brother, however, was really wanting to try Splitsville, and, hesitant as I was, I made reservations here for the group. I didn’t think it was fair not to try somewhere that my brother was really looking forward to simply because I didn’t want to go here, and I didn’t want to split up the group for our last dinner together.

Splitsville turned out to be a blast! I got a text message the day of our reservation stating that we were all set for dinner only- I was confused about this, as I thought we were going to bowl as we ate. I called Splitsville and explained the situation, and they couldn’t have been nicer. The woman explained that I had accidentally made ‘dinner only’ reservations (tip: if you want to eat AND bowl, call for reservations rather than making them online, so that you can guarantee that you get both), and that when we arrived, we should just state that we wished to bowl as well, and that since it was their ‘slow season’ (September in Disney tends to attract less crowds due to it being back to school time), we would be accommodated. Once we arrived at Splitsville that evening, we paid for our bowling, gave our shoe sizes, and we were escorted to the second floor to our lane (the attendant even took our shoes up for us!), which featured a long table with plenty of room for the eight of us (my aunt had gone home that afternoon). The amount of time you have to bowl is dependent upon the number of people bowling, and we had well over an hour. The food was DELICIOUS- I had sushi and a pizza and I would highly recommend them both- the drinks were plentiful, and the desserts were humongous. All in all, it was a great time, and it was a nice change of pace from the Signature restaurants we had eaten at the past two nights. One of my favorite things about dinner at Splitsville was that it didn’t matter how loud the two toddlers were- the music was blaring in Splitsville (we still were able to have plenty of good conversations, though), and with all of the bowling going on, nobody else could hear the kids. If you are looking for a fun time at Disney, I would highly recommend Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Disney Springs!

(Delicious pizza at Splitsville)

So please remember that if you are unsure about a certain restaurant in Disney, but someone in your party is really looking forward to this restaurant, go ahead and give it a try- it may surprise you! I have a rule for my family that we try a restaurant twice before deciding not to visit again- anything can happen in any given night, and you may have an atypical bad experience. There are several restaurants that my husband has not enjoyed in any given night, but he has always stated that he is willing to try a restaurant twice before chalking it up as a ‘do not visit again’ establishment. 

I hope that you enjoy my blog, and as always, feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney questions you may have. Have a magical day!

Traveling with small children

While I focus on flying to Disney, some of the tips in this post could really apply to all parents traveling anywhere with small children, whether driving or flying. My husband and I have traveled to Disney with an 8-month old baby, a 12-month old baby, and coming up, a 1-year-and-8-months old toddler. We have also met up with my brother’s family- his son (my nephew) was 2-years-and-2-months on our trip last year, and he will be 3-years-and-2-months on this trip.

I found it fairly easy to fly with a baby- I carried him in a front carrier (I used a Moby Go carrier, which I loved!) through the airport and onto the plane, and then he would sit on my lap for the 2-hour long flight, and I would nurse him several times, especially during take-off and landing. Once we arrived in Orlando, I would place him back in the carrier, and off we went. He really enjoyed being close to his mommy in the carrier, and I enjoyed traveling with him in there as well- I actually will really miss using the carrier this year.

Now that we have a walking (sometimes running!) toddler, I have a sneaking suspicion that flying is going to be a pinch more difficult than it was with a baby. I keep reminding myself that my brother and his wife flew with their toddler last fall, and they said it went very smoothly, but I still am anxious about this year’s flight. My husband, son and I fly out of Indianapolis, but the rest of my family flies out of Chicago, so I won’t have them to help out on the flight.

Due to my skepticism, I have been researching items to bring for several months now to keep my son busy on the airplane. I believe I have come up with some ideas which he’ll find fun and entertaining. Most of these items are from Dollar Tree. I wanted to have several options of activities for him, while still being a bit frugal.

Sandwich Bags: The first item won’t keep him busy, but are useful to me- the ‘Frozen’ sandwich bags. 20 bags came in the pack, and I figured that I can use those for items which he may not finish at our meals- for instance if he eats half a cookie, I can throw the other half in the bag (which is better than my current method of putting his leftovers in a napkin and hoping for the best). These bags would also come in handy to throw your cell phones in when on a water ride such as Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, or Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom.

Post-it Notes: There are 5 pads in there, which I figure may hold his attention for a few fine moments- he loves ripping the papers off the pad. I know it may seem like a waste of paper, but it’s something he enjoys, they were only $1, and I can recycle all of the papers when we get to the resort, as Disney is very Eco-Friendly and places small recycle bins in each guest room.

Playskool Sticker Pad: These stickers remind me of Toy Story Midway Mania! I figure he can put the stickers on the post-it pads, mom, dad, himself, the barf bag- hey whatever works!

Planes Sticker Pad: These were a few bucks from Walgreens, and I got them before I found the Playskool stickers- but I decided to keep them for my nephew and Camden to enjoy when we are at the resort. I’ll probably save one of the post-it pads for my nephew as well.

Crayola Color Travel Set: This was a bit of an investment, as it was $9.99 from Meijer. Since Camden is only 1-1/2, he may not get much out of this, but then again, he may. He does like doodling with my pens on notepads, and so I figured it was worth a try. I did the Color Wonder marker set so he can’t doodle on the tray table and seats on the plane. If he doesn’t get as much out of it this trip, I am sure he will on future trips. I can also let my nephew use it in the mornings while his mom and dad are busy getting ready to go to the theme parks.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Stickers: These are 3D stickers, but I have a different use for them- below them in the photo is a medication container, and I figure that we can place these cardboard stickers in the med container. The stickers are a bit small for him, but since my husband and I will be right there supervising/ playing along with him, I am not too concerned about him getting any in his mouth. I’ll store them in one of my small pieces of Rubbermaid that I purchased at Sam’s Club last week.

The small police car is just a fun little toy that I can break out any time- he loves cars and trucks, and this one is compact, so I can put it in the seat pocket in front of me to bring out when needed.

Blue Painter’s Tape: I found this on my husband’s workbench, and I figured he may have some fun with this. We can place the tape on the tray table and the arm rests, and it’s incredibly easy to take off before we land.

*Edit: my husband said I couldn't bring the tape. He said the TSA would think it was weird and deny me entry to my gate. Party pooper.

Lysol wipes: Anything goes! For a buck, I couldn’t help myself from throwing them into my basket at Dollar Tree.

Flash Cards: I didn’t include these in the ‘group photo’ because I had bought them on a different trip to Dollar Tree. I plan to punch a hole in the corner of the cards and place them all on a binder ring. I thought they might be fun for the boys to use while we are waiting in line at the parks. Dollar Tree has a great assortment of Disney flash cards, which are even educational! While I know my son won’t get much out of these cards, and I initially bought them for my 3-year old nephew, I think I will go ahead and buy another pack- if my nephew has something, chances are my son will want his own as well, and we don’t need any temper tantrums while we are waiting in line for Pirates of the Caribbean!

Another great idea I found was to bring some breakfast items for my son to enjoy in the hotel room in the morning. We typically eat breakfast first thing after waking up when at home; on park days while on vacation, I don’t know that we’ll be heading down to the resort’s food court at all. I don’t think my son will want to wait an hour or longer before eating his breakfast in the morning- this way, I can set him up on a sheet on the floor, turn on the Disney Junior channel on TV, break up a breakfast bar for him, and my husband and I can get ready and make sure we’ve got everything packed for an exciting day at the theme parks.

As you can see, I will be flying with the breakfast bars in a Rubbermaid container. I have made the mistake of throwing a breakfast bar in the diaper bag, only for it to be completely crushed- and frankly, inedible for a toddler- one too many times. I found a great deal at Sam’s Club on 62 pieces of Rubbermaid, and so far I have found many uses for them.

Don’t forget to pack the diapers! You can find Huggies diapers and wipes for sale at all of the resorts and theme parks, but they are much more expensive there. I personally prefer Pampers, and while I would happily use Huggies if I had to, I like to bring what I’m most comfortable using at home (I’ll admit, though, I do always look at the cute Huggies diapers with Mickey on them and consider changing- there is a diaper for every child, though, and I have just found that Pampers work better for my son). Here is one exception I made- I bought this cute Huggies Mickey Mouse wipe clutch at Babies R Us- how cute is it for toting around wipes?!? 

Also keep in mind that you can use the room in your suitcase that you used for diapers on the way down to tote home souvenirs on the way back home!

In a previous post, I mentioned buying clothes beforehand for kids. I bought the red t-shirts at Target for $8 each, and I bought the blue sets from Wal-Mart for $10 each. I figure my mom will love having some photos of her grandchildren in matching Mickey outfits!

While at Dollar Tree shopping for activities for the trip down, check out the gum and candy selection if you wish! I already have a 24-piece pack of gum ready to go, but I did see that Dollar Tree sells gum. If you like chewing gum on the airplane during take-off and landing, and/or you’ll want some during the trip (Disney does not sell chewing gum anywhere, and last time I checked, Orlando International Airport does not, either), make sure to bring a sufficient amount with you. I also like to bring some candy for my husband and I to enjoy on the plane- I bought our candy from Wal-Mart for 98 cents per box, but I did notice that Dollar Tree has a decent selection as well. I do bring some chocolate, making sure that we eat that before we get to Disney, and then I’ll bring some fruity candy, too (this year I bought Dots). My husband has always been pleased when I’ve brought out the candy at various points on our journey to Disney!

Stroller-wise, on our first trip to Disney, we brought an umbrella stroller and then rented a jogging stroller for use on property. The only time we used the umbrella stroller was our last night, when we left Disney and stayed at a Marriott hotel near the Orlando airport. We used the stroller to walk to a BBQ restaurant for dinner, and that was it. One our next trip, we didn’t bother bringing the umbrella stroller, and that worked out just fine. We’ll probably bring the umbrella stroller on this next trip, mostly just for use in the airport. You can gate-check the stroller, so there isn’t much hassle, and I can just stow it away in the closet once we reach our resort hotel room, and it’s out of our hair for the week while we use our rented stroller.

Speaking of renting a stroller: I would highly recommend it! We’ve used Kingdom Strollers multiple times, and I recommend them to everyone. There are several different strollers to choose from, but I have always gotten the City Mini, and am VERY happy with it every time. The seat reclines, and so when Camden is tired, we can just recline the seat so he can nap, and be on our way. There is a nice-sized storage area underneath, and a place for drinks and even a deep pocket for parents near the handle. Kingdom Strollers also clearly labels your stroller with your last name on bright paper so you can find it in the sea of strollers in stroller parking. One tip for you is to also bring ribbon or a bright bandana to make it even easier to find your stroller in stroller parking. There are literally HUNDREDS of strollers in each stroller parking area, and anything you can do to make it a bit easier to spot your stroller is a wise idea.

The best part of renting from Kingdom Strollers is that the stroller is waiting for us at our Disney resort when we check-in. We just go to Bell Services- which at Port Orleans Riverside resort, for instance, is right in front of the main entrance to the lobby- and tell them we are there to pick up our stroller rental. Bell Services will retrieve it for us in minutes, and we are on our way. The same goes for departure day- right before we get on the Magical Express to take us back to the airport, we simply hand our stroller back to bell services- it’s that easy! Kingdom Strollers delivers to all of the Disney resorts, and certain off-property resorts as well.

I know this post is getting lengthy, but I’ve got just two more tips: these apply to my fellow crafters. Recently I’ve seen some really wonderful-looking custom Mouse Ears online. However, the steep price tag (upwards of $30, plus shipping) prevented me from buying a pair. After a trip to Hobby Lobby, where I used a 40% coupon I found online, I was the proud new owner of a black headband, Disney Princess fabric, foam board, and adhesive spray. I googled ‘Mouse Ear Patterns’ and got one that was perfect- I have not finished my own personal Custom Mouse Ears yet, but I’m halfway there with one ear done! I will say that they are FAR from perfect, and I won’t be opening my own Etsy store anytime soon- but I’m just looking for a few cute photos, and these will do the trick for sure!

Finally, let’s talk about Magic Bands! These beauties are sent to you a few weeks before your trip, and can I tell you, that it’s a REALLY exciting moment to find them sitting in your mailbox, as it means that your trip is getting close! Once you are on Disney property, you will find many accessories to purchase to make your Magic Bands more customized. These fun items don’t come without a hefty price tag, however. If you are looking to customize your Magic Bands on a budget, then I’ve got a great solution for you- temporary tattoos! Place these on the Bands the same way you would place them on skin, cover with clear nail polish, and voila- you’ve just made your very own customized Magic Bands! You could also use colored nail polish to color in parts of the band if you prefer.

I thank you for reading this month’s post- thank you for all of those who have shared my blog, as I am shocked to have nearly 700 page views thus far! As I always say- if you have any Disney-related questions, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Happy Travels!

Disney Dining- Part 2

Hello and welcome to Part 2 of Disney Dining. My first post explained some of the basics regarding the Disney Dining Plan. If you are not familiar with the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan, I encourage you to go back and read Part 1 of Disney Dining in order to become familiar with some of your dining options. In this post, I plan to give you some tips on how my family and I feel you can best benefit from the Disney Dining Plan.

(Don't forget- one snack credit can be used to enjoy a venti Starbucks drink- perfect for two lovebirds to share!)

There are two ways to enjoy the Disney Dining Plan- free, and paying out of pocket. Clearly, everyone prefers Free Disney Dining- and if you plan to travel in late August through early December, I would recommend you look into booking this deal. Please be aware that you will probably have to pay for the dining plan initially- the Free Dining promotion is typically not released until June. I remember in 2013, my family and I had all booked a package, and we had paid for the Disney Dining Plan. I had heard a rumor that Free Disney Dining would be announced on June 1- all night on May 31 I checked the website for any information. Finally sometime that night, the promotion was listed on the Walt Disney World webpage! I set my alarm for 6am so that I could call my travel agent as soon as they opened, as she had to be the one to change my reservation. I had used AAA that year, and even though at that time they were the Official Travel Agency of Walt Disney World, she was not aware that this promotion was being released that day- she told me that in the past, Disney had let AAA know a day in advance so they could prepare, but not that year! She was on the phone for HOURS that day changing not only my reservation to include free dining, but all of her clients that qualified as well. Please note that the release date is different every year, and there is NO guarantee that Disney will continue to offer this promotion in the future. But if Disney does offer it, I want my readers to be able to take advantage of this wonderful promotion!

In January of this year, my husband and I took advantage of another offer called ‘Stay, Play and Dine’- this offer did not save us as much money as the Free Dining Promotion, but it definitely did save us some money! This offer was released several days in advance of the general public to those who have a Disney Chase Visa credit card (which most discounts are). For this promotion, a discount was simply given off the package (resort room, theme park tickets, and the dining plan).

(At Disney, enjoying some delicious food- pure bliss!)


Ok so now onto food! My husband INSISTED I write a post on how best to maximize your Disney Dining Plan, and that’s what I intend to do here. Please take into consideration how much your family likes meal times. For a lot of folks, they’d rather spend extra time in the theme parks riding attractions and seeing shows, and not spend a couple of hours in a restaurant- if this is you, then the dining plan may not be for you! Not my family, however! We love getting out of the Florida heat for a big meal together, where we can talk about how much fun our day has been. Because of this, we schedule at least one table service meal almost every day. Some of our favorite dining experiences have been in World Showcase in Epcot. As you may or may not know, there are 11 fabulous countries to discover in World Showcase. It is a lot of fun to check out the attractions in some of the countries, do some shopping, talk to the natives of the country you are in, and of course, try food and drinks from the respective countries. Each country (except for America) has at least one sit down restaurant, and I highly encourage you to check out at least one out on your trip. My family has eaten at the restaurants in Mexico, Japan, France, Italy, and Canada, and in several more countries’ quick service locations. When we’ve got the free dining plan, we like to do a meal Le Cellier steakhouse in Canada. Several entrees here cost about $50 per plate, and so we are happy to have the free dining so we don’t have to pay this out-of-pocket (or with my coveted Disney gift cards). I would like to throw out there, though, that if you are paying for the dining plan, this may not be the best use of TWO table service credits. Yes, this is a Signature Restaurant, which means it is one of Disney’s best, and therefore, you are essentially giving up 2 nights worth of dinners for one meal here. Even though it is expensive, the reason I say that it may not always be worth 2 credits is this: there are other Disney restaurants that cost as much as $40 per plate (or buffet) that are only 1 table service credit. So now I’ve got you thinking about the fact that you could get $80 worth of food with 2 credits elsewhere, or $50 at Le Cellier. This is how I like to think when using the Disney Dining Plan. No, it’s not ALL about the money, but I do like to take this into consideration on my trips. I believe that it pays to do the math- figure out whether it would be better to save your credits and use them elsewhere, paying cash for your Signature Dining experience, or just go ahead and use 2 credits for a meal. We have done both, but when we have Free Dining or even a discount package deal (Stay, Play and Dine, for instance), we have chosen to use credits; when we have paid full price for the dining plan, we tend to save our credits and pay cash for our Signature Dining restaurants.

(Filet mignon at a Disney Signature restaurant)


So now you’re doing math while trying to plan a vacation. That’s not very ‘vacation-like’, now is it? If you prefer, you can use a travel agent to figure out these details. Personally, I love doing this, and it makes me even more excited for my trip! There are also websites out there where you can plug in where you will eat each day, and it will generate an estimated amount that you will spend per day of your vacation if you were to pay for your meals out-of-pocket. I don’t like these, though, because it only gives you the average cost of a meal at that restaurant- if you are a beef-lover like me, then you probably will pay more than this calculator states, as beef is typically the most expensive dish on the menu.

So now that I’ve covered how to maximize your table service credits, I would like to point out that I try to do the same to maximize my quick service credits as well. Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney (soon to be called Disney Springs) is one of our favorite quick spots to grab a bite- the Holiday Turkey sandwich is what dreams are made of! These sandwiches, however, are extremely reasonably priced. The most expensive sandwich on the menu only costs $6.99. Compare this to one of my favorite quick service places in Animal Kingdom Park. Flame Tree BBQ offers a rib and chicken combo platter (there is a photo of this beauty in my Dining at Disney- Part 1 post!) for $16.19. That’s a big difference when it comes to price! If you are going to eat at more quick service locations than you have credits for (say, you’re staying 5 nights so you have 5 quick-service credits, but plan on eating at 6 quick-service locations), please be mindful of the cost of an entrée at each restaurant, and be wise when it comes to using your credits versus paying out-of-pocket.

(A yummy sandwich and dessert- strawberry shortcake- from a Disney quick-service location)


Finally, we come to the topic of snacks. Each person over the age of 3 is entitled to one snack credit per day with the Disney Dining plans. You don’t, however, have to have one snack per day- you can go crazy on your first day and use 4, and then go several days without using your snack credits if you wish (the same is true for meal credits). I LOVE my Disney snacks! My two favorite treats are cupcakes and the famous Dole Whip Float. My saying is this: if a snack costs more than $4, that’s a great use of a snack credit. My family has heard this over and over again. If a snack costs less than $4, I will typically use my gift card to pay for it. Some mornings I like to eat a banana, which I technically could use a snack credit for. However, a banana costs under $2, and so I don’t like to use my snack credit on this item. Specialty cupcakes can cost over $5, and so I would much rather use a snack credit for a cupcake. If you are visiting during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in September, October, and November, and are interested in trying different foods from around the world, I highly recommend saving at least several snack credits to use at the booths at this event. Snack credits are not good for alcoholic beverages, but they are eligible to use on specialty non-alcoholic beverages if you’d like to try any of those as well.

(Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!)

Ok I hope I have not bored you with my somewhat extensive explanations of the Disney Dining plan, and how I like to use it to maximize the value of my trip. Now I would like to offer two more tips to my readers: if you are planning on taking a trip to the World, or even just thinking about it, please sign up on the Walt Disney World website for anything that you can, including the free planning DVD. I say this because from time to time, Disney will mail/ email a pin code which can be redeemed for some sort of discount. I have yet to figure out if there is any sort of method to these mailings, but I have received them in the past, both before I have booked a trip, and even after (if you receive one after you have booked, you may call Disney, and they will apply the discount and credit you back the difference). Anytime Disney asks me to put in my email or home address, I will, in hopes that I will receive a pin code. Please note that your identity is attached to these codes, and the person given this discount must be the one traveling- i.e. I could not receive one and then let a friend redeem the discount.

(A pretty snapshot of a water feature at Port Orleans Riverside resort- the restaurant at this resort is themed to resemble a boatyard on the Mississippi River, and serves Cajun favorites!)

My final tip is this, and it applies to those who are already on Disney property enjoying their WDW vacation- somewhere in your resort hotel room, you may find a pamphlet offering Free Dining, or another offer, to enjoy on your next WDW visit! Several years ago, after hearing this on another Disney blog, I searched through my Disney resort hotel room, and I was able to find an offer for the Free Dining Plan if we booked next year's vacation before we checked out on the final day of our current trip. Since my family is flexible with our travel dates, we were able to take advantage of this great offer. Please note that travel dates for the following year, as well as resorts you may stay at, may be limited, and typically there is a set minimum of nights you must stay to cash in on this deal- but for those looking to save money on their next trip to the World, this can be a great deal! Don't forget to file this tip away in the back of your mind if you are thinking you may want to travel to WDW several years in a row.

(The pamphlet I found in my room last year offering the Free Dining Plan for this year's trip) 

I thank you for reading this post, and as always, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney-related questions. Happy Travels!