How to make Disney more affordable

 

--Be Flexible in your time.

I know for some this is easier said than done.  Working around school schedules, work schedules, and other schedules can be very difficult.  But the more flexible you are in your time of year you can visit will make a great difference in overall price.

 

Peak season (summer and holidays) are a premium price (as well as having higher crowd levels). Also, if you are going on a short trip try to avoid Friday and Saturday night stays.  These nights have a surcharge as well. 

 

When Disney has a promotion the dates you are available can have a very important role.  For the most part, if your check in day falls within the promotional period, you get the promotional pricing for the whole trip. Of course, there are exceptions to this, so I will double check that before we actually book your trip.

 

Speaking of promotions, this brings up my second tip – Be flexible on the resort.

Some promotions will exclude certain resorts completely or may have different blackout dates for some resorts.  A promotion will have a limited number of room types for each resort.  So, while there may still be rooms available in a particular resort for your dates, it doesn’t mean that the promotion is available for those rooms on those dates.  Having a second or third resort or room choice can improve your chances of snagging that promotion.

 

 

Ticket Options

 

Water Parks and More Fun

If you are going in the winter; or if you aren’t planning on a water park or visiting Disney Quest, this just adds an unnecessary charge.  However, if you are planning on going during a hot or warm season (and you are planning on 2 or more days to visit water parks) then, by all means- add the option!  You will save money over the single day entrance fee.  Although keep in mind each resort has at least one pool.  Most have ‘quiet pools’ as well (smaller pools spread out over the resort)

 

Park Hopper

Here is another place to save money.  If you are planning on visiting only one park per day (perhaps returning to your resort room for a mid-day swim and then returning to the same park in the evening  for dinner or nighttime activities) then a Park Hopper could be an unnecessary charge.

However, you need to know if you do not have Park Hopper you CAN NOT go to a different park later in the day, even if you have unused days left on your ticket!

 

Also, it is important to note you cannot purchase a park hopper for only one day of your trip.  Well, you can, but the price for hoppers is for the life of the ticket, so it will cost you the same if you have 3 days left or 10 days left on your pass.

 

Non Expiring Option

If you are going to make two or more trips to Disney with a year or more between the trips, then, this MAY say you some money.  Be advised that most promotions have a minimum number of tickets that must be purchased with the promotion, so this could possibly eat your savings.  (Disney seems to be phasing out this particular add on.  It may or may not be available at time of your purchase.)

 

Dining Plans

Again, these could possibly save money.  It completely depends on how your family chooses to eat on vacations.  Remember all those questions I asked about how your family prefers to eat when on vacation?  Well, this is where it comes into play.  I will help you decide which (if any) dining plan is best suited for your family.

 

 

 

These are just a few of the ways we can make the Family’s vacation package a bit more budget friendly.  Next we will talk a bit about value.

 

 

How much will a trip to Disney cost?

Last time we talked about some of the questions I will be asking you before we even start talking about booking a Disney trip.  We went over a lot of things that will help me get to know your family’s traveling style.  Because, let’s face it, you won’t have a fun family trip if you are stressed out over a particular aspect that I might enjoy, but just doesn’t fit into your family’s idea of a perfect family vacation.

 

So, now we will talk a bit about your budget.  This aspect always confuses people.  Either it is a lot less than they expected, or it is a lot more than they expected. 

Let’s start with the feeling that it is a lot less than you expected.  This mainly comes from listening to what other people pay for their trips.  Remember everyone’s style of traveling is different.  Your friend may only do first class all the way…may have more people in their families…may have included all the add-ons in their total cost.  Or simply went at a different time of year, or stayed longer.  No two trips will price out exactly the same.  It is important to compare apples to apples.

Now let’s go to the more common problem.  It costs more than you expected it to.  I know this can be a real sticker shock.  But let’s remember a couple of things:  When you price out a Disney trip, it may include more than just a hotel room.  It may include the tickets, and a dining plan.  The photograph package may be included.  It is a package designed just for you.  Using all those questions I asked earlier. 

And don’t forget, when you book a package, it only requires a deposit of $200.  The remainder needs to be paid in full within 45 days of travel, but you can make as many payments as you want (as long as it is more than $20 per payment). So, the sooner you book, the smaller the payments will be!   And…Disney does not charge a finance fee!

I get the question all the time…”what does it cost for a family of 4 to go to Disney?”  There is no magic answer to that.  There are so many variables it is impossible to give a quick answer.  It is like asking how much a car costs. Are we talking new or used?  Are we talking economy size, or luxury model?  What features are you looking for? Until we know all those things we can’t possibly answer!

So, we have asked all the questions, and have a price.  It is more than what you expected it to be.  But you really want to take Sally and Johnny to Disney. What can we do to make it more affordable for your family?

Stay tuned for the next report!

Questions? Why do I ask? Part 1

So, what kind of questions do I ask and why are they so important?

 

For starters, I need to know about THIS particular vacation.  We need a place to start.  Knowing what you are looking for is a perfect place to start.

 

I need to know who is going.  Is it just your family?  Maybe the grandparents? A couple of cousins, or maybe you are taking a friend or two of the kids.  Speaking of kids, what are the ages of the kids?  Some places, for instance Disney, have different prices and plans for different ages of children.

 

Then I will need some information about past vacations.  What worked, and what didn’t work?  What did you like?  What didn’t you like?  The more I know about your past vacations the better I can help plan this perfect vacation.

 

Where did you stay on your past vacations?  Did you stay at a motel on the highway?  Or did you stay at a chain hotel close to the center of the city?  Or did you choose a five star resort recommended by a business associate? What did you like or not like about those stays?

 

What do you like to do in your spare time?  Don’t have any spare time?  Then we really need to get busy on this vacation!  Having leisure time with your family is very important to both your wellbeing and theirs!

 

Describe to me your perfect vacation.  Is it relaxing with a good book by the beach?  Is it hiking to historical sites?  Is it a relaxing spa day?  An exhilarating shopping excursion looking for that one perfect gift?  A day full of family memories? A day without the kids?

 

Now, remember I said perfect, not necessarily what you are looking for in THIS trip.  Why?  It gives me an idea about your personality.  Are you a hustle and bustle 9 to 5 type person who is looking for a relaxing family vacation to reconnect with your family, or are you a hustle and bustle 9 to 5 type person who is looking to spend a vacation showing your family every possible inch of an amusement park?

 

Are your dates flexible?  Do you only get one week for vacation at the same time each year?  Are the kids in school and you can only travel during school breaks?

 

What about the kids?  What are they into?  Roller Coasters or pirates?  Princesses or robots?  Do they love history?  Are they into animals so much you would have a zoo in your back yard if you would let them?

 

Are you still with me?  I know you told me right off the bat you want to take Johnny and Susie to their first Disney trip, just like your parents did when you were younger.  But you came to me for my expertise.  Either because you don’t have the time for the research, or you don’t know where to start.  Anyone can pull up the Disney site and book a room.  But then, that wouldn’t be YOUR perfect vacation. 

 

So far I have asked lots of questions, listened to your answers and taken a ton of notes.  And we have only just begun.  But you notice, I have not mentioned budget yet.  We will get to that point a little later.  Right now I want to get to know you a bit better.  I need to know how upset little Susie is going to be if she has to miss that presentation on castles she has been working so hard on for school.  I need to know that while Johnny is a thrill junkie, he has a secret crush on Belle.  I need to know that while Grandma is a very active person, she needs her quiet time and space…

 Come back next week for part 2...this is where we will start talking about the budget!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning a trip to Disney?

There are many things to consider when planning your ideal trip.  My ideal trip would be drastically different from yours.  That is why it is so important for travel professionals to ask so many questions! Those questions help me get a better idea on exactly what you are looking for in your ideal trip.  After I know these things we can talk about budget.  Even a “do it all” vacation can be done on a budget. It is all a matter of priorities.

 

Some people think budget is the most important factor in deciding on the parts of your Disney trip.  I disagree completely!  While it is important to keep the budget in mind, it is more important to have that perfect family experience that makes you want to go back.  Contrary to what most people think, it is not necessary to break the bank to have a Disney family vacation that is tailor made to YOUR family. 

 

There are many cost cutting tips that can ensure you have the perfect vacation.  One is the Disney dining plan.  Is it right for YOUR family?

Well, let’s talk about how your family likes to eat on vacation.  Do you like to grab something quick so you don’t miss out on any family fun?  Do you prefer to stop at nice restaurants and ‘recharge your batteries’?  Do you prefer buffet meals with the more varieties they offer? Do you like to have a couple of adults only meals?

 

Let’s talk about it.  There may be a dining plan that works perfect for you and YOUR family – or we may find it is better to skip the plan and pay as you go.

 

With over 20 personal family Disney trips under my belt, I have the experience to help guide you through all the confusing issues of planning YOUR perfect trip.

Free Dining!

Free Dining!

 

 

 

That's right, Disney has released its early and late Fall Free Dining promotion to its Disney Visa Club Members.  While releasing on a Friday was a bit odd, releasing it for both time frames was a bit odd, and the gaps in October were a bit odd...it was still released.

 

 

The dates area s follows:

 

August 31 to October 3

October 26 to November 1

November 9 to November 20

December 12 to December 23

 

Yes...if you want to visit Disney over Thanksgiving or Christmas you can actually plan it and have Free Dining!  I believe last year was the first time it was possible to have a 7 day or less trip to Disney during Christmas and have Free Dining for your visit, and now you get either Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Although you could do both I suppose.

 

There are limits and exclusions of course, the official word says something like 6 nights and 7 days minimum stay required, but as long as you have 3 days and 2 nights they seem to be allowing it.  And some resorts are not available (and that availability is changing daily as more and more people are booking), but if you have been patiently waiting (or not so patiently waiting) the dates are the main thing, and the resort is usually secondary. 

 

My advice is the same as always.  Book a trip you feel you can afford, and then enjoy the discounts when/if you get them!  But of course, lots of people think that if they do not get Free Dining they cannot afford to go to Disney.

 

There is also a room only discount that was released at the same time.  Details on that are a bit sketchy, but in many instances this discount will actually save you more money that a Free Dining discount!

 

So, the bottom line is, if you want to visit Disney during the Fall, give me a call....let's get it booked with the best discount we can get!



Boo! Time to go home!

Friday, Valentine’s Day, and our travel day
We had worried all week about how bad the roads would be going back home. Since the majority of the schools around us were closed, we had hoped to stay an extra day, or to maybe spend a day at the beach and go back either Saturday or Sunday. Since it was a holiday weekend there was NOTHING available at Disney! Even with all the discounts we could find, there was nothing that would work…so after checking with several sources at home we decided to make a go of it and if the roads started looking bad we could stop for the night.
Friday morning, we get up bright and early. Packing took me about a minute…seriously! It took me longer to pack up the laptop than it did to get the rest of the stuff done. Hubby was in charge of getting it to the car…I was in charge of making sure everything was packed.
I found it odd that I did not have the familiar envelope hanging on my door that morning. I wanted to make sure all the room charges were right…. But it was not there, so actual face to face check out was needed.  Leaving husband to pack the car, I took the wheelchair to the front. We used Walker Mobility again and they pick it up from you at the front…so I walked around to drop it off. As I walked through the lobby, I decided to ask for a print out of the room charges They did not have it ready….because…they have us checking out on Saturday! Really?
About that time, my phone rings and the pickup guy is 5 minutes away so I head out to drop off the wheelchair.  I will say we will probably use Walker Mobility again on our October trip as well.  I had worried about having to wait for them to arrive to drop it off as well as waiting for them to pick it up...but truthfully, it was easier than going to bell services.  This trip we were actually running a few minutes late.  No problem...we were told to call them when we were about 15 minutes out and they would meet us there.  I waited for a total of less than 5 minutes...and that time was divided between drop off and pick up!
Then it was time to figure out what was going on with the check out date.  I went back to the front desk and since I got a different CM…I decided to play dumb. She was very puzzled about why I would be checking out early! Even though the dining plan was only 4 days, they had us done as 5 nights…even though we only paid for 4 nights! It had something to do with the way they had to trick the system to get the dining plan added to the package…after checking with a manager; sure enough…we had the room for an extra night. If only I had known that BEFORE we packed up the car!
Even though they did not charge us for the extra night, as far as their system was concerned, the room was paid for an extra night and would be vacant if we left. They could not re-assign the room to anyone else. All that worrying I did trying to find a room for us and it was ours all along! LOL!
After a quick breakfast, we left Disney. I got that familiar pang in my tummy as we drove out. Even though I knew our plans were to head back in October, I really was more upset about leaving Disney than I had been on any other trip. Maybe because it was such a short trip, maybe because I ‘knew’ that I could have stayed another day, or maybe because I just miss Disney!

The drive home was extremely uneventful, although the closer we got to home the more ice and snow we saw on the sides of the road. I was very strange to arrive home and have almost 2 feet of snow on the sidewalk and on the roof, but it was in the 50’s!
So….now that we have arrived safe at home…it is time to get the October trip planned…I have a ton of shirts to get ready! 


I do plan on putting some pictures with this report.  I still need to organize them a bit.  Look for pictures to come soon!

Disney Security at it finest!

Some of you may know that my son is a survivor of Traumatic Brain Injury.  It is not something we dwell on, it just IS.

Since he may some day read this, I am going to briefly tell what happened at DHS, but leave out most of the details.

During the course of dinner my son became separated from the rest of the family.  Since he tends to be non verbal to strangers and when stressed, we were extremely worried.  Security was notified and they very quickly were able to put 'eyes' on him.  They did not attempt to speak with him, they only watched from a distance.

When he decided to head back to the restaurant, they followed him, but he never knew it.

He is safely back with us now, and I can not stress how happy I was with the way Disney handled the incident.  They  handled the situation with tact...and my son never realized anyone was watching out for him. 

Thank you, Disney Security!  You took what could have been a horrible end to our trip and turned it into an almost non event!

Up next...time for check out!  

Disney Hollywood Studios

Our Fp+ for the day were:
Tower of Terror 9:15
Star Tours 10:55
Toy Story 12:25
Hollywood and Vine 6:20
At rope drop we headed to Rock N Roller Coaster. The family rode both this and Tower of Terror while I shopped a bit. As they were leaving Tower of Terror, they pulled a DAS pass for it as well. Since they gave them only a 10 minute return time, they dropped off Miss B (who only wanted to ride once) to shop a bit with me and they rode their second time.
After some window shopping, we headed over to Toy Story. The wait was unbelievable so we pulled a DAS pass and went to watch the Muppets. It has been a few years since we visited them, and while the show is old and the story a bit lame, it was very enjoyable!
We then headed over to Star Tours (which still had less than a 5 minute wait...meaning we wasted another FP+). I have to say this and Toy Story remain my two all time favorites at this park. If I can ride both of these I feel my day was worth it and every thing else is gravy!
Since it was now 11 we decided to grab lunch at the BackStage Lot. Unfortunately, they were not open yet so we grabbed a place to sit and Husband stood in line. After a while he called me and told me to come and help. It was 11:30, but they still were not open. The line was out the door! I have never seen lines like this here except for when we visit during the busy time…it seems that while they were more than ready to open, the computers were not running and they had to reset them. By the time they had the computers up and running I was famished! I guess it was really, really close to 12 before they actually opened. The food was good (or we were to hungry to notice)
After lunch we took a leisurely stroll over to Toy Story and rode our FP+. Then we rode our DAS pass at Toy Story. Unfortunately, the guys won both times by less than 100 points each time! One of these days we will really beat them good!
Magic of Animation is next on our agenda…while the family enjoys this ..it is not my cup of tea so I sat and people watched in the character meet and greet area. Miss B did a really cute Mickey Mouse, while Mr D and Dad worked on a dragon! Mr D said it was the only thing he could make….and refused to try!
Miss B decided her souvenir of the trip was to be a drawing kit with details on how to make the Pixar characters. I wish I would have thought of that for her a Christmas present…I will be searching for one of the classic Disney characters for her this year.
By now we decided to grab a Star Tours DAS pass and since it had only a 20 minute wait, we decided it was a good time for a Mickey bar! Yum. After another successful Star Tours mission we headed to back to Rock N Roller Coaster. While Mr D and Dad rode we found a place to charge my phone and had another snack (shh don’t tell). While they were supposed to pull a DAS pass for it, Dad texted me to say the wait was only 5 minutes and they would just stay there.. At this point I sort of lost count…seems the CMs let Mr D ride multiple times back to back to back…and then they headed over to Tower of Terror and the CMs allowed the same… I really lost count…and I think they did too! Mr D was ecstatic! This would go down as his favorite day of rides at Disney! 

After the disappointing trip in December where he cried because we spent so much time sitting between rides, this more than made up for it to him!
After they got back Mr D decided he needed a drink, so while he grabbed a bottle of water, I went back to the shopping…see I hadn’t actually bought anything yet! I found a cute cover for my Kindle, and then Mr D joined me to find his ‘girlfriend’ a cute pink Mickey Head key chain.
As we walked along we did a bit more shopping to get some things for my older kids…and then stopped. We still had an hour until dinner and we were ready to go! I decided since we had had so much luck getting in early at our ADRs I would try… especially since it was DEAD there! While I waked up to the podium a couple was standing in front of me…they were trying to get a walk up…they told them it was a 20 minute wait. Good! Maybe they could take us in an hour early…Yup…in fact the couple got in while I was still checking in! We were in and seated within 5 minutes.
So far this was turning into a fantastic last day at Disney. I knew the packing tonight would be easy as pie…since it was pretty much done..thanks to my packing cubes! All of our clean clothes (what there was of it) were sitting in the packing cubes which would take a minute to combine them all…. And our dirty laundry was already deposited into the large piece of luggage we brought. All it would take is throwing the rest into the smaller bag and we were off!
Unfortunately…what happened next was enough to send me into a tail spin!

Epcot!

Our FP+ for this park were not great…of course there is nothing really great to ride here except Soarin and Test Track. Our selections were:
Space ship Earth 11:10
Living with the Land 12:50
Soarin 1:50
Dinner at Tutto Italia 7:30

I did not get one for Test Track since I figured during the day Soarin was a longer line than Test Track, which we could catch at rope drop.

Our first ride of the day was Test Track. As usually, Miss B had the most efficient car while Mr D had the most powerful. Since it was still early and practically no wait, we rode only 4 to a car. As we left, we pulled a DAS pass and started towards Norway to ride Maelstrom…because evidently I can’t tell time and completely forgot that it is not open until 11am!!! So we turned back and went to TT and let the guys ride. Miss B had a headache and did not want to ride. We figured we would try again later in the afternoon for another ride. They got off the second TT ride at 9:32.

Since we had so much time to kill, we headed to Mr D’s favorite ride of all …Figment. Then Miss B (for what ever reason I can’t fathom) wanted to see Captain EO. After I rode it a year ago I said never again..it was the worst use of time I ever wasted! But ride it we did…and it was still not much better than the first time. In fact, I almost fell asleep! After this we went towards Spaceship Earth to use our first FP+

This was a waste of a FP+, but there really wasn’t a lot to put in its place. We used to go in the handicap entrance, but one the DAS came out they would not let us use that any more we had to use a FP+ or a DAS pass. I decided on a FP+…and of course they made us go to the handicapped entrance! Oh well!



I am sure it has to do with how crowded it was/wasn't and maybe the time of day, or maybe the fact that they realized it works better if the wheelchair uses the alternative entrance. I had thought that with the advent of the DAS it would be more uniform than it was, but it seems to be pretty much as it was before.  Dependent entirely on the CM manning the gates (so to speak)  The main difference seems to be the timing of the DAS pass...no spontaneous decisions to ride something.

Then we decided to have lunch at Sunshine Seasons and then Living with the land for our second FP+ . This is the first time we have done Living with the Land when there were actual people working in the greenhouses…and an actual living with the seeds tour. I now have two kids and a husband that are begging for this tour on our next trip. Of course it has been one of my dreams for a long time to do this, but I figured if I suggested it no one would want to do it! SCORE! My birthday trip in October will now include this !!

We then rode Soarin at 2:14 with our last FP+, pulled a DAS pass for later and headed to the Seas. This is a place I could spend hours at, but the rest of the family…not so much. We were fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the dolphin show…that I did not know existed!

I decided since my vertigo was trying to raise its head I would pass on Soarin this time and found a place to sit that appeared to be quiet. What I didn’t realize was it was one of the FP+ kiosks. No problem, I love to people watch. 

Unfortunately, what I witnessed was beyond being rude! When someone would walk up the two CMs would explain all about what the FP + was and how it made the whole trip so much better. It let you chose the time you wanted to ride a particular ride…and was basically the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then they would ask for either Soarin or Test Track and she would smiling tell them they were too late for that…but they could see O Canada or Captain EO.

As the guest would leave the CM would laugh and remark to the male CM she was trying to impress, that she just loved the look on people’s faces after she spent 5 minutes building up the d*** thing that there was nothing left for them except the dregs! (It was the least Disney could do for her since they paid her so little)

She then went on to complain about how little she makes and how Disney wants to run her life. She is not allowed to wear any body piercings or have any tattoos while she is working…but she will show them…she has tons of piercings (and would be glad to show the male Cm any time he wanted and the tattoos are not in places you can see unless she took her clothes off..)

At one time she told a family, that was staying onsite,  that since they did not set up FP+ before they got there they couldn’t set up anything for the next day…so I showed them how to do it on their phone…They were going to Magic Kingdom the next day and they wanted to make sure they got to ride BTMRR. So I showed them how to set one up and to get there at rope drop and ride it first thing and then have their FP+ for after lunch when the line was longer.

She was just too far from me to read her name tag, and I tried to glance over at it as we were leaving the area, but she was talking to someone and I could not get a good look….


Because there was a severe t storm warning out I wanted to charge my phone to keep up with the storm, so we headed to Starbucks. Hubby got him some coffee and we charged my phone.

Then proceeded to walk around the countries. No particular interest, just wanted to stop and see things we sometimes miss and to get some pictures of things we see but never stop to actually look at.

As we arrived in Italy, I saw the clouds looking very ominous. The radar indicated we should have storms within a few minutes so I asked it we could go to our ADR 2 hours early…they said yes, and we barely made it in before the bottom fell out.

Food at Tutto Italia was great…even if our server had such a thick accent it was hard to understand her, she was very helpful in trying to help us decide what we wanted.

The people behind us was horrible! I know kids can be a hand full, and they had 2 small kids. One who wanted to sing let it go during the whole meal (which was fine by me…he actually had a pretty good voice for a 4 year old) .  My problem was with the parents...but I won't go into that here.

After dinner, we managed to find the wheelchair (evidently someone though their stroller should be under the cover and moved our wheelchair out to the middle where it was drowned! We grabbed our ponchos, made a dry spot for Mr D to sit with an extra poncho…I always carry extras! Made sure nothing was ruined from getting wet (always pack things in zip lock bags!)and decided to head out of the park. I had really wanted to see the fireworks, and even though the storms had subsided to just a hard drizzle and the fireworks were still on, it was only 7 ish and we would have to wait another 2 hours for them to start. Since the area around Soarin and the Seas closed early for some function, the only real ride we care about was Test Track, and because of all the lightning in the area it was still closed … we decided to head back to the room after a quick stop for coffee at Starbucks!

This was the first day my husband noticed the Argentinean teenaged tour groups. He was not impressed. They attempted to take over the FP line for Soarin, and when they were all turned away because they did not have a FP+, they were very vocal and rude! He said they all seemed to learn English really fast as they started shouting expletives about Americans…

And then while he was getting our lunch they got upset that their vouchers were not good for food unless their tour guide was with them to pay! Some of them got into a shouting match and the security had to escort them out!

All I saw of them that day was how rude they got when in mass. When there was just one or two or maybe four they were nice, but get them in a group of 50 or so and they took on a mob mentality. (and before anyone says anything…I KNOW it has less to do with their nationality and more to do with their age!) I guess when we lived in Europe, we always stressed to our kids that we were ambassadors for our county. Whatever we did people would think all ‘Americans’ were that way. But we did have quite a few teaching moments about manners and mob mentality!

Over all this was a successful day. While it was our first rain out at Disney, we still got to ride everything we wanted and had a great meal. Other than some rude teens and a horrible CM (and some just bad parents) It was a fantastic day!

Up next...our last day in the parks...

magic Kingdom part 2

The guys had a very successful swim and made some new friends. Miss B and I had a very good two hour long nap! The boys came back, I had a cup of coffee and we got ready to head back to Magic Kingdom. By the time we made it back to the park and got inside it was dark. We had a pass for Space Mtn that we decided to hold off using until after dinner. We still had a couple hours until dinner, and walking around the park at night is always a favorite of mine. We headed to Pooh and it only had a 15 minute wait, and with the wheelchair it was about 10. As we were walking away…we saw a mine car traveling on the mine train! We waited about 15 minutes but it never came back. We were on the side of Pooh…and you could just barely see the opening it went into …. So as it was getting close to time to find a spot for the 8 pm fireworks… we headed towards Be Our Guest… our ADR was at 8:35 and we knew we should check in a bit early. We decided this would be a great place to watch the fireworks and we would be close to where we needed to check in.

The walls were removed from around the mine train in this area. Surprise! The mine car was moving again…this time it had passengers! There was NO WAY you were getting me to move from this spot! The problem, I soon discovered, was that train is QUIET! It is really hard to get a picture with it moving, because it also moves a bit fast. So I stayed right there trying to get a picture of the mine car moving. Then the fireworks started. I never really realized how far behind the castle most of the fireworks truly were. I had a great view of the Beast’s Castle with fireworks! Probably the best place to watch them! Soon it was time to go in for dinner…and still no picture of the mine trains!

Dinner was as always perfect! We sat right next to the windows and got to see the snow falling behind them. All too soon it was over.

Back out front to attempt another picture…this time I had success! They were a bit blurry, but I did manage to get them. By this time we decided to go over and try for Space Mountain with our DAS pass. I found a spot to sit and the family went in. A few minutes later I got a text from Miss B. They would not let them use the DAS pass??!!!??? Seems the CM said it expired at 3:45…being a tad bit over protective of my kids I headed to the FP return line and confronted the CM. She decided to show me she was boss and argued with me about it. She said the DAS is only good for one hour from time that is written on it. Not true! She was actually yelling at me…telling me that I had a feeling of entitlement that I did not have and to get over it! I asked for a manager.

Even after the other CM standing there said I was right, the original CM refused to back down. She then said it didn’t really matter because they were already on the ride by now…um..YES it did matter! The second CM had to MAKE her get her manager. After waiting a while, and no manager, I sent a text to my family and said I was dealing with a problem and to go to the bench where they left me and I would return soon.

A good 15 minutes later, when no manager showed up…a different manager walked up. He was over the Tomorrowland area not just a ride. The second CM told him what was going on and he spoke briefly with the first CM (who then disappeared into the building) and then came over to talk with me. I never did see that first CM again…

After a good thirty minute discussion on the pros and cons of the DAS vs the GAC he called HIS manager to come over and join the conversation. We had another 20 minute or so conversation. My stand is that after 5 months you would think there was enough training on the use of the DAS for the CMs. Their excuse was she was new…I’m sorry I don’t buy that. New or not, if the training had been adequate, this would not have happened. Had I known that during the interaction with my family that she had accused them of trying to get over the system I would not have let the whole thing die as easily as I did!

After I met back up with my family, we decided it was time to head out. While Mr D did not have a melt down waiting on SM…it did have the exact effect I expected…he was no longer cooperative and refused to do anything else. He and Dad were going to ride Stitch again while they were waiting on me, but Mr D had gotten a bit wild and uncontrollable so they couldn’t ride.

At this point we managed to hop on the ferry with a zero wait.  Considering it is now past 10 and the park closes at 11, I felt this was a miracle!  

Magic Kingdom Tuesday

We arrived just moments before Rope Drop. The opening ceremony concluded just as we got through baggage check with a bit of fireworks. The park was open tonight until 11, and we had a Be Our Guest dinner reservation at 8:35 so we knew it was going to be a long day.
A note about baggage check…please be considerate of the people behind you. Have your bag OFF your neck and open so the screeners can look in…If your bag is large, put your stuff in plastic bags. It makes it much easier to glance and go! Believe me …NO ONE wants to see how many pairs of sexy underwear you packed in you park bag and NO ONE wants to know why! Some things should remain private….
We went straight through the Castle towards Fantasyland. We normally have to go around the castle. I can not remember how long it has been since we got to go through the castle. That is the main difference between going during party season and during regular times.
Our first stop was Pooh! We love this ride and there was a zero wait time. By the time we got off the wait was up to 20 minutes! After Pooh we went to Peter Pan. The wait was 20 minutes here as well, but we knew it would be much longer in a few minutes. They sent us through the wheel chair entrance which made our wait about 15 minutes.
We then headed over to Ariel and Dumbo, which had minimal waits as well. In fact they were both walk on. From Dumbo we were able to see over the walls to the Mine Train. It is getting so close to done! I can hardly wait for our October trip! 

It was now 9:45 and our first FP+ was at Big Thunder at 10:30. So we decided to take a trip on the train. We realized we haven’t ridden it since they closed it down for the Fantasyland expansion…so it was time! Mr D fell asleep on the train, so he continued his nap while we sat for a while in Frontierland waiting for our FP+ time. Once he woke up refreshed and raring to go….off they went ot one of their favorite rides! While the rest of the family rode BTMRR I found a nice sunny spot to sit and enjoy my favorite sport of people watching.  

On that note, perhaps this is a good time to interject my thoughts on how people dress for parks. Some people dress for fashion, no matter how uncomfortable. Some people dress for comfort, no matter how bad it looks. And others…well, let’s just say they dress without benefit of a mirror. Some body types should be more cognizant of how a particular outfit looks on them. More than one large chested woman will get home and cringe at the pictures! Designs from a shirt prominent displayed in an unattractive manner…cut in half by a cross body bag. And blinging Mickey’s ears is not a problem and looks cute…just be watchful as to where those bling pieces actually fall on the body…and please leave the spiked heels at home!  

Once the family rejoined me we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. Again it was a walk on ride. By this time we decided we should grab a bite to eat and headed to Cosmic Rays. Even though we keep saying we are going to try different places, we always keep coming back to here. It has a wide variety to please everyone and it has mostly inside seating. At first we thought it might be closed. There were construction walls all around. Nope, the side that is closest to the castle is undergoing a large refurb…actually they are enclosing more of the outside dining areas to become inside dining areas. And after seeing some reports of that whole area under going a major remodel it makes sense. 
This has always been one of my favorite places to sit and watch the castle lighting.
From here Mr D and Dad rode Stitch. For some unknown reason Mr D claims this as his favorite ride! At least that is always the reasoning he gives for wanting to ride it! LOL! Afterwards it was time for our second FP+, Buzz Lightyear!

Yes, we are a competitive family and we always try to outdo the other. Dad always wins and Mr D always comes in 4th…Miss B and I trade off the other two spots. I think we should handicap dad since he was a trained sharpshooter in the army…and he shoots guns in his everyday life as well… but he disagrees! (I need a smiley with their tongue sticking out here!)

After this ride we headed over to Carousel of Progress. While it is no one’s favorite ride, we all enjoy it and it was starting to get HOT. Unfortunately, they made us sit on the first row. Let me just say…vertigo and first row on this ride do NOT mix! LOL..
At this time it was time for our third and last FP+…Space Mountain. (1:55) This is truly one of Mr D’s favorite. From the time he was finally tall enough to ride he has begged to go on it all the time. It is one of those rides he would never get off if they gave him the chance. Since we had decided we had rode everything we had on our MUST HAVE list we felt it was a good time to head back to the room for a couple hours to swim. Dad grabbed a DAS pass for Space Mtn. The time marked on it was 2:45.
We then headed back to the room for the boys to swim. I needed a nap and Miss B was fighting a sinus cold (how on Earth does she allow herself to get sick as we leave for Disney!!!)
This seems like a good place to end this part of the report. The next report will have some of the GREATEST times of the trip as well as one of the WORST time of the trip…stay tuned!

On the agenda for this afternoon is Animal Kingdom. Even though I know we basically only have a few hours here, it is the one park we don’t really feel the need to spend a lot of time in.
Got to park by 3:30 and went to ticket counter to trade in our Military Salute ticket vouchers for the real thing. Quick and painless…except that when I asked about getting the tickets added to our Magic Bands she seemed to panic and quickly said I needed to ask at Guest Services and they would do it for me.. (Which seemed a bit strange, since I knew they could be added once I had the actual tickets in my hand)
Then we went to Guest Services to get Mr D his DAS. My first tip for the trip is to have a copy of your OLD DAS with you when you go to get a new one. They can simply renew the old one without you having to go through the whole story. Again, quick and painless!
We headed towards the back of the park to get a DAS pass for Expedition Everest. We tried to get some Fast pass+ but there was none really available. I could only get Triceratops Spin and Primeval Whirl…both of which had a current wait time of 5 minutes! So after getting the DAS pass for EE we went over to Dinosaur so the three of them could ride (I cannot ride due to my neck issues), then Mr D had to ride Primeval Whirl twice before back to EE. They grabbed another DAS pass for EE and we headed over to the Safari.
The parade was still going on, so we had to go through all the back ways to get to the safari. We were actually moving faster than the parade at times…and some of the performers were joking with us about the good time we were making!
After we finally got through and into the ride…well…there was NO ONE there! To say it was a walk on would be putting it mildly! I mean the first thing I saw was a vehicle leaving completely EMPTY!! (that will play in very important in a minute)
After boarding, I felt the driver was less than enthusiastic…but I was determined to enjoy this as it was my only time I would be able to ride this trip. When he took a short cut through the first animals…I was starting to get a little upset. Until….we got to the giraffes.
Remember that empty vehicle I told you about? It seems that vehicle wasn’t exactly empty, it just had no people passengers…it was loaded with FOOD!! The giraffes came right up to the vehicle and stuck their heads in. We got some really up close and personal views. She stayed there about 5 or 10 minutes before she started leaving. When our vehicle came up to them, they did not stick their heads in, but gave ups great views on both sides of the vehicle. The baby was so cute! We very slowly crept along with the giraffes walking beside us…less than 3 feet away. We were cautioned to keep our hands inside since they had been known to nip a bit when expecting food.
We spent a good 20 minutes with the giraffes…then on to the zebras. Where we got a repeat performance of the giraffes! Truly spectacular! The absolute greatest Safari experience EVER! It lasted over an hour!

 

We waited just outside of Tusker House while Mr D and Dad went back to EE for another ride on the DAS. When they came back we were told they got to ride twice! Mr D was happy beyond belief. Being able to do this is something that not having the GAC took away from him. The CMs there went above and beyond for him on that day! We were an hour early for our ADR at Tusker House, but we were all exhausted. So I took a chance that they would let us in early and it paid off. This was our first trip to Tusker House and we were not disappointed. We LOVE Boma and found it to be just a scaled down version of our old favorite. My only complaint would be the noise level. It was really LOUD and hardly anyone there! I can only imagine how loud it would be if it were full!

 
Walking out of Tusker House after the park closed … with no one around, was surreal. I can not wait to do this again.
Over all low crowds and great weather made for a fantastic short visit. We did not get a lot done, but we did get everything we wanted to do!

We then went back to the room and zonked out. I seriously do not remember even going to bed. Of course at this point I had been up for 36 hours with just a few naps.

What is up tomorrow?

Check in

We arrived at All Star Sports at 11:30, which is pretty much what we expected. Unfortunately, online check in would not work so I never was able to have the early arrival time noted on the reservation. Our rooms have always been ready early for us, and I did not expect it to be a problem this time. 

Wrong…our room was not ready…so after check in we left to go to Shades of Green to get our tickets and do a bit of sightseeing. As I was told …I kept calling back every 30 minutes to see if our room was ready. On one of those calls…as she was telling me it was not ready, I got the text telling me it was ready. But when we got back to the gate…the magic band would not work! Considering the problems we had last year we were very wary…

We go to the front desk and get our room assignment and had our Magic Bands reactivated. Evidently…the bands can easily become UNactivated when they change your room… Which makes me wonder what would have happened if we had went to the park first?

When we got to the room I was pleasantly surprised. The over all room was smaller, but not so much as I felt uncomfortable. I admit to being a resort snob. Moderates is the only way I visit Disney! Having claustrophobia I need the extra space in a resort room. While the single vanity was a bummer, the extra space in the room with the tub and toilet more than made up for it!

It was easy to see the differences between the Values and Moderates in the small details. Like the linens. Especially the towels. They were definitely a lower quality than I was used to. In fact, I would go so far as to say the towels they used at the moderates for the towel animals was a higher quality than the towels hanging in the bathroom here. I always assumed that all linens at Disney were the same…I know differently now…In fact the trucks delivering the linens actually say All Star on the sides!

I really missed the Mickey Head shower head…and some of the hidden Mickeys we always look for. But the shower was hot and felt great…

I will say I felt the staff was a bit strange…even though our room was ready and we were trying to bring our stuff in…the cleaning staff would not move the large trash bag and linen cart from in front of our door so we could bring out luggage in without going over or around. She gave us a huff and dirty look as she was leaving. And at the front, while I was waiting for the wheelchair to be delivered, one of the valets came over and told me I could not wait there if I did not need help with my luggage. 





While this was a bit un Disney, it could have easily been a bad day for either of them.  And as the trip went on...there were no other issues.


One more note about the size of the room.  There was a high school cheerleading competition going on while we were there.  The whole resort was filled to capacity with cheerleaders.  I can only imagine having two or three teenaged girls trying to get ready in that bathroom!  It is a sight I would NOT want to see!


Our room was in the back next to the parking lot and on the ground floor.  Just as we had asked for.  I was worried about noise, but never noticed any noise other than what you would expect at a moderate.  As I said I was pleasantly surprised overall!  


One thing that happened when we checked in...she kept saying for 5 nights...and I kept correcting her to 4 nights and five days.  This will come into play later on...

Next up is our first Park....

Wow...it is really early!

Being an ex military family, we are used to traveling at night.  It works great for us.  So our Disney trips always start at 3am.  This allows us to travel while the kids are asleep, and we wake them up around 9 for breakfast in Ocala.  

We always stop at Cracker Barrel for a good filling breakfast, fill up the car again and hit the road with only about an hour and a half until we arrive.  

I usually sleep until about an hour before we leave the house, and the kids stay up watching movies...well not this trip!

We still left at 3 am...but since Dad had to work on Sunday until 7pm, Mom had to stay up with the kids.  So I took a quick hour nap Sunday afternoon.  Dad went to bed about 10 and slept until 2:30.  Which gave him about 30 minutes less sleep than he normally gets on a work night.

However, leaving out at 3 am was really early!  We had packed up the car the day before, so we were all set to go when the time came... but since Mom has problems sleeping in the car, well, let's just say she was one tired Mama!

The trip was uneventful.  I think it is the first trip that was not foggy or raining.  Since we go back roads for the first couple of hours, we had to both keep our eyes open for deer.

Then, finally we see the familiar stop for breakfast, then we hit the turnpike and before you know it we are knocking on Disney's back door!

Now that you know the reason behind the trip, let's look at the particulars of this trip.  

We originally booked a room only discount with the military discount at All Star Sports.  Booking it only 15 days before we decided to go was a bit daunting for me.  Only our first trips were taken with such little planning!

At the two week mark (yes, just one day later) we decided to add the dining to it and made our dining reservations.  Knowing how hard it is to make dining reservations at the 180 day mark, I knew there would be problems at the 2 week mark!  I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get most of what we wanted.  The only character meal was Crystal Palace, but my kids are all older now, and character meals are actually more for Mom than the kids now!

Our meals were:
Tusker House
Crystal Palace
Tutto Italia
Hollywood and Vine

Of these, two were new to us (Tusker House and Tutto Italia).  One we really did not like much (Hollywood and Vine) and one was so so (Crystal Palace)

I knew I had until 36 hours before we checked in to add the dining plan to our Military discounted room, so I was in no hurry.

Since, of course, I was unable to get Be Our Guest, my plan was to try and snag Be Our Guest for lunch.  Every day I would play around with the 'secret site' to try once to snag the lunch time Fast Pass.  

When I finally was able to snag it I was so excited!  It would be a perfect trip!  I had Be Our Guest!

Then, less than a week before time to go I read online that a lot of dinner Be Our Guests were being released.  At the same time I realized that I had forgotten that the fireworks were going to be at 8 instead of 9...and our ADR at Crystal Palace was going to prevent us from seeing them!  

While trying to get a better time for Crystal Palace...an ADR time for Be Our Guest popped up!  I grabbed that thing faster than you can say "Go for it!".  I cancelled that Crystal Palace and felt very happy that my trip would be perfect.

So, to recap,
Our first park would be Animal Kingdom with Tusker House @ 6:15 with the park closing at 6.  On Tuesday we would be in Magic Kingdom with Be Our Guest @ 8:30.  Next would be Tutto Italia in Epcot @7:30 with Illuminations at 9:00 and ending our trip with Hollywood and Vine @6:20 at Hollywood Studios.

It felt like everything was falling into place.

In February, we decided to take a fact finding trip to Disney.  We had never stayed in a Value before.  I admit...I am a Moderate snob.  We have never thought about staying anywhere other than a Moderate.

But I realize not everyone can afford a Moderate, and there are some people who just prefer to stay at a Value.  Their argument is how much time do you actually spend in your room except to sleep.

Using the military discount, and the military salute tickets, we took advantage of the kids being out of school for a week to take a quick trip to Disney!  The next few posts will be my thoughts and ramblings about the trip, including the impressions that a Value made on me as well as some additional information about the FastPass+ and the DAS pass.

Sit back and relax, it is going to be a long ride!