The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I am super excited!  I just got my Birnbaums Guide to Walt Disney World 2013 "The Official Guide."  I did a quick glance at the Fantasyland section and the The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train states by very late 2013 or early 2014.  Wouldn't that be awesome if it was ready for December 2013 that would be great for my planning however might mess with the crowds...  oh, well that would be worth a little extra last minute planning.

Buy it on Amazon for yourself!

Disney Dining Plan (Deluxe Version)

So I have been reading several articles about the Disney Dining Plan and want to point out a couple of things I have noticed about the Deluxe version.

You have to eat 3 huge meals a day! - False

First they reference having 3 meals a day, that is not exactly the case you get 3 meals for each night you stay.  Our next trip we will arrive in Orlando in the late evening, stay at a cheap offsite hotel then arrive at the counter as early in the am as we can to get our vacation started.  Then we will be staying an extra night (not on our reservation) at the end of our trip so we end up with 8 nights but 9 days.  So take 24/9 and you get to spread out the meals a little more.  We will be eating at the castle one morning (before the park opens) and going to Hoopy Doo Music Review (also 2 credits).  So now we are taking 22/9 so that is 2.5 meals a day so now we are at 3 meals every other day.

You will waste 1.5 hours each time you eat! - False

Plan to eat at the restaurants that let you in the park early (Castle, Crystal Palace, Tusker House).  That way you will get you in the parks before it opens.  That will actually add to our usable park time as we will already be in the park at rope drop and be able to enjoy some great photos without a lot of people.

So if we start our day at 7am get to a before parks character meal at 8am.  Share a quick service meal in the afternoon (say in our hotel before our afternoon nap/pool time) everyday and then have dinner around 7 that is all we need to do (only time out of our park hours will be for dinner).

Character meals are the only time I will meet and greet with characters so it actually saves time from waiting in line you can multi-task.

The cost is too high / not a good value! - False

The Deluxe Plan is expensive but when if your going to eat sit down twice a day it is pretty similar in pricing except you get more times to eat and  more selection (as you don't have to worry about the cost of what your eating).  Also if you don't need to eat your 2 snacks you can purchase items that you can take home as gifts.  Some examples are popcorn, rice crispy treats, bagged candy and more...  If you don't use all your dining credits try and purchase snacks with them sometimes they let you.  Generally speaking you really need to plan out what you are going to eat as it might be cheaper to pay out of pocket but you might end up skimping out on a lot of fun.  Don't try and eat counter service for a week just to save $100 as you will really miss out on a lot of unique dining opportunities.

Convenience is not really something to count! - False 

My opinion is I like to have everything paid for before I go so I don't worry about money while on my trip it is not fun to see costs add up at every meal I don't want to be thinking about the bill I want to be enjoying Mickey and Eeyore.

Quick Tips

I just wanted to talk Disney today, so here is a list of general tips:

• Use the package delivery if staying onsite (it takes 24 hours to get back to your room so schedule your shopping accordingly)
• Use photopass or take plenty of pictures 
• Take a nap in the afternoon (or go to the pool)
• Be at a park at rope drop (early in your trip so you realize how great it is)
• Use the Disney Transport System (try the boats as well, study the routes before you get there)
• Have at least one character meal no matter how old you are
• Accept the fact that you wont be able to do everything 
• Enjoy the things you can do
• Ask for towel specific animals from housekeeping (its fun)
• Use all your meal and snack credits (you paid for them even if you just get nonperishable stuff from the food court)
• Be creative with snack credits (sometimes you can trade meal credits for 3 snack credits)
• Pin Trade (get pins from ebay or amazon)
• Penny Press Hunt
• Try rides you have never been on before
• Enjoy the scenery
• Take time to slow down (it is your vacation isn't it)
• Coordinate Clothing it makes for better pictures
• Don't be afraid to ask about discounts when booking your trip  

So, just some random thoughts of the day.

Photopass and Photopass+

So I have been doing some research on this subject and thought I would share it around.

For full disclosure, I have already determined that I will be purchasing the photopass+ on my next Disney World trip.  It will just be my husband and myself and this will allow for a lot of together photos.

My main reasons for getting it is that your already spending a lot on the trip so might as well make sure you get some memories for later.  Also the addition of ride photos is such a unique option and I am looking forward to haveing those photos, I normally would never purchase a ride photo.  I also am looking forward to the stock photos for use in my scrapbook for this trip.  I am considering purchasing a little early so I can use the photos in some of my crafts and pre-trip projects.

Some great references for you to decide if the photopass+ is right for you:

Podcast about using photopass+: Here they discuss how to use the photopass+ with large groups and that you can get a standard photopass card and add the photos to your photopass+ if you split up and also how to take a picture of ride photos and get them added to your photopass+ later.

Order your photopass+ here

Finding photopass+ photographers

Finding photopass+ photographers and some tips

More info, and more, a review

A review an the alternative side of photopass, this is a good read if you don't plan on getting a photopass, discusses using the photopass photographers with your own camera.

Going to Disney as a group - How to plan for success?

I went to Disney with a total of 8 people and learned a lot about what not to do.  So I thought I would put together a list of expectations.

• How are you getting to Disney?
• If you driving how often do you want to stop?
• What vehicle will you take?
• What are you going to do to make the trip entertaining?
• Is there going to be quite time required in the car?
• How much stuff is there room for?
• What are you going to do with other stuff that does not fit?
• Who will get snacks for the car/cooler?  
• How are you going to split expenses?
• If your flying who is going to book the reservations?
• What time do you want to leave?
• What time do you want to arrive?
• What time do you want to leave Disney?
• How are you getting to the airport?
• How are you getting back from the airport?
• What vehicle will you take?
• How are you going to split expenses?
• How long do you want to stay?
• When do you want to go (leave and return dates)?
• How do you want to split up rooms/expenses?
• Do you want to use the Disney Dining Plan?
• What plan? Everyone in the same room has to be on the same plan so be aware in planning.
• Where do you want to eat?
• Who is going to pick the restaurants?
• Who is going to pick the times?
• Who is going to make the ADR?
• How much time do you want to spend together?
• How much free time do you wnat?
• What time do you plan to head to the park each day?
• Do you plan to come back to the room during the day?
• What time do you plan to be in bed each night?
• What parks to you want to visit?
• Do you want to go to the water parks?
• Do you want to go to Disney Quest?
• Do you plan to take a day "off" from the parks?
• Do you plan to do anything offsite?
• What resort do you want to stay?
• Do you plan to get the Photopass?  
• How are you going to split cost?

The biggest caution I have to you is plan to get in the parks early and if the others that are going with you don't want to do that leave them at the resort and meet up at a designated lunch spot or have them plan to text the group when they leave the resort.  If you want different sleep schedules either don't get adjoining room or keep the door securely shut after a predetermined time.  The other caution is be aware about splitting cost and have a plan in place before hand.  It might be a good idea to have a combined budget that can get approved before leaving home.  Include some unexpected issues like what happens if the car breaks down or what happens if no one can drive any longer and you need to spend an unexpected night, what is an acceptable cost.  Also, have a plan if someone gets sick or hurt.  Don't leave it to chance you might end up not coming back with friends.

Disney Themed Tissue Holder

I finally got to make one of the crafts I found on pinterest a tissue holder.

I found some really cute Eeyore and Pooh material at Wal-mart so I picked up a yard without of it without any plans about a month ago.  I also got a yard of green silky material that matched as I figured I would need  something to coordinate with it.

It was  a pretty simple project and I am glad I started with it so I did not get discouraged.

So it was pretty easy, this fits the larger tissue packets (I also felt it would work with tissues you grab out of the box):

1. Gather your supplies
2. Next cut 2 7x10 inch pieces (one from each fabric you plan to use, I used the green for the lining and the Eeyore for the visible side)
3. Pin them together wrong side of the material touching
4. Sew up the short sides
5. Flip it right side of the fabric out (might be a good time to iron the seems)
6. Trim any excess material, especially on the long sides
7. This step is optional - I used a fancy stitch on my machine and ran along the edges (they will be visible at the opening)
8. Then fold it and pin it so the opening will be centered (with the inside material facing out)
9. Sew the (new) short side together
10. Flip it right side out and your done

Disney Clothing Idea

I found this material that you can print onto, and I had a unique idea.  I am going to print an applique type of image then edge the image to look like it was pieced together.  It should make for a pretty quick and handmade look to a T-shirt.

I think I will try this out with a Disney horse image.  Thinking about using one of these:

I hope I can actually make something creative soon.

Disney at Christmas

I just found out that if you are traveling to Disney for Christmas plan ahead to decorate your room window.  Anything from lights to Christmas trees were some of the items used to decorate the room window.

Don't be caught off guard or you may end up feeling like you need to spend money that you did not budget.

I am brainstorming already...  lights, window clings, some ornaments maybe some clips to clip to the back of the curtains to hang stuff from.  Definitely a pack of 3M hangers is a wreath going to far or just right...  guess there is a lot to think about.

Anyone already have some pictures of resort windows?

Ways to make your room feel more cozy and less chaotic

Here is my confession...  I am OCD and like to have some order in my life.  Sometimes it feels crazy when your on vacation with all the stuff you "have to take" with you and the tiny space you try and cram it all into.  Value resort rooms are not large but how much time are you really spending in your room?

I have been gathering some idea to make a value resort feel like a comfy happy home.  So far here is my list of todos:

• Hand soap pump dispenser (decorated in Disney style)
• Pop up clothing hamper
• Storage containers 
• For stuff on the counter 
• To bring food back to the room in (the to go boxes don't work well in a backpack)
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Laundry Soap (don't plan to have to use it but you never know if that one thing you forget to pack is going to mess with your whole plan also we will have some driving days in our trip so having enough may bet a little tough just due to the length of time we will be going)
• Consider either a hanging shoe rack or sweater rack to help give stuff a place to call home 
• Charging Station
• Basket for all the chargers to be located
• Pack a surge strip so you can plug everything in
• Separate Battery chargers that will charge your extra batteries in the afternoon
• Suction cup hooks for wet stuff in the shower

On a side note we will be spending 2 days driving down and 3 days driving back, I am planning on packing separate bags for all three sections of the trip.  Since it will just be the two of us and both of us tend to pack our toiletries in a backpack we should be able to have one night/day in the backpack and then maybe a separate combo small bag for the second travel night, then 2 bags for Disney and one bag on the way back.  That way we don't have to unpack the entire car just to find our socks.

After about 30 Seconds in the room with a large group not my preference .

Road Trip Tips for Grown Ups

So there are a ton of ideas for kids on road trips but what about adults?

Here is a list of things that you can try:

• Cracker Barrel audio books
• Famous Person Alphabet name game
• Name a person
• Next person has to name a person that their names starts with the last letter of the name before
• Movie Game - 20 Questions
• I think I will make a couple of these up Disney version
• License Plate Game
• Keep track of each state you see
• I will try and make up a check list/ board
• Get to know each other questions 
• I will be making up a question list at some point
• I will be asking my husband for input on this as well
• Scavenger Hunt
• I will be making up a check list
• Map stops gift bags
• I figure I will try this at an adult level, there is stuff I have to purchase for use to have on our trip and I will see if I can make this work out a little bit.  

Anyway I will be adding to this list over the next several months and would love to have some feedback in the comments if you have other ideas.

Planning without obsessing

The biggest way to get the most out of your Disney Vacation is to plan ahead to be sure you understand what you want to get from your vacation.  Followed closely by getting up early and getting to the parks before the crowds.  You can seriously get more done in the first hour the parks are open compared to the next three hours.

So the question of the day is how to plan without killing the fun.  Here are some tips

• Plan how your getting to Disney and if your driving have some ideas of towns that you would like to stop in if you need to split your drive up
• Pick out dining locations first and make Advanced Dining Reservations
• Hopping between parks is only a good idea if you are going to get up early as you will likely end up at your hotel in the afternoon for a nap (or a swim)
• Make a list of must do rides (be realistic you wont be able to do everything) so take a few minutes and look through a book that lists the rides and evaluate their value to you and your family.
• I always like to leave the last day unscheduled so that anything that we missed or realized might be a good idea we can get to or take the day to enjoy our favorites again.
• Plan how your going to get back

I am not a big fan of planning the order in which we ride everything but I do believe in studying the maps and understanding what is in each park and making sure that I don't get stuck somewhere and have to double back and waste my time.   Funny story at the end of a day my daughter (5 at the time) and I got stuck trying to figure out how to get out of the park while a parade was going on, it was late and my daughter was tired.  We could not figure out how to get out of adventure land and she thought we were going to get locked in the park.  It was a little stressful but at least it is a Disney memory she has not forgotten.

Planing is a fun way to make your Disney Trip a part of your entire year and to keep your kids involved and aware of what kind of planning it takes to make the trip happen.  My sister made fun of me for planning out all of our dinning reservations for our family trip (I had to get 8 people to each pick 2 restaurants and then work them all out for the time we were there).  However, when she went with her husband and they could not get in at most of the restaurants that they wanted to eat she told me how much she had wished I would have helped her for this trip.

Crystal Palace Dining

I love to have breakfast at the Crystal Palace and meet and greet with Eeyore and others.  The next trip I will be trying a new approach...  Breakfast before the park opens.  This is will be my third trip and I did not know that was possible.

So I am looking forward to castle pictures without a lot of people in front of them possibly some photopass photos.  Then getting around the park before everyone starts arriving.

I love getting photos of Eeyore and the gang.  This time I am considering doing something different than just picks, I definitely plan on making an autograph book so I can scrapbook them.  The signatures are so unique and artistic they make a wonderful addition to any project or page that you can think to use them.

I love Eeyore!

Disney Rewards Visa

Ok, so I am not a fan of credit cards but the Disney Rewards Visa has some definite benefits for the Disney Traveler.  So I decided to go online and sign up since I had over 500 days to our next trip (down to 440 now).  I activated my card yesterday only to get a letter in the mail today that if I spent $500 in the first 3 months I would get a $200 gift card.  So I was disappointed...  but I did not stop there I called and explained the situation and they applied the promotion to my card only down fall is my three months is over in like 3 weeks but I can work that out I will get a lot of money back and my husband's truck needs tires so should be ok.

Anyway the point of the story is always call and ask they can only say no.

UPDATE: I got my $50 dollar card but am still waiting on the $200 dollar one.

Large Disney Planning Binder

I have decided that I need a large Disney Planning binder as well as a small one for the park.  This larger binder will have items for the drive to Florida and at the hotel but will not be taken into the park.  It will also serve as a gathering place for planning materials.  My husband is not into planning this trip like I am so I may have to sneak in some planning opportunities so I decided to be ready to make that happen "spontaneously."

How do I plan to make that happen?  Well, print all the menus off for the restaurants I want to go to and have them on hand to sit down and look through while watching a movie (maybe even one of our Disney movies).

Other things to have in the binder will be park maps and ride lists, hotel maps.   I am still trying to decide where the best place is to stay.  I am planning to stay at Pop Culture since we can walk through the Art of Animation and get to enjoy the great themeing without the risk of not getting the free dining if its offered again. I am planning on booking a trip for 8 nights but then also booking a single night room only it might be fun to book that single nice at Art of Animation and enjoy the hotel that way.  (That might just work out well need to price that out...)

Definitely need driving directions, a list of Cracker Barrel Restaurants (planning to utilizes their audio book rental). Since we are going around Christmas I will have a shopping list of possible ideas so that would be a good discussion section.

I also plan to have a pocket folder to collect scrapbook materials during our stay.  Still thinking about how many pockets I want maybe one for each park as it might make it easier to scrapbook it later.

I truly believe that 60% of the fun is in the planning as you get to do it for many more days than you will be at the parks.

Sections to Create:

• Front Cover
• ICE info (in case of Emergency)
• Contact info of someone back home
• Medical Info (Policy Numbers, allergies)
• Credit Card Info (1-800 number account numbers)
• Driving 
• Directions to each stop
• Cracker Barrel list
• K-Love station listing
• Driving Games
• Hotels
• Confirmation Numbers
• Maps
• Dining
• Confirmation Numbers
• Menus
• Schedule
• Day by Day schedule
• Park crowd listing
• Touring plans
• Magic Kingdom
• Map
• Ride List
• Touring Plan
• Epcot
• Map
• Ride List
• Touring Plan
• Animal Kingdom
• Map
• Ride List
• Touring Plan
• Hollywood Studios
• Map
• Ride List
• Touring Plan
• Blizzard Beach
• Map
• Ride List 
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Map
• Ride List
• Downtown Disney
• Map
• Copy of Gift List
• Mousekeeping
• Pre-filled envelopes
• Gift List
• Names
• Gift Ideas
• Locations to purchase
• Misc
• Anything I don't have a place for
• Back Cover
• Spin Insert

Strollers and Disney

So I stumbled across some statements about strollers lately and it has added up to be enough to write about.

I read about the idea of purchasing a small stroller and shipping it to your hotel ahead of your arrival then handing it off to a family checking in on your way out of the resort.  Nice idea in theory but what really can it cost to rent a stroller or do you even really need one?  So you can rent a double for over $30 a day from Disney (no guarantee that you get one and you cant take it back to your hotel).  You can rent a double stroller from offsite for $75 a week.  That is all assuming you want to haul around a big stroller through the parks all the time.  Someone suggested getting 2 umbrella strollers instead of a double.

I also read about taking a stroller even if you did not have kids just to move your stuff around but ok, really how much stuff can you need in Disney if you don't have kids?  But I got curious...  You can buy a stroller from walmart.com for around $30 for a decent one with a bottom basket or cheaper on without a basket for $20.  You can buy a connector for two strollers from amazon here. So pick up two cheap strollers and the connector and for under $50 you got a double stroller with the added benefit if you only want to take one stroller one day you can or if you want to split up you can.  Or if the crowds are bad you can divide and conquer.

Couples and Disney

I thought I would make a quick update about a fireworks cruise some friends of mine went on for their anniversary.

The husband called ahead and planned a fireworks cruise and dinner from the California Grill.  They had a wonderful time.  They said they got there early and their meal came down a little after they did so the boat driver took them out almost 45 min early for their hour tour (so 1 hour and 45 min).  Not saying that would happen every time but sure would make me be early.  They drove around and saw the resorts and watched the water float parade then the fireworks.  Note that they both said how much they loved it so it was definitely something for both of them.  He told me about neat features like the water bridge and architecture of the resorts and she told me how romantic it was and how beautiful the how experience was.

The couple cautionary notes are ordering the meal was hard to get in touch with the restaurant I think he said it was the day before the cruise when he got to talk to the restaurant.  Also remember how I said they got there early and so did their food?  Well their food was there 30 min before they were supposed to leave so think carefully about what you order as it might sit around for a while.

Packing Tip

If your flying or driving the amount of stuff you need to pack plays a big part in your planning.

A couple tips to help make it easier:

• Disney allows you to receive packages as a guest (I think up to two weeks) before you arrive.  So ship it early enough so you can verify it made it before you leave.
• If you have nesting suitcases consider packing the smaller one with your stuff then putting it in the larger suitcase then when you buy stuff you have a suitcase for stuff to be packed in.
• If you ship stuff to Disney have the return labels created when you ship the items then all you have to do is pack the boxes and place your return label on the box and your ready to give them to the front desk for them to arrange pickup.
• Also if you planning on using groceries while there look into grocery delivery, I have not used this service but have read about it.
• If your really concerned about having enough clothing be sure to bring some laundry care items with you, a collapsible hamper or laundry bag and some detergent singles (love the idea of the tide nuggets) are an easy way to be prepared if you end up "using" up all your clothes and need to do laundry.

Hope that gives you some ideas!

Time at your hotel and transportation

When picking a place to stay I figure you might want to take a minute and realize a few things.

Your going to visit Disney and not necessary the hotel, although the hotels can be very nice and have wonderful places and pools.

Things you will be doing at your hotel:

• Sleeping
• Showering
• Eating (probably just something quick between other plans)
• Trip to the pool 
• Spending the rest of your meal credit before you leave on snacks (if they let you do that)
• Using the transportation to Disney

My suggestion is find a room you will be happy to go to bed in and get ready for Disney in, but other than that don't worry about it.  I think that I have only spent one afternoon at the pool during each trip and always end up eating one meal at the hotel (usually in a hurry or just very tired and hungry).  The big thing is transportation to and from the parks.

I love the Disney bus system it has always been great, I will warn you if  you are going to a water park or Downtown Disney those are some of its weak points or if you are going from a hotel to hotel.  When going from hotel to another try and plan ahead to utilized the monorail system.  I like to go to Chef Mickey so I plan to go to Magic Kingdom and take the monorail back to the Contemporary.  Also be aware of when you can take a boat or ferry (like between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, or between Magic Kingdom and the ticketing center).  The variety in your transport can make the time spend in transportation more fun than just a bus ride.  Also plan your day so you are going to be a the park well before your dinning reservation so you are not stressed out on the bus ride and trying to run into the park.  This is your vacation to be sure to plan ahead so you can relax while your there.

My next trip is the first time I will be taking advantage of dining before a park opens I hope to have breakfast at Crystal Palace and the Castle before park opens and take advantage of some great photos and some wonderfully short lines in the new fantasy land.

Anyway realize that the hotel wont be the biggest part of your vacation so don't get carried away and let it become the biggest part of your budget.

Disney Hotel Mousekeeping

On my last trip to Disney my nephew asked housekeeping for a certain animal shaped towel.  I don't remember what it was just that he left a note along with his mousekeeping tip and later that day he got his requested animal, the mousekeeper had to get help from another mousekeeper as she did not know how to make it but the point is she went out of her way to make his request happen.

I found a picture of an Eeyore towel posted on pintrest and plan to make a request as well.  I figure I will make my mousekeeping envelopes have a place for request, whether for Eeyore towels or to set the temp something I prefer.  I am always cold so I pretty much turned off the air on my first trip however I would come back in the afternoon to an icebox (I am sure she thought she was doing me a favor) so I figure I may make a note on the envelope.

WDWPrepSchool.com has awesome envelopes that you can print as is if  you are not overly creative or limited with time.  Click her to check them out.

Disney for Couples

I have been doing some research on Disney for couples and here are some of the things I have found out:

• If your celebrating something be sure the Cast Member are aware
• I will be making some matching shirts as well to make it more fun
• Pop Century Seems to be the value resort to try out
• If you like to stay out late you can probably beat most of the kiddy crowd (especially for firework shows try and hit the second show if there is one)
• If you can get up really early you can probably beat most of the kiddy crowd in the morning
• I plan to have an early breakfast at Crystal Palace and the Castle during our stay (before the park opens) that should really give us a head start
• Be prepared to spend money for the adult activities (or avoid them and just enjoy the parks)
• Horseback riding
• Carriage rides
• Golf
• Spas
• Boating and other water sports
• Remember it is a vacation so be sure to schedule some down time either afternoon nap or pool time reading a book
• If you driving utilize your car as you get free parking if you do stay in the park
• I only recommend driving if your doing something at another resort as the buses to and from the parks are great but not so much from resort to resort.
• Also drive if your going to downtown Disney definitely worth it as that is always the longest trip and the longest wait to get back on the bus.
• I am thinking about watching the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian so I will definitely drive that night as well.
• If you are driving to Disney (more than just a couple hours like us 16 hours) plan to have some stuff in the car to keep you entertained
• Audio Books - Check out Cracker Barrel 
• Discussion lists for your trip
• All you device chargers 
• Snacks
• Cooler
• Music Playlists ready to use
• Maps

I have had trouble finding things specifically for adults that don't involve alcohol so that is part of my research mission is to fine ways non-drinking adults can find things to do as a couple.  So if you have anything to add to please comment below.

My favorite Park

Most sites I have read disregard Hollywood studios as a minor park. However it has always been my favorite. I love muppets 3D show and just enjoy the feel of that park. When my daughter was 5 she loved the honey I shrunk the kids play area and anytime I asked what she would like to do that was her response no matter the park we where in.

I am looking forward to seeing the car show, Indiana Jones stunt show, rocken rollar coaster, star wars, and toy story mania. All things that I missed either due to my daughters age or the hectic nature our my last trip (due to crowds and lack of group planning). 

I also love the food at sci fi drive in and 50s prime time diner.

For my next trip it is the first place we will go.

Disney Movie Night

I just decided to start having a Disney movie night every other week to get back in touch with some Disney clasics and the new movies. I was going to just do one a month but there are way too many movies for that even being 488 days out. 
I hope I can get all the movies from netflix. I picked out some of my favorites some that my husband has mentioned. Some I put on the list as they are so prevalent at the parks, like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and just want to notice the details a little better.
I keep thinking of movies to add even as I type this so I might end up with a movie night each week.  
Check out this website with Top Disney Movies to help with your watch list.

What are you favorites?  What should be on my don't miss list?

Disney Animal Kingdom Map

I started to do a little research on maps and found some that were recommended as easy to use but they just were not exactly what I wanted so I edited an Animal Kingdom map to see if I liked what I could do better.

Front

Back

I think I do, I took out all the unnecessary info (like don't feed the animals, I understand basic rules).  I am looking for an 8.5 x 11 map (possibly to laminate if I decide that is a good idea).  So I ripped the Disney map I found, here, all apart in Photoshop and used a Disney Font to put all the restaurant and exhibit names directly on the map.  I left all the detail but put them on the backside of the image (page 2).   I narrowed down the legend to only the things I was interested in and plan to fill the white space with details I am interested in like must do lists or Advanced Dining Reservation Numbers or that Snack Credit I am planning to use for a Paw Print Brownie.

Disney Dining

Thinking through Disney Dining

I encourage you to really plan out your meals if you are uncertain if you would benefit from the Disney Dining Plan.  No one wants to be tied down to reservations all day long and I think the middle of the day is the time you need to be the most flexible.   I will be planing two meals a day (breakfast and dinner) and utilizing ADR for those times.  So pick your two meals and what you would eat (do it multiple ways if you were paying yourself and if you were on the basic dining plan or on the deluxe plan).  Then simply do the math and decide if the convenience is worth the price difference or if you find you would be paying less then it is an easy choice.

I have been working a little harder on this one as I have to convince my husband to pick out his meals for a trip that is almost 500 days away.  He does not like to decide what he is going to eat today.  So this is going to take some time.

Pros

• Convenience of prepaying for meals
• Encourages you to enjoy Disney Restaurants 
• Utilize Advanced Dining Reservations to aid in your trip planning

Cons

• Price is high
• Hard to find the right match for your family
• Disney Dining 2013- One Quick Service and One Table service and One Snack is not quite enough
• Deluxe Dining 2013 - 3 Table Service and 2 Snacks are more than enough
• Tip is not included any longer
• Too much food if you get the Deluxe Dining

Disney Binder

I am currently searching for the best blend of Disney Planing vs. Disney Enjoyment in a binder form.

So far I have determined that I need to have something small enough to take in the parks (and will fit in a waterproof bag (my husband an I use zip lock bags for our phones and cameras for trips with possible water rides).  I recently purchased a mini binder from staples (1" Avery® 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" Durable Mini View Binder with Round Rings, Periwinkle). My concern comes with collecting stuff to scrapbook in the park and having a place to store it where it will stay fairly flat for scrap booking it later.  I may end up with a two fold solution something slim but bigger to take in the park only for collecting items and then the smaller binder with all of the details.  There may be a better solution of a large binder for planning and saving (to stay in the room) with a mini binder with a simple day plan, dining confirmation numbers and maps.

However, it will have to get Disneyfied before we go.  Once I get it prepped I will ad a photo of the final product.

For now here is I list of what I plan to put in the binder:

• Driving Directions
• Contact Numbers 
• Hotel Confirmation info
• List of any credit cards and the customer service number to contact if they are lost or stolen
• WDW maps
• Park maps (I plan to special make some just for me)
• Dining Confirmation Info
• Menus 
• Schedule to include early magic hours and crowd level (however I am not worrying about the crowds as we intentionally are planning to go a low crowd times)
• Place to collect receipts
• Memory Collecting area (possibly a large plastic envelope)
• Christmas Gift List

Disney Clothing

Clothing to make for a Disney Trip

So, whether your crafty or not there are several ways to plan for Disney attire.

• Buy it
• Sew it
• Transfer it
• Paint it (stencil) 
• Dye it

I have collected a lot of ideas on my Pintrest Board so check those out.

Since I am about 500 days until my next trip, I plan on starting with the Sew it options since those will take a little longer. While watching for sales to Buy it, I have set up an amazon wishlist so that I can check one place and see if anything had gone on sale pretty easility also I can get some Disney stuff for christmas and my birthday from those who choose to shop off my list.  I will try the paint it and dye it next then make the transfer art on my computer but wait to print those until about 30 days out (hopefully I can judge the weather and my mode by then a little better).  However, I will have to try out the transfer paper before hand as I hear there is some trouble with transfers if you don't get it just right.

I never thought about making my own clothing but when I noticed pictures from my first trip and my daughter was always wearing coordinating clothing for the park we were in vs the last trip where my teenage daughter just wearing what she liked.  I really think it adds to the pictures and the scrapbooking of those pictures. I plan on purchasing the photopass cd before we go, and I got my husband to agree to the coordinating idea (I am hoping to do some prince vs princess stencil shirts, Mickey and Minie head applique, and since we are a horse loving couple trying to find some good horse shirt ideas).  Also I am thinking about something for night time shows like glow in the dark paint or material so I am looking into that now.

His and her Mickey (painted/stencil)

Applique

                                                  

Star Wars (painted/stencil)

Lady and the Tramp (painted/stencil)

Beauty and the Beast (panted/stencil)

Simba and Nala (painted/stencil)

Dye It

Tony's Town Square Restaurant Review

Tony's Town Square Restaurant

Dessert

I love Italian food so this was an obvious place to stop for dinner.  The food was very good here and the service was great (but it truly was at every table service restaurant we visited).  I always have a dining plan so I don't pay much attention to cost.  They have outdoor available so be aware to ask to avoid it on hot days.  When you sit outside you can see the roadway pretty easy, I wonder what it would be like to have dinner during a parade?  Anyone that has done that please comment below.

Check out the menu online before you stop that way your not surprised.  I personally plan on picking out all my meals before I leave so I don't let myself miss out on a favorite, thinking I can get it somewhere else then it ends up not being on the menu anywhere else.  For example my husband likes coconut shrimp and the only place I have seen it on a menu has been Rainforest Cafe so I will be pointing that out to him when we have dinner that night.

Cost vs. Value

Disney is a little pricey so lets look as some real costs

2001
One Adult
One 5 year old
4 Nights 5 Days
Park Hopper with Water Option
Dinning (2 full service meal credits per night)
Non Stop flight for 2 from Pittsburgh PA to Orlando FL

• About $2200 for the Package (Paid for 45 days in advance)
• Took $600 in spending money for souvenirs, stroller rental, additional food/snacks and gifts (Had $100 left and spend that to develop the 10 rolls of film I had taken)

2011
Group of 8 with two rooms

One Adult
One 15 year old

4 Nights 5 Days
Park Hopper with Water Option
Deluxe Dinning (3 Full service 2 snacks)

• About $300 Driving Trip (after split the cost 3 ways
• About $1600 for the package for two (Total package cost split 8 ways)
• Guessing about $250 but I really have no idea about spending money...  Did not keep good records (but I did not spend much as I was being conservative)
• Estimated $220 in tips, this was a big non-budgeted cost on this trip as each meal was $50-100 per person my average tip ended up being about $20 per meal to cover the 2 of our part of the meal

2013
Two Adults
9 days 8 nights
Park Hopper with Water Option
Deluxe Dinning (3 Full service 2 snacks)

• $750 Driving Trip ($250 Food (5 days of travel as we are with relatives on the way down and back), $180 Hotel (staying in FL the night before our package and the night after, $320 Gas) (I would fly if it was up to me but my husband would like to drive and I just want to go)
• $3100 package (This will go down if we can get free dining, which we should be as it is a common discount for the time we are going)
• $400 tips for dinning
• $500 Spending Money (plan to do our Christmas shopping at Disney)

I think that Disney vacations are a tremendous value.  You can get all your tickets, hotel, and dinning in one predetermined price and pay it before you leave (45 days) then have time to replenish your saving before you actually go it encourages you to plan ahead.  Rather than spending money all week somewhere only to have to check out and pay the big hotel bill as you head home leaving you a little discouraged as you head home.  Paying ahead let you know you already could afford your trip so you can enjoy it and only think about the money you are spending on souvenirs.  I have taken my daughter to the beach (shared a room with my sister and her two boys) and ended up with $300 in gas, $300 in hotel, $400 in food, and $300 in spending money and admission tickets for 3 days at the beach and 2 travel days.  So when I look at $1300 for 3 days of fun or $2800 for 5 days of fun it may be a bit more expensive but the enjoyment level is much higher.  So, in my opinion, Disney is not the place to vacation every year but if you only vacation every 3-5 years due to schedules or having pets at home than it does give you a very big bang for your buck.

In short everyone should visit Disney World once in their life (twice if you have kids once with them and once without them).  Just plan for it and realize it is ok if you have to start saving along time in advance, but when you go make sure you don't go in the summer it is way too busy and hot!

Disney with my 15 year old

Disney with my 15 year old

This is a bit of a harder time to take your child (I think 7-12 is probably a great time).  Our biggest issue came due to the time we went (heat/crowds) not the amount of stuff to do.

We ended up trying to go to a water park at 3pm in the afternoon it took an hour to get to the park on the bus so by the time we changed and found the park of the park we were headed to it was 4:15 and the park closed at 5pm.  It was a big adventure with little benefit.  This is not a part of your trip you want to impulse do it takes a little more planning.

Teenagers are not generally morning people and getting up early is the best was to get the most out of your trip.  She definitely was ready to enjoy more of the older items like Epcot world showcase, hall of presidents, and other things that needed a little more patience.  Be aware that the roller coasters are not really that extreme (Big thunder mountain, Space mountain), some of the others may be more extreme.

This is also the age when they don't want to be seen as a little kid, so even though I love dinning with the characters and think it is great to see how everyone signs their name (I will be taking an autograph book when my husband and I go), she did not "act" like it was a bunch of fun.

Disney World with a 5 year old

Disney with my 5 year old

This is a great time to take your child.  My daughter (now 16) remembers only some of the trip so if you really want them to remember it you might wait a little longer.  However, while at the park she enjoyed every moment.

We were able to fill all of our time with the rides we rode (with plenty of left overs for future trips).  We got up early everyday (beat the heat and the crowds).  We had character breakfast pretty much everyday which she loved, lots of autographs and photos.  She is an animal lover so we rode the Kilimanjaro Safari probably about 3 times (different days different times).  Every time I asked her what she wanted to do (no matter what park we were in) she would say Honey I shrunk the kids play ground.  I also think it is difficult for kids to grasp the multiple park idea so you may take some time ahead of time to repeat that often.

I personally prefer to start early (get to the park before it opens) and stay at the park until about 1 or 2.  Head back to the hotel take a break, maybe change clothes or swim then head back out to the park about 3-5.  We never stayed for fireworks at any park but we beat the crowds to the bus and she usually ended up falling asleep on the bus.  I would use caution talking about the fireworks too much so if your young child is not lasting the whole day you have not set expectations up already.

We spent some time at Blizzard beach but I caution you if you are by yourself it might be a little hard to manage.  We spend probably about an hour at the park and I am sure she would have been just as happy at the hotel pool.  Not sure how to put this but the water park addition to your ticket is about $60 dollars so if your trying to save you can leave it out but in the whole realm of the cost of a Disney trip you might just leave it in and enjoy a hour or two at the awesome themed water park.  I caution you plan on a long bus trip, if I have a car I will be driving to the water park if I got to the park again.  (I will discuss this a little more in another post.)

I have said it before but I took 100 photos (35 mm) and only 1 photo did not have a big smile on it.

Planning my next trip

Some of the things I have realize will make a better trip

Castle view from Crystal Palace

• Extra batteries for all devices
• Multiple ways to charge batteries
• Get up early the first couple of days (at least)
• Buy the Photopass CD before you leave (it saves you about $40 cost $119)
• Or Buy Photopass+ (has more stuff on it $169)
• Get 2 maps for each park to scrapbook with before you leave the hotel (or order Disney Maps after you get back and use the custom maps to remember what your rode/visited)
• If you get Deluxe dining make sure you plan to use a couple for 2 credit dining (you wont be able to use them all anyway so don't horde them)
• Make or purchase Disney Theme clothing for better pictures
• Plan ahead about what to choose at each restaurant (other wise you may end up not selecting something or eating the same thing twice)
• Make or purchase an autograph book (I will scrapbook my signatures so they need to be easy to remove from the book)
• Plan for Character meals as they allow for great photo ops without standing in line (take pictures of everyone and pose with them)
• Don't go when it is the busy/hot season (it is a waste of money and time)
• Look at the coupon packet you get when you check in
• Understand what you have paid for already and use the services (Disney Quest is included in the Water Park Plus tickets)
• Purchase a "lot" of pins from ebay or amazon before you leave to pin trade with (make sure you order them early enough that you get them well before you leave)
• Create an amazon wishlist for things you would like to purchase for your trip so you don't forget about something and so you can space your purchases out
• Think about anything you might like to scrapbook so you are sure to get the photos (I plan to take a picture of all of my meals as the dining is such a fun part of the experience). Take more than just 1 photo for special things, like character dining.
• Do your homework (your going to spend a lot of money make sure you get the most out of your trip even if that means planning a day that you don't go to the parks but just take the day off)
• Disney is a little pricey but when you look at it closely you wont spend that much more than a trip to the beach in the summer but get so much more out of it
• Talk about your must do list ahead of time and then make sure you help the guests in your party get to do them

Cons of my second Disney Trip

Cons of my second Disney Trip (June 2011)

So the cons of my second Disney Trip

• We drove 16 hours with 7 people in a 7 person van
• Visited with a large group (Eight people total)
• Trying to navigate the crowds with a large group
• Trying to keep everyone together (trying to please everyone)
• Too many people in the parks
• Got to the parks too late each day
• Too hot
• My parents are older so they rented Electric Wheelchairs from an off site vendor.  It took a long time to get from park to park.  
• We decided not to make our dinner reservations as an eight party group  because of the mandatory 18% tips (we ended up always tipping 18% or more as the service was always great) so we should have all just sat together.
• All my techie devices had terrible battery life

Snack Credits

Snack Credits I plan to use (have to plan out the best value for 32 credits, well only half of them are mine)

1. Paw Print Brownie - listed as a snack credit 
2. Mickey Ice Cream Bar
3. Mickey shaped pretzel
4. Dole Whip (float)
5. Butterfinger cupcake 

I have been studying snack credit lists at the following sites

disboards.com - great list of what is a snack credit

Magical Dream Tours - good printable list of snack credits

Disney Food Blog - great article about what to use your credits on

What are your favorite Snack credits?  

Pros of my second Disney Trip

Pros of my second Disney Trip (June 2011)

So the pros of my second Disney Trip

• Visited with my family (Eight people total)
• Road Splash Mountain
• Road Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Road Space Mountain
• Saw Fantasmic
• Got to be part of the Backstage Show (I think that is what it was the movie making thing)
• Great Disney Dining (We had the Deluxe Plan)
• Great Techie devices apps for wait times, digital camera

Cons of my first Disney Trip

Cons of my first Disney Trip (May 2001)

So the cons of my first Disney Trip

• It was only 4 nights an 5 days long
• It was only me and my 5 year old daughter so I was limited to only doing things she could do with me, which was really plenty
• I never made it into the castle (because I didn't know how to get there)
• I only made it into about 5 of our 100 pictures due to the fact that I took all the pictures
• It was the end of the dry season and there were wildfires near enough that we could see and smell them on the way in from the airport
• There was a small fire near Epcot parking area while we were down there (did not affect us)
• I bought most of my stuff at the end of my trip so I did not get to take advantage of them sending packages to the hotel

Pros of my first Disney Trip

Pros of my first Disney Trip (May 2001)

So the pros of my first Disney Trip

Easy Access to the buses from my room

• I made it to Disney
• I flew nonstop
• Easy Access to the buses from my room (note the image above)
• I set my own schedule (it was only me and my 5 year old daughter - check out the post for 7/11/2012)
• I got up early everyday so lines were shorter
• I went in may at so the crowds were manageable
• I had the dining plan so I enjoyed eating 
• I had the dining plan so everything was paid for before I got to the park
• The dining plan still include the tip
• Souvenirs were not as expensive as I thought they would be
• My daughter was so happy to be there we only had 1 photo out of 100 that had a grumpy face

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater - Great Food

So this is one of my favorite places to eat.  My sister actually ate here several times her last trip (Dec 2011) as she did not plan ahead and make Dining Reservations.  That being said it is easy to get into if you did not plan ahead but the food is great and the atmosphere is really fun as well.

I think I was most entertained when I went with my dad and mom as they remembered watching all the movies at the drive in.  They sat behind us and laughed the whole time.  So if your 60s you may enjoy this place even more.

The onion rings were the best and I got a Reuben which was so big I only was able to eat half of it.  My sister was flying in and she got there as we were finishing up so I just took it to go and she had her lunch.

Note that if you can it is better to pair up as you really can't talk between the seats.

My first day at Disney World

My first day at Disney World May 2001

My first trip to Disney World was myself and my five year old daughter.  We will discuss the pre-planning a little later on this blog.  We flew from Pittsburgh, PA to Orlando, FL.  This was the first time one a plane for both of us.  I packed a fun bag for the plane and worried the flight would be turbulent...  because what would I have to get her back on the plane to come home if she had a bad experience?  Get on that plane or you have to stay here the rest of your life?  That is not going to work.  Thankfully the flight down was excellent and my daughter had a pleasant experience.

Once we got to the airport we got our bags and rode the Disney Bus to the All Star Movies resort.  Our trip was for 4 nights and 5 days.  We had the Disney Dinning Plan it was a little different back then as our plan was 2 full service meals per night (in my opinion the perfect number of meals more on the dining plan later). We ended up with a great location in the hotel (and I have yet to find another in a similar set up on the maps anyway).  We were in room 0834 in the Toy Story area it was near the bucket of soldiers stairway and we could get to the bus area in relatively no time and could avoid all the pool and food court traffic.  A five year old can get easily distracted by all the sites so it was really helpful to allow us to get to the parks really quickly in the morning.   I have looked at other hotels hoping to find that same type of quick access to the buses and have not as of yet but feel free to comment if you have found others.

Disney All Start Movie Room Location

Biggest note: Get to the parks early you will get more accomplished in the first hour than you will in the next three.

As a first time visitor I did not know to check the park hours ahead of time.  It is so important I planned to have dinner the first day I was there at Rain Forest Cafe at 5pm then go to Animal Kingdom ("AK").  For those of you who don't know AK closes around 5 most days in May anyway.  So I had to cancel a dinner reservation and make a new one first thing when I got there, which could have been a little frustrating but everything at Disney is easy so it worked out.  Also when I got to my room the room safe still had the previous guest envelopes full of money and passports, so make sure you do't forget that kind of stuff in your room.  I immediately called the front desk they came up and got it and held it at the front desk.  A little later the owners came by the room and I directed them to the front desk, so all was well.

So we started our Disney World Trip at Magic Kingdom and had dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern.

Welcome

Welcome

So I have been doing a lot of internet research and found out that most of the stuff I enjoy reading is stuff that has been written by people that simply plan and go on a family Disney trip.  I have been collecting ideas via pintrest (My Boards) and starting to add RSS feeds to my Google Reader but thought this might be a good way to gather everything in one place but figured it would be nice to share it with others and possibly save someone one some time.

I have been to Disney twice already and am planning my third trip (but with a count down of 514 days so I have lots of time on my hands).  I plan on talking about each past trip in detail and discussing the pros and cons of the dates, groups, hotels, dining plans, and of course the food.

I have been building a tremendous list of things to get before the trip and will put something together for that as well.

Anyway hope you enjoy this...