Doin' Disney Tips
by Laurel
Smith (Road Trip Mom)
A few tips to make your
Disney experience a little easier and less expensive,
without sacrificing the
fun factor.
If you're heading to Orlando
this year, I strongly recommend the book, "Unofficial
Guide to Walt Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger. I was a WDW newbie
when we took our family in November. The last time I went to Disney World,
I was 11 years old, and had a completely different perspective. The
Unofficial
Guide was invaluable to me in our planning.
Our
trip was actually a sort of a last minute one since I hadn't really thought
about taking the family to Disney World for a couple more years. But as
fate would have it, my husband had a business trip to Orlando, so we decided
to tag along. We had to get back home for school that week, so we could
only stay for the weekend. Despite our time shortage, it was worth every
minute. We spent one day at the Magic Kingdom and one at the Animal Kingdom.
(Hubby managed to sneak away for one day and go to the Magic Kingdom with
us). It was a quick trip, so time was of the essence. The
Unofficial
Guide helped us prioritize so we didn't waste a minute.
Several
things we did helped us to save money and time, so we could maximize our
fun at Disney World. Here's what we recommend --
Pack
It In!
The
best thing we did was to bring a backpack full of snacks, water, and our
lunch. We packed sandwiches, pretzels and portable yogurt. We had cold
juice bags and water bottles. My backpack had a built in cooler on the
bottom of it to keep things cool -- very similiar to these cooler/backpacks
at Family
Travel Gear.com and Amazon.
TIP: Don't put ice loose in the bottom unless you like it to leak all over
your back when you bend over. Put ice in ziplock baggies, or use those
blue igloo cooler packs. (Don't ask me how I learned this!)
Bringing
our own saved a lot of time and money. We had more time for rides because
we didn't waste time standing in line for food. In fact, so as not
to waste a single precious minute, we ate our lunch while we were in line
for the Haunted Mansion (my personal favorite ride). And just so we wouldn't
feel totally deprived of good vacation food, we did buy yummy Mickey Mouse
ice cream bars each afternoon. That held everyone over until dinner at
the hotel that night. I cannot stress how delicious those ice cream bars
were. Of all our attempts to stick to our budget, bringing in our own food
was the biggest help of all.
Bring
Your Own Staples
Plan
ahead with the regular staples that cost a lot more at the park, especially
your own sunscreen, hats, film and batteries! Be extra sure that you don't
forget those extra camera batteries. Also - wear comfortable shoes
and bring a change of clothes (at least a tshirt) for everyone.
Plan
Ahead for Souvenirs
We
budgeted for souvenirs and discussed ahead of time what we would be allowed
to buy. Everything else was off limits, so they didn't even ask for other
stuff. For us, it was one t-shirt and Mouseketeer hat each (names were
embroidered on for free). We stressed that we were there to have
fun DOING things, not to buy things. Our best souvenir was our photos --
we had triple copies made of our prints so we could put together a special
album of our trip for each child when we got home. This was the best souvenir
ever.
Choose
a Hotel that has Conveniences You Want
We
did not stay on site since we were accompanying my husband on his business
trip, but we made sure the hotel choice had a free shuttle to the parks.
This we saved us money on a taxi and parking, and we didn't need a rental
car either. We also picked a hotel that had free breakfast. It was only
a mile away from the park, so it was still very convenient.
If
you do stay at a Disney hotel, shop around online and on the phone, and
figure out what you will need. Don't forget to check out character breakfasts.
Also, on-site guests have opportunities for early entry into the park.
Entering an hour earlier than the rest of the public gives you a chance
to hit those favorite rides before the crowds get there, and it also gives
you more time in the park. This is especially important in the Winter when
the park closes earlier at night. Staying at a Disney hotel is an
option we will explore on our next trip.
Purchase
tickets in advance.
Don't
waste time standing in the line when you get there! Also, rumor has
it that park entrance fees are increased every year in May, so buy before
that if you are planning a trip for later that summer. Unused tickets used
to never expire, however, once a ticket has been used in the parks, it
expires 14 days after the first day of use. If you have unused days
left at the end of your vacation you can purchase the no expiration option.
Finding discounted tickets is difficult, but your local auto club may save
you 5% and there are sometimes discounts for military families. You can
also purchase "hopper" tickets to allow you entrance to several parks over
several days at a discount.
Use
the "Fast Pass" arrangement and the Child Swap
We
loved the "Fast Pass" arrangement that Disney offers, so that we never
had to wait long for the most popular rides. You can go ride one line and
come back later to a long one to use your fast pass. Read up on how they
work since there are a few rules involved. It's definitely worth using.
Added
Adventure
Next
time we go, we're bringing our copy of Hidden
Mickeys with us just to add a little extra adventure. I plan to let
the kids peruse this on our journey there as a distraction for the road.
I can already imagine the anticipation of the "hunt" for hidden Mickeys
everywhere we go. I imagine they will come up with their own little competition
of sorts to see who can find the most.
Next
Time
Now
that we've had a taste, we can't wait to go back and explore some more.
And of course, with the Unofficial
Guide to Walt Disney World we'll be even more prepared next time we
go.
UPDATE:
I recently discovered this helpful e-book: Disney
Vacation & Savings Travel Guide -- written by an
Ex-Disney Employee who reveals Insider Secrets! This ebook is updated
every year, and buyers who download it get a lifetime of free updated tips.
Happy Travels everyone!
--Roadtrip Mom
http://www.MomsMinivan.com
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Laurel
Smith is a former schoolteacher and currently a stay-at-home-mom who has
logged thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and a mom. Visit
her website for more than 101 travel games and activities for kids at MomsMinivan.com
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