I've wanted to stay at the Polynesian since I was a little girl, so I was thrilled when my husband chose to stay there this trip. The added bonus was that we were just a few steps away from Monorail stops to our two favorite parks. I carefully chose a building halfway between the Great Ceremonial House (Monorail to Magic Kingdom) and the Transportation and Ticket Center (Monorail to Epcot). After battling with buses and taxis the last few trips, I was excited about being able to jump on the next passing Monorail.
I would call our transportation issues a comedy of errors, except that nothing is funny when you're running later for dining reservations or late getting into the park on a day with an already tight schedule. I think we were just on a good run of bad luck, because I am sticking to my belief that staying at a Monorail resort is really the way to go.
Here are just a few of our transportation issues (Monorail and non-Monorail related):
1) Our first evening we left Epcot an hour and half before our reservation at Luau Cove at the Polynesian. Somebody had hit one of the pylons in the Epcot parking lot and the whole Monoral system was shut down to check the structural integrity. We had to wait in the bus line with all the other Monorail resort folks and barely made it for dinner.
2) One morning, we arrived at the bus stop to Hollywood Studios an hour and a half before park opening and no buses came by the entire time. We finally arrived at the park 20 minutes after opening which messed up our touring plans for the entire day.
3) The section of the Monorail track between Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom was a "slow zone" for the entire trip which tripled or quadrupled the amount of time it took for us to get from Polynesian to MK.
4) After leaving MK one day via Monorail, we stopped on a section of track near the Contemporary for nearly an hour making us late for dinner at Epcot. We still don't know what the delay was.
5) Leaving Chef Mickey at the Contemporary on our last night and exhausted after a LONG day at the parks, we went to hop on the Monorail only to find it stopped and not boarding new passengers. Turns out, a passenger on board had become ill and they were waiting for emergency medical crews. My quick-thinking husband ran us downstairs where we grabbed the last cab before the mob of people descended on the taxi line.
What I learned from this trip: There is no such thing as easy transportation. No matter what your mode of transport, you need to factor in a decent amount of time if you are park or resort-hopping. (Also, Disney does a fabulous job of accommodating people who are late for their reservations!)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Catching Up - Disney in December (Part 1: Weather)
I've been helping five families plan their Spring Disney trips so I've got some great advice coming soon. Since it's been a while since I posted, I thought I would start with a re-cap of our trip to Disney this past December.
Weather
We could see that it was going to be a cold week, so we packed lots of warm clothes. One c
rucial mistake we made was leaving our big coats behind. How cold would it really be in Florida, right? It was so cold that we wore every piece of warm clothing we had---EVERY DAY---and still bought extra layers once we were in the parks. (The mouse ears we are wearing in these pictures were more for warmth than festive novelty.)
I never noticed how shady the parks are until I was stopping to warm myself in any patch of sun like an old house cat. The shade is great in August when it 100 and humid. Not so much at 40 degrees in December. There was also a stiff breeze every day adding a wind chill to already low temps.
If you are planning a winter trip to DW, make sure you pack warm layers. Better to be prepared and not need them! Also, make sure you include a windbreaker to wear over your sweatshirts.
The chill in the air did provide a festive environment that this South Texas girl doesn't usually get during the holiday season AND I think it kept crowds down, especially in the mornings and evenings. One night we got out of dinner at the Biergarten just in time for fireworks at Epcot and had the whole World Showcase side of the lagoon to ourselves. (And plenty of bier in our bellies to keep us warm!)
Weather
We could see that it was going to be a cold week, so we packed lots of warm clothes. One c
rucial mistake we made was leaving our big coats behind. How cold would it really be in Florida, right? It was so cold that we wore every piece of warm clothing we had---EVERY DAY---and still bought extra layers once we were in the parks. (The mouse ears we are wearing in these pictures were more for warmth than festive novelty.)I never noticed how shady the parks are until I was stopping to warm myself in any patch of sun like an old house cat. The shade is great in August when it 100 and humid. Not so much at 40 degrees in December. There was also a stiff breeze every day adding a wind chill to already low temps.
If you are planning a winter trip to DW, make sure you pack warm layers. Better to be prepared and not need them! Also, make sure you include a windbreaker to wear over your sweatshirts.
The chill in the air did provide a festive environment that this South Texas girl doesn't usually get during the holiday season AND I think it kept crowds down, especially in the mornings and evenings. One night we got out of dinner at the Biergarten just in time for fireworks at Epcot and had the whole World Showcase side of the lagoon to ourselves. (And plenty of bier in our bellies to keep us warm!)
Sweaters and leis ----festive!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Disney Dining
Dining at Walt Disney World is definitely an experience. On our first trip, my husband and I made a pact to try every restaurant at WDW . There are over 130 restaurants on the Disney property, so we figured that we would never be able to eat at the same one twice. Through the years, we’ve developed favorites that we have to re-visit, but we make a point to try something new every time we go.
Years of planning for my family and helping others plan their trips has helped me come up with three cardinal rules for dining at Disney.
The number one rule for dining at Disney is RESERVATIONS. Resort guests can begin making reservations 145 days in advance so things start filling up pretty quickly. The dining reservation line (1-407-WDW-DINE) is a great number to call if you need a little advice or you are making multiple reservations, but Disney added a new on-line reservation system (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/) which allows you to make reservations at your convenience. You can sort by type of restaurant, date and time and it pulls up a list of available locations that meet your criteria. If the restaurant you choose is not available at the time you listed, it also searches for similar restaurants in a similar time frame.
The second rule for dining at Disney is THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. One of our early trips was very last minute and the only reservation we could get at Epoct was at Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco Pavilion. Moroccan food would definitely not have been at the top of my list, but it was wonderful. The waiter suggested some food for us and the ambiance was awesome. It’s really easy to get stuck in a hamburger and chicken rut when you are on vacation, but Disney makes it really fun to try something new.
The third rule for dining (especially if you have young children) is CHARACTERS. Disney has several dining options that include one-on-one time with a cast of Disney Friends. Each Character Dining location usually has around 4-5 characters who come to your table allowing plenty of time for hugs and pictures. We like to take advantage of the CD options in the mornings--if a park opens at 9AM, we try to get an 8AM reservation so we can be in the park before it opens. The characters help us get excited for our day in the park and the breakfast buffets are awesome.
Next Post: Disney Dining Plans
Years of planning for my family and helping others plan their trips has helped me come up with three cardinal rules for dining at Disney.
The number one rule for dining at Disney is RESERVATIONS. Resort guests can begin making reservations 145 days in advance so things start filling up pretty quickly. The dining reservation line (1-407-WDW-DINE) is a great number to call if you need a little advice or you are making multiple reservations, but Disney added a new on-line reservation system (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/) which allows you to make reservations at your convenience. You can sort by type of restaurant, date and time and it pulls up a list of available locations that meet your criteria. If the restaurant you choose is not available at the time you listed, it also searches for similar restaurants in a similar time frame.
The second rule for dining at Disney is THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. One of our early trips was very last minute and the only reservation we could get at Epoct was at Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco Pavilion. Moroccan food would definitely not have been at the top of my list, but it was wonderful. The waiter suggested some food for us and the ambiance was awesome. It’s really easy to get stuck in a hamburger and chicken rut when you are on vacation, but Disney makes it really fun to try something new.
The third rule for dining (especially if you have young children) is CHARACTERS. Disney has several dining options that include one-on-one time with a cast of Disney Friends. Each Character Dining location usually has around 4-5 characters who come to your table allowing plenty of time for hugs and pictures. We like to take advantage of the CD options in the mornings--if a park opens at 9AM, we try to get an 8AM reservation so we can be in the park before it opens. The characters help us get excited for our day in the park and the breakfast buffets are awesome.
Next Post: Disney Dining Plans
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Meeting Characters / Autograph Books
One of the most special parts about Disney is getting to have a little one-on-one time with the characters from your favorite Disney movies.
There are several spots throughout the parks where Disney characters are camped out throughout the day. If you're lucky, you can catch them with a short line, but sometimes you will have to wait a few minutes to visit with them. When your turn comes, you can take your own pictures, or there will be a Disney cast member who can take them for you.
If you are traveling with a child between the ages of 3 and 9 (or if you are a kid at heart), come armed with an autograph book. (You can purchase these online before you go or grab on at your hotel gift shop when you check in.) Most of the Disney autograph books have a photo holder and a blank page where the characters can sign. When you get home and get the pictures in, you'll have a great souvenir to remember your trip by!
Character Tips:
Don't forget a Sharpie or other large pen - some of the characters have gloves and struggle with smaller writing utensils.
Write your name and cell phone number in your autograph book. If it is turned into a cast member, they will call you and tell you where to pick it up.
Be sure to prepare s
mall children before you encounter characters. I told my daughter that Mickey and Pooh weren't small like they are on TV - they were big like Daddy. That way, she wasn't overwhelmed when she saw them. There will always be a few characters (particularly the "Evils") that make kids cringe - hold their hand or carry them for these pictures (or skip them all-together).
There are several spots throughout the parks where Disney characters are camped out throughout the day. If you're lucky, you can catch them with a short line, but sometimes you will have to wait a few minutes to visit with them. When your turn comes, you can take your own pictures, or there will be a Disney cast member who can take them for you.
If you are traveling with a child between the ages of 3 and 9 (or if you are a kid at heart), come armed with an autograph book. (You can purchase these online before you go or grab on at your hotel gift shop when you check in.) Most of the Disney autograph books have a photo holder and a blank page where the characters can sign. When you get home and get the pictures in, you'll have a great souvenir to remember your trip by!
Character Tips:
Don't forget a Sharpie or other large pen - some of the characters have gloves and struggle with smaller writing utensils.
Write your name and cell phone number in your autograph book. If it is turned into a cast member, they will call you and tell you where to pick it up.
Be sure to prepare s
mall children before you encounter characters. I told my daughter that Mickey and Pooh weren't small like they are on TV - they were big like Daddy. That way, she wasn't overwhelmed when she saw them. There will always be a few characters (particularly the "Evils") that make kids cringe - hold their hand or carry them for these pictures (or skip them all-together).
Here are some of my favorite "character spots":
Magic Kingdom - Town Square
Entrance to Adventureland
By Magic Carpets
Across from Pirates of the Caribbean
Toon Town - The Judges Tent
Hollywood Studios - by the Sorcerer's Hat
Magic of Animation Building
Animal Kingdom - Camp Minnie / Mickey
Path from Africa to Asia
Epcot - World Showcase (near Mexico, France, China, Germany & Morocco)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Where to Stay (Disney Resort vs. "Off-Campus")
This is the biggest source of debate among my Disney-loving friends and family. I have stayed at several Disney resorts and non-DW resorts as well, so I’m going to play devil’s advocate and try to point out the highlights of both.
Disney Resorts
Price Options Disney has three levels of resort pricing –Value, Moderate & Deluxe-- designed to meet every budget. (Our first trip to Disney as a family, we were on a very tight budget and the rate for our Disney Value hotel was comparable to a La Quinta “off campus”.) Each level of resort has themed pools, restaurants and amenities, so even at the lowest price point, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
Magical Express This is one of my favorite aspects of staying on property. About three weeks before your vacation Disney will send you big yellow luggage tags. Check your bags at the airport and then sit back and RELAX. When you arrive in Orlando, you can skip the baggage claim and head straight to the ME counter where you will board a tour bus that takes you to your hotel and your bags will be delivered straight to your room.
Dining Disney has created several plans which allow you to package your meals with your room and park tickets and save up to 30% on dining. The Disney Dining option is only available to those staying at Disney resorts. (More information on Disney Dining in a later post)
Transportation Buses, boats and monorails, oh my! There are several different modes of transportation designed to get you from your resort to the parks. I love never having to drive (extra glass of wine with dinner!) and my 5 year old loves that she never has to ride in a boring old car.
Magic To me the Disney resorts are an extension of the park. The theme is carried throughout the entire hotel from swimming pools to shower curtains. The Disney “Mousekeeping” team always adds bits of whimsy to the room and many of the resorts have Character Dining options which allow you to eat a meal with your favorite Disney friends in the comfort of your hotel.
“Off Campus” (This is the phrase my friend Kelli uses to describe anything in Orlando that is not on Disney property)
Cost The number one reason I hear for choosing a non-Disney hotel is the price, especially when the travel party is large. There are lots of condos and houses for rent just outside of Disney World that have two – four bedroom floor plans with kitchen and amenities that allow the whole gang a little bit more space. A friend of mine is going to DW in December and taking two sets of grandparents. To get two suites at a Disney resort would have been pretty pricey. Their off-site condo was so inexpensive, they get to stay an extra night. Many people have also mentioned that they are able to use their hotel points “off-campus” for discounted or free stays, allowing them to return to DW more often.
In addition to the savings on room-rates, food outside of DW is less expensive. This can mean big savings when you (like my friend) have to get 10 people fed.
Transportation As you can tell, part of vacation to me is a break from driving. Disney transportation, while incredibly efficient, is not always the most convenient. For example, getting from DW hotel –to-DW hotel via bus requires a transfer at the closet park. Three of the major parks have parking lots right out front, allowing park-hoppers to use their own car to move with ease within the Disney property. (Magic Kingdom is the only exception). Plus, the Disney property is SOOO big that some of the non-Disney properties are actually closer to certain parks than hotels within DW. If you plan on park-hopping or have lots of dining reservations, I would consider renting a car even if you are staying at a DW hotel.
A little too much mouse? Since I’ve got a Sea World and a NASA facility in Texas and I am not into Harry Potter, I'm not inclined to roam when I am in Orlando. For those of you who wish to venture out to the other Orlando-area attractions, consider staying “off campus” or at least renting a car!
Disney Resorts
Price Options Disney has three levels of resort pricing –Value, Moderate & Deluxe-- designed to meet every budget. (Our first trip to Disney as a family, we were on a very tight budget and the rate for our Disney Value hotel was comparable to a La Quinta “off campus”.) Each level of resort has themed pools, restaurants and amenities, so even at the lowest price point, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
Magical Express This is one of my favorite aspects of staying on property. About three weeks before your vacation Disney will send you big yellow luggage tags. Check your bags at the airport and then sit back and RELAX. When you arrive in Orlando, you can skip the baggage claim and head straight to the ME counter where you will board a tour bus that takes you to your hotel and your bags will be delivered straight to your room.
Dining Disney has created several plans which allow you to package your meals with your room and park tickets and save up to 30% on dining. The Disney Dining option is only available to those staying at Disney resorts. (More information on Disney Dining in a later post)
Transportation Buses, boats and monorails, oh my! There are several different modes of transportation designed to get you from your resort to the parks. I love never having to drive (extra glass of wine with dinner!) and my 5 year old loves that she never has to ride in a boring old car.
Magic To me the Disney resorts are an extension of the park. The theme is carried throughout the entire hotel from swimming pools to shower curtains. The Disney “Mousekeeping” team always adds bits of whimsy to the room and many of the resorts have Character Dining options which allow you to eat a meal with your favorite Disney friends in the comfort of your hotel.
“Off Campus” (This is the phrase my friend Kelli uses to describe anything in Orlando that is not on Disney property)
Cost The number one reason I hear for choosing a non-Disney hotel is the price, especially when the travel party is large. There are lots of condos and houses for rent just outside of Disney World that have two – four bedroom floor plans with kitchen and amenities that allow the whole gang a little bit more space. A friend of mine is going to DW in December and taking two sets of grandparents. To get two suites at a Disney resort would have been pretty pricey. Their off-site condo was so inexpensive, they get to stay an extra night. Many people have also mentioned that they are able to use their hotel points “off-campus” for discounted or free stays, allowing them to return to DW more often.
In addition to the savings on room-rates, food outside of DW is less expensive. This can mean big savings when you (like my friend) have to get 10 people fed.
Transportation As you can tell, part of vacation to me is a break from driving. Disney transportation, while incredibly efficient, is not always the most convenient. For example, getting from DW hotel –to-DW hotel via bus requires a transfer at the closet park. Three of the major parks have parking lots right out front, allowing park-hoppers to use their own car to move with ease within the Disney property. (Magic Kingdom is the only exception). Plus, the Disney property is SOOO big that some of the non-Disney properties are actually closer to certain parks than hotels within DW. If you plan on park-hopping or have lots of dining reservations, I would consider renting a car even if you are staying at a DW hotel.
A little too much mouse? Since I’ve got a Sea World and a NASA facility in Texas and I am not into Harry Potter, I'm not inclined to roam when I am in Orlando. For those of you who wish to venture out to the other Orlando-area attractions, consider staying “off campus” or at least renting a car!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Park Tickets
The next thing to consider is your park tickets. There are four types of park tickets to consider and for each option the price you pay per day goes down as you buy more days.
For example:
For two adults and one child
4 Days with Park Hopper $69 + $69 + $61= $199 x 4 days = $796
5 Days with Park Hopper $56 + $56 + $50 = $162 x 5 days = $810
To add an extra day for a family of three is only $14 total
If you are staying 4 days or less, I seriously recommend adding the Park Hopper option. This allows you to go back and visit some attractions at your favorite parks on days when you finish at another park early. It also allows you more freedom when making your dining reservations.
- Magic Your Way Base Tickets - get you into one park per day
- Park Hopper Tickets - allow you to entrance to multiple parks each day
- Water Park and More Tickets - in addition to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios - you will have access to the 2 water parks and Disney Quest (an indoor, interactive theme park in Downtown Disney).
- No expiration option - your MYW Base tickets expire after 14 days, but the no expiration option lets you use unused days anytime in the future.
For example:
For two adults and one child
4 Days with Park Hopper $69 + $69 + $61= $199 x 4 days = $796
5 Days with Park Hopper $56 + $56 + $50 = $162 x 5 days = $810
To add an extra day for a family of three is only $14 total
If you are staying 4 days or less, I seriously recommend adding the Park Hopper option. This allows you to go back and visit some attractions at your favorite parks on days when you finish at another park early. It also allows you more freedom when making your dining reservations.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
When To Go
OK - so my first couple posts might have made it seem like planning your Disney vacation is comparable to giving your Masters dissertation. Bottom line -Walt Disney World is huge. There is no way to see it all in one trip, but there are a lot of tools out there to help you figure out what to focus on to make your trip magical for you and your family.
The very first thing you need to do when planning your trip is to decide what time of the year you want to go. There are lots of things to factor in, but the four main ones are: crowds, holidays, the kids' school calendar and weather.
The following are, in my opinion, the best times to go because the weather is great and the crowds are low.
The very first thing you need to do when planning your trip is to decide what time of the year you want to go. There are lots of things to factor in, but the four main ones are: crowds, holidays, the kids' school calendar and weather.
The following are, in my opinion, the best times to go because the weather is great and the crowds are low.
1) January 1st - February 12th
2) April and May (after Spring Break and before school gets out)- The International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot adds a beautiful spring touch and on the weekends there is a concert series featuring artists from the 60s and 70s.
3) October and Early November (before Thanksgiving) - Magic Kingdom plays host to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and The International Food and Wine Festival is going on at Epcot
4) Early December (before Christmas break) - the parks are decorated for Christmas and it's "value season" so the rooms are discounted
Are you noticing a pattern? I know that the great state of Texas would not appreciate me telling people to pull their kids out of school to go on vacation, but the bottom line is - when your kids are on break, so are everyone else's. If you can't swing the vacation time or don't want your children to be truant, here are my choices for other times of the year.
1) If you must schedule around a holiday, shoot for Easter. It usually falls within the regular season so you won't pay a higher room rate. The crowds will be heavier over the weekend, but the weather should be great.
2) Mid to late August is considered part of "value season" at DW. The weather will be hot and very humid, but the heat and fears of hurricanes keep the crowds at bay. You should get a sizable discount on your resort and the only thing hurricanes bring to Orlando is rain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)