Category Archives: General

Why would I do laundry on vacation?

Posted on by
1

I always do laundry at least once on a trip. Why would anyone want to do laundry on vacation? Aren’t you trying to get away from all that?

There are a few reasons…

  1. Less clothes = less luggage. With airlines charging for luggage these days, it is cheaper to pack less!
  2. Florida is hot and I do NOT like packing sweaty stinky clothes for the trip home!
  3. I do not have that many clothes & we all have a few favorites that we want to wear again.

In the resorts, laundry costs $2 a load to wash and $2 to dry. I bring quarters specifically for laundry day. I also pack detergent and dryer sheets, now a couple brands have little packs that you just throw into your load. I just wash everything together on cold. I plan for a midday break halfway into the trip to swim and relax. Usually, the laundry facilities are near the pool. We throw in a load, swim, take a break to switch, swim & get dry clothes on the way back to the room.

I think it is totally worth the effort because everyone is happy to wear their favorite princess shirt again. It also forces us to slow down and not try and cram more and more into each day of our trip.

Traveling with Babies & Toddlers

Posted on by
1

I have so many people tell me that they will wait to take their kids to Disney when they are older. I recommend going while they still believe in the “magic”! Often, that means taking your preschooler with the baby tagging along.

First of all with young children, plan to travel during the late fall or winter season. Don’t take little guys when it is hot unless that is the only time you can take vacation.  The weather is so much better, you will enjoy yourselves more, & the prices are at their cheapest! If you do have to go in the heat, plan on daily breaks at the hotel to rest and cool down and have plenty of snack and drink breaks.

Continue reading →

Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

Posted on by
3

Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure is up and running at Epcot’s World Showcase. For previous visitors of WDW, Agent P is basically a repurposed Kim Possible. For those of you new to this interactive way to visit the countries, I would highly recommend doing it! This is a free activity at the park and is a great way for kids to enjoy the World Showcase. I would do this in conjunction with the Kidcot stations where the kids color a Duffy Bear and get stamps at each country. Both of these are free of charge and the Kidcot is a free souvenir.

You can sign up at an Agent P kiosk at the International Gateway or the Odyssey Bridge between Future World and World Showcase. Innoventions had a place to get your mission, but that is not open yet.

You will receive a F.O.N.E (field operative notification equipment) which basically looks like a cell phone. This is your guide to a mission in your assigned country. You will be given instructions from Phineas and Ferb characters and given clues and directions to stop Doofenshmirtz. The F.O.N.E will give you pictures of places you need to stand near and have you push ok for things to happen. It will also ask you to find clues and codes and input them into the F.O.N.E. After you finish your mission, you will be asked if you would like to do another in a different country or the F.O.N.E will show you where to deposit your device in that country. Continue reading →

New Dumbo!

Posted on by
1

The new Dumbo is soon to be up and running! There will be 2 Dumbo rides in Storybook Circus of Fantasyland. Fastpass will be available as well as the standby line. The standby line will have pagers similar to restaurants that will buzz you when it is your turn to get in line. The area where you wait with your pager is an air-conditioned, circus themed tent with a play area for the kids. Parents get a break while the kids can cool off and run around. I have read many complaints about this being against Uncle Walt’s vision of his parks, but I for one am looking forward to it! Here is a video of new Dumbo Queue Continue reading →

Traveling around the Resort

Posted on by
Reply

Disney has a wonderful system for transporting guests easily and efficiently between the parks and resorts. This is one of the perks of staying on property. The transportation system makes it very convenient to park hop and go back to the hotel for a break during the day. Continue reading →

Sam’s Club can help you save for Disney…

Posted on by
Reply

Today we went to Sams Club to buy Disney Gift Cards to play towards our trip. You are able to purchase gift cards at a discounted rate. They had $25, $50, $75 denominations. The $50 was the best deal at $48.88 per card. So, we bought a bunch and saved more than  2% to pay toward our trip. We went originally for $100 gift cards, which supposedly are discounted and include $10 off Disney store merchandise. Ours was out of those, so we settled for the $50. Now I just have to input a load of $50 gift cards onto my account….

For more about ways to double dip and save for WDW, see my previous post.

Hidden Benefit of Rider Swap

Posted on by
2

The rider swap (also known as baby swap) is a feature offered by Walt Disney World to allow both parents enjoy a ride that is not appropriate for young children. This can be because a child doesn’t meet the height requirements or they are too young for the ride. The parents receive a rider swap pass that will allow the other parent to ride without waiting in line again. Continue reading →

Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom

Posted on by
5

There is now an interactive game at Magic Kingdom called the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. This is a role-playing card game in which you are an apprentice to Merlin and your goal is to fight various Disney villains throughout Magic Kingdom. Continue reading →

What is a Fastpass?!

Posted on by
1

UPDATE: The old Fastpass system is gone the way of the dinosaurs…Extinct! See my updated post on the new Fastpass + system here!

I have so many people ask me…what is a Fastpass?

Fastpass is a system used by Walt Disney World to help guests avoid long lines on the most popular rides. This is open to everyone in the park, not just resort guests.

Here is how it works: Continue reading →

Disney is increasing ticket prices!

Posted on by
Reply

Disney is increasing the prices on park tickets, park hoppers, etc. tomorrow June 3rd! If you have a trip coming up and are planning on buying the tickets when you get there, it might be a good idea to do it today. Here is more info on the price increase.