Oh no…I don’t have dining reservations!

If you read my previous post about the importance of dining reservations and are now freaking out, don’t worry! There are wonderful restaurants throughout WDW that will have open tables for walk up customers. I would not recommend going without dining reservations, but I am anal retentive and like to have my schedule planned out! Do not expect to get into character meals, these are always booked and impossible to get in unless you have lucked out with a cancellation! Epcot is always a good choice because there are so many restaurants. Yacht Club & Boardwalk are walking distance from Epcot & a long walk or boating distance from Hollywood. Contemporary, Grand Floridan & Polynesian are on the monorail line, so you can head there from Magic Kingdom and Epcot very easily! You can always call the reservation line – (407) WDW- DINE or use your smart phone and book through the internet!

Restaurants where you can get a table with little or no wait: Continue reading

The Importance of Dining Reservations

If you are new to WDW, you will see all sorts of information on Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs). If character meals & where you eat are important to you then I would highly recommend doing your dining reservations as soon as you book your trip. You can book dining without being on property and even before you book your trip.

Here is how it works: Continue reading

Traveling with Babies & Toddlers

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

New Dumbo!

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

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…

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

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

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?!

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!

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.