Tag Archives: planning a trip to Walt Disney World

Planning Your First Trip To Walt Disney World

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It’s no longer a simple feat to plan a trip to Walt Disney World. Even for us hardened veterans. Before you take those first steps down magical Main Street here are some things you should know. Best time to go As I said in a previous post, there is no “best” time to go anymore. There are “better” times and least crowded times, for sure. Ultimately, you have to pick the best time for your family. If you’re tethered to a school schedule, I’d recommend as soon as you can after the kids get out of school (early June) or, Continue reading Planning Your First Trip To Walt Disney World→

Best Age To Take Your Child To Walt Disney World: The Pros & Cons

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The age-old question still floats around the internet waves… What is the best age to take my child to Walt Disney World? We first took our daughter at age 3 because, at that time, I thought 3 was the perfect age to introduce her to Disney World. But our boys have been going since they were 10 months old and have loved it from day one. Our daughter is now a college graduate, so we have experienced Disney at every age, every joy, every tantrum. And there’s one thing we’ve learned… There is no one, absolute, definitive, right answer. There Continue reading Best Age To Take Your Child To Walt Disney World: The Pros & Cons→

Know Before You Go: The Disney Refurbishment Schedule

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You’ve saved. You’ve dreamed. You call and make your vacation plans. Dining reservations are made. And now, 60 days out, it’s time to schedule your FastPasses. So, you log onto My Disney Experience and you see this: Yep. One of your favorite rides is closed for refurbishment. This just happened to us while planning our next trip. And I’m officially bummed. But that’s not going to ruin our trip. It is, however, a big reminder that many favorite attractions or ones we want to try might be shut down. Time to re-group. Disney is constantly maintaining, updating and making downright Continue reading Know Before You Go: The Disney Refurbishment Schedule→

Your Walt Disney World Tipping Guide

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  The customer service at Walt Disney World can’t be beat. But who you tip and who you don’t – can be confusing. That’s why I’ve come up with a quick Walt Disney World Tipping Guide. Generally, if you tip the service at home, you tip at Disney World. Here’s a quick tipping guide to help you on your next trip. Transportation and Parking Magical Express – Magical Express is the free transportation from the airport to your resort and then back again. One dollar per bag is the general rule of thumb. Transportation Within The  Property – This means all Continue reading Your Walt Disney World Tipping Guide→

The 13 Reasons Why You Should Stay On Disney Property

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To stay on property or not to stay on property? That is a question that every budget planner must ask. Let me start by saying I am NOT a Disney employee or travel agent. I am a uber-Disney nut who loves to plan actual trips to Disney. I say “actual” because I’ve been known to plan “fake” trips, too. Embarrassing, yes. But it entertains me. What can I say? We have stayed on property and off, for a variety of reasons. And even my husband, who is not nearly the Disney nut that I am, prefers to stay on property. Continue reading The 13 Reasons Why You Should Stay On Disney Property→

What Is The Perfect Age To Take My Kids To Walt Disney World?

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People ask me all the time, “What is the perfect age to take our kids to Walt Disney World?” I get it. You want to know the best age to take your children to Walt Disney World because you don’t want to miss that perfect window of opportunity or waste money on a vacation they may not remember. My kids have been at all ages. When they were infants. Toddlers. School age. And now, with our oldest, young adult. It’s hard to pick a perfect age. It all depends on your means, motivation and method. Taking that all into consideration, Continue reading What Is The Perfect Age To Take My Kids To Walt Disney World?→

How To Survive The Long Wait Until Your Next Trip

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For most of us, a Walt Disney World vacation takes a lot of planning and a lot of saving. Okay. Mostly saving. And because most of us spend a good bit of time saving there’s a good bit of time waiting for the trip to start. How do you pass the time and survive the long wait? Let me show you! Plan, Plan and Plan – To make sure that you’re on schedule with all of your planning, check out this timetable. You’ll need to schedule meals and FastPasses. Oil changes. Plane tickets. Boarding the dog. Stopping the mail. Make Continue reading How To Survive The Long Wait Until Your Next Trip→

9 Ways To Make Sure Your Large Party Has A Magical Time!

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Walt Disney World is the perfect place for a family reunion or for a few families in your neighborhood to meet for a magical time. There’s something for all ages, making it the most popular vacation destination in the world with 52 million visitors each year. But how to coordinate such an endeavor? Follow these simple steps! Pick A Team Captain – If you’re reading this post, I’m going to assume that you’ll make the perfect team captain. Every large group needs a leader and because you’re the Disney enthusiast it should be you! One person to organize and pull all Continue reading 9 Ways To Make Sure Your Large Party Has A Magical Time!→

To Use An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner…. Or Not?

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Hi. I’m Maureen. And I am a control freak. (There. It’s out there. You all know my dirty, little secret.) I have planned vacations to Walt Disney World since the early ’80s. Oh, who am I kidding? I orchestrated trips earlier than that, dragging my family around from ride to ride because my parents knew I had studied and honed my skills since first visiting the park the year it opened. My grandparents took my sister and I, just months after the grand opening. And they stood there, befuddled with how to use the ticket books. We were wasting valuable ride time and Continue reading To Use An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner…. Or Not?→

Avoid Rookie Mistakes With Tried And True Tips For Walt Disney World

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In a recent conversation with my daughter, we were reminiscing about trips to Walt Disney World. (She is currently 22……oh, how time flies!) I asked her to tell me her favorite memories. While musing about this trip and that, she suddenly remembered going with her school to sing at EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional and she exclaimed, “Oh, here’s one. Don’t go with your school!” As I started typing, she screamed, “No, Mom! Don’t write that. That’s not what I meant. But you know what? That trip was a textbook case of what not to do.” There are many schools that do Disney right. Continue reading Avoid Rookie Mistakes With Tried And True Tips For Walt Disney World→