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Brought to you by...
John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
Lucia writes: "We need your help regarding our vacations in Orlando... We are very nervous because of the war... We have to take a final decision and would like to hear a word from you. As a subscriber of your book I know you are very connected with information and can help me." I would not let the war stop me from visiting WDW. Otherwise the terrorists win!
Donna writes: "In a response to a question from Ken, who indicated that they are planning a 10-day trip to Disney in the beginning of April, you said, 'Spring break and Easter vacation make the third week of March through April one of Disney's most crowded times.' Since we've been considering a trip (our daughter's first) to Disney during the week of March 17 ... are you, in fact, saying that we would face major crowds that week? I read your newsletter religiously, and save them all! Thanks for all of the helpful information!" Colleges take their breaks in March. If they resumed classes January 27, and the semester is 16 weeks long, then the mid-term break will take place in eight weeks or the third week in March or the week of March 17! You will face major crowds. Sorry. Spring break seems to last a long time because colleges across the country take their break at different times, which keeps Disney pretty busy for weeks. Then comes Easter! Glad you are enjoying the newsletter! |
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Ken writes: "We are planning a possible 10 day trip to Disney in the beginning of April, would like to know what kind of weather we could expect. Also wondering about parking at the parks, we would not be staying on Disney property and were worried about driving to the parks everyday and the costs. My brother was there for one of the bowl games in January and could not get into Magic Kingdom because it was filled to capacity, could this be a worry for us on our trip? We were thinking of hitting the parks early and leaving around lunch time for a rest, how hard will it be to get back into the park later in the afternoon and will we have pay to park again. Would appreciate any help or advice you could give us." April: high of 83 degrees/low of 59 degrees. Spring break and Easter vacation make the third week of March through April one of Disney's most crowded times. If the parks are filled to capacity, Disney will turn away non-resort guests. You only pay once for parking and then show your parking voucher the rest of the day when you return or visit another park. Since you are staying off property, you will not get back in if the parks are near capacity. Do not leave.
Diane writes: "I wanted to also put in my 2 cents on the Very Merry Christmas Party. My mom & I went on 12/1/02. It was awful!! Certainly not worth the extra money! Their idea of a 'limited number' of people is a joke! The lines were longer than during regular hours! I couldn't get near any rides or the picture venues... The hot cocoa and cookies were located on a back street in Adventureland that was only marked with a small sign not easily seen in the dark. Then the topper was time for the fireworks....Except they didn't work! Then a second and a third attempt didn't work either. The Christmas parade was disappointing too..not up to the standard of the SpectroMagic Parade. Our trip wasn't all that way..The candlelight processional was AWSOME! Absolutely beautiful...and the dinner at Tapanyaki was so much fun! We also enjoyed the Luau at the Polynesian. I always have fun at Disney BUT I will never waste money on the christmas party again!" Looks like Disney needs to work on the Merry Xmas party! I love the Candlelight Processional.
After making weekly religious services available to guests on its property for 28 years, Walt Disney World has decided to cut back to twice a year - Christmas and Easter... Now Disney provides guests with a list of local churches they can attend on their own. The Christmas and Easter services will continue to be held at Disney's Contemporary Resort. (Source: Orlando Business Journal, 12/13/02)
Ed writes about the same Very Merry Christmas Party: "We too went to the party on 12/4 and tried to stick it out with the bad weather. We only lasted for 1 show and 1 ride then left. However, when we were at the MK the following day we went to "City Hall" to state our disappointment and were offered either a replacement party ticket for the next party date not sold out or a park ticket for a day. We took the tickets for the Sunday party and had a wonderful time. We continue to believe in the Mickey!"
Alice writes: "I find your tips very helpful. In June, when I bought the flight tickets, I thought Christmas would be ideal as most people would be home or at Gramma's. My question is: Will there be New Year's Eve celebrations at Disney?" Here's an excerpt from Disney's Press Release about New Year's at WDW: Live performances from The B-52's, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Chris Botti will transform Downtown Disney Pleasure Island into the hottest New Year’s Eve celebration going on Dec. 31. The party will take place from 8 p.m.-2 a.m., and will include a countdown to 2003 and a dazzling fireworks show only Disney can deliver. Each guest on New Year’s Eve will welcome 2003 with festive hats and noisemakers, plus a dessert buffet and a midnight champagne toast -- as part of the admission price. Admission to the night-long New Year’s Eve gala is $79 plus tax, and includes entry to all eight uniquely themed nightclubs at Pleasure Island. Annual passholders can purchase up to two tickets at $59 each plus tax. For more information or to order tickets, call 407/W-DISNEY." (Source: Walt Disney World Press Release, 12/09/02) Christmas is one of the busiest time to visit WDW! Long lines are the norm. So be prepared! The Magic Kingdom will be open until 1 AM. Fireworks will take place at 8:30 PM and midnight to ring in the new year. Glad you are enjoying our tips!
Beth, our travel agent, writes: "An economical activity for clients in Orlando now through Jan. 5 is the International Drive Resort Area Fantasy of Lights Holiday Celebration. The I- RIDE Trolley (75 cents per person ages 13 and older and free for accompanying younger passengers) passes the displays. Aboard are 3-D glasses disclosing the messages provided by the lights. Related events (mostly free) are listed in a brochure provided. For information, call 866/243-7493 or check the web site."
Mike and Marsha wrote us about having a Xmas tree set up in their hotel room at WDW: "Here is the email I received from WDW when I contacted them about the Christmas trees: E-mail address: marsha.baker@dana.com Yes we do have Christmas trees. 3 Ft $200.00 and 61/2 ft $500.00. They both come with fiber optic lighting, Disney character ornaments and traditional holiday trim. We send [it] to the front desk and they will have someone set it up in your room for you. It also comes with the box so when you are ready to depart the resort you can have it packed up and shipped back to your home . Our phone# is 407-827-3505. Or fax# 407-827-4440. Please give us a call and we can set this order up for you. Wdwd florist" Thanks, Mike and Marsha, for letting us know about this. If anyone has any experience with this, please send us your comments and we'll pass them along in the newsletter. Thanks!
Alice writes: "Hello John, Thanks for the updates. We will be arriving in Orlando on Christmas Day. We will be staying at a hotel near exit 26 of 192 [If I read the map correctly] in Kissimmee. Will we find a grocery store open?" Grocery stores should be open until 5 PM on Xmas day.
Aya writes: "Would you recommend staying [at WDW] for the 4th of July holiday? Are the crowds unbearable?" If business returns to normal, expect 50,000 in the Magic Kingdom. We couldn't move on our visit in July, 1996. Book another time if possible. Leslie writes: "This is to help Aya who asked about if July 4th is good time to visit WDW? Yes! it's a great time. We have gone twice and have enjoyed it. This last summer we were there 5 nights / 6 days and the crowds were tolerable, we did hear they closed MK. The crowds weren't uncomfortable until fireworks started in the evening. If crowds are too much for you during the day, go to another park such as AK or MGM. The biggest problem, was deciding which firework show we wanted see. The days prior and after, are the greatest since most of the crowds have dwindled. If heat is an issue, it's not any hotter than any other time of the summer. We have been to WDW in Feb., May, June and July, with July being the best time for us. Security was tighter and that was understandable, but glad to know that my family's safety was important to WDW."
Glynda writes: "Hope you and your family had a wonderful Holiday. My family and I spent last Christmas in Disney. it was our first time there and we fell in LOVE with everything. Even the cold weather, which we thought we had left behind in Kentucky, didn't hamper our first experience at Disney. I read, and re-read, and then read again, your wonderful book, and you saved us so much money. We are heading back down at the end of this coming March. Our daughter and her cheer squad will be competing in the Cheerleading Nationals, that are to be held at the new Opryland Hotel. After the competition weekend is over, we are moving to a more affordable hotel and are going back to the magic. Thank you so much for your time. The book is just wonderful. The best $30 I have EVER spent." I am delighted you had such a great time! I remember our first trip to WDW. It was the most magical thing I had ever experienced!
MGM's Osborne Light Show: "If you want to see the Osborne Lights, do NOT go after the Fantasmic show, everyone goes there. Best time would be to go during the same time the Fantasmic show is running." Good tip, Judi!
Joni writes: "My family is visiting DisneyWorld from November 14th through the 23rd. We'd like to do something special for Thanksgiving night. Any recommendations? Also, my husband just had a knee replacement and will be in a wheelchair during our visit. Is it possible to get the wheelchair at the hotel (we're staying at Disney's Port Orleans) and are there any special accommodations at the park for those in wheelchairs, like shorter lines?"
You can borrow the wheelchair for free at your resort's Guest Services for
the duration of your stay. For more information, click
here.
Steven left a message for us on our order form: "We really want to get tickets for 6 to [Disney's New Year's Eve Celebration]!" We told Steven where to buy them. Steven wrote back: "Talk about prompt, personal service! I'm impressed and I haven't had time to read one chapter."
Renea writes: "Is it true that Disney is decorated for Christmas after Thanksgiving?" WDW is completely decorated for Xmas before Thanksgiving arrives. Thanksgiving is our favorite time to visit, but the kids in school have prevented that in recent years.
Dorothy writes: "Will be visiting Magic Kingdom Xmas day. Am aware of crowds. Any hints or good advice? We are staying at Doubletree Guest Suites. Any advice on this either?" If crowds get too heavy on Xmas day, Disney will close the park. If the park is packed, do NOT leave. Stay there until closing. Follow our tours, but be flexible. We don't wait longer than 30 minutes for any attraction. Keep moving until you find a shorter line - usually at the back of the park. Remember - most people start forming lines near the entrance and work their way to the rear of the park. Instead, you should go to the rear of the park and work your way to the entrance against the crowd. Use FASTPASS when you can and visit the attractions around the FASTPASS attraction. DoubleTree is a nice resort with space for large families. Budget Rental Car is located in the hotel if you need to rent a car. Goodings grocery is within walking distance.
Lisa writes: "My husband and I are traveling to WDW over the x-mas holiday from Dec 22-30 . We were wondering if you new of any special events or special things to do during that time... Also could you recommend a place for dinner on x-mas eve and x-mas we'd like to something fun and disneyesque." The main holiday events at WDW include Epcot's Candlelight Processional and Storytellers Around the World (each country has its own Santa), Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade in the Magic Kingdom, and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at MGM. Each resort has it's Santa and Xmas party with hot cider, cookies, live entertainment, and Disney characters. Your hotel will give you a program of events. Each resort offers a holiday meal as well (some better than others). Xmas Eve at Epcot 1. Enjoy the Tree Lighting Ceremony under the canopy of lights 2. Dinner - guests recommend the Garden Grill for children. Adults like the Rose and Crown (you can watch Illuminations from here). Book early so you don't miss out on seating at Processional. They start seating as soon as the previous show empties. 3. Candlelight Processional. Xmas Day: Dine at the Magic Kingdom: Visitors like to enjoy dinner at Tony's Town Square on Main Street. Request window seating so you can see the decorations and activity around Town Square while you eat. The show at the Castle provides great holiday entertainment. People recommend the Liberty Tree Tavern (Characters show up here, too) and, of course, Cinderella's Royal Table.
Other places to consider:
Book priority seating by calling 407/WDW-DINE. Call up to 4 months in advance. Menus are not posted that far in advance, but most restaurants offer holiday selections.
Judi writes: "We spent last Thanksgiving at WDW and had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Fort Wilderness. The food and the atmosphere were great and we would heartily recommend it to others."
Stephanie writes, "we will be visiting WDW in late November to early Dec. We are traveling with an 8, 2 and 16 month old. We will be staying for 9 days, will the crowds be low at this time? Will we still be able to enjoy the water parks? Will this be plenty of time to enjoy more than just the parks?" Crowds are heavy Thanksgiving week. The weather can fluctuate that time of year, but you should be able to use the pools most days. The pools are heated as well. 9 days are enough if you know which attractions and rides you want to experience ahead of time. I would recommend one day in the Animal Kingdom and two days at each of the other three parks. That will leave you two days to experience activities outside the parks.
Joni writes: "i was planning my trip for 11/28-12-4 and was wondering wouldn't it be crowded the week after thanksgiving with kids being on holiday from school? i was trying to plan it for the least busy time of year, after thanksgiving before christmas" Kids go back to school after Thanksgiving. Between Thanksgiving and Xmas is perfect.
Donna is one of our customers and she wrote us recently about her trip to WDW last July Fourth: "I ordered "Secrets" last March. We took our first trip to Disney world July 4th weekend. Considering the week we went, we had a wonderful time! I contribute a lot of our fun to knowing where to go and what to do at the right time of the day. Even July 4th we saw everything we wanted to see with almost no wait! I had printed out each park and took your suggestion on which rides and sites that should be "must see and do" and depending on the age of our children, which ones we could pass up... From the stories I have heard in the past, I had almost dreaded going to Disney. Now thanks to you I am ready to go again. Would have never believed it!" Thanks, Donna, for your kind comments. Looks like you handled the parks like a pro!
Dorothy visited WDW during Christmas: "We spent our Xmas at Disney. Arrived Saturday 22nd. Stayed at doubletree guest suites. Two adults with kids 3-5-7-9. Did Animal Kingdom on Xmas Eve--not crowded. Then headed to Magic Kingdom that evening around 6 pm. Not Crowded again. We were really fortunate. No lines for carousel, Small World, Snow White. Also saw Electric light parade that night. Returned to Magic Kingdom on Xmas Day around 11 in the afternoon. Fought crowds all day. Longest line was Pooh ride (around 70 minutes). Very fortunate to see parade the night before because while everyone was there we went to Tomorrowland and ate pizza and then did some rides. We asked Disney employee fastest way out to beat crowd--he gave us good advise. Sent us to Toon town to take train back to front of park. The train conductor said he couldn't go until the fireworks were over. This gave us time tosee Mickey and Minnie's house and get autographs from about 7 characters. Each were in their own room with no lines and no waiting. This part of the park was empty (around 10:30 pm). It was great!!!!! The next day we just rested. Then took in Universal Studios on Wednesday. Had a wonderful time!!!!!!! We left on Thursday morning to head back to Ohio. (Long drive). Still have 2 of the 4 days left on our hopper pass. We did enough with 4 kids in 4 days!!!!! Looking forward to returning in a few years."
Marsha visited WDW during Thanksgiving and sent us the following trip report: "I should have kept a journal every day but I didn't so I probably will forget to tell you some things I wanted to but such is my life. I saw several maintenance-type things going on (changing plants in gardens) during our Thanksgiving trip. It bothered me but I don't think the kids noticed as they had never seen Disney magic before and so didn't miss it. Rudeness is de riguer, it seems. I was the only one standing in line to check in at the All Star Movies resort. There were two clerks helping one person and another clerk busily cleaning his work area. Several management types walked by as I waited. Typical for a regular hotel but Disney? The clerk who "helped" us never cracked a smile. She also found our reservation requests had been logged in exactly backwards even though we had called twice since our original reservations in January! Instead of connecting rooms, we weren't even in the same building. Instead of away from the pools and near the parking lots, they were near the pool and away from the parking lots. No apologies, no nothing. She knew we had a handicapped person with us as we asked parking questions but she forgot to give us a special handicapped packet that I discovered on Day 2. The refrigerators, though they were listed as requested, took all afternoon to arrive. A shift change was to blame apparently. We used to never be allowed to know that employees worked in shifts. It was all done by little elves who worked day and night to make us happy. Those were the days. We couldn't get dinner reservations anywhere even though we started trying last summer. Previously, for me, it hadn't been a problem. This year it was a huge problem. The restaurant clerks were very rude and didn't even offer alternative suggestions. The only nice clerks were at EPCOT in Morocco. We were treated so rudely at MGM's Sci Fi Diner that we filled out a complaint card even though we couldn't get in. Since we had cars, we ate at restaurants on Highway 192 instead. Speaking of cars, I loved having our cars. Besides saving our stomachs, it allowed us to get to and from the parks very quickly. (Except for Magic Kingdom - there seems to be no close parking for MK.) Since All Star Movies is the last of those resorts in line, we would have had to wait for buses. Instead, we zipped right over to the parks. Forgot to mention that I used Tiffany Limos to take me there and back to the airport. It's a bit of a luxury but it is so worth it not to have to wait for a bus or shuttle and worry about getting on and would it be on time, etc. They were very helpful and always on time. Magic Kingdom was very crowded as usual until the evening. Then we went into every ride we wanted to take. We saw Mickey a lot and he was always so wonderful and sweet. We also saw a lot of characters at all the parks, which hadn't been the case on my earlier visits. The attendants were not exactly rude but not exactly Disney-ish either. What difference did it make if I stood in the exit lane? No one else was there. I wasn't blocking any traffic. Even though MK was crowded (and so was MGM), lines moved pretty quickly. We used the Fast Pass for Space Mountain (wish I hadn't - forgot that I didn't like roller coasters!) and it worked out perfectly. Didn't need it for anything else. One disadvantage: time tyranny. We were waiting in line for pizza at FutureWorld for about half an hour. One guy who was in the back shouts to his friend/wife/whatever who was close to the front of the line that they only had 20 minutes left on their Fast Pass. He was really irritated and she was really frustrated. Was it really worth it? Speaking of Fast Passes, I always had a dread that I was waiting in the wrong line as there was frequently a line for the Fast Passes, too, and the signs weren't really very enlightening. Tower of Terror Update - I loved it when I first rode it, but they've added about four more drops. It was too much for me. Everyone was worried about my 11-year-old nephew going to the Alien Encounter but he loved it, as I thought he would. Why does everyone think it's so frightening? Who really believes an alien was loose in that theater? I think the guide books my sister and sister-in-law read were overreacting. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience was too intense for a six-year-old behind us. He begged his dad to take him out. The dad kept saying, just take off your glasses, instead of just reaching over and taking them off for him. FINALLY, he took the poor kid out. Some people ought to have to get a license to have kids. Then, again, our six-year-old loved it. Our 14-year-old loved the Animal Kingdom Lion King show. But, then, she was flirting with the dancers. In fact, she was flirting with everyone. I swear, the reason she got her passport completed was because she wanted to talk to all the cute guys from the different countries. Once I caught her putting on makeup during a show! But she watched the parades and had to have a picture taken with Mickey and Minnie so she enjoyed the kid experience, too. Illuminations at EPCOT wasn't as impressive as I remembered it. There was what appeared to be a gigantic fire as it started. No one seemed alarmed but my brother-in-law and I figured that some of the fireworks must have gone off accidentally and that was why the show was so short. They had a bunch of restrooms closed for some reason so one of my nephews and one of my nieces almost missed the show looking for an open restroom. What was that all about? Well, this is way too long. Hope some of it is of some use to future travellers. I myself am Disneyed out for at least the next few years. Man, did we walk. Thanks for all your tips and hints and flat-out great ideas this past year as we were planning our trip. I'll be saving future issues of your newsletter as I know I'll be going back one day!" Thank you, Marsha, for the feedback. We'll be here to make your next WDW vacation fun and affordable!
Steve from Canada visited WDW
during Thanksgiving and sent us the following trip
report: We used the Tiffany Towncar Service to get to and from the airport, which worked very well. The cars were roomy, the drivers were friendly and their web site has a $5.00 off coupon ... every dollar counts. We stayed at the All Star Movie Resort ... (near Buzz Light year) which was fun. The rooms were simple sleeping rooms with very minimal extra's, but they were clean and we did not spend much time in them anyway. My son who will be 6 in February loved playing in the large swimming pool that had Mickey squirting water out at people in the pool. Even though the air temperature was quite chilly most of last week (down as low as 45 the first few days we were there), the pool was heated to about 80. It was OK while you were under the water ... I was pleasantly surprised at the food court at the hotel. They had quite a few healthy things to buy like fruit, bagels, yogurt, milk etc.. we decided that it was not necessary to rent a fridge for the time that we were there, even though a slice of bread cost $0.50 and you had to toast it yourself. There was also a wide variety of foods, pasta's, burgers, turkey, Chinese, sushi etc we ate there for breakfast everyday and sometimes for dinner as well. One of the best deals was the bottomless mug purchase for $8.99 which we used all week. I highly recommend taking advantage of the priority seating feature in Disney. The first few days on site, it was almost impossible to get lunch in a sit down restaurant at lunch time, we had to go into one of the many counter style service restaurants for lunch the first few days. It was not a pleasant experience at all. Long lines, few food choices and difficulty in finding a table to sit, and this was in the low season. By day 3 (we spent 8 days there altogether) we were smarter and booked a restaurant each day as the first thing we did when we got to the parks, but there are a number of other ways to book ahead. We ate in some good restaurants while we were there but my sons favorite was the Sci-Fi restaurant at MGM as we got to have our meal in a car while we watched old "B" movies (like a drive- in). I was most impressed with how Disney moves people around. The bus system is very good and very easy to use and when you are in the parks the line-ups moved through quite well most of the time. The day before Thanksgiving (we were at MGM) was the day we had to wait most 50-60 minutes for some of the more popular shows/rides. But during the rest of the week we got right into many things and waited only about 30 minutes for some of the more popular rides. We did use the Fastpass feature about 4 times but found it a bit restrictive as you had to be at that ride by a certain timeframe and you may have wandered over to the other side of the park.by then, but still it worked well. A few of the rides had computer problems which I got the impression was not uncommon. Space Mountain (which my son went on and was somewhat of a let down to him - not long enough, not dark enough), Splash Mountain, Test Track and the Tower of Terror (which my son loved - but again not long enough) all had computer problems while we were there, but we got on most of the major rides in the end, except the Rock n Roller Coaster which my son failed the height test (48 inches). A few of our other favorite things were the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic, Epcot Illuminations, the Osborne Christmas lights, Spaceship Earth, Star Tours (the only ride we did twice), Indiana Jones Stunt show, the various 3D movies ... Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King show in Animal Kingdom were both great, who needs Broadway shows! Overall I think our favorite park was MGM, but each of them had something great to offer and it was really special being there to see all of the Christmas spirit and lights (it was snowing bubbles on New York street... what a great effect). Our biggest disappointments were the Tapestry Parade, lunch at the British restaurant at Epcot and my Mother getting ill one night and having to be rushed to emergency and missing the next day's fun as she had to rest. But it was good thing that we had travel insurance (recommend to all Canadians) to cover the trip. We used AAA Insurance and they were great. They told us not worry they would cover everything (we did not have to pay a penny up front). The Disney staff were also great in helping us out with transportation needs to and from the hospital and wheel chairs again at no cost. Lastly, I just want to say that we had a 7 day hopper pass and we still did not see everything that Disney had to offer, but we did see 99% of the major attractions and many of the smaller ones. We spent two days each at MK, MGM, EPCOT and one day the Animal Kingdom. We also went to Downtown Disney twice, once to look around (day one, while we waited for our rooms to become available) and once to shop and have lunch. We got caught up in collecting while we were there. Character autographs ... this takes quite a bit of time ... be prepared to line up, especially for the more popular ones, Disney pins ... we even traded a few and passport stamps and comments from the country pavilions in Epcot. It was fun way to work your way around the parks. We also had fun looking for armadillos, [alligators] and lizards (I hope they were small alligators!) while we were taking buses and walking through the parks.The cast members, as they are known, were all very friendly and we especially liked the fact that where appropriate many of the cast members were from different countries and were there for at least a year representing their countries as ambassadors while at Disney.
Overall as I said we had a great time and it helped
to have your book and ongoing bulletins as it helped us plan our time at
Disney World to be that much more enjoyable. Keep up the good work
John." "The armadillos were often spotted along the road sides in the grassy spots between the Disney parks. We could see them out the windows of the bus. In fact the bus drivers often pointed them out to us. The same holds true for the gator. While I did not see it, my parents saw a small one in one of the ponds along the route back from MK to the All Star hotels, again the bus driver pointed it out. The driver told them that they remove any large ones from the grounds. The drivers were a pretty good group for the most part and added to the fun of the trip." Thank you for sharing the details of your trip with us, Steve. I sure am glad they remove the large ones! :)
Becky visited WDW during Halloween and sent us her trip report: "Our trip to Disney has come and gone. And what a trip it was. My husband, who isn't a big Disney fan, even commented that the kids had an experience of a lifetime with the amount of interaction we had. Upon arrival I had two grumpy kids (5 & 7) in tow since they had ear aches in spite of chewing bubble gum the whole flight. (If you're flying, give them a small dose of Benedryl at least 1/2 hour before. This helped immensely on the return trip.) When the Cast Member saw this, she immediately pulled out two fanny packs they give only to those paying with a certain major credit card and gave [them] to [the kids] - even though we didn't use that card and everyone else only got one fannypack. We used Tiffany Town Cars and had wonderful service. Our driver not only met us, but had us at the luggage pick-up area and had our luggage even before it was posted where our luggage would be He also grabbed the two heaviest cases and took us right out the door nearest the baggage pick up. If you just mention that you found out about them on the Internet, they'll give you the $5 off without the coupon. He was very good and gave us a lot of good information. (The link to the coupon is included in the list of coupons our customers can access when they log in.) Upon arriving at the All Star Music, we found that in spite of having faxed our room preference information, they had nothing on file. However, our Cast Member immediately offered me a room on the second floor (All Star Music) with a pool view in the Calypso (first building so close to food court and bus stop). Better yet we could get into the room immediately (1:15 and check in is 4 p.m.). Guess it pays to have grumpy ones in tow sometimes! After getting settled, we hit the pool as we didn't want to use our tickets and had a 6:15 reservation at Chef Mickey's. Chef Mickey's was a wonderful hit, and the autograph books that I did, which John posted in his most recent letter, were a great hit. Got a thumbs up and pat on the back from Goofy for the book and one of the cast members at Chef Mickey's asked me where I had bought it as she thought it was wonderful and wanted one for herself. I received this kind of feedback from many cast members and other people who saw them and most of the characters took the time to look at the front and leaf through the books and then I'd get a pat or a thumbs up. The only downside was that we were 20 minutes late for our priority seating due to the fact that we had to go through Downtown Disney and the Ticket and Transportation Center to catch the Monorail since the Magic Kingdom was closed and we couldn't take a bus directly there and then catch the monorail. (Took us about 1 hour and 15 minutes total to get there). Once there, we were whisked right in despite being late. Day two we couldn't figure out why it was so busy in the Magic Kingdom. Although we knew it would be busy since it was a "surprise (early open)" day, but this was to be the down time! Wait times were 25-45 minutes for most attractions. We were later told that the European countries, who attend school year-round, happened to be on holiday. We picked our spot for the Magic Moments parade just over the bridge in Liberty Square -- what a great choice. Although my son wouldn't participate, my niece got to dance with Snow White and the 7 dwarves and got to help hand out plates and dance to Beauty and the Beast's "Be Our Guest." If you go to this parade, try to get a spot right in front of the lady that does the umbrella painting. It's in the shade and as I said, the parade stops right there. Went to Pecos Bill's for an early dinner. Food was very good and was actually cheaper and better than our food court as we later found out. Stayed the rest of the afternoon and evening for the Electrical Parade and fireworks. Went to Frontierland to view both and it was awesome. We could hear everything, see Tinkerbell, and got ashes all over us from being so close to the fireworks. Friday we did Universal since we were afforded a private tour and free tickets. Kids weren't overly thrilled (I've been told that Island of Adventure is much better for small ones). Had tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween on Friday night. When we checked in, our Cast Member told us they limited it to 1,900 tickets -- I think she forgot to read the other "0." The place was absolutely packed. My son went as a scarecrow and my niece went as Cinderella. Her mother had made her a pink princess gown last year and we added a tiara, did her hair up (long blonde), makeup, and she wore her clear beach sandals for glass slippers. We had many comments about the dress and glass slippers and one cast member asked Cinderella for her autograph! The slippers had to go part way through the evening, and she then insisted on wearing her orange witch socks, which just peaked out from under her dress! It was packed, so we decided to leave right after the parade and fireworks and not close the park at midnight. By the way, if anyone asks, we were right next to the head honcho during the Fireworks and he settled an argument for us -- it really is Tink flying out, she's just in costume (a witch). To be totally honest, I would not spend the $20-$25 per person to do this again. You really had to look hard for cast members handing out candy, it was just way too crowded, and only some attractions (similar to e-nights) were open. Saturday we did the Animal Kingdom and the kids loved it. If you go, be sure to take the train to Rafiki's Conservation Station and go into the station. We were going to skip this, but I'm glad we went. The kids got to see Meeko (who got into my nieces backpack looking for snacks), Rafiki, and Tarzan. Tarzan was wonderful with my son (and what a site for Mom's tired eyes!). He spent more than 5 minutes with him explaining that Jane had taught him to write his name so he could sign his book and got down on the floor at his level. He made a big fuss out of Cole having his picture in the book and asked where he got it. I explained that we got it from the Internet -- Something Jane would be teaching him about if she hadn't already! He also noticed that my son had on his Tarzan shirt, which we had forgotten about. He again made a big fuss over Cole having him on his shirt, so we asked him if he would sign that as well, which he gladly did. The kids liked Animal Kingdom the best because of all the animals. Their favorite was the Lion King. We ran out of time and didn't make it to Tarzan Rocks because we spent the extra time at the Conservation Station. We went to the Rain Forest Cafe for dinner, and this was a huge hit. I stopped that morning on the way in and we had no problem getting a 4:15. This really helped refresh the kids -- instead of going back to our room, which is what Dad wanted to do, they decided to go back to the Magic Kingdom and hit some things we didn't get to see and watch the Electrical parade and fireworks. This time we got right at the hub in front of the Castle. No one would tell poor Sneezy "Bless You" when he sneezed (a lot of those visiting from other countries didn't get it) so I yelled as loud as I could and he ran back 20 feet just to blow me a big kiss. Kids got to shake hands with a lot of characters during this parade. After the fireworks, a cast member walked over to my niece and said "Hold out your hand." After my telling her it was "okay" she was presented with a handful of "pixie dust" that Tink sprinkles when coming out of the castle to light the fireworks. Next year of course, we're going to be Tink for halloween. Sunday we went to Epcot. Did the Living Seas and some other "kid" things, but they really didn't like it. (Honey I Shrunk the Audience was a 45-minute wait). We skipped out and headed for Downtown Disney for shopping. They loved this. Went back that evening for Parade of Nations and Illuminations. Whatever you do, DO NOT miss illuminations. We had a fantastic view, but we had seats! Monday we spent the morning at the Magic Kindgom visiting places we hadn't seen (ToonTown) and riding some of our favorites again. Monday was much less crowded. With only 5-10 minute waits (even on Winnie the Pooh). We then spent the afternoon at MGM. We had to wait in line for about 15 minutes to see Buzz (and we were second in line) because some little kid decided to see if Buzz' wings were real. Needless to say, we got to meet Buzz without his wings! We then went in search of Tigger, who was the only one other than Piglet that we didn't find for autographs. The kids got to bounce with Tigger and he signed both their autograph books and their Tigger hats (which have cute little ears and a tail), which we found at the gift shop adjacent to the Winnie the Pooh ride at the Magic Kingdom. We decided not to do Fantasmic! since the kids were tired and we heard the Cast Member while checking on the dinner package availability tell someone that with the crowds they were experiencing, if they wanted standing room only, get there 90 minutes before, otherwise 2-3 hours before for seating. Of course, the dinner package was sold out! It was then time to head back to our room for me to try to figure out how to get all of our loot from our shopping spree home -- mostly my nieces. We had decided not to have them ship it since they told us it would take 20 days. That's just waaaayyyyy too long for a 5 & 7 year old to wait to get their stuff. We did hear one lady tell her husband "I'm not joking, with everything we bought, we have to leave the dirty clothes." She further went on to remind him that it was because of him she didn't bring the extra suitcase. I just looked at my husband and smiled, since he saw no reason to bring an extra one either (I had one suitcase full with snacks, drinks, cereal and my water pitcher). I had to do some very creative packing, but I made it (all $700 worth -- including 2 large, one medium, and 2 small snowglobes and an 18" Mickey and Tigger and a 24" Goofy!) Most of the shopping was for my niece, whose family sent along a list. Definitely go to Downtown Disney to do your shopping, the savings do add up. I had a fridge in our room -- which is now $10 per night. I would not do this again. It didn't get cold enough to freeze our bottles of water/drinks. I would take a foldable cooler or one of the big insulated bags since the ice is free. If you just want to keep milk cold for the next morning, put it on ice in the ice bucket. I also took a package of the small boxes of cereal that I purchased at our local Sam's, some bagels, and crackers, cookies and pop tarts. This saved us big bucks. Since we flew, I packed my Britta water filter. My husband laughed when I packed it, but the smirk quickly went away once he got there, tasted the water and saw the price of theirs! I also took Crystal Light drink mixes which easily fit inside a small 2 qt. Rubbermaid drink container. I don't know if I got the idea from someone posting to this site, but a great life saver for me while waiting in line, for parades, fireworks, or in restaurants turned out to be travel-sized "Magic Drawing Boards." If you're going with little ones, trust me it's well worth the $5-6 investment. I heard very little whining anytime we had to wait and these fit right into the fanny packs the cast member gave them, so we didn't have to dig through backpacks constantly. By the way, if anyone knows where I can get the words to "Celebrate the Future," I'd love to have them. This is the song that the snow globes play. I haven't yet totaled our spending from the trip, but I can say that having the book gave me a lot of great money-saving tips and allowed us to see much more than most people would during our stay."
Susan visited WDW in February: "The weather was wonderful!! We arrived on Friday and were at Epcot on Saturday morning. For some reason there were no crowds. I am wondering if Saturday is a big travel day and families are coming and going to Florida on that day, either way it made for a very pleasant day for us. We spent 12 hours at Epcot and one of my sons who was seven years old the last time we went, could not remember any of what he had seen seven years ago. Traveling with a 14 year old is a lot easier. When I see all these people with little ones, I wonder how much will they remember? Any way to get back to Epcot. I loved it, some things haven't changed and that is good, Honey I shrunk the audience, is a blast, however I would advise anyone who is afraid of mice, never to view this. The second day was Sunday, we went to Magic Kingdom, as I stood in line to enter I was afraid I had made a mistake going on Sunday, that was one of the early enter days for guests staying on the property, but I had to go on Sunday. Anyway, thank goodness for the Fast Pass. That saves so much time. Wait time for Splash Mountain was 90 minutes! Crowds were manageable. They didn't bother us at all. We used our fast pass when we could and waited in lines no more than 15 minutes when we didn't have the pass. After spending the whole day there, I was glad I had gone on Sunday. We skipped MGM and chose Universal's two parks, they however were very crowded. We enjoyed them, but felt Disney World was better. I used my left over passes from seven years ago to go to WDW. Had no trouble changing them to current passes, even my son who had been a child's price seven years ago, I was able to turn that in for an adult pass and not have to pay any difference. All in all it was a wonderful vacation and thank you ever so much for all your help, everything went off without a hitch."
Jessica had questions about visiting WDW during the Memorial Day weekend: " 1.I am travelling to WDW over Memorial day weekend, with full days Fri thru Mon. Do the same "rules" apply on holiday weekends for which park is busiest which day? Do you have suggestions for an order to see the parks ( MK, Epcot, and MGM- we're goin' fishin' one of the days). 2. Disney Quest - my 12 year old son and his friend are dying to go, and I am hoping NOT to. Do you think this is a safe place for preteens to be without parents for a few hours? Also, how do I find out in advance which of the attractions cost extra money, so I'll know how much to bring or send my son with? The only way for DQ to be "affordable" is to plan ahead in my opinion. Thanks if you can answer these questions. Your book has been really valuable in planning an affordable trip. I got a great rate at a suite hotel with your discount hotel links." On a holiday like Memorial Day, all parks will probably be packed. It probably won't matter in which order you visit the parks, but the Animal Kingdom seems to be the least crowded any day. Disney says only kids 10 and under visiting DisneyQuest need a parent with them, so I assume it is monitored by Disney security. I would give your son $20. Kids will spend whatever you give them! And give him two to three hours to explore the attraction. That's plenty of time. Glad you like the book!
Simon asks: The Magic Kingdom is everybody's sentimental favorite.
Moira from Canada writes: "It is T minus 24 hours and counting before we leave on our trip! ...I am obviously far too excited to sleep!! ...Thanks for your book and all your great tips! Here's a tip for others traveling in December - rather than panic about doing your Xmas letter, cards, etc. I am going to buy a bunch of W.D.W. postcards and write a line or 2 max! Something like. . . having a great time! Merry Christmas!"
We helped Moira save over US$2000 on
her trip from Canada to WDW! With the weak Canadian dollar, Canadians need
to know the
Secrets
To An Affordable Walt Disney World®
Vacation! Christmas tree decorating tip: we decorate our tree every year with Disney toys. We use the toys from McDonald's and Burger King, as well as the those we bought or our children received over the years. We use the small twinkling white lights and a Mickey tree topper. Pumbaa, Timon, Frollo, Buzz Lightyear, Quasi, Esmeralda, Goofy, Pocahontas, and many, many more all hang on our tree. All toys are sorted and displayed according to movie theme -- all Mulan toys are hung together, all Hercules, all Toy Story, etc.! Disney would have been proud to display this tree!
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