Be Our Guest...set to open soon in new Fantasy Land!

I know many of you have been waiting for the grand opening of "Be Our Guest" restaurant in the new Fantasy Land in Magic Kingdom.  Although we do not have dates as of yet, here is a sneak peek from Disney with some menu details and how the restaurant will run.  Basically during Lunch the restaurant will run as a Counter Service with Kiosks to order food and it will be delivered to your table.  Kind of like a modern Jack in the Box but with much better food and decor.  During Dinner the restaurant transforms into a Casual Dining Sitdown Service where your order is taken Tableside and the menu drastically changes.  No word yet if either option will be included on the Disney Dining Plan, but as soon as I know, I will bring you that information.
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/06/chef-of-be-our-guest-restaurant-in-new-fantasyland-shares-his-favorites-from-the-menu/?CMP=SOC-WDWFY12Q2FBDM0303

Disney With Little Ones

Let's face it, going to Disneyworld as a child seemed like a breeze!  But any veteran of the Magic that is Disneyworld will tell you it takes a lot work and planning before you arrive.  As parents, we are half the magic experience by making it all seem so easy.  One of the biggest challenges is taking the Little Ones.  They certainly get the whole magic experience with all the bright colors and fascinating characters throughout the park.  Enough sights and sounds to stimulate the most intuitive little future Mozart.  But, in order for all the cards to fall into place, you need to be armed and ready to lead the buggy brigade with confidence.  A few tips to make your planning just a little easier. 

First of all and probably most important is daily transportation for your little princess or pirate.  Those that have had the pleasure of using the hard plastic and rather large rental strollers at the front gate to every park will appreciate this tip.  Do NOT rent the hard, uncomfortable, had to manuver, easily heated by the sun, and far too large rental strollers.  There are many companies that offer stroller rentals for the length of your stay.  So rather than dragging a stroller across many airports or paying for an extra baggage fee to have it checked, please check out the prices of local rental shops first.  One that is highly recommended by all the major players in the magic game (www.allears.net , www.wdwinfo.com , www.mouseplanet.com , and even the Disney Moms Panel) is http://orlandostrollerrentals.com/?gclid=CPaava3Sh7ACFccJRQodwxp4ng .  They have a great selection of quality strollers whether you want a regular or jogging style stroller and room for one or two little ones.  All offer great comfort for those late nights on Extra Magic Hours and plenty of shading for those hot days of Orlando Sunshine.  This company is an authorized partner and will deliver the stroller to your on sight resort hotel.  Just like your baggage from the Airport, your stroller can be booked online and will be waiting in your room when you arrive.

My second tip is other baby necessities that usually require a trip to the grocery store.  If you are like me and fly into Orlando International and take the Disney Magical Express Bus service, there is really no need to spend the money on a rental car since everything I want is within reach while staying on Disney Property.  So how do I get to the store for milk, formula, diapers, baby wipes, snacks, powder and all the other essentials? Well, we have that problem solved for you as well.  On-line Grocery Stores that will also place your food items in your Disney Hotel for you is a great way to solve this problem.  Simply go to http://www.goodingsdelivers.com/ and they will have all you need.  Is it a little more expensive than a quick trip to your local Wal-Mart Super Center?  Yes it is, but if you subtract the amount you would pay for a car rental just to drive to the store, it is more than worth the extra spent.  The website is very user friendly and offers many popular items.  If you don’t see a certain item or particular brand, you can special request it.  Not all items they carry are listed on their website, so it may just take you to ask and they will probably be able to fulfill your needs.

So, as you prepare for your adventure into Disneyworld with your Princesses and Pirates, remember, you help to make the Magic happen so plan well and enjoy those moments!

The Magic Begins Again

Every trip to Walt Disneyworld is an adventure and can be different everytime.  Our last visit found us staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) in the Jamaica section of the resort.  Much to our suprise in our check in package was an offer for another stay in a delux resort.  Make sure you take advantage of these offers by budgeting enough for your trip that you can book before you leave.  As a result we have the opportunity to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for our next trip.  The price included the Disney Dining Plan for FREE.  If you keep your eyes open and listen to others that are Disney Veterans, you can always find an amazing offer.   Make sure you get on the E-mail list for Disney Offers by registering on www.disneyworld.com and request to recieve offers as part of your registration.  Enjoy the Magic!!

Plan your days at Disney

First thing you will hear from anyone that has ever been to Disneyworld is "You will not see everything in just one trip to Disneyworld".  There is some truth to that, but not entirely true for those who love to plan every detail.  The key to planning a day for your family to maximize the enjoyment of the parks is to be flexible.  Do not expect your plan will go off without a hitch or delay.  It is necessary to plan ahead and have 2 plans on hand for every park.  I would suggest 4 plans for Magic Kingdom and I will explain why later in this post.

First order of business is to decide which park you will visit on each day.  The Disneyworld website (www.disneyworld.com) will give you a calendar up to a year ahead of time with park hours and extra magic hours for each of the 4 major parks as well as the two water parks.  If you are staying in a resort hotel on Disney property (which also includes Shades of Green military only hotel) you are entitled to the benefit of Extra Magic Hours.  Many plan their days around these hours, but not always the best choice to maximize your planned day.  The exception would be Animal Kingdom in the morning.  It can be a long wait to get on the Kilimanjaro Safari so using the extra magic hours on the Animal Kingdom morning is a good idea.  Animal Kingdom also has the shortest park hours, so the earlier you can get in the better chance you have to see everything in that park.

Most days I plan outside of the Extra Magic hours to avoid following the crowd.  There are many websites out there that will give you the park attendance averages for each day and line wait times.  I personally use www.touringplans.com to get a feel for crowd levels.  I don't mean to avoid the Extra Magic Hours at all, especially evening hours.  We like to hit a less crowded park in the morning to maximize our rides with shorter wait times, then after lunch, transition to the park with the extra evening hours to get as much time in the fun as possible.  This is the major benefit to the Park Hopper Option and helps you get the most of your Disney experience.  When hopping parks, it is always a good idea to plan a late quick service lunch to get the most out of your morning.  With that being said, make sure you obtain a later Dinner Reservation at your evening park choice since you will not be hungry if you eat the late lunch.  I will post more detail to each park plan following this post.  Please feel free to share your experiences because the more ideas the better.

Good Luck Mickey Fans!

Scared of the Weather?

Hello Disney Fans,
One of the great things about Walt Disneyworld is that no matter the weather, it is always a good time.  If you have never been, this will be good information for you.  If you have been, this should sound familiar to you.  The majority of the lines for attractions are under cover.  Your only issue with extreme heat and rain is going from one line to the next.  If you use a park map, you can plan both a sunny day and a rainy day route.  If you are exptecting rain, have your route visit attractions that are close to one another so as to minimize your time in the elements.  Avoid a visit to Animal Kingdom on rainy days, as everything is very spread out and will keep you in the rain much longer.

Regardless of whether or not you are expecting rain, it is always a good idea to carry small ponchos from a local dollar store.  They are easy to carry and can also come in handy when going on certain water rides.  With proper planning, everyday is sunny at Disneyworld.  Feel free to share your stories with us and your secrets for a dry time in the parks.

Dinsey Dinning Plan

This was the first year we used the Disney Dinning Plan, and we will never go without it again... Each lunch recipt totaled about 63-65 per day for my family of 4.  The Dinner reciepts totaled anywhere from 150-180 each day as well.  And I cannot forget the approximate $20 per day for the snack.  That would have been $250 per day.  We had never come close to spending that much money in years past, but then again, we had never eaten as well as we did either.  This program is amazing and really made the trip very memorable for us.  Some say the plan makes your day in disney rushed.  That is based on poor planning in my opinion.  We were only rushed once and that was my own fault for trying to travel from one side of disney to the other in less than an hour.  Food was amazing, wait staff was spectacular and looked forward to every night as an adventure.  These are my kids actually enjoying eachothers company at Le Chefs De France in Epcot.

Disney World Vacation Planning Forum

Hello Disney Fans,
This Blog is designed to help you enjoy the magic of Disney World.  I hope to offer advise to make your trip the best ever.  I also hope to use this as a way to have others share their experiences to offer a variety of options and opinions.  I want everyone to feel free to share their stories, questions, and concerns with me in this forum and with a little luck, I hope to help you enjoy the time of your life.