Disney Vacations

Ian Wilkie asked:


For people who have been visiting Walt Disney World almost regularly, they will have some valuable tips for others who are making their first trip to this fantasy land. If you were to ask your child where they want to go for the holidays, you will hear only one answer Walt Disney World. This is how popular the Disney World in Florida is, more than the Hawaii beaches and the San Diego Sea World, people come to Disney World to unleash the child within them and enjoy themselves and get their money’s worth.

If your family has tiny tots, and children of different age groups, make sure to take their interests into consideration while planning the trip. They will each want to visit a part of the park that appeals to them, and so you better be prepared for some running around during your Walt Disney World vacation.

If there are older kids, you can let them go on the roller coaster or other jungle rides on their own while you take the tiny ones to the Fantasyland or for some fun at Mickey’s Toontown Fair. They will get a chance to watch all their favorite cartoon characters come alive and play with them which will provide good photo opportunities for you so you can preserve them for later reminiscing.

The important factor to note is do not plan a holiday that is less than seven days minimum, else you wont be able to take in all the sights and adventures on offer. A place so vast, it will blow you away the minute you cross the entrance, the Disney World is every person’s dream come true. And better yet, if you can grab a few discounts or park entry passes at cheaper prices. Think ahead of time, you can obtain everything at a lower price than what is offered inside the park, making it possible for those luxurious indulges inside the park.

Plan the tour in such a way that you go through Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square to the Main Street USA where you can pause to indulge in some shopping. After this, walk along to Mickey’s Toontown Fair and in case your child enjoys observing the sky or reading about rockets, they will enjoy the sights on offer in the Tomorrowland.

But most of the rides have a long waiting line, and if you want to skip this, you need to come ahead of time to see if you can grab couple of Fast Passes. This pass will allow you to reserve a place, and come back when the waiting time mentioned on the ticket is up. In case you have a senior person or someone bound to a wheelchair, make sure you have kept that in mind while booking the ride. All the rides are wheelchair friendly and if not, the attendants will help get that member seated on the ride. So, the next time you plan on taking an affordable Disney vacation, keep these tips in mind.



Makenna

Ian Wilkie asked:


Are you a movie buff or someone who would kick their feet up and watch the latest animated movie? Either ways, you can be assured there is something for you in Walt Disney World in Florida. Plan a cheapest Disney World vacation to watch your favorite movie stars come alive in the theme park called Disney-MGM Studios, which is soon going to become Hollywood Studios.

Apart from this there is the Sorcerer’s Hat created as a tribute to the famous Fantasia movie which is visible from the entrance of the park itself. This was the third park to be opened to public way back in 1989. With Hollywood movies as its inspiration, it contains within its walls, an array of entertainment and fun based on movies, television and musicals. If you view the Walt Disney World map, you will notice this theme park has various entertainment arenas within its walls, such as the Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Mickey Avenue and many others.

Each of these is based on a Walt Disney movie and either shows the visitors how the movie was made or transports them into the sets of that movie. The only difference between this and the other parks is it does not have a fixed route, it is stretched and spread between the various streets and lanes, like in a studio.

If you are staying at one of the private rented villas, you can take a shuttle ride to the theme park and head straight to the star attraction of Animation Courtyard, where you see all Disney characters performing live on stage. Children are greeted by the Little Mermaid or the Bear takes them on a tour around the big house for some fun and singing with his friends Pooh, Piglet and Jojo. This is a perfect place for your children to sing along and have some fun with the characters and to kick start your vacation.

From here, you can move along to the Backlot tours as part of your affordable Disney vacation. Here, you get the opportunity to take one of the star tours, that will take your through the sets of Star Wars or other classic movies. You will also witness the Indiana Jones stunt display where actors enact scenes from the movie; if you are looking for some comedy, you will find it in the nearby 3D audio treat of Jim Carrey’s Sounds Dangerous.

For some rush and thrilling action, head towards the Sunset Boulevard where you can enjoy the roller coasters which is built inside the building and takes off at a very high speed. Whereas in the Twilight zone of Terror, you will be on a ride that drops you in an elevator involving high speed crashes and raises. There will be additional interesting lighting and sounds playing to make it more fun and adventurous. Be-it the live entertainment or the rides, every inch of your Walt Disney World vacation will be jam packed and not a moment of it will be boring for you.



Amari

Ian Wilkie asked:


Is there such a thing as an affordable or cheap Walt Disney World vacation? Is it even possible to go to Disney World and not spend a lot of money? The answer is yes, it is possible. All one needs to do is be aware of what are the facilities available at the park and plan wisely. They need to consult their family members and understand their main aim of visiting the park. Some might want to visit the Magic Kingdom, while others would be looking forward to taking the Kali River rafting trip in Animal Kingdom and Tree of Life section.

You need to create a balance and make sure everyone gets to visit their favorite part of the park and let their guards down and enjoy. If you have been saving up for this one trip, you will know how valuable money is and plan with caution.

1. Research:

You must do some ground work before planing the trip and carry out research to know what is the best way to enjoy the entire Disney World and yet not spend too much. You must check out various sites on the net to see if any of the Disney Mickey Avenue or Rafiki’s Plant watch coupons are available. There are some grocery stores in your town that might give away coupons or discounted passes to Dinoland USA or The Backlot tour. All this will make your Walt Disney World vacation fulfilling.

2. Off-Season:

It is wise to travel during off season, when there is not much of crowd and rates aren’t very high. Since Disney World doesn’t have too many shows or parades around this time, you can utilize your time at the various parks enjoying each and every ride. But this might mean, taking your child out of school for the holiday, just make it a fun learning trip and get them to keep track of what all they did. This is a wonderful way of saving money, and getting the best of the Walt Disney World.

3. Food and Indulges:

If you are fond of gingerbread cookies and Mickey Mouse muffins, you will find it hard to resist them at the park. While on your Walt Disney vacation, you need to count your pennies and be smart. Have breakfast at the hotel or villa you are staying in and carry some for lunch, especially if you have kids who get hungry at odd hours. If you are going to get advance seating at restaurants, make sure to screen the menu before ordering, there might be some combos available at reasonable prices.

4. Shopping:

Every time you see a souvenir at the Beastly Bazaar in the Animal Kingdom or Mickey’s of Hollywood in MGM Studios, don’t buy it, instead wait for the last day and take time to do some relaxed shopping around the various stores to buy those souvenirs or gifts. This way, you will remember what you are buying and how much you are spending at the various stores.



Amaya

Ian Wilkie asked:


You have just managed to get a couple of weeks off after a long busy period at work. And get home to enquire with your family on where they would like to go for a holiday, in unison they respond Walt Disney World in Florida. Even though it is only a couple of hundred miles from where you live, the sheer thought of the cost is bogging you down making you wonder if you can afford it.

Worry not, there are plenty of options available based on your budget, even if it is a shoe string budget. And you will be given the best quality service at the theme park, so you need not worry about that aspect when cutting costs while planning the venture.

Here’s how you can enjoy your affordable and stress free Walt Disney World Resort vacation and avail the perks of a cheap Disney Vacation Club membership.

1. Trip and food - Instead of relying on an agency or external party, it is better to sit down and plan the whole trip on your own. Book flight tickets and accommodation, car hires and so on. If you know now that a trip might happen in January or February, plan right away and get cheap deals on the hotels and food joints. When you book ahead of time, you will save money otherwise shelled out while booking at the last minute. You will also be stress free and be able to concentrate on other aspects of the trip.

Check with your friends or family on what kind of food they like, and carry enough for a few days or at least cornflakes and other breakfast items. If you are flying down to Disney World on economy flights, food carried will save you more money.

2. Accommodation options - Instead of staying at one of the hotels in your cheap Disney Vacation Club, you can stay at any of the Orlando villas or cottages within walking distance from the park. Also for this, you can get in touch with the owners directly and rent it from them. For your group to stay comfortably, you can get a place for about $90 - $150 per night.

However, remember the prices are based on number of rooms, the facilities you ask for. This can be a better option to having all cooped up in one hotel room, fighting for space. If you know of another family planning their holiday around the same time, book a place such that you split the cost which will leave you with more to spend at the park. Better to read up on the Disney World newsgroups and subscribe to their newsletters to know the latest promotions up for grabs.

In this way, you can plan ahead and save quite a bit on theme park passes and food indulged in. Scour the various stores and malls in your town to pick up those discounted park passes or buy one get one kind of coupons to make your trip an amazing one.



Brielle

Chris Chew asked:


When someone mentions a vacation in Disney world, what comes to mind? It will be Disney’s joy rides, mingling with cartoon characters and staying in luxury hotels isn’t it? Most people do not know this but you do not have to stay in expensive Disney resorts or hotels when you visit Disney World during your vacations.

If you love the outdoors and nature, then Disney World actually have a huge camping ground called Fort Wilderness Campground for tent camping, RV camping or you can stay in prefabricated log cabins which are fully equipped with dining table, kitchen, color TV with VCD/DVD players and air conditioning. Not much of an adventure camp but camping with comfort and convenience. Hey, you are on a vacation after all so why not live in comfort and experience the Disney vacation hospitality?

All camp sites at Fort Wilderness Campground are arranged in loops. There are 28 loops, with loops 100-2,000 for tents and RV campers and loops 2100-2800 offering cabins for rent. All camp sites are provided with barbeque grills, a picnic table and waste containers. No fires are allowed except in the grills and designated campfire sites.

In Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, you can find recreational and convenient facilities such as video arcades, Disney movies, dinner theater, swimming pools, beach, water ski rental, a small zoo, payphones, restaurants, convenience stores, horseback ridings, basket ball, tennis and volley ball courts….etc You will never be left with nothing to do during your camping vacation at Disney World.

Transportation in Disney Fort Wilderness

Access to other parts of Disney World is very convenient. You can get to Magic Kingdom by boat from Fort Wilderness Landing and to Epcot by monorail. Buses serve all other Disney World’s attraction from the campground. However, the bus services at Fort Wilderness are somewhat chaotic and confusing. So you must be very careful in ascertaining which bus to take and are there any bus transfers to your destination to any part of Disney World.

For example, buses serving destinations outside the campground depart from 2 locations, The Reception Outpost and the Pioneer Hall. This means that you have to keep track of which destination each bus depot serves.

Weather Forecast during Disney vacation

While planning a Disney camping vacation and you plan to rent a tent or have a RV camp, you have to take the weather into consideration as you will be outdoor most of the time and tornadoes are known to have a preference for Fort Wilderness during tornado season. The tornado storms could be very violent if you are caught in the middle of a storm during your Disney vacation.



Angelina

Miriam Boh asked:


There are numerous choices in lodging when you go for your Disney vacation. If you choose to stay in a Disney World resort hotel, you have a number of choices in Disney vacation packages to decide from in order to find out which is the best option for you.

Here are five types of Disney vacation packages for you to evaluate:

- You may choose to plan your own Disney vacation. You book a Disney hotel. You arrange and pay for your Disney World tickets, meals and recreation separately. You need to plan your budget and know the most that you can spend for the vacation. This is the option that needs a lot of work but it may be the least expensive if you carefully research and compare with other Disney vacation packages.

- ‘Disney’s Magic Your Way’ is the least expensive Disney vacation package available. It includes the costs of your accommodation and a Disney World Base ticket for each member of your party. You can choose the number of days for the tickets or even add on the Disney Park Hopper and Non Expiration option.

- The ‘Disney’s Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining’ vacation package includes all the above-mentioned in the basic package, plus the Disney dining option. Many people think this option is a good value. It allows you and everyone in your party to have one table service dining, one quick service dining, and one snack for each night of the package.

- The ‘Disney’s Magic Your Way Premium Package’ is a very convenient Disney vacation package. It has almost everything that you need. The Premium Package includes Magic Your Way Water Park and More Park Hopper with Non Expiration for the number of days you choose. The dining option includes breakfast, lunch and dinner per person per night with a wide choice of Disney dining locations serving a wide variety of food. More benefits include theme park tours and recreation options. This Disney premium package allows you to budget.

- ‘Disney’s Magic Your Way Platinum Package’ is truly the finest most comprehensive package for those looking for the ultimate in luxury. The Platinum package includes all the elements in the Premium package with additional services in your personal Disney vacation planner which will help to make your stay a truly magical experience. If money is no object and you wish to have an incredible magical experience, then Disney’s Magic Your Way Platinum Package is for you.

Whichever one of the Disney vacation packages that you choose even if it is to go with the a-la carte way, make sure is in your budget and you can make the most out of your investment.



Jonah

Karen asked:


Our family is going to go to Disney World in Orlando Florida this year. Of course, I want to get the best deal possible. Whom should I book the trip through to get the best deal? A travel agent? AAA? Or through the Disney web site?

Brian

sprinkles asked:


Just wondering, how often do you go to Disney world and how much do you spend on average, oh and how long is your trip?
thanks!

Keegan

armybrat asked:


We will be going on vacation next month to Disney World, and just found out we’re 5 weeks pregnant. Most of the vacation has already been paid for, and would be very hard to cancel. This is my wife’s first time to Disney World, but she’s been to Disneyland Paris once. Anyway, my question is, will she still enjoy Disney World, and will she enjoy it enough to consider visiting again in 4 or 5 years when the baby will be old enough to enjoy it too?
Sorry, that was my mistake. She will be 8-10 lunar weeks pregnant, and 6-8 weeks gestation. I’m not sure which is the correct time period to say how far along she actually is.

Asher

princess1140 asked:


I am interested in either buying Disney Vacation Club Points, or renting Disney Vacation Club Points. Where is the best source of information?

Jakob