There are two main parts of Epcot, and they are very different: Future World, and World Showcase. We thought for sure when we took my daughter (age 4 at the time) and niece (age 9 at the time) to Epcot, they wouldn't be all that excited with it. Boy, were we surprised. Really, our girls have a hard time choosing whether they'd rather go to Epcot or Magic Kingdom!
When you enter Epcot, of course, the first thing you see is "the big golf ball." Our girls LOVE this ride! It is actually an omnimover ride through history (including things like Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and on up through the late 20th century). They ride it again and again. This is one of our Epcot favorites.
But, the first thing we do when we head into Epcot is go straight for Soarin'. This ride is AMAZING! Soarin' is a simulated ride on an IMAX screen as if you're hang gliding over Southern California. The coolest thing is that you can even smell each place! The ocean smells salty, the vineyards smell grapey...so cool!
Of course since we have a young child, we have to ride The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and visit the aquariums. There is also a really cool show called Turtle Talk with Crush, where Crush from Finding Nemo actually interacts with the audience!
Test Track is another really cool ride. I was terrified the first time I rode it and took my 5 year old daughter on it, but my husband LOVED it! On this ride, you get to be the crash test dummy and go through all sorts of automotive tests.
And that's about it for us in Future World, then we head over to World Showcase. One cool thing to do is to find all the Kidcot Fun Stops. The kids can make these little masks and decorate them. Then in each country they get a little stamp and attachment for their mask. It is totally FREE and makes a cool souvenir. We love walking through each of the "countries." It really feels like you've entered another world! One of our favorite World Showcase rides is Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros in Mexico. This is a boat ride similar to It's a Small World, but Donald Duck just cracks my daughter up when we ride this. It is a must do on our Epcot list.
I could go on and on. Most people will tell you that you should schedule 2 days for Magic Kingdom, but we also schedule 2 for Epcot! There is so much to do here! We love it!
You can find out about even more attractions at Epcot at
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (Magic Kingdom Edition)
I just thought I'd share some of my family's favorite things from each of the parks. And since Disney World wouldn't be Disney World without Magic Kingdom, I'm starting at the top!
When we enter Magic Kingdom, we head straight to Fantasyland. Most people head to the right (Tomorrowland) or the left (Adventureland). But I think if you go to Fantasyland first, you can at least beat (some of) the crowd. Head to Dumbo first if you plan to ride. This line gets long quickly, and most of it is out in the sun. Next, head over to Peter Pan's Flight, Winnie the Pooh and Snow White's Scary Adventures. Then you might try the Mad Tea Party (teacups), and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. We usually save Philharmagic and It's a Small World for later because you don't usually have to wait that long, and we'll want to do those when it gets a little hotter because they are indoors and air-conditioned!
Then, you choose! You can head toward Tomorrowland or Liberty Square. We usually do Magic Kingdom in 2 days and we start with Fantasyland for both. We go toward Tomorrowland on the first day, and Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland on the second day.
Of course the three "mountains" are favorites: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain. All of these are great rides, but can be a little scary for young ones.
If I had to pick my favorites for Magic Kingdom, I'd say It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Philharmagic, Space Mountain, and Jungle Cruise. It's a Small World because, though some might say it's annoying, is a Disney classic, Peter Pan's Flight because it is so cool to fly through the air over scenes from Peter Pan (I was so shocked the first time that little "boat" left the track!!), Philharmagic (a 3-D movie) because it is AMAZING, Space Mountain, because it is a bit scary and exciting, and Jungle Cruise because it is just a nice little boat ride, but with a hilarious commentator. :)
You can find out more about Magic Kingdom attractions at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/
Until next time...
Disney Diva
When we enter Magic Kingdom, we head straight to Fantasyland. Most people head to the right (Tomorrowland) or the left (Adventureland). But I think if you go to Fantasyland first, you can at least beat (some of) the crowd. Head to Dumbo first if you plan to ride. This line gets long quickly, and most of it is out in the sun. Next, head over to Peter Pan's Flight, Winnie the Pooh and Snow White's Scary Adventures. Then you might try the Mad Tea Party (teacups), and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. We usually save Philharmagic and It's a Small World for later because you don't usually have to wait that long, and we'll want to do those when it gets a little hotter because they are indoors and air-conditioned!
Then, you choose! You can head toward Tomorrowland or Liberty Square. We usually do Magic Kingdom in 2 days and we start with Fantasyland for both. We go toward Tomorrowland on the first day, and Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland on the second day.
Of course the three "mountains" are favorites: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain. All of these are great rides, but can be a little scary for young ones.
If I had to pick my favorites for Magic Kingdom, I'd say It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Philharmagic, Space Mountain, and Jungle Cruise. It's a Small World because, though some might say it's annoying, is a Disney classic, Peter Pan's Flight because it is so cool to fly through the air over scenes from Peter Pan (I was so shocked the first time that little "boat" left the track!!), Philharmagic (a 3-D movie) because it is AMAZING, Space Mountain, because it is a bit scary and exciting, and Jungle Cruise because it is just a nice little boat ride, but with a hilarious commentator. :)
You can find out more about Magic Kingdom attractions at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Monday, April 11, 2011
Take a Break!
One of the recommendations I make most often is TAKE A BREAK! I know you want to do as much as you can for as long as you can, but let me tell you from experience...if you've been in the park all day with that hot sun shining down on your pretty little face, by about 3:00 in the afternoon you are going to start fading. We tried staying for a full day on our first Magic Kingdom trip without park hopper. We haven't made that mistake again.
Our experience: We had been in the park all day and our daughter wanted to ride Goofy's Barnstormer. Most of the line is outside. There were fans, but it was a long line, and it was very hot (about 2ish in the afternoon in late May). My thought was...we ride this, then we go back up and watch the parade at 3. WRONG! By the time we made it through that line in that heat, we were done. All the girls wanted to do was go back to the hotel. We were supposed to come back to the park for fireworks that night, and they didn't even want to do that. They were wiped out!
So now we almost always schedule a break in the afternoons. Every once in a while, we may stay at a park all day, but in the afternoon we do something cool and quiet like Hall of Presidents (Magic Kingdom) or American Adventure at Epcot. Doing something like that allows us to take a little break and cool down. BUT, most of the time, we get to the parks early, do as much as we can, eat lunch, then maybe take in another attraction or two, and head back to the resort to rest. This way, we completely avoid the hottest, most crowded time of day at the parks. Then, we come back out again around dinnertime cool and rested, and we are able to enjoy our evening.
If you have park hopper, this is easy to do. Tackle one park in the morning, rest, then attack another in the evening. But many people do not realize you can do the same thing without park hopper! You just have to leave and return to the same park in the same day!
I highly recommend scheduling a break in your Disney World itinerary. It is so worth it. While you feel like you might miss out on something by leaving the park, I guarantee you will not regret it. You will be so happy and rested, you will be ready to come back in the evening and attack the rest of your itinerary and best of all, HAVE FUN!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Our experience: We had been in the park all day and our daughter wanted to ride Goofy's Barnstormer. Most of the line is outside. There were fans, but it was a long line, and it was very hot (about 2ish in the afternoon in late May). My thought was...we ride this, then we go back up and watch the parade at 3. WRONG! By the time we made it through that line in that heat, we were done. All the girls wanted to do was go back to the hotel. We were supposed to come back to the park for fireworks that night, and they didn't even want to do that. They were wiped out!
So now we almost always schedule a break in the afternoons. Every once in a while, we may stay at a park all day, but in the afternoon we do something cool and quiet like Hall of Presidents (Magic Kingdom) or American Adventure at Epcot. Doing something like that allows us to take a little break and cool down. BUT, most of the time, we get to the parks early, do as much as we can, eat lunch, then maybe take in another attraction or two, and head back to the resort to rest. This way, we completely avoid the hottest, most crowded time of day at the parks. Then, we come back out again around dinnertime cool and rested, and we are able to enjoy our evening.
If you have park hopper, this is easy to do. Tackle one park in the morning, rest, then attack another in the evening. But many people do not realize you can do the same thing without park hopper! You just have to leave and return to the same park in the same day!
I highly recommend scheduling a break in your Disney World itinerary. It is so worth it. While you feel like you might miss out on something by leaving the park, I guarantee you will not regret it. You will be so happy and rested, you will be ready to come back in the evening and attack the rest of your itinerary and best of all, HAVE FUN!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Touring Plans
I also get lots of questions about itineraries/touring plans for WDW. There are many out there to choose from. I am working on an itinerary for my family's vacation for the first time this year. We have visited the parks for 3 years in a row without a plan and have enjoyed our time immensely, but this year we expect it to be a little more crowded since we will be arriving on a holiday weekend. Because of that, I wanted to have a plan in mind.
That said, let me caution you about planning your vacation down to the minute. It is very easy to get caught in the trap of trying to plan "the perfect vacation." Let me assure you: there is no such thing. On our first trip to WDW, there was a hurricane offshore and there were severe thunderstorms every day of our trip. Last year, my daughter had strep throat and ran a fever the whole time. It is very likely that your vacation will not turn out the way you planned. BUT, it can take some stress off of you to have a plan in mind as you enjoy the park. The key word is FLEXIBILITY. You can plan your vacation perfectly, and something will happen to change it. Be prepared to be flexible.
Here are a few good websites to get you started:
www.easywdw.com
There are several sample touring plans here for Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Look for them on the categories column all the way at the bottom.
http://www.couponingtodisney.com/2010/12/29/touring-the-parks-with-my-tip-sheets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CouponingToDisney+%28Couponing+to+Disney%29&utm_content=FaceBook This is from a great website called Couponing to Disney. These are her planning sheets from her personal vacation. I got tons of ideas from her!
http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/tools
This is a website that you can subscribe to for hundreds of touring plans, but there are a few freebies.
http://www.disneyworldbasics.com/2009/06/how-to-create-a-touring-plan/
Some good advice here about trying to create your own touring plans.
http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/047061529X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302393076&sr=8-1
This is a link to the Amazon page to buy the Unofficial Guide to Disney World 2011. This book has several different touring plans you can use and tons of advice.
Hope this helps!
Please feel free to let me know if you know of any other resources!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
That said, let me caution you about planning your vacation down to the minute. It is very easy to get caught in the trap of trying to plan "the perfect vacation." Let me assure you: there is no such thing. On our first trip to WDW, there was a hurricane offshore and there were severe thunderstorms every day of our trip. Last year, my daughter had strep throat and ran a fever the whole time. It is very likely that your vacation will not turn out the way you planned. BUT, it can take some stress off of you to have a plan in mind as you enjoy the park. The key word is FLEXIBILITY. You can plan your vacation perfectly, and something will happen to change it. Be prepared to be flexible.
Here are a few good websites to get you started:
www.easywdw.com
There are several sample touring plans here for Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Look for them on the categories column all the way at the bottom.
http://www.couponingtodisney.com/2010/12/29/touring-the-parks-with-my-tip-sheets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CouponingToDisney+%28Couponing+to+Disney%29&utm_content=FaceBook This is from a great website called Couponing to Disney. These are her planning sheets from her personal vacation. I got tons of ideas from her!
http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/tools
This is a website that you can subscribe to for hundreds of touring plans, but there are a few freebies.
http://www.disneyworldbasics.com/2009/06/how-to-create-a-touring-plan/
Some good advice here about trying to create your own touring plans.
http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/047061529X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302393076&sr=8-1
This is a link to the Amazon page to buy the Unofficial Guide to Disney World 2011. This book has several different touring plans you can use and tons of advice.
Hope this helps!
Please feel free to let me know if you know of any other resources!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Friday, April 8, 2011
Getting Started
So…you want to go to Disney World?
Congratulations! You are going to have a magical experience!
Here are some tips to get you started.
1- Start with the www.waltdisneyworld.com website. I’d take a look first at the special offers at the bottom of the page. You can find some great deals here to make your vacation even more affordable! Then, I usually spend some time trying out different dates to see which will give me the most time at Disney for my money.
2- Decide whether or not you want the Disney Dining Plan. I think it is most convenient because we don’t have to worry about paying for our meals when we get there. You can usually save money this way, especially if you are traveling during the times when Disney offers free dining! (And my recommendation is, if you can- do it! It is a fantastic deal!) You can find more information about the dining plans here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/benefits/disney-dining-plan/
3- Take a look at some of these websites with helpful information:
http://www.easywdw.com/ - This is my new favorite planning website with calendars and TONS of reviews and information about when you should go, where you should stay, etc.
http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/home.aspx - The Disney World Mom’s Panel – TONS of great information and advice about planning your vacation
http://allears.net/index.html - tons of information about all things Disney
http://www.wdwinfo.com - a great tool to help you find out about all the goings-on at Disney World, as well as lots of other Disney news
http://www.mousesavers.com - ideas about all kinds of deals and ways to save money when you plan your Disney vacation (or any other Disney-related fun)
Most of all – have fun! The planning process can be just as much fun as the vacation!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Until next time...
Disney Diva
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Thinking about a dining plan?
Another question people always ask me is about whether or not to use the Disney Dining Plan. There are several dining plans, the most popular being the Magic Your Way Plus Quick Service Dining (2 counter service meals, 2 snacks per day), and the Magic Your Way Plus Dining (1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal, and 1 snack per day). There is also a Deluxe Dining Plan that offers 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, but I have never actually known anyone (personally) who has opted for this plan. The other 2 are more affordable, and give you plenty of meal options for each day of your stay.
When we plan a Disney trip, we ALWAYS choose the Disney Dining Plan. For us, it is just so nice to not have to worry about having to pay for each meal out of pocket. We have used both the quick service and the regular dining plan. We like both for different reasons. We like the quick service dining plan because we don't have to plan our vacation around dining reservations. We can go to whatever park on whatever day we'd like and we don't have to worry about being in a certain place at a certain time. Plus, there are plenty of good quick service dining options. That said, we also enjoy the table service options on the regular dining plan because we are able to enjoy character dinners, and more unique restaurants.
If it is within your budget, I'd definitely recommend the Disney Dining Plan. You can save up to 35% on your food (depending on which plan you choose), but most of all, while you're on vacation, you'll never have to worry about having enough money for food.
And don't forget, from time to time Disney offers FREE DINING! You can add a dining plan to your vacation package for FREE and not pay for a single meal your entire trip! If you can plan your trip during one of these times, I'd definitely recommend it!
Until next time....
Disney Diva
When we plan a Disney trip, we ALWAYS choose the Disney Dining Plan. For us, it is just so nice to not have to worry about having to pay for each meal out of pocket. We have used both the quick service and the regular dining plan. We like both for different reasons. We like the quick service dining plan because we don't have to plan our vacation around dining reservations. We can go to whatever park on whatever day we'd like and we don't have to worry about being in a certain place at a certain time. Plus, there are plenty of good quick service dining options. That said, we also enjoy the table service options on the regular dining plan because we are able to enjoy character dinners, and more unique restaurants.
If it is within your budget, I'd definitely recommend the Disney Dining Plan. You can save up to 35% on your food (depending on which plan you choose), but most of all, while you're on vacation, you'll never have to worry about having enough money for food.
And don't forget, from time to time Disney offers FREE DINING! You can add a dining plan to your vacation package for FREE and not pay for a single meal your entire trip! If you can plan your trip during one of these times, I'd definitely recommend it!
Until next time....
Disney Diva
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Getting a Great Deal at Disney
Most people think I'm absolutely crazy when I tell them that I go to Disney World every year. "How do you afford it," they always ask. Going to WDW can be an affordable vacation if you plan it well. Last year, we went to Myrtle Beach for 2 nights. The hotel was over $200 a night, plus anything extra we wanted to do like dining out, going to a movie, etc. cost extra. Our family of 3 can go to Disney World for about $200 per day hotel, tickets, and dining included!
The best thing to do when you start is check out the special offers at www.waltdisneyworld.com. We almost always book using one of these offers. But there are lots of other websites you can use to get ideas about planning. Some of my favorites are: www.mousesavers.com, www.allears.net, and www.wdwinfo.com.
If you can book your vacation when Disney offers the Free Dining discount, you absolutely should. This is an incredible deal! There are several other discounts Disney offers from time to time, such as room discounts, kids stay and play free discounts, and gift card promotions (like if you book a package you get a $300 gift card). And of course, there are other discounts for those in the military, Florida residents, and sometimes for Disney Rewards Visa cardholders.
You CAN afford a trip to Disney! So get started!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
The best thing to do when you start is check out the special offers at www.waltdisneyworld.com. We almost always book using one of these offers. But there are lots of other websites you can use to get ideas about planning. Some of my favorites are: www.mousesavers.com, www.allears.net, and www.wdwinfo.com.
If you can book your vacation when Disney offers the Free Dining discount, you absolutely should. This is an incredible deal! There are several other discounts Disney offers from time to time, such as room discounts, kids stay and play free discounts, and gift card promotions (like if you book a package you get a $300 gift card). And of course, there are other discounts for those in the military, Florida residents, and sometimes for Disney Rewards Visa cardholders.
You CAN afford a trip to Disney! So get started!
Until next time...
Disney Diva
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