Let's start with how all of this knowledge and strategic planning came to be. I went to Disney World for the first time at 4 months old, it was our annual family vacation every February until I was 10. My grandfather loved to take us. We'd spend the day in the pool or the parks and at night time he would sneak off to speed-weeks in Daytona or at Volusia Speedway. I had been a few times since he passed when I was 12, but was mostly "too cool" for it at that point.
Two Christmas' ago we decided to take our two oldest, Addie was just starting to grown in Brianna's belly, for the first time. I booked that trip 10 months in advance, and almost daily I would spend an hour or so reading blogs, studying maps and gathering all the information I could. I wanted to be the most intelligent person in the park (fun fact I wasn't). Regardless, I gave it my all to make sure they had the most memorable experience of their life. Fast forward 11 months, we went again! This time with my mom's side of the family, and I was the one with all the most recent knowledge. Now I had more time to learn, game plan and learn from my mistakes. More importantly I had four families trips to prepare for.
This trip was one for the record books for all! We accomplished so much, efficiently and in budget for all. It also led me to a realization...there was no need for me to have all this information only for myself. You may be wondering why I'm willing to share some of my favorite tips, tricks & recommendations for free? As much as I'd love to help you plan your next family vacation, and am confident in my abilities to help your trip memorable, regardless I want you to have a great time!
Top 5 Tips & Tricks
Game plan your trip prior to 60 days in advance - The 60 day mark is your first attempt at making certain reservations. If you view my recent post on Facebook about "Disney Deadlines" you'll see the important landmarks to your next vacation.
Go Left - This seems crazy but it's scientifically proven. Most people tend to go to the right when entering somewhere. If you go left you may avoid some of the initial wait lines. While I don't recommend just showing up and "going with the flow", this is a good tip if that's what you're looking for.
Parades - If you're like my wife and love watching the parades, watch them from where they start. Don't know where that is? Most of us don't, however a cast member will happily let you know. By doing this; the parade will "essentially" be over for you first. Giving you an extra 5-25 minutes to get to your next ride while others are still watching from more common viewing areas.
Familiarizing Yourself with the Disney Experience App - This app is your key to success. It has so many useful tools to navigate your day. It features Wait Times, Attractions, Character Meet & Greets, PhotoPass locations, Dining and one super important little gem: BATHROOMS! This doesn't seem too relevant until you or one of your kids have to use the bathroom after holding your bladder for far too long.
Refreshing - On the topic of the Disney Experience App, condition yourself in the art of the refresh. If you purchase Genie+ this is important. It will be detrimental to booking your first fast pass of the day (7AM comes early)! As well as when you just finished a ride and are looking for new available times for the next ride.
Now for my personal experience; these recommendations are strictly based on my times spent over the last two years in the parks. These may not be ideal for everyone based on your budget or your specific trip. I'll always recommend them to you if I feel it would be a fit for your trip.
1. Strollers - Don't bring yours, rent one! Whether your fly or drive, the price or space consumed, will be a detriment. Instead rent it while your there. You pick it up and drop it off, no hassle. Now here's what we've done: of course you can rent from Disney, but a second hand company is more cost effective. We've rented twice from Kingdom Strollers. You select the pick up & drop off time, they give you a location (at your resort) and it's done! Think your kids are too big for a stroller? Think again! Blake was 7 and Kenzie was 5 our last trip and they rode in a stroller the entire time in the parks. There is so much walking and waiting around, that time they spend off their feet will help your sanity, trust me on this one!
2. Memory Maker - This cost $99 for a single day, $169 advance purchase for your entire stay or $199 upon arrival. I purchased this at the recommendation of a cast member two years ago; I'll never visit Disney without getting it again! Sure you can take selfies or ask another patron to snap a photo for you. This Enchanting Extra however is more than just family pictures. While there are photographers located all over the parks to take your family photos, you also receive photos on select rides and attractions! I have countless ride photos and videos of our families thrills and excitement all throughout the parks. There's even a PhotoPass location at Disney Springs offering family photos. At Christmas time, it's a great opportunity to save on family photos for those Christmas cards. If you're visiting two or more parks I'll always recommend this to you.
3. Resort Hotel Location - I have two points about this. Most families, including mine up until April of this year, have always stayed at the value resorts. They offer the most cost effective way for you to experience Disney. For approximately $200 (for a week stay/ $20-$30 per night) I will always recommend a preferred room. These rooms are centrally located to the main resort pool, dining hall and bus stop. This doesn't seem substantial until an early morning or late night where you and the kids are struggling as you make your way to or from the bus stop. I mentioned early about up until two months ago for our family, that's because our family just purchase a Disney Vacation Club membership at Animal Kingdom Village! This hotel is considered a Deluxe resort, which would be my second point about resort hotel locations. Deluxe resorts offer three distinct benefits to them. For our family of 5, we will enjoy the larger space that these rooms provide! They also offer kitchenettes and a washer & dryer which can help cut costs to offset the increased expense of these locations. Secondly, they are traditionally in closer proximity to various parks, making your travel to the parks much quicker! Finally Deluxe resorts offer Extended Evening Hours! Currently they are Monday's at Epcot and Wednesday's at Magic Kingdom. Extended Evening Hours allow guests of Deluxe resorts to stay in the parks 2-3 hours beyond other guests! I checked Wednesday of this week; rides that during the day can see wait times from 90-120 minutes or even longer were at most 40 minutes, with some being as short as 15!
4. Everyone's favorite: FOOD! - Keep this in mind during your trip; your appetite will be suppressed. There are no if's, and's or but's about it; this will happen to you. My first recommendation is in regards to the little ones of your group. Do you already have to beg them to finish their food on a normal night? Our first trip instead of buying an individual kids meal for each, we would purchase an adult chicken tender meal and split it for them. It was almost the same amount of food and was cheaper than the alternative. Next, refillable popcorn buckets. It makes for a great snack, especially with that suppressed appetite I talked about. Throughout the year it may even be a themed bucket, but that will cost you more. The bucket costs $10-$25 but is only $2 to refill. A normal popcorn snack will cost you $5+, so it may or may not be a smart investment for you and your families trip. Finally, are you considering one of the two Dining Plans returning in 2024? Regardless if you are, or are curious about where you're eating: I will always recommend Quick Service. Don't get me wrong, Disney has some sensational restaurants and tasty food at various price points and locations. However Quick Service allows you to place an order, get alerted when it's ready, pick up, seat yourself, eat and get back to the action! For me, I'm there for the rides, attractions & shows, not to eat.
5. Money Saving Tactics - Everyone loves saving money, but not more than my frugal self. First, refillable cups. They aren't cheap but they'll pay off. $23 for a refillable cup (outside of the parks) will catch up when a drink at each meal will cost you about $4. We would refill them each morning and then refill with free water throughout the parks to keep our cost down. Another great way to save: Discounted Gift Cards! These can be purchased at any wholesale club and occasionally online at various outlets. Our first year we went I would purchase a $500 gift card each month for $475 from Sam's Club. In addition, my Discover Credit Card offered 5% cashback at wholesale clubs for one of their quarterly incentives. Therefore I was purchasing $500 gift cards for only $450. I used them to pay off our vacation and kept the rest to spend on our trip. I saved enough money to purchase an additional day to enjoy our vacation at the resort!
Welp, there you have it. That's my background, tips, tricks and recommendations. Once booking
with me we'll discuss your wants and desires of the vacation. This will include the above as well as specific theme park planning to ensure you get the best experience possible on your next vacation!
Have a Magical Day!
- Mark
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