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Fun Meets Fantasy at Alice in Wonderland Water Play Area at Grand Floridian

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I have a confession to make: Disney’s gorgeous pools are almost completely lost on me. Sure, I sometimes find myself dreaming about spending the day lazing around one, it’s just that once I get to Disney World, what I really want to do is spend my time in the parks. And what I mean by this is, all my time in the parks. Not surprisingly, Disney’s pools get little more than a passing glance on the way back from the park in the wee hours of the morning. Oh, pretty. I can swim at home, right?

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However, stuck on the resort monorail on the way to the Magic Kingdom last fall, I noticed something : The new Alice in Wonderland themed water play area next to the pool at the Grand Floridian. With two slides, a gigantic bucket that fills with water which is then dumped on guests, a shallow splash area, and all sorts of spouts, hoses and sprinklers, this play area intrigued me enough that I booked the Grand Floridian for an upcoming family trip knowing my kids would love it.Read More »Fun Meets Fantasy at Alice in Wonderland Water Play Area at Grand Floridian

Use Your Snack Credits Wisely.

It happens a lot: You’re hot and tired and without thinking, you grab your Key to the World Card and pay for a nice cold drink using your dining plan snack credits. What’s wrong with that, you wonder? Well, a drink costs around $2.59 and your credit is worth about $5. If you have extra credits to burn, it’s fine to use them on less expensive items like drinks, but if you’re like most people, you’ll want to save those credits for more expensive purchases. In our family, we’ve got a “no drinks” rule when it comes to snack credits. That’s probably the easiest way to make sure you don’t waste credits, but beyond that rule, there are even better ways to get your money’s worth.

You’ll get the most mileage out of your snack credits by buying cupcakes, Mickey bars, funnel cakes, and pretzels. Most candies in Epcot’s heavenly ode to all things caramel, Karamell Kuche, are one snack credit, and for that you get a treat that’s big enough to share. Nearly every elaborate cupcake, croissant, cinnamon roll, and brownie in Hollywood Studios Starring Rolls Bakery is also one credit. If you know you’re going to have a carrot cake cookie for a mid-afternoon snack and a funnel cake with ice cream later that day, you’ll want to find out which item costs more and use your credit for that. It may only be a small amount of money, but over multiple days with multiple people in your party, it can really tip the scale in your favor as far as savings go.Read More »Use Your Snack Credits Wisely.

Top Ten (Practical) Disney Splurges

When I first started writing this, I tried to think of all the really expensive things I’d like to do at Disney World, but the truth is, some of them made me uncomfortable because they seemed like a huge waste of money. Take the deluxe dining plan. Sure, I’d love to spend a few days just eating my way around Disney World, but besides the obvious discomfort that I’d probably experience at some point, to say nothing of how my pants might fit, it just seems like throwing money away. This got me thinking about what I would personally define as a splurge. It had to be something out of the ordinary, but it also had to have “value,” in the sense that even though I may have paid a lot for it, I felt that I got my money’s worth. With that in mind, I asked my followers on Facebook what they thought.

Here are our top ten practical Disney splurges.

1. Dinner at a signature restaurant. Yes, it costs about twice as much as a regular table-service restaurant, but the food is fantastic, the service some of the best you’ll encounter anywhere, and the surroundings are gorgeous.

2. Take a child to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. I resisted this for as long as I could, but the look on my daughter’s face when she saw her hair and makeup was priceless.

3. Stay in a deluxe resort. Okay, we all agree that it’s only a place to lay your head at night, but just once, every Disney fan deserves to lay their head on a pillow in a really, really nice room.Read More »Top Ten (Practical) Disney Splurges

Picking a Disneyland Character Meal

Last week I talked about the great character interaction you’ll find at Disneyland Resort, but by far the easiest way to meet characters is by going to a character meal where you’ll bypass the lines and have a much more relaxed experience. For research purposes (okay, I had a 5-year old with me), I tried out three of the five breakfasts available on property and I’m happy to report there wasn’t a bad meal in the bunch.

Storyteller’s Breakfast at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa:

We did this first and I’m glad we didn’t let it scare us off from character dining at Disneyland Resort because it was, especially when compared to character meals at Disney World, pretty quiet and low-key. This is actually a good thing because your kids will probably find it easier to focus on their food without a ton of noise and activity. We met Rafiki, Terk, Meeko, Koda, Pluto and Dale, who came back to the table more than once. Since we went in early February, one of the slowest weeks of the year, the dining room was almost empty and the character interaction was top notch, even if my son didn’t recognize all of the characters.Read More »Picking a Disneyland Character Meal

Disneyland Differences

Sure, Disneyland is Walt’s original park, but is it better than Disney World? Yes and no. At Disney World we’ve got miles of green space, lakes, boats, a massive monorail system, more than twenty-five resorts (and counting) and over two hundred places to eat, to say nothing of four parks, Downtown Disney, and two water parks. Disneyland is tiny by comparison, with just three Disney-owned resorts, two parks, and a smaller Downtown Disney, all surrounded by a bustling urban area.

Before last year, I had no desire to visit Disneyland, but my boss had an event out there that we were able to cover and who am I to say no to an impromptu Disney trip? Still, I remember heading the airport and wishing I was going to Disney World instead. Fortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Smaller, more intimate, less crowded and busy, Disneyland has so much to offer the Disney World fan. Here’s what immediately struck me about the differences between the two parks:

1. Disneyland is a local park.
Part of the charm of Disneyland is that it’s a local park. You’ll see families who’ve been going there for generations; It’s just part of what they do for fun. While the bulk of Disney World guests are doing the hardcore version of park touring, which can lead to a lot of stress, you don’t see as much of that in Disneyland. This makes the park easier to tour, I think. Less drama, fewer parents having meltdowns. It’s just a very different atmosphere when your attitude isn’t “do or die.”

2. No Magical Express.
I’m sure I’m not the only Disney guest who’s stood in the middle of LAX and wished for Magical Express. If you fly into Los Angeles, you’ll pay around $30 for a shuttle to and from the airport if you don’t have a car. And if you have a car? Get ready for some serious traffic. Orlando International Airport is an easy 45-minutes away from Disney property even on the worst days. Disneyland is as close as 45 miles, but It can take you hours to drive it if you hit rush hour at the wrong time—and rush hour starts early and goes late.Read More »Disneyland Differences

Five Extras You Should Consider Skipping

For most of us, vacations are a luxury. You save, plan and make priorities. Unfortunately, when it comes to Disney, it’s sometimes hard to say no to all the little extras. If your budget allows, by all means add a fancy meal or upgrade your ticket, but if you’re on a budget, here are some suggestions for things you can skip—and never miss:

1. You can’t do it all in one trip—or even ten trips. Your basic ticket is expensive and the price can initially be intimidating, but the entertainment value you get for that ticket will fill your time from sunrise to sunset. Don’t fall into the parental guilt trap and add extras like Bibbity Bobbity Boutique or fancy tea parties unless your budget allows. Your kids will be too busy to notice, I promise.Read More »Five Extras You Should Consider Skipping

Desire for Family Time Driving Disney Vacations

If you know Disney, you know they rarely make a move at the themeparks with a lot of research to back it up. This year’s Limited Time Magic promotion is no exception. The science behind playing to family’s sense of vanishing time together, is revealed in a new study conducted by Kelton – a leading research firm.

Between long work hours, busy after school schedules and countless distractions, today’s American family is feeling more disconnected than ever – creating a deficit in “quality time” amongst U.S. parents and their children. According to Kelton, quality family time not only increases while on vacation but parents and children say they learn something new about one another during this time, as opposed to when at home.

More than 1,000 parents of children age 5-17 participated in the Disney Time Survey, which asked families to think about and share thoughts on quality time when at home – versus when on vacation.

So, how do parents define quality time? Ninety-one percent of parents report that quality time is achieved when they learn something new about their child, while 84 percent of parents say quality time means their child learned something new about them. From favorite to least favorite activities and food, to details about their children’s friends – the survey found that moms and dads saddled by hectic lifestyles are craving more time together with their kids.

Disney Time is Family Time

View larger image on Flickr.

Read More »Desire for Family Time Driving Disney Vacations

Picking the Right Resort for your Disney World Vacation

If deciding where to stay on Disney property were as simple as sticking to your budget, you’d book a value room and be done with it. After all, they’re clean, comfortable, and give you all the benefits of staying on Disney property while still being kind to your wallet. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Staying at a Disney resort is half the fun of visiting Walt Disney World, with each resort offering a unique feeling and experiences that make choosing downright difficult. Need a little help in deciding where to stay next time? Then try the following suggestions:

1. Set a budget within your comfort zone. Sure, you can probably swing $3500 for a week at the Grand Floridian, but how does that make you feel? If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s not the right resort for you even if you can afford it. The nice thing about staying within your budget is that it allows you to potentially say yes to a lot of other things, whether its tickets to a holiday party, a toy your child wants, or a big dinner at a signature restaurant. Read More »Picking the Right Resort for your Disney World Vacation