Minnie Moms: Advance Planning Tips, Corby

Today Minnie Mom Corby shares her advance planning tips.  Don't miss the other posts in this week's series!

----------------------------------------------

Thinking of planning a vacation to Disney World? Many are shocked when they begin planning what an overwhelming process it actually can be. There are lots of decisions to be made such as dates, which parks to attend, park hoppers, dining plan, travel insurance, what to pack, just to name a few. I consistently get emails from friends/clients wanting advice on what to do.

Dates:
First you need to decide on which dates you would like to visit. Depending on the season, rates will vary. Typically, you will find when rates are the highest, the crowds will be as well and vice versa. Some will need to go when school is out depending on the child’s age and may be limited as to when they can travel while others have more flexibility and can go anytime. You may want to plan around certain special events such as Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, Star Wars Weekends, Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival or when certain decorations are up such as fall or winter, for example.

My philosophy is it’s never too early to go ahead and book. As long as you are planning more than 45 days prior to arrival, all that is required is a $200 deposit. You can get refunded should you decide to cancel as long as you are prior to 45 days before arrival. So really there’s nothing to lose! Sometimes, prices can’t be guaranteed if you are planning more than 6 months in advance. Also, Disney will typically announce promotions 4-6 months in advance for select dates. Some want to wait until promotions come out. I typically recommend going ahead and booking and should a promotion become available, switch it to the better price. Disney has not been hurting for business and the promotions haven’t been the same as previous years so don’t count on a certain one being available when you need it. Promotions are typically given to those that book ahead of time and not for last minute travelers. Another perk of booking ahead of time is you have from the date you book until 45 days prior to arrival to make payments. If you’d like to pay a little as you go, you have that option which is nice.

Dining Plan:
Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR’s) can be made 180 days in advance. You actually get 180 + 10 days if you’re staying on Disney property as an extra perk. I always recommend booking them as soon as possible. If I’m taking care of them for a client, I start making them the very first day I am allowed so they will get their location and time of choice. There are some really popular restaurants such as Cinderella’s Royal Table, Chef Mickey, ‘Ohana, Le Cellier (lunch since it’s 1 table service credit), and more that are difficult to get into. I always recommend booking 6 months in advance when possible. I would recommend viewing menus and narrowing it down to where you want to go before the 180 day window approaches.

Travel Insurance:
If you are thinking of adding travel insurance, I would advise waiting until right before the 45 day window to add as it is non-refundable. Insurance is an extra expense but it could be well worth the money should you run into problems.

Packing:
I typically wait until 7-10 days before arrival day to start stalking the weather websites. You will need to be prepared ahead of time should it look like weather may not be cooperative. I always advise purchasing umbrellas, ponchos, squirt fans, snacks and water before you leave as they will be a lot less expensive than when you are in the parks.

Online Check-in:
If you’re staying on property, take advantage of using online check-in up to 10 days prior to arrival. It will speed up your check in process allowing more time for fun.

Remember, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the details that go into planning a Disney vacation, you don’t have to! You can always contact Travel with the Magic. We’ll be sure to take care of all your needs so you don’t have to worry about a thing and it’s at no additional cost to you.


Contributed by Minnie Mom Corby C. of Atlanta, Georgia. She is a proud wife and mom to Banks and Henley and  a Disney Destination Planner with Travel with the Magic.

Guest Post: Rain, Rain, Go Away!

So you’ve done everything to plan for your trip to Walt Disney World. You’ve researched the weather, picked out your clothes and packed your bags accordingly. It’s Florida! The weather’s probably going to be warm and sunny right? Not always. Weather can be unpredictable, especially in Florida. We’ve learned this the hard way and now I’m passing some tips along to you so hopefully you won’t have to!

Our very first family trip to Disney World was in September 2007 and it was HOT! For 2008, we decided to go in October since it would be cooler and on that trip we got a lot of rain. So then we decided to try the Spring in 2009. May sounded great! I researched the weather and found that May was typically very dry with the average high being 88 and the average low being 66.

I became obsessed with the weather the week before we were headed south. I stalked all the online weather forecasts. It was going to be perfect! Nice temps and no rain, just as we had hoped! Orlando had been in somewhat of a drought with no rain for awhile (yippee for us)! I packed all of our summer clothes: shorts, short sleeve shirts, tanks, skirts and flip flops.

We arrived in Orlando May 15th 2009 for our 8 day stay and were welcomed to sunny blue skies…ahhhh. Little did we know a strange (and did I mention total surprise) storm was about to hit Orlando. More details on this storm can be viewed here.  This particular storm would stall out in the central Florida area for DAYS which was completely unexpected, bringing non-stop record breaking rain, the wettest May on record in 75 years. Total rainfall amounts for Central Florida can be viewed here.
Not only would we have rain but we would also have wind gusts and the highs would barely reach 70 degrees. Let me reiterate, I packed ALL summer clothes. We were in Orlando for 8 days and of these 8 days we would continue to get drenched constantly for 6 of them. At one point, rain was literally almost up to my knees when we were walking to the bus station. It was at this point when it was so bad, I literally had to crack up laughing. When we arrived to our hotel, water was rising and inches away from our door. The weather forecasts mentioned NOTHING about any of this until we arrived in Orlando. So what’s one to do when something like this happens?

Here are a few pointers:

 *ALWAYS bring a poncho and umbrella no matter what! We learned this after our first trip when we had to buy the expensive Disney ponchos for each of us unexpectedly. Florida has pop-up thunderstorms. You will see the dark clouds moving in and they usually arrive and leave as quickly as they came in but you need to be prepared.

*Buy your ponchos BEFORE you leave home. You will pay a fraction of the price that you would pay for one in the park. However, don‘t go too cheap because I’ve learned from experience they don‘t hold up well.

*Carry a poncho/umbrella at ALL times! For example, my son and I went in to the American Idol Experience with blue skies. I left the poncho/umbrellas in the stroller. We came out to torrential rain and Disney has a policy that doesn’t allow guests to wait under cover at the exits so out to into the rain we had to go. Oh, how I wish I didn’t leave my poncho in the stroller! We got drenched! TIP: I now prefer to carry a backpack to WDW and I always have a rolled up poncho in case of emergency in my bag.

*Bring an extra layer of clothing just in case. A sweatshirt or jacket would be great and won’t take up much room in the suitcase.

*Bring an extra pair of shoes. I brought various shoes but all were flip flops which don’t stay on when sopping wet. I ended up kicking them off and barefooting it at times…gross, I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

*Bring a towel. This would have been great for drying off. A towel would have also been nice to sit on after all the other wet people riding rides before us.

*Research purchasing weather (travel) insurance ahead of time. We always go on a budget and have never paid the extra cost but if you can, this could be a wise investment.

*Do some research before your trip and have an alternate indoor plan if needed. You may want to spend some time at Disney Quest, hopping on the monorail to check out some of the resorts, or go to Cirque du Soleil.

 We decided to put our ponchos on and make the best out of it! One of my favorite quotes is, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain“- Dolly Parton. On our May 2009 vacation we surely did put up with the rain but we also got to view a beautiful double rainbow while at Epcot. It’s definitely a vacation we’ll never forget!

Contributed by Corby C. of Atlanta, Georgia. She is a proud wife and mom to Banks and Henley, a Disney Destination Planner with Travel with the Magic and one of our Minnie Moms.

"Best Of" Week--What to Pack in your Disney Diaper Bag

I am a rather organized person.  I like lists and spreadsheets and doing my research on a given topic.  This even extends to what to carry in my Disney diaper bag.  For months prior to our April 2010 trip, I searched the internet for ideas on what I should and shouldn't carry.  So now the work is done for you.  This list was for a 12 month old child who was still using formula and bottles and ate mostly table food. 

First we should start with the bag itself.  If you look back at my review on my Maclaren Volo stroller, you'll see that I didn't have much storage space available there.  We wanted to travel light anyway.  We've all been guilty of overpacking from time to time, but it pays to put a little extra thought into the Disney diaper bag and pare things down a bit.  I found a good diaper backpack ($10) at a local resale event.  It was a navy blue Eddie Bauer bag with nothing that screamed diaper bag.  This was key because my husband would be carrying this bag most of the time at the parks and it has been designated as his bag when he takes the girl out on Sunday afternoons to give me a break.  It has various sections of good sizes that let us separate different categories of supplies.  For Christmas, I got a backpack for the digital SLR camera on indefinite loan from my father.  I carried that bag with the cameras and my personal items.  I really like it and will review it at some point in the future.  Lowepro Fastpack 100 (Red)

Here are the supplies I packed in the diaper bag and some notes on what did and didn't work.

• antibacterial wipes--I like the regular sized travel packs.  I had gotten some oversized wipes but those didn't fit in my bag and seem like overkill 
• applesauce cup--maybe used one that week
• bandaids
• bibs--disposable bibs are great at WDW!  I had Pampers bibs.
• birthday cards for characters etc to sign (separate post coming)
• bottles--2
• burp cloth--multi-purpose
• change of clothes--never needed this.  Next trip she'll be 18 months, so I'll carry a onesie for an emergency.  If something crazy happens, then I have a great excuse to go shopping.  If we were visiting in the warmer months, I'd take a change of clothes to allow for playtime in the fountains.
• changing pad
• clothes pins--carried these with the intention of pinning a thin blanket to the stroller to make a shade when Tink was sleeping but never needed them
• diaper garbage bags--I always have the version of this without the duck in our diaper bags.  (Thanks Keri!) 
• diapers--I packed about 8 but didn't need nearly that many.
• extra tote bag--One of the reusable shopping bags that folds into a very small pouch.  This came in handy several times.
• formula--Tink was having formula at meals and at bedtime, so I carried two of the single packs that make 4 oz each.
• pen for characters
• poncho--I carried one of the tiny emergency style ones this time.
• rain cover--My stroller came with its own rain cover.  I kept it in the organizer bag on the stroller.
• sippy cup and leash--I put 'no throw' straps on either side of the stroller to hold a sippy cup and a toy.  If Tink dropped her drink or toy, we didn't lose them.
• small blanket--Receiving blankets have lots of uses.
• small book and toy
• snack container--I have a formula dispenser that I like better as a snack holder.  Its three compartments are great for holding cheerios, yogurt drops, etc.  Or the divider comes out and you can carry a large amount of one snack.
• snacks--These little apple snacks are fabulous!  I got Mickey and Princess packs.  They have lots of other fruits but we've only tried the apples.  The Gerber yogurt drops were fantastic on the bus.
• spoons--the take and toss kind
• sunblock
• sunhat
• sweatshirt--I carried a lightweight hoodie jacket but we never used it.  Some places at WDW are really chilly, so I'd carry it again, just in case.
• table covers--The disposable table covers were really handy.
• tissues
• veggie cup (peas)--Don't think I ever needed this.  Tink ate well everywhere we went.
• water
• wipes
• ziplocs--Two large and two medium. One of each to hold items in the diaper bag and then another to hold dirty items. This helped me know what needed to be washed each night.

What else do you carry with you to the parks or just on a long day out at home?  Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Update: October 2013  Please check out my article on my Disney diaper bag now that I travel with my preschooler and toddler.  

Photo Flashback!--Hey, you in the yellow poncho!

Quick random memory:
After high school graduation, my parents took me, 3 friends, my brother, and a dear family friend to WDW.  (Yea, Disney Vacation Club!)  To this day, my family still quotes from this trip.  Back in the day, when it rained, the parks became a sea of yellow ponchos with a big classic Mickey on the back.  As all teenagers do, especially seniors, we thought we were funny.  One afternoon, it rained and the ubiquitous rain gear came out.  My friend stepped out on the corner of what is now the Confectionery and yelled, "Hey, you in the yellow poncho."  The rest of us thought it was hysterical and we still use this line. 

Do you have any funny inside jokes to share?