Magical Blogorail: First-Timer Planning Tips

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Red. Enjoy the ride as we share our tips for planning your first Disney vacation.

A good friend of mine is planning a very special Walt Disney World vacation for this fall and has asked me for help.  Technically she has visited WDW once but since it has been about 30 years, we're considering her as a first-timer.  On this vacation, Ann will be traveling with her husband, their daughter who will be almost 4, and Ann's retired parents. They are all looking forward to seeing the little one take in the magic and Grandpa really wants to spoil his grandbaby.

You have to admit the volume of information available about Disney World is daunting. The options are nearly endless and a first-timer could quickly get overwhelmed with the research project required for a Disney vacation. I've tried not to bombard my friend with tons of information as she begins the process but rather break it down into smaller tasks.  Here are the first few things to consider as a first time Walt Disney World guest-to-be.  I'll write additional posts on this topic as I help her plan for the big trip.

The first step is to select travel dates. They were originally considering September, wanting lower crowds with weather still warm enough to enjoy some pool time.  Ann and her husband had not heard about the Food and Wine Festival but of course, it peeked their interest.  They were at our house for dinner, asking tons of Disney questions, when F&W came up.  Looks now like they'll visit in late September or early October, depending on which works best with school.  I reviewed Touring Plan's crowd calendar for my friend and that time of year is fabulous.  I also suggest checking the calendar at All Ears to see if there are any special events, conventions, tournaments, etc that a guest would either like to see or avoid.

Step two is to choose a Disney resort hotel.  There are some really good off-property options but you just can't beat the magic 'bubble' that staying on Disney property provides.  Especially for infrequent guests, the special touches, theming, and terrific Cast Members of a Disney resort hotel are really worth spending a little more.  Ann and her family are really interested in being very close to the Magic Kingdom and will likely book a room at the Grand Floridian.  Ann first let me know they were starting to plan via a text message.  She asked if I had heard of the Grand Floridian.  I told her I loved to visit there but I wouldn't personally pay the "Grand" prices and suggested Port Orleans Riverside.  What I didn't know was her father had already made up his mind that they were staying at the Grand and it was pretty much a done deal.  My husband and I had a suite there for our wedding night and it was beautiful.

If you are deciding where to stay for your first Walt Disney World vacation, know that Disney offers a wide variety of accommodations.  The prices vary widely from the cheapest value resort to the most expensive deluxe suite.  Once you've decided your budget for the vacation, you still have options within a category.  Be sure to browse Disney's site and check out the theming and amenities of a resort. For instance, a larger family might consider the Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort or a Family Suite at the new Disney's Art of Animation Resort.  Both sleep 6 and are about the same price but the experiences would be very different, as Fort Wilderness is rustic and AoA is as colorful as it gets.  That's one thing I love about Disney...something for everyone!

For a value resort, I've stayed at All Star Music twice.  Once in a standard room and once in a family suite.  It's not exciting but ASM has all the perks of being on property.  Pop Century is a very popular value resort in the Disney online community.  The newest resort is Art of Animation and I'm surprising the girls with a few days in a Little Mermaid room at the end of our fall trip.  They will love the theming and the gigantic pool.

The favorite moderate resort of the Growing Up Disney family and a fair number of our team is Port Orleans with most of us leaning toward Riverside.  This resort is divided into two sections, French Quarter and Riverside.  French Quarter is themed exactly like it sounds.  It's smaller and has a good cajun/creole food court.  Riverside has a more bayou feel, a little more space to wander, and a table service restaurant as well as a food court.  I don't think you can go wrong staying anywhere in this resort.

My favorite Disney deluxe resort hotel is the Polynesian.  I've stayed at all three of the monorail resorts and the Polynesian would be my choice for my family.  However, we are a Disney Vacation Club family and almost always book at Old Key West.  It's a lovely relaxed resort with huge villas and many of the comforts of home with full kitchens and washers/dryers.

Step three is contact a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner to reserve a room and purchase park tickets.  We use Travel with the Magic and they don't pay me to say that.  Yes, you can book on your own online or by phone but when you can get the help of a Disney expert for free, why not?  Your travel agent can check the latest deals for you and advise on ways to maximize your travel dollar.  They'll also watch for future offers to see if you could save more.  The current ticket pricing structure offers a myriad of options (park hopping, no expiration, water parks, etc.) and sometimes it's a good deal to purchase an annual pass for one member of your party in order to get annual passholder room discounts.  Back to my previous advice, let your travel agent run the numbers for you.

Step four TAKE A DEEP BREATH.  Again, it's easy to get in over your head in research so if you've wandered off into exactly how rider swap works at this point, walk away from the computer for a few.  You'll have time later to learn those things.

Step five is to make dining reservations.  Popular Walt Disney World restaurants book up far in advance.  This is the biggest surprise for pretty much everyone who has ever asked me for advice on a first-time vacation.  People just can't believe that they need to book a table six months before they'd like to dine with Cinderella or in Beast's Castle.  So if you are planning around the six month mark or less and are interested in the quintessential Disney dining locations, you need to get on the dining reservations fairly quickly.  If you are at around the one year mark when you read this...see step four.

Keep in mind that there are many options with Disney dining, just like with resort hotels.  If you have your heart set on having dinner with your favorite princess and it's booked throughout your vacation, try another similar restaurant.  I have two little girls and they will love Cinderella's Royal Table someday.  We don't tend to book far in advance and I'd like to save their first meal in the castle until they are a bit older.  However, we had a FABULOUS time at the Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus in Epcot's Norway Pavilion.  Hands down my favorite dining experience in ages and it's less expensive than Cindy's and a little easier to book.  You can always take a shot at last minute reservations for popular restaurants.  We managed to get a late breakfast a couple of hours in advance for Akershus.

We here at Growing Up Disney (and my blogorail pals) have shared many restaurant reviews and photos over the years.  When I am planning my own dining reservations, I always look at the menus at All Ears or the official Disney site.

Disney has a wide variety of dining options, from the character meals mentioned above to the exquisite five diamond/four star Victoria and Albert's to world cuisine to the casual cafe.  Check out our trip planning tab above for articles on the favorite restaurants of our family and guest contributors.  Our team of Minnie Moms has discussed our lists of best and worst restaurants for children.

Making reservations is simple.  Either send your list to your travel agent or book online with Disney or call 407-WDW-DINE.

Ok.  That's enough tasks to get you started on planning your first Walt Disney World vacation.  I'll be back later with more tips and you can always peruse our site for yourself in the meantime.  

Happy planning! 
~Amy

Be sure to check out our First Timer Class series.


Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

2nd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

3rd Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

4th Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

Final Stop ~ A World View

Flying Alone with a Toddler and a Preschooler....Again

In January my girls and I flew to Walt Disney World to meet my best friend for a girls' vacation.  In May we repeated the journey, this time to visit with Granny and Granddaddy at their second home.  With a little planning and a little luck, flying went well.  May was Tink's fourth flight to WDW and Minnie's second (sixth and fourth trips, respectively.)  My husband couldn't join us on either holiday but is a good sport to go to work while we play.  He thinks we should travel while we can before the girls are tied down to school.  But I digress....(and aren't I lucky?!?)

Here are my top ten tips on flying with small children.

1. Think Outside of the Box

We live in Eastern North Carolina and there are a few small regional airports available to us.  However, I book us on flights with Southwest out of Raleigh/Durham.  For one, their prices tend to be a little lower and the lack of bag fees helps since we are absolutely checking luggage.  Secondly, from this larger airport, we can get a direct flight from RDU to MCO.  Yes, we have more travel time on the road but driving in the van is much easier than flying in terms of the girls.  We leave nice and early and with any luck, at least one of them will nap on the way over.  My husband and I used this trick before kids as well.  We lived in Tulsa but drove to Kansas City for a direct and less expensive flight.
  

2. Stick to the Schedule

If you have multiple flight times available, I find that working around mealtimes and naptimes is helpful.  For older kids, killing some time on the flight with lunch might be good, but I'd avoid it with the little set if you can, too messy. We get to the airport in time to have a meal right before we leave so we don't board with empty tummies or low blood sugar.  And I've been fortunate that Minnie napped on both return flights so those were easy after take-off.

{I started this article prior to our trip in May.  That journey that makes me giggle a bit at my previous advice.  It's good advice but there weren't as many flight times this go-round so we ended up with a 10:30 am departure, landing just after noon in Orlando.  That doesn't sound so bad but we all were up earlier than usual and it just didn't work for meal or nap times. We were all in meltdown by the time we boarded Magical Express.  They behaved well on the flight but it fell apart later and honestly it was as much me as them.  Thankfully, Minnie finally got a nap and I let Tink play with some electronic device while I enjoyed the relative quiet. Given the options, we did the best we could but I shouldn't have planned a dinner for that evening.  I'll chalk that up to being overly excited and optimistic.  May just proved that a good flight time can really help.}

3. Cheat

Yes, I know children aren't supposed to have much "screen time" but if you have any electronic device, load that bad boy up with kiddo stuff.  Thanks to getting direct flights our time in the air is pretty short and I see no harm in watching a movie or playing a game or two.  I look for new games and shows prior to our trip.  The girls each have a set of headphones and I bought a splitter so they could both listen to the same show.  We should practice with the headphones at home more before the trip.  Neither of my girls has been all that interested in headphones as a toddler but Tink did well with hers.  We are an iFamily and I traveled with an iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch as well as Tink's LeapPad loaded up with a new TinkerBell book she had not seen previously.  And just to cover my bases, I pack an external battery in my carry-on.

I also carry candy.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Ha ha.  Kidding.  My stash of Smarties and some small clearance priced Easter packs of jelly beans saved the day on several occasions.

And lest you think I just fill my kids with sugar and give them electronics, we do carry healthier snacks (natural applesauce and raisins), paper, pens, stickers, and a new trick in the old diaper bag...pipe cleaners.

4. Use All Available Resources
My preschooler is quite easy on an airplane but the toddler is a bit more of a challenge.  It's a strange environment and she doesn't want to follow the "get on the plane and sit down" rule.  When we managed to score a free seat for my lap child, that little extra bit of space was really nice.  While the rest of the plane was finding seats, Minnie was rearranging the magazines from one seat back pocket to another and getting out some last minute wiggles.  In May we had full flights both directions so we had tighter quarters.  I tried my best to keep her occupied before takeoff with a faceless air-sickness bag puppet (note to self: have a pen ready next time) and looking for puppies and kittens in the SkyMall catalog.  And that box of jellybeans may have come out...

5. Cups and Snacks
I carry a sippy cup on the plane for each girl that is about half filled with water, after security, of course. They can drink from them during takeoff to relieve ear pressure and when the apple juice comes around later, I have lidded cups ready to go. And it goes without saying but pack plenty of snacks.  Goldfish, raisins, cheese sticks, applesauce pouches, Mickey fruit snacks and peanut butter cups (jif to go, not reese's) have all worked well for us.  Be sure to carry something for yourself too.  That tiny pack of pretzels won't improve anyone's mood.

6. Stroller
My husband thinks I should check our stroller with the luggage.  Granted I don't particularly need it in Raleigh since so far they have been kind enough to let him have a pass to help us to the gate.  But I know the baggage crew is working fast and furious and I prefer not to have my stroller among the items they are throwing about so I gate check our strollers.  Plus, it's REALLY nice to have the ability to corral one or both of the kids.  My sanity is worth lugging carrying the stroller with me.  The line for security in Orlando can be a half hour and having the toddler safely in her stroller is a big help.  I would be a wreck if I had to fight to keep both girls in line for that long plus deal with our luggage, paperwork, etc.  My strollers fold easily and go through the x-ray machine without issue.

In January, we had a City Mini Double from Simple Stroller Rental waiting at Old Key West for us so I took my smallest stroller, a Maclaren Volo.  Minnie had a place to sit in the airport and it turned out to be a great back-up to the full-sized double.  Last fall, I broke down and bought ANOTHER stroller.  It's a Joovy Caboose Ultralight and was a steal at nobetterdeal.com.  This is a fantastic Disney stroller for my girls and worked great in the airport.  For the trip home, I made the stroller smaller by putting the canopy and snack tray in my checked suitcases.  Tink didn't need to ride after we arrived at RDU which allowed the stroller to also be a handy luggage cart.

7. Go for the Burn
We all know keeping kids cooped up for too long is a recipe for disaster so I try to let them burn off a little energy when they can.  Going for a walk in our terminal and finding an unused gate for some playtime have worked for us.  Also, don't forget that most, if not all, of the WDW resorts have places for kids to color and/or watch movies.  My kids enjoy coloring at Community Hall or watching old cartoons in Papa's Den at Old Key West while waiting for Magical Express.

8. Ask for Help
I don't know what the rules are on this but so far Southwest Airlines has allowed my husband to go to the gate with us on the three times I have flown alone with one or both girls.  I'm fairly sure we have reached the limit since Minnie will soon be two, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

This was just offered to me, but Southwest also allowed me to skip the main line at ticketing in Orlando since all I needed was a boarding pass for Minnie.  Our luggage had been checked at Old Key West.  I was sent to the upgraded area and only waited a minute or so for the next employee to be available.  If someone is working at the beginning of the queue, ask very nicely and see what happens.

9. Deputize Your Older Children
Tink has recently turned four and wants to do things for herself and be a helper.  I told her that I was going to need her to be a good listener and help me at the airport.  She carried her preschool backpack with a few toys for herself and little sister.  Tink held Minnie's hands while I was putting the stroller on the security conveyor belt.  I really appreciated my little assistant.

10. Take a Deep Breath
Even if the kids are going nuts and you can't wait to get to your destination, know that in the grand scheme of things, this is likely a very small portion of your trip.

That's my list.  What did I miss that works for you?  Please share so we can all learn from one another. Thanks! ~Amy

Trip Prep: Three Weeks Out

This last week has been dedicated to preparing for Tink's birthday party.  She is now four years old.  We had a great time and I will do a full princess party post soon.

A quick shot of the aftermath during the cleaning process

I did accomplish a few things this week toward our upcoming Walt Disney World vacation.

• Ordered a booster seat for Tink to use in Granddaddy's car
• Bought small light up toys and a mister fan
• Granny and Granddaddy (DisneyDad) brought light up toys
• Tested DisneyDad's car to see if my stroller would fit in the trunk with Mom's scooter (It did.)
• Tested DisneyDad's car to see if we could fit a car seat, a booster seat and me across the backseat. It's tight but doable for dinner off-property.
• Discussed plans and options with DisneyDad and Mom while they are visiting us
• Set aside small sticker books Tink received as gifts for the plane
• Gave my parents some things to carry to WDW for me to save room in the suitcases. Diapers, wipes, swim diapers, mac & cheese cups, etc.
• Reviewed breakfast menus at Old Key West

Today it's back to the real world and planning for the "World" as my parents head home, Tink goes back to school and I visit the dentist.  

~Amy

Nine's Report on her First Visit to Disneyland Paris

Hello!  If you've been following this series, you know that we have just returned from our first trip to Disneyland Paris.

I would like to share with you a brief review of my own personal thoughts and feelings about the visit. 

The Hotel

This the first time we chose to stay on-site while at a Disney Park, both for proximity and Extra Magic Hours (EMH).  There are 6 DLP hotels and we stayed in the Sequoia Lodge.  This hotel is modelled on American National Parks and having visited the Grand Canyon myself, I have to say I was pretty impressed.  The room was adequate: 2 double beds, a chair and table, a bureau with a flat screen TV, a small hanging space with rental safe, a vanity area and small seperate bathroom with a toilet and shower over the bath.  

A small note, there is no kettle or any kind of tea making supplies.  I have since learnt you can buy a refreshment pack at the front desk and you will then be given a kettle for the duration of your stay.  We had asked for a cot but there wasn't one. As it was late when we arrived, I just let Tink sleep with me but I was a bit annoyed.  There was air conditioning (there isn't in every hotel), the beds were comfy, the shower was ok and it wasn't too noisy.  You can't ask for too much more.

There was a small gift shop, which also sold a few sundries such as milk and 2 restaurants.  We didn't use them but the rest of our party had the buffet breakfast that was included (continental - therefore croissants, rolls, cheese, ham, cereal etc) and said it was very nice.

Sequoia Lodge was very conveniently located to the Disney Village, about a 10-minute walk and about 15 from the parks.  This was great for getting back for nap time.  Overall I would definately stay there again and would pay the extra for the tea and coffee supplies/kettle.

The Parks

Disneyland Park

This park is the Walt Disney World equivalent of the Magic Kingdom.  It is what I imagine Disneyland in California is like.  The architecture was beautiful.  Fantasyland and Main Street were in particular just stunning.  It is Sleeping Beauty Castle here, as is it in CA, and it was gorgeous.  There were times when you could easily have believed that you were in WDW.  It was also nice that there were lots of differences to the Florida park too though so I wasn't constantly comparing it.  There are many classic signature rides such as It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Dumbo, the carrousel, Pirates of the Carribean, Big Thunder Mountain etc but there were many different ones too.  The only French ride we went on this time was the Phantom Manor, which is very similar to the Haunted Mansion, yet a lot darker, and we were glad we left Tink with her grandparents.

The shops were amazing and we spent far too many Euros.  We did find things a lot more expensive than the US.  For example, a kids tee shirt was approx €20 which is about £18 which is about $27!!!  There was a lot of 20th Anniversary merchandise and some of it was too good not to buy *winks*.

We did find eating in the parks was an issue.  A LOT of the counter service places were shut and we often had to walk all the way back to Main Street just to get a sandwich. (Where was Cosmic Ray's when you need it, huh?)  

This brings me on to customer service.  Most of the Cast Members we met were nice and helpful.  However we had a disgusting encounter with 2 CMs in the Main Street Deli.  It was Extra Magic Hours and we were the first customers.  We ordered a coffee and a coke in a souvenir cup.  The cash register wouldn't work.  Two members of staff pushed at buttons while we stood there like idiots on our last morning while Tink got more and more fidgety. In the end since nothing was happening I said we would have to leave.  Now had we been in WDW I truly believe the CMs would have apologised and given us the drinks for free since they were only going to throw them away anyway right? But no, they took the drinks off of us without even a sorry.  I was not happy and will be complaining.

The parade - in a word, fantastic!!!  I cried throughout, and Tink loved it.  The crowd around us?  Awful.  We waited for almost an hour to get a decent spot and as soon as the music started all hell broke lose with people pushing and shoving, crossing barriers, climbing onto the grass, screaming in your face to get out of their way even though you'd been there for ages and had a small child in your arms.  Tink was terrified and clung to me.  Appalling. We stood our ground and didn't let anyone get in front of us, but it almost spoilt it.  I'm not blaming Disney for rude patrons but they need more staff to marshall this.

Overall impression of Disneyland Park?  Beautiful scenery (but start pumping some cinnamon and candy smells in, too much cigarette smoke and not enough to disguise it), great rides, lots to buy but please open more eateries (they were there but not open!) and please train CMs better.  Oh and do something, anything about the blatant rudeness of people when it comes to lack of manners and queuing etiquette.

Walt Disney Studios Park

We only spent about an hour in this park on our last morning and by no means did it justice.  I doubt we saw even one fifth of the park.  One of our party watched the parade and said it was good but the Disneyland Park one was better.  The only ride we did and even saw properly here was the Tower of Terror, which is my favourite ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios in FL.  It did not disappoint and was really good.  The rest of the park looked really great and I look forward to exploring it next time.  We didn't buy anything from a shop or eatery here except ride photos from ToT so I can't comment on the shops or restaurants or the theming of the rest of the lands, but what little I saw was very impressive and similar to HS in FL.

Overall impression? Can't wait to see more especially the Toy Story Playground.

The Disney Village

We really like it here.  This is Paris' equivalent of Downtown Disney and had a number of shops and restaurants/cafes.  We ate at Annettes (an American style diner with yummy burgers), Rainforest Cafe (FAB!!!), Earl of Sandwich (can't wait for another Caprese at DTD) and Starbucks (very slow, remember to ask for milk and you can't take it into the parks).  Lots to choose from and nicely done.  There are bag checks here that make sense as the main train station is here too.  I did find that a little strange as there were a few buskers and street sellers around which you'd never find at WDW. Cafe Mickey is here which is the closest DLP has to Chef Mickeys in the Contemporary Resort at WDW.  We didn't do it this time as we are waiting for our FL trip in September for Tink to meet the Big Cheese.  The World of Disney shop was just being completed and wasn't yet open during our stay but it was due to open on July 12th.

Overall?  Liked it a lot but not as much as DTD, not as much to to and not as scenic. However I didn't spend 3/4 of the holiday spending allowence here like i usually do at DTD (um, WOD and 12 Days of Disney Christmas shop??? How could you say no?).  Worth it for the yummy EOS alone though *licks lips*.

Being a shareholder

Well, well, WELL worth it.  I had discounts on all the merchandise bought from shops (not from the carts as they need to call for a supervisor) and all Table Service non-Franchise eateries, as well as EOS.  We also had access to a members only club for coffee and cake between 9am-12pm and the chocolate and nut pastries were worth buying the shares for by themselves...

We also had a VIP Fast Pass one morning with unlimited Fast Pass access on all Fast Pass rides.  That was again amazing.

Overall?  I got my money back and more with the savings we made.  A great decision.  And I'm proud to say I own a bit of Disney!

So, that's it.  My first impressions of DLP.

We had a great time but would stay for at least 3 nights next time.  We didn't arrive until 5pm and left around midday on the last day.  Even with using the EMH there just wasn't enough time to see everything with a 2 year old.  But it gives us a great excuse to go back :-)

We also learnt some valuable lessons for the trip to WDW -

1. Go to all the other parks first and do MK last or Tink will refuse to go anywhere else and cry when she doesn't go to see the castle.

2. When we do go to MK ride IASW last or Tink will refuse to go on any other ride and cry when she doesn't see "the little people".

3. Only attempt to meet face characters and mice.  Big bears and monkeys are especially scary to a 2 year old.

4. Make use of the Baby Care centres and First Aid (no private rooms for nursing at DLP it would seem, so you can ask to go into a room with a curtain in the First Aid station which is next door instead). Do not worry if child won't eat anything apart from junk, they're on holiday.

5. One present a day is MORE than enough.

6. Take more photos!  FIL took loads but we shamefully took hardly any.

7. Have a wonderful time!

Contributed by Janine P. of Swindon, England. She is a proud wife, mommy to Felicity and one of our Minnie Moms.  Check out her  monthly series which followed her as she planned her family's first trip to Disneyland Paris.  Learn more about Janine here.

• New Series from Nine
• Part 1: Questions
• Part 2: When to Go?
• Part 3: Where to Stay?
• Part 4: Where to Eat?
• Holidays at DLP
• Part 5: Dates Booked
• Part 6: Attractions at Disneyland Park
• Part 7: Walt Disney Studios
• Part 8: Almost Ready!
• Part 9: Last Minute Preparations

To all who come to this happy place, Welcome!

To all who come to this happy place, Welcome!  for TWO YEARS!! WOW!!

It's amazing the numbers of guests who stop by daily to visit with Growing Up Disney.  April 26 was the Second Anniversary of this labor of love.  While we don't get the millions who visit Disney.com, I am surprised at the HUNDREDS who come by to visit daily.  Thank you for taking time to stop by, look at a few pictures, and share the stories of our and our contributors lives.  Amy is the editor-in-chief of this effort and Ridge is her second in command.  I'm just the dad, so I get the responsibility of causing my children's obsession with Disney.  Amy has made many friends who have become contributors, thank you all for your work.

It is hard work to keep something like this going, make it interesting, and not repeat yourself over, and over, and over, and over.  Amy and Ridge work hard to keep this site going and I enjoy helping out where I can.  If you think it's easy, sit down and start writing your story and see how far you get. (email it to growingupdisney@gmail.com and Amy may just post it here!)  I have seen many blogs that have started strong, but in a few months the blogger has quit.  I have one friend that said he was "officially the worst blogger in the world" when he quit posting.  This article will be the 591st post to Growing Up Disney over the past two years. That is averaging one post every 1.2 days for two years.  Not bad when most blogs go by the way side.  Many of our guests even take time to comment on posts.  I was surprised to so many took time to comment on my Photo Flashback this week on the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival and my picture of Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Our most popular page on Growing up Disney is "The Family Behind the Blog".  We have averaged about 5 visits to this page a day for the past two years.  Guess there are a lot of people who wonder who would spend this much time on Disney.  There you will find the story behind why Amy began writing about taking a child to Walt Disney World.  Chris or Ridge as he has been know since high school has his own writing style and has developed into quite a photographer.  And as for me, DisneyDad, I have been a Disney fan from before there was a Walt Disney World and have been a Disney Vacation Club member since 1993.

The most popular article on Growing Up Disney was one Amy posted November 13, 2010 on "Mickey Mouse Christmas Lights".  It has averaged one person reading the article every day for two years.  Some one must like reading about Christmas lights to read it every day for two years! :-)

We get a lot of visits to Growing Up Disney from guests searching on Google for Growing Up Disney or the Disney Vacation Club.  Lots come from finding us on Facebook and Twitter too.  We also get a lot of visits from those who have jumped on the Magical Blogorail for a trip around the Magic Kingdom.  Please Stand Clear of the Door  - Por favor,  mantengase alejado de las puertas.


Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment or two and help us celebrate!

--DisneyDad

Minnie Moms: Multi-Generation/Multi-Family Travel Part 2

Minnie Moms are back from summer vacation and ready to share our tips and memories with you. This month we are discussing traveling with multiple generations and/or multiple families. The more people you travel with the more you need to be organized and think through the needs of your group. The Minnie Moms have learned a thing or two about this topic...

~~~~~~~~~~

Nine: I have learnt many things about travelling with family. I have been to Walt Disney World as a couple only, with just my in-laws and with my in-laws plus my brother-in-law and his girlfriend. I have yet to travel with both my in-laws and Tink to America, but we have had two family holidays to France. We will be all be going to Florida together in 2014. I'll draw on a mixture of both past experiences for this article.

So, what are my high-points of travelling with family? Two big ones spring to mind. For us, if we are travelling with my dear husband's (DH) parents, then they have paid for the trip, either in whole, or the vast majority. In fact our last trip over to Florida was courtesy of my father-in-law's 60th birthday treat and he financed the entire holiday. So this is obviously a massive plus point. Also, you have a built in babysitter. I don't even mean for luxuries such as going out for dinner on your own or anything, but just being able to have a shower in peace, which is something a parent of a toddler can only dream of, unless granny and grandad are there to help out. But since we're on the subject, why can't you also ask if you can have a date night whilst on your vacation? They look after the kiddos while you get to go somewhere like The California Grill or if you're really posh (or lucky), Victoria and Albert's, or while you head off to Downtown Disney for a movie. You can return the favour another night while they go out and you stay home with the little ones.

This also works well in the parks. You don't have to use the parent switch/child swap option and ride alone, you can leave kiddo and bags with the grandparents while you go off and ride Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and then vice versa if required. This is also a big help for the thrill rides in, ahem, that other well known park in Orlando, as you need to rent lockers for rucksacks, etc.

But the biggest bonus that I've personally experienced regarding travelling with my in-laws (who are just like another set of parents to me as we are really close), is just being together to share memories. We don't have to try to explain funny stories or magic moments to them when we get back, because we all experienced them together. They actually understand my Disney obsession and even fuel it by buying me little presents when they're over there to give me at a later date.

That being all said and done, there are some lows to travelling with family too. You may have already seen my piece about our last time in France, and the friction that was caused with decisions over nap times and routines etc. for my toddler.

Even without a kid it can be difficult when there are a lot of you to decide what you're doing and get ready. When we were last at WDW with my brother-in-law (BIL) and his girlfriend too, that meant there were 6 adults to get ready each morning. (Usually I would be the first and would be shooing everyone into the car but I was pregnant with Tink on that trip and struggled in the mornings.) My BIL and girlfriend are notoriously late for everything and there were several threats that holiday to leave them behind! One thing I have heard other families do is to actually hire 2 cars if you're in need of them. If we all go together in the future, and stay in and off-site villa again, this will definitely happen. If you're on-site and using Disney travel, then you may like to arrange to meet slower members of the party at a later time in the parks. We did split up a few times when we were in the parks too to all have some time in our own. DH and I had not done this before with his parents but his brother and girlfriend are both smokers and we seemed to stop every 5 minutes to find a smoking spot. This became a real bone of contention for me in particular, but I'm sure they were just as fed up with my constant restroom breaks (at least I had the pregnant excuse this time). Splitting up, even if just for an hour or so gives you some time to do exactly what you want.

We found that eating could be a problem when there were 6 of us. DH and I were used to eating quite early and had favourite spots from previous trips at WDW and around Orlando in general. However, again rallying up 6 of us to go out and then to all get served often meant we didn't get to eat until sometimes 2 hours after DH and I especially would have preferred. Also bear in mind if one of the party has any food issues/intolerances that this can cause a problem. Luckily for me, I'm the fussy one in our party being a strict vegetarian so I am the one kicking up a storm.

Another high or low point depending on which party you belong to, can be if you're used to being a follower or a leader. I'm lucky insofar as the family (rightfully) consider me to be the Disney expert and therefore the itinerary was completely up to me. Had this not have been the case, I would not have been happy following someone else around the parks. Don't get me wrong, I was open to suggestions and my 'touring plan' was not set in stone, but it would have been hard for me to not be in charge whilst at WDW.

For someone else, they may be just as happy that another member of the family as planned it all out, so they don't have to think of what to do, where to go, which show is on next, where to eat etc. It's all about personal preference.

But if I could some up multi generational travelling, to WDW or anywhere, then there is one very important word to remember - compromise!

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to our regular contributor Janine for this post. Be sure to check out all of the stories and ideas from our Minnie Moms on this topic!

Magical Blogorail: Ways we prepare for a trip to Disney

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

This week Growing Up Disney is represented by DisneyDad discussing “Ways we prepare for a trip to Disney.”

As the “old man” of Growing Up Disney, I’ve been to Walt Disney World way more than any of our main contributors. My first trip was to the Preview Center before WDW opened in 1971. So with this many trips “under my belt” I, along with Mom, have had lots of practice preparing for our “next” trip. We don’t have any small children to worry about getting ready or packing all the things needed for a child on a trip. Just two old “pros” going to WDW.

Planning for the next trip usually starts about the last day of our current trip with the question: “When would you like to come back?” The actual plan begins with picking a date and making Disney Vacation Club reservations which is done by calling the DVC reservation number and talking to one of the cast members who work exclusively with DVC reservations. With DVC we can begin making reservations 11 months from our arrival date, but usually for us it is much shorter time frame. Making our reservations has always been my job until recently. Once Amy and Ridge were added to our DVC deeds, Amy usually makes our group reservations. (She has to plan for taking all the “stuff” that is involved with taking young children on a trip.)

Once reservations are made, the next step is planning where to eat!!! Some trips it is all counter service and just taking our chances on a table service restaurant. Other trips we decide what restaurants we want to eat and plan our trip accordingly. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, this step is an absolute must. It is “SOP” (Standard Operating Procedure) for us to plan what parks we are going to visit based on where we want to eat. Once we decide where to eat (usually lunch) we make reservations at first opportunity but always remain flexible as some restaurants fill up quickly. One restaurant we always include is Olivia’s at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. OKW is our DVC Home Resort and eating at Olivia’s is just part of “being at home”.

Travel is usually not an issue as we normally drive to WDW. No worry about flight schedules, catching DME, or renting a car. We have flown but keep coming back to driving. On one trip when we flew, airport delays made the trip longer than if we had driven. If left to its own devices, my car can find its way to WDW almost on its own. I set the GPS just so it keeps me from missing a turn and I don’t have to concentrate on directions. Just keep an eye on traffic and enjoy the trip.

Packing for the trip is a non-issue too. Mom and I have been so many times that packing consists of checking the weather at WDW for several days leading up to our travel day. Once we are aware of the weather, packing usually takes us about 15 minutes each and is completed the evening before we begin our trip. Load the car and we are ready to roll. Staying in a DVC resort means we have a full-sized washer & dryer in our room, so we don’t have to over pack. Clothes are easily washed and normally when we come home our clothes are clean when we pack up.

So how do we “prepare” for at trip to WDW? We don’t prepare. We are always ready for our next trip. The totality of our preparation before a trip is making DVC and any dining reservations. Beyond that, we take each day as it comes to make the most of our visit “home”.

All this changes with taking a group and my preparation is usually limited to helping choose a date and suggest places to eat. With Amy and Ridge, we have built in trip planners. The two of them put together all the plans the trip for us so once again all Mom and I need to do is pack.

--Disney Dad

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is WDW Backstage.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ A World View
2nd Stop ~ Growing Up Disney
3rd Stop ~ WDW Backstage
4th Stop ~ Makin’ Memories
Final ~ My Dreams of Disney

Magical Blogorail: Transportation, Personal Car

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Red. Enjoy the ride as we share with you the different modes of Disney transportation.

Today Ridge represents Growing Up Disney on the Magical Blogorail.

When traveling to Disney I have become a convert of driving my car around property rather than taking the provided transportation. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the Disney buses, ferries, and Monorail; on the contrary, I still use them when it suits my needs. However, there have been just so many more reasons why I have needed my car while on property on my recent trips. I haven’t been touring the parks as a regular vacationer, oh no, I have called them “working trips” since they make it to this blog. And I have needed my car to meet up with all the excellent Disney community members I have met and look forward to seeing again in October.

When traveling to the parks or simply navigating around the property, in general in my opinion, taking my car is just a faster proposition than waiting for Disney transportation, but what does driving my car allow me to do that I can’t do taking a bus? Well in simple terms, I am young and mobile and speed is something that I find important especially for not having to plan on leaving my accommodations too early and spend the extra few minutes it would take to plan my egress to the parks. The only park that doesn’t allow for easy walking from the parking lot is the Magic Kingdom. When I make my way to MK when driving, depending on where I have the opportunity to park in proximity to the TTC, I try and walk because the wait for the trams is usually pretty good in the morning. So I hoof it as often as I can so that I have a few minutes to get my plans together and make the decision on whether I am going to use the monorail or the ferry to get over to MK.

The other parks: Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom have large parking lots but not so large that I don’t find them easy to navigate especially with the help on my iPhone, drop a pin and the car is right there on the map waiting for me to return.

The WDW property is easy to navigate as well. When I first started driving to the world I found it daunting because there are so many roads and turns. I was over whelmed. What I have learned is the layout is expertly designed to make getting to all guest areas a snap. There are ample road signs and plenty of arrows to point you in the right directions. Only a few times have I made a tactical error and made a wrong turn. It happens, and sometimes you see something cool. Like on my last trip. I turned into a back entrance to HS and went through an open gate onto the backstage area behind Tower of Terror. It was interesting to see how the places that aren’t meant to be seen look like the back of any old building. For “cool” part, there was an old taxi cab I think used to be somewhere on the Streets of America.

The parking at most of the resorts is also pretty easy to maneuver. Once you get to the security gate state your purpose and they will tell you where you can park. I don’t remember ever having any problems getting in anywhere to eat or park. Security is generally pretty helpful to get you where you want and need to go.

Driving around Walt Disney World is a real time saver for me and is a necessity if you are staying off property as I have also done recently to save a little bit of money. Now staying off property also means unless you have an Annual Pass you are going to be paying for parking and at 14 bucks a pop. Doing that is not something I recommend. I do have an AP and a Tables in Wonderland card, so at resorts that I will be dining, I can receive free valet parking. It’s a nice perk. There are so many extra things to see and do at WDW. Without a vehicle they are not impossible but require more time and planning to make happen.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is WDW Backstage.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Growing Up Disney (you are here)
2nd Stop ~ WDW Backstage
3rd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts
4th Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
Final Stop ~ A World View