The Affordable Mouse » planning a disney vacation

Disney Tips- What Should I Take and What Should I Leave?

Kelly — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:45:39 +0000

If you are like me you are a planner. It is very important to be prepared when traveling to Disney because poor preparation can make or break the enjoyment of your vacation. When preparing for your days at the parks it may be helpful to know what you can take into the parks and those things that you should leave behind.

Things you can bring into Disney Theme Parks and Water Parks:

Sunscreen
Snacks
Nonalcoholic beverages
Coolers that measure 24” long x 15” wide x 18” high or smaller.
Strollers
Wheelchairs

It is important to keep in mind that all baggage will be inspected at park entrance.

Things you should leave behind:

Alcoholic beverages
Wagons
Skateboards
Scooters
Inline Skates
Strollers larger than 36”x52”
Coolers larger than 24”long x 15”wide x18” high
Folding Chairs

The lists above are official lists that are approved by the Walt Disney World Travel Company. Now, how about a list of unofficial items that we think that you should have with you when you venture out to the parks? Enjoy!!

Hand Sanitizer
Band-Aids ( Make sure you have various sizes)
Autograph books
Large grip pens for the characters..they can’t sign with small pens.
Safety Pins
Camera
Extra SD cards
Extra camera batteries
Zip-lock bags
Ponchos
Small water bottle for each traveler. These can be easily refilled.
Gum
Key to the World Card or Ticket holder/lanyard. You are always using your tickets so be sure they are easily accessible.
Baby wipes…even if you are not traveling with babies. You can use them to cool off, clean off stains on your clothes, wipe your hands after rides, and clean off surfaces.

We would love to know what essential items you bring with you to the parks. Comment below and we will add your suggestions to our list!!

Find out how the FREE services of a Disney World travel agent can make planning your Disney vacation simple…and for a limited time, get a FREE Disney gift card when you book your trip with me! ($2000 minimum package cost)

Kelly, her husband, and three children live in the Chicagoland area. Kelly has been traveling to Walt Disney World since the age of two. She considers Walt Disney World to be her primary vacation destination. With 20 plus trips under her belt she still enjoys researching and learning new things about the most magical place on earth! Kelly began Disney Guru in August of 2010 with the vision of sharing fun vacation tips and magic with all fans of Disney World.

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of January 23, 2012

Rachel — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:45:36 +0000

Happy Saturday Disney Friends! What fun, relaxing things do you have planned for your weekend? Hopefully there’s a little Disney planned! And to get you started, why not take a few minutes to get caught up on all the Disney news that Rachel has found for you! Sounds like the perfect thing to get your weekend started! Enjoy!

Disney Cast Members will now be allowed to sport goatees and beards, within reason. Inside the Magic posted the details.

The Disneyland Hotel celebrated the end of a two-year renovation. The Disney Parks Blog details the changes and upgrades.

The Disney Parks Blog has details on Disney Cruise Line’s itineraries and new ports for 2013.

Jenn at The Disney Moms wrote a great post about travelling to Walt Disney World while pregnant.

Chip and Co. shared the details on Disney’s discounts available exclusively for military families.

The Disney Fantasy sets sail in March. The Disney Insider has all the details on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship.

If you’re planning a date night at Walt Disney World, the Disney Food Blog has suggestions for the most romantic restaurants at WDW.

If your departure from WDW is later in the day, Walt Disney World for Grown-Ups has a few suggestions of things to do that day to get the most out of your vacation.

That’s it for this week! Have a magical weekend and thanks for sharing part of it with us!

Rachel is a Virginia native who now lives in Louisiana. She is married with two children, ages 5 and 3. After dreaming and wishing for several years, her family had their very first Disney vacations this year and are now addicted to researching and planning—whether for themselves or for others. They now plan to visit the parks at least once a year.

Running with Disney: A “New” Kind of Vacation

Nancy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:45:10 +0000

If I had to pick one word to describe our recent trip to Walt Disney World, it would be “new”. We stayed in a new resort, ate in new restaurants, and had new experiences. And this is probably one of the things I love about visiting Disney World: no matter how many times you go, there are numerous things that make the magic new and special.

We truly had a wonderful time and I am looking forward to sharing some of the details of our trip with you in the coming weeks! In the meantime, here are some of the highlights:

Disney Marathon Weekend

The main reason we chose this weekend to visit was because our daughter was participating in Marathon Weekend. Despite a change of plans a few months ago, she was able to run in the 5-K and what an amazing experience it was! In fact, the entire weekend was inspiring!

Kidani Village

One of the things I was most excited about was the chance to stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village….and what an absolutely beautiful resort it was. I just couldn’t believe at times that we were at Walt Disney World!

New Restaurants

We had a number of new dining experiences on this trip and really enjoyed them! Among our favorites: La Hacienda de San Angel, and Via Napoli. Both were delicious and are highly recommended!

New Experiences

We have done several Disney tours in previous trips and we did another new one this time: Wild by Design at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This was a fascinating tour, providing tons of details about this park….and gave us all a new appreciation for Animal Kingdom.

New Construction

We also had the chance to get some glimpses of the Fantasyland construction, and I have to say it was exciting to see what is going on! I just can’t wait to see it all when completed!

In fact, seeing that construction makes me want to plan another trip to see the results….which would be the perfect cure for my Post-Disney Depression!

So stay tuned in coming weeks for details on some of the “new” things we did. And stay tuned as well, because I’ve got a little giveaway coming soon….because you know I never take a Disney vacation without bringing you home souvenirs!

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of January 16, 2012

Rachel — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:45:05 +0000

Happy happy Weekend Disney Friends! Is it cold and snowy where you are? If so, I have the perfect solution: a nice roaring fire in the fireplace, some Disney music (or a Disney movie) in the background, a hot beverage….and Rachel’s Disney blog round-up for your weekly Disney news! What a great way to relax! Enjoy!!

When making your dining reservations, consider buffets carefully. If you have a small child or picky eater, you may not get the best value, as Chip and Co. points out in this Quick Tip.

Mickey, Minnie, and other Disney dignitaries gathered for the opening of Katsura Grill at Epcot. Disney Parks Blog has details on this new eatery in the Japan Pavillion.

Many celebrities will be on hand for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Show, which will be held in March. You can see the full line up at the Disney Parks website.

Disney has launched InsidEARS, a program very similar to the popular MomsPanel for vacation planning. Chip & Co. has the details!

Night of Joy, a night of contemporary Christian music performances at Disney World, will return in September. Chip & Co. has details on this event.

In honor of President Obama’s visit to the Magic Kingdom this week, Chip & Co. reviews previous presidential visits to the house of Mouse.

The Disney Planning Blog offers a great overview of the quick service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort.

Wondering when to visit? The Disney Planning Blog looks at 5 great times to visit.

That’s it for this week! Have a magical weekend!

Running with Disney: Heading Towards the Finish Line

Nancy — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:45:51 +0000

So we’re going to Disney World….in 3 days. As you read this, suitcases and clothes and assorted Disney vacation necessities are being gathered into piles…..and the pre-trip stress on my part is starting to set in. As is the excitement!

As I have mentioned previously, our trip was planned for this week in January for a number of reasons…..one of which was the fact that our DD wanted to participate in the Disney Marathon weekend. Since she was already planning to do a Half Marathon here in Maryland this past October, she was very excited to do the Disney Half Marathon as well. So, we booked the trip and started planning.

But….as with many things in life, things don’t always work out quite the way you plan (probably an important lesson for Disney planners everywhere, as we all tend to obsess just a tad about planning lol).

In the middle of training for her October race, she developed Achilles tendon problems, ended up on crutches for a while, and ultimately had to drop out of the race. Clearly, the Disney Half Marathon was not happening any more either.

Despite her disappointment, and ours for her, the trip however was still on, even without the race, so ADRs were booked, and discussions continued about what else we wanted to do on this trip. We were still excited to be planning a trip, but I felt so bad that one of the main reasons we were going that weekend was no longer a possibility.

Funny how things work out though. After weeks of physical therapy, DD healed enough that she got the “all clear” to start training again! So she checked out Run Disney, decided to register for the Disney 5-K….and now we’re back on with a race, even if it’s a shorter one!

So this Friday morning, at 6:30 a.m., she’ll be starting her race around Epcot…and we’ll be waiting to cheer her on. We’re very excited to be heading back to Disney World again, and even more excited to be able to share this new experience with her.

Of course, I’ll let you all know how it goes, along with the rest of our trip as well. And you can follow along on our Facebook page if you like, as I’ll be sharing some highlights and other pictures along the way.

Look out Walt Disney World: here we come!

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of December 12, 2011

Rachel — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:45:01 +0000

Happy New Year Disney Friends! As we prepare to bid farewell to 2011 and welcome 2012, Rachel is sending out the old year with a great Disney blog round-up this week….some old, some new, all fun! Enjoy!

Here is a great look back at the Disney Parks Blog’s Top 5 news stories for Walt Disney World in 2011, as well as the Top 5 for Disneyland.

The Art of Animation Resort opens in just a few months. Here is a schedule of its opening, as it opens in phases.

A new Disney World app is now available for iPhone and iPad. Disney World Pro is priced at $3.99.

If you worry about how you look in pictures, here are some great tips from Delightfully Disney about staying cute in your trip pics .

There will be new exclusive Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirates League makeovers available aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.

Ever considered Adventures by Disney? You could travel the globe with Disney and see some of the seven wonders of the world as only Disney could show them to you.

Around the holidays and some special events, the crowd levels can be so high that Disney has in place a plan to restrict access to the parks. If you are traveling at a peak time, you may want to keep their plan in mind and plan your days accordingly to make sure you get into the park.

If you or someone you know is getting married, what could be better than a Disney Princess inspired wedding gown? Alfred Angelo has the exclusive designs. (Thanks, Disney Guru for blogging about them!)

If you are already booked or considering booking a Disney Cruise Line trip for December 2012, they have cancelled all Mexican Riviera sailings for that month.

That’s a wrap for this week and this year! Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Planning for Your 2012 Disney Vacation

Nancy — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:45:54 +0000

As we near the end of this year, and look ahead to a brand new, shiny New Year, it’s also the perfect time to start thinking about planning that next Disney vacation. After all, is there any better New Year’s resolution than visiting one of the Disney parks, or maybe finally taking that long-dreamed-about Disney Cruise?

So with that in mind, I thought it was the perfect time to re-run portions of an article that I wrote last spring about taking those first steps towards making your Disney vacation dreams a reality. I hope you find it helpful! Happy New Year…..and happy planning!

I always tell folks that there are 3 basic keys to making an affordable Disney vacation happen: planning, budgeting, and an open mind. With these three things guiding you, you can really take all the aspects of a Disney vacation and change each as needed until you have a vacation you can afford.

In fact, I like to think of it as putting the pieces of a puzzle together to create a beautiful picture. In this case that picture is your dream of a Disney vacation only with this puzzle there is no right way to put those pieces together! The only right way is the one that makes your dream a reality! Saving money on a Disney vacation is about choices and in some instances, trade-offs: if you want or need to spend more in one area, then work to reduce costs in another. Start with making a realistic budget, and then consider the following:

When Are You Going?

It may seem as if this goes without saying, but knowing when you can go has a huge effect on the cost of your vacation: some times of year are simply more expensive than others. Typically holidays and school vacations are the most expensive of all….so if you have any flexibility at all, try to schedule your trip during the cheaper times of year if you can. If you can’t do that, then know that you will be moving other puzzle pieces around this one, in order to make it all work. But no worries, it will all work!

What Disney Deals Are Available?

When people ask me what is the cheapest way to plan their Disney vacation, I always tell them “it depends”. The thing about this Disney vacation puzzle that we’re putting together is, as I have already said, there is more than one way to put the puzzle together.

There are so many factors that go into planning a Disney vacation that you really need to be prepared to do some comparisons. So get out that trusty calculator, and once you have your budget and know when you will be traveling (or at least the general time of year or month) then start with looking at the promotions that Disney offers for that time. Get a quote. Add in one of the Disney Dining Plans if you think it might work for your family, and compare the costs with paying for your food out of pocket. And look at each of the Dining Plans too, because it may be that a different “level” of plan (Quick Service for example) might be more cost effective than another for your family.

Remember the 3 keys: planning, budgeting, and an open mind? This is where that open mind is crucial. You may “think” you know what will be least expensive, but until you actually run all the numbers, you can’t know for certain. And people are surprised about what is actually cheapest for them all the time!

How Will You Get There?

I always recommend trying to make a decision, at least a tentative one, about your transportation as soon as possible. You don’t necessarily have to book your travel, but having a pretty solid idea of how you are going to get to Disney World….and how much it will cost….is important to know at the beginning, preferably before you book your accommodations or package. This way, you can play with the puzzle pieces a bit more, if necessary until you make them fit with your budget.

Another benefit of doing this early: start watching for ways to save money at the beginning. If you are flying, figure out what your likely carriers are and get on their promotional email list, and/or become Facebook or Twitter fans. Many discounts are given out this way that the general public never knows about. Giving yourself enough time on this part will allow you to jump on a promotion when it becomes available.

Don’t Forget the Tickets

Most people who are not getting a package, try to save money on their Disney park tickets, and it is possible to save a little on the actual cost, by using an authorized Disney ticket broker….but it won’t be a huge savings. What may save you more money is having an “open mind” (again!) about the type of ticket that you buy: maybe you save by not getting a Park Hopper, or the Water Parks Fun and More option. Or perhaps you will benefit from a package promotion where “Kids Play Free”, so that you are saving on your ticket costs that way.

This puzzle piece has a little flexibility…but not much. Whatever you do, as we discussed before, never buy tickets from eBay or Craigslist: tickets that have been partially used are non-transferrable, and you can’t be sure that there are really ANY days on the tickets at all until you get to the gate. Which is too late to do anything about it.

And Then There’s Food

This is a puzzle piece that you can move around a LOT, as there are many ways that you can save money on your Disney dining. Dining plan options, bringing food with you, eating off-site, cooking/eating in (a benefit of having a condo or house with a kitchen!) are just a few ways that you can potentially make your trip more affordable.

So as you can see, with planning, that trusty budget and an open mind, you really have all kinds of ways that you can shift and adjust the puzzle pieces of your vacation until you create your Disney dream.

As Walt Disney himself, was fond of saying: “If you can dream it, you can do it!”

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of December 12, 2011

Rachel — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:45:30 +0000

It’s that most wonderful time of the year Disney Friends! While you’re running from one thing to the next, trying to get every Holiday-related task finished…..take a few minutes to enjoy the season! Have fun! Relax! Have some hot cocoa! Read Disney blogs! Thankfully, Rachel has made that last part easy for you…..For the rest, you’re on your own….

Football fans will find this story from Disney Parks Blog interesting. Who better to teach customer service than the masters at Disney?

Heading to Disney over Christmas? You’ll want to check out these tips on surviving the busiest week of the year from Couponing to Disney.

Travelling with small children often requires lots of advanced planning. This printable ride guide from Chip and Co. is quite interesting and will be quite helpful.

Planning your day at Epcot? Check out this great list from Couponing to Disney of the top ten things to at Epcot.

The holidays are a time for sharing and giving. Here’s a great article from WDWFanZone on sharing the holiday magic, Disney style.

If you’re looking for a free, fun activity for the kids over Christmas break, Babes in Disneyland Blog let us know about Disney’s new Create site. It allows you to make your own works of art and share them online with friends and family.

Babes in Disneyland Blog also shared that Disney’s first little girl princess will be coming to Disney Jr. in late 2012. Very cute. My daughter is going to love this!

That’s it for this week everyone. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Holiday frenzy!

Running With Disney: Less Than a Month to Go!

Nancy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:45:28 +0000

So my Disney trip countdown says 23 days! It’s hard to believe that by the time we actually get to Walt Disney World for our January trip, it will have been 367 days since we left…but who’s counting….. It’s been a crazy year for us, with trips planned and cancelled multiple times, but it looks like this one is actually going to happen!

After our last trip that had so many changes, I must say that I have really learned flexibility when it comes to Disney vacation planning. Which is a good thing, because with less than a month to go….and Christmas thrown in there…..I still have quite a few things to do before we leave!

Still, most important things have been done. So here’s where we are so far:

We have a place to stay. In my last post about this trip I mentioned that we were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village….and I am so excited about this I can’t stand it. We stayed in Jambo House a few years ago for 2 nights, and I have always wanted to go back. It is such a serene and beautiful place, that I am really looking forward to having some time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. I know that “relax” and “Disney vacation” are kind of mutually exclusive, but even a couple of hours to explore will be awesome. In fact, I am making that a personal priority.
We know where we are eating. Well, let me rephrase that: I know where/when our ADRs are….and I’m REALLY excited about some of them!

Hacienda de San Angel

Cape May Buffet (Seafood buffet dinner)

Sanaa

Liberty Tree Tavern

Raglan Road

Via Napoli

Now, it is entirely possible that some may change (and I don’t freak out about that nearly as much as I used to lol) due to potential football playoff games that can’t be missed. But I should know that the week before, giving me time to potentially modify so that we can be strategically placed, if necessary, at ESPN Zone at the appointed time.

We have our flights. Southwest came through once again with the best rates for us, and ya gotta love the free checked bags. Plus, now that they participate in the Resort Airline Check In for the return trip home, it is so nice and convenient to check everything in at our resort the morning we leave, and then head to the parks for a half day of playing! I know finding affordable airfare is a challenge for anyone flying, but every time we travel to Disney World, while I always check all available carriers, it is rare that anyone comes in less than Southwest. Once we took Air Tran….but every other time it has been Southwest. If you live near a Southwest hub to take advantage of their great rates, consider yourself fortunate.
I reserved our Disney’s Magical Express. I don’t have our luggage tags yet, but can’t wait because when you see those little yellow tags arrive in the mail, you know it’s close!!

So what still needs to be done? Ahem…..well a few things yet, a couple of which I will do this week.

Since we book using our Disney Vacation Club points, we do not have a package. Which means that I have to call to add our Dining Plan (and pay for it lol) and I have to order tickets. This part I have kind of held off on, because we aren’t totally sure how many days we need yet (see below for more thoughts on this), and I am weighing the possibility of getting an Annual Pass for myself. I plan to make at least one other trip this year….either with family, or possibly to meet some Disney friends….so I know I’ll get my money’s worth out of it. Either way….I need to order our tickets from Undercover Tourist this week!

Now….what do we plan to do and see?

First, our DD is running in the Disney 5K on Friday the 6^th, and while I am not participating, I can’t WAIT to be her cheerleader! It’s been quite the saga whether this was something that she would even be able to do (subject of another blog post!) but now that she is registered, we are all SO excited for her! Just hoping the weather cooperates for her…and those of us watching lol!

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that the Osborne Lights will still be up when we get there: the last night is January 7, so we definitely have this on our agenda one night! When I first booked, they were due to end on January 3, so this extension of a few days made us very happy! I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that the Castle Dream lights will still be up too. (*wishing,wishing,wishing*)

We’re really looking forward to the new Star Tours and I am honestly planning to explore some attractions we haven’t done in a long time…in addition to our favorites. And I have to say that I am hoping my family has LOTS of patience with me as I really want to get lots and lots of pictures.

The one thing that is really still up in the air…and the main reason why I haven’t ordered our tickets….is that we have been having a conversation for months about whether we wanted to visit that *other* Park-That-Must-Not-Be-Named. I have actually never been to Universal although DH and DD did spend one morning at Islands of Adventure…and apparently spent the entire time saying that it “wasn’t Disney”. So none of us have ever wanted to give up a Disney Day to go…..that is, until the Boy Wizard took up residence nearby…. We love Harry Potter, so this has now become a pretty serious discussion: will this be the trip where we finally go? Still not sure yet…but as I said….we need to decide soon!

So…23 days to go until I’m back in my happy place. The days can’t go fast enough!

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of October 31, 2011

Rachel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:30:34 +0000

Greetings Disney Friends! All of us at The Affordable Mouse hope that your November is off to a truly magical start! And speaking of magical…..Rachel has found some interesting articles for you this week from the Disney blog-world. I know you will enjoy them! Thanks Rachel for keeping us updated with Disney news!

Halloween has passed and the holidays are quickly approaching. Planning a holiday visit to Walt Disney World? Check out this list of all of the fantastic events during the season courtesy of Chip and Co.

Going to California instead? Disney Parks Blog provides an overview of holiday events at the DisneyLand resort.

If you are considering a visit to the DisneyLand resort to see those great Holiday events, check this out: New discounts have been released—including a three day park hopper for only $199! (Ed. Note: Contact Nancy for a no-obligation quote to visit Disneyland…the park where Walt’s dream began!)

John Lasseter, the man responsible for many Pixar classics, including the Toy Story trilogy, Finding Nemo, and Cars, received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Important news for anyone who uses FastPass to make the most of their time touring the parks! Rumor has it that FastPass return times will soon be enforced. What do you think of this?

Debating whether stay on property or off during your next vacation? Only Walt Disney World shares six ways staying on property can actually save you money!

Football season is in full swing! Did you know Disney has football merchandise? I saw New Orleans Saints Mickey Mouse shirts at Toys R Us the other day! You can find your favorite team at the Disney parks too!

That’s your Disney news for this week everyone! Relax and enjoy some special time with family and friends this weekend….you deserve it!