Month: April 2022

  • Disney Vacation Planning

    How to Plan the Best Disney World Vacation

    You’ve finally decided to take the plunge and take your family on a trip to Disney World. Now what? Your first trip to Disney can be truly magical, but it’s going to take a little planning to get there.

    The key is, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and it doesn’t have to feel like work. For me, planning our trip is almost as much fun as the trip itself. According to a 2010 study, just planning or anticipating your trip can make you happier than actually taking it.

    My goal in this guide is to help make the planning process as simple, and enjoyable as possible.

    Choose your dates

    The first step to planning your Disney World vacation is to decide when you want to visit. In my opinion, there is no bad time to go to Disney. That being said, it’s important to evaluate the needs of your own family when deciding when to go.

    Are you traveling with children and need to visit during scheduled school breaks? Is your main goal to visit during off-peak crowds? Are you dreaming of experiencing the magic of the holidays at Disney World? These are all things to consider when choosing your travel dates. Overall, the top factors that may influence your travel dates:

    • Crowd levels
    • Holiday
    • Festivals and Special Events
    • Weather

    I highly recommend checking out a crowd calendar to give you some guidance on how busy the parks will be at various times throughout the year. My favorites are here:

    WDW Prep School Crowd Calendar

    Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar

    When choosing your dates you will also want to think about how many days you will want to spend in the parks. I would recommend at least a 3 day, 4 night stay, particularly if this is your first visit.

    Decide where to stay

    One of the questions I get asked the most is, “Should I stay on Disney property?” I have done both, and my answer to this question is: It depends! Like anything else, you should evaluate the needs of your group.

    Many people will tell you that in order to truly experience the magic of Disney you need to stay inside the “Disney bubble”. While I love staying on property, there are also many benefits to staying off-site. The most notable benefit is cost. Read more about choosing to stay onsite vs. offsite here 

    Staying Offsite

    There are some beautiful hotels nearby that are considered “Good neighbor hotels” You can book a good neighbor hotel at a fraction of the cost compared to official Disney Resort hotels. They also offer transportation to the parks, and other perks such as discounted tickets or vacation packages. You can find more information about Good Neighbor hotels here.

    If you are traveling with a large group, a great option could be to rent a large home nearby and split the cost. There are several popular resort communities with restaurants and amenities similar to what you would find on Disney property. When we traveled in October 2021 we stayed at Encore Resort at Reunion and we had a great time! We were within 20 minutes of the parks, our group of 10 had plenty of space to spread out.

    One of the potential downsides of staying off-site can be transportation. You do need to factor in the cost of a rental car, parking, or rideshare services if you are not staying at a resort that offers complimentary transportation to the parks. Many nearby hotels and resorts do offer a shuttle, but the hours and process can sometimes make this a hassle. Just make sure you take transportation into account when making your choice.

    Staying On-Site

    If you are staying on Disney property you will need to choose between over 25 Disney resort hotels. Disney hotels are broken out into three tiers: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. A few things to consider when choosing your resort:

    • Budget: Cost can be one of the biggest factors when choosing a resort.
    • Amenities: What types of amenities are important for your group?
    • Location: How far is the resort from the parks you will visit most?
    • Transportation options: Do you prefer to walk or use a monorail, skyliner, ferry, or bus?
    • Dining options: Is having a table service restaurant
    • Room size: If you have a larger travel party, you may want to choose a resort that offers suites, or rooms that sleep 5.

    Staying on Disney property also has it’s perks. These include:

    • Free transportation to Disney Parks and Disney Springs
    • Early Theme Park Entry each day
    • Extended evening hours for Deluxe resort guests on selected nights
    • The ability to book the Disney Dining Plan when availabile
    • General “Disney Magic” of being on property

    Once you have completed these steps you can book your trip. You will also want to make sure you download the My Disney Experience (MDE) app. This is where you are going to manage your tickets, reservations, dining etc. for your trip.

    Plan your park days

    Now that you know when you are going, and where you are going to stay, it’s time to decide when you will visit each park, and make your park pass reservations.

    At this time, Disney is still requiring park pass reservations to enter each of the parks. It doesn’t seem like this is going away anytime soon, so be sure to check availability and make reservations as soon as possible when planning your trip. There are separate calendars for theme park tickets only, resort guests, and annual pass holders. Be sure to use the correct calendar that applies to you.

    Your crowd calendars are going to come in handy here to choose the days that will be least crowded for each park. My high-level recommendations are:

    Magic Kingdom: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

    Epcot: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday

    Hollywood Studios: Weekdays

    Animal Kingdom: Any day including weekends

    You will also want to decide if you want to visit one of the 2 water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) or spend some time in Disney Springs.

    Personally, water parks are not really my jam. But many people swear by adding a water park day into the mix.

    I highly recommend spending some time in Disney Springs. In addition to great shopping, it has some of the best restaurants on property.

    Determine Transportation

    How will you get to Disney World? Do you need to book flights, or will you drive? If you are flying, how will you get from the airport to your resort? Will you be renting a car? These are all questions you will need to answer, and will affect your budget as you plan.

    Decide on dining options

    This is one of my favorite steps, and one I spend WAY too much time thinking about. There are so many fantastic restaurants on Disney property that it can be really hard to choose.

    Currently you can book dining reservation 60 days prior to your visit. That doesn’t mean you need to know exactly where you will eat every meal during your vacation that far in advance. However, you will want to be sure you have a list of your top choices so you can secure a reservation for those hard to book locations. This includes:

    • Any character dining
    • Ohana
    • California Grill
    • Le Cellier
    • Space 220
    • Victoria & Albert’s
    • Fireworks dining packages

    I try to have all my table services choices made in advance so I can book them as soon as my 60 day window opens. This is not required, but it does put you ahead of the game. You can always cancel or modify your reservations if you change your mind, or if something else pops up.

    What about the Disney Dining Plan?

    The Disney Dining plan is currently unavailable. We will provide a deeper dive once we have an idea of when it will return.

    Create a touring plan

    This is the step that can really put you ahead of the pack, and help you get the most value out of your Disney World vacation. It’s also the step that a lot of people skip.

    Now, if you are one of those spontaneous, free spirit kind of people that feels restricted by plans- hear me out. I’m not saying you need to plan every moment of your trip. In fact, I think it’s really important that you don’t OVER plan. But, if you walk into a park with no idea what you want to do or see, you are going to wind up overwhelmed and disappointed.

    Go into your day knowing that it is not going to go exactly as planned. Someone will have to take an unexpected bathroom break, attractions may close for parts of the day. Someone is going to get cranky. It happens. You absolutely must be flexible when it comes to Disney. But, there are a few things you can think about ahead of time that will set you up for success.

    • What time do you plan to be at the park? Are you planning to be there as soon as the park opens for rope drop? Will you be staying for fireworks? Are you planning to take a mid-day break? This is important information so you can fill in your most popular attractions at the most strategic times so you can avoid long lines.
    • What are your must do attractions? Have each person in the group choose their must-do activites. This should be a total of 5 or less attractions for the day. Set the expectation that anything above and beyond that list is a bonus. I’m not saying that’s all you will be able to do. It just helps to keep stress levels and disappointment to a minimum.
    • Are you planning any sit down meals? Table service meals typically take longer, so you will want to factor that in to your day. If you have dining reservations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, (which I do not recommend) that is going to take a big chunk out of your touring time for the day.
    • Plan time for rest. Whether or not you plan on taking a mid-day break to head back to your resort, you will need to factor in some rest time. This could be as simple as finding a spot in the shade or air conditioning to enjoy a snack and a drink. One of my favorite things to do on our Magic Kingdom days is to hop on a monorail and visit a resort during the hottest and busiest part of the day.

    Conclusion

    It’s no secret that planning a Disney World vacation can require a lot of work. The good news is, with a little planning and preparation, you can have a truly magical experience. Having a basic knowlege of the the steps involved can really help you to beat the overwhelm, and get the most from your money. Who knows, you may even enjoy it!

    I hope you find this guide helpful. Leave me a comment with which step in the planning process is your favorite.

  • Disney Parks

    5 Great Disney Blogs to Follow

    Planning a Disney vacation can be challenging and time-consuming. There are so many factors to consider: where to stay, what parks to visit, what attractions to experience, and where to eat. If you are just getting started planning a trip, there are so many sources of information out there to help you. Unfortunately, not all the information you find is helpful. Some blogs are full of information that is scattered and confusing. Many have information that is out of date. Some have information that is just plain wrong.

    As someone who has been researching Disney pretty extensively for years, I have been able to sift through the blogs I enjoy, and the ones that are not so helpful.

    How do you know where to look for helpful and reliable information? I’m going to share the top 5 Disney blogs for you to follow. By the end of this article, you will know the very best sources to use for all the Disney planning details.

    Ready? Let’s dive in!


    Disney Tourist Blog


    Tom Bricker of Disney Tourist Blog really knows his stuff. He provides very detailed guides and news updates. His posts are very informative, and provide a more detailed analysis of Disney-related topics. If you are new to Disney planning, this blog may be a bit more overwhelming than some of the others suggested here. For those looking for solid and reliable commentary, this one is definitely a good choice.


    WDW Prep School


    Shannon Albert from WDW Prep School offers great comprehensive Disney planning advice and guides. Her content is easy to understand, and can really help with a step by step approach to planning your Disney trip. She also has in depth information about many topics you will need to understand when you are preparing for your vacation. Genie+ can be an especially tricky concept for newbie planners, and Shannon has a great breakdown that is easy to understand. I also really like the crowd calendar they offer.


    Disney Food Blog


    This is my go-to source for all my Disney food related information. They offer restaurant information, menus, and reviews to help you find the best food that Disney has to offer. They also have guides available for purchase for Disney Dining, Disney Snacks, holidays, and EPCOT festivals. There are so many amazing restaurants in Disney, and not everyone enjoys the same thing. This blog really gives solid recommendations to help steer you toward choices that will work best for your group.


    AllEars.net

    One of my favorite places to look for Disney information is AllEars.net. One of the things I love is that they are constantly adding new information, so it’s always up to date. They feature news, reviews, planning tips, etc. for Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line. They pretty much have you covered on all fronts. If you are looking for information on all the available Disney Resorts, they have reviews of those too. I mostly prefer to go to their YouTube channel. Molly’s videos are my favorite. She’s very funny and relatable, so her videos are fun to watch.


    TouringPlans.com

    This blog is brought to you by the creators of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. If you are looking for the best strategies for touring the parks and minimizing wait times, this is a great place to start.

    In addition to the basic information on their site, they also offer a subscription for a low yearly fee that is a great value in my opinion ($17.95/year currently).

    With the subscription you are able to access their crowd calendar, create personalized touring plans, and gain access to their Lines wait times app. The app shows you the wait times posted by Disney and compares them to the “actual” estimated wait times. I have found their information to be pretty accurate, and very helpful in deciding what attractions to head to in real time.

    Another helpful feature that is included with your subscription is the Reservation Finder, which helps you find those hard to secure dining reservations.

    Conclusion

    If you are just getting started on your Disney planning journey, or if you are looking for the experts to help to make your next trip your best one yet, these blogs are a great place to start. You will be sure to get reliable and up to date information with each one of these blogs. These folks are truly the best at what they do.

    What is your favorite Disney planning blog? Leave a comment and let me know.

  • Life

    4 People Who Will Love Dream Wish Plan

    1 . Women who are planning a Disney vacation

    During lockdown in 2020, I was suddenly painfully aware that I was seriously lacking in the hobby department. I was no longer rushing from work to after-school activities and events, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with myself. At first, I thought I would finally tackle all those projects around the house I had been meaning to do. And I did do some of those things. But as time went on I realized that for my mental health I was going to need to find some more activities that made me happy and not just fill up my time. One of the things I rewarded myself with at the end of the day was watching Disney vlogs on YouTube. I was so grateful to have that little chunk of time that felt like sunshine to me. We had been planning a trip in June 2020, which we had to cancel. I threw myself into planning our next trip even though I had no clue when it would be. Keeping up with Disney news became an even bigger hobby than it already had been in my life. I’ve been able to use all this new information to plan some epic vacations. I want to use those skills to help others do the same.

    2. Women who are trying to add some joy and magic to their daily lives

    I’ve already mentioned how I rediscovered my Disney obsession, but what I didn’t tell you is that I live in NY. So, I don’t get to be in Disney as much as I would like (every day). While I’m currently scheming ways to convince my family that a move further south is a good idea, I needed to find some creative ways to sprinkle that Disney magic into my life. I have found some great tips, ideas, and products that really help to add that pixie dust feeling into my routine.

    3. Women who want help with planning, and organizing their home

    My planning skills extend beyond the world of Disney. I will share tips and tricks to help you plan your most magical life, set meaningful goals to increase your happiness, and organize your home to create a place that feels like a breath of fresh air.

    4. Women who are looking for an escape from the drama and insanity

    There are plenty of places on the internet with sensationalized stories designed to instill fear. There are also plenty of people to follow that will make you feel like you are not measuring up. My goal is to create a positive and inspirational space. No fear, no fighting, no shame, and no guilt. Just fun.

    I want to create a place where we can lift each other up. I want this site to be a place where we can share tips, hacks, and positive stories. I want to share some of the things that have helped me live a happier life. So if happiness and fun are things you enjoy, then you are in the right place!

  • Life

    5 Things I Want to Help my Audience With

    The last few years have been a period of change and growth for me. As someone who has lived with anxiety for most of my life, being thrown into an environment of such uncertainty and change was really difficult. Even though there have been so many challenges to tackle, there have also been so many blessings that have come out of this time. I have more time with my kids, more work flexibility, and so much more clarity around what is truly important. I have also gained so much confidence in myself, and my ability to make the best of whatever life throws my way. Thinking about all the things I have learned has inspired me to start this blog. I want to help others live a more happy life. Here are 5 things that I want to help my audience with:

    • Plan a magical Disney World vacation
      One of my biggest passions, and something that has been a bright light for me in even the darkest of days during the pandemic, is my love of all things Disney. It brings me so much job to always be planning a trip to Disney. For me, half the fun is in the planning. For many people, though, it can be super overwhelming. There is so much to consider, and things are constantly changing. I will help you sort through all the information to find those hidden gems so you can maximize your trip and enjoy the process. Whether you are a first-timer, or a full fledged Disney fanatic, I will give my best tips, resources, and planning hacks to help you plan your most magical vacation.
    • Share happiness hacks
      I like to focus on little ways I can bring joy to my daily routine. I will share my most loved tips, products, recipes, and ideas to help you add those magical little details to your everyday life.
    • Help moms with planning, organization, and goal setting
      Mom burnout is real thing, and it’s a serious problem. The demands of motherhood can be so overwhelming. One of the things that has helped me to break the burnout cycle is to set up systems and routines to feel more successful. I have also been working on my goal setting system, and evaluating what lights me up outside of my duties as a mom, wife, and employee. I am a personal development junkie,and I love to learn. I read a TON of books and listen to some really great podcasts that provide great tips to help maximize your time and build a happier, more productive life. I want to share some of those things that I have found helpful, and save you the hundreds of hours of doing your own research.
    • Give great book recommendations
      Did I mention that I love to read? Other than Disney, my biggest hobby is reading. My goal is to read at least 50 books per year, but I usually exceed that goal. In addition to personal development books, I love a good mystery. I also read a lot of young adult fiction. I’ll give you my top book recommendations, and I would love to hear yours as well!
    • Build a supportive and encouraging community
      I believe that we rise by lifting others. I want to create a safe place for moms to share their experiences, and their knowlege with others. I belive we can help each other End the post with a quick recap and conclusion of your thoughts. Don’t stress too much over
      this post, see it as a brainstorming session. Remember, you can always come back and edit,
      remove or add to the post. Your first few posts are for you to practice and become a better

    I am not an expert. I am not perfect. I am a constant work in progress. But I don’t believe you need to be an expert to help others. My goal is just to share my experiences with others. I hope that sharing the things I have learned along the way will help bring even a little more hapiness to others. Thanks for reading. I’m so glad you’re here!