Mouse Travel Tips

Have you been counted yet? For all of those Neurotic Disney individual there is a website for you at The Disney Driven Life . Recently Rachel and I were chose for the month of July as the Neurotic Disney Person for our website. We were very honored to be chosen. Here is the link of a very nice article that JL Knopp (NDM #1) wrote about our family and the website. Thank you again Disney Driven Life for selecting us.

One of my all time favorite parades is the Main Street Electrical Parade.  Nostalgia is probably the main reason why I enjoy the parade so much. I remember watching it as a child when we had visited Disneyland, listening to the music and watching the parade coming down Main Street.

When I was in college I did a language internship in Belgium and the family that I was living with took me to Disneyland Paris (Euro Disney at the time).  We had a great spot on Main Street to watch the parade going down the street. It brought back fond memories from when I was a child seeing it at Disneyland. It was a perfect way to end the day.

We started to go to Walt Disney World they no longer had the Main Street Electrical Parade, but replaced it with SpectroMagic parade. It is a very nice parade and I enjoyed it but the clowns do scare me a little.  The only problem is that it is no Main Street Electrical Parade. Now normally they still had the parade at Disney California Adventure, but when we had gone to DCA it was not being done.  In fact our last trip in April I was really excited to see it, but later found out that it was being moved to Walt Disney World for the Summer Nightastic.

Well with that announcement and a strong desire to see Star Wars Weekend (yes I am a big Star Wars Fan, but that was discussed in a previous blog) I was convinced to book a small trip to WDW.  We had decided that Rachel and Becca would go to Flower and Garden (always a great time to visit), and Josh and I would go in June to Star Wars Weekend & to see Summer Nightastic.

Now Josh is not a big fan of the firework show so we were able to watch parts of it from our balcony as we had stayed at the Bay Lake Tower.  It was nice to watch and was very neat.   However, that was not why we came.  We did have to line up pretty early to get a good spot for the parade and it was hard for Josh, but we did have the popcorn, games, and small toy they sold right before the parade but we made it to the start.

When they turn down the lights and the music started everyone started to clap to the beat of the synthesized Baroque Hoedown.  You could feel the energy of the people gathered there to watch it.  Josh was mesmerized by the experience of the parade, the music, the lights, the characters, and the floats.  It was everything I remembered and more as they had added some additional floats and changed the music a bit.

Now I am not one that gets to attached to an attraction or a show at the Disney Parks. I feel that if they need to change it, go and do it because for the most part they make it better.  However, with the Main Street Electrical Parade I wished that it were still there and not the SpectroMagic Parade.  For now I was glad that they brought it back for the summer and it allowed me share a bit of my childhood with my son.

Ray

In Episode 17 of Mouse Travel Tips we talked about dining at Le Cellier restaurant in the Canada pavilion at Epcot, and especially about how hard it is to get reservation.  We suggested making your Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) about 180 days out.  If you are new to the concept of Advance Dining Reservations you are probably thinking, “What is an ADR and how does it work?”  Disney will allow you to make ADR’s 180 days out from the day you want your reservation.  If you are staying on property you can make reservations 180 plus 10 days from the day you check in to your resort.  That makes it so you don’t have to call everyday to add another ADR for the next day of your trip (another perk to staying on property).

If you are like me you are thinking “Man – 6 months out to know where you want to eat.  I don’t know what I want to eat for dinner tonight!”  Also “How do I know where to eat when I don’t know what park I will be in?”  You will have to start making plans and think about what parks you want to go on what days, but that is another conversation.  Once you figure out what the parks and days, they you can look at the restaurants in the park.  As we have mentioned before there are some great websites that offers a list of the restaurants and their menu’s.  That should give you an idea of where you want to eat.

Well let’s say you have your list of where you want to eat.  Where do you go from there?  On the 180^th day you would start to make your reservations.  You have two options now.   First you can call (409) WDW-Dine (939-3463) and speak with a cast member to make your ADR.  The second option is that you can make your ADR’s online at the Walt Disney World website: www.waltdisneyworld.com, then go to the dining section.  There are pro’s and con’s to each reservation method.  The earliest you can make you make a call to WDW is 7 a.m. Eastern, while on the website you may be able to log on earlier to make the reservation.  If you speak with a cast member they can help you if you have problems and they can tell what is open, or make suggestions for alternate dining venues.  The website does offer you alternatives if your desired restaurant is not available but the suggestion is only for the requested date and time.  If you book through the website then you don’t have to wait on hold.  It also comes down to which method makes you more comfortable when making your dining reservation.

Now you may be asking if you really want to get up early to make those coveted ADR’s.  Well if you want to get that reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table for breakfast or that hard to get Le Cellier reservation it is a good idea to make it as soon as possible, especially if you are going during a busy time.  I remember talking to our pediatrician one day when she was up at 6am Central to make her ADRS for Cinderella’s Royal Table – the things we do for the love of our children!

Here are some other tips that have worked for us when we make our ADR’s.  First is to be flexible and sometimes we have to be very flexible.  We may not get the time we want, but the restaurant may be open at other times that day or on other days during our trip.  So if we really want to eat at that restaurant, we can change around our itinerary and the order we visit the parks.  If you are on the phone with a cast member, and your selected time isn’t available, be sure to ask them to help see if there is an opening during your trip.  It may not be your preferred time, but it could work.   Second, be persistent in checking to see if there is a opening.  People make ADR’s all the time and cancel.  They figure as they get close to the trip they may not want to eat there after all since they did make the reservation 180 days out.  Plans change – so keep checking online or by calling the dining reservations number.  Also, if you are at the park you can even walk up and check.   You never know when you might get lucky – we were able to walk up to a character meal at Disney’s Hollywood Studios just by asking – after all, the worst they can do is say “no availability – sorry!”  So it never hurts to ask when you are at the parks.  My third tip is to have back up plans for restaurants in case you are not able to get into your preferred dining spot.  There are many different restaurants available and they are all pretty good and offer a good dining experience.  Who knows – you may just find a new one that you really enjoy!

I once visited Walt Disney World with a group of 12 people (our big family trip) and my family members chose not to make any dinning reservations for table service meals.  They opted to just do counter service restaurants.  Well, one day they decided they wanted to do a character meal.  Now – this was in June (peak season) and we had a very large group that wanted to eat at a character meal.  I called WDW-Dine the night before and just asked what was available.  It turned out that the O’Hana Breakfast Character meal had an opening and so we enjoyed breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, and Lilo by just being flexible – and by having a little bit of luck.

Just remember if you don’t get the ADR that you want it does not mean your trip is ruined and that will never be as fun as it could have been.  It just gives you an opportunity try to something new or visit another favorite place.

In 1984 Louisiana hosted the World’s Fair in New Orleans.  At the time we lived in Lafayette, which was a couple of hours away. Being so close we could not miss the opportunity to go, so we loaded up the station wagon and headed off to New Orleans. It was nice to get a chance to go and see the different exhibits from the various countries.  The one that I remembered the most was the China exhibit.  However, I also remember that all of the exhibits were in former warehouse buildings that had been redone for the fair.

Now it just so happened that the previous year we also had a chance to visit EPCOT and to go to their World Showcase.  It was a stark contrast to the World’s Fair in New Orleans.  At World Showcase, they also had many different countries, but instead of warehouses you walked into living replicas of those countries.  I thought it was the neatest thing to walk into a Mayan pyramid and be at small market in Mexico.  I enjoyed walking through the fairy tale Germany Pavilion and buying candy from Germany in the stores.

Since that time additional counties have been added to the Showcase.  When EPCOT was constructed there were mixed opinions on what it was meant to be. Some wanted a place that showed the future of tomorrow, while there were those that wanted to show the many different cultures of the world.  They eventually combined them both and came up with EPCOT.

World Showcase offers many guests a chance to experience a foreign culture without having to leave the United States.  During my lifetime, I have had an opportunity to visit other countries.  However, I am sure that as much as I would like to, I will not be able to visit China.  It’s not very likely that I will be able eat in a Norwegian bakery or get a chance to shop in a Japanese retail store.  How often do we even get a chance to talk to someone that lives in those countries and to hear their native language?

From our visits to EPCOT we have come to the realization that to really experience the World Showcase you cannot do it all in one day.  You really need to take your time and look around.  You will not realize what they have to offer if you run from country to country. China has a great exhibit on the Terra Cotta Warriors and I know I will not have an opportunity to see them in person. It is fun to be able to watch the street performers from Italy, France, and many other countries.  You have a chance to watch Miyuki (the Candy Lady) in the Japanese Pavilion create candy sculptures of animals – a dying art in her native Japan.  There are so many hidden treasures in EPCOT that you cannot see them all in one day.

Some of our best tips are first explore the pavilions and see what they offer.  Some have historical exhibits while some focus more on their culture.  There are also the stores and while one country may not have what you like there is sure to be one that does.  Our second tip is to talk to the Cast Members from each country.  It is always nice to talk to them about their country and their experiences here in the United States.  If you have children in your party take them to the KidCot Fun stations in the pavilions.  There they will have an opportunity to speak to a cast member and also have something from that native language written on their keepsake mask.

World Showcase may not offer thrill rides, but it does have many hidden treasures and opportunities that cannot be found in the other parks.  Become the international world traveler just by spending time in this small span of World Showcase lagoon.

The Disney Dining Plan is an option that many people love, but on the flip side there are many that just don’t want it.  Now of course when it is free there is really no hard decision as to whether to get it or not.  That is a real no brainer.  There are those that like the DDP because they feel that it makes it easier to know how much food money to budget for, and when it is part of a package it is all paid for when the last payment is done.  On the other side, people feel that they can save more money if they don’t purchase it and just find their own dining options on or off property.  They feel that the plan is not that great of a deal for them.  The truth of the matter is that it really depends on what you want to is best for you.  It is one of those things where you have to do your research and decide for yourself.

In episode 15 we talked about the many different Disney Dining Plan options.  We have gone to Disney both with and without the dining plan.  For myself, I have no preferences. It is true we have saved money without the plan because we didn’t do that many table service meals and we were able to get discounts via Table in Wonderland (a discount card for annual passholders which must be purchased separately).  We also shared meals that helped cut down on the cost of food, except for desserts because I don’t like to share those!

However there have also been several times when we decided to purchase the Disney Dining Plan.  We purchased it on one trip where just Rachel and I went to Walt Disney World (yes we were bad and took a trip without the kids, which I am sure we will have to pay for when our kids need counseling later).  We were able to go to many different table services restaurants.  It was nice because we didn’t have to worry about how much it was going to cost.  We would just look at the menu and decided what we wanted to eat.  There was also no sharing except to taste what the other person had.  Sure we might have saved a little more money eating at different venues (liked counter service), but it was our anniversary trip, and being able to indulge in really nice meals was a nice and convenient for us on that trip.

It is just one of those decisions that you have to look at and decide for yourself.  There will be many trips that we would add it to our package but on the flip side we won’t because we don’t plan on eating that much (and it is quite a lot of food, something else to think about).  What do you do?

by Ray

There are many different events that are held at Walt Disney World.  They have the Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween, Food and Wine, Flower and Garden, and more.  But in mid May to mid June they hold my favorite event, Star Wars Weekend.  Now it may come as a surprise to some of you, but I am a big Star Wars fan.  Yes, I am sure some of you are shocked.  I was a young child when Star Wars: New Hope was released.  My family all went to the theater and saw the movie (back then it was a big deal to go to the movie).  Now it captivated the public back in 1977 and continues to do so now.

You are thinking to yourself, why of course you love Star Wars Weekend being the fan you are, but why should I go if I am not a hardcore fan.  Well the event is for all types of Star Wars fans.  In fact I would say the only people who shouldn’t go are those that didn’t like the series (hard to believe there those that didn’t but they are there).  The events there are at all different levels of fandom.  It is great that they have the celebrities attending where guest have a chance to meet them.  At a normal sci-fi convention (I may have attended one or two, but I have never worn a Star Wars costume), they have the same guests that you could meet at Star Wars Weekend.  However, you would have to pay the convention extra to meet them and to have an autograph or have a picture taken with them you would have to pay the celebrity.

Well maybe you don’t care to meet Jeremy Bulloch (original Boba Fett) or Peter Meyhew (Chewbacca).  There are still the characters that you can meet.  Who doesn’t want to meet the Dark Lord of the Sith – Darth Vader.  You might even be able to give him some advice on a better breathing apparatus?  You can measure yourself up to Chewbacca and see how tall you are or to an Ewok to make yourself feel tall.  There are over 50 characters there.  You might even get a chance to meet the true hero of all of the films – R2-D2.  Mickey and his gang even get into the act by wearing their favorite Star Wars Costume.

As we discussed in episode 14 of Mouse Travel Tips, there many activities that guests can attend during the event.  Several years ago, my family and I went to Disney (including my mother, 2 sisters, 1 brother, my 2 kids, many nieces and nephews, and myself).  There were all types of Star Wars fans there that weekend.  My family all enjoyed the event and felt it was a highlight of the trip.  One moment of panic came when my 2 year old daughter got out of her stroller while her aunt was suppose to be watching her.  It turned out she had gotten out and walked over to Chewbacca to get her picture taken with him.  So even the youngest fan can have a ball there – but please keep an eye on them, as well as having your camera ready for those cute photo opps with your run-away children.

We recently had Pam Forrester from the Magic for Less Disney Travel Agent on the Mouse Travel Tips Podcast.  The discussion between Rachel and Pam was very informative and helpful.  We have been to Disney many different times and before we were DVC members we had only used a Travel Agent twice.  Because Rachel works for a travel company we were usuall able to receive a discount on resorts at Walt Disney World and it was not necessary to use a Disney Specialist.

Since we are type A personalities, we enjoy looking into all the options and activities available at the Disney resorts.  However, there is always way too much information to be able to digest it all for a first trip to Disney.  We gradually learned more as we went – but using a Travel Agent helps guests get over that initial learning curve, because they already know the options and best tips for planning a great trip to Disney.

Three years ago, my family and I decided to plan a trip to Walt Disney World for a group of 11 people.  Rachel was not able to come with us, so the travel agent rate was not available.  We were members of AAA, and so we went with them for booking the trip.  Again being the overzealous planner that I am, I knew where we wanted to stay and figured out how much it would cost.  Now we did receive a discount on package and other perks, but we really did not come away with the feeling like we had received a great deal.

Rachel and I decided the following year to go to the Disneyland Resort in California.  We again went to our local AAA travel agent to book the trip.  We again received a discount on the package and another perk that was exclusive to AAA.  It was nice to stay on the property, but again we were not too excited about the deal.

We later became Disney Vacation Members and so using a travel agent was not really necessary for us as we would just need to call DVC member service and we could reserve our room and then buy our tickets.

However, hindsight has let me know that there were other options available for those trips initial trips booked through our travel agent.  We never thought about using an online Disney Travel agency because we didn’t know they were available and that they were “Disney Experts” that could help you plan your trip.  One thing that really was disappointing was when I asked our local travel agent if we could take advantage of a new Disney promotion after we had booked our trip.  We were told, “No”.  Once we make a payment we were locked into that deal. Not knowing any better we accepted that.  Now, after listening to Pam describe always looking for deals for her guests, we know better – and we wanted to share that information with you to help you save money and get the most out of your Disney booking.

Now that we are a little bit more wiser and more informed, if there is a time where we may need a travel agent for our Disney trip I believe we will be more inclined to us a Disney Travel Agent Specialist.  I had learned many new things from the podcast and new options that are available to us and to others.  We hope that you will also be able to take advantage of this information and the tips Pam shared to save money on your next Disney vacation!

By Ray

Several years ago we decided we were going to Walt Disney World as a family.  This was my second trip to Walt Disney World, but the first time I was there we only visited the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.  So this second trip really was like a first trip in many ways, because so much had changed when Disney added two additional parks, the resorts, and Downtown Disney.  I was amazed with everything that Walt Disney World had to offer, and I wanted to do as much as possible.

When we got to the “World” we went into “Park Commando Mode” – determined to see and do everything.  We even had created a schedule, laughingly referred to now as the “Clipboard of Fun”.  We had a plan of what we wanted to see and do, and a schedule that would tire out even the most enthusiastic Disney fanatic.  Now with our son and his autism, we had to do a lot of planning, especially since most of the parks were new for all of us.  However, I am also very much a type “A” personality, and when it comes to vacation “relaxation” is not a word that I often use.  My wife has sometimes jokingly mentioned that that it wasn’t a vacation, but a “death march”. Now don’t get us wrong, we had a great time and had fun on our vacation, but it was a superficial visit.  We did many things, but we really didn’t see and experience the parks the way that Walt and the Disney Imagineers envisioned we would.

When we got back we started to watch all the travel shows on Disney parks, and we soon discovered some of the things that we had missed. I also started reading some of the books on Disney Parks and its history and engineering/Imagineering.  It became fascinating to me to see and read about all of the details that were put into the parks – from the attractions, to the shops and the resort hotels.  I enjoyed reading the trivia on how Disney did special effects to create the magic that so many people experience there.  Even the corporate culture of Disney’s Park was an area that I started to enjoy reading about.

Now with this information, I realized that I missed out on a lot of the Disney magic when we focused on running from attraction to attraction. Sure  - ridings all of the rides was a lot of fun. I loved getting on the boat and riding around Jungle Cruise, but I missed the details in the attractions like the name of the missing people on the black board in the queue.

As I walked through Main Street I saw the names on the store windows, but never knew that they were actual people that played an important part in the creation of the park.  I missed little hidden Mickey’s that Imagineers hid throughout the park, but now I spend time looking for them armed with our camera and a Hidden Mickey book.

We still have the “Clipboard of fun”, but we realize that we are not going to do it all in a single trip, and we don’t have to.  We do the attractions we want to, but we also realize that attraction starts when we enter the line. We take time to look at the park and try to find things that we missed, like the telephone booth in Tomorrowland by Aunt Gravity’s Galactic Goodies.  I can’t call home on it, but I sure do get a funny result when I dial the numbers.

One of my treasured memories was when my daughter and I sat down and shared a premium ice cream bar while the rest of my family went on Star Tours because my daughter was too short.

This is why we say our best travel tip is to plan to see what’s important to you, and realize you will not be able to do it all (Mouse Travel Tip Episode 1).  That way when you go you will have time look around and enjoy the magic that is in the park.  It also gives you a good excuse to come back to the park and try something new. For those that take their time to notice the magic, what have you noticed?  Share it with us.

By Ray Pilgrim

The DVC Life is a blog written by Katie Siloac at www.thedvclife.com. She blogs about different Disney Parks subjects, but focus mainly on the Disney Vacation Club. She was nice in allowing Ray a chance to write on how the DVC is nice for families.

Take a moment to check out the post and also the website.

Ray and I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who has subscribed to the podcast for support us in this new endeavor.  We also appreciate everyone who has taken the time to post comments on our website and add their reviews to iTunes and other subscription services.

We are so excited about this podcast, and sharing our love of Disney with all of you.  And we really look forward interacting with you on the website.

Thanks again!

Rachel and Ray