The One Tip

As a veteran Disney traveler and now as a travel agent specializing in Disney Travel, I am asked the following question more often than any other: what is the best tip you can give me for our Disney Vacation.
  

The great thing about this question is it is easy to answer.  Who is going or when they are going, how many people or where they are staying, the answer is the same: Get there early.  When I say early, I mean at “rope drop” – the time when the Cast Members literally drop the rope and let you into the park.

Why, why, why do you want me to get up early on my vacation?  I want to relax on vacation and take it easy.  I understand how you feel.  To my wife’s chagrin, I love to sleep in as much as anyone, perhaps more.   There is one thing, however,  I don’t like more than an early wake-up call while on vacation (even if it’s Mickey making the call) – waiting in lines.  Simply put, an early arrival helps you avoid long lines and get the best value for your time and money while on vacation.  Believe it, this strategy will actually help you relax and give you more time to take it easy.



Arriving at the Magic Kingdom early gives you a chance to see the wonderful opening ceremonies of the park

Let’s face it, most people on vacation want to take it easy, get a little extra sleep, take their time in the morning, watch Stacey on the TV a time or two more before meandering down to the bus stop and deciding which park to go to that day.  That means many arrive after 10:30 AM – simply watch the entrance gates to the park and you can see the steady stream of visitors pick up around 10:30 and remain steady through lunch.   With the general opening time of 9 AM for the parks, that leaves the early birds ninety minutes of low crowds, small lines and relative peace in the parks.

Ninety minutes isn’t that much you say?  Let’s take a look at what you can do in that time frame at the Magic Kingdom.  Not long ago, on an August morning, my son and I arrived for opening at the Magic Kingdom (“rope drop”) and proceeded to complete the following attractions in the first ninety minutes of our visit: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan’s Flight,  It’s a Small World and The Haunted Mansion.  We then grabbed a fast pas sto return after lunch for Splash Mountain before taking a break and deciding where to eat an early lunch.  If you arrive at say, 11 AM, I would estimate that you will not get those attractions in before dinner, much less lunch and will spend most of that time in line. 

A view of a pretty empty Tomorrowland in the morning

Looking at another park such as Epcot – if you want to ride Soarin’ the time to do it is at opening, before the hour plus wait time builds by lunch time.  Yes, you can get a fast pass if you arrive before they are all handed out to ride it later, but why not ride it now and grab a fast pass for later?  The same idea applies to another major headliner, Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I can think of a few more fun things to do with a sixty minute or longer wait than enjoy this well designed cue.

With a good portion of your touring done early, you are now free to meander, shop, take in the little known or over looked attractions or head back to your resort for a swim and/or a nap while everyone else sweats it out (literally in some cases) waiting in line to do what you already have.  When the masses decide enough is enough and start leaving the park about dinner time, you can now return and finish our your touring, relaxed and refreshed form your break.

For most, a Disney vacation is a once in a while, if not a once in a lifetime trip.  It is expensive and can be stressful.    How to pay, when to go, what to do, where to eat, what resort…why add to that stress with the worry of how to fit in all those great things in your relatively short time visiting.   Take some of that stress away and maximize the value of your stay, the value of your time by getting there early .

Yes, you trade off a little sleep and deserved vacation laziness, but you gain so much more in relaxation, time and stress free touring.  I’ll take that trade any day.  How about you, what is your time worth? 

Top 7 Tips - How to Beat the Heat

90, 92, 92, 90.

No, these numbers not my yearly high school GPA.  Although they are an approximation of how old I feel after Taekwondo classes, its not what I am getting at.  They are not the scores my Celtics failed to get to beat the Miami Heat.  They are temperatures, the average high temperatures for June, July August and September at Disney World to be exact, the warmest months of the year.

Combining the warmest months of the year with crowded summer parks can spell a disaster for your Disney World vacation.  This does not need to be the case.  I have visited Disney World several times during August and find that with some planning and a healthy dose of common sense, you can beat the heat at Disney World. 

So, in classic Stacey style (if you have visited Disney World in the last 7 years or so, you know who I speak of) today we will look at my top 7 ways to keep your cool in the Florida heat.

Early June through mid-September feature average highs 90 or above and it is H-U-M-I-D.  Even if you don’t plan on visiting during the summer you should know that 90+ temps are not isolated to those months.  It is not uncommon to see 90 or above in April, May and even October.  We experienced temperatures in the high 90s during our visit to the Food and Wine Festival in mid-October, 2009.

TIP 1: Dress for Success.

Sure I love to wear my black “I’m Surrounded by Idiots” t-shirt at the parks and my new cowboy boots  are kind of cool, but unless I want to feel what it’s like inside an oven at Via Napoli, I know I need to make better choices.  Light colored, lose fighting clothing is the best choice.  Wear comfortable shoes that breathe – you will be walking a bunch, in the heat and a good chance in the rain, remember that when choosing your shoes.

Bad hat Choice

Good Hat Choice

Wear a hat.  Much to Patrick’s (from Soarin’) dismay, those beauties, the classic black Mickey ears, don’t count here.  Neither does the oven for your head that is the Mickey Groom’s hat.  Use some common sense, keep the sun off your dome and try to avoid the darker colors here as well.

Don’t forget the sunscreen.  While it won’t cool you off, it will help prevent that nasty sunburn which is never pleasant in the summer heat.  I never fail in seeing at least a few people each day doing their best Lobster impressions walking through the parks. 

TIP 2: Drinking is encouraged.

Water, that is.  Between the heat and the amount of walking you are doing, you will be losing body fluids quicker than you think.  Make sure you stay hydrated consistently during the day.  Bottled water is sold everywhere in the parks but isn’t cheap ($2.50-$3.00).  Don’t let that stop you from keeping hydrated.  You can bring in your own bottled water or a refillable bottle and there are plenty of drinking fountains available as well. 

There is also free (yes, free) ice water available in the parks - Just stop by a counter service restaurant and ask for a cup of ice water.  If they have it, they will give it to you.  This little known fact is a life saver If you are like me and don’t like to carry around bottles or are not a fan of drinking fountain.

TIP 3: Timing is (almost) everything.

It’s really not very magical to be crowded together with a few hundred of your sweaty new friends and neighbors in an attraction cue when the temperature out is starting to melt plastics.  So, arrive early, at park opening.  You will hear this bit of advice many times when trying to avoid wait times, but it also applies to the heat.  Arriving at park opening allows you to tour the parks efficiently, with lower wait times and crowds before the heat (and population) peaks in the afternoon.  When the crowds start building and the sun starts scorching around lunch time, escape back to your resort.  Relax, take a nap or a swim (or both) and head back to the parks in the evening as the temperatures and crowd levels subside.  You will see just as much (if not more) doing this than by pushing through the afternoon and will also avoid the hottest part of the day. 

TIP 4: AC is your friend.

No, not the guy driving the white Bronco, but Air Conditioning.  When the heat kicks up, head for indoor attractions that are air conditioned.  This is a great time to enjoy inside attractions, shows and movies such as Mickey’s Philharmagic or The Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom, Ellen’s Energy Adventure or the American Adventure at Epcot, Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom or Adventures of the Little Mermaid of Muppet 3D at Disney Studios. 

Grab lunch indoors or take a break to walk through a gift shop or three (I don’t think you will have problems finding them.)  Downtown Disney is great for this with its wide variety of shops and places to eat.  Working these “air cooled” gems into your touring plan makes a long, hot day much easier to survive.

TIP 5: Go Get Wet.

Take a swim at the resort, head to a water park or enjoy a park attraction offering a splash of fun.  Many times, because most people are in the parks during the day, the resort pools are relatively empty mid-day, so take that mid-afternoon break from the parks and take a dip.

The water parks are fun and a great place to cool off, but they are expensive (unless you have them added to your park ticket already) and can get crowded in the summer.  Get there early to grab a “home base” in the shade and make sure you slather on the sun screen.  Grab a ride Splash Mountain for a chance to get a soaking, or hop on Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom for a near guarantee of getting wet during your ride. 

Also in the parks you will find mister stations that can give you a brief (but welcome) source of relief.  At Magic Kingdom, head to Tomorrowland and find the Cool Scanner misters by Star Traders gift shop or find the misting (and more) Tikis in Adventureland.  In Epcot, look for the Cool Wash mister stations in Future World near Test Track or the misters near Ellen’s Energy Adventure.  While at Disney Hollywood Studios, look for the misting Coke bottles near the Backlot Express.  Animal Kingdom has misters located here and there with the largest ones residing near Tamu Tamu refreshments.

Additionally, look for the fountains in Asia at Animal Kingdom, the spitting Camels at Alladin’s Magic Carpets in the Magic Kingdom, the Singing in The Rain Gene Kelly statue in the Studios and the sidewalk fountains at Epcot for a quick splash of refreshment.

TIP 6: Cool Treats.

You know I have to work food into this somewhere, and Disney World has plenty of great cool treats to help you beat the heat.  From the classic Mickey Bar to a Grand Marnier Slush (aka “adult slushy”) in Epcot, an ice cream on Main Street to classic lemonade, you can cool off just about anywhere in the parks.

Ice cream novelty carts (where you will find the Mickey Bar and if you are lucky, the completely under-rated frozen banana) are usually only a few steps away and you can find a frozen coke fairly easily too.  If you want my personal favorite cool treat, head to Aloha Isle in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom for a Dole Whip.  This wonderful concoction is a soft serve pineapple sorbet that can be served as is or as a float with pineapple juice (they also have orange and vanilla available If you wish, but the pineapple is the best, trust me).  Its cold, tasty, refreshing and cost less than $5, no matter what your choice.

Another top pick for a sweet treat to cool down is Club Cool at Epcot.  Club Cool and, its predecessor Ice Station Cool, offer free samples of sodas from around the world in an air conditioned Coca-Cola gift shop.  The sodas are self-service and spending 10 minutes trying the different flavors in the cool air really can recharge your batteries on a hot August day.  Don’t forget to try the Beverly from Italy!

TIP 7: Mother Nature

Lastly, don’t forget about Mother Nature for to remedy the heat as well.  Along with being the warmest months of the year, June July, August and September are also the rainiest months of year with each month averaging over 6 inches of rainfall, August at 7.3 inches.  Almost like clockwork, there is a mid-afternoon thundershower nearly each afternoon in the summer.  Take advantage of this to throw some rain gear on (or not if you don’t mind wet shorts) and keep touring.  It will be cooler and the crowds nearly instantly thin out.

There are many shady spots under trees than can give you a break from the sun and don’t forget, when that sun does set, Disney Parks stay open, especially with longer summer park hours.  Head out under the moonlight and enjoy the cooler temperatures.

As you can see there is no reason to avoid traveling to Disney in the summer months.  While most of the summer is quite busy, starting in Mid-August, crowd levels drop off significantly making a late august-September visit quite enjoyable.  Just remember to be smart about the heat and sun, pace yourself and enjoy.

What are some of your favorite tips for visiting in the summer heat?

Rainy Days at Disney (Never) Get Me Down

OK, maybe it’s not quite Karen Carpenter-esq, but it’s the truth for me and it should be for you.  If it starts to rain at Disney, the day is far from lost.  In fact, you might be able to do more.  Sounds strange, so let me explain.

It is the rarest of occasions for Disney to shut down a theme park due to weather (think hurricane), so rain, thunderstorms, etc. do not close the turnstiles.  Some outdoor attractions may temporarily close until the weather passes, but most stay open. 

While the turnstiles stay open to allow guests in during the rain, they really get a workout letting guests out.  Many quests run for the exits when the rain starts, either unwilling to get a little wet, not wanting to look unfashionable in a rain poncho or figuring the attractions will close down.  When this happens, my advice to you is don your disposable poncho (more on that below), stay in the park and enjoy the low wait times.  You will be able to accomplish more, see more in less time or accomplish what you want at a more leisurely pace.  Either way, you win.

Arrive in Florida Prepared.  Before leaving on your vacation, stop into your local dollar store and pick up some “disposable rain ponchos.”  They are usually sold in packs of two and while you could certainly try and fold them up after the rain dissipates and reuse them later, at fifty cents each, it’s not really worth time or effort (those suckers are hold to fold!)  When the rain stops, just dispose of the poncho and keep on enjoying the park.  I usually pack one per person per day of the trip and always have plenty.

Keep an eye on the forecast each day.  If rain is predicted for most of the day, you may want to bring an extra poncho as well as some dry socks and a hand towel in your backpack.  Wear shoes that dry quickly in and plan a lunch time visit back to the resort to change shoes. 

In the summer months (June into September), you can bet on a thundershower each afternoon, usually between 2 and 4 PM.  The rain usually doesn’t last long but can be heavy at times; driving many unprepared guests from the parks and temporarily closing some outdoor attractions (think Dumbo or Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom).  Take this time to enjoy the many indoor attractions at the parks – more than once I have ducked in to enjoy the Carousel of Progress during a downpour and exited the attraction to find the Florida sun shining down again.    Tommorowland in the Magic Kingdom has a great selection of indoor attractions all within a close walk of each other.  Ellen’s Energy Adventure and Innoventions are great choices at Epcot as are the Animator’s Studio and Beauty and the Beast at Hollywood Studios and Dinosaur or It’s Tough to Be a Bug 3D at Animal Kingdom,

Outside of enjoying the lower wait times, what else can you do during the famous (or is it infamous, you know, more than famous) Florida rain?

Shop.   Face it, you are at Disney and gifts shops are more common than suburban Starbucks.  This is a great time to duck in, dry off and see how the Mouse can adequately separate you from your wallet.  Plus, if you forgot your handy dandy dollar store poncho, displays of ponchos will magically appear as the rain stops.  (Unfortunately, this magic appearance comes at a price a few steps above $1.)

Eat.  Grab a snack or a drink at one the counter service restaurants.  If you are anywhere but the Magic Kingdom, enjoy a cocktail while watching the rain fall – the Rose and Crown at Epcot, the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom or 50’s Prime Time at the Studios are great choices.  A hidden gem during the rain is the Writer’s Shop at the Studios, great place to grab a coffee or latte and a carrot cake cookie and relax while the animals line up two by two outside.

You can also visit the arcade in Tomorrowland or many of the stage shows, or simply be a kid and jump in the puddles.  The key is the rain doesn’t need to stop your vacation, or even slow it down. 

What are your favorite in the rain activities at Disney? 

Welcome to Disney Travel Dude

The title pretty much sums up what this blog will be about…traveling and Disney World and mostly traveling to Disney World.  As a veteran of Disney travel, I decided to write about my experiences at Disney and traveling in general with the hopes of maybe informing, helping or possibly even entertaining a few readers.

First, let me share a little bit about my travel experience to Disney World.  Like many, my first visit to Disney World came on a family trip, mine would be in 1983.  We were fortunate enough to travel to Disney again as a family two years later.  My next visit would not be until 2001 when I decided to take my then five year old son for what I thought would be a one-time visit. 

Ten years later, I know count over twenty visits to “the world”, staying at several of the resorts (both on and off site) and eaten at many of the Disney restaurants (might be my favorite activity).  I met my wife at Disney, got engaged in front of Cinderella’s Castle just before wishes and honeymooned at Disney World.  My wife and I are Disney Vacation Club owners and annual pass holders since 2006.  I guess you can say the Disney bug bit me in 2001 and I have had the infection ever since. 

I have experience traveling with young children (my youngest son John made his first visit last summer at 6 months old), teenagers, family gatherings, grown up trips, romantic trips and even solo trips.  Having visited Disney world in every season, I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the festivals and special events and have a good feel of when to go and when not to head to the parks.

Common Sense and Disney World travel don’t often collide in the same sentence.  However, I think if you apply some to a Disney Vacation you will find it to be much more enjoyable and much more affordable than you first believed.  Hopefully, as I add posts to this blog, this common sense approach to travel will demonstrate this.

I enjoy to write and wanted to write on a topic I have both knowledge about and a passion for.  More than that, I enjoy helping people.  As more and more friends have turned to me for advice on planning a trip to Disney, I thought blogging some information now and then might help more people.  If anyone reading has any specific questions, I am always glad to try and answer, just contact me.

Sharing some experience, knowledge and hopefully helping out along the way.  That is what I hope to accomplish here.  Thanks for reading.