New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
By Jocelyn Martins
Planning a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort can be a bit overwhelming. With more than 40 square miles, 25+ resort options, four major theme parks, two water parks, approximately 120 dining locations, and Disney Springs, it’s no wonder why even a seasoned guest can need some guidance. I’ve put together ten tips to consider when planning your own magical vacation.
1. Determining when to go. One of the first things you should determine when planning a Walt Disney World vacation is when the best time to go is. And the best time for you, may not be the same best time as when your sister can go, or when your co-worker went. There are several factors to consider and you’ll need to decide what your priority is.
a. Does your/your spouse’s employment limit your travel dates?
b. Can your children be absent during the school year?
c. Do you want to travel only when you can get a promotion such as free dining?
d. Do you want to visit as a less crowded (there are no longer any “not crowded” dates)?
e. Do you want to visit during a month that both water parks are open? (one gets refurbished for 3 months at a time in the Winter)
f. Do you mind the heat?
g. Do you want to travel during an event such as Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival or International Food & Wine Festival? Or a runDisney race weekend? Or be there for a holiday or special celebrations?
As you can see, you really have to answer the questions above in order to figure out what’s the best time to go for you and your family. If your children are in high school and can only travel during school breaks, then school breaks are the best time for you to go. A Travel Agent can work with you to determine the less expensive or less crowded dates. Keep in mind that other than the summer months, school breaks during the year vary by region and sometimes even state so if traveling from the Northeast, our breaks do not fall during those of other parts of the country. Bonus tip: Plan in advance so you can take advantage of perks for onsite guests like booking dining reservations for your stay up to 10 days, 180 days in advance instead of one day at a time and booking FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance instead of 30.
2. Select a resort or resort category. Choosing a resort is probably the second most difficult choice you’ll make after deciding when to vacation. But don’t worry, Walt Disney World has a resort for everyone. It’s all about priorities. Value resorts are the least expensive and have larger-than-life type theming that kids love. Dining is available in food courts and pools are large, as are the resort properties. When staying at a moderate resort, you’ll be taking a bus to all of the parks like you do at a value resort, but the pools have water slides, the resorts have queen beds (versus double), and there are table-service restaurants in the resorts. The deluxe resorts and deluxe villa resorts have the most amenities, yet are the most expensive of the categories. But you pay for convenience among many other things. From most of the deluxe resorts, you can get to at least one (sometimes two) of the theme parks by walking, monorail, or boat. While many guests think they just want “a place to sleep and shower,” others find their resort stay plays a major role in their overall vacation experience. We spend a lot of time at our resort, as well as others, and find the atmosphere, the scent (yes!), and the views of many are what draw us in – not just the beds and shower space! If you know you’ll be out of your room and away from your resort except to sleep, then paying for amenities doesn’t make sense.
3. Stick to your routine. Maintaining a routine is key to an enjoying your Walt Disney World vacation. This is especially important when traveling with children, but holds true for adults too. Vacations tend to mess with our daily routine, and that’s not a lot of fun. We stay up later, we eat more junk (okay, I’m speaking for myself), we may not stop and rest because “we paid a lot for this vacation.” But when you are planning your trip and building your itinerary, I guarantee you that the closer you stick to your normal “routine,” the happier you will be. Plan to eat around the same time you do at home, if your children nap at home – nap them on vacation whether it’s back in the room or a quick stroller nap. Schedule parts of your day similar to how you would at home. Bonus tip: the average guests walks 11 miles each day while in Walt Disney World. Get out and start walking before you go so your legs are ready.
4. Know what you’re getting yourself into. Gone are the days that you can book a Disney vacation and show up and decide what to do. There are windows for booking dining (6 months in advance) and FastPass+ reservations (what are those you ask?). A common misconception is that you have to plan every minute of your vacation in advance and that’s really not true. You’ll want to envision the kind of vacation you want to have and determine what pace you want to go at, and then make some appropriate decisions. Yes, you can show up and wing your dining options, but you’re likely not going to eat at many table service restaurants, especially in the parks, and you’re going to spend way more time than the next person in line waiting to experience an attraction. There is such an overwhelming amount of information available about trip planning that you may want to tune it all out. I truly think that if you have the right resource, whether it be a travel agent, a website, a blog, and focus on the information relevant to your experience and your travel dates, you’ll be so much better off for it. You’ll be able to make informed decisions when you find yourself in a park that’s crowded, or know what to do if it rains, know where to eat even if you don’t have reservations. You’ll have a basic understanding of the transportation system. You won’t lose time and won’t get frustrated because you spent some time understanding your destination.
5. Invest in a park hopper. A park hopper is a type of ticket that allows you to “hop” from one park to another. A base ticket allows you entry to only one theme park per day (yes you can leave an re-enter). However, with a park hopper, you can start at one park and end in another. Or maybe even squeeze one in the middle! The park hopper is really worth the price to gain the flexibility. You can take advantage of extra magic hours in both the morning and evening on the same day or eat at one park and play at another! If the crowds are getting to you, you can leave and head to another park. I honestly feel like I’d be claustrophobic visiting without this option!
6. Visit the water parks. Walt Disney World is home to two amazing water parks – Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. They both have unique theming and some fantastic attractions. They both have options for toddlers and younger children as well as family rides. If you’ve never visited the water parks, you really need to schedule a day at one or both! A day in the water parks pairs up really nicely with an evening at Disney Springs!
7. Bring some things from home. That sounds obvious right? After all, you’re going to pack! There are some items however, that you may not think of packing. For your resort room, a night light, a white noise machine, a power strip (have you counted how many devices you need to charge lately?), and a liquid hand soap (they only supply bars of soap which are super slippery aka messy for children) are musts for us. You’ll want to bring any loveys your children have of course. You can also bring food and drinks into the parks (no glass or alcohol) so if you or your children have any favorites, bring them along! And ziplocs- lots of ziplocs. They’ll come in handy for so many things – carry a wet wash cloth to clean up, pack a dry change of clothes for your child(ren), pack away wet clothes, separate snacks, hold stickers, keep charging cords together – the list never ends.
8. Pack comfortable shoes, including sneakers. You read above where I mention you walk on average 11 miles/day. Even people without any foot issues will find their feet tired and cranky after a day like that. Make sure you break in any shoes you are going to wear and bring more than one option. This is truly a situation where function outweighs fashion. 😉 You’ll want a backup option too once whatever you have on your feet are soaked thanks to one of central Florida’s flash thunderstorms or you just get what’s called a “hot spot.” Band-Aids and moleskin come in super handy too!
9. Group planning. Many families and groups of friends travel to Walt Disney World together for celebrations, reunions, and gatherings of all sorts. Traveling with a group is hard, no matter how much you love those you’re traveling with. Some ways to make this easier – schedule some group planning sessions before each date you have to act (booking reservation, dining, FastPass+). Agree to disagree. You won’t all want the same exact thing every day. Respect that and schedule in time that you all do your own thing or break off into smaller groups and meet back up for dinner – no hard feelings. For those who resist the planning process and don’t want to give input, explain to them before you go, they’ve had their chance. They are usually the ones with the loudest voice once you’re there. 😉 Establish a private Facebook group for your travel party so planning is easy and in one place for everyone to see. Lastly, ask your family and friends what kind of vacation they are hoping to have. You may be planning park time from park open to close when they see a lot of poolside time on their agenda.
10. Use a Travel Agent. What’s the benefit? Finding the right travel agent can be like finding the right hairdresser – you want a good match. After all, you are trusting someone with not only your hard-earned money, but your family’s future memories. A good travel agent is passionate about finding you the best match for you and helping you with all of the details. They are going to listen to your needs and help you determine what will work best for you. Despite the resources available online for guests to book their own vacation, there are also so many Travel Agents out there. When planning a Disney vacation – you want to look for an authorized seller of Disney and preferably an earmarked Agency. An earmarked agency is recognized by Disney for customer satisfaction and for the amount of Disney products they sell -they know their stuff. There is no need to pay a Travel Agent a fee – most are compensated by suppliers (such as Disney) to help guests have the best experience possible. If comparing apples to apples, an authorized Disney Travel Agent will quote you the same prices when you call Disney yourself. But they will help you decide where to eat and even make those dining reservations for you at 6 am when your window opens. They’ll know where the rooms with the good views are at each resort, what attractions you should FastPass, and better yet, they’ll discount check for you whenever Disney releases a promotion so that you’re always getting the best price for your vacation. Being on hold for 6+ hours when a promotion is released is something they do so you don’t! If you’re looking to plan a Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or Universal Orlando vacation, head over to The Magic for Less Travel and fill out a no-obligation quote form today! The Magic for Less Travel was recognized for superior vacation planning services and designated by Disney as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner or Earmarked Agency. In addition we are one of only a few agencies in the country to receive Disney’s highest designation as a Platinum Level Earmarked Agency. Since 2002 we have been helping guests get the best price and the best service for their vacation, and our concierge services are always provided free of charge.
About Jocelyn Martins
There hasn’t been a time in my life where Disney wasn’t at the core. Now it’s a family obsession. I’m blessed with a wonderful husband and three girls who appreciate Walt Disney World for everything it is. When we are not there, we are reminiscing or planning the next trip(s)! I love to talk Disney, run, read, and spend time with my family. I’m so blessed to be an Annual Passholder, DVC Member, runDisney marathoner, and Travel Agent with The Magic for Less! Join me for live Q&A – I’ll be answering your Disney planning questions on FB live on Wednesday, June 14th at 8:00 pm. Email me your questions in advance or like my Travel Page to participate!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JocelynMartinsTravel
Website: http://www.themagicforless.com/
