One more reason to stay onsite!

Another amazing perk for guests who stay at a Disney World resort: EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!

Disney will open the parks either one hour early or stay open 2-3 hours late ONLY for resort guests! That means short lines and way less people in the parks!

Need a break? I got ya covered!

A Disney World vacation is magical and amazing and exciting...but it is also tiring. I won't even try and tell you it's not.

Many people will take a break midday and go back to the resort for a nap and/or swim. That's a good idea, but sometimes not. There is travel time to consider, plus the time you spend there. It takes a big chunk out of your day.

I have another idea! You can rest and relax, right inside the parks!

I know what you're thinking. Stephanie has lost her mind. How can anyone relax in a busy theme park?

Disney World is great at creating spaces all throughout the parks where families can find a little peace and quiet. It sounds too-good-to-be-true, but it's not. Some of my favorite moments during a Disney vacation are when I sit (usually with a snack or beverage) and just people watch and listen to the sounds around me. The music and laughter. Smiles everywhere. There are benches and other seating everywhere, some more quiet than others. So definitely take advantage!

Here are a couple of my favorite spots for resting while in the parks.

Side streets off Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. My last trip, I bought some cake pops at the Main Street Confectionary and found a little wrought iron table and sat for a while.

The gardens in the Hub at the Magic Kingdom. These are relatively new, and are so so pretty. You'd think the Hub would be very busy, and it is, but the gardens are pretty relaxing.

The fruit bat exhibit on the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Animal Kingdom. I could watch those cute little guys all day.

World Showcase pavilions in Epcot. TONS of great places to sit and relax. I love to feel like I've been transported somewhere else. The sights and smells, the music.

There are TONS of great attractions that are peaceful and gentle...the perfect place to relax for a bit!

it's a small world (Magic Kingdom)
Carousel of Progress (Magic Kingdom)
Walt Disney Railroad (Magic Kingdom)
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (Magic Kingdom)
Spaceship Earth (Epcot)
Living with the Land (Epcot)
The America Adventure (Epcot)
Beauty and the Beast Live (Hollywood Studios)
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Hollywood Studios)
Finding Nemo: The Musical (Animal Kingdom)
Wildlife Express Train and Rafiki's Planet Watch (Animal Kingdom)

And if you have little ones, there is a Baby Care center in each park, giving guests a quiet place to change a diaper, feed or nurse baby, or just to get out of the heat and sit for a bit.

Fastpass+ Explained!

Disney World has what they call Fastpass+. It's a way to hold your place in line at all of the most popular attractions so you only have to wait a few minutes to experience them instead of possibly hours. The service is free to all park guests and can really help maximize your time in the park.

The Fastpass system has been around for years but the original system worked a little differently than what we have now. The new system has a lot of pros and cons, many people loving it, many people hating it. I personally love it.

First of all, you need to create a My Disney Experience account, either on Disney's website or on their app. You cannot use Fastpass+ without an account. 

Desktop version

App

Next you need to have a valid park ticket linked to your account. If you have a resort package, the tickets will be included and the entire package needs to be linked to your My Disney Experience account. If you are not staying at a Disney resort, you need to purchase a park ticket and link it to your account.

Now you can pick out 3 Fastpasses for each day of your trip. Which means you must decide which park you will go to each day of your trip. You can still use the Hopper option if you choose to purchase it, but you do need to decide ahead of time at least one park you will go to each day. I recommend using the Fastpasses for the most popular and newest attractions, such as 7 Dwarves Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, Soarin', Flight of Passage, Na'Vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, Peter Pan's Flight, and Splash Mountain during the hotter months. Or slow-loading attractions such as Rock n Roller Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain. Also, a good use is the popular character meet n greets such as Princess Fairytale Hall, The Character Spot, and Mickey Mouse at Town Square.

Resort guests can book 60 days prior to check-in. Non resort guests can book 30 days prior to check-in. A HUGE perk to staying at a Disney resort, especially if you want to ride some of the most popular attractions where the wait times easily reach triple digits (in minutes). As a travel agent/travel planner specializing in Disney vacations, one of the services I provide is booking Fastpasses for my clients. I get online and do it for them so they don't have to worry about it. 

Fatspasses are booked with a one-hour availability window, for most attractions. Some shows only have a 15 minute window, which grants you early seating in the theater before guests in the standby line. 

After they are booked you can view them in your My Disney Experience account either on a desktop or the app.

Desktop

App

Once you arrive at the park, you an enter the Fastpass line at any time during your hour. So if your Fastpass return time is 1:30-2:30, you may enter the line at 1:30 on the dot, but not a minute sooner, and have til 2:30. If you are unable to get there by the ending time, the Fastpass will expire and you will not be able to use it. When you approach the line, you must scan your Magic Band (resort guests) or park ticket (non resort guests). The scanner will illuminate green if you have a valid Fastpass, red if you do not. You may have to scan again at the end of the line. This prevents line jumpers from hopping over from the standby line. 

After you have used all three of your pre-booked Fastpasses, you can go on the app and book more! You can book them one at a time.

The Fastpass+ system is a great way to minimize your time waiting in long lines and ride your favorites faster :) If you'd like help with this or any thing else Disney, book your trip with me!! I'll do all the work and you just enjoy!!

Memory Maker: Step by Step Instructions!

Disney has a service they call PhotoPass. Basically, they station professional photographers all over the parks who are ready and willing to take your photo with their camera. It's great because everyone is in the picture and it's a high quality image. You can then choose to purchase individual images in either print form or digital. One of the products within Photopass is the Memory Maker. This is a pay-one-fee type of product that gives you digital downloads of every photo you pose for during your vacation. Even ride and dining photos!

As a huge fan of photos, I love the Memory Maker! It is well worth the cost to me. And I love enhancing the photos afterward, adding fun borders and stickers, cropping them, changing to black and white. So much fun stuff you can do with them!!

Here is a How-To for when you go home!!

If you are a resort guest, the photographers will scan your Magic Band and all your photos will show up in your My Disney Experience account. Simply log into your account and go to the drop down menu. Choose "My Photos" under photography. It will look like this:

If you are not a resort guest, You will have to manually link the photos. Just enter the code from the back of your park ticket or the PhotoPass card the photographer gave you. Then it should look like the above photo.

If your photos have watermarks on them, you need to activate your Memory Maker. Click any photo then click "Download." It will ask you if you want to activate your Memory Maker and inform you of the expiration date. Say yes. Now you can start customizing and enhancing!

Here is what your screen will look like:

Click any photo. It will open like this:

Most important to note first is the expiration date on the lower right. This is the date you need to download by or you will lose that photo forever. The date will vary from day to day as the photos expire 45 days after they were taken.

Along the right hand side you'll see all the options. First you need to click "Create a Copy." VERY important. You want to keep your original images. Once you make a copy, click on one of the suggested borders or use the drop down menu to browse other categories.

Click whatever one you like. If you try one and don't like it, just click on another.

Once you find one you like, click "Save and Close" on the top. The photo will close and take you back to your menu. The new enhanced photo will appear on the screen with the rest of the un-nhanced photos. You can then go back to the same original imagine and do the same thing but add a different border, crop, turn it back and white. Just make sure you make another copy first. Disney is always changing the borders to coordinate with the season and social events. So many cool fun things!! Continue on with the rest of your photos for that park and then move on the the next.

Play around with it and have fun!! There's no limit to how many photos you can create in your account!

When you're 100% completely done, go back to your home page. On the upper right hand side you'll see how many photos you currently have and buttons underneath. Click "Download" to download all the photos to your computer. This MUST be done before the photos expire or you will lose them forever.

Once they are downloaded to your computer, they are yours to do whatever you'd like. You can print at home or upload to any online photo processing site for printing. You can share on Social Media too.

Here are a few more cool photos from my Memory Maker over the years!

Questions??? Post them below!!!

Park Passes- Explained!

Disney offers guests several options when it comes to park passes. And it can be kind of hard to decide which one is best for you. Here is a breakdown of what each pass is :)

Base Ticket

This ticket gets you into one park for each day of your pass. For example, if its a 5-day pass, you can go to a Disney park on five separate days. You can go to the same park every day or a different one. You can do two at one, three at another, and so forth. But here's the important part. You can only go to one park each day. Once you enter one park, you can leave, but you can only return to that park. For example, if you go to Magic Kingdom in the morning, then leave and go back to the resort for a nap or swim, you can only return to the Magic Kingdom that evening.

This pass is a great option. There is so much to do and see in each park that there really isn't a need to leave. It's perfect for first-timers and families with young children.

Park Hopper Option

If you add the Hopper to your park pass, you have the ability to "hop" to other parks in the same day. So if you start your day at Magic Kingdom, but decide it's too crowded, or you just need a change of pace, you can go to a different park for the rest of the day. Or you can go to all four of the main theme parks in the same day.

This pass is great for veteran park-goers who know what they like and what they can skip. It's also great for short trips, when you want the option to hop around so you can do more parks in less days. But it's a pricey option. You need to make sure you will definitely use it several days of the trip to get its full value.

Park Hopper Plus

This option allows you the ability to hop as well as access to both of Disney's water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, plus Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and both mini golf courses: Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland. You get one admission per day of your park pass. So if you have a 5-day park pass, you have 5 admissions to the water parks and other entertainment options.

This is a great option for longer trips when you can take full advantage of it. It's not worth the money if you are only able to use it once or twice. If it's a shorter trip, you can always purchase a one-day pass for the water parks. And you can hop between them, no extra charge!

One more thing I'd like to mention. The length of your park pass is not tied to the length of stay, like the dining plan is. You can stay 7 nights but only do a 5-day park pass. If you get the Hopper Plus option, you can use those options on your non-park days.

Questions?? Ask away!

Nothing else can describe it...

The Magic Kingdom is a wonderful place! From the moment you step into the park, you are whisked away to another world where everything you've ever dreamed is possible. Adventure, fantasy, a future filled with amazing things. It's all there waiting for you...

Why I Love Magic Bands!

If you haven't been to Walt Disney World in the last few years, you might not understand what all the hoopla is about Magic Bands. Well....I'm here to help you!

In the simplest of terms- Magic Bands are everything at Disney World. Your park ticket, room key, Fastpasses, dining...and a way to charge purchases to your room if you so desire. It's a flexible bracelet of sorts, comparable to a Fitbit. They're pretty lightweight and very adjustable. They can be made small enough for the tiniest of wrists. I thought I would hate wearing it, but I honestly didn't mind. I got used to it real quick.

To use it, you simple press the Mickey head on your band to the scanner...which will also have a Mickey head on it. The scanner will glow green when its verified. That's pretty much it! (I'll explain the rest below.)

Your first experience using the band will most likely be Magical Express. You don't need to have it on...your boarding pass from your voucher book will be sufficient. We didn't wear them the first time, but did the second time, and I preferred using the band. I didn't have to fidget with the booklet. And I felt kinda special already having it on....and I wasn't even on Disney property yet!

Next you'll use it to enter your Disney resort room. You'll see the same Mickey head on your door. Hold your band to it and wait to hear the click of the lock, then walk on in. No glowing green light here :(

Next up! The parks! When you approach the turnstiles, you'll see that same Mickey head scanner. He'll glow bright green and the you'll be prompted to scan your finger. Security! Gotta have it! That way, if you lose your band and someone else finds it, they can't use it.

I LOVE the Magic Band for Fastpasses! No more papers to keep track of and pull out. They're all linked to your Magic Band. Just scan your band and walk right in!

If you have a Disney Dining plan attached to your reservation, you use it for that too! For snacks and counter service meals, the cashier will have a Mickey scanner. They will then have you key in your pin number, chosen at check in. Everyone who is on your reservation must use the same pin number, so make sure everyone knows it. Or they won't she access to their dining credits. For sit down meals, the waiter or waitress will scan your band at the table and ask for a pin, then print out a receipt right then and there. Proceed just as you have in the past with gratuity.

You can use your band to purchase souvenirs too! Or anything! When you check in, you can link a credit card to your reservation and choose which guests on the reservation have charging privileges. When you make a purchase, simply scan your band, just like with your dining credits, and punch in your pin number. Done! I'd like to point out that your credit card will not be changed immediately...but rather the purchase is charged to your room. You can then choose to pay the balance any way you'd like, or just have Disney charge your credit car on check out day.

Magic Bands come in several colors: Grey, Red, Blue, Yellow Green, Pink, Orange...and finally PURPLE! You must customize in your My Disney Experience account ahead of time or they will come in the default grey. Or you can purchase a specialty band online. They range in price and have all kinds of characters on them. Visit Disney's website or the Shopping tab on the My Disney Experience app. There are also D-Tech locations inside Disney world where you can purchase a custom band. There are also ALL kinds of trinkets and charms to decorate your band with.

There you have it! My side to Magic Bands! Feel free to comment with your questions!!

2017 Disney World Packages are HERE!

Have you been anxiously awaiting the release of Disney World packages for 2017??? I know I have!! Well, the wait is OVER! As of today, you can officially book your 2017 vacation package!!

In case you were wondering, I'm a Disney-certified travel planner/travel agent. That means I can book your Disney vacation for you and help with every step of the planning!! And I do it all for FREE!

I can help with:

- Resort recommendations
- Explain the different park passes
- Offer advice on when to go
- Help you decide whether or not a Disney Dining Plan is right for you
- Book your vacation package
- Help you choose which restaurants to dine at
- Book dining reservations for you
- Help you choose which days of your trip to go to which parks
- Assist with all Disney technology including Magic Bands, My Disney Experience Account, Fastpass, and more
- Book Fastpasses for you
Make any special reservations you may need, such as Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique, Pirate's League, Wishes Fireworks Cruise
- Arrange your transportation from the airport to Disney property and back again
- Be on hand to answer questions before and during your vacation, anytime

Contact me today for a free no-obligation quote!! FTJbyStephanieHaefner@yahoo.com Or find e on Facebook!

Top 6 Disney Souvenirs!

In my opinion, you can't go to Disney World and NOT buy anything. Most trips I have to really control myself and not buy every single awesome thing I see....which is very difficult because there are awesome things EVERYWHERE!! But over the years I have become really skilled at asking myself if I really need something before I buy it. Will I actually use it at home, or will it collect dust?

So here's my list of the best souvenir buys for your next Disney vacation!

* Photo Albums

I am a huge fan of photos. Always have been. And I need them printed and in albums. We usually get Memory Maker so I can have all the fun photos. I buy a photo album (or two!) every trip. Usually I buy the one with the year on it. I display all the albums on a shelf in my living room. They're so pretty!

* Ornaments 
I just started this a few years ago. It started simple with one ornament with the year on it. And well..... Now I buy like 3 or 4 every trip. I love all the fun ornaments they have! I started the Shoe Collection!

* Jewelry
I have a few pieces I've bought during our trips. They're not expensive pieces, but I love them. I love wearing them :) I usually go for the more subtle things...not the ones that scream "DISNEY!!!!" but that's just me. My favorite is a necklace that says "Love" in rhinestones with a tiny Mickey head off the "L".

*Housewares
We all have a kitchen at home. We all use dishes. So this is definitely a souvenir that gets used. I have a few mugs, some kitchen clips, a set of vintage Disney glasses, a Mickey pancake mold. There's a set of Mickey flatware I've had my eye on for a couple years, but have yet to actually buy it.

* Sweatshirt 

Where I'm from, it's cold for many months out of the year. And even in the warm months, it's chilly at night. So we own sweatshirts...lots of them. Disney sweatshirts are pricey, but they're good quality and we get lots of use out of them.

* Pressed Pennies
I got kind of obsessed about this one for a while ;) Disney has Pressed Penny machines all over it's property. Don't know what a Pressed Penny is? Basically the machine takes your penny...and 50 cents... and squishes it. When it come out it has a new picture pressed into it. All kinds of pictures, from Mickey and friends to princesses, to attraction logos and other fun stuff. They even sell books to hold all your pennies. I have a few. I counted once. I think I had over 300 different pennies just form Disney World. And there were tons I hadn't gotten. The machines are easy to spot. Make sure you have tons of quarters on you and nice shiny pennies.

So what are your favorite souvenirs?? Anyone wanna share their souvenir regrets? That will be an upcoming post ;)

What is the Best Time to Visit Walt Disney World?

If you ask 10 people that question, you'll get 10 different answers. Everyone has their own definition of "best." For me, best is when the parks are quietest. I'm not a fan of huge crowds. I don't like waiting in long lines. I like to feel relaxed and calm on vacation, not worrying about everything we have to skip because the parks are so crowded.

According to TouringPlans.com, the lowest crowds are:

The week after New Year's Day
End of January into the beginning of February
End of February into first week of March
End of August through the first week of October
End of October through mid November
The week after Thanksgiving through mid December

It's best to avoid all holidays or school breaks. Even just a single day holiday like Martin Luther King Jr's birthday or Columbus day will draw crowds, though not as much as full school breaks do. The marathons draw crowds as well.

Highest crowds:

Mid February (President's week)
Pretty much all of March and sometimes April (Spring Break and Easter)
Memorial Day weekend
Fourth of July
Most of June, July, and August
Thanksgiving week
Mid December through the first of the year

But some of the busier times of year are also a great time to be there, if you can handle crowds. There are all kinds of fun events going on, such as:

Marathons (February, April, and November)
Flower and Garden Festival (Spring)
Food and Wine Festival (Fall)
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (September and October)
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (November and December)

When's your favorite time to go to Walt Disney World??

Pros and Cons of Every Age Range

Many parents struggle with the "right" age to take their kids on a Disney Parks vacation. In my opinion, EVERY age is a great age! I've heard many say they are waiting until they are old enough to remember. I understand that. A Disney vacation can be expensive, and may be a once in a lifetime event for a family, so I understand the need to get the most out of the experience. But there are drawbacks to every age, actually. Not just the little ones.

Here's my list of pros and cons for each age range!

Babies (Ages 0-18 months)

Pros: Babies are easy. They sit in their stroller all day and don't ask for every souvenir they see. Most are content to sit and watch everything going on around them and will nap right in their stroller. Disney has Baby Care Centers that are a great place for a meal (for baby) or just some quiet downtime. There are many attractions that are perfectly safe for babies to ride on mom or dad's lap, so the family can still experience much of the park together. (Unlike many other theme/amusement parks) And for the bigger thrill rides, Disney has a Rider Swap program to minimize your line wait times. Babies are FREE! No need to pay for a park pass or dining plan.

Cons: There are many attractions that babies cannot experience, or won't want to (dark rides). You will need to tour the parks at a slower pace and take frequent breaks for diaper changes and feedings. You'll need to lug quite a good amount of stuff into the parks with you- diapers, wipes, food, bottles, extra clothes. Babies won't remember it. You won't be able to ride thrill rides with your significant other. Someone will have to stay with baby.

Toddlers (18 months-3 years)

Pros: At this age they're starting to recognize who Mickey and other characters are and most will be amazed at seeing them up close and personal. They get so excited! Attractions will be very exciting for them too. You may be sick of the song from it's a small world, but they will love it. Many kids this age will still nap in the stroller. Kids under 3 are FREE! Even if they turn 3 while at Disney, as long as they are still 2 at check in, you're good!

Cons: They're still too small for bigger rides. Some kids will be scared of the characters. They might not remember it. This seems to be the prime age for being scared of dark rides.

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

Pros: This is the best age for character interaction. They just love meeting the characters they adore and still believe it's really the character and not just a person in a costume. The amazement and wonder is still there. Many kids are taller by this age and can ride the attractions with a 40 inch height minimum.

Cons: Still too short to ride thrill rides. They're no longer free. Some are still scared on dark rides.

Elementary Kids (5-9)

Pros: They're FINALLY tall enough for Space Mountain and Rock n Roller Coaster! And they are so so excited to ride! Kids on the younger side of this spectrum are still into the characters, any many of the older ones too. They're still considered a kid, so they're cheaper for park passes and dining plan. They understand more of what's going on at Epcot and Animal Kingdom and get a kick out of things like Kidcot Stations at Epcot and Wilderness Explorers at Animal Kingdom. They'll definitely remember it, and will most likely talk about it for months after you go home. (Is that a pro or a con? LOL!)

Cons: By the later end of the spectrum, most kids know the characters are just people in costumes. No more strollers, so you get lots of complaints about sore feet. And lots of, "Can you buy me this?"

Tweens (10-12)

Pros: They have more stamina at this age and can make it all day and into the evening without needing a nap or being tired. Most will be ready for all thrill rides and want to do them over and over.  Their palettes are expanding so they will be willing to try all the awesome restaurants on Disney property, not just ones with chicken nuggets and mac n cheese.

Cons: Starting at age 10, they are considered adults and must pay adult price for park passes and dining plan. Kids start to get embarrassed at this age and might not be as willing to play along and have fun. They might be over the whole character meet n greet thing. They might not be as impressed with slower rides.

Teens (13-19)

Pros: You finally have mini adults on your hands and can enjoy the parks together. Teens are more appreciative of fancier restaurants and shows. They will be able to shop with you without constantly asking for things (hopefully) and can better understand the cost of things.

Cons: They might miss their friends at home and want to spend a lot of time on their phones. They might want to spend time on their own at the parks, without you. And two words- hormonal meltdowns. Teen years are so so fun.....

So there's my list of pros and cons! Got a pro or con of your own for a certain age range that I haven't listed?? Comment below!!

UPDATES coming soon!!

So so excited for my upcoming Disney trip because that means I will be updating my blog! My plan is to take TONS of pics of EVERYTHING! And share them with all of you! Attractions, shows, decor, and most importantly, FOOD! I'll be experiencing two new-to-me restaurants: Mama Melrose and Tusker House and I plan to give you a full report. As well as updating some of my other restaurant notes. Is there anything specifically you'd like me to check out and report back on???

Why do you love Disney?

I was recently asked why I love Disney World. It's a tough question because it's very hard to pick one reason!

For us, family time is very important. Our everyday lives are very busy, especially now that the kids are getting older. Sports and clubs, homework. My own work schedule and hubby's, too. I used to always insist on dinner together every night, but sadly, even that is starting to diminish. And I swore it never would :( So when we go on vacation, and are able to escape from everything, we are truly able to get back our family and just relax and have fun.

I love Disney because they give you a complete escape. It's so much more than an amusement park in the middle of Florida. You are transported to another world. A world where fantasy becomes reality, where adventure lurks around every corner, where the impossible becomes possible. You're part of the story, not just an observer. Your stresses and responsibilities are miles away, and not just geographically.

Even your meals are an escape!

Disney does many things right, but in my opinion, the biggest is having the ability to whisk you out of your everyday life and transport you someplace really special...someplace magical. :)

Not always the Happiest Place on Earth :(

We adore Walt Disney World. For me it is heaven...my escape. No where else makes me feel so relaxed and free and....happy. We love it. We try to go as often as we can, which isn't as often as we'd like :( But I am also able to admit that it isn't perfect. Our trips often aren't perfect. But we prepare ourselves for that and are able to (usually) roll with the punches and not let the bad get us down (too much).

So here are the things that can definitely get you down while at Disney. If you know ahead of time, maybe it will help you cope if they happen...and inevitably, one of them will.

Rude People

Unfortunately, there are rude people, even at WDW. Some I think don't realize they are being so, others just don't care. They want to see Mickey and don't care if you're standing in their way. My daughter got very upset one time because someone stepped in front of her, kid on their shoulders,  while the Frozen fireworks extravaganza was going on, which included a stage show as well, and she could no longer see. I tried my best to move her so she could see, but we didn't want to be the rude people who were blocking someone else's view. What kind of message does that send my child? We explained to her that's this is just the way the people are sometimes and that she should try hard not to make people feel the way she was feeling in that moment. In this instance, me saying something to the offending party wouldn't have changed anything. It was loud and there was music and booming fireworks. BUT, if it had been a different situation, I would have said something, in a nice, calm, respectful way. I have said something in the past.

Inclement Weather

Florida is know for it's flash rain storms during certain times of the year, especially hurricane season. We've traveled to WDW many times during that time period and never experienced the torrential downpours I've heard about, only light rain that lasted a short time. But oh man. This last trip. ***See photo above*** We hurried to get some photos in front of the castle cause we could just tell it was coming. And boy did it ever! So many people say "Oh, you're in Disney. Who cares if it's raining?" I never thought rain could ruin a day in Magic Kingdom, but oh man did it ever. It is NOT the Happiest Place on Earth when it is downpouring without stopping for hours, with puddles at least 3, 4 even 6 inches deep that you can not walk around. We were in Tomorrowland when it really came down. We managed to get into Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, but we were drenched by then. There was lightning within the 6 mile radius so outdoor attractions closed and made the indoor ones crowded beyond belief. It probably didn't help my mood that this was my dad's first trip to WDW ever and I so wanted it to be fabulous...and this was his only day at MK. :( But he honestly was not phased and said he'd like to go back. We ended up leaving early to go change out of our soaked clothes before dinner at Chef Mickey's. One trip, the beginning of December, Florida was experiencing an unusual cold spell. The forecast didn't quite predict how bad it would be. We didn't bring heavy coats. My husband only brought 1 pair of pants and 1 sweatshirt. We FROZE. I'm talking 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 hooded sweatshirts--each person--and a blanket wrapped around the kids in the double stroller. We bought hats and gloves there. You do what you gotta do.

Sickness/Injuries

It happens. Kids--and adults--get sick while on vacation. It sucks. big time. When my son was almost 2, he'd been having some breathing issues at home and we were in the process of seeing if it was asthma or not. Well....coming from the 65-70 degree weather of fall in Buffalo to 95 degrees and the 100% humidity of central Florida did not go well for his little airways. Within a few hours of being at Epcot on arrival day, he was wheezing and not breathing well. But Disney handled it spectacularly and got us to Celebration hospital, and then transferred to Orlando hospital. Just this last trip, we had bad luck with my daughter. One of the worst things a parent can wake to in the middle of the night is their kid scrambling to get to the bathroom. You just know.... She vomited several times throughout the night. It ended up being a one-day stomach bug (thankfully it only lasted that long and no one else got it!) My mother in law stayed with her so we could head to MK with my parents ***See photo above*** It was very upsetting for me and my parents--their only day at MK and it had to be without our daughter. But with both of these instances, we just rolled with it and made the best of it. My son was discharged after 3 days with meds and machinery, and we ended up having a really great trip. We are thankful my daughter only lost one day of the trip and the rest was great- aside from the rain ;)

Tired and Cranky Kids- Yours and Other People's

It happens to all kids. Even older ones. A trip to Disney includes many long days with early wake up calls and late bed times. It wears on them. This is why I stress bringing a stroller, even for kids who long ago stopped using one. It just helps...and makes the day less stressful for mom and dad, and all those around you! In regards to other people's, my only advice is to be compassionate and not give the parents dirty looks. Cause guess what? If you have a kid, you'll be in their shoes at least once during the trip. That incident I mentioned above with my daughter and the Frozen fireworks. She was 11 at the time and OMG HOLY MELTDOWN! Like a toddler-esque tantrum. It was kind of comical. I may have laughed a little. My husband may have too. So he picked her up and held her in front of him, no higher than his own head. (To avoid being THAT guy and blocking someone else's view.) But you find ways to calm them, and yeah, you do things you normally wouldn't do at home. Hand over a sucker at 9 o'clock at night. It's vacation. I'm not saying you should give in to every tantrum thrown when they scream "I WANT IT!!!!" But the occasional bribe to behave works on vacation.

Tired and Cranky Adults- Yours and Other People's

Again, it happens. Adults get stressed with lack of sleep, AND having to deal with their tired and cranky children. ***See above*** This is why they sell liquor at WDW. (Accept at MK, where the only place you can get an adult beverage is at Be Our Guest at dinner). Try to chill out and remember this is vacation. Take it easy if you need to. Go back and take a nap midday or just chill out at the pool or Downtown Disney. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks.

Aching Feet

It will happen. Even if you walk all the time at home. You don't walk 5-8 miles a day every day in the heat of Florida. (Or maybe you do! But I don't!) After a few days, your feet will hurt. Your kids feet will hurt. They'll complain. They can't help it. My best advice is to bring at least 2-3 pairs of comfortable shoes, all DIFFERENT. If you love Crocs, only count one pair. I have several of the cute sandal type, but always make sure I have at least 2 other forms of footwear. Wear something different every day. Don't wear the same pair two days in a  row. This helps me A LOT! I swear by this method. My feet still get achy, but no where near as badly as they used to.

Long Lines

You HAVE to expect long lines at WDW. It just is. Don't get mad about it. Instead, make Fastpass + reservations for your must dos and keep an eye on line wait times with the My Disney Experience App. Many queues have lots of interactive stuff now, so the wait isn't so bad anymore. Use that time to talk with your family, play games, etc... Make the best of it, cause being mad about it won't change anything. There will be lines at counter service restaurants too, and if you go during peak meal times, yikes. But there is a way to deal with that. Go early. We always plan on lunch at like 11-11:30. And it's great. We do early dinners too.

I think that's it for now! Hope this helps you prepare and have a magical vacation, despite all the things that can go wrong!

Decided against Be Our Guest for dinner

Everyone in the Disney community was all a flutter when it was officially announced that the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom would open on November 19th. We arrive only 9 days after that!!! When I made my original ADRs, I made one for Liberty Tree Tavern with the hope of canceling it for the fancy new place. Not that we don't love LTT, we do. The food is awesome, but since they discontinued the characters there, we haven't been back. There always seemed to be somewhere else that sounded more fun.

But anyway, our ressie at BOG would be the final piece in making this upcoming trip fantastic!!! Until I saw the official menu posted just a  few days ago. It's not all that great, in my honest opinion. Did I really want to give up a good meal for a so-so one? Did I really want to get up early and wait on hold for who knows how long...and possibly come up empty-handed anyway?

After talking with hubby, we decided to skip it. The lunch menu for BOG sounds awesome and much more up our alley. And since it's a counter service place during the day, we can still dine there and see how cool it is. Win win!

I perused the Disney boards to see how my fellow Disney mega fans fared in the great ADR hunt. I read stories of it taking hours to even get through the phone lines, to hold for an hour or more, and not get a reservation. Others had luck, but not without hours of calling and trying to get through.

Wordless Wednesday

Well, four words and an emoticon.....

Wish I was there :(

Attraction Spotlight: The Haunted Mansion

The other day my daughter had asked what our favorite attractions were in each park. She started with Magic Kingdom, and while most people jump right to one of the Mountains, I don't. 

My first experience at a Disney park was in 1989..I was 12 and my mom and step-dad took us to Disneyland. We really didn't know much Disney stuff at the time, other than the movies we had seen. We went on The Haunted Mansion.

Holy Cow! I was blown away!

The attraction is so awesome and authentic...the spiderwebs and dust. The creepy eyes on the wall, the shadow playing the piano, the long corridor with the floating candelabra!! The decor is so cool, even the wallpaper in the queue area. The ballroom scene, just amazing. It's still my absolute favorite part (though now that they've added the attic scene...that ranks pretty high. So much to see in there!). Your Ghost Host (so creepy!), the cemetery (love the music out there...I gotta sing along every time!), the hitchhiking ghosts!! So so cool. I love it when we get an awesome cast member who really takes on their role perfectly!!!

The atmosphere around the mansion is just so spooky...love love love it! It's one of my favorite areas in the entire park. When we attended Mickey's Not So scary Halloween party in October 2009, we had our picture taken with the carriage and a ghost showed up in our pics! So neat! Love Photopass and their magic shots!

I am super excited to see the new queue. Sad that I have to wait an entire year, but it will be worth the wait, I'm sure.

Attraction Spotlight! Peter Pan's Flight!

This ride really does bring back some awesome memories. I had gone to Disneyland with my mom and stepdad when I as 12. Peter Pan's Flight is the only thing I can really remember going on. That and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride..but at the time, it meant nothing to me...I hadn't read the book yet.

So every trip we take to Disney World, I just have to go on it! We always get a Fastpass...I really don't want to wait in that horrendous line. And there always seems to be one!

I love the pirate ships you sail in and that they hang from the track. I love that you can't see it and you really do feel like you are soaring through the sky with Peter! One of my favorite parts is sailing over tiny London, all the houses lit in the night.

Then you fly over Neverland...love that my daughter points at the mermaids, every time, and says "There's Ariel!" It's really not Ariel, but there is one with red hair and pruple shells!

And then, of course, the big fight on Captain Hook's ship and Peter and the kids saving the day!