Meet Family Mickey, mom and dad and their three kids ages 6, 4 and 2 on their first trip to Disney. They chose to stay inside Walt Disney World at the Moderate Resort Port Orleans Riverside. They purchased a package from their trusty travel agent mommymouseplans aka amandag@mei-travel.com. They are staying for 7 nights and have purchased a 7 day park hopper ticket with the basic dining plan.
Meet family Minnie, mom and dad and their three kids ages 6, 4 and 2 on their first trip to Disney. They chose to rent a 2 bedroom condo advertised as being 3 miles from Disney, rent a car, and plan to purchase a 7 day base ticket. They did no planning, made no dining reservations, figured they could wing it.
Day 1 Travel Day
Family Mickey
Pack their bags being careful to secure their yellow luggage tags to their checked luggage. They check their luggage at the airport and board their plane to Orlando. When they arrive they head downstairs to the Disney's Magical Express bus bypassing baggage claim and get their tickets scanned and walk to their Magical Express Resort line. Withing 10 minutes, friendly cast members with big white Mickey gloves escort them onto a comfortable air conditioned coach. within minutes they are headed to their resort and watching a movie about all of the exciting adventures that await them.
Family Minnie
Pack their bags and head off to the airport, lugging booster and car seats in addition to their luggage. They end up having to pay extra at the airport check in because of the extra car seats and pack and play that they have brought for the 2 year old. They board their plane and land in Orlando and head to the baggage claim where they wait 30 minutes for their luggage to arrive, then they rent a luggage cart and juggle the three kids and the luggage cart and start searching for the right car rental desk. After waiting in line for another 30 minutes, they get their rental car papers in order and go wait for the shuttle to take them to their rental car. 30 minutes later they get to their rental car after loading all of their baggage onto and off the shuttle they now load their luggage again into their rental car and start installing the car seat. Finally, they are heading out of the airport with a map to find their rented condo.
Family Mickey
Within 90 minutes of exiting the plane, they arrive at Port Orleans Riverside, mom heads to check in while the kids relax in comfy seats in front of Disney cartoons while coloring on their coloring pages. Mom gets her room assignment and is handed resort maps, park maps, park hours including extra magic hours and the Key to the World Cards which have their room keys, meal plan, park tickets and charging privileges all on one card. After checking in they head to the resorts counter service restaurant to grab some lunch and don't have to pay since it is pre-paid on their dining plan. After eating, they get to their room and Dad decides to go for a quick swim with the older two while the 2 year old naps in the pack and play that had been waiting in the room for them with clean Mickey sheets.
Family Minnie
Gets lost on the freeway after taking the wrong turn and starts heading to Tampa, after a 30 minutes lost from a detour, they finally make it to the condo office 3 hours after landing. They unload their luggage once again from the rental car and drop it in the condo and then head out to find a restaurant and a supermarket to shop for food for the week. The kids are thrilled to be in a Floridian supermarket rather than swimming in a pool and start nagging when are we going to Disney when are we going to Disney?
Just to recap money spent by Family Mickey at this point 0
Just to recap money spent by Family Minnie at this point $$ extra baggage check in, $ luggage cart at airport, $$$ rental car, $$lunch at a restaurant, $$$$ groceries for the week.
Fun had by Family Mickey at this point, watching a fun movie on motor coach, coloring and watching cartoons and swimming in pool.
Fun had by Family Minnie at this point, waiting in line and grocery shopping.
Family Mickey
After a swim and the toddlers nap, it is time to head to the park. They catch a bus to the Magic Kingdom and in 18 minutes are walking through the gate just in time to catch the 3pm Parade. They use a snack credit from their dining plan to grab a Popsicle to eat during the parade. After the parade, they start riding the rides. they make it to their character dinner just in time for their reservation at 6pm and use their table service credit from the dining plan for their dinner. They catch the Spectro Magic Parade after dinner on Main Street and then the fireworks show Wishes and then exit the park walking 5 minutes to catch their bus back to their resort. Within 20 minutes of exiting the Magic Kingdom, they are in their room and heading to bed, exhausted, but excited for the next days adventures.
Family Minnie
After unloading groceries, they deiced to pack up the kids and the car and head to the Magic Kingdom. It is only 3 miles away! After driving for 35 minutes, they reach the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom, park and wait for the tram, they they board the tram and then they wait for the monorail, then they wait to go purchase their tickets deciding not to spend the extra money on the hopper. Finally just as the Spectro Magic parade is just ending, they are entering the Magic Kingdom. They decide to pick a restaurant to try and walk up to get seating at the Castle for a character meal. They are asked for a reservation when they tell them they do not have one, they explain that they can check at guest services for any openings. Confused, they walk to guest services where after waiting in line, they are told that all restaurants in the Magic Kingdom are sold out because people usually make dining reservations 90 to 180 days in advance. They get frustrated and end up eating over priced hot dogs and pay $55 dollars for a counter service dinner. They catch the fireworks show and begin the long trek back to the condo. They wait in line for the monorail back to the transportation and ticket center. Then they wait in line for the tram back to their car. They walk to their car from the tram, load into the cars and wait in traffic to exit the parking lot. They drive the 35 minute ride back to the condo unloading exhausted kids and finally head to bed. Mom and dad actually fall asleep in the same room as the kids after being exhausted from such a busy day.
Money spent by Family Mickey 0. Didn't they have to pay for their gratuity from their dinner? No, after they had booked their package, their travel agent who had monitoring their reservations for any promotions found a free $500 gift card offer by Disney and being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner was able to apply it to their reservation. At check in Family Mickey was given a free $500 gift card by Disney to use for expenses while on vacation.
Money Spent by Family Minnie $$$$ Money for parking the car, money for dinner, money for Popsicles after dinner during fireworks.
Hmmm which family vacation would you rahter be experiencing? Stay tuned for Day 2 coming soon.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
To Stay inside the Park or out?
You are going to Disney and you are wondering, should we stay out of the Walt Disney World Park or should we stay"on-property"? What does staying on property or off property mean anyway?
There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. In order to receive all of the benefits of staying on site you need to stay in one of those 24 Disney owned properties.
Benefits:
Magical Express service: Round trip airport transfers and luggage delivery.
Extra Magic Hours: You can enter certain parks one hour earlier in the morning and stay up to three hours later to play after park closing time.
Dining Plan: Choose from three different dining plans with wine and dine and Platinum and Premium add on options. Save 40% on meals during your stay!
Key to the World Card: Your room key, park tickets, meal plan and charging privileges all on one card that is a keepsake souvenir.
Disney Transportation: Bus, boat and monorail service inside the park from your hotel to all of the theme parks, no need for a rental car or tram, you will be dropped off at the park gates.
I find there is often a misconception that staying off-property is more convenient and less expensive. People often say "well the place I am staying at is only 3 miles from Disney." OK, let's first address that issue. When a hotel or condo advertises that it is "only" three miles from Disney, it typically means that it is 3 miles to the entrance of Walt Disney World. At its peak, the WDW resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres or 47 square miles, about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan.
Some of the land has since been sold off and is now closer to 42 square miles. The point is that Walt Disney World is enormous! Many people think of the Magic Kingdom as being synonymous with Walt Disney World. Thus, the misconception that staying 3 miles from WDW means you are 3 miles from the Magic Kingdom. Often people translate that into meaning that within say 15-20 minutes they will be riding Dumbo, ahh only 3 miles. That is not the reality.
Here is the reality. Once you pass through the main gates to WDW, you have a 15-20 minute car ride to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. From that point when driving you must park, then board a tram to the ticket and transportation center and then you can choose to wait for monorail or boat transportation to take you to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Interesting fact: Did you know that the entire Disneyland Park can fit inside the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room for several hundreds of cars for additional parking?
Once you get to the gates of the Magic Kingdom you will need to pass through security and enter the main gates. If you have not purchased your tickets yet you may find yourself waiting in a long guest services line waiting to buy your tickets. Depending on the time of year and the crowd level, staying 3 miles from WDW could translate into being anywhere from 2 hours to 45 minutes from arriving at Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
What are the options for staying out of the park? Perhaps you have family in the area and you plan to stay with them. Perhaps you want to stay in a condo because you want more room and space. Perhaps you want to stay in an off-site hotel because you found a "cheaper" rate. Or perhaps you want to divide your stay between Disney and other Orlando attractions like Sea World and Universal.
Did you know that you can pre purchase a ticket to visit Universal Studios? This ticket will include admission to both parks at Universal Studios as well as round trip transfers from your Disney hotel to Universal and back. You can still stay on-site at Disney and visit Universal easily. Round trip transfers to and from Sea world can also be easily arranged.
Many people say they need a really inexpensive room rate. Did you know that prices for the Disney value resorts during value season are as low as $82 per night for four people? Well, people will say, we need a suite. Did you know that the All Star Music Resort has family suites start at $184 a night and sleep up to 6 people?
I often hear that "We want a 2 bedroom condo." Disney has studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. "We like our privacy and want our own condo or house." Did you know that you can stay in a 3 bedroom Tree house that is freestanding with a BBQ grill, a deck a full kitchen, a master bath and is still on Disney property? Or you can stay in a free standing cabin at Fort Wilderness. You can even camp in a tent on Disney property! Staying on-site is not necessarily more expensive than staying off-site.
You also save money on rentals cars, gas, parking fees and most importantly, you save time! Time is money. You save frustration and stress, who wants that on a vacation?
Don't get me wrong, once you are inside a park in Walt Disney World you will have a magical time, I am trying to enlighten you to the reality of the differences of staying on site vs off site. Choose wisely and evaluate all of the options, personally we always choose to stay inside the park in a Disney owned property, it is the most economical and stress free way for our family to enjoy a Disney vacation.
There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 24 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground. In order to receive all of the benefits of staying on site you need to stay in one of those 24 Disney owned properties.
Benefits:
Magical Express service: Round trip airport transfers and luggage delivery.
Extra Magic Hours: You can enter certain parks one hour earlier in the morning and stay up to three hours later to play after park closing time.
Dining Plan: Choose from three different dining plans with wine and dine and Platinum and Premium add on options. Save 40% on meals during your stay!
Key to the World Card: Your room key, park tickets, meal plan and charging privileges all on one card that is a keepsake souvenir.
Disney Transportation: Bus, boat and monorail service inside the park from your hotel to all of the theme parks, no need for a rental car or tram, you will be dropped off at the park gates.
I find there is often a misconception that staying off-property is more convenient and less expensive. People often say "well the place I am staying at is only 3 miles from Disney." OK, let's first address that issue. When a hotel or condo advertises that it is "only" three miles from Disney, it typically means that it is 3 miles to the entrance of Walt Disney World. At its peak, the WDW resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres or 47 square miles, about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan.
Some of the land has since been sold off and is now closer to 42 square miles. The point is that Walt Disney World is enormous! Many people think of the Magic Kingdom as being synonymous with Walt Disney World. Thus, the misconception that staying 3 miles from WDW means you are 3 miles from the Magic Kingdom. Often people translate that into meaning that within say 15-20 minutes they will be riding Dumbo, ahh only 3 miles. That is not the reality.
Here is the reality. Once you pass through the main gates to WDW, you have a 15-20 minute car ride to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. From that point when driving you must park, then board a tram to the ticket and transportation center and then you can choose to wait for monorail or boat transportation to take you to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Interesting fact: Did you know that the entire Disneyland Park can fit inside the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room for several hundreds of cars for additional parking?
Once you get to the gates of the Magic Kingdom you will need to pass through security and enter the main gates. If you have not purchased your tickets yet you may find yourself waiting in a long guest services line waiting to buy your tickets. Depending on the time of year and the crowd level, staying 3 miles from WDW could translate into being anywhere from 2 hours to 45 minutes from arriving at Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
What are the options for staying out of the park? Perhaps you have family in the area and you plan to stay with them. Perhaps you want to stay in a condo because you want more room and space. Perhaps you want to stay in an off-site hotel because you found a "cheaper" rate. Or perhaps you want to divide your stay between Disney and other Orlando attractions like Sea World and Universal.
Did you know that you can pre purchase a ticket to visit Universal Studios? This ticket will include admission to both parks at Universal Studios as well as round trip transfers from your Disney hotel to Universal and back. You can still stay on-site at Disney and visit Universal easily. Round trip transfers to and from Sea world can also be easily arranged.
Many people say they need a really inexpensive room rate. Did you know that prices for the Disney value resorts during value season are as low as $82 per night for four people? Well, people will say, we need a suite. Did you know that the All Star Music Resort has family suites start at $184 a night and sleep up to 6 people?
I often hear that "We want a 2 bedroom condo." Disney has studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. "We like our privacy and want our own condo or house." Did you know that you can stay in a 3 bedroom Tree house that is freestanding with a BBQ grill, a deck a full kitchen, a master bath and is still on Disney property? Or you can stay in a free standing cabin at Fort Wilderness. You can even camp in a tent on Disney property! Staying on-site is not necessarily more expensive than staying off-site.
You also save money on rentals cars, gas, parking fees and most importantly, you save time! Time is money. You save frustration and stress, who wants that on a vacation?
Don't get me wrong, once you are inside a park in Walt Disney World you will have a magical time, I am trying to enlighten you to the reality of the differences of staying on site vs off site. Choose wisely and evaluate all of the options, personally we always choose to stay inside the park in a Disney owned property, it is the most economical and stress free way for our family to enjoy a Disney vacation.
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