Magic Bands

There is some new technology that is being utilized at Walt Disney World that will hopefully make things easier for visitors. The introduction of the Disney Magic Bands and My Disney Experience, which is in the beta testing stage, is designed for visitors to the park to have all of their reservations (for rooms as well as dining, and shows), FastPass +, and Disney Dining Plan located in one place that can be viewed on your computer, tablet, or smart phone. Successful use of My Disney Experience will require a little forethought on your part in the form of going in and placing your reservations, event tickets in your reservation link in My Disney Experience. I can tell you though that it isn't as hard as it might first appear and if you are booking through Walt Disney Travel or WDW Dining your reservations will be entered automatically. Here is the trick to this application, you will need to have an account open to use this program. However you may already have one if you have already registered with one of the many subsidiaries of Disney (ESPN, ABC, Marvel, Etc.).
After you have had your My Disney Experience all set and completed you will need to request your Disney Magic Bands to be sent to you or pick them up at your resort. The Magic Bands are taking the place of your key to the world. That means you will not have to have your lanyard with your park ticket, paper FastPasses, DDP information. It will all be accessible through your bracelet which I think is pretty brilliant. The Magic Bands will also have the ability to be accessorized with character attachments, and covers that can make them look like a watch or a true designer bracelet.
We are set to use them in three weeks and I will post an update on how I think they are working. I am fully expecting there to be some bugs because they are still very new, but I am very excited to be among the first wave of guests to get a chance to use them. More to come soon.

Cape May Cafe

Cape May Cafe is located in the Beach Club Resort and does its best to replicate a New England seafood restaurant. Its main specialty is a seafood buffet with all you can eat crab legs, clams, mussels, and fish. Although it doesn't ignore you red meat eaters, or the picky eaters in your life. It has a specific stop where your kids can get chicken fingers, Mac n cheese and many other child favorites. As with most Disney Buffets it isn't cheap but if you have the dining plan you will only be out one sitdown meal credit per person.

So here is my opinion of this establishment. I am rating the theming, food, customer service, and kid friendliness. 

We were greeted at the front of the establishment by a enthusiastic hostess who pulled up our reservation and noted that we would need wheelchair and stroller space (my son nodded off on the way to the restaurant). After about five minutes we were seated in a dining room which was pretty basic (butcher paper on the table, crayons for kids to color, and more silverware than one person should have at one meal). When our server came to take the drink order is when we noticed a bit of change in the customer service. She asked if we were going to wake up our son and we responded not yet but closer to when we had the food on the table (just a note, waking a 4 year old is like defusing a bomb. It could explode taking everyone in the area out). We got a judgey look and she went to get our drinks which included one for our son. At first we thought she must be thinking we were pulling some kind of scam by having a sleeping child, and possibly feeding him off of one of our plates. She did visit our table more often than I am used to but whatever. Then we noticed she gave other tables with kids the same curt service. We finally figured she might not like little kids and left it at that. She did get friendlier closer to the check payment time, so I assume she realizes that bad service will lower her tip. On the whole this is the same service you would receive at Denny's at two in the morning. 

The theming of Cape May was very nice. It is located in the Beach Club just a short walk from the International Gate of Epcot. The lobby is simple and eligant in light colors giving it a light airyness. The tables are simple and spaced well enough to get a wheelchair (or stroller) in without blocking the aisle. In my opinion it was nice.

The food was your basic seafood buffet (crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, etc.). It also had a beef carving station and a bunch of kid friendly food stations. I had a fairly good paella (the flavor was balanced nicely), some obviously frozen shellfish, and some pretty nice corn bread. My son was able to get his favorite, Mac N Cheese. For the price I would recommend trying somewhere else as our total was just over $100. I think if you have a free dining plan sitdown meal to burn this could be your place.

Lastly, if you are traveling alone, with kids, or with a person in a wheelchair you should know the spacing at the buffet is very tight. If you go at dinner you may need to do what my family did and have one person get the food plated and brought back to the table. Less than ideal for a nice sit down family meal.

In short, the food was overpriced, service was spotty, and accessibility to get food was bad. Find another place to eat.

UPDATE: just wanted to give a brief update on my review of this restaurant. One of my party was stricken with food poisoning after eating here so I can honestly say skip this place for another sit down restaurant.

34 Days Until Launch (to Megavacation!!)

We are now just over a month from our big Disney Cruise/Walt Disney World trip and we are all very excited around here. Now we start with the real fun. If you are taking a cruise there are plenty of things you need to be doing right now. Most cruise lines have online documents you need to complete to be able to board the ship. It takes about an hour to complete it all and you will need to have all travel documents (i.e. flight info, ground transfers, passports for everyone in your party). It is kind of a pain but it should shorten your time at the terminal checking in. Also make sure that you have sent in your special needs form or you may not get the accommodations you need.

This is also the time that you will want to check your online flight information. If you book your flights a long time before you need to fly, things have a tendency to change. Our flight went from being a 7 a.m. flight to a 5 a.m. flight and we didn't even get an email. Also while you are checking the times it is always a good ideal to review seats. You might even be able to change them to suit your needs. A little inconvenience now can save you time when you are in line.

So while you are doing these little "administrative duties" there are some that a lot of people might forget. You will want to place a hold on your mail and newspaper deliveries to avoid any build up in your box or front porch. I also recommend getting several timers for lights in several places in your house and hook them to lamps and maybe even a radio. I know some people also lower the temperature on their water heater to keep from having that rack up unnecessary expense while they are gone. These last tips can save you money but also are more about security of your home. 

Finally, if you are boarding your pets, this is the time to verify that reservation and double check the vaccination records to make sure that you have all the shots they require. I almost missed my last Hawaii trip because the vet didn't fax over the updated shot records. That is NOT how you want to start your vacation, believe me. 

Now that we are in the final stretch, I will be posting more about what we do before our trip. As always if you have any tips to share please leave me a comment.

Blog sites and discussion boards

It is obvious that as a blogger I may have some insight that others do not when they are planning a trip. This was the main basis when I started this blog so many years ago. I have had readers contact me and given me wonderful things and places to research and blog about.

But even I have my limits on what I know about travel. When I am planning a trip I also look to the internet discussion boards, and travel bloggers. These are great places to gain insight on Disney Cruise and a visit to Walt Disney World. I would be a fool not to visit WDW Prep, Disney on Wheels, and Disney Food Blog. These are run by people who have been to WDW many, many times and offer tips I just don't have. I highly recommend them as a great place to gain ideas on what attractions to hit first, what is the must-have salty snack and a variety of things I just don't have the space here to blog about. They, however, do and have blogged about them so if you are going, be sure look them over. They all have wonderful pictures, and as a photographer, that always makes the site better in my opinion. Here is what I like and look for on these blogs.places. 

WDW Prepschool: This site is crammed full of useful information to assist "clever people" with their vacation planning. It has great tips, wonderful trivia to keep you and your family interested in the parks, schedules, and a ton of what I think of as inside information. I thought I knew a lot about Disney but she makes me feel like I have just seen the tip of the Disney iceberg. Facebook her for updates and tips. 

Disney on Wheels: I am in a wheelchair so I feel that this site has some great tips for getting around the park, finding the appropriate place to queue for a ride, best spots for parades and fireworks, and also food. She too has many pictures of the Disney parks, and cruise ships that she has been on that give details that the Disney site may not cover in enough depth for those of us with mobility issues. I recommend liking this page to keep apprised of what is going on with the Disney machine.

Disney Food Blog: This is a great site. It is written by folks who are extremely knowledgeable about the food and has tons of great pictures that are guaranteed to make you hungry. They also have super tips for picky eaters, and for folks who may be on the adventurous side of the food spectrum. If you are planning a Disney trip, make sure to Facebook this blog for gastronomical updates.

As for discussion boards I really like Frommers, DISboard, Cruise Critic, and of course Trip Advisor. Here you can post and get recent info from recent travelers and travel professionals alike. They also might have insiders that will give their opinions. This will make your knowledge more well-rounded than simply reading your guidebooks (which I recommend too), or going in totally fresh to an area you may not know or knew a LONG time ago (this I don't recommend at all).

DISboard: They know everything, I swear it. Their members post videos, discuss past/present/or future trips in as much detail as you want. If it is Disney travel check this site out.

Frommer's or Fodor's: These guys actually wrote the book on traveling so their discussion boards are filled with people who have a ton of information as well as questions. A great place to post questions and maybe help out a new friend with their query.

Cruise Critic: I go here to hear what other people's experiences on certain cruises were. I also like it because you can get very specific answers from people that may have just returned from their cruise (such as room size, cleanliness, and whether they dock or moor).

TripAdvisor: This is the site I go to to see if I have to worry about creepy crawlers in the mattress, or mold growing in the shower. Sure you can't please everyone but you CAN please a large percentage of us.

We as a travel community, both able-bodied and mobility impaired, must use all the tools at our disposal if we want to make our travels successful and enjoyable. To ignore any knowledge or experience is just foolish. To all those bloggers and travel board posters out there, I would like to send my own personal thanks for making my travels smoother. 

Disney Cruise wear. 5 clothing items for guys to bring

Like most people we have a tendency to over pack. This is especially true for the first Disney Cruise we took back in 2008. We had been given advise about cruise wear from people who had not been on a Disney Cruise, and therefore were a bit more formal than you need to be on a Disney cruise. Now that isn't to say that you can or should be a total slob on a DCL boat. But unless you really want to put on the Ritz you can leave your tux at home. I do want to quantify I am not saying that you should dress tacky or in any way against local customs. I am going to give you my own personal ideals of what you should bring.

1. A nice polo shirt or short sleeve button up shirt (no Aloha shirts please). This will usually get you into all the dining rooms and also into Paulo without any fuss. It should be clean, free of holes, and logo free if possible. I like the polo option because it folds nicely and because you are in the tropics cotton will be your friend.

2. Cargo shorts. I actually like cotton cargo shorts for the obvious reason, storage. I have several nice pair that are no issue for going to lunch or a casual dinner. Also cotton not denim because it dries faster and stays cooler. Add this to the fact that they pack tightly and you have a winner.

3. Sandals. Sandals ( not flip flops) are a great option to sneakers when traveling in the tropics. A good pair of Keens will set you back $70.00 but are sturdily constructed and offer what few sandals can, toe protection.

4. Khaki or linen pants. These types of long pants will be the most versatile and easiest to pack and most likely to be wrinkle resistant or steamable. they are going to look the nicest so you can wear them to your nice dress up dinner as well as other meals. They can be washed so you can take advantage of laundry service if you get curry sauce on them and they are breathable and look pretty nice with just about anything.

5. Sun Glasses (extra sunglasses). This is a must as sunglasses (as well as batteries, film, SD cards, band aids, etc) can be very pricey when you are in a touristy area. I was forced to buy a pair of sunglasses on St Martin and it ran me about $40 for a cheapo pair. Be prepared for the fact that you may leave them somewhere and buy a pair for in case of emergency.

Honorable mentions:

A. a Hat. You are not going to be used to this type of sun and you will need covering of some type. That is unless you like a third degree sun burn.

B. raincoat. It does rain and if you happen to be in a down pour you will want to have a light rain jacket to keep dry. If you are visiting WDW you should consider a poncho (I know dorky but you will be dry)

C. Age and status appropriate swim wear. What does this mean? Simple, (Guys) no one wants to see a man in a pair of Speedos. No one wants to explain to their child why that man is wearing his undies on the beach. (Ladies) think about what you will be doing on the beach. Are you going to be playing with your kids around other kids/tween/teens/adult males? Do you really want to be in that string bikini and have a body part fall out? Maybe a nice one piece would be a better idea. You can still look like the hot mom but respect your children enough to cover up some. Also please cover up, I really don't want to have to talk to my son about a thong.

Disney Holiday Events on land or at sea.

On occasion when we travel to one of the Disney resorts it happens to coincide with a holiday. We have been to Disneyland during the Christmas season (usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas) when they bring out the winter holiday theming. 

However this is the first time that we will be traveling there during the fall close to the Halloween holiday. Because of this and the fact my son is 4 years old we have decided to take advantage of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. This is essentially an after park hours special event that has spooky theming, special fireworks, and what I think is the coolest feature your ability to dress in costume and trick or treat in WDW. This is not a cheap outing and you really need to address whether or not it is appropriate for your group. In our case it is. Not only do we have a young child who likes to dress up, but my wife and I are extreme Halloween fans ("I am the pumpkin king!").

So we were all set for this special treat, when the Disney Cruise Line gave us an extra surprise. Because we are sailing The Disney Dream in between September 22 and October 31 they are going to be holding special Halloween events. The pirate party will be replaced by a Halloween party hosted by Jack Skelington and Sally (complete with meet and greets), there will also be kids club events, as well as some spooky fun for us adults. Now for those of you who are wondering about the other ships, they will also be getting some holiday fun although no specifics have been announced as of this date. 

The official announcement also hinted at winter holiday events that will be taking place during those holiday time periods so take heart you travelers going in November through January.

More to come soon.

Walt Disney World Vacation Planning: our splurge and how to make it fit in the budget.

Be it add ons, extras, up sells, impulse buys,or plain old splurges when you are on vacation chances are that you will want to get, do, or experience something that isn't on your original budget. When my family goes on vacation, even when we are on a shoestring budget, we like to pick one thing that is a splurge. This can be dining at a specific restaurant, picking out a cool art piece to hang at home, a massage at the spa, a special t-shirt, or buying pictures to remind us how much fun we had. This may mean that you get creative and use your AAA card to get that 15% off, Study the Fodors, or Frommers discussion boards (or the DISboards) for advice or deals, pick up one of those coupon books (you know the ones that your kid's school sells every year) that are filled with discounts, or "pre-purchase" a spur of the moment t-shirt or parade vendor item from the Disney Store or online so that you get it for less than at the park (this is great for younger kids who are not totally aware of how purchasing works).

On our upcoming Walt Disney World trip my wife and I decided that we wanted pictures of all of us together (as you might guess we don't have may of these because someone always has to hold the camera). She did some web research and discovered that WDW offers deals on photo packages, if you pre-purchase them before arriving at the resort. This is great for us as we can just enjoy walking around the park and getting posed and candid shots done without the bother of lugging a camera around and having to ask someone to snap the picture. This picture package will allow us to have pictures done through out the the resort and get them placed on a CD for ease of use. We absolutely loved this idea and snapped at the chance to get memories of what will be our biggest trip as a family. You will need to check in the Disney website to see what pricing, but if you feel like me, in the long run the memories you will share will be priceless to you and your family.