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.

Disney's free dining plan

When I first heard about the Disney dining plan I looked into it and couldn't see any benefits to it. You don't get a discount on food. You pay for a set amount of food upfront. And I couldn't see paying for food I might not eat. So we had ruled it out, but when my new WDW travel agent talked to my wife about it, she looked into it again. We scavenged other blogs, discussion forums, and even the Disney webpage. What we found out was amazing. If you do your research, and travel during off peak times, and are very lucky, the dining plan could cover your food.....for FREE! Take a minute to let that sink in. I couldn't believe it at first. I thought "well they must limit your choices". Nope. "You must have to eat quick service only (Disney speak for fast food)" Nope. They will pay for a snack, a quick service, and a sit down meal per day per person. AND you have a refillable cup that you refill at designated places. FANTASTIC!!

 

The catch is you must purchase it at the time you book your travel package. If you book out as far as my wife and I do, they may not have it available. Also it is not a guarantee that if they did it the last five years they will do it again. You gotta buy it on faith and hope like heck they do it again, and rebook your package with the free meal plan. If you are good at researching, and pick your times judiciously, with a bit of luck you can get the meal plan free. It is saving us over a thousand dollars for eight days in Walt Disney World.

I would probably not do this while visiting Disneyland because there are cheaper eats within walking distance. But when you are enjoying the bubble of WDW, I think it is a great move.

6 Ways to Add On to Your Disney Vacation

We all know that when you are on vacation you tend to let your budgeting slide some. I am as guilty of this as anyone when it comes to impulse purchases while on vacation (I mean really where am I going to wear gold Mickey Mouse Ears?). A lot of people tend to swing the other way to far when this occurs -- those are the "NO!! I cant buy anything, or do anything while I am enjoying my vacation" sort. There is a middle ground when it comes to adding and purchasing while on your vacation. Let me share a few tips with you about what we are doing on this trip.

First, food. When we are on the cruise we will not have to worry about paying for any on-board meals because that is included with the ticket. This doesn't extend to the nice Mojito, or Cosmo that you want to nurse while you are reading by the pool. That is an extra add on. We have figured into our vacation budget that we will both probably have two drinks a day while on the ship, and another three or so while we are visiting the park (can you say Grand Mariner Slush at Epcot? I can, YUM!!). Once we have reached our maximum if we want another it comes out of our souvenir money. Yes you heard right, you either get a nice glass of wine, or a t-shirt. This is what we are demonstrating to our son as choices and repercussions, and it is a good thing for kids (and some adults) to know. Will this be easy? I don't think so, but to have a really great trip this is how we have chosen to work our bar tab.

Now on to the real food savings AND a refillable beverage cup. Walt Disney World has a dining plan that is good for its parks and resorts. With their most popular dining plan, you get one quick service meal, one table service meal, and one snack per person per day. This adds about a hundred bucks a day to your vacation budget, UNLESS you plan a time when the resorts are including the dining plan with a vacation package. Then those meals are free, and you can use them at all the parks, resorts, and some participating Downtown Disney restaurants. Also you can use the snacks to purchase things that are wrapped up like Rice Krispie treats and take home with you. So if my wife and I want to go to Jiko we have the dining plan (all we have to worry about is a tip for the server). I specifically like that we have one table meal so we MUST all sit down and interact with one another and slow down. If you are doing a WDW trip,check to see if they are offering free dining plans during your window. If it is a choice between that or 30% off your room, do the dining as it is a much more cost-effective option.

Child Care. I have discovered that family vacations are much smoother if mom and dad can get away from the kiddo for a few hours. To this end the wonderful folks at WDW have for their guests (at certain resorts) a kids club where you can check your kid in to play, while you go have a nice kid-unfriendly meal. The kids club is an extra cost, but I think familial bliss is worth it. Now if you happen to be staying off-property there are several prescreened childcare options for you too. These are not specifically recommended by Walt Disney World and if you get them to give you the information you have to sign a waiver to get the names of these places but they do in-room sitting or can come to your vacation home to watch your kids. I haven't done this at Disney World, but did on other trips and can say that if you research a bit you really can find a good babysitter while on vacation. The pricing I have found is not terribly bad -- you are looking at about $40 for a few hours of kid-free fun. Well worth it in my book.

Souvenirs. This is where most people lose their minds. I go into it with this set of criteria in mind. First, will I use it at home? Second can I buy it online, or at the Disney Store? Let me address the first question. This is basically asking if what you purchase will be used when you are not surrounded by giant cartoon characters in close approximation to a fairy tale castle/tree/giant golf ball. A cap, t-shirt, sweatshirt, or print all can be useful away from the parks. Bedazzled Mickey Ears, a Giant Mad Hatter hat, or a Disney Princess gown are not things that are generally used once you you step foot off the park. Also ALL of these things are expensive, so don't you want to use your new purchase for more than a few hours? I sure do.

Palo. On the Disney Cruise Line all food is free, except the adults-only fine dining establishments such as Palo. At Palo you pay $25-$30 per person and eat food that would cost you three times that. If you want to linger over a glass of wine while looking over the ocean this is a purchase you could and should do (if you can get reservations). If your taste in food runs a little less frilly it may be that you could pass this up for something else you feel passionate about. It depends on the individual desire.

Spa Treatment. I received my first massage on the Disney Wonder. A wonderful hot stone couples massage. It made me so relaxed that the muscle spasms and general tension in my body go away for several days. This was different for me since I use my spasms during transfers. This is an expensive, EXPENSIVE luxury. I was only able to take advantage of it because it was a gift. That being said, if you can save the money beforehand, it is well worth it. Also if you are nice to the spa people you may be treated a little extra special (just saying, be nice and they may upgrade you to a pedicure too).

Special Party while in park. There are special times of the year that have events that add to the price of admission. It usually is around a holiday or a special event such as the dessert showing of Fantasmic, or Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. The basic rule of thumb on making this kind of add-on is simple. Do you love this event/holiday/character/etc. enough to justify the expense? If so add it on. My family will be at Disney World over the Halloween holiday, we LOVE Halloween and celebrate it like fiends anyhow. It is a no brainer that we are going to add this on. How many 4-year-olds can say that they got to trick-or-treat Disney World.

Much more to come.