Disney Vacation Specialist: Saving You Time And Money

Sandra’s Top Ten

1. Supervise your children. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but most accidents occur when children are unsupervised.  If you witness other people’s unsupervised children, it’s best not to approach the parents.  Instead, ask location staff to step in….they have lots of experience chatting with parents.

2. Learn the laws and child-safey vehicle rules during your journey and destination. Car seats, airline requirements, age appropriate rules.

3. Play “What If….” game. What if we get separated in a crowd? What if a fire alarm rings in the hotel? What if the oxygen masks deploy in the airplane?

4. Busy is your best friend while travelling with children. However, towing your child[ren]s entire bedroom of toys isn’t necessary for a successful journey. Small / airline safe / car safe activities include; drawing materials [pencil crayons work best, it avoids markers on your car seats and melting crayons], picture books and comics [new and old favourites], DS, mp3. Simple and light is best. You’d be surprised how many hours of fun your child will get from the cocktail umbrella left in her Shirley Temple in the rest stop restaurant or airport lounge. Children are usually too interested in their new surroundings to play with toys. Purchasing something new at the airport or in a rest stop shop works like magic too. My son gets an airline kit of planes, vehicle and signs before every flight. It’s about $5-$10 more at the airport, but well worth the special feeling he get.

5. Rx! Gravol, Tylenol and prescription meds should be carried with you at all times. It’s a good idea to have an extra paper prescription with you in case you lose meds during your trip. A doctor visit prior to your trip is a great idea too.

6. Scheduling your trip around your children’s sleep and meal patterns isn’t always going to happen. You might book the perfect flight only to arrive at the airport to a 5 hour delay or leave the house on a car trip in the middle of the night in hopes the children will sleep, but they stay awake and now you are all exhausted at 10am. Go into your trip expecting the unexpected. My son once spent an entire trip eating muffins and ketchup and lived to tell about it.

7. Clothing.  Consider the weather when packing for your children.  Also, it’s not a sin to do laundry during your trip.  Call ahead for laundry facilities in your resort.  Find out the cost of the machines, detergent and softener sheets.  It doesn’t take a lot of extra room in your luggage to pack a couple of Bounce sheets and a travel sized box of Tide.  Many laundry rooms are by the pools in resorts so you can relax by the pool while doing the laundry.

8.  Insurance.  Check with your work, credit cards, clubs or associations for travel insurance.  Make sure you have medical insurance and trip cancellation/interuption insurance and READ your policy.

9.  Bring it, Buy it, Rent it?  Really think about what you have to pack.  You might be able to rent it….ie: stroller at your destination.  Packing diapers gives you room in your luggage to souveniers.

10. RELAX!  It’s your vacation too. 

I love Disney, always have.  Everything about the place uplifts me.  It’s magical, special and I’m either at Disney or planning a trip to go to Disney.  Do you feel a BUT coming?  Here it comes….BUT….I do believe there comes a time when some folks miss the boat on going to Disney World.

IF Disney is a dream trip, then by all means, GO.  However, if your family wants to visit Florida and do A theme park there are other options.

Like me tell you how this blog came to be.

My cousin invited me to breakfast to discuss her families upcoming Florida trip.  Her family of four; my cousin, her hubby and two teenage sons, are meeting with other family with much younger children in Florida.  The young family is planning a few days at Disney World.  My cousin’s teenagers are interested in only Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.  They are staying in a condo not too far from Disney World.  The teens are very interested in wild thrill rides.

Is Disney for them….no.

I educated my cousin on all the benefits of Disney, however, I pointed her in the direction of Universal Studios….only 13 minute drive from Disney World. 

I explained that the most economical Disney ticket is a four day Magic Your Way Ticket per person.  That’s almost $1000 for their family.  Universal offers a 7-day [consecutive days] hopper for $99.99 per person allowing them access to both Universal Studios and their newer park Islands of Adventure featuring the Hulk ride [so thrilling I won’t go on it], the new technologically advanced ride, Spiderman and Jurassic Park ride. 

I feel that my cousin missed the boat of Disney.  They aren’t freaky into Disney like I am, but want to experience the thrilled of a theme park.  I told her to skip Disney parks and do Universal Studios.

Another BUT….

BUT, she does want a taste of Disney.  So I suggested this;

Book a lovely 7:30pm dinner at one of the restaurants at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.  Arrive at 6:00-6:30pm and ride the monorail around the Seven Seas Lagoon.  That way they get to see a bit of Magic Kingdom without purchasing a ticket.  The monorails are free.  If they have time, they can hop on the Epcot monorail which takes them around the big white “golf ball” Spaceship Earth.  A ferry ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon in a nice idea too.  After tasting a little Disney, they can dine at the Polynesian, then head to the beach to see WISHES fireworks over the castle….free.

It’s okay to miss the boat…..another one will be along shortly.

5 Disney World Myths

MYTH # 1 Staying at a Disney Resort is More Expensive Than Staying Off-site.

Disney has 25 resorts and one gorgeous campground.  That’s over 25,000 rooms!  A common mistake new Disney vacation planners make is thinking that staying off-site is going to save them money.  I have driven by Kissimmee hotels advertising single rooms from $39, but by the time you add your spouse and two kids, that $39 turns into $69 or more for a sub-standard room, cold pool, no customer service and poor transportation to Disney parks.  If you rent a car and drive to the parks yourself, you will be paying $14 for parking at the theme parks.  Add that to your $69 room in Kissimmee and you are paying $83 for that $39 “deal” of a room.  Disney Value Resorts start at $82 per night for excellent quality, comfortable rooms close to all the Disney magic.

Benefits of staying on-site at Disney Resort Accommodations

*  Extra Magic Hours: Each day one of the four Disney theme parks will open one hour early for Disney resort guests. AND Each day another one of the four Disney theme parks will stay open as much as 3 hours after the park closes for Disney resort guests.  If you stay off-site, you do not get this exclusive benefit.

*  Parking at Disney theme parks cost non-Disney resort guests $14 per day, where it’s FREE for Disney resort guests.

*  Excellent on-site free transportation for Disney resort guests to all Disney theme parks, water parks, Disney resorts and Downtown Disney via motor coach, boats, ferries, monorails and even walking.  Staying off-site might offer a shuttle for a fee and are not as reliable as Disney transportation.

* Resort Mugs are about $13 each if you purchase them separately, and offered included in many Disney Dining packages.  You are able to fill your resort mug over and over and over again during your stay at no cost.  Enjoy coffee, decaf, tea, hot chocolate, soda pops, iced tea, lemonade and slushies anytime at your resort.

*  Enjoy charging privleges on your Disney card key [called Key to the World].  Your Key to the World looks like a credit card and is your resort room key, park tickets and if you like, add charging privleges so it acts like a credit card.  No need to carry oddles of cards or money around.

*  You’ll get Free delivery from Disney shops to your Disney resort room.  This is so valuable when you are puchasing souvenirs and don’t want to carry them around the parks all day.  You can simply buy your item [remember you can charge it to your room using your Key to the World] and have it sent to your Disney resort room.

*  Magical Express is Disney’s free airport transportation service with added bonus of Disney picking up your luggage!  You just get off your airplane at Orlando International Airport, go to the Disney Magical Express kiosk to let them know you arrived, get on your motor coach and VIOLA ~ your magical Disney vacation begins!  Disney will deliver your checked luggage up to 3 hours after your arrival at your Disney resort.  After your vacation Magical Express motor coach will bring you back to the airport.

* AND the BEST benefit of staying on-site at Disney Resort Accommodations is just that….being TOTALLY immersed in Disney 24 hours a day!  Beautifully themed resorts with lush award winning gardens, heated pools and spas with elegant and whimsy decor at your finger tips.  And of course, unparalelled distinctively Disney customer service.

When chosing where to stay take these points into consideration:

* Size of travel party.  If you are travelling with more than 6 people you may decide to book a vacation home or all-suites resort in the Disney area for more room.

* Dietary restrictions.  Vacation homes and resorts with kitchen facilities will most certainly be a great pick so families can cook their own meals.

MYTH# 2  Disney Tickets: Less is More….NOT

Let’s get to the bottom of Disney tickets.  Over the years, Disney has offered a variety of ticket promotions; free children’s tickets, buy one get one free, etc.,.  But what seems to work for them these days are park passes called Magic Your Way Tickets. 

You have lots of options depending on your needs.

Magic Your Way BASE tickets mean you may visit one of the four Disney parks per day.

Perhaps you are visiting Disney for one week and feel that seeing all four parks works for you and the rest of the time you plan on golfing, shopping, dining, visiting the ocean, relaxing by the pool.  Then the 4-day Magic Your Way Base ticket is the minimum ticket you require $239.63 [or $59.91 per day].  That’s a far better price than paying $84.14 for a one day ticket four times. saving you $110. 

However, you look at the chart below and see that a 7-day BASE ticket is $249.21.  Less than $10 more for 3 extra park days.  You can purchase this BASE ticket and RE-VISIT your favourite parks during the week….even if it’s just for a meal and fireworks show after a day of shopping or golfing. 

Another option for visiting each park more than once is the HOPPER option.  However, that’s $55 extra per person for a 4-day ticket [$13.85 per day] Way more than the $10 you’ll spend on adding 3-days to get a 7-day BASE ticket.  There are definite benefits to HOPPERS which I’ll discuss later.  However, for a leisurely Disney vacation, the 7-day BASE ticket makes economic sense.

Magic Your Way Base Tickets give each member of your travel party entry to one Theme Park a day each day of your ticket. And now the longer you play, the less you pay per day! The average price per day for a 7-day Magic Your Way Base Ticket is less than half the price of the same single-day ticket. It’s like saving over 50%! 

 

 

Days Price Per Day USF Total Price ages 3-9 Total    Price   10+

MYTH # 3  We Don’t Have Time for Water parks

Disney has two water parks; Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.  Admission to one water park is $45 for the non-package price.  Adding the Water Parks and More option for $55 gives you admission to Disney water parks and more during your stay.   You can visit a Disney water park daily….swimming with sharks and stingrays, playing in the nations largest wave pool or sliding down [and UP] one-of-a-kind water slides. 

The MORE part of this ticket option is awesome.  You also get admission to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney Quest’s Indoor Interactive theme park, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course with reserved tee time. 

That is A LOT OF OPTIONS!  A 7-day Magic Your Way Base ticket with Water parks and More option for only $7.91 per day.

These options are little cost for a big return in the FUN department AND they do not take a lot of time to do.  A couple of hours in the afternoon at a Disney water park will offer you a relaxing 

break from a crowded theme park.  An afternoon of golf before Fantasmic is a welcome treat.  A rainy morning at Disney Quest’s Indoor Interactive theme park!  See the Altanta Braves in their Spring Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.  Excellent value!

Consider this; Early breakfast at your Disney resort or a character breakfast at a deluxe resort.  Then over to Magic Kingdom and beat the crowds with Extra Magic Hours, that morning you get in at 8am and NO CROWDS.  At 11am when the park looks busier, head over to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort via monorail for a snack or light lunch.  Then enjoy 9-holes of golf at Oak Trail, across from the Grand Floridian using your Water parks and More option.  Head to your Disney resort for a late afternoon nap.  Enjoy dinner at one of the excellent restaurants at Epcot, since you have a hopper option on your ticket you can enter as many parks on one day, and stay for 9pm ILLUMINATIONS!  Take a complimentary boat ride from Epcot to Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s since it has Extra Magic Hours that evening and will stay open until 11pm.  Ride Aerosmith’s Rock n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before enjoying a leisurely walk around the park.  Head back to your Disney resort in comfort and ease.  It really can happen that way.

OR

Sleep late after a big Disney day yesterday.  Have breakfast at your Disney resort with your Quick Service Dining, enjoying a couple of extra cups of coffee in your resort mug or breakky at Animal Kingdom.  Head over to Typhoon Lagoon, swim with sharks and stingrays, jump around 6 foot waves, slide thrilling slides or find yourself a cozy lounge under a palm tree enjoying a snack.  Take a nap at your resort mid-afternoon before heading to Magic Kingdom for dinner at Pecos Bills, Pinocchio’s Haus or one of the many counter service restaruants.  Grab a seat on the curb waiting for SpectroMagic parade and WISHES unique fireworks show….keep a look out for Tinker Bell!  End the evening with a Mickey Ice Cream bar, using one of your snack credits from your dining plan.

Your options are not rushed, they enchance your Disney experience.

MYTH # 4  Park Hopping Takes Too Much Time

Early I wrote about the benefits of purchasing a 7-day base ticket for Disney guests who plan a leisure one week vacation.  Now I’d like to point out the amazing fun you can have with park hopping.  Personally, I love this option.  As a Disney veteran I love waking early and taking advantage of Disney’s Extra Magic Hours at one park then visiting another park later in the day when the first park is busy.  Disney opens one park an hour early and another park up to 3 hours later in the evening for Disney resort guests.  However, these parks are at their busiest and most crowded on Extra Magic Hour days.  By having the hopper option on your ticket, you have the benefit of enjoying the quietest times and places in Disney World parks.  My family has also challenged ourselves to visitng all four park on one single day, which can’t be done without a park hopper option. 

Now to address the TIME factor.  Since Disney has awesome transporation service for resort guests, it take very little time to travel from one park to another.

Here is an example of one Disney day we enjoyed during our July 2009 trip:  After a light breakfast snack and morning coffee, we took the Disney motor coach from our resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to ride Tower of Terror, Rock n’ Roller Coaster and Star Tours [hubby and our kids did the last one, I walked around the park taking pictures].  Once we got our daily dose of thrill rides, we decided to enjoy a leisurely lunch at Epcot.  We took the complimentary boat from Disney Hollywood Studios to Epcot enjoying the sites along the way and the entertaining commentary of the boat’s pilot.  At Epcot rode Test Track and samples the free international sodas at The Cool Zone.  Lunch was enjoyed at Mexico’s counter service.  It was getting late in the afternoon, but our children wanted to ride Splash Mountain before a swim at our resort.  So we boarded the monorail for the seven minute ride to Magic Kingdom.  Splash Mountain is AWESOME!  We were tired, so decided to take the motor coach back to our resort.  We rested and swam at the resort and then had dinner.  While my kids and hubby rested that evening, I took the motor coach back to Epcot to see Illuminations and then the monorail to Magic Kingdom for a late night SpectroMagic.  It was a magical Disney day!

MYTH # 5  Vacation Packages Are Too Expensive

I have spent years pricing and searching for the best Disney deals and I have to say Disney has finally perfected their packages so that THEY are the best deals out there.  It’s so satisfying when I offer a client;

Disney resort accommodations

Disney Magic Your Way tickets

Disney Dining Plan

Airfare and airport transfers

AND a complimentary personalized Itinerary

Everything in one package at the best possible price.  I have broken it down several times and Disney packages are always the best value for supreme service.

Contact me, Sandra Clarke, for comments or questions 416-993-9718 sclarke@travelonly.net

It’s been a while since I last wrote.  This article is about doing Disney, without the parks.  “WHAT” you say!  Here’s what happened.

My family of four, 2 adults and 2 kiddies, had a Southwest Airline credit that needed to be used up before the end of the year.  So we decided on a July Disney World trip.

Summer deals at Disney resorts are awesome, so we booked a week at Disney’s POP Century.  Having stayed there the previous March, we knew we would love it!

We had four days remaining on our non-expiry Disney passes, but only wanted to use one day….this was meant to be a VERY relaxing trip.

This is how we filled out time:

 1.  Downtown Disney

We enjoyed boat rides on the Sassagoula River to Downtown Disney where we visited the magic shop, Disney store, Christmas store and the NEW T-Rex restaurant.

2.  Disney’s Boardwalk

FREE at Disney!  We parked at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and walked around the lake enjoying the free entertainment.  The Beach Club resort was the scene of a bon fire and outside movies.  Our son played in the sand while we watched Illuminations over Epcot.

3.  Swimming is always high on our list of TO DO’s at Disney World.  The pools are huge, warm and manned with life-guards.

4.  Resort hopping is always a fun TO DO.  We dine at one resort and dessert at another.

5.  FREE boat rides around the Seven Seas Lagoon, Crescent Lake and Sassagoula River provided amble picture taking ops.

6.  Restaurants off-site are fun too.  As much as I love Disney, it’s nice to see the rest of Florida.

7.  Disney Nature Preserve is 30 minutes from Walt Disney World.  It’s FREE and gives one a great look at Florida’s nature.

Stay at a Disney Resort for FREE

Eat at Disney World for FREE

Play in the Disney Parks for FREE

AND Here’s $23 to enjoy!

The only thing you have to do is buy Disney park tickets each day.

“Now how is this possible? “ you ask.   I just completed a package quote for a family of four [2 adults, 2 children under 10] to stay at Disney’s POP Century Resort for a week in December.  The package includes free Quick Service Dining; that’s two full counter service meals and one snack per person per day AND 7 Magic Your Way Disney park passes [one ticket per person per day to enjoy Disney’s four theme parks] .  The quote total $1549.96 usf.  That’s only $55.35 per person per day.  If you were to purchase just one Disney ticket, the cost is $84.14 usf for adults and $72.42 usf for children.  The savings averages $23 per person per day.  Economically, leisurely and quality speaking, staying, playing and eating at Disney World is the wisest choice.

Clients often ask about staying off-site or renting houses as a way of saving money for a Disney Vacation.  While a house would give you a lot of room, you will have to rent a car.  Disney’s Magic Express picks you up and brings you back to Orlando International Airport if you stay at a Disney resort as a part of your package.  Disney Resorts are often the least expensive accommodations in the area and you are immersed in 24 hours of Disney.

 If your vacation is primarily about visiting Disney, the best way to go is a package deal.  Happy Vacation Planning!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

When budgeting for a Florida vacation, most people cringe at the thought of putting money out on renting a car.

If you are staying at Disney World and do not intend to leave the 47-sqaure mile resort, you can use Disney’s Magic Express, a comfy bus that transports you to and from Orlando International Airport. 

But if you are planning to visit non-Disney theme parks, the beach, restaurants or tour around the state, you will want to rent a car.

I have rented all types of cars from all rental companies and have perfected getting the best car and the best price.  Here are tips to help you do the same!

 1.  CHOSING A COMPANY.  Visit the websites of all the car rental companies you have faith in and look for promotions.  My favourite is Alamo, however, we have also had great luck with deals at Budget, Dollar, Hertz and others. 

2.  BOOK EARLY.  It doesn’t cost a thing to book a car online, so once you see a few prices in your budget, book them immediately and cancel if better prices come up.  I find booking a car as soon as I know my trip dates is the best way to go.  I booked my rental car in April 2009 for my July 2009 Florida trip for $200 for the week.  I monitored the price and it only went up between April and July.  By the time July rolled around the car was $350 for a week, but I paid my original $200 because I booked early.  However, it’s gone the other way too.  I booked early only to see the prices go down closer to the trip.  If you don’t want to spend time monitoring the website, ask your travel agent is she will to it for you.

3.  KNOW YOUR REWARD CARDS.  Many credit cards and other reward card plans offer car rental deals.  Get to know them and compare to car rental websites.

4.  INSURANCE.  Before jumping in and paying the car rental company insurance policy fees, check you own car coverage for endorsements that covers rental cars.  Often credit cards offer insurance as well, just be sure you book the rental car with that credit card and book the car in the name on that credit card.  Check other reward cards and your benefits at work for insurance coverage. 

5.  UPGRADE.  I always book the least expensive car and ALWAYS get upgraded at the rental car company counter.  To save money, I book my trips on weekdays rather than weekends.  Most people book their trips Saturday to Saturday renting up all the least expensive cars.  By the time I get there on a weekday, the only cars left are mid-sized or higher.  The counter attendant will always ask if I want to upgrade, I say “no” because I know they will give my an upgrade at no extra charge due to availability.  Even if you book on the weekends, if your flight is after noon, you’ll likely get a free upgrade because all the economy and compact cars have been rented in the morning.  I have driven a convertible, mini-vans, deluxe and mid-sized deluxe rental cars paying economy prices. 

6. BE NICE at the counter.  If they don’t offer you a free upgrade and it looks like they won’t, it’s okay to ask for it.  Once my 9-year old son really wanted to rent a PT Cruiser.  We were at the counter and super nice and the attendant smiled and said, “Go pick out a PT Cruiser.”  We paid economy prices.

7.  GAS UP.  The rental car company will ask if you want to gas up the car yourself upon return or return the car with whatever gas in left in the car for “your convenience”.  While it is convenient to to drop off the car “as is”, it will cost you $50-$75 extra at time of rental.  It’s far less expensive to gas up yourself prior to dropping off the rental car.

8.  WALK AROUND THE CAR before you drive it off the lot.  If you notice any dings, missing paint or dents, be sure to tell the attendant and watch him/her note it on your policy.  You don’t want to paid for someone else’s accident.

9.  GPS.  To save a little more money, pack your own GPS from home.  You know it well and won’t have to pay at the rental counter.

10.  TOLLS.  There are a few toll roads around the airport.  Ask if your car has the express pass on the windshield or if you have to pay the tolls yourself. 

We enjoy the freedom of a rental car in Florida.  ENJOY!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

Sandra Clarke

My family returned to Disney World at least once every two years.  This year saw us visit Disney three times!

Because we visit so often, I had to devise a way to make our trips as inexpensive as possible.

I found ways to save on airfare, hotels, car rentals and food [those blogs to follow] Then came time to figure out how to save on Disney Tickets….or as Disney calls them, Disney Passes.

The easiest and least expensive way to purchase Disney trips is by package deals through EXPERIENCED Disney Travel Specialists.  Since my family has seen most of Disney already, we don’t visit the parks as much as prior visits.  Instead we like to experience all the “extras” and “free stuff” Disney offers.  Therefore we purchased our tickets/passes a different way.

I bought a 10-day hopper plusses pass that doesn’t expire for each person in my family a couple of years ago when the Canadian Dollar was at par with the US Dollar.  Our total cost in Canadian Funds was $1700.  Today the same passes total $2500 Canadian Funds.  That’s an $800 difference in my favour.  Hopper means we can hop from park to park in the same day.  Plusses are Disney’s other attractions; water parks, mini-golf, Disney Quest, Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

We used 3 park days, hopping from park to park each day the first time we used these passes.  We went to Magic Kingdom all three days, Disney Studios twice, Epcot twice and Animal Kingdom Twice.  NINE TIMES AT THE PARKS IN ONLY THREE DAYS!  It was such a busy trip we decided the next Disney trip would be all about water parks and only one day at Disney World parks.  However in that one day, we went to ALL FOUR PARKS!

We currently have 6 Disney park hoppers left and 7 plusses left.  That is two to three more trips. 

Disney passes only increase in price, my passes don’t expire and don’t increase in price.  We will likely visit Disney World three more times in the next 5 years. 

My $1700 investment will be worth at least $2800 in 5 years.  [that’s based on 2.5% annual increase in prices and no change in the currency exchange].  That’s a savings of $1100.  And THAT’S how I save $$$$ on Disney World Tickets.

If you don’t plan to visit as often as we do, your best bet is to ask a Disney Travel Specialist for the most economically way to visit Disney World.

Happy Trip Planning!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

I’ve been lucky to have enjoyed many Walt Disney World trips over the past 30+ years.  It’s safe to say, I’ve seen it all.  So what does a Mickey-Veteran do in Disney World now?  Here are 10 of my favourite things to do in Walt Disney World Resorts as veterans.

1.  What’s New?  I scan www.disney.com for new attractions, shows, restaurants and resorts and give them a whirl!  Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has recently added 384 Pirate themed rooms!  My son and I are starting to consider a Halloween trip and checking out the new rooms!

2. Classics!  We can’t visit Disney World without a couple rides on Splash Mountain and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!  We have our favs and MUST DO’s written in stone!

3. Riding up front with the monorail driver and get our co-pilot’s licences.  Okay, we must have 50 of them, but we can’t resist riding with the monorail driver at least once during a trip.  It’s free and fun.

4  Boardwalk Resort Area.  We really enjoy strolling thru the five deluxe resorts surrounding the Boardwalk Resort area.  Taking a ride on the Friendship boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios just for fun is another free and fun thing to do.  It was awesome watching the sun set while riding the boat.  The lights of the Boardwalk Resort area topped our day!

5.  Recreation.  Disney is so much more than theme parks and ride lines.  Archery, horse back riding, boat rentals, fishing excursions, golf, spas, health clubs and more.  We rent Sea Raycer Mini Power Boats.  Our daughter was as young as 12 years old when she first piloted a Sea Raycer.

6.  Swimming with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon.  Shark Reef is a popular part of Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark so no extra admission fee to swim with sharks and sting rays.  My children were 7 years old when they first swam at Shark Reef.

7.  Character Meals.  We have enjoyed just about every Disney character meal.  It’s always fun to thank Cinderella for inviting us to breakfast in her castle or dancing with Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort.

8.  Resort Hopping.  It’s always fun to visit a new Disney resort.  We like having dinner in one resort, touring around a bit, then having dessert at a different Disney resort.  It’s relaxing and still all about Disney.

9.  Watching WISHES from the beach.  I’m a big fan of FREE Disney Things To Do and this is one of them.  We like driving to the Polynesian Resort, riding the monorails and then grabbing a quick take-out dinner to the Polynesian Resort beach to lounge and watch WISHES fireworks over Magic Kingdom.

10.  MY RESORT MUG.  I love my resort mugs!  I’ve got quite a collection.  For $13US, I get a souvenir and all the free coffee in the morning, sugar-free lemonade by the pool and a decaf tea in the evening.

After YEARS of lugging suitcases, strollers, car seats and groceries to Florida on a plane, we finally perfected stress-free packing EVERYTHING into carry-ons.

How?  Here are 5 tips to help you keep packing simple;

1.  RENT IT!  You’re trading cash for that stress-free feeling and it’s worth it.  Disney rents awesome strollers for $15.00 per day for a single seat and $31 for a double.  If you’re going to need a stroller for more than one day you can rent them at the “multi-day” rate of $13.00 per day for a “single” and $27.00 per day for a “double”.  My daughter was 8 years old and still using a Disney stroller.  It gave us about 4 extra park hours!

Car rental companies rent car seats.  Bring a few wipes for cleaning and your own peace of mind.

If your budget allows, consider renting these items instead of forcing them onto planes and worrying if they get lost.

We also like renting a car during our Disney vacation.  Although Disney offers an excellent Orlando airport transport service called Magic Express, we like visiting the beach, grocery shopping and having a few off-site meals.

In 1998 when our daughter was 4 years-old, we purchased a $9 umbrella stroller at Walmart in Kissimmee with the intent to leave it in Florida.  But it worked so well, we brought it home….that’s in the day when we lugged EVERYTHING onto the plane.  Now I would really leave it in Florida.

2.  KISS - Keep It Simple Silly!  During my 1986 seven-day Florida trip, I packed 7 pairs of shoes, four bathing suits and 28 outfits.  NOW, I pack one pair of undergarments per day, one pj’s, one bathing suit, one outfit per HALF the days of the trip [if the trip is 8 days, I pack 4 mix and match outfits….shirts & shorts] I wear my comfy Disney Crocs and a nice dress or outfit on the plane, hanging it up as soon as I check-in to the hotel.  I don’t bring extra shoes unless I know I need a nice dress-code outfit.  Even then, I make sure the shoes are easy-to-pack flats.

PACKING LIST FOR 7 nights/8 days JULY 2009 DISNEY TRIP

* passports

* itinerary

* wallet, usf & id & travel insurance

* prescriptions

* online boarding passes

* Disney tickets

* paper, crayons, DS for son

* cell phone

* camera

* mp3

* hair brush

* peanut-free granola bars [in case someone on the plane has peanut allergy]

* bathing suit

* pj’s

* 8 undies

* 3 shorts

* 4 t’s

* changers for cell and camera

* toiletries & extras: toothbrush, floss, sewing kit, clippers, emery board. 

* AIRLINE REQUIRED BAGGIE FOR LIQUIDS: 100ml or less: sunscreen, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, deodorant.  Every else can be purchased in Florida.

3.  AIRLINE WEBSITE!  Check out your airlines website for carry-on allowance.  We are a family of four, two adults, one teen and one child.  Each of us is allowed one small suitcase [dimensions will be listed on the airline website] which is large enough for our clothing and toiletries.  We are also allowed one personal carry-on, like a purse or a laptop.  My husband and teenager bring their own carry-ons with a laptop bag containing their laptops and all the wires and gagets needed.  My son and I bring own carry-ons of clothing and I have a small purse/backpack with passports, wallet, phone, Tylenol, Gravol, paper, crayons, peanut-free snacks, DS…all the little necessities for the flight.  Our son doesn’t bring a personal item for carry-on because we know we need room for soveniers on the way home.  I have all his items in my personal carry-on.

4.  LAUNDRY!  Disney has laundry facilities at all their resorts.  What’s that…..you don’t want to do laundry during vacation?  Yep, I thought that too.  But it’s not really that bad.  The laundry is usually close to a pool, so you aren’t spending that much time actually doing work.  You just load the washer, enjoy a swim, load the dryer, enjoy a beverage in your resort mug by the pool.  Last March we did laundry in the resort room’s tub and just used the dryer.  Weighing the time doing laundry on vacation and lugging too many suitcases of clothing….I’ll do laundry by the pool anytime!

5.  GROCERIES!  I used to take my jam and bread on vacation with me.  Now they stay at home and I make a 30-minute trip to a grocery store for snacks and picnic items.  Since I live in Canada, I like to buy cereals and cookies that can’t be purchased up here.  My grocery list looks something like this:

* peanut butter

* bread

* cereal

* milk

* cookies

* fruit

* crackers

* veggies

* cheese

One of my favourite meals is veggies, fruit, crackers and cheese by the pool [doing laundry…lol] in the afternoon.  I’m saving money, time and getting fresh produce all at the same time!