The Disney Driven Life

Community Blog for Neurotic Disney People

Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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Some new discounts were announced online yesterday, extending a particularly attractive offer to those who could find 5 days to visit Walt Disney World between now and August 14.

I love excuses. I had a photography professor who would offer an extension only if you could come up with an excuse that he had not heard before. It did not have to be anywhere near, true, just original.

My DH and I play a game when you make a mistake, like bouncing a check or getting a parking ticket. You have to explain what happened as if you are in middle school.  For example, “You know how sometimes, even though you put a lot of quarters in the meter, it gets really sunny all of the sudden, and you don’t notice it went red, even though you really checked it?” Bonus points for abusing common phrases, like Ben Affleck did in Good Will Hunting when he tried to represent his friend on a job interview.

So, I should not have been surprised when he called me on my plan to turn the family around and REALLY give Earth Day the credit it deserves? Obviously, we all need to go to Animal Kingdom, on whatever day that is, and use our Give A Day, Get A Disney Day passes (yet to be acquired) to pay for our entry.  I think I came up with a scenario that came to about 300 unrealistic dollars.

Luckily, we didn’t discuss it in front of the kids, because my husband’s plan was to say, “If you go, it will cost $300. If we go, you will want to buy the kids presents, and have breakfast with Goofy, and get some shirts, and before you know it, it will be $2,000.”  He did not point out that I still don’t bring the reusable bags to the grocery store.

The man I married continued to remind me that it is not out of the question to take the children down in April, for Earth Day, or Administrative Professional Day, or Poetry Month, but it would be instead of our trip (already booked) in August, which is a really a great time for us to go. Before he could say, “See ya’ real soon,” I was on the phone, running with his idea to plan a girl’s, I mean, women’s only trip.

It took about 10 minutes to talk my friend in Texas into meeting me at Walt Disney World.  She has never been, but is 100% supportive of my obsession/need to get out of the house without the boys once in a while. Luckily, Neurotic Disney Principles support the fact that once in a while, a child-free trip is, well, OK.

In reality, there are some special days aside from Halloween and Christmas Day, when a Disney trip can be extra special without being extra expensive.

Here are a few to try out of whoever co-signs your mortgage or lease!

April 11 is Barbershop Quartet Day. Visit the Dapper Dans at Magic Kingdom.  A great day to take a child for his or her first haircut on Main Street!  Even the receipt is magical, plus, the little one gets mouse ears to keep.

May 9 is National Train Day, which you can celebrate by taking a 20 minute ride on the 1.5 mile track around the Magic Kingdom, riding the monorail, or visiting Animal Kingdom’s Wildlife Express to try to sneak a glimpse at the new baby white-cheeked gibbon, and wish Melaka a Happy Mother’s Day.  Maybe you can pick up the newest Dooney & Bourke bag at the Grand Floridian gift shop while you are there! It would make you MY favorite kid.

June 9 is Donald F. Duck Day, and there are so many ways to celebrate!  Donald first appears in “The Wise Hen” on this date in 1934.  It may be tough to book brunch at the Tusker House in  Disney’s Animal Kingdom on this day, but you can also great him at Cape May Café, Chef Mickey’s (of course) or even in front of the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot.

July 1 is Canada Day, and my wedding anniversary. While any time around the fourth of July is busy, booking a few days before and visiting Epcot on July 1 is great plan, especially if you are an Off-Kilter fan. If you can’t wait that day, Shannon Sullivan, of the County Mayo Sullivans, gives you permission to see these pipers on March 17, which is St. Patrick’s Day.

Keep in mind that all of these dates are within the window of the latest promotions, such as up to 40% off on deluxe resorts, or my favorite, a $500 gift card for stays of 5 days or more with park ticket at a moderate resort.  All but Train Day will be the same next year. The best idea is to make your own holiday, and celebrate a personal victory in your own life.

If you are at Animal Kingdom on Earth Day, April 22, I’ll be the NDM #174.traveling with a colleague trying to hide her First Visit button. Say hello, or send me a tweet @meltdownfreeDis.

Shannon S. (NDM#174), is a mom, special educator, and happy wife living in the DC area, who blogs at www.meltdownfreeDisney.com, and tweets often @meltdownfreeDis.



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Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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Contributed by: Rick H. (NDD#39). Rick is the creator of the Travel With Rick Vlog and brings us his weekly Neurotic Disney Vacation Tip that is exclusively found at The Disney Driven Life.

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Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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You’re winding down a wonderful vacation at Walt Disney World with just one more day to go. So, how do you decide where to spend the last day? I guess that depends on how long your stay is and how you’ve planned out your Walt Disney World vacation. If it’s a short stay or your trips are far and few between you might have everything planned out from the time you arrive until the moment you leave Disney property. A longer stay, let’s say a week or more, might allow you some flexibility in planning and allocating your time. However, a definite “don’t do” is going to Disney without a plan.

Everyone has their own ideas and plans on how they want to spend their last day on Disney property. Some people like to spend their last day there shopping while others try to get in one last round of golf. My wife and I have friends whose family likes to spend the last day at their resort relaxing by the pool and taking a final walk through the hotel grounds. We on the other hand try to squeeze a little more magic in at one of the parks before taking that long, depressing bus ride to the airport but, we don’t really plan out our last day with the exception of breakfast because we all know it’s all about the food.

Part of planning our trip is to leave the last day relatively free so we can decide as a family which park we would like to spend our last hours of vacation in. Everyone in my family agrees that Epcot is our favorite park and that’s where I’m sure you would guess we would spend our last day. Wrong! For some reason we always wind up at the Magic Kingdom. Although my kids are older now the Magic Kingdom has always been our unanimous choice. Maybe it’s the smell of the popcorn, taking that one final leisurely stroll on Main Street USA, the lure of having just one more Dole Whip, riding Pirates of the Caribbean again, or visiting the Haunted Mansion one more time. What ever it is there is something truly special and very magical about ending our vacation in the Magic Kingdom.

There is so much to do on Disney property that it can become overwhelming choosing what’s best for you and your family. Even after your trip itinerary is set there are still so many factors that can cause the very best of plans to go astray. Remember to plan wisely and to give everyone traveling with you time to relax and recharge their batteries. I promise it will make everyone have a happier vacation. The last thing you want is a grumpy group that just can’t go on and whose last day of vacation will be a memorable one but, for the wrong reasons.

Please keep in mind that Disney property is massive and it is impossible to do everything on property in just one visit. What ever you decide to do on your last day, make it magical so your memories will last until you return again one day to the happiest place on earth!

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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Contributed by: Eric H. (NDI#2). Eric is our resident Disney restaurants, recess and relaxation expert.

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About six months ago I had a conversation with my brother and sister-in-law about their upcoming vacation. They were planning a trip to Walt Disney World and that other place that as a huge Disney fan I cannot mention by name but, it’s where you can find some of Disney’s recently acquired characters such as Spiderman. This was to be their first trip back to the “holy land” since vacationing there in 2001.

As the so-called family expert on Disney they asked me for advice. Now, I thought they were going to ask for help planning out their time at Disney World but instead they were most interested in finding out if there was anything special they should bring. First, you have to understand that my sister-in-law is one of “those people” who just don’t get what Disney is all about. That doesn’t make her a bad person, but it has made it difficult for my brother, nephew, and nieces to truly experience the magic. I even tried convincing them to stay on property but they had an excuse for everything. I know people have their reasons for staying off property but I believe you can’t truly immerse yourself in the Disney magic unless you’re staying on property.

I tried to advise my brother and sister-in-law on what days they should visit each park and I even offered to help them choose places to eat. Unfortunately, they didn’t want to hear any of it. Their only plan was to show up at whichever park they felt like visiting that day. Actually, my sister-in-law was more concerned with the pool in their hotel than she was with Disney World. All I could say to myself is “those poor dumb clucks.” I would have used another word but this is a family blog.

So, they wanted to know if there was anything special they should bring. As a true follower of the Disney faith I emphasized the one thing they absolutely had to bring. As a matter of fact, it was something they needed to get right away. They needed to study it and learn from it as thousands upon thousands have done before them. What I had to make clear to my brother and sister in law was that this item was something so great, it could save their lives. I also told them that of all the items they needed to pack this was the far most important and the only thing worse than forgetting this item would be leaving one of their young children home alone. Of course, I’m referring to the bible of the Disney religion, ‘The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World’ co-authored by the legendary Len Testa (Visit http://www.touringplans.com/.)

Then, I gave them a copy of something else that is an absolute must have in the parks. One might say these are the Disney World Seven Commandments that to Disney fans all across the nation and around the world are known as the Sacred Seven immortalized by the Wonder Woman of Disney Wisdom, JL Knopp who brought them down from the top of Space Mountain to share with the entire Disney fan population (see them here).

Here are some other essentials you should always have with you at the Disney World theme parks:

- Sunscreen. Even on an overcast day you can roast like a chicken. Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen strong enough to protect you and your loved ones from the UV rays.

- Sun glasses, a hat, or visor to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays.

- Water bottles to keep you hydrated in the very hot Florida sun. Some people like myself like to carry as little as possible around the parks so as an alternative you can go to any counter service restaurant and ask a cast member for a cup of ice water, and best of all its free.

- Always have on your person some cash, credit cards, or your Key to the World to purchase food, beverages, souvenirs, etc.

- A manageable backpack or tote to carry some of your belongings.

- It frequently rains in Florida so bring a rain poncho for each member of your traveling party. Sure you can purchase these on property, but you can save yourself a lot of money buying them at a local dollar store.

- A light sweatshirt or jacket can come in handy at night or when inside air conditioned restaurants and attractions.

- If someone in your party has dietary restrictions then bring some snacks specific to their needs. Keep in mind that Disney has always been very mindful of those with special needs.

Well, my brother and sister-in-law didn’t take my advice and they didn’t ride the Monorail, or even have a single sit down meal at one of Disney World’s fine restaurants. They also missed out on some of the attractions. Even though their stay was short it’s a shame they never got to see more of what Disney has to offer. A little pre-planning goes a long way.

Whether you’re a first time visitor or you haven’t been to Walt Disney World in years do yourself a favor and prepare long before the vacation departure date. A great way to get ready for your trip is with a guide book. My favorite has always been ‘The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World’ but there are so many really good ones on the market like the PassPorter Planning Guides or Lisa Battista’s ‘Beyond the Magic’ geared toward parents of little ones ages 2 to 5 years old. When looking for a guide book don’t go out and buy the most expensive or the cheapest. Get one that you think best suits your traveling parties needs.

Always remember, the essentials you need for visiting the Walt Disney World parks starts at home.

I’d love to hear your feedback and let me know if there is something you find essential to bring to the parks that I didn’t list.

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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