When planning your Disney vacation, one of the first questions to consider is whether you should stay on or off property. While some people will certainly advocate that off property is the way to go, I want to experience the magic of the Disney bubble when I go to Disney World. That means on property is the answer for me. And with on property rooms you do get some special perks. The most notable are:
1. Extra magic hours. At least one Disney park opens early or stays open late each day only for guests staying at a Disney resort. Using these extra hours strategically can mean a lot more fun with lower lines and is a must for our family!
2. Disney transportation. If you are thinking about going to Disney sans car, a Disney hotel is a must. From their included Magical express service to and from the airport (with luggage delivery to your room!) to their bus, boat, and monorail transportation throughout the world, you really can't do Disney without a car off property in an efficient manner. While many off-property resorts do have Disney shuttles, they tend to run just a few times a day and aren't really an efficient way to get anywhere, especially if you have children and need to be more flexible with time.
3. Fast passes. Fast passes are reserved times for rides/shows/firework celebrations. The passes send you close to the front of the line or give you a reserved seating area for shows. Guests staying on site can book three of these per day of their trip at 60 days out. Off-site guests and locals can't book until 30 days out. For many rides, the extra time doesn't matter but for the headliners like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Soarin', Frozen Ever After, and Toy Story Mania, if you don't book at 60 days out, the fast passes will likely be gone when you are eligible to book. If the line is usually more than an hour, count on needing a fast pass in the 30-60 day range to get on without a huge wait!
4. Magic bands. I wasn't sure how I felt about these when they were first announced but let me tell you, I am a believer now! For each member in your party you get a bracelet that holds on it everything from park tickets to charging privileges (for those older kids and adults you give access). You can literally go in to the parks with nothing but your band (well obviously not if you need to worry about snacks, diapers, etc. for little ones). It also opens your resort room door and since you wear it there is no digging out your key or key card at the end of a long day to get inside. Game changer, Disney friends!
There are some other benefits like being able to send your packages back to your room so you don't have to carry them all day and free parking at the four parks if you do decide to go with a car, but these are the ones that keep me staying on site. Well that and just being in the whole Disney universe for vacation! Plus the resort themeing is just fantastic! Each resort from value to deluxe has decor that makes it totally unique and Disney!
Having said all of that, there are certainly times when it makes sense to stay off site. Staying with family in the area, having a timeshare available to you, or renting a house with friends for way less than staying on site are all reasons to consider staying off site. But if you are going to central Florida to do Disney, definitely take a look at the advantages of staying on property - you won't be disappointed!
I'll share my favorite resorts in a future post!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
Disney Daydreaming
Welcome to my newest blog, Disney Daydreaming! Wow, finding a Disney blog name that wasn't already taken and wasn't totally lame was pretty tough. But since I spend so much time dreaming about Disney (both day and night) I figured this one was pretty spot on.
A little background about me. I grew up a Disney lover, but not a Disney fanatic. I went to Walt Disney World three times with my family growing up, twice when we were small and once in high school. And I loved it, but it wasn't an obsession until after graduate school. My husband and I picked a Disney land and sea vacation package (Disney cruise and Disney World combo) for our honeymoon in 2005 and since then have been back probably twenty times solo, with kids, or with extended family. We have done commando trips where we have done all four parks in a day (even with a 1-year old baby) and we have done more relaxing trips with naps in the afternoon or leisurely strolls around World showcase as we ate and drank our way through the countries around the lagoon. We have been annual pass holders, have attended special events, gone on behind the scenes tours, and I even ran the Disney marathon in January of 2016. We have been in winter, spring, summer, and fall and while I am not sure I am ready for Christmas or Easter week as a crowd hater, we have seen the Christmas decorations and done Thanksgiving week twice at the land of the mouse. We have stayed at almost every resort on property from value to deluxe and have done some trips using Disney transportation and others with a rental car. So am I the most knowledgeable person in the world about Disney? Definitely not, but we have been there a lot, done almost everything, and I plan each trip to the minute so here I am, ready to share my love and my experience with you!
In 2015, our Disney love investment really went platinum with the purchase of two small DVC (Disney Vacation Club) contracts. This is Disney's version of a timeshare and in 2005 was billed as the best kept secret at Disney. Oh how I wish we had bought in then! In 2016, we went back to where it all began and took our 5 and 7 year olds on a 4-night Disney Dream Bahamian cruise. We are already looking at another cruise for 2018. And we just *might* have bought our third DVC contract while on board the ship!
This blog will be a place for me to share tips and tricks I have picked up along the way about planning the perfect Disney vacation. I'll share our trips (we have some fun ones coming up this year!), answer questions, and hope that I inspire you to stop daydreaming about Disney and make your trip a reality!
A little background about me. I grew up a Disney lover, but not a Disney fanatic. I went to Walt Disney World three times with my family growing up, twice when we were small and once in high school. And I loved it, but it wasn't an obsession until after graduate school. My husband and I picked a Disney land and sea vacation package (Disney cruise and Disney World combo) for our honeymoon in 2005 and since then have been back probably twenty times solo, with kids, or with extended family. We have done commando trips where we have done all four parks in a day (even with a 1-year old baby) and we have done more relaxing trips with naps in the afternoon or leisurely strolls around World showcase as we ate and drank our way through the countries around the lagoon. We have been annual pass holders, have attended special events, gone on behind the scenes tours, and I even ran the Disney marathon in January of 2016. We have been in winter, spring, summer, and fall and while I am not sure I am ready for Christmas or Easter week as a crowd hater, we have seen the Christmas decorations and done Thanksgiving week twice at the land of the mouse. We have stayed at almost every resort on property from value to deluxe and have done some trips using Disney transportation and others with a rental car. So am I the most knowledgeable person in the world about Disney? Definitely not, but we have been there a lot, done almost everything, and I plan each trip to the minute so here I am, ready to share my love and my experience with you!
In 2015, our Disney love investment really went platinum with the purchase of two small DVC (Disney Vacation Club) contracts. This is Disney's version of a timeshare and in 2005 was billed as the best kept secret at Disney. Oh how I wish we had bought in then! In 2016, we went back to where it all began and took our 5 and 7 year olds on a 4-night Disney Dream Bahamian cruise. We are already looking at another cruise for 2018. And we just *might* have bought our third DVC contract while on board the ship!
This blog will be a place for me to share tips and tricks I have picked up along the way about planning the perfect Disney vacation. I'll share our trips (we have some fun ones coming up this year!), answer questions, and hope that I inspire you to stop daydreaming about Disney and make your trip a reality!
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