Have a question about planning a trip to Disney or something you’ve read here? Hopefully this blog can help! We’ve visited every Disney resort around the world, from Walt Disney World to Tokyo Disneyland, have stayed in nearly every Disney-owned hotel in the world, and have dined at the majority of Disney restaurants.
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Thanks,
Tom Bricker
Hi All!
We’ve been to WDW twice so far (every 3 years) and this may be our last “hooray” since the kids will be starting HS soon and we can’t take them out of school like we’ve been doing. So I’m trying to do this right! And I need some advice! Can anyone recommend stuff based on the following MUSTS/Key Points: (thanks!!!!)
1. Our dates will be 9/16/17 – 9/24/17.
2. Our kids are (son) 11 and (daughter) 13.
2. I’d like to start at Universal (we’ve never been!) from 9/16/17 – 9/18/17 and then transfer to WDW Beach Club (our fave!) for the remainder.
3. We’ve been lucky enough to always get the Free Dining and 30% off deluxe hotel rates when we’ve gone around these dates and I’d like to get the same again (not sure when to book).
4. We’ve used a travel agent (my friend) in the past so but she no longer does this so I’m nervous to do on my own. Can I book and then change dates or promos down the road so I don’t miss any good deals?
ANY advice on saving, booking, the “Take 2 Transfer” would be great!!! We’ve always done the whole Magic Your Way and I’ve never had to worry about transportation or anything to/from the airport so this is all new to me, doing it myself. I got an estimate through Disney but it was outrageous and I honestly think I do better if I shop around but I’d like input from you all.
Should I consider Davids DVC Rentals?
Thanks for ANY advice!
Enjoy your blog, and found it a big help for our trip last week.
However, your mention of the free planning DVD that Disney offers just does not work for anyone outside of the USA.
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Will Walt Disney World still have all the Christmas lights and decorations to see January 2, 2017? My 5 year old granddaughter will be coming to Florida to see
her great grandfather New Year’s weekend and I want to take her to Disney, Monday, 1-2-17. I sure hope all the decorations will still be there so I can see and enjoy her precious face believing in the magical world of Disney.
Based on previous history, the decorations will still be up for those dates. They usually stay in place until after the marathon weekend in early January
Hi Tourists!!
I’m a co-founder of The Magic Yarn Project, a non-profit that make Disney inspired yarn wigs for children with cancer.
We’re giving away a $500 Disney gift card! This is probably something your followers would be interested in 🙂
It’s free to enter, but your chances go up when you donate also!
Please consider sharing this with your readers by visiting our Facebook Page and sharing the post about our raffle (it’s pinned to the top with a big pic of Mickey). Then and add a few details your readers would like 🙂
An example text if you’d like… 🙂
‼ï¸FREE $500 Disney Gift Card Giveawayâ€¼ï¸ You can find details on the image below. Raffle ends Dec 29, 2016.
The winner will be chosen LIVE on Facebook Dec 31, 2PM EST, on The Magic Yarn Project’s page! ✨
The magic Yarn Project creates Disney-inspired Princess and Pirate yarn wigs, for children with cancer. These wigs are free to the kids and this non-profit needs your support!!!
facebook.com/magicyarnwigs
kickstarter.com/projects/themagicyarnproject
Thank you for your consideration! Stay magical!
Bree Hitchcock
Last week I visited Disney World with my family. This blog has been incredible useful to me planning the trip from Europe! Thanks a lot for this valuable info! We had a magical time 🙂
One of my special needs 4th reading students has a dream to visit Walt Disney World in FL some day & I was wondering if you could send her some info to read about the place? Our Address is Frostick Elementary School, 57 S. Howard Ave., Croswell, MI 48422. Thanks for your consideration. Marlene Bezrutczyk, Title 1 teacher.
Pl ease cancel our Disney Visa Cards. 4266 xxxx xxxx 7879 and 4266 xxxx xxxx 3854. We are both in our nineties. A bit too old to travel. Both of us have enjoyed it very very much.
Dear Tom,
We have just returned to New Zealand after a 9 day trip to Disneyworld Florida. I have been planning this trip for about 10 months and i wanted to say that your blog was invaluable. I can’t thank you enough for your tips and advice. We followed your packing guide and the frog toggs towels saved our trip! We also loosely followed your itineraries for each park and it was so helpful to have insider knowledge. This was a once in a lifetime trip for us so I won’t need to keep following you but will recommend this blog to everyone and anyone that is thinking of taking a trip to Disney.
Many, many thanks.
Megan, Andy and Will.
Some truly superb posts on this web site, thanks for contribution.
Hi Tom,
Absolutely love your blog and love for Disney and photography.
We are thinking of going to Disneyland Nov 11-13 (I know it’s not ideal crowd wise, but it’s the only time we can go and I really want to see Christmas there), do you have suggestions on where to take good firework photos at Disneyland.
Do you have any tips/advice for visiting the Disney parks with someone in a wheelchair.
Hey Tom! Im a self admitted religious follower of your disney blog and posts- thanks for all the great writting!
My question is, I read yesterday that Disney (for the first time ever) is hosting the NFL probowl in January 2017 (29th is the actual game, but there is rumor of a 5k run and parade) in orlando. Do you know anything about this, or have a guess on how it may effect park crowds?
Thanks so much- again, love your blog!
We leave Saturday for our Disney Vacation. We are so excited! Just wanted to thank you for all the information that we have found on this site the last 456 days as we got ready for our trip. You have saved us more money than you know. So using our Disney Chase points and Free dining and lots of tips on here we are going to be out of pocket $300 for a 7 day vacation. Happy traveling.
The Ritter Family
Hi Tom,
I’m interested in purchasing tickets through Park Savers as they are cheaper than the discount my company has. Do you know if they email you the “codes” for the tickets so that I can add them to “My Disney Experience” and book fast passes? The site references picking up your ticket, I would like to be able to add them to the My Disney Experience and use the bands rather than a ticket. Do you know if that is possible?
Thank-you!
Yes, they do. You’ll be able to enter them into MDX and book FP+ with the emailed voucher codes.
I just wanted to say “Thank You” for your summer packing tips for WDW. My daughter and I were just there in their awful July heatwave (we are from the San Francisco area—where we enjoy our afternoon fog cool downs!)…for the National Down syndrome Congress Convention–and WDW.
While I did buy the disposable rain coats, I did not have to use them once….but your tip on the Frogg Togg Chilly Pad was the BEST! Saved my daughter with special needs from overheating each day! I had never heard of them until your blog—-and we don’t ever need those ‘pads’ in our beautiful Disneyland—-(yet).
Keep the tips coming.
Thanks. Peggy (aka Mad4mky)
Wow! I am blown away and feeling very daunted at taking our family to Disney World. We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids 13 & 9) and are spending 7 days at Orange Lakes, Kissimmee from the 23rd of Dec – 30th of Dec. In hindsight I see it’s the busiest time of the year to come. We are coming from South Africa and need to maximize our time spent at Disney. We have a 7 day multiple park (Disney Parks) hopper ticket package.
Please be so kind as to advise us on the best way to see Disney and the parks in the time that we have given that its the busiest time of the year.
I really am feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of trying to plan the unknown.
Kind regards
Emily
Hey Tom,
Helping to plan a trip for the in-laws. They’re almost 60 days out and staying onsite, so we will be grabbing FP reservations soon. Just noticed that the DIBB availability website is no longer showing FP availability. Any other sites that you can suggest?
Thanks
We are very excited for upcoming trip to WDW during the first week in September. Just saw that Orlando is now under the zone of concern for the Zika virus. What precautions can you recommend for traveling in a region with the Zika virus?
Hi, I was wondering you had any advice that could help me. I recently booked a vacation for 10 May 2017, which will make my 180 day window 11 Nov 2016, only problem, im on an 14 hour flight from 5.25am eastern time, and no idea when I will get wifi the other side. My family is with me and friends think im crazy for booking dinner reservations 6 months in advance. Is there any way you can think of to get round this situation, maybe someone I could pay to make the reservations fro me the minute the window opens?
Thanks