Monstrous Summer All-Nighter Planning Tips

During the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland & Disney California Adventure will be open for 24 consecutive hours beginning on May 24, 2013 at 6 am until 6 am on May 25, 2013. This is an extension of the “Limited Time Magic” promotional efforts and the kick-off of the Monstrous Summer to promote Disney*Pixar’s Monsters University. It also falls on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, making it the perfect time to take a long weekend trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland! We participated in the events of “One More Disney Day” (the 24-hour Leap Day event in 2012) and it was a ton of fun. It was also a great, unique opportunity for photography–so great that I made an eBook about the experience!

Based upon our experiences last year, here are some tips for enjoying these special events if you’re going to be Walt Disney World or Disneyland, and also some tips for those of you watching the fun from home! While this planning guide is a great primer, if you want a better idea of what to expect during the 24 hour event, I strongly encourage you to read our trip report from 2012′s “One More Disney Day” 24 hour event. Even if you’re not going, there are some pretty photos from the event!

Also, check out our general Disneyland Trip Planning Guide and Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide if you’re not a “regular” at either park for more general planning tips. With that said, here are our Monstrous Summer All-Nighter tips! (more…)

Walt Disney World Discounts: Examined

Disney World has already announced discount vacation packages and other room only, military, and free dining discounts for 2013. Some of these Disney World discounts are better than others and discounts are quite predictable as they typically repeat, so to get an idea of how the various discounts stack up, we’ve put together this article rating Disney’s discounts. To see which discounts are best for particular “types” of guest read our summary and review of all Walt Disney World discounts below.

Rather than this being a generic post providing specific details (like dates) of the various discounts at Walt Disney World, this post will instead editorialize. You can find the information concerning applicable dates and the like on DisneyWorld.com or on a myriad of other fan sites that simply copy and paste the information from DisneyWorld.com. This post is meant to help those of you who are unfamiliar with Walt Disney World discounts get an idea of how good the discount you’re considering really is (despite Disney’s best marketing efforts, some discounts are better than others).

I’ve planned every Walt Disney World trip we’ve taken over the course of the years, and I’ve learned a lot about traveling frugally to Walt Disney World in the process. Hopefully this provides a primer for those who don’t visit as often, but are looking to save the most money possible when planning their Walt Disney World trip! (more…)

Disney World With Kids Tips…By Non-Parents

Parents planning their child’s first trip to Walt Disney World often have a lot of questions, as visiting Walt Disney World with kids is uncharted territory that can be intimidating. This guide answers some of those questions and is written, naturally, by people who don’t have kids.

Why would you want to read a guide by people with no first hand knowledge of something? It might seem like the equivalent of learning to ride a bicycle from a teacher who has watched a bicycling video on YouTube, but has never actually ridden one. But, perhaps it’s the equivalent of having a fresh set of eyes offer logical insights based upon years of observations, but no direct experience (sort of like those “Washington Outsiders” constantly campaigning for political office).

If you’re planning your first trip with kids to Walt Disney World, chances are that you won’t be reading only one planning article or guide–or at least you shouldn’t. So while we think we offer some potentially fresh advice here, we also aren’t definitive experts on this topic. Make sure to read a few other online guides and buy or check out a couple of books from the library (we recommend The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World).

Normally, we don’t cover topics about which we’re so blatantly uninformed. But we do have a bit to say on this topic, and people keep finding this blog via Google (not knowing we don’t have kids) and emailing us questions about traveling with kids. So here’s a guide for those folks. Since there are some serious gaps in our knowledge concerning visiting Walt Disney World with kids, we’ve enlisted the help of our brilliant (and did we mention good looking?) Facebook fans, who provided us over 100 tips for traveling to Walt Disney World with kids. You can find their quotes scattered throughout the article. The great thing about these quotes is that they often provide a sharp contrast to our opinions (and even actual parents can’t seem to agree on things), so they provide multiple perspectives from which you can determine what will work best for you.

This guide is meant to supplement other guides (including our own Walt Disney World 2013 Trip Planning Guide) and provide a reasonably informed (hopefully) perspective parents might not otherwise hear. All in all, we think this is a pretty decent resource to read as you plan that trip with the kids to Walt Disney World! (more…)

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2013 Guide

The 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival runs from March 6, 2013 until May 19, 2013 at Walt Disney World. For the first time in 2013, this special event will also have food kiosks, like a mini Food & Wine Festival! The event gives Disney guests a glimpse at expert-designed flower and garden displays and Disney character topiaries, and also includes the “Flower Power” live music concert series and special programs and seminars by HGTV (the main sponsor), DIY, and Epcot expert gardeners. Most of the offerings for Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival are included with theme park admission to Epcot. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you should see during the 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival!

Whether you’re a first time guest or a seasoned veteran of Walt Disney World, visiting during Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival is a great idea. Epcot is at its most beautiful during Flower & Garden Festival. The place smells and looks wonderful, and there are a lot of unique offerings, displays, and photographic opportunities.

Just to give you an idea of how impressive Epcot looks at this time of year, here are some stats: 30-million blooms, 240 floating flower planters, 700 gardens, over 75 Disney character topiaries, 30 flower towers, and one beautiful butterfly tapestry of flowers all culminate in an incredibly vibrant time of year for Epcot! It takes more than one year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists to prepare for the 75-day Flower and Garden Festival. (more…)

Tips for Buying Discount Disney World Tickets

Walt Disney World offers a wide array of tickets. These tickets are expensive (prices will increase again in 2013 and are expected to break $100 for a single day ticket!), but luckily, if you shop right, you can find good discounts on Disney tickets. When it comes to a Disney vacation, the tickets are likely going to be your second-most expensive expenditure after your hotel room and perhaps airfare. For some people, they might actually be the most costly portion of the trip!

Given their cost, and the myriad of different ticket options, it’s important to know as much as you can about the different types of tickets, and what your family will probably need. The ticket system has its benefits and drawbacks. The biggest drawback is that there are so many options that it can be confusing. Conversely, thanks to all of the options, you can get exactly what you need and not purchase any unnecessary add-ons. Because of this, if you’re willing to do a little homework, all of the confusing options are definitely a good thing!

Of course, buying the right Walt Disney World tickets is just one aspect of planning a trip. To make sure you plan everything perfectly, make sure you read our 10 Step Guide to Planning a Walt Disney World Trip, which covers all of the essentials for planning your Disney trip!

Getting the Cheapest Tickets

To save money on multi-day Walt Disney World tickets, we highly recommend Undercover Tourist, an authorized ticket broker selling CHEAPER tickets than you can buy directly from Disney.

Before we got our Annual Passes, we always purchased our tickets from Undercover Tourist. Undercover Tourist is a Disney-authorized ticket broker (so no, they’re not the same shady stands you see offering “free Disney tickets!” on your way to Walt Disney World) offering excellent prices and customer service. Their prices are always lower than if you purchased from Disney directly. Disney prices don’t include the Florida 6.5% tax, whereas Undercover Tourist prices do include tax into the final price you pay. Another great benefit about Undercover Tourist is that you can buy your tickets in advance of your trip, and have them shipped to your house for FREE! No hassle with having to wait in line to pick them up at Disney, wasting your valuable vacation time! (more…)

Last Minute Disney World Trip Planning

When heading to Walt Disney World, many of us start planning trips months in advance. However, sometimes there are last minute trip opportunities, which require a different type of planning. Namely, less planning. FlipKey.com has reported that average Walt Disney World vacationers spend 16 to 19 weeks planning their trips! If taking a last minute trip, you can’t fixate on the optimal time to take your trip, don’t have six months to make ADRs, you don’t have weeks to iterate on your daily schedule and touring plans, and you don’t have the time to deliberate on pricing and to wait for a deal to emerge.

Instead, like a Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, you just have to pounce on what you can, wing it, and trust your instincts to make snap decisions when planning. Of course, there’s another resource you can use beyond your instincts: this blog post.

Let’s cover what you’ll have to get in order, what you can expect, and how you can make the most of a last minute trip. (more…)