The Sullins Spot
We just took our fifth visit to Disney World since 2009. We love our home away from home very much! We go often, and honestly...plan to continue going often. People are constantly asking why we visit so much. My answer is simple...it is the only time I ever get to be a kid with my kids. I don't stress, worry about food, worry about laundry, worry with what we will wear, if homework is finished, or what we will have for dinner. Before we leave, everything is prepared for our trip and we pull from the driveway (usually with my special pb and j in hand), and I let it go (just like Elsa) and go with the flow!
In this blog, I plan to answer all of the questions I get constantly! I love Disney questions. Let me warn you...I do not know everything about Disney. I also plan very differently from many of my friends. You will not agree with everything I say/write and I welcome any helpful tips in the comment section. However, this is my view on how it works best for our family of 5 (and 6, when Uncle Adam goes too).
Let's start at the very beginning...
1.) When starting the planning...what are you looking for and what cost should I expect?
-I will start with what we look for when planning a trip. We ALWAYS go during a special vacation package. We've chosen free dining more than any but we've also went during a room discount time. We've never paid full price for any package. To see specials, you will visit DisneyWorld.com and look through their current specials.
-We have all of our emails (a total of 5 in our home) set up to receive Disney alerts. If a special pin code is released, they typically do this to random email addresses. We have often received two different pin codes for free dining because so many emails are signed up to receive alerts.
-A list of things you need to research:
~Where do we want to stay? In resort? Off-site? Value, moderate, deluxe?
~Do we want the quick service (fast food) meal plan? Dining (sit-down) meal plan? Deluxe
Dining (two-sit downs) mean plan?
~What restaurants should we choose? When should we make reservations?
(I will give you a list of all of these recommendations below)
-Your price point with vary on a number of things. What resort you choose, what meal plan you'd like, how many days you'd like to have tickets for parks, and many other things. Our family always stays at Port Orleans-Riverside , we typically do the regular dining plan, and we are there for 6-8 days and purchase 4-5 days in park tickets (remember, Downtown Disney does not require a park ticket and can be used for a full day of fun). This plan, under a free-dining offer, typically runs our family between $1800.00-3200.00. It always depends how long and the time of year we visit.
-To book a Disney trip, you will be required to pay a $200.00 deposit. You aren't required to pay your trip off until 45 days (30 if you call and ask for an extension) prior to your arrival. You can make payments as much or as little as you want up until the 45 day mark. We typically book 8-12 months in advance and pay as we go! We budget this trip each year as we are making new plans.
On to the next subject...
2.) How do you prepare once you've booked your Disney vacation?
- Our family agrees that matching shirts (not identical, just colors) are best for us. We see each other easily in a crowd, Disney workers see us together before asking "how many", when walking/eating together people know that we belong together, and it calms my Mommy nerves. I understand there are several husbands that will say no to this idea. I just happen to have a very easy man to deal with it and loves this idea as much as me.
-After deciding on our colors, I pack each child's outfit for the day in a ziploc back. On the front of the bag, I list the date, day, and name of the child the clothes belong to. I include the shorts/pants, shirt, socks, undies, and any additional accessories (i.e. bows, hairbands, etc.) for that day. The kids are able to pick up their "Thursday" bag and get dressed without any help from Mom or Dad.
-I pack a backpack for our Disney trip before we leave our home. This helps me when we arrive. Once in the resort, I will take my wallet from my purse and place it in the backpack and the purse stays in the vehicle the rest of the trip.
My backpack list:
-chapstick
-sunscreen
-gum
-tic tacs/lifesavers/mints
-autograph books
-pens
-hats for kids and us
-sunglasses for kids and us
-germx
-clorox wipes
-hand wipes
-our Disney ponchos
-our Disney Vacation pack
-wallet/cash/licenses
-MagicBands
-brush
-hairspray
-extra pair of socks for each person (water rides)
-ziplock bags (water rides)
-camera and extra battery/cards
-lanyards and pins (you can also buy these at the resort)
-bandaids
-medicines/inhalers
-phones/ipods (helps when you are waiting in lines)
-We also do a little surprise called the Disney Fairy for our children each night. There are two reasons we do this. The first, it's an incentive for the children to behave during the day, at the parks. The second, they know they will possibly receive something that evening (and yes, there have been a couple times when someone didn't receive their fairy gift because of behavior) and it helps detour them from wanting everything in the park. I know what you're thinking...more money. I actually am very frugal about the Disney Fairy gifts. I visit the Dollar Tree and DisneyStore.com before we leave. You will find very fun and inexpensive things for the fairy gifts. We've also left Disney gift cards for them on the first day and they've worked hard to save those until they find their favorite thing.
Dinner time...
#3) When should we make dining reservations? Fast pass selections? Order MagicBands?
These are some of the newest questions I am asked because everything is changing at Disney!
-You should make all Dining reservations 180 prior to your arrival. I will literally be prepared and have my days counted out so that I know the day I should make my first reservation. I then wait until the next day and make my next one...and so on. This will help you get every dining experience you want. Sure, you can wait a little later and do them but you'll be surprised at how many times are already gone. And I don't know about you, but I don't like to eat my dinner at 9:30 at night. Trust me, the earlier the better.
-Fast pass selections before you go to the parks is one of the newest things at Disney. They will send you an email prior to your vacation. On this email, it will ask you to pick the colors of your magic bands and will also let you make your fast pass selections. I am not thrilled with this new arrangement because as of now, you can only make one major and two minor choices for fast passes. Meaning, if you are in Epcot, and you LOVE Test Track and Soarin' (because most people do), you will only be able to get a fast pass for ONE of these rides because both are listed as major rides. It was a very sad day for us. Fortunately, we had made plans to visit Epcot twice so we just arranged to do one each day. Just know, you will be waiting in some of the major ride lines with this new arrangement.
-As stated, MagicBands are ordered in the same email that request fast pass selections. MagicBands will be taking the place of the cards. I recommend choosing a different color per person in your family (if possible). Inside of the MagicBand, they will list your name. The MagicBand is used for EVERYTHING. Buying, park tickets, meal plans, photo passes, and fast passes. There are several pros and cons to these cute bands. Pros, the ease of tapping and going. Cons, the lack of fast passes. I am sure everyone will eventually love them, I am just a creature of habit.
Headed to the land of sunshine...
4.) Where should we stay? Where should we eat? What parks should we plan to visit?
-We love our "home" resort. We stay at Port Orleans Riverside (moderate resort) every time we visit. We've tried a few different resorts on the last day of our stays and we have not found any that we love as much as our home. Disney also allows tours of their resorts. We have taken several. Some other resorts I recommend looking into (if Riverside is not for you) are, Port Orleans-French Quarter (moderate resort), Art of Animation (value resort-family suites), Wilderness Lodge (deluxe resort), Polynesian Resort (deluxe resort), Caribbean Beach Resort (moderate resort).
-Our favorite sit-down locations:
Ohana - Polynesian Resort
Liberty Tree Tavern -Magic Kingdom
Whispering Canyon -Wilderness Lodge
Tutto Italia - Epcot (Italy)
La Hacienda - Epcot (Mexico)
Mama Melrose - Hollywood Studios
Be Our Guest - Magic Kingdom
Chef Mickey's - Contemporary Resort
-Our favorite quick-service dining locations:
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe - Magic Kingdom
Casey's Corner - Magic Kingdom
Restaurantosauraus - Animal Kingdom
Yorkshire County Fish Shop - Epcot
ABC Commissary - Hollywood Studios
Wolfgang Puck Express (Marketplace) - Downtown Disney
Captain Cook's - Polynesian Resort
-Parks to visit would be ALL! Of course you will have your favorites. We skipped Epcot our very first trip and it has turned out to be our family favorite. We call it our relax day. The kids love the rides and snacks and we love the open park with lots of room to walk. I highly recommend getting a book with park guides prior to your trip. Learn the map and see what rides will be suit your family. Animal Kingdom is our family's least favorite park. We go, we see, we leave. It's usually our first day park. There are about three rides the kids/we love and a few shows. We go to those the first day (usually getting in the park a little later than normal), we always eat lunch at Restaurantosauraus and then we ride and see, then we head to dinner and never look back. However, we have close friends that LOVE Animal Kingdom and spend multiple days there. Make those decisions for your family!
Our typical park schedule:
Animal Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios
(a repeat of either MK or HS)
Epcot
-We also use Undercover Tourist blogs and iPhone apps to make our park decisions. This app will tell you which days are the fullest on which days. I highly recommend this app before planning.
We're heeeeere!!!
5.) You've arrived and checked in! Here are my favorite tips for managing your time at the resorts and parks!
-If you are on a vacation package, you will receive a refillable mug. These are digital now! Refill this as much as possible! Get your money's worth.
-Leave a tip each morning for you mousekeeper (housekeeper). She will probably leave you sweet surprises with the towels that your kids will love!
-Take a few snacks for your bag. You will get snack credits with your plans but you want to save those for special treats, not just another pretzel or drink.
-Don't use snack credits for waters. Take water bottles in your backpack each morning.
-Always wear your MagicBands. Use this as your debit or credit card and they will do just ONE transaction at the end of your trip for everything you purchase on your band. No worries...you have to verify each purchase you make with a pin code you create at check in. You can also set it up to have buying rights for parents only!
-Get to parks early! You will also need to get to your bus stops early.
-Do NOT drive to parks. Use the transportation provided!!! This will help you manage your time.
-If you have smaller children, after lunch, take them back for a rest and then head back to the park after. You would rather be there at open and close for shorter wait times.
-Work the parks in the opposite directions. For example, when my family goes to Magic Kingdom, everyone heads right into Tomorrowland while my family heads left into Adventureland! We usually don't hit crowds until we are in Fantasyland around lunch.
-Get maps in the front lobby the night before you head into a park! Mark your map and have a game plan in mind. This will help you as you arrive the next day!
-Pack glow sticks from the Dollar Tree! You won't regret this when the vendor with $20 glowsticks comes walking by. You can pull them out and hand them to your kids. My kids opt for the glow sticks instead, now!
And finally...
Have fun and take LOTS of pictures! Of course, that's coming from a photographer, but trust me...you don't want to miss a moment of the fun your kids will have!
Let the Memories Begin!!!
**Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section or you can email me at amysullins@yahoo.com. Enjoy your magical trip!
