Ideas For Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation

Now Planning: My Own Walt Disney World Vacation!

2012-12-31T20:58:00.003-08:00

I am currently in the process of planning my own Walt Disney World vacation for February!

There are several things to consider when planning your vacation to Walt Disney World.

When planning your trip, you must consider the following things before you go:

1. Airline tickets

2. Car Rental

3. Accommodations - Where to stay

4. Food and Dining - Reservations for Dining

5. Theme Parks and Theme Park Tickets

6. Souvenirs

7. Cameras and Photography

8. Your Computer on Vacation, or getting online while on vacation.

The part that I am in the process of planning right now is Dining on Disney property.

There are many choices for dining when at Walt Disney World. There are many restaurants and other eateries spread across all 4 Theme Parks and the many Disney Resort Hotels. Reservations can be made with Disney Dining at Disneyworld.com up to 6 months (180 days) in advance. In my case, I did not make my reservations that far out, since I was not exactly sure of my travel dates (in fact, they have already changed twice). Thus far, I have made reservations at exactly 3 Disney Dining locations, which I will reveal later. There are also many "quick service" dining locations, which do not require (or even accept) reservations, so you should always keep those in mind when planning your dining.

One of my favorite locations for quick service dining is Flame Tree Barbeque, which is one of the most delicious places to dine at Walt Disney World. Located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Flame Tree Barbeque serves up delicious barbequed pork ribs and barbequed chicken. This will definitely be on my itinerary when I hit that park on this vacation!

To help you with your planning the meals at Walt Disney World, or to give you an idea of what you are in for, I have included this video that I just stumbled across, from Disney Parks Videos.

A Midnight Walk From Liberty Square to The Emporium

2011-06-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

In this video, I walked from the exit of Liberty Square at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom to The Emporium. As you can see, it was a nice, peaceful walk after midnight. Note that there were not many people still in the park at this hour.

A Lovely View At The Boardwalk

2011-06-02T20:52:00.001-07:00

If you are planning a vacation to Walt Disney World and are interested in staying at a great Disney resort, one that I can recommend is Disney's Boardwalk Villas. This resort is a Disney Vacation Club Resort, and recreates an early 1900's view of The Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The Boardwalk features fine dining, casual dining, snacks, and shops.

At The Boardwalk, you can speak to a Disney Vacation Club Sales Associate at the DVC Cart, and learn more about Disney Vacation Club. They can schedule a tour of DVC for you, where you can learn about the magic of DVC ownership.

You don't have to have reservations at The Boardwalk in order to enjoy it. Anyone can park there and enjoy the shops and restaurants.

One of the best things about The Boardwalk is its proximity to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. You can easily (and quickly) walk to EPCOT- it puts you right near the France Pavilion and the United Kingdom Pavilion when you enter. You are also within easy walking distance to Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Disney's Beach Club Resort, and The Swan and Dolphin hotels.

There are boats which land at the Boardwalk, and can take you to the other shore at Disney's Yacht Club, to The Swan and Dolphin hotels, or on to EPCOT or The Disney Studios. These boats are free to board.

Some places to enjoy at Boardwalk include The Flying Fish Cafe, Boardwalk Bakery, Spoodles, Jellyrolls, and ESPN Zone. If you've never been to Boardwalk, you should try something new! Check it out!

Photo of Pecos Bill and Widowmaker

2011-05-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

This is a photo that I took at Walt Disney World in April of this year. Here we see Pecos Bill and his trusty horse, Widowmaker. This photo sits atop of the fireplace inside the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland. This cafe is located right next to The Country Bear Jamboree, and I snapped this photo as I exited the attraction.

A Scene From "Cinderella" in a Window on Main Street

2011-05-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken of one of the windows outside The Emporium on Main Street at Walt Disney World. Here you see Cinderella dancing with the Prince, as the Grand Duke looks on. The windows on Main Street traditionally have shown scenes from classic Disney animated films.

Resort Launches!

2011-04-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Resort Launches! These are the places where the Walt Disney World Boats stop for guests from the Magic Kingdom to climb aboard and head back to their Resorts! There are Resort Launches for Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, the Contemporary Resort, and the Transportation and Ticket Center. There are also Resort Launches for Disney's Polynesian Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort.

My Next Trip To WDW is Coming Soon!

2011-04-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hey. That's right, I'm heading to Walt Disney World again for an unexpected vacation. You see, a close friend of mine surprised me less that a week ago and told me that he's getting married in Boca Raton, FL soon. So since I have to spend the money to get on a plane and go there, I decided that I also have to visit Walt Disney World. So, I've done the following: booked a non-Disney resort close to WDW for a week through RCI, got my airline tickets, booked 2 nights at Saratoga Springs Resort at WDW for 2 nights, and rented a car for 9 days. I still have to make my reservations for Fort Lauderdale, but I'll do that soon. I already have my Disney annual passport, good in Florida and California. Now all l have to consider is spending money (or spending credit cards), and decide if I want the Disney Dining Plan for my 2 nights at Saratoga Springs.

I will arrive on a Sunday night to Orlando. I'll drive to my resort (where I've never stayed, but it's an RCI Gold Crown Resort). Then I'll get up early the next day and go to either EPCOT or Animal Kingdom. I will wind up at both of those parks that day. I will probably drive to Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday. I'll go to the wedding on Thursday night, and drive back to WDW on Friday or Saturday. I'll stay the weekend and fly back to Los Angeles on a Tuesday afternoon.

As I decide the details of my trip I will be posting it here, to help me think! I want this to be a relaxing vacation.

My Favorite Place To Eat at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park- Flame Tree Barbeque

2010-12-30T01:23:00.000-08:00

If you are planning to dine at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, I recommend Flame Tree Barbeque for a couple of reasons.

First, the food is really good! You must have either the half slab of ribs or the Smoked Chicken! Each comes with delicious baked beans and a delicious corn muffin!

Whichever you choose, the meal is around $10 plus tax. If you get a soft drink with your meal, you'll probably spend under $13 here. You will definitely get enough to eat here, and it is really tasty food!

The last time I ate there I remember there were some ducks in the eating area (this is outdoors), and the ducks were begging. You are encouraged not to feed the ducks, since they might get angry with you if you stop feeding you, and attack you to get your food!

Planning To Stay At A Disney Resort? Disney Vacation Club Resorts Are The Best!

2010-12-29T01:57:00.001-08:00

If you are planning at trip to Walt Disney World, I say that you should get the best accommodations available. I've stayed at the Economy Resorts (the All-Stars Music and All-Star Sports), and they were nice, but....Don't do it! Get the bigger bang for your buck- stay at a Moderate Resort. Better yet- stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort (DVC Resort), and save money on that by RENTING YOUR POINTS FROM A CURRENT DISNEY VACATION CLUB MEMBER(DVC Member)!

DVC Members save big on accommodations at Walt Disney World by staying at DVC Resorts. There are several to choose from: Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney's Boardwalk Resort Villas, Disney's Beach Club Villas, The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, and the newest- Bay Lake Towers at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

These accommodations can be rented from a current DVC Member- all you have to do is join a message board that rents points- check out disboards.com as an example. You will pay a lot less by renting from a DVC Member that you would from paying Disney the cash, in most cases. Disney Vacation Club Resorts are way nicer than the Economy Resorts, too.

To find out more about Disney Vacation Club, visit www.disneyvacationclub.com. If you decide to go on their Open House at Walt Disney World or Disneyland (which I recommend that you do), please tell them that you referred by DVC Member David Ransom (they have a Rewards Program for Members who refer new Members, so please tell them that I referred you, because it's true!)

Doing Disney's Dining Plan? Read Up On It Before You Go!

2010-11-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

If you sign up for one of Disney's Dining Plans, make sure that you know how to use it, and if possible, keep any information that they give you on it, so that you can make sure that you will get all that you are entitled to on your trip. One day at the "Yak and Yeti" Restaurant on my last trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom, a waiter named Steve failed to notify me that I was entitled to an Appetizer with my Table meal. I found this out AFTER I left the restaurant and AFTER I left the park- and they had some good appetizers on that menu, too.

I will say this about the dining plan- some meals come with a dessert. Some places have some good desserts, and some desserts suck. One dessert that stands out that I really didn't like was the carrot cake that they gave me at an eatery on Sunset Blvd at the Disney-MGM studios- it was a round cake in a small, black, plastic pan, and that cake was so cheap- not tasty at all. I also hated the dessert that I had at the Yak and Yeti Restaurant- it was a dark chocolate cake with a fruity sauce on it- I hated the taste. What ever happened to good, old-fashioned German Chocolate Cake, or a good yellow cake with chocolate fudge frosting? When it comes to cakes and desserts, I like the basics, and I think that at Disney we should be able to find the basics!

Anyway, find out all you can about the Dining Plan before you buy it- don't waste your money unless you are prepared to eat a lot of food! You choices of restaurants can also make a big difference when using the Dining Plan- some places, like the restaurant, "Portobello" at Downtown Disney at WDW, have huge selections of meals that you can enjoy with the Dining Plan. So- find out what you like. Personally, I think that if you have to get the Dining Plan for more than 2 days, then you'll probably be eating too much food, so use caution when purchasing this plan!

Stay at Bay Lake Towers at Disney's Contemporary Resort

2010-10-09T01:50:00.000-07:00

If you get a chance to stay there, you should definitely spend a night or two at Disney Vacation Club's new Bay Lake Towers at Disney's Contemporary Resort! I stayed there for 2 nights on my most recent trip, and it was the one of the best places that I've ever stayed! The views from this Resort are phenomenal! Although I had a lake view, it was a really good view! And when you walk to anywhere around the resort and look out of the window, you see Space Mountain! It was great that this resort is about a ten minute walk to the front gate of the Magic Kingdom, with a nice pathway to lead you there! I will go into details later, but I'm telling you, the Bay Lake Towers are now one of my favorite resorts at Walt Disney World (behind Wilderness Lodge but just in front of Old Key West!)

Portobello Restaurant Was Great!

2010-09-07T12:32:00.001-07:00

I went to Portobello Restaurant last night at the Marketplace near Downtown Disney, and the food was really good! I had a personal pizza and some complimentary bread (which came with olive oil and a roasted garlic bulb), along with a cremesicle alcoholic beverage, and some bread pudding and coffee. It was good, but there was an Italian family next to my table, with 3 little girls, and the little girls were playing and talking and shouting really loud in Italian, and the parents laughed and thought that it was charming. I tried to remember that Disney is for kids, and that I was here for fun, too.

I tried to arrange Disney's Magical Express for my party that's flying in tonight, and who technically would board the bus on check-in date (Sept 8), but since we aren't supposed to check in until 4PM, they won't let my sister and her boyfriend ride on the Magical Express. That means that I have to drive to the Airport and pick them up! Alas!

I think I'll go to the movies at Downtown Disney shortly- they have a lot of movies that I want to see!

Going Tonight To Portobello Restaurant at Marketplace at Walt Disney World

2010-09-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have a reservation at the Portobello Restaurant at the Marketplace. It's for 9:30PM so I better get going soon! Also managed to get a reservation for Wednesday at California Grill and for Friday at the Chefs de France! Tried for Le Cellier Steakhouse, but it is sold out for 1 week...

Rent A Car In Advance and Save!

2010-09-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

If you are planning to rent a car on your trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, it makes sense to do it in advance! Go to priceline.com, or another travel website, or you might try the car rental agencies online, like alamo.com or enterprise.com.

I always book from Alamo at the Orlando Airport. It's so convenient to book from Alamo, and the cars are a few steps away when you walk outside the terminal. Study that map of where you are going before you start driving, so you know where you're going! I've been here enough to know that when I get out of the airport to drive on the 528 West (a toll road), and that'll get you to where you need to go- to the I-4 West if you're going to Disney, or (in my case) to the John Young Parkway south!

Renting a car in advance can give you some good prices, and you'll know what you are spending before you leave home, pretty much. Some credit cards have protection from damage to the car, so check with your card carrier to find out about those benefits. American Express offers a service (for $20 per rental) where if I rent a car, I'm covered from bumper to bumper, and they become the primary insurance (instead of your regular car insurance carrier) in the case of damage to your vehicle. I also have my own liability insurance, in case I hurt someone or something with the vehicle. Of course, the car rental companies all offer insurance options (which can be pricey) when you rent a vehicle.

So, if you must rent a car during your trip to Walt Disney World, save some money by renting in advance.

Flying Southwest Airlines? Bring a jacket, or your own blanket!

2010-09-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Flying Southwest Airlines? Bring a jacket, or your own blanket! If you are planning to sleep on the plane, it can be cold on there, and the airline no longer gives out blankets (due to swine flu!) I bought a blanket (kind of like a snugee) from Brookstone for $35 plus tax, but save your money by just bringing a jacket or blanket onto the plane!) The same goes for U.S. Air, I heard.

I'm At Oak Plantation in Kissimmee, FL

2010-09-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm here at the Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, where I own a timeshare week. Last night when I checked in, I discovered something quite disturbing- they had rented my unit to someone else! I couldn't believe it, but there was nothing that I could do. They gave me a new room (a 1-bedroom, which is what I owned, except that mine is supposed to be a bit better). After a comfortable night's sleep, I wok up late and went to speak to the Resort Manager. I spoke to a supervisor and explained my dilemma- I had wanted to use MY ROOM, which I never had before. They responded by upgrading me to a 2-bedroom, which is in a better location. Hey, that works, because my sister and her boyfriend are arriving late tomorrow night.

I moved everything from that first unit to my new unit, and everything seems cool. I'm now sitting at their internet cafe, typing this. It's a nice room, this internet cafe. It has free soda, but what's missing is coffee.

Got My Boarding Pass

2010-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm in Group B. That's OK, because I really waited late to do the online check-in. Lucky I'm not in the "C" Group. Now, I gotta find my car rental info and print that and put it in my bag...

A Few Hours From Departure...

2010-09-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Going to check in online with Southwest Airlines now...

Flying Southwest Airlines? Check The Current Fares and Save to Orlando!

2010-09-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

About 2 hours ago, I curiously checked the adult fares from Los Angeles to Orlando, FL for this coming Sunday (when I was scheduled to leave at 8:30AM). My Mom thought that she might want to join my sister and me on the trip to Walt Disney World, so I looked into it (she ultimately decided not to go). I found a fare to Orlando for $159 one-way, and $129 on September 14th for the return trip. That was a lot cheaper- $74 cheaper- than what I had paid, so I went into the Southwest Airlines online system and changed my flights. I'm still on the same plane for the return flight, although I lowered my fare, and I'm leaving LAX about 40 minutes sooner than I was originally planning to, but now I have $74 that I can use on a future Southwest Airlines flight (before June). I can handle that, I think. Maybe a trip to Walt Disney World in January? We'll see!

Pack Early For Your WDW Trip

2010-09-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

I'm remembering that it's so beneficial to pack early for your Walt Disney World trip. Normally I'm awake the whole night before travelling, just packing all night long (and consequently exhausted when I get to the airport). But now that I'm packing early, I'm finding out key things, like that my stylish swim trunks will not fit me anymore, so I have to find the ones I took to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and use those.

I'm charging the iPod right now (I don't listen to it that much, but on an airplane, it's so nice to have something of your own choosing to listen to!) I've packed my prescription medicine, and I'm charging the cameras. I don't really have to, but I could even iron the pants that I'll use over there. For my video camera, I might even buy some extra memory cards before I leave (although I wish I'd thought to buy those off Amazon.com a week ago- much cheaper than trying to waltz into Best Buy). But then again, Best Buy is probably much cheaper than buying them from Disney!

I still have to look into some nice WDW restaurants! That can be done online now...

America Sings

2010-09-03T01:23:00.001-07:00

I ain't gon' study war no more..

Packing For My Trip to Walt Disney World! Yeah!

2010-09-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

I am packing now for my trip to Walt Disney World, and listening to my favorite Disney Theme Park music on iTunes. I wish that Disney still had those machines in their theme parks that allow you to make CD's from their collection of attractions music. Right now, I'm listening to "Sooner or Later" from Splash Mountain (really from "Song of the South", a movie that Disney should really release on video!) I hope that I don't forget to pack anything- but I will have a rental car, and Wal-Mart is within walking distance of the Resort where I'm staying, the Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, where I own a Timeshare and own the week at the unit where I'm staying. This will be the first time that I've stayed there during this week. This will also be the first time that my sister Julie will visit Walt Disney World. Oh, boy, what should I show her? I'm flying there on Sunday. My sister will fly in on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, we'll check into Disney's Wilderness Lodge for 2 nights. On Sunday, my sister and her boyfriend will fly home, and I'll check into Disney's Bay Lake Towers for 2 nights, before returning home.

I booked a car for my entire stay, through Priceline.com, and I got a good deal- I booked it a month ago.

I am considering buying the Annual Passport that works at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. It's $700. If I buy it, I think it would be a better idea to buy it here in California, because here, the $700 includes tax. At Walt Disney World, they will charge $700 plus tax. No discounts on this for Disney Vacation Club Members, either... Aw, shucks!

OK...let me pack...I'll update as I go along!

Planning A Trip to Walt Disney World Resort in September

2010-07-09T01:06:00.000-07:00

On September 5, 2010, I will be checking into the Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, and using a one-bedroom timeshare that I purchased about 13 years ago for the first time (I have the place for a week). While I have never stayed at this particular unit at the Resort before, I have stayed in my 2-bedroom unit that I own for a June use week. I really like this Resort, because it's close to lots of restaurants and shopping, and it's really close to Walt Disney World and Universal.

However, on 2 of the nights that I'm staying at Oak Plantation, I have used my Disney Vacation Club Membership so that I can stay 2 nights at the Wilderness Lodge at the same time. Why, you ask? Because I love the Wilderness Lodge, for one, but also because my sister is accompanying me on this trip, and it's her first trip to Walt Disney World (this was what I answered when they asked me, "are you celebrating anything?" My sister's boyfriend is also coming along for the trip.

After my sister and her boyfriend leave back for home on Sept. 12, I will check into the Bay Lake Towers at Disney's Contemporary Resort. I have stayed at The Contemporary once, but never at the Bay Lake Towers.

I still have to plan my rental car, my dining, and my Theme Park tickets! If I can come up with the cash, I want to buy that Annual Passport that's good for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort! More planning to come....

Can't Think Of What To Do At Walt Disney World? Ride the Monorail Until You Decide

2010-05-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

If you are at Walt Disney World Resort and you can't decide what to do next, one thing that you can do that's fun (and free) is to ride the Monorail around the Seven Seas Lagoon until you decide what to do next. You can exit the Monorail and do lots of things- like enter the Magic Kingdom. You could also visit Disney's Contemporary Resort. You could get off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, and take another Monorail over to EPCOT. You could get off at Disney's Polynesian Resort, and explore everything that they have to offer. Or you could visit what I think of the ultra-elegant Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Personally, I like to ride around the Lagoon twice. Yes, you get used to knowing that spiel that you hear every time the doors open and close. The Monorail is truly one relaxing ride.

Get Your Walt Disney World Dining Reservations ASAP!

2010-05-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of very popular restaurants at Walt Disney World. I suggest that you book your dining reservations as soon as possible!

The most popular places for dining are The California Grill (located on top of Disney's Contemporary Resort) and Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada pavilion of EPCOT. There are other great and popular restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort as well. However, these two are my favorites.

The California Grill has a fantastic view of the Seven Seas Lagoon, and all the hotels that surround it (as well as the Magic Kingdom).

Le Cellier Steakhouse is a beautiful location, and the food is so good! You must have the cheddar cheese soup when you're there!

To make your reservations, call 407-WDW-DINE. You can make reservations up to 6 months in advance of your visit! Wow!