Off to Neverland Travel® Disney Vacations Blog

After all the planning and anticipation, the day will finally come when you arrive for your Walt Disney World® vacation! What you do on that very first day can set the tone for your entire trip. How about some fun, undeniably magical, and yes, even relaxing suggestions for your very important arrival day?

If you’ve got a longer trip planned, lucky you! Why not spend your first day outside of the parks? Often, guests are so tempted to get in every last ride in at the parks that the special qualities of the resorts are often overlooked. Ease in to the experience by taking a swim, explore the resort grounds and participate in some of the activities going on there. You will be glad when you awake the next day rested and ready to take on the World!

If you are planning to stay just a few days, getting right into a park is probably on your agenda. But there’s no need to rush through the whole park in one day! Try a more laid-back approach: pick one headliner attraction you really want to experience and grab a FASTPASS® for it as soon as you arrive.

Then stop and smell the roses while you wait for the return time – watch the zany Streetmosphere performers in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ or get a dazzling hairstyle with colored gel and “Mickey Dust” at the Harmony Barbershop in the Magic Kingdom® Park. Eat a Mickey Bar and watch the spectacular fountains in Epcot® or wander around the trunk of the Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Be open to just letting the magic happen!

Whatever you do, plan something to top off your first day with that essential Disney feeling. A character meal might just do the trick! Try Chef Mickey’s and be welcomed in a festive atmosphere hosted by the Big Cheese himself. There’s Disney magic even in a simple thing like taking a loop on Disney’s Monorail. Riding through the Disney’s Contemporary Resort, catching a glimpse of Cinderella Castle, you could just have that moment – when you feel a little thrill and know you’ve truly arrived.

Walt Disney World Vacations

Let’s face the facts; no trip to Disney is complete without getting some great photos with the Disney characters. Even for us “older kids”, there’s just something magical when Mickey puts his arm around you, Pluto ruffles your hair, or Stitch tries to pick your nose. The problem is everyone finds that moment special, and pretty soon you might find yourself paying your park entry fee to stand in line to greet the characters. While standing in line can’t be totally avoided when it comes to characters, here are a couple of tips to lessen the time:

1. Book a character meal. I have had the pleasure of eating a few character breakfasts and am pretty impressed with the amount of time each character spends with you and those with you. You can enjoy your meal, and take pictures with the characters when they come to your table. One extra tip for the character meals is to try to book the earliest possible Priority Seating reservation that you can for the meal. In other words, if a character breakfast begins at 7:30AM at a certain restaurant, try to get that time. You’ll have enough time to get your food before the characters show up, and the crowds usually don’t come for an hour or so after opening, so you’ll practically have the characters to yourself. Chip and Dale can make interesting dining companions when they have nobody else to go talk to!
2. Go to a party night at the Magic Kingdom (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party). On specially selected nights, the Magic Kingdom stays open for several hours after closing to those with tickets to the party. Characters are in full force on party nights, and are often dressed in special attire. Don’t go see them as soon as they arrive, but wait until about an hour before the night is over. That way, many people have already left, and you will have the characters all to yourself! 

So, until we start seeing FastPass machines at the Meet & Greet areas, follow the above suggestions to be able to see the Disney gang without obligatory wait in line.

by Chet McDoniel – Off to Neverland Travel®

So, you’ve got your big Walt Disney World® vacation planned, your Disney resort chosen, and your trip is approaching so rapidly that it is time to pack your bags.  One very important thing to consider is what the weather is like in Orlando, Florida, home of the Walt Disney World® Resort.  I am going to run down some of the basics of the four seasons, and in future articles, we’ll delve more deeply into specific planning.  Let’s begin with one of the most popular times to visit, Summer.

• Summer -  One word: HOT.  Seriously, while the average temperature is only in the low 90s, the humidity can be a killer.  Average rainfall during this time increases as well.  Often, mid-afternoon showers can be heavy and last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.  Unfortunately, instead of cooling things off, these showers seem to only makes things a little more steamy.  (Picture a sauna the size of the parks!)  This is not meant to discourage a summer trip, but you should plan on plenty of sunscreen and plenty of liquids in order to survive.
• Fall – While the temperature starts to drop off in the fall, you may encounter a tropical storm or hurricane depending on when in the fall you choose to travel.  Hurricane seasons vary greatly in quantity and the intensity of storms.  The upside of this is that Disney frequently runs specials during this season, and you can get great rates if you are willing to chance the storms.  Even if a hurricane comes through, the parks usually only close for a day or less for cleanup, and that has seldom occurred. 
• Winter – This can be a wonderful time to visit Orlando, FL, as the temperature drops to an average high in the low 70s.  Day times are usually very pleasant in the parks, however, evenings average in the low 50s.  I have been in Walt Disney World® when you needed outfits that are more typically worn in the snowy mountain ranges of the west.  You might want to pack heavy coats just in case a cold snap occurs.
• Spring – While the rains do pick up slightly as Spring approaches, the temperature could not be better.  Average highs are in the low 80s, and rain is not as frequent as in the Summer and Fall.  Spring is a great time to visit, however, crowd levels are elevated around Spring Break and Easter vacations. 

Now you know a bit about what the weather is like in Orlando, Florida.  With this knowledge, you will know what to pack, and you will be prepared to have a wonderful time.  And…if you forget anything, Disney will be glad for you to visit their merchandise locations so that you can stock up!

One of our Dream Makers, Kyle Froman, writes for a newspaper in Spring Hill, TN, as the local travel guru.  His latest article, Packing for Perfection, has a great tip for packing as much as you can into one bag to avoid extra airline fees. 

A great tip in helping you utilize your suitcase space is to use oversized Ziploc freezer bags. It is really the same concept as the fancy vacuum bags only more economical, and common, who really has a vacuum in their hotel for that return trip home!

Read the full article here – http://www.springhillinformer.com/?p=600

One of our Dream Makers, Kyle Froman, writes for a newspaper in Spring Hill, TN, as the local travel guru.  His latest article, How to Survive Another Summer Vacation, is filled with tips for families wanting to save a few dollars on their summer vacations. 

As the final school bell rings, the minds of children and parents alike quickly turn towards the thought of a summer vacation! As your family begins to think about trips to the beach, and dare I say Disney, I am sure that the dollar signs begin to appear in your eyes. How are we going to afford another vacation?

Read the full article here – http://www.springhillinformer.com/?p=563