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Disney World Training

7
Feb

How to pick the least busiest park at Walt Disney World

in Disney World Tips and Tricks,Disney World Training,Guest Posts

In this digital age with Websites and Apps from Touring Plans to long articles like Easy WDW with their Extended Crowd Calendar. Everyone seems to know which park will have the least amount of people for that day. Let me say that after a little trial and error last week I have determined which park will be the least busiest at any given day at Walt Disney World!

None of them!

According to all the websites, apps, magic eight balls they all said last week was going to be completely dead at Walt Disney World. But let me just tell you it was not! It wasn’t Christmas busy but everyday the big rides at all 4 parks were at 60-90 minute waits.

So before you just give up going let me offer you a few tips on how to pick the best park and make your trip a bit more enjoyable as your banging elbows with that Brazilian Tour Group.

Tip #1 – If a park was open late the night before most times it will be less busy the next day. Most people won’t go back to the same park the next day if they were there till midnight the night before.

Tip #2 – Take advantage of Morning Magic Hours! I have noticed that most people come walking in the park around 10-11am. Which means if you are there for Extra Morning Magic Hours that you will most times have the run of the park for an hour or two before the crowds show up.

Tip #3 – Use Touring Plans Lines App – If we are in a park that seems packed what I will do is whip out the Touring Plans Line App and check the Big 4 Rides. Which are Soarin, Dinosaur, Tower or Terror, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Most times if those lines are over 90 minutes that park will be way to crowded for my tastes. Ok before you ask me about Toy Story Midway Mania, Peter Pan and Expedition Everest keep in mind those rides are always going to be slammed no matter how busy the park attendance.

If you follow those 3 tips you can pretty much avoid most crowds at Disney World. Unfortunately with the invention of Crowd Calendars and Disney Free Dining you can pretty much expect crowds at all parks 365 days a year

Chip of Chip and Company

Before you go be sure to head over to Chip and Co where we share with you the best in Park News, Planning Tips, Giveaways and more! This week we are giving away a $25 Disney Store Gift Card just for being a fan.

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7
Feb

Disney World Training: Paying with Gift Cards

in Disney World Training

Have you debated on purchasing Disney gift cards to pay for your trip? Maybe there has been a great deal on gift cards at your local grocery store but you are worried about purchasing them because you don’t know where they are accepted? I actually get asked this question a lot.

Disney gift cards are accepted at almost every single restaurant, resort and merchant on Disney property. The only ones I have found that do not accept gift cards are cash merchants (like the ones that sell the light up toys before the parade or the balloons at the park entrance). I have used Disney gift cards to pay for my package before I arrive, tickets, souvenirs, meals, etc.

I also have discovered that I can add a credit card to my resort reservation for Key to the World charging privileges. They won’t charge the credit card until it either reaches $500 in charges or the day before you check out. I stop by the front desk every few days during our trip and pay off the balance with the gift cards. This way I do not have to carry a ton of gift cards in the park with me.

Disney gift cards do not expire and they do not charge you a fee no matter how long you wait to use the card.

So next time you see a perk on a Disney gift card, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it.

Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline.

{ 12 comments }

6
Feb

Meatatarian Dining at Walt Disney World

in Disney World Dining,Disney World Tips and Tricks,Disney World Training,Guest Posts

If you scour the internet looking for Special Dietary Requests at Disney World you will find everything from Eating Vegetarian & Vegan, to Gluten Free and people with other Food Allergies. If you do have food allergies I will say Allergy Free Mouse has some of the best resources on the interwebs!

But what about Meatatarians?

What is a Meatatarian you might ask? A meatatarian is a person who eats meat virtually to the exclusion of vegetables. The meatatarian often claims to be conserving veggies for those who would actually eat them, and keeps the veggies out of the waste stream, helping the environment, or keeping produce costs down.

Most times you will find these people eating Bacon and watching shows like Epic Meal Time! Bacon Strips & Bacon Strips & Bacon Strips! These carnivores of the theme park always hang out at places where meat is the highlight of the meal.

So to help out Meatatarians out there I want to suggest to you some restaurants where you can get your meat on!

  • Boma – Plenty of spicy Indian/African meat on this buffet.
  • Beaches & Cream – One of the best Hamburger Meats at Disney World. Forget the bun and go for a double with BACON!
  • OHana – Here they bring meat on skewers. Forget the salad, noodles, and other foods in the beginning of the meal and just ask for your server to start bringing you dem tasty meats! Don’t forget to dip those meats in Sauce!
  • Whispering Canyon Cafe – Ribs, Bar-b-que, Tenderloin and more! Here they bring the meat in a all you can eat bowl. Be sure to ask for Ketchup and a a refill on your drink :)
  • Trails End – Smoked meats, Fried Chicken, and Ribs. One of the best values at Walt Disney World
  • Raglan Road – Irish Meats
  • Biergarten – German Meats. All the sausage you can fit in your mouth!
  • Tokyo Dining – Tons of Ocean Meats here. Nigirizushi has less rice and more meat.
  • 50′s Prime Time Cafe and Tune-In Lounge – Ask for the sampler of meats. Tell them to save the veggies for someone who eats them.
  • Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – Another good Burger Meats stop
  • Liberty Tree Tavern – Thanksgiving meats

If there are any I missed please let me know in the comment box below.

Chip of Chip and Company

Before you go be sure to head over to Chip and Co where we share with you the best in Park News, Planning Tips, Giveaways and more! This week we are giving away a $25 Disney Store Gift Card just for being a fan.

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6
Feb

Disney Recipe: Strawberry Soup from 1900 Park Fare

in Disney Recipes

If you are a big fan of the Strawberry Soup at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian, you can make it at home with this delicious recipe from Southern Plate.

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6
Feb

Disney World Training: Blizzard Beach

in Disney World Training

Photo Credit: KC2000

Walt Disney World is home to two water parks, Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach is a ski resort turned into water park. It features ski runs turned into slides, melted snow pools (some of the water is chilled) and slippery slopes. You can take a ski lift up to the top of Mount Gushmore, which features the world’s tallest and fastest free-falling waterslide, the Summit Plummet (fun!).

Start by racing your friend down The Downhilll Double Dipper. They will time each rider and let you know who crosses the finish line first! Then head over to Toboggan Racers where kids, teens and adults can race each other 8 wide to see who makes it to the bottom first.

Want to ride with your friends down the slides? Be sure to check out Runoff Rapids, featuring 3 unique waterslides, and Teamboat Springs, a family style raft ride down the winding river.

And if that wasn’t enough, you can also head down Snow Stormers, 3 slalom-style racing courses, and Slush Gush, a high-speed 90 foot waterslide down Mount Gushmore.

When you are ready to relax, head over to Cross Country Creek, a slow flowing stream that passes through polar caves and under misty waterfalls. There are no height restrictions on this one, but keep the little ones close at hand.

Kids under 48 inches tall can enjoy Tike’s Peak. They can play in a snow-castle fountain, pop-up water jets and kid-sized slides. And for the kids who are too big for Tikes Peak but not quite ready to tackle the bigger water slides, Disney has the Ski Patrol Training Camp. Kids can head down curvy water slides (both open and inner-tube), take a ride on a zip line or test their balance on the obstacle course.

Admission Options

In order to gain admission to Blizzard Beach, you will need the Water Park Fun and More Option added to your Disney World ticket. This option is an extra $55.58 per multi-day ticket. This gives you a set number of admissions into the 2 water parks, DisneyQuest, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex or a round of golf at Oak Trail.

This option gives you an equal number of days of access on your ticket. So if you have a 7 day park ticket, you also have 7 days worth of admissions giving you a total of 14 days of fun!

If you only want to head to Blizzard Beach for one day, you can purchase a single day ticket at the gate or your resort hotel. Tickets are $52.19 for adults and $43.67 for children.

Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline.

{ 4 comments }

6
Feb

New Partnership with Destinations in Florida | Enter to Win 4 Disney Waterpark Tickets

in Disney World Training,Giveaways

I am so excited to announce that CouponingtoDisney.com has partnered with Destinations in Florida, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Now before you quit reading because I said the phrase “travel agency”, let me elaborate. Destinations in Florida is a FREE Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Not only are they FREE for you to use to book your Disney World vacation, but they also guarantee the lowest package prices on Disney World & Universal Studios Packages, with an extra discount courtesy of Destinations in Florida!

I’ll admit, I didn’t know the benefits of using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner when I took my first 2 trips to Disney. I balked at the idea of surrendering the control of my vacation to a travel agency. I also assumed they would charge an extra fee on top of Disney World’s prices to use their service. When I found out that they provide all these services for FREE to you (Disney pays them a commission, not you) and they actually cost less than Disney, using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner made perfect sense.

Here are a few of my favorite perks that Destinations in Florida offers to their clients:

  • All package guests receive a $10 discount, so their prices are always lower than Disney’s (guaranteed).
  • All guests receive Disney Theme Park Guide Maps (right from the Disney Theme Parks) before departure
  • An autographed picture of Mickey Mouse before departure
  • Orlando Magicards to save additional money during their visit to Orlando (discounts at restaurants and attractions outside Disney’s gates)
  • Bonus FREEbie (February’s is the Hidden Mickey Book). Other past FREEbies have included autograph books and mini-golf vouchers

Here are a few of my favorite benefits to booking with the Destinations in Florida:

  • Answer any and all Disney questions you might have
  • FREE Know Before You Go Disney Guide
  • Disney restaurant reservation suggestions (tailored to your family), plus they will book all reservations for you
  • Fun Disney activities emailed weekly from trivia to tips and tricks
  • An agent is on site at Disney World every single day of the year. They can hop over and answer questions and concerns in person if the need arises.

And if you have already booked with Disney directly, you can transfer your reservation to Destinations in Florida and receive all of the above perks as well as a $50 – $200 gift card!

And my absolute favorite feature of the new partnership is a custom quote form located conveniently on the sidebar of CouponingtoDisney.com. When you decide that you want to Coupon to Disney, you can now get a quote for the cost of your trip to Disney World, Disneyland or a Disney Cruise within 1 hour (between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm EST) to give you a monetary goal to work towards. Keep in mind that if your dates are 4-6 months out, your quote will be the rack rate prices. But don’t worry! Destinations in Floria will keep a close eye on any future discounts and specials that come out for your dates and inform you immediately. Disney will NOT do that for you. That’s just another perk of working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

And to celebrate the launch of the partnership between CouponingtoDisney.com and Destinations in Florida, we are having a week’s worth of giveaways! Each night this week, we will focus on a new area/perk of the partnership plus give you a chance to win a fabulous Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise or Universal Studios prize!

The first giveaway of the week is for a 4 pack of tickets to your choice of Disney Water Park. These tickets are good at either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon and will be valid for use during your travel dates and provided to you directly by Destinations in Florida. To enter this giveaway, fill out the form below. You can also get a bonus entry if you like Couponing to Disney on Facebook.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is being sponsored by Destinations in Florida. All words and opinions are my own. Giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY. Must be 18 year or older to enter. No purchase necessary. This giveaway will end February 11th, 2012 at 9 pm cst. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize via email or new winner(s) will be selected.

{ 7 comments }

2
Feb

5 Adult Restaurants to try at Walt Disney World

in Disney World Dining,Disney World Tips and Tricks,Disney World Training,Guest Posts

Over the years, Walt Disney World has really worked on improving the dining experience for their guests, and they have done an amazing job, it really sets them apart from amusement parks where all you can get is burgers/fries/chicken fingers and the occasional grilled chicken sandwich. The problem they have now (if you can even call it a problem), is that they are so many choices, that a lot of people stick with what they know, which is the chicken fingers and burgers – which are still delicious, but not exactly adventurous.

One of the best things about going to Walt Disney World as an adult is the FOOD – now that you’re grown up you can decide where you want to eat, and what you want to eat, so to get you out of that bland theme park food rut, I have compiled the top 5 ‘different’ restaurants for adults to try at Walt Disney World, in hopes that you will get out there and experience some of the amazing food that WDW has to offer!

5. Via Napoli – This is a relatively new restaurant in Italy at Epcot’s World Showcase, and they are serving up some truly amazing and authentic italian dishes, like lasagna, chicken parmesan, and spaghetti with veal meatballs (yum!). They are also doing a variety of wood fired pizzas with everything from tomatoes and cheese to eggplant and artichokes. The smell of the pizzas is drool worthy for sure, and as if that wasn’t enough, they are serving a variety of wines and other italian inspired beverages to help you cool off after a hot day of touring the Parks.

4. Big River Grille and Brewing Works - Head over to Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and have a casual dinner at this microbrewery, where you can sample flights of their beer made on premisis. The menu isn’t huge, but the items on it are delicious – start out with the beer cheese soup, then an entree of hazelnut crusted chicken, and finish with a rich dessert of chocolate confusion (chocolate cake, mousse, chips, and then more chocolate!). If you aren’t in a food induced coma at this point, you can take an evening stroll down the idyllic Boardwalk, which is nice in the daytime but is even more beautiful when it’s all lit up at nighttime

3. Cape May Cafe – This buffet at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a surf inspired character meal by day, and a surf-and-turf (character free!) seafood buffet by night. Enjoy a true New Englad Style Clambake with steamed clams, mussels, and other favorites, including chicken, ribs, salad bar, and dessert. What could be better than delicious all you can eat seafood in a beautiful resort setting?

2. Raglan Road – This Irish Pub is located in Downtown Disney and serves up Irish classics like Bangers and Mash, as well as crowdpleasers like New York Strip Steak. Their full bar has a wide array of beer and wine selections, and the Irish dancers and live Celtic tunes will keep you happy all night! OH and I can’t forget to mention their Bread Pudding Dessert, it is to die for, and worth going there just for that!

1. Boma – The bus ride over the Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth it for this buffet of African inspired dishes, including Bobotie – a spiced meat dish with an egg topping and the ever popular Zebra Domes, a dessert treat filled with a delicious custard with a hint of liquor in it! Boma has so many amazing dishes I had never tried before that it would be impossible to name them all, they were all worth trying (and most were worth going back for seconds too!), the meats and different salads and hummuses were out of this world! I wasn’t too sure about the ‘ethnic’ cuisine and if I would enjoy it or not, but I loved every single thing I tried and would go here again in a heartbeat, and that’s why it has received the coveted #1 spot on the list!

Honorable Mention:
Kouzzina - I just had to mention this little gem, with their Greek inspired dishes and ideal location at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, I would highly recommend breakfast here – as many of the dishes were updated and some new ones were added (think gooey baklava and fluffy omelettes stuffed with feta and spinach!)

Now, I know there are TONS of other amazing restaurants out there, these are just some of my personal favorites that don’t abide to the standard “theme park cuisine” code, and each one is unique and does things it’s own way, which I love!

Dining in Walt Disney World can be an amazing experience, and I urge you to try something new and different, after all, you’re on vacation!

Catie of Living in a Grownup World and Chip and Co.

Be sure to head over to Chip and Co where we share with you the best in Park News, Planning Tips, Giveaways and more! This week we are giving away a copy of Passporter Walt Disney World Guidebook just for being a fan.

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31
Jan

Disney Quick Tips: Don’t Forget Clorox Wipes

in Disney World Tips and Tricks,Disney World Training,Guest Posts

Here is our Chip and Company Quick Tip for today:

Pack a tube of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, they come in really handy inside room room! A few things I always run a wipe over are the TV remote, light switches and faucet knobs! Those items probably receive the least amount of cleaning inside the room. I also do a quick scrub of the bathroom tub before my daughter gets in for a bath. She absolutely hates showers and I have a hard time putting her in a bathtub that I have not personally cleaned.

The disinfecting wipes also work great for in room spills! We normally have some cereal or a snack before we head out to the Parks. Once in a while there might be a little spill and it is great to have these on hand to clean up small sticky messes!

What are some things you like to pack with you?

Jackie of Chip and Co and Delightfully Disney

Be sure to head over to Chip and Co where we share with you the best in Park News, Planning Tips, Giveaways and more! This week we are giving away a copy of Passporter Walt Disney World Guidebook just for being a fan.

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30
Jan

Disney World Training: Neverland Club at Polynessian (Child Care Center On Site)

in Disney World Training


Photo Credit: Loren Javier

The following is a review, written by my reader Kelly about the Neverland Club at the Polynessian. This one of the Children’s Activity Centers that Disney has on site.

We used the Neverland Club at the Polynesian during our trip this past May. We did make a reservation ahead of time and it’s kind of a crap shoot on how busy they get. Sometimes they are packed, other times, not. I was told that the Neverland Club can accommodate up to 99 kids which seemed like a LOT to me. I wasn’t terribly sure that the kids would be well supervised if they ever got near capacity but they assured me that they never get that full and they will be well staffed. You do kind of have to plan fairly well as they give up your reservation spot if you don’t show up within a certain amount of time. I can’t remember if it’s 20 minutes or 30 minutes past your reservation time. I asked the reservation person a LOT of questions and they were very helpful. They told me that the Neverland Club is one of their biggest Centers with different areas that may cater to different age groups. Captain Hook’s ship has video games like Playstations. There’s a dance stage, a dress up area, TVs, and crafts stations. For those who are younger, (toddler age) the club at the Grand Floridian may be better suited for them as they max out at 35 total kids there and have more stuff for younger kids.

I thought the Cast Members at the Neverland Club did a good job and treated my kids VERY well. When we checked our kids in, they were given a menu to select what they wanted for dinner. (Dinner is included and it’s the typical kids menu you’d see at just about any Disney restaurant…mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, etc.) They asked if our kids had allergies, and they were allowed to check off the items they wanted on the menu sheet, and verified with us if we approved of their choices. We filled out the waivers and emergency contact forms, and they were whisked away through Wendy’s window into the play area. There didn’t seem to be very many kids in there…a handful or 2 if that and from what I could see peeking through Wendy’s window, there were at least 2 Cast Members inside the play area. (The reception area is set up to look like Wendy’s room with a bulletin board that lists that evenings planned activities such as dance parties, free play, crafts, etc.) Then my husband and I headed off for a kid-free date night. :)

Upon our return a few hours later, the we were greeted by the same Cast Member who checked us in. She checked us out, and asked a Cast Member to let my kids know that we were there to pick them up. My daughter came out with a totally different shirt than I sent her in. I was a little puzzled. “She got ketchup on her shirt, so we gave her a new one to wear,” the Cast Member cheerfully explained. “She’s welcomed to keep the shirt.” The shirt was just a regular shirt, not a Disney shirt or anything, but I could tell it was brand new, and I was so happy and impressed that they took care of her. I would’ve been just fine if she had just worn her stained shirt (which looked like she got into a back alley brawl with a bottle of ketchup and lost!) but I was certainly appreciative that they took great care of her and got her a clean shirt to wear. They informed me that her stained shirt was in with her stuff. And by stuff, I mean a large shopping bag that they pulled out of Wendy’s armoire and it contained all sorts of crafts, coloring sheets, and projects that my kids had worked on while we were gone.

I asked my kids for their review of their time at the Neverland Club and my then 3 year old said he had a fantastic time. He was never bored. He played, did crafts, chatted with the Cast Members, he went on and on about how much fun he had. My 5 year old, on the other hand, did complain about being bored there. She said she did have fun, she got to explore and try everything they had to offer from video games to dress up, in the end I think she was bored because there weren’t really any kids her age for her to socialize with. The Neverland Club was pretty empty that night. Perhaps being tired played a role in it. She didn’t have a bad time or anything, in fact, she still talks about it and said she’d like to go back, but at the time, the lack of social factor and fatigue wasn’t what she’d expected. Both of my kids came out of there with smiles on their faces and said they were well taken care of. That makes mommy happy. :)

In the end, I think the Neverland Club was a great option and choice for those who would like to steal away for a little while, do some grown up rides, have dinner, etc without the kids. My husband and I had a wonderful date night at EPCOT and was able to take some time to ourselves and make it “our” vacation as well as a family vacation. I’m very thankful and happy that Disney thought to provide this service and plan to use it again in the future.

Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline.

{ 7 comments }

29
Jan

Chip & Company Disney Roundup for January 29, 2012

in Disney World Tips and Tricks,Disney World Training,Guest Posts

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Chip & Company Disney Roundup.  There have been a lot of stories to read about, so here are the stories that caught our eye last week:

That’s our look at some of the news stories from last week, now let’s take a look at some of the incredible original articles that our writers produce each and every day!  Enjoy!

That’s all we have for you this week.  I hope you have a terrific week, and remember to check out Chip & Company often for the latest in Disney News, Views, Giveaways, and more!  To keep up with the latest Disney news and views on the fly, check out the Chip & Company Facebook Page or follow Chip & Company via Twitter!  Also, head on over to the Disney for Seniors page and tell Ken you hope he’s feeling better!  Ken, get well soon my friend!

>> Mike from Chip & Company and My Dreams of Disney! 

My Dreams of Disney is just that…My Dreams of my absolute favorite place in the World! Stop by and share your Dreams too!  Check us out on Facebook and Twitter, and check out our special pages on the Lands of the Magic Kingdom and the countries of Epcot’s World Showcase!

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