Disney World Resorts

Below are the posts I have written about the Disney World Resorts. This includes information about each of the resorts as well as reviews from my readers who have stayed at that resort. Posts are in order of newest to oldest.

You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline that is arranged in the order you should read these Disney World posts.

May

7:45 pm

Disney World Training: Best Friends Pet Care Center

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

If you are planning on traveling with your pet, Disney does offer an on-site pet care center. Best Friends Pet Care is 27,000-squre-feet and offers boarding, daycare and grooming for dogs, cats and other family pets. You can choose from a wide range of accommodations and activities for your pet including playgroup, special treats and even movies!

If you have used Best Friends Pet Care, I’d love to hear your opinion! Please leave a comment about your experience.

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. And if you are ready to book your trip, be sure to read about the perks of using an authorized Disney vacation planner (plus it’s FREE!).

{ 1 comment }

Apr

7:30 pm

Sneak Peek of Art of Animation Resort

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

Art of Animation, Disney’s newest Value resort, is set to open on May 31st. I am so excited that this resort is coming and we definitely will be staying here on our January 2013 trip.

And to get you ready and excited, check out this awesome new video in the From the Drawing Board series…

{ 4 comments }

Mar

7:30 pm

Book Art of Animation Now | Grand Opening May 31st

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

The Art of Animation Resort is opening on May 31st and you can now book your reservation through my friends at Destinations in Florida who were given a sneak peek of the resort this week.

Lobby – As you walk into the lobby to check in, you are going into the mind of an animator. The sketches start off as black and white and then turn to color. Many of the sketches have never been seen by the public, right out of the vault.

Animation Hall – This resort is very similar to the layout of Pop Century with an arcade, food court and merchandise shop. The food court has a different room with every theme – Finding Nemo, Lion King, CARS, and Little Mermaid. Even the bus lane is the same with one bus stop for all locations.

Pools and Courtyards – This is the highlight of the resort. There are two quiet pools at Little Mermaid and CARS. The main themed pool is Finding Nemo. You are the size of Nemo with huge characters including Crush and Mr. Ray. This is the largest pool on property. They have a beach entry and a wet splash park and dry playground…both themed with fun Finding Nemo characters. The buildings surrounding the pool are themed, like you are in the Great Blue. It is amazing!

These incredible themes carry over to the other areas.

Rooms – The rooms opening on May 31 are the suites. They are similar to Family Suites at Disney’s All Star Music, but so much more! The main area includes a table that drops down to a Murphy Bed at night. Hidden behind the bed is a beautiful painting of Nemo and Marlin. This is the only place you will find Nemo in the room.

On one side of this room is the living room with a couch that pulls out to a double bed, chairs, and tables. All of these are moveable to make more room for the family.

Off the living room is a bathroom with a tub, perfect for families. There is another bedroom for the parents with a Queen Bed. The second bathroom off the bedroom includes a tiled shower for adults.

The theme is incredible…it is Finding Nemo with living room and bedrooms like the Great Blue. The light fixtures on the ceilings are even bubbles, like the surface of the ocean. The bathrooms are shark areas with decorations like mines, ship windows, and dark colors like from the scenes with Bruce.

The CARS rooms is another cute theme with main areas from the movie, Cozy Cone Motel. The bathrooms are themed after a car wash.

There will also be Standard Rooms opening later this year. All of the Standard Rooms are in Little Mermaid. There is still lots of construction before it opens in May, but so far it is spectacular.

This resort is considered a value resort. The prices start from $199 per night plus tax for the Standard Rooms and $388 per night for the suites (prices do vary based on dates of travel).

Opening Dates:

Finding Nemo – Opens May 31st
Cars – Opens June 18th
Lion King – Opens August 10th
Little Mermaid – Opens September 15th

{ 7 comments }

Mar

8:00 pm

Disney World Training: Extra Magic Hours

in Disney World Parks,Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

Guest of Disney Resorts are eligible for an exclusive amenity called Extra Magic Hours. Each day, at least one Disney park either opens 1 hour early or stays open 3 hours later for Disney Resort guests. The parks vary each day, so make sure you check the park schedule to see which parks will have Extra Magic Hours.

Not all rides, attractions or characters are available during Extra Magic Hours. You can see a list of which attractions are available on the Disney World website.

There are over 25,000 resort rooms on Disney World property and because Extra Magic Hours is so heavily advertised to the guests of Disney Resorts, many guests are aware of this perk and take advantage of it. Which means that often these Extra Magic Hours are very crowded. Also guests tend to visit parks that offer Extra Magic Hours even if they aren’t taking advantage of it because they feel like they are getting their money’s worth by visiting that park.

Tips and Advice

Typically Evening Magic Hours die down about 1 hour before the park closes. If you can make it until the last hour, usually you can walk on everything.
There are less rides and attractions open during the morning than during the evening. The evening is typically the best one to do.
If you are going during the summer, Evening Magic Hours are awesome because it isn’t hot!
If you want to avoid the crowds, the rule of thumb is to visit the park the day after they had Evening Magic Hours. So if Magic Kingdom had Evening Magic Hours on Monday night, you would visit on Tuesday.
If you aren’t taking using a park’s Morning Extra Magic Hours, don’t go to that park! It is going to be crowded.
If you have Park Hopper and you are planning on using the Evening Extra Magic Hours, visit a different park during the day and then return to the other park for Extra Magic Hours that evening. Typically a park that has Extra Magic Hours is busy all day long.
If you aren’t staying on property, don’t go to a park that has Extra Magic Hours that day. Especially not the one that has Early Magic Hours.

My Opinion

Our kids are young so we don’t do Evening Magic Hours with them because they usually go to bed by 9 pm est. Twice we have tried Morning Magic Hours and both times it felt like total chaos plus there is less open during the Morning Magic Hours than the Evening Magic Hours. We also don’t usually get Park Hopper, so we avoid the park that has the Extra Magic Hours because we know it will be busy.

When my husband and I went on our anniversary trip, we did the Evening Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom and it was AWESOME! Towards the 2nd and 3rd hour, the park was pretty deserted and we were able to walk on almost everything. Plus it is so hot during the summer, so it is nice to be able to take advantage of the darkness.

Your Opinion

Please leave a comment letting us know what your family does!

{ 8 comments }

Mar

7:00 pm

Disney World Training: Bay Lake Towers Review

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

Bay Lake Tower, connected to Disney’s Contemporary Resort by a covered Sky Way Bridge, opened in 2009, making it one of the newest DVC and Disney Deluxe Villa resorts on the Walt Disney World property. From a studio to a three-bedroom unit spanning two floors, Bay Lake Tower is the newest in the line of upper-end Disney accommodations. But whew, it’s pricey! Is Bay Lake Tower right for your next vacation?

Here’s three reasons you would love to stay at Bay Lake.

1. Location, location, location. When you can walk to the Magic Kingdom in less than 15 minutes, strolling down a sidewalk that overlooks Space Mountain, you are paying for location, and you’ll pay big bucks for this luxury. You can also hop a monorail that comes zipping through the Contemporary Resort next door to whisk you to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and there’s the usual bus service to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, and the Disney water parks. Boat service will take you to the Wilderness Lodge if you have time for an afternoon field trip and perhaps a bite to eat. You are right in the middle of all things Disney at Bay Lake Tower, with a spectacular vantage point for Magic Kingdom fireworks and sidewalks for tranquil strolls by Bay Lake.

2. The Pools, and other amenities. The Bay Lake pool is fabulous, with a glass-block modern water slide, water features, a (rather small) hot tub, and a pool bar. While Bay Lake vacationers can use the Contemporary Pool and their hot tubs, only those staying at Bay Lake can use the Bay Lake Tower pool, so it feels exclusive. There are tennis courts, shuffleboard, BBQ grills, and you have access to the Olympiad Fitness Center at the Contemporary, offering spa, salon, and massage services. Boat rentals at available the Contemporary, and you can join a marshmallow roast every evening at sunset. Chef Mickey’s character dining, the California Grill, and The Wave restaurants are next door at the Contemporary Resort, as well as room service, the Contempo Cafe for faster dining, plus three gift shops for all your Disney souvenir needs.

3. The room with a view. Every unit has a balcony overlooking either Bay Lake, the Magic Kingdom, or the Contemporary Resort with a nice view over the Seven Seas Lagoon. Flat-screen TVs, DVD players, microwaves, coffeemakers, and min-fridges come standard even in the studios that sleep up to four. One bedroom/2 bath units sleep five, two bedroom/3 bath units sleep up to nine with a full size, fully equipped kitchen. The piste de resistance of Bay Lake lodgings, the three-bedroom/four bathroom, two-story Grand Villa sleeps 14 and features two-story windows for incredible views of Bay Lake the Magic Kingdom. There are 295 rooms at Bay Lake, which is a far cry from the 867 rooms at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa . There is a smaller feel to this resort, and you may not do as much walking as you would on some other Disney properties.

The downside for your average Disney vacationer. The Price. I almost feel the need to put that in all caps: THE PRICE! Assuming a standard view for all rooms, a studio starts at $415 per night, the one-bedroom starts at $515, and the two-bedroom starts at $700. Three-bedroom Grand Villas lake view start at $1700 and $1900 gets you a Magic Kingdom view. And these prices are for Value Season…imagining the prices for the Christmas holidays may cause some of you to break out in hives.

The Bay Lake lobby is not a place you can hang out and enjoy, like you could at say the Wilderness Lodge. There is not gift shop or a “real” restaurant in the building, unless you count the pool bar, but it’s just a short walk over to the Contemporary to share their dining and shopping options. Some people like the Bay Lake Tower’s “contemporary” design, and some feel it’s not as themed as Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian Resort. It’s definitely not, but fans of clean lines and modern-looking furnishings will be in heaven. There’s not a lot of landscaping or eye-catching decorations, but the architecture and luxury accommodations speak for themselves.

Amanda M. is the Imagineer of photo blog mouzekateerz.com and a staff writer for Meet the Magic. If you like Disney World photography, visit her at Mouze Kateerz on Facebook and Mouze Kateerz on Pinterest.

{ 6 comments }

Feb

8:00 pm

Disney World Training: Unexpected Room Upgrades

in Disney World Resorts

Sometimes Disney upgrades your room for FREE! You never know when this might happen and there is no way to predict it. It’s just a touch of unexpected Disney magic….

My reader Erica just received a FREE upgrade. Here’s her story:

I am one of your many readers and I just wanted to share with you the best thing that has ever happened to me regarding Disney.
I am 23 years old and have gone to Disney 125 times (most times where week long trips). So needless to say I have been a lot. My family is the typical middle class family so we always stayed in the value resorts or at the campgrounds.

On Dec 8th 2011, I booked a little weekend trip to Disney for Feb 18th. I booked the Royal Room at Port Orleans River Side. Its a little splurge for my brother and I and with a Florida Resident deal and couponing, we could afford it.

On January 6th Disney Travel called me. The Cast Member told me that the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans where not going to be ready in time for our trip. He gave me two choices. He could put me in a standard room at Port Orleans or…..
He could upgrade me FOR FREE to ANY deluxe resort of my choosing (except Grand Floridian or the Contemporary).
Of course I went with the upgrade and now my brother and I are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah View.

Not in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagine staying in any deluxe resort, but now we are, thanks to the magic of Disney.
and bad scheduling.

Has your reservation ever been upgraded at Disney World?

{ 18 comments }

Feb

8:00 pm

Disney World Training: The Magical Express

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

One of the perks to staying on site during your Disney World Vacation is the Magical Express. The Magical Express is a fleet of motorcoaches operated by Mears Transportation for the Walt Disney World company. The motorcoaches will take you directly to the lobby of your Disney World Resort for FREE!

When you book your Disney World reservation, just let them know that you would like to use the Magical Express service. You will be sent special luggage tags that will enable you to drop your luggage off at your home airport (it must be located in the United States) and it will arrive in your room like magic a few hours after you check in. You do not have to wait on the luggage once you arrive at the Orlando airport!

When you land at the airport, follow the signs to the Disney’s Magical Express Welcome Center in the Main Terminal Building, B side, Level 1. You will be directed to your resorts awaiting Magical Express bus. Keep in mind that you will share the bus with other resorts on property (usually it’s only up to 4).

Once you are on the Magical Express, you can sit back and relax and watch this super cute movie featuring Disney characters. Hopefully you will also get a funny bus driver too. The ride will take you about 30 minutes.

Once you arrive at your Disney resort, you will be able to head straight to the lobby to check in. A few hours after you check in, your luggage will magically arrive in your room. I highly recommend that you pack at least one change of clothes in your carry on since there is no telling how long it will take the luggage to arrive.

Towards the end of your trip, you will be given departing Magical Express luggage vouchers. Take your luggage to the Magical Express station at your resort the morning of your departure. They can hold your luggage for you until the motor coach arrives. You will leave 3 hours prior to your flight time for domestic flights and 4 hours prior to your flight time for international flights.

{ 8 comments }

Feb

8:00 pm

Disney World Training: Typhoon Lagoon

in Disney World Resorts,Disney World Training

Photo credit: PrincessAshley

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

Typhoon Lagoon opened in June of 1989 when a typhoon wreaked havoc on formerly perfect tropical paradise. When you visit Typhoon Lagoon, you will find a shrimp boat, Miss Tilly, impaled upon Mount Mayday in the center of the park. It contains a geyser that erupts with 50 feet of water every half hour.

Typhoon Lagoon holds 2 world records. It is the most visited water park in the world and it also contains the world’s biggest outdoor wave pool.

If slides are your thing, Typhoon Lagoon has a few to choose from:

Humunga Kowabunga – 3 different 5 story flume slides that are side by side so you can race your family to the bottom.
Storm Slides – 3 wet and wild body slides through caves, waterfalls and geyers
Crush ‘n’ Gusher – 3 different roller coaster like waterslides where up to 3 guests can rush down the slide together on an inner-tube.
Mayday Falls – Fly down Mount Mayday on the longest waterslide in the park.
Keelhaul Falls – If you aren’t sure if you will like a water slide, be sure to try this one first. It is the mildest in the park.

If you want to enjoy some quality family fun, you can all head down Gang Plank Falls in a raft together. It is a 300 foot long waterslide containing many surprises and special effects.

When you feel like relaxing and soaking up some rays, you can enjoy Castaway Creek or relaxing on the Sandy White Beach.

Little ones can enjoy Ketchakiddie Creek that features activity areas, water slides and a tot sized water play area.

Want to learn how to surf? You can book surf lessons either before or after the park closes.

And you can even swim with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon.

Admission Options

In order to gain admission to Typhoon Lagoon, 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.

{ 4 comments }

Feb

8:00 pm

Disney World Training: Blizzard Beach

in Disney World Resorts,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.

{ 4 comments }

Jan

8:00 pm

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

in Disney World Resorts,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.

{ 7 comments }