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Off to Disney

Larry

By Larry
in The Tailgate

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Larry

Larry

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OK, getting Mom ready to go to Disney. Leaving in a little while, back Saturday afternoon. (Plans subject to change by Mom.)

I'll probably be reading ES a bunch. But I'll be almost exclusively in the iPad (or the phone.) So the big, multi-quote, posts with the embedded links and graphics to other web sites will pretty much be gone.

(In fact, underlining on the iPad is a pain. So, I usually just use Caps Lock, instead.)

I know y'all are gonna miss me not making nearly as many posts. (And a lot less underlining.) But, you'll just have to suffer.

:)

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Teller

Teller

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I hope Disney has the same positive impact on your mom as it has in the past. Have a wonderful time. And again, though we may not agree on anything ever, I really admire what you do for her. She is very blessed to have you as a son; sincerely.

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Larry

Larry

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We always stay at Contemporary, on the side facing the Magic Kingdom.

The monorail is pretty much essential for wheelchair transportation. The restaurant, Chef Mickey's, is in the hotel, so Mom can eat breakfast with Mickey without leaving the hotel. The wheel chair fits through the bathroom door. (Well, enough to get us close enough to the toilet.) And she can watch the fireworks from the room's balcony.

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Dan T.

Dan T.

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I hope Disney has the same positive impact on your mom as it has in the past. Have a wonderful time. And again, though we may not agree on anything ever, I really admire what you do for her. She is very blessed to have you as a son; sincerely.

Seconded. Hope its a great trip for both of you...

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  • 2 months later...
Teller

Teller

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Larry, I hope you don't mind me bumping this thread regarding my own trip, but I didn't want to start a new thread.

My wife and I have booked our eldest daughter's 10th-birthday celebration/vacation. We're staying at the Art of Animation Resort, "Little Mermaid" wing, getting the "park hopper" 5-day passes, and starting to get excited about just seeing her face during her first visit to the magic that is Disney. I don't know who's going to have a harder time waiting for it to get here (January), her, or me! :ols:

I understand they have special events for kids that are there on their birthdays. I think she gets to be in the parade, we're doing the birthday princess brunch, and who knows what else. The wife is making sure all of the special events are coordinated. She's great at the details, fortunately. I am not. I also understand they do something, I don't know what, for every kind on their first trip to the Disney parks.

Larry, I was wondering if you knew of any tricks of the trade that you might be able to share. And if any of you parents have had your children down there for birthdays, what was the experience like?

I feel like a little kid myself right now. I'm just dying to see the joy on my angel's face. :)

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GoSkins561

GoSkins561

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Larry, I hope you don't mind me bumping this thread regarding my own trip, but I didn't want to start a new thread.

My wife and I have booked our eldest daughter's 10th-birthday celebration/vacation. We're staying at the Art of Animation Resort, "Little Mermaid" wing, getting the "park hopper" 5-day passes, and starting to get excited about just seeing her face during her first visit to the magic that is Disney. I don't know who's going to have a harder time waiting for it to get here (January), her, or me! :ols:

I understand they have special events for kids that are there on their birthdays. I think she gets to be in the parade, we're doing the birthday princess brunch, and who knows what else. The wife is making sure all of the special events are coordinated. She's great at the details, fortunately. I am not. I also understand they do something, I don't know what, for every kind on their first trip to the Disney parks.

Larry, I was wondering if you knew of any tricks of the trade that you might be able to share. And if any of you parents have had your children down there for birthdays, what was the experience like?

I feel like a little kid myself right now. I'm just dying to see the joy on my angel's face. :)

Watch out for Mickey...wear duct tape.... :silly:

Enjoy your trip Larry, it's amazing what you do for your mother.

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Larry

Larry

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I'm actually not aware of any special birthday parades you get to be in.

You can get a "birthday button", that says that it's your birthday. (They'll have them when you check into the hotel, or at the Guest Relations desks in any of the parks.) There's also a "1st Visit" button, and a "I'm celebrating" button (for anybody who's celebrating something else, like their daughter's birthday.)

I'm interested in hearing how you like Art of Animation. It's one of what they classify as a "value resort", which I've never stayed at. It'll be brand new (the Little Mermaid section, I think, isn't scheduled to open till December.) Now, all of the other sections in that resort are what they call "family suites", but Little Mermaid, is just standard rooms. I assume that you know about what kinds of differences there are.

If you're looking for extra-special things?

If you're into Princesses, they have a thing inside the castle, called Bibbidy Boppity Boutique (I'm probably misspelling it.) In there, they have people who will do makeovers, to turn little girls into the Disney princess of their choice. Costume, makeup, tiara, all kinds of things. I confess that I have no clue what it costs. (But I assume it's like $50 for this and $45 for that and another $50 for this other thing, and that it adds up.)

I understand that you have to make reservations for this, and they fill up quickly.

I'm a big fan of "character dining", particularly at two restaurants.

Crystal Palace is at the end of Main Street closest to the castle. Big huge picture windows, looking at the castle. It's an all you can eat buffet. But I like to say that it's not school lunch cafeteria food. They have chefs working there. (They also, like every restaurant at Disney, have macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, and chicken nuggets.)

But the big attraction is that the Pooh characters, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglett, circulate through the dining room, and they will come to your table as you eat for autographs and pictures.

DSC04222.jpg

(Mom, Dad, my brother, and his son. Summer of '05. Last time the family took a vacation together. I took the picture.)

Every half hour or so, they have a "pooh-rade", where the characters will march around the dining room. They want the kids to follow them, and form a parade. (Your daughter might be "too old" for that, at 10.)

Costs like $35-$50 per person (depending on breakfast, lunch, or dinner.) And you'll be there for a while. (Plan on spending like an hour, eating.) (You'll get lots of food. You won't be hungry for a while.)

(They have like 8 different desserts, on the desert bar.)

Chef Mickey's is located in the Contemporary hotel, just a monorail ride (or a short walk) away from Magic Kingdom. It's an almost identical formula. Buffet, characters walk through the dining room. An activity to liven things up every half hour or so. Major differences are that it's not open for lunch - breakfast and dinner only. (But breakfast runs till 11:30, and dinner starts at like 4:30). And the characters are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. Again, it's really good food, and you can meet the characters without standing in line for two hours. They come to you.

There's also a restaurant in Animal Kingdom, Tusker House, that is rather similar. Buffet. And they have characters at breakfast. (Lunch and dinner, no characters.) They have Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy (all dressed for safari). Donald isn't in the dining room. Instead, he stays outside, and they will take a picture of you with Donald before you go into the restaurant. (Then, when you're eating, they will try to sell you the picture they took of you with Donald.) (If you don't want to pay them for the picture, simply hand them your camera, and they'll take your picture using your camera.)

There are a couple of other character restaurants, that I'm not that fond of.

All of these character dining opportunities, you really need to have reservations. Now, they won't let you make restaurant reservations more than 180 days in advance, so you can't make them now, but your window opens soon. I recommend that you make them soon.

About restaurant reservations:
At least in the case of these restaurants, they make you give them a credit card when you make your reservation. They won't charge your card. But, if you "no show" (or, if you cancel your reservation the same day), then they'll charge you, I think, $10 a person.

There are a few restaurants where you actually have to pay, when you make the reservation. Only one I know that does this is Shula's Steakhouse, but the restaurant inside Cinderella's Castle might do that, too. I don't remember.

(Since you're staying at a Disney hotel, you do get a bonus. 180 days before the first day of your vacation, you can make reservations for the whole trip. I've tried to do that, myself, and had problems doing it. It's possible that you have to phone their reservation line and have an employee make the reservations for you, I don't know. But they won't fill up THAT quick. You can wait till 180 days before your trip, and make the reservations then.)

When you're planning things, there's a resource I've found that I think will help.

  • Go to www.waltdisneyworld.com (It will redirect you to some more complicated URL)
  • Click on "My Disney Vacation"
  • Over on the right side of the window, they will have "Entertainment Schedule for", and a list of the four parks.
  • Click on a park, and it will take you to a calendar. The calendar typically goes out about six months, so it might not have January yet, but if not, then it should, soon.

That calendar will show you a lot of the schedules for the parks. What time they close. What time the fireworks are, over the castle. The extra magic hours.

Extra Magic hours are another perk you get for staying in a Disney hotel. Each day, one of the parks (a different park each day) will open an hour early, or stay open a few hours late, but only people who are staying in a Disney hotel can go, then.

I've never been, myself. I understand that they close down the concession stands and restaurants and gift shops, and they just keep the most popular rides open. (The ones that have the longest waiting lines, during the day.)

(One friend said that he and his teen son once spent four hours just riding Space Mountain. As soon as their ride ended, they went out, went right back in, and rode again. No waiting line.)

(Looks like it has a calendar for January, but not the Extra Magic hours, yet. And you're supposed to be able to click on an individual day, and see the schedule for the parades and fireworks and things, for that day. But, that doesn't seem to be working.)

(I am often struck by just how slow, buggy, and unreliable Disney's web pages are. I mean, those web pages must be used by thousands of people, every one of which is about to spend four, maybe five figures, with Disney. But they're slow, and buggy. Been that way for at least five years.)

Another thing you might want to check out is:

  • Go to www.waltdisheyworld.com
  • Point at "Things to do", and then go to "Tours and special experiences", which will appear below

That will give you descriptions of several special things you can do. A "pirates" cruise to watch the fireworks. Backstage tours of the Animal Kingdom. Things like that. (Their meet a dolphin must be 13 or older.)

One other benefit you have, by staying at a Disney hotel. If you go shopping, and decide to buy a stuffed Mickey or some such, you don;t have to lug the thing around. The gift shops can have your purchase sent to a pickup location that's near the exit of whatever park you're in. Or they can deliver it to your hotel. (Although this might take a day. The sales clerk will know.)

(They won't deliver the purchase to your room. Disney doesn't want a lot of people to have keys to your room. But, they will deliver it to the gift shop that's in your hotel.)

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Teller

Teller

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Thanks so much for taking the time, and providing all the information, Larry. My wife plans on reserving our "special" meals as soon as they open for reservations. I think she said next Wednesday or something at 6 am? She has a friend who goes to Disney a few times a year that's given her some good info, but I wanted to speak to the unequivocal Disney authority before we do anything.

And yes, we're aware that AofA is a value resort. We don't intend to spend any time in the room, except to sleep, and we got it for $100 a night (for all four of us.) It was simply too good to pass up. Later on (when the kids are grown) if Lynn and I go back, we'll likely spend more time in the room....or do I just hope we will? :ols: We can go for the nicer accommodations then.

I've made the executive decision that we will be visiting the Boutique inside the castle. Both girls would be ecstatic to get that kind of treatment, and be a "real" princess in a "real" castle. I appreciate the info on that for sure.

We will also be dining with Pooh, Tigger, and Eyore, not because the kids want to, but because I do. :ols:

And the souvenir "shipping" is simply awesome. There are few things I hate more than lugging a bunch of stuff around a park, or trying to get souvenirs at closing time, with the 12 million other people trying to do so.

I'll definitely forward your post to Lynn for her consideration. And politely explain to her that her friend has nothing on mine when it comes to Disney details. Thanks very much again.

---------- Post added July-10th-2012 at 10:27 PM ----------

Thanks, Sin!

grego, you're going in two weeks? I want details in three! Have a blast, man!

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Larry

Larry

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I was going to observe that many of the hotels have entertainment at the hotel, too.

The campground, in particular, offers canoes, boat rentals, horse and/or pony rides, an outdoor BBQ with Mickey, and an evening event where a live performer will lead everybody in a sing along, then everybody gets to cook s'mores over a campfire, then watch Disney cartoons on an outdoor movie screen.

But, 100 bucks is one heck of a price.

I don't know if thus is true at the value resorts, but at the deluxe hotels, the swimming pools are seriously heated. You can go swimming in January. The air might be 60 degrees, but the water will be cozy. (You just freeze when you get out of the water). So, you might want to bring swim suits. (Or not, if you aren't going to be at the room in the daytime, anyway).

And if you want to meet characters, you might want to consider trying to get into Chef Mickeys. Scheduling might be funny. (It opens at 7:00, which is also when a lot of Disney transportation STARTS for the day). But, being able to meet Mickey and Co, without having to wait in line, can be really magical.

And, an all you can eat breakfast buffet is a good way to start the day.

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HOF44

HOF44

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Just to add we're going to be there in September. Spending a week at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Gonna be a busy Sept., 9-11th for opening day in New Orleans, then 18-24th in Disney. We will be taking our 5 year old granddaughter to disney for her first time. Already have reservations for lunch in the castle with the princess.

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