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Thursday's Tip

Today's tip may sound like common sense to some of you, but you can't imagine how many people visit Walt Disney World without a plan! My tip? Make a touring plan. It doesn't have to be a detailed spreadsheet or minute-by-minute schedule (although, some of us like that sort of thing!), but having a basic plan in place can be invaluable.

A good start is figuring out which park(s) you'll visit on each day of your vacation. This can be determined by a number of factors: crowd calendar, dining reservations, special events schedule. Once you have that decided, make a list of "must see" attractions and find them on the WDW map. Be sure to consult the daily entertainment schedule as well (you can pick these up at the front desk of your Disney resort, or check out this website). Then plot your route. For most beginners, going in a somewhat circular motion is best. If you're a pro and know the layout of the land, you might benefit from bouncing back and forth, especially when using FastPass.

(Hint: if you have small children, ALWAYS start in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. Most rides there are slow-loading--especially Dumbo!--and tend to get backed up quickly. For older kids, head straight to the thrill rides that become more crowded as the day goes on.)

If you want a specific plan but aren't sure where to start, there are two websites that can help you--for a fee. The first is Touring Plans. Some of the information on this site is free, but to build your customized plan, you'll have to pay $8.95 for a one-year subscription. However, their crowd calendar is eerily accurate and, in my humble opinion, worth the subscription fee. The second site is Ridemax, which costs $18.95 for 3 months or $29.95 for a year. This one is especially helpful if you're trying to fit in as all the major attractions and thrill rides. But be warned, you will be doing a lot of back and forth touring with this program. Be prepared to criss-cross the World several times. Both of these sites have a limited money-back guarantee.

Finally, leave room for spontaneity! You'll always find some interesting diversion that will eat up a few minutes of time, and you don't want to schedule yourselves so tightly that you can't sit back and enjoy it!

Costume Preview SWAG

Yesterday my two daughters and I were able to attend a costume preview event for Disney Rewards Visa cardmembers at our local Disney Store. First, let me say that this was a very exclusive event--there were only three women and their chidren in attendance! The store was probably disapponted in this turnout, but it made for a wonderful shopping experience for those of us who were there! We were treated to refreshments (juice, fruit, doughnuts) and as the adults shopped they had Disney coloring pages and Disney movies playing for the kids.

Can I just say that the new costumes are quite lovely! I'm especially enamored with the Snow White costume. This year's theme seems to be more sparkle, as most of the costumes are accented with metalic gold and/or glitter. And now that the Disney Store is no longer owned by the Children's Place but has returned to Disney, I think you can see a difference in the quality of the costumes. (To be honest, some of the last few seasons of Disney costumes have been a little disappointing to me.)

In addition to private shopping time, we were offered 10% off of all our purchases, as well as an additional $10 off any costume. (There were a few marked down to $34.99, which made them around $22.50 after discounts!) We also played a game of "hot potato" with a stuffed Minnie Mouse toy, and the winner (OK, it was ME!!!) received a $5 gift card. (Already spent it, obviously.) Above, you can see the free SWAG each guest received--our choice of a reusable Disney character shopping bag (choices included Tink, Pooh, Minnie, Mickey, and a special Halloween design) as well as a large classic Mickey shopping bag. I was psyched, since I always take my own bags on all my grocery shopping expeditions.

All in all, it was a great fun, FREE event! I can't say enough about my Disney Rewards Visa. Love it!

Thursday's Tip

So, you might have noticed that Thursday's Tip is coming to you on Friday. I have no excuse...I simply ran out of Thursday. So...here's Friday's tip instead: Pack some individual instant drink mix packets. These come in every variety under the sun, from teas to lemonades, from vitamin/health drinks to sugary flavored water. One of the biggest price gouges on Disney property is beverages. Ordering tap water at a restaurant might seem like a good alternative...until you taste Central Florida's tap water. Let's just say it's unpleasant. But mixing in a packet of your favorite instant beverage can cover the offensive taste/smell.

You might want to toss in a few pouches of hot cocoa too--they make for a more fun breakfast in your hotel room!

Free Shipping on Costumes at Disneystore.com

Have I mentioned that my two girls are big fans of playing dress-up? And, in particular, dress-up in Disney Princess costumes. We have quite a few of them. In fact, I can't think of any major princess, off the top of my head, for whom we don't have at least one version of her costume. So you can imagine my excitement when I received an invitation to a Disney Visa cardmember costume preview at our local Disney Store this Saturday morning. I haven't told the girls yet--gonna surprise them. It will be--at least in our world--EPIC!

That said, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I never pay full price for Disney costumes--never! So...I'm simply mentioning this free shipping deal in passing. Personally, I would wait until closer to Halloween and watch for the sales. But if your little darling just MUST have the newest version of Ariel's costume and you're concerned about finding the right size before the big holiday, at least take advantage of free shipping by using the promo code COSTUME at checkout.

To view the latest and greatest Disney costumes, click here. There are costumes for everyone in the family, including Mom & Dad! (Maybe I can talk my husband into playing Grumpy to my Snow White...nah, probably not.)

Dining Options Expand for Free Dining

Disney has added a few seasonal dining opportunities to help accommodate those who are taking advantage of the upcoming Free Dining promotion, September 27 through December 17. Chef Mickey's, normally open for breakfast and dinner, has added a character lunch. Both the Tomorrowland Terrace and Diamond Horseshoe Review in the Magic Kingdom have added dinner seating, and 'Ohana in the Polynesian Resort has extended its breakfast and dinner hours. In Fort Wilderness, the Whispering Canyon Cafe has extended its dinner hours and Mickey's Backyard BBQ has added additional dates.

Kouzzina Now Open

Iron Chef Cat Cora's new restaurant, Kouzzina, opened yesterday on Disney's Boardwalk in the former Spoodles location. Serving breakfast and dinner, Kouzzina features Mediterranean-style cuisine, a nod to Cora's Greek heritage.

A few menu highlights:

• Soup: Vongole Manila Clams, Calabrese Sausage, Wine Broth, and Garlic Croutons (12.99)
• Entree: Traditional Whole Fish ($27.99), Pan-Roasted with Braised Greens, Greek Olives, Fennel, and Smoked Chili
• Side: Chilled Salt-Roasted Beets with Skordalia (4.99)
• Dessert: Chocolate Budino Cake ($8.49), Warm Molten Chocolate with Whipped Sweet Cream

Yum...guess I'll have to wait for my next trip to give my official thumbs up, but it sure sounds like it will be a hit!

Thursday's Tip

My family loves Disney! (Duh.) And we like to bring back a few souvenirs as reminders of each trip. The problem is, we're already overrun with Disney merchandise! Not only that, but the various knick-knacks sold at the hundreds of gift shops throughout the World can set you back some serious cash. So, other than a special T-shirt, a set of Mickey ears, or other items that we can't resist, our souvenirs usually consist of free items we pick up along the way and our favorite cheap memento: the pressed penny!

Yes, these lovely little items cost just 51 cents, and you can get them everywhere in WDW! (You can also get pressed quarters, but they're obviously more expensive.) Many are character-specific for the area where the machines can be found. We have a huge assortment, and we enjoy collecting them. Best of all, they don't take up much space!

Before our trip, we start collecting shiny new pennies. Then, we put the pennies, along with enough quarters to feed the machines, in an empty M&M Minis tube (a used film container also works, but who uses film anymore?). Tuck the container into your backpack or purse, and you're ready whenever you come across a machine.

Kids especially enjoy collecting all their favorite characters!

Between Trips--Getting a Fix

If you're a true Disney fanatic like me, the time between WDW vacations can seem endless, even if you go pretty frequently. How do I make those times more bearable? First, our family enjoys watching our vacation home videos (DVDs, in our case) over and over, reliving the memories. Another way to relive the Magic is by catching a few of those Disney World travel specials on cable. I used to happen upon these by accident until I discovered this site, a listing of Disney-related TV programming. A fun way to extend that vacation feeling or get excited about an upcoming trip!

ADR Window Returning to 180 Days

Beginning October 27, you will once again be able to make Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) as early as 180 days in advance of your trip. And, believe me when I tell you, you will want to call at exactly 180 days out if you're trying to get the coveted breakfast reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table. Since the ADR window was lowered to 90 days, obtaining reservations at the most popular table service restaurants has been akin to winning the lottery, with only slightly better odds.

You can check out WDW's vast array of dining options and make ADRs online here.

Is Illuminations Going Away?

Say it ain't so, Mickey! There's a rumor (unconfirmed!) buzzing around the 'net that IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the iconic fireworks spectacular at Epcot, will be disappearing forever on August 30. IlluminNations dates back to October 1999, so it's not hard to believe Disney would consider retiring the popular production. Also rumored is its replacement: DisneySea Symphony, a variation of a show formerly seen at Tokyo Disney.

As soon as I hear anything concrete, I'll post.

Princess Tiana Revealed

Sure, we've been seeing trailers for The Princess and the Frog for several months now. But Disney has just given us a glimpse of what the first African-American Disney princess will look like at the various theme park meet-n-greet settings. Take a look!

photo © Disney

Seen here with Anika Noni Rose, the Tony Award winner who lends her voice to the animated princess, Princess Tiana was unveiled last night at National Association of Black Journalists convention in Tampa. She is expected to start making the theme park rounds in the coming months, with special appearances on a limited-run show on the Liberty Belle in WDW's Frontierland, beginning in late October.

The Princess and the Frog debuts in theatres December 11.

Thursday's Tip

Today's tip may seem out of the ordinary because I'm going to encourage you to spend money. Yep, not only that, but I'm going to ask you to pay too much for a meal. Why? Because time is money, and one of the best ways to save time at WDW is to skip those loooooonnnng lines at the character meet-n-greets. But when you have a tot whose primary directive is to get a pic with his favorite character, you have only two choices: wait in those lines, or...wait for it...book a character meal!

OK, so they're overpriced. I mean, who ever heard of a preschooler eating $24.99-worth of anything? Still, in the span of about an hour, you can get pics with about a half dozen beloved Disney icons. They take their time, interacting with your child, posing for pics, signing autographs. That's not likely to happen anywhere else in the World.

And, really, there are a few character meal "bargains." For starters, stick with breakfast (We try to schedule for the last seating, so it's more like an early lunch!) If your kids like the classics--Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto--may I suggest Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. The breakfast buffet is tasty and varied, and priced at a reasonable $22.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids 3 to 9. (Kids under 3 eat free--hooray!) The restaurant is roomy, and you'll have ample time with the characters. For even less ($18.99 for adults; $10.99 for kids), you can have breakfast with the Pooh characters at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Again, a nice variety of characters for a decent price.

If you absolutely must dine with the princesses (been there, done that), know that you'll pay an arm and a leg, and you'll need to call the reservations line the moment it opens exactly 60 days prior to your visit. Seriously. But, then, who can put a price on the love you have for your child, right? (Apparently, Disney can...and it will cost you $47.23 per adult and $31.05 per child at Cinderella's Royal Table.)

When making ADRs, ask which characters are expected (these can change frequently), and ask the price! We were surprised to find a photo package had been added to our character meal after we booked it--raising the price significantly. Also, some meals seem like a bargain, but when you consider the number (or popularity) of the characters, they might not be quite as good as you think.

2010 Dining Plans Released

Disney has released details for its 2010 dining plans. With five plans, families of all sizes and appetites have great options. One change for 2010 is that the Basic Dining Plan will now feature seasonal pricing. (Notice how I used the word "feature" to make this sound positive?) That simply means you'll be paying up to $5 per day more with this plan during peak and holiday seasons.

Click here to view all of the plans.

The Perfect Costume Storage Unit

OK, so this post isn't exactly about saving on your Walt Disney World vacation, but it does relate. Anyone who has ever taken a little girl to WDW knows that costumes are an essential take-along item. In fact, my girls wear multiple costumes on most trips, sometimes just to character meals but often throughout the parks. And when we're back at home, you can find my daughters in costume on any given day. All that to say: we have a LOT of Disney Princess costumes.

So, how does one keep these lovely creations in good shape, while still allowing the little darlings to have daily access to them? This has been an ongoing problem in our house, as I usually end up having to un-hang and then re-hang costumes during an afternoon of dress-up. But no longer! I have found the item that is going to change my life! (See picture above.) This lovely little costume organizer costs $89.95 at Disneystore.com, but I plan to catch it on sale or use my Disney Rewards Visa dollars. It's the perfect size to hang costumes within reach of little princesses, and it even has drawers for storing tiaras, shoes, magic wands, and other accessories. I am in love!

You can check out the other items in Disney's new Play Room Collection here.

I Hate to Say "I Told You So"

Those of you who heeded my post about rising ticket prices, give yourselves a hearty pat on the back! For those who didn't, there still may be time to purchase existing inventory from vendors like Undercover Tourist. Ticket prices did indeed increase on Sunday, August 2. Still, the news isn't too bad: one-day tickets went up only $4 per ticket, with multi-day passes with No Expiration and added options going up as much as $21 per ticket.

Another notable change: adding the Water Parks & More option or the Park Hopper option went up from $50 to $52 per ticket (still a flat fee, unlike the No Expiration fee, which gets exponentially higher based on the number of days).

You can explore the new price structure here.