 |
|
 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: You Win a Few ...
Travel Feature: Hotel MiraCosta
Disney Feature: Five Tips for a Trouble Free Trip
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Surf's Up, Wonderful Wallpaper, Space Saver,
Cool Links: Disney Stuff and Services
Captain's Corner: Music to my ears!
PassPorter PhotoPick: George to the Rescue
Q and A: What attractions are decorated for the holidays?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
| .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
New Monorail train to be created. Monorail Teal, created from remnants of Monorail Pink and Monorail Purple, the two trains involved in the July 5, 2009 death of a Disney Cast Member, will make its debut later this year. Pink and Purple will be retired as monorail colors. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
New Half-Marathon Announced. The Race for the Taste 3k and 5k are being replaced in 2010 by the Wine & Dine Half Marathon on October 1-2, 2010. The nighttime race will be held on October 2 and will finish with a private party for runners and their families at Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival. For more information, check out the race web site. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Two baby giraffes born at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Baby Bruehler was born to mother Aibuni on October 5, 2009 and baby Baby Bolo was born to mother Big Girl. Both babies are boys. The babies are not on public display just yet but will be in the coming weeks. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
New $1 Coins began circulating at Walt Disney World. On Monday, October 19, 2009, in conjunction with the U.S. Mint, Walt Disney World began circulation of the 2009 Native American dollar coins. The program is part of Disney's continued commitment to environmentality. Because the coin is recyclable and more durable than paper money, it is a better environmental choice than dollar bills. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Our thanks to AllEars.net and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.
Hear some news? Be a 'PassPorter Reporter' and send it to us!
| . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . |
Disney Tips:
From Fellow Readers
Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! And you never know -- your tip could even appear in a future edition of a PassPorter guidebook.
SURF'S UP
'Did you know that the only pool in the U.S. where you can take a surf lesson is in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon? The Cocoa Beach surf school gives group lessons at 6:45 -9:30 am several days per week. The lesson is designed for beginners, but can also help experienced surfers to improve their technique. The first 30 minutes is land and safety training, followed by 2 hours of surfing. It is very safe; there are life guards in and out of the water and several surf instructors in and out of the water as well, assisting and offering suggestions on how to improve your technique. The cost of the surfing lesson is $150, and can be arranged through Disney Recreation. We have surfed there twice, and we had a great time both as a beginner and as an intermediate surfer. You don't need to bring a surf board or a towel; they are provided. Don't forget the sunscreen!'
-- contributed by Kathryn
WONDERFUL WALLPAPER
'When planning a trip to Walt Disney World, we enjoy counting down the big event by using Disney images as our computer's screen saver. We Google Disney images, save them in our picture files, and then pull up a new one each week to display on our monitor as the wallpaper. This is a family activity and everyone in the household has a vote in which image to use during that week. Since our next trip is planned for June of 2010, we have saved around thirty pictures of the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom to chose from, as well as images of Disney characters and even the parks at Christmas time. We even use photos from our past vacations at WDW. It's fun for everyone to gather around the computer and choose the next Disney image that will keep us experiencing the magic throughout the coming week!'
-- contributed by Ronald
SPACE SAVER
'On a recent trip to Walt Disney World with my friend, son, niece, and nephew, I knew that the space for all the clothes for a week would be limited. I took a sweater garment hanger and hung it in the closet. In each square space I had a complete outfit for each child. This made getting ready early in the morning easy for me and them. We did not have to look for matching outfits and through three stacks of clothing. This allowed more drawer space for the adult clothing.'
-- contributed by stephanie
Want more Disney tips? For Walt Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips submitted by readers over the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. For details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page or the PassPorter store. For Disney Cruise Line fans, we have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise line comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information, visit the Disney Cruise Clues info page.
| . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . |
Cool Links:
Disney Stuff and Services
We encounter many Disney- and travel-related products and services. From among those we try, a few are good enough to use ourselves and recommend to you:
KidsFlySafe.com - CARES FAA-approved safety harness for planes
| . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . |
Captain's Corner:
Treasure Hunting Game
Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our book, 'PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World.' The Captain makes a study of the delightful details -- sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight but often overlooked -- at Walt Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Using notes from his journals, he will lead you to this 'treasure' at Disney with clues, questions, photos, or riddles. Your challenge is to discover the answer by searching your memory, visiting Disney, or even just looking really hard on the Internet. If you think you've found the answer, e-mail it to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the first person to correctly submit the FULL answer will receive a free PassPorter enamel pin. (Please note: Players can win once every three months.)
Here is this week's journal entry:
"I've been a fan of great music for many a year. I adore the music played in the parks, the concerts in the summer, and the fabulous soundtracks on so many attractions. The only thing missing is a way to listen to the music I love at home. But I think I have a solution! I found a music player -- and it even comes with six hit albums! I don't recognize the albums ("Wingsong" and "Every Picture Tells a Story"), but it says they are "greatest hits" so they must be good. The player was on display at a popular Disney resort, and I think I might ask the manager if I can buy it ... I'll even throw in a good word for him here if he includes the albums free of charge! Only thing is I'm not sure how much to offer. The player appears to play "Eight Tracks" and has fancy Tone and Balance levers. It could be the deal of a century!"
Where at Walt Disney World is the music player mentioned above?
For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to Mindy who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Mindy was the first person to identify the answer to last week's clue as Welcome sign in Pagani Forest Exploration Trail at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Bonus credit goes to home4us123 as the first person to locate the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter.
Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in a future newsletter, along with the correct answer!
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
PassPorter PhotoPick
Each issue we choose a special photo from the PassPorter Photo Archive which highlights something beautiful, interesting, humorous, or timely at Disney or around the world. Here is this issue's PassPorter PhotoPick:
 George to the Rescue
Photo by pita
(click the photo or link to see a larger photo with details)
You can nominate photos as a PassPorter PhotoPick by giving ratings in the PassPorter Photo Archive (you'll need to be logged in to do this). If you'd like to contribute your own photos to the Photo Archive and be considered as a PhotoPick, please read our Photo Upload Guidelines for details and benefits.
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Q and A: With Jennifer and Dave
Beautiful Mother asks: "What attractions are decorated for the holidays?"
Dave answers: "The biggest overlays are probably Cinderella Castle and the Osborne Family Festival of Dancing Lights at Studios, but those don't count as attractions in the normal sense. They used to do an overlay for Country Bear Jamboree, but they discontinued a couple of years back. You'll see some holiday decorations sneaking onto some attractions (an ornament here, an ornament there), but WDW doesn't do full-fledged attraction overlays like Disneyland has on Haunted Mansion Holiday and Its A Small World (not that we don't all wish they did it, but it seems holiday business is good enough that they don't have to go to the extra trouble and expense an attraction overlay requires - shutting down the attraction for weeks before and after the holiday season, all
the labor, etc.). Personally, I think what they do is so good (between special parades,
fireworks, shows, overall decoration, etc.) that one or two 'overlay' attractions would be 'lost in the sauce.' It's a bit different at Disneyland, since they have just the two parks. WDW might need one or two in each park to get the same effect."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that Beautiful Mother received, check out the rest of the thread on the PassPorter Message Boards..
Have a question? Post questions at http://www.passporterboards.com -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?
PassPorter News is published weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! We're on the lookout for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience is necessary, just a desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in 'print' and receive a $25 gift certificate for use at www.passporter.com.
For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...
PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):
MouseEarVacations.com - FREE Nights at the Walt Disney World® Resort
Mouse Fan Travel - Walt Disney World Offer! Book 7 night stay, Get 2 or 3 nights FREE!
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation - $5.00 off airport round-trip town car!
|
|
|
|
|
From the Authors: You Win a Few ...
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
Thank you to all the folks who joined us in Disneyland last weekend for our S. California stop on our Decade of Dreams Tour! We had a blast and loved meeting all of you.
Printed PassPorter Sheet Giveaway!
We had a great response to last week's "Printed Sheet" contest! More than 120 readers entered the drawing, and using random.org, four winners were selected at random: lura008, clubber, rhinohunter, and Tiggerbelle! Each winner will receive a unique prize, a poster-sized sheet containing 32 pages of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010, just as it came off the printing press.
PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 Status
Meantime, we got some frustrating and disappointing news from our freight forwarder. The new edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World will be leaving Hong Kong 10 days later than expected, due to an unexpected problem with the shipment. We're still waiting for a revised delivery schedule, but it seems likely that we'll be receiving the books towards the end of November, at the earliest. Of course, we'll do our best to work with all of you who have pre-ordered the book. Please let us know if you'll be visiting Walt Disney World in November or December of this year so that we can properly prioritize your shipment or cancel and refund your order. We also thank all of you in advance for your loyalty and forbearance.
New e-Book!
Well, the information isn't new or revised, but for the benefit of folks planning to sail the Mediterranean next year with DCL, we've re-packaged the port-of-call information from our 2007 (5th Edition) of PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call as an e-book for your reference. If you don't have a copy of that edition on your shelf, this should help take the "edge" off your curiosity while you wait for the 2010 edition of our DCL guide (due out in early 2010), which will have new/fully-updated info on all the ports DCL will be visiting. The new e-book is available at "retail" in the PassPorter store, and is also available to members of PassPorter's Club as a no-extra-charge benefit of club membership!
PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons E-Book Updated
A fourth revision of PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons: Dream Days at Disney World and on Disney Cruises e-book is ready for download. Changes include new ceremony and reception venues (including a scuba wedding!), new venue pricing, new requirements for the complimentary room night, and the discontinuation of printed save-the-dates for the Wishes Collection. If you purchased the e-book from our online store, you can download the revised version by going to the PassPorter Store, logging into your account, locating the e-book in your Order History, and clicking the download link. If you're a member of PassPorter's Club, just head over to the Club and download from The Reading Room, as always.
Contribute To Our 2010 Disneyland Edition
We're working new Disneyland edition of PassPorter for 2010! And, as always, YOUR input is very important -- it's one of the things that makes PassPorter unique and valuable. We encourage you to take some time to contribute a tip, story, photo, and/or rating -- it really makes a difference! To learn how to contribute, please view the details on our message boards. We look forward to seeing your contributions!
PassPorter's Club Update
- More than 1500 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
- PassPorter's Mediterranean Port Guides are now available to you as an e-book -- download it free of extra charges in the Reading Room!
|
In this issue, PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry shares information on Hotel MiraCosta: Tokyo DisneySea Resort Review. Then PassPorter Guest Contributor Justine Fellows gives us a glimpse into Five Tips for a Trouble Free Trip: Avoiding Disappointment With Your Disney Trips. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Jennifer and Dave Marx
PassPorter Founders and Authors
|
|
Did You Know?
PassPorter Fans - Get More Magic without spending more booty at the Walt Disney World® Resort!
Buy a 4-Night/4-Day non-discounted Walt Disney World® room and ticket package at select Disney Moderate Resorts, and get 3 more nights with tickets FREE!
Buy a 5-Night/5-Day non-discounted Walt Disney World® room and ticket package at select Disney Value Resorts, and get 2 more nights with tickets FREE!
For stays many nights 11/1/09 - 3/27/10.
Click here to get a quote!
**This offer is valid through 12/20/09. Price based on 2 Adults, 1 Junior and 1 Child. Room charge based on average per night rate of your room during your stay. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets must be used within 14 days of first use. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required.
CST2058090-40 www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601 |
|
Travel Feature:
Hotel MiraCosta: Tokyo DisneySea Resort Review
Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Disney hotels are well known for their superb theming and amazing customer service. Let's face it, they're not known for their value, compared to off property hotels, but when you stay at a Disney hotel, you certainly know what you're paying the extra for. That doesn't just apply at the Walt Disney World resort or Disneyland in California, it's something that holds true for the other Disney resorts around the world. It's something we were able to experience first-hand during our stay at the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta.
Located inside the Tokyo DisneySea theme park, this hotel was a wonderful experience from start to finish. To get there, we caught the monorail to the Tokyo DisneySea stop and, the second we got off the monorail, we felt like royalty, with signs pointing the way to our own personal exit to the hotel.
The entrance is literally just a couple of minutes walk from the monorail station and, as we headed that way, we could see the resort facades. Immediately we were transported back to our Mediterranean cruise and some of the stunning Italian villages we had seen then.
But better was to come. The MiraCosta, just like the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, has a water feature outside the main entrance - a sculpture of a variety of sea animals, in keeping with the Tokyo DisneySea theme. As soon as we entered the lobby, our mouths fell open and we struggled to take it all in.
The lobby's centerpiece is a beautiful sculpture of a sailing ship, with seating around. various corridors go off at angles, and facilities are located all around the lobby. As we walked around, we found the check-in area, a short corridor leading to the resort shop, which had some wonderfully unique MiraCosta souvenirs in it, and two restaurants, Oceano, and Silk Road Garden.
We sampled Oceano's breakfast buffet and it was so good that we went back for a second day running. The setting is beautiful, with views overlooking Tokyo DisneySea. An amazing selection of breakfast items is on offer, both traditional Japanese ones and the more usual Western selections that we would expect to see.
Off the lobby is also a set of steps which we would later learn leads down to the Tokyo DisneySea entrance. This entrance even opens a few minutes before the park opening time to give resort guests the jump on everyone else. Yes, you read that right. Just like the Grand Californian at Disneyland Resort, this hotel has its own entrance into the theme park. However, unlike any other Disney resort in the world, this hotel is actually inside a theme park. The facades we had admired on the way in were, in fact, part of the theme park and overlooked the turnstiles where everyone else enters with their tickets.
We checked in and were immediately seen and assigned to a female Cast Member, who quickly sought out our luggage, safely delivered, and showed us the way to our room. We had debated long and hard over which type of room we should go for during our stay. To give you an idea of the choice, you can pick from three sides at this hotel.
The Tuscany side overlooks the main entrance of the park, but doesn't give you the best theme park views, as all you can see is the globe at the entrance, which reminded us of the one at Universal Orlando! The Venice side overlooks the Palazzo canals, a beautiful part of Tokyo DisneySea, but is the furthest from the lobby and main amenities. Then there's the Porto Paradiso side, which overlooks the main area of the park, Mediterranean Harbour, home to BraviSEAmo!, a nightly show on the lagoon. That was the side we chose, but then we had to pick between a harbour, piazza, or partial view. We went for the latter, as it was the cheapest. To give you an idea, our room cost around $350 a night, so even that option wasn't cheap.
When we got to our room down a maze of what felt like never-ending corridors, we both instantly agreed it had been the right choice and worth every penny. The room was much bigger than I'd expected, having read a number of horror stories about how tiny Japanese hotel rooms were. You enter through a short corridor with the bathroom and toilet to one side, in two separate rooms, split by the vanity area and tea and coffee making facilities to the other side of the corridor. There were two large beds, plenty of floor space for suitcases, a beautiful sofa and a writing desk and two chairs by the window.
The window drew my attention first of all, as I wanted to get our first glimpse of Tokyo DisneySea. I was not disappointed by what I found! Despite the fact that we had opted for the cheaper view, it was still stunning. We were side on to the lagoon, but could still see it clearly and could also see the rest of the Hotel MiraCosta. It was probably only at this moment that I realized exactly how integral it is to the theme park.
People enter through the turnstiles, see the giant globe at the entrance to the park, and then literally pass underneath the hotel, an area filled with souvenir shops as you'd expect from any good Disney park! Once you emerge into the Mediterranean Harbour part of the park, the buildings you see that make up the stunning vista are in fact the Hotel MiraCosta. Later on in our stay, we were even able to pick out our room from the park and get our photo in front of it! But the best part is, if you weren't staying at the hotel and if you didn't know to look for it, you'd never have a notion that people were actually in all the rooms you can see. It looks exactly like a facade, in the same way Main Street USA does.
The Cast Member who showed us to our room took the time to point out hidden Mickeys and even hidden Pinocchios, all in perfect English. This went for every Cast Member we encountered at the hotel. You don't need to speak a word of Japanese to stay here, as they can all communicate beautifully in English.
The location of the Hotel MiraCosta was a joy throughout our all-too-short stay there, particularly on the occasion we found ourselves freezing in the Tokyo DisneySea theme park. It only took me a five minute power walk to get back to the room and pick up another layer of clothing and then, using our special theme park entrance, to make my way back again. The monorail gave us exceptionally easy access to the rest of the resort, including the Tokyo Disneyland park and the Ikispiari shopping and entertainment complex.
There's no prize for guessing where we'll be staying when we return to Tokyo Disney. With theming that's out of this world and a superb location, for us, no other hotel at this Disney park can better the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Cheryl is the co-author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide and is a regular featured columnist for PassPorter news.
Cool Tip: Click here to view this entire article online, get a printer-friendly version, and download a PDF version to place in your PassPorter!
- - - - - - - - - - -
Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
|
Did You Know?
Follow Sara Varney - Sara's Snippets
at MouseFanCafe.com -
Check it out!
Special! Walt Disney World® Resort
Mod & Deluxe - Book 4-nights, Get 3-FREE!
Value Resorts - Book 5-nights, Get 2-FREE!
Valid most nights 11/1-12/24/09 & 1/3-3/27/10
Visit us at: www.MouseFanTravel.com
Mouse Fans Choose Us for
Fee-Free Vacation Planning
*Offer is limited, subject to availability and restrictions apply - CST207807440
Click for full details As to Disney artwork: ©Disney Ships' registry: The Bahamas |
|
Disney Feature:
Five Tips for a Trouble Free Trip: Avoiding Disappointment With Your Disney Trips
Justine Fellows, PassPorter Guest Contributor
A recent discussion with a close friend led me to start thinking about the role of vacation responsibilities and expectations in trip planning. After this friend booked her Disney trip, she immersed herself in planning. Dining reservations? Check. Park plans? Check. She had a great time creating little surprises for her daughters, reading tips and tricks online, getting outfits and swim suits ready, making sure everything was as perfect as she could make it before they left. I was excited right along with her. This was their first big family trip!
When she arrived home, I couldn't wait to see how it had gone. I ran up to her office only to see a rather disappointed face. She looked exhausted. Now, don't get me wrong, Walt Disney World can be tiring, especially without a good plan and lots of time to relax built in to the schedule. But my friend's exhaustion looked more like disappointment. What went wrong? She was so prepared.
This got me thinking about how a great plan can go wrong… and after some conversations with previous Walt Disney World travelers and a lot of my own experience I've come up with five tips that will hopefully help everyone to come back refreshed and satisfied.
My first tip: Change Your Expectations. "Are you kidding me? I spent big bucks, I've planned every detail, I'm staying at a freaking deluxe hotel. How dare you tell me to lower my expectations! I've been dreaming of the moment my little princess sees the castle since before she was conceived, not to mention that wrap-around hug she will enjoy with Mickey." OK, folks, hate to burst your expectation bubble BUT the reality is this. The second you walk through the dreamlike gates of the Magic Kingdom after a bus ride, security check, and some trouble with your finger print working at the turnstile - you reach the moment you have been dreaming about, waiting for. There she is, your little princess, her eyes about to look down Main Street and yelp with delight and… what, are you kidding me, she has to go potty, now? Then to top it off she sticks herself to the back of your sweaty leg at the sight of Mickey, only to reappear when that large-headed mouse is safely tucked behind the scenes. Does this always happen? Absolutely not, there are going to be dozens of magical moments, but the reality is that they most likely aren't going to be the ones that you expected. Some of my favorites: The joy my ten-year-old took in watching an opossum trained at Animal Kingdom, my youngest learning to dive under water to gather a sinking toy, enjoying a Dole Whip Float while people-watching, a great conversation on the bus ride to our hotel, and watching my daughters belly dance in Epcot. Changing my expectations has taking some real mental training for me. Instead of expecting my bags to be waiting in the room, I now plan on a six hour delay. I'm delighted when they arrive any earlier. Changing expectations is like tricking yourself into being happy!
The next tip - and this is a big one - dole out the responsibilities! Here's what I have seen over and over, "You planned it, you booked it, you took care of the packing, details, transportation and now you are in charge when we get there! I'll hang back and relax. Since you did all of that work, obviously you like the planning and prefer me to have a perfect, relaxing trip. Thanks for watching the kids, thanks for knowing where we are supposed to be and when. I'm going to take a wee little nap while you talk to the front desk about transportation. No problem, you review those maps while I take a swim." OH MY GOSH!! This drives me crazy! So, beware… you may love to plan, you may be the Type A personality that wants to be in control, but you most definitely want a vacation! So, here is what you need to do. First, involve everyone in the planning. Lay out maps and books to interest them in the trip, review the rides and shows at each park, ask for their opinions for dining options, discuss the hotel and how the days are planned. Next, dole out the responsibilities! In our family, I take care of dealing with check in, organizing paperwork, packing and unpacking, as well as dining times. My husband is the coffee/drink fetcher, sunscreen applier, stroller organizer, FASTPASS guru, and transportation figure-outer. Both of my girls have a calendar with pictures that they can check to know what's going on each day. They are in charge of their personal items such as pins and money. They also help with basics such as keeping the hotel room clean and putting their clothes away. Speak up, if your spouse doesn't know your expectations, my guess is that they will be happy to relax and leave you to the vacation work.
The next trip-saving tip is to make time for you. We often stay near Epcot and my getaway is to shop in the World Showcase stores by myself. I like to start with a champagne drink in France and then meander through the shops at a turtle-like pace. This usually takes me a few hours. My husband on the other hand likes naps. I try to give him at least an afternoon or two off to take a long midday nap. My kids need a break too! Their break is usually a pirate cruise or cooking lesson and a trip to the hotel gift shop to shop alone. We are a family that travels well together, but trust me, everyone needs some alone time.
So my second-to-last tip is you need to overcome the, "Oh my gosh, I can't take a nap! There is something awesome to ride, see, buy, drink, eat…" syndrome. It happens to me every time. I lay my head down for a quick cat nap and BING, my eyes open wide. "I bet we could walk to Epcot and ride Test Track and then get fast passes to Maelstrom if I head in right now before our dinner reservations in 3 hours." DON'T DO IT. Fight the urge. Trust me. You will not be happy when you have to deal with a screaming, tired child during dinner. You will be more likely to enjoy the fireworks with your eyes open. Rest, rest, rest. It's not a waste of money, it's an investment in your sanity!
And my final advice is this; expect delays and occasional disappointments. Have you ever read one trip review or heard one travel story that didn't involve a few mishaps? If all was perfect the story would never be half as interesting. Disappointments certainly spice things up. Expect them to happen. I once missed our bus stop only to be stuck with two sleeping children, a stroller, and a missing husband who got off at the right stop. He was not near me in the crowded bus! Turns out this is one of our favorite stories as the bus driver announced, "Would the lady with the two sleeping kids get off the bus" after a frantic call from another bus driver prompted by my husband. Some of the seemingly annoying moments can really turn out to be pretty funny if you know how to change your attitude.
So let's recap:
1) Change your expectations. Don't lower your standards, but know that amazing moments are not always the ones you create in your mind.
2) Dole out the responsibilities; this is your vacation too!
3) Make time for you.
4) There's ALWAYS something going on, it's okay to take a nap.
5) Expect delays and occasional disappointments, there what stories are made of!
About the Author: About the Author: Justine, the author of PassPorter's Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten-Step Program, works in education in Connecticut. She is also the host of Travel Girl's(TM) Tips for Disney World podcasts.
Cool Tip: Click here to view this entire article online, get a printer-friendly version, and download a PDF version to place in your PassPorter!
- - - - - - - - - - -
Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
|
Did You Know?
You Can Arrive at Walt Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet, luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport round-trip
Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW or visit quicksilver-tours.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
