Boo to you!

It’s that time of year again, and tonight was the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of the 2013 season. The Party is a specially ticketed event that takes place on several nights from mid-September to early November, and provides several exclusive entertainment offerings just for party guests – plus all the candy you can handle!

Here’s what you need to know:

• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance from disneyworld.com. You can also download the party map and times guide here.
• Your Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party ticket grants you entry to the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4pm on the day of your party, even though the party runs from 7pm – 12am. Take advantage of the early entry.
• Disney will provide you with trick-or-treat bags when you enter the gates, but feel free to bring your own.
• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is the only time adults are allowed to enter a Walt Disney World theme park in costume, so pick a good one and have a blast! You won’t feel weird – plenty of adults dress up in some pretty creative duds for the event. No masks, fake weapons or scandalous attire is permitted, so plan accordingly. Kids dress up too!
• While several rides are open during the party, they should take the backseat to the other festivities. After all, you’re paying to see things that don’t happen during the day, and you can always ride Splash Mountain. During most parties, ride lines are very short, so definitely squeeze some in!
• Choose which characters you know your family wants to see before you arrive. Unless you have no other chance, I don’t recommend you spend party time seeing characters who are readily available during the day as character lines can get quite long.
• If the meeting Jack Skellington or the Seven Dwarfs are a must for your family, arrive early and get in line at 5:30pm (no later than 6pm) to ensure you’ll be among the first to see them when they show up at 7pm – otherwise you will miss valuable party time waiting in line for them.
• If you or your child can’t eat candy or have dietary restrictions, you can exchange your trick-or-treat obtained goodies at City Hall for whatever you require (sugar free, apple slices, etc.).
• An exclusive spell card has been created for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. You can pick it up beginning at 7pm at the Main Street Fire Station or the Sorcerers Outpost in Liberty Square. The spell is called “The Haunted Mansion’s Happy Haunting Grounds”.
• Exclusive Party Merchandise (t-shirts and pins) is available at the Emporium (Main Street USA), Frontier Trading Post (pins only, Frontierland), Heritage House (Liberty Square), Big Top Souvenirs (Fantasyland) and Ursa’s Major Minor Cart (Tomorrowland).

MAIN STREET USA

Mickey* and Minnie* are in special Halloween attire at the Town Square Theater – depending on when you see them, they will either be in purple-toned vampire/witch outfits, or a pirate/princess get-up.

Jack Skellington* and Sally* greet guests in Town Square next to City Hall. On the first party night, waits for Jack & Sally reached as high as 3 hours, so get in line before the party starts or come right after a parade when crowds will be low. No autographs, photos only.

The Tremaines (Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella from Cinderella) roam near the flagpole in Town Square.

Jafar* is stationed at the Town Square Theater exit.

Lotso* meets near the Town Square Theater Fastpass machines.

When facing the Castle, the following villains are available immediately following Villains’ Dance Mix & Mingle performances (left to right facing the stage, no autographs, photos only):

Maleficent*
Dr. Facilier*
The Evil Queen*
Captain Hook
Cruella DeVil*
The Queen of Hearts*

Frollo* mingles in the crowd, as no one seems to know who he is. Ask a character host before the show starts where you should watch from to be first in line for the villain you want to catch. If there’s more than one villain listed above (not counting Frollo) that you want to meet, you may need to return for multiple performances as the lines grow instantaneously when the villains leave the stage and descend to the crowd.

ADVENTURELAND

Jack Sparrow* is available across Pirates of the Caribbean on his stage.

Tarzan*, Jane* and Terk* rotate on the Adventureland Verandah (Terk is ever-present, Jane & Tarzan bump each other every half hour).

Tinker Bell and one or two of her fairy friends are located in Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook, to the left of Adventureland Verandah.

Aladdin and Abu* rotate with Jasmine and Genie near Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

FRONTIERLAND

Woody, Jessie and Bullseye* hang out at their dance party in the Diamond Horseshoe. No autographs or posed photos, characters mingle as they dance

LIBERTY SQUARE

Tiana and Naveen meet in the Enchanted Glen behind Ye Olde Christmas Shop, which is their regular location.

FANTASYLAND

Ariel is available in her Grotto next to her attraction.

Belle takes photos with guests after her storytelling performances at Enchanted Tales with Belle. No autographs, photos only.

Princess Fairytale Hall (behind Cinderella Castle) has two queues – one for Cinderella & Prince Charming* and Princess Aurora & Prince Phillip*, the other for Rapunzel & Flynn Rider* and Snow White & her Prince*. This is the same lineup during the day with the addition of Princes, who only appear during the parties.

Gaston poses outside his Tavern.

The Seven Dwarfs* will meet along the Castle walls near the Village Haus. No autographs, photos only

Alice and the Mad Hatter greet next to the Mad Tea Party.

Merida is in her regular location at Fairytale Gardens, to the right of the Castle.

Donald* (pumpkin costume) and Daisy* (princess dress) meet at the entrance to Storybook Circus.

Pooh* (bumblebee costume), Piglet* (butterfly costume), Tigger* (pirate costume) and Eeyore* (clown costume) hang out next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in their regular location.

TOMORROWLAND

Buzz Lightyear is next to his ride in his regular location.

Mike Wazowski, Sulley, Boo*, Needleman* and George Sanderson* boogie at Rockettower Plaza Stage Dance Party, between Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway. No autographs or posed photos, characters mingle as they dance

TRICK OR TREAT STATIONS

ADVENTURELAND

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Pirates of the Caribbean queue

LIBERTY SQUARE

Liberty Square Riverboat dock

FRONTIERLAND

Brer Rabbit’s Laughing Place candy trail at the Splash Mountain queue

FANTASYLAND

Peter Pan’s Flight queue
Pinocchio Village Haus
Storybook Circus, near Pete’s Silly Sideshow
Alice’s Curious Candy Trail entrance next to the Barnstormer

TOMORROWLAND

Tomorrowland Speedway
Space Mountain
Stitch’s Great Escape

RIDES & ATTRACTIONS

Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean
Swiss Family Treehouse
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Country Bear Jamboree
Haunted Mansion
it’s a small world
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
The Barnstormer
Mad Tea Party
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Stitch’s Great Escape
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Are you going to this year’s party? Let me know in the comments what night you’re going and who you’re dressing up as!

Let’s have a joyous celebration!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and that means that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has kicked off for the 2012 season. The Party is a specially ticketed event that takes place on several nights from November 9 – December 21, and provides several exclusive entertainment offerings just for party guests – plus all the cocoa and cookies you can handle!

Here’s what you need to know:

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance from disneyworld.com. You can also download the party map and times guide here.
• Your Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket grants you entry to the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4pm on the day of your party, even though the party runs from 7pm – 12am. Take advantage of the early entry!
• While several rides are open during the party, they should take the backseat to the other festivities. After all, you’re paying to see things that don’t happen during the day, and you can always ride Splash Mountain. During most parties, ride lines are very short, so definitely squeeze a few in!
• Choose which characters you know your family wants to see before you arrive. Unless you have no other chance, I don’t recommend you spend party time seeing characters who are readily available during the day as character lines can get quite long.
• If the Seven Dwarfs are a must for your family, arrive early and get in line at 5:30pm (no later than 6pm) to ensure you’ll be among the first to see them when they show up at 7pm. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of party time waiting in line for these very popular characters.
• Cinderella’s Holiday Wish lighting ceremony occurs nightly at 6:15pm. If you’re attending the party, be sure to see this very cute show where the Fairy Godmother helps Cinderella’s wish come true by covering the Castle in glittering ice. Mickey and friends tag along for the breathtaking lighting moment on the Castle Forecourt Stage.
• If you or your child can’t eat cookies or have dietary restrictions, you can exchange your trick-or-treat obtained goodies at City Hall for whatever you require (sugar free, apple slices, etc.).
• A party-exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card is available at the Main Street Fire Station, limited to 1 per guest.
• Exclusive Party Merchandise (t-shirts and pins) are available at the Emporium (Main Street USA), Uptown Jewelers (pins only, Main Street USA), Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar (Adventureland), Frontier Trading Post (pins only, Frontierland), Heritage House (Liberty Square), Fantasy Faire (Fantasyland) and Mickey’s Star Traders (Tomorrowland).

MAIN STREET USA

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider*, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip* and Snow White and her Prince* are in Town Square Theater’s Princess Room.

Mickey* and Minnie* are in special Christmas attire at the Town Square Theater.

Santa Claus is at the flag pole in the center of Town Square.

ADVENTURELAND

Jack Sparrow* is available near Pirates of the Caribbean.

Tinker Bell and Periwinkle are located in Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook, to the left of Adventureland Verandah.

Aladdin and Abu* rotate with Jasmine and Genie near Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

FRONTIERLAND

The Seven Dwarfs* hold court at the Splash Mountain exit. No autographs, photos only

Woody, Jessie and Bullseye* hang out at their dance party in the Diamond Horseshoe. No autographs or posed photos, characters mingle as they dance

The Country Bears* wander about outside the Country Bear Jamboree.

LIBERTY SQUARE

Tiana and Naveen meet in the Enchanted Glen behind Ye Olde Christmas Shop, which is their regular location.

Duffy the Disney Bear wears his Santa outfit at the Liberty Belle Riverboat dock.

FANTASYLAND

Cinderella and Prince Charming*, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella pose for photos in front of the Castle walls.

Ariel is available in her regular daytime spot, Ariel’s Grotto, to the right of her new ride.

Belle is performing in her new attraction, Enchanted Tales with Belle. Belle does not sign autographs at this location, and photos are only taken with children who participate in her performance (all children are welcome to participate).

Gaston poses for photos outside his Tavern in Belle’s Village.

Merida is in her regular location at Fairytale Gardens, to the right of the Castle.

Peter Pan and Wendy* hang out next to Prince Charming Regal Carrousel.

Scrooge McDuck* meets in the Castle courtyard.

Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore hang out next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in their regular daytime location.

Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Minnie are available in Pete’s Silly Sideshow, across from Dumbo. This location is open during regular park hours as well, and features the gang in circus performer duds (Goofy is a daredevil, Minnie a dog trainer, Daisy a fortune teller and Donald a snake charmer). Note there are 2 queues here – one for Goofy and Donald, the other for Daisy and Minnie.

TOMORROWLAND

Phineas & Ferb are next to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

Chip, Dale, Goofy and Pluto boogie at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe character dance party. No autographs or posed photos, characters mingle as they dance

COCOA & COOKIE STATIONS

MAIN STREET USA

Crystal Palace (9pm  – 12am only)

ADVENTURELAND

Sunshine Tree Terrace

LIBERTY SQUARE

Columbia Harbour House

FANTASYLAND

Pinocchio Village Haus
Fantasyland Railroad Station

TOMORROWLAND

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (8pm – 12am only)
Tomorrowland Terrace (open until 12:30am)

RIDES

Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean
Swiss Family Treehouse
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Haunted Mansion
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
it’s a small world
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
The Barnstormer
Mad Tea Party
Tomorrowland Speedway
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Stitch’s Great Escape
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Are you going to this year’s party? It’s a great Christmas tradition. Nab some Santa Mickey ears and get a family photo in front of the Castle all lit up!

Visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World with a child with special needs can present unique challenges. If you or your family have hesitated to take the leap to the House of Mouse for that reason, read on and be inspired by the transformation that has occurred for this inspiring family.

A little girl meets Mickey for the first time. Photo by 8bitChamp

Tell me about how your daughter came into your life.

We adopted the little one when she was 18 months old. She’s been our pride and joy ever since, ruling our household as most princesses do.

What compelled you to take her to Disneyland? Were you apprehensive at first?

We’ve always loved Disneyland and wanted to celebrate the same milestone our friends were experiencing with their children: bringing their kids to Disneyland for the first time. We had taken her to smaller, local, toddler-oriented parks and she did fine but became overwhelmed very quickly. Our goal for Disneyland was a picture of the three of us, at the top of Main Street, in front of the castle with no tears or tantrums. We weren’t entirely sure that was possible. The little one, especially at that time, became overstimulated very easily. It could be something seemingly small back then (a loud trumpet, crying child, sudden noise, bright lights or colors, anything really) that would end our day out and require us to return to the quiet of our house.

Yes, we were VERY apprehensive. We talked to many friends who knew the little one and Disneyland. We scoured the internet and read numerous blogs and FAQs. We were still nervous but we really wanted that picture. We decided to take a deep breath and try it. We thought we may only be there for an hour, but we were hoping for half a day.

What about Disney do you think influences Kayla?

Hmmmm, what doesn’t influence her?! We think Disney’s attractions to her have changed over the years but the one constant has been acceptance and love. At first, we think it was the bright colors, happy music, hugs from furry characters and people dressed in sparkling costumes. Now, we’re convinced it’s the unconditional love and acceptance she receives from most Disney cast members (characters, ride operators, housekeeping, balloon sellers, shop keepers, everyone who shows up to work and wants to make magic). The moment we arrive, she is more confident and outgoing. We’re convinced that’s because she knows the majority of the people she’s about to encounter will treat her with respect and kindness.

At home, the little one will do just about anything to earn her next visit to Disneyland. She does her chores, practices better manners, completes homework, and tries really challenging tasks just to ensure she can get back to her Disney friends. She’s also influenced by how the characters behave (“Do you really think Mary Poppins would behave that way?” Or when she messes up and trips or falls, “Oops! Look I’m just like Bert!”)

What, if any, accommodations does Disney make for your family during your visit?

We have found that the Disney folks will do just about anything reasonable to make our visit comfortable and successful. We get a Guest Assistance Card to use during times when she needs space away from other guests. We try to only use it when she really needs it, and it’s not to get her on the ride faster. It just gets her a quieter, less crowded space to wait.

Ninja Note: The Guest Assistance Card (GAC) is available to eligible guests at City Hall in the Magic Kingdoms, and at Guest Relations locations in all other parks. It provides alternative queue privileges for the guest who requires special assistance and up to 5 companions. Often this will provide access to a separate queue specifically for GAC holders, or it may allow instant access to the Fastpass return line. Each attraction handles GAC holders differently. Note that it is NOT a front-of-the-line pass, but it can dramatically shorten or eliminate wait times in some cases.

The other, less formal, accommodations are harder to describe. Numerous times, cast members have noticed her struggling and offered assistance. Once, she was getting trampled by late-comers to the parade and a Cast Member approached and offered to guide us to a quieter area where she could watch the parade without being touched and pushed. That’s just one example but it illustrates how caring the Disney Cast Members are.

Tell me about visiting the parks with Sadie, Kayla’s assistance dog.

The pup isn’t as big of a fan of Disneyland as the little one. She gets pushed, stepped on, accosted, rides Pirates of the Caribbean, and is the unwilling victim of being pet by people who disregard the “Please Do Not Pet” badge. Once again, however, the Disney Cast Members have been most gracious and helpful with the pup. Several times, Cast Members have stepped in to help when interested strangers overwhelm us with their interest. These Cast Members have politely reminded others that the pup is working and we need some space. Disney is most accommodating providing the pup with places throughout the parks for her to “do her business.” Once, a janitor even stopped me from poop scooping and told me he’d take care of it. I declined but he insisted that he would do a more thorough job. Amazing.

What’s your favorite moment from your Disney visits?

Seriously? We’d be up for several days if we attempted to describe every one of our favorite moments. Honestly, a day at the park doesn’t end without a memorable, magical moment. How can we choose?!

The theme of many of our favorite moments is watching our little one participate in activities. She typically pulls away from or doesn’t even notice things happening around her. At Disneyland, she thrives on dancing with characters, training with Jedi, jumping along with the parade, twirling with princesses, listening to the bands and other musical entertainments…really, anything Disneyland presents to her, she wants to hop on stage and be part of the action.

What kind of changes have you seen in Kayla since coming to Disneyland?

Wow, the changes we credit to Disney’s influence! The first change was talking. Before Disneyland, she NEVER talked unless we really forced her. On that first day, she was trying so hard to communicate to us where she wanted to go, what she wanted to see. When she met Cinderella and Prince Charming, she babbled as best she could; she finally understood that talking would connect her to the people (characters) and things (rides) she had just discovered. Now, we credit her love of dancing, performing, telling jokes, stealing the spotlight, confidence being in public places. She is accepted at a place as fantastic as Disneyland, and that speaks volumes to her.

What kind of experiences does Kayla enjoy best at the parks?

Characters and entertainment are her favorites. She loves the thrill of Space Mountain, too, but it’s interacting with characters that she loves the most. She’s happiest when her day is full of band music, dancing, parades, and defending her parents from the dark side (also known as Darth Vader).

Are there particular rides or shows that she doesn’t like or that you purposefully avoid?

She hates Splash Mountain, the end. She’s terrified of things she can’t anticipate and there are a couple of drops that you really can’t see coming. She’s not a huge fan of the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean. She’s a bright, happy, outdoors, sunshine loving girl. She’s not ready for the creepy, albeit fun-loving, experiences. Needless to say, the trick-or-treat after hours Halloween special event was not a good one for us.

I understand that nighttime shows like fireworks, Fantasmic! and World of Color are not on your radar.

You are correct – we hightail it out of the parks soon after dusk so we are safely inside our hotel room and away from the brunt of the firework noises.  Fantasmic! is a bit too intense for Kayla as is World of Color.  Thanks to her Disney friends, Kayla has developed a great imagination.  Both Fantasmic! and World of Color seem to send her imagination into scarier places than she is currently ready to experience.

She loved Disney’s Electrical Parade and we were quite strategic in our choice of viewing spots.  We would sit as close to the start of the parade route as possible and near the gates.  As soon as the flag passed us, we ran (literally ran, not walked quickly or jogged but RAN) to our hotel [to escape the fireworks, which usually began just after the Electrical Parade ended].  We didn’t always make it and we now have some great stories of hiding out in various places (Compass Book Store in Downtown Disney for example, as far back as we could get, sitting on the floor…with Kayla screaming).

Who is Kayla’s favorite character? How about you?

Mary Poppins, Bert, Mad Hatter, Alice, Queen of Hearts, the Tweedles, White Rabbit, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Cruella, Evil Queen, Pluto, Minnie, Goofy, Mickey, Donald, Daisy, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Baloo, Perla [from Cinderella]…any character who has ever taken the time to play with her is beloved.

How do other guests interact with Kayla, if at all?

Some respond favorably, others don’t. Often, though, people approach us to tell us how beautiful it was for them to witness a moment between the little one and a character. These people sense that she doesn’t exit her inner world very often and this interaction is special and magical.

What advice would you give to someone visiting a Disney park with their special needs child for the first time?

Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. The people at Disney genuinely want to help if they can. If you’re polite and respectful to them, they will respond in kind. Public outings with children with special needs can be ruined by so many seemingly minor things; if there’s something you can do to prevent it, ask if it’s possible. Also, let your child participate and shine. It really doesn’t matter what the other guests think — what matters is your child’s experience and joy. There are so many other special needs families in the park every day, we’re all celebrating with each other when we see a child open up and have fun.

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Kayla’s parents. Have you visited Disney theme parks with a companion with special needs before? Let me know your experiences in the comments so others can learn what has worked for your family. It’s a remarkable testament to the magic of Disney and its incredible Cast Members that families of all kinds can come and relax in the Happiest Places On Earth.

If you’re a breathing American you probably have a desire to go to Walt Disney World at least once in your life. If you’ve got children, that desire is substantially escalated thanks to tricky marketing efforts aimed directly at your child. I mean, trundling down Main Street USA toward that big old Castle is an American rite of passage! If you don’t want to go to Disney World, you’re probably a communist and you should stop reading now.

Now that the commies have left us, let’s get down to business. Disney World is freakin’ expensive. Tickets are sky high, hotel prices are crazy, food costs are through the roof and then you got to fly or drive to get there! And once you’re there you’ll wanna buy stuff…it all just adds up quickly.

Wallet clutchers rejoice: never fear, the Small World Ninja is here. Grab those calculators and buckle up –  we’re going to shave some serious money off the cost of an epic Disney vacation.

Imagine having the time of your life with your family as you glide through Disney World – crowds are low, weather is great, memories are being made – knowing you did it debt free. No credit card bills to come home to, no interest payments. Just a fabulous dream vacation you’ll cherish forever.

For starters, if you told me you wanted to have a kick ass premium vacation at Walt Disney World for cheap, I’d tell you that you need 12 – 14 months lead time. That means you need to set your dates at least a year in advance, so, I’m going to set our theoretical trip for October 2013.

I recently came across an article through Pinterest where a blogger offered her wisdom for seeing Disney World on $70 a day. The article was rife with dangerous advice, like buying partially used tickets from shady brokers and hoping they work when you get to the gate (not only is it against the rules, it’s borderline illegal), or staying at a crummy motel and using your own car (not much fun, especially with kids in tow). Can it be done? Sure, but you reap what you sow, so I wouldn’t advise it. Plus, do you really want to show your kids that cheating is okay? What kind of example are you setting by skirting the system to save a few bucks? It’s distasteful and risky.

Besides you know what’s NOT fun on vacation? Staying in a dump, driving yourself all over God’s green earth and dealing with parking trams and carting a cooler through a theme park so you don’t have to buy lunch. If that’s how you wanna roll, I ain’t gonna stop you – but I’m here to show you how to have a real and relaxing Disney vacation without taking out a second mortgage.

Let’s say you’re a typical American family – two adults and two children. In this example, these children are both under the age of 10 (10 year olds and up are considered adults by Disney’s pricing system). They want to spend 7 days and 6 nights at the Most Magical Place On Earth. They live in the northeast, so they’ll want to fly down to Orlando rather than drive. They’re on a budget but still want to get the full Disney experience – you know, staying at a Disney resort, seeing the parks, etc. They’ll be taking the kids out of school for the trip to save money and avoid crowds.

To start with, we need to select a Disney resort hotel for our stay. If they wanted to stay at one of Disney’s cheapest hotels (the “Value” resorts), I’d recommend Pop Century ($774) or the Little Mermaid wing at Art of Animation ($808). By booking their room reservation now, they would need to pay a deposit equal to the cost of one night’s rate (around $115). The balance of the reservation would be due at check-in. If the money isn’t on hand now to pay it off in advance, just put away little bits over the next year to make up the difference in time for your arrival.

If they wanted to get a taste of the high-life, I’d recommend they book a Disney Vacation Club Deluxe Villa by renting from a timeshare owner. Disney would charge them $460 per night to book a studio villa (two queen beds) with a savannah view at Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, but renting from an owner would bring the $2,760 pricetag down to $1,300 if booked with a third-party broker. That means they’d get deluxe accommodations with a kitchenette and a balcony view of free roaming animals like giraffes and zebras for about $500 more than a Value resort stay. The downside to booking a villa through a timeshare owner is that you must pay the whole thing at the time of booking, and that needs to be 11 months prior to your arrival date.

So, if they have $1,300 saved up, they should go with the Animal Kingdom Villas rental. If they need time to build up the hotel money, Pop Century it is. Let’s assume they have $1,300 ready to go and start from there with the villa.

Disney Rack Rate $2,760
Online DVC Rental Rate $1,300

Savings: $1,460

Next are tickets. 7 Day Park Hoppers are expensive – $345 a pop for adults. The Youth Education Series (YES) program allows families to purchase extremely discounted tickets in exchange for their children’s participation in a short educational tour in one of the theme parks (topics range from science to animation). Since the kids are being taken out of school, this is a great option – they’ll have to do a little bit of fun edutainment, and mom and dad can shave more than $300 off their total ticket expenditure.

7 Day YES Park Hoppers $796.60
7 Day Magic Your Way Park Hoppers $1,116

Savings: $319.40

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Next is food. Most families are taken in by Disney’s slick Dining Plan, which offers a pre-paid dining solution for their trip. The standard plan includes one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack per person, per night of the trip. Let me tell you right now – this is not worth it unless you are a foodie and want to eat at a table service restaurant every night. Even then, to actually save money you’ll need to order the most expensive thing off the menu at every restaurant you hit. You’ll still be responsible for tips on all those meals too, plus any meals that don’t fit into the plan. It’s not as all-inclusive as it sounds.

Most people don’t have the will or wherewithal to really work the Dining Plan for all its worth, and since they have two children, sit down dinners every day may not be the best plan. I’m going to tell them to skip the Dining Plan and pay out of pocket for their meals. I’d recommend they plan four sit down meals at must-see restaurants and plan on doing counter service or snack options for other meals. For breakfast, I’d recommend they pack a few boxes of granola bars and apples for healthy snacks on the go rather than paying out of pocket for big breakfasts every day.

So during their stay, I’d tell them to plan on 4 table service meals (average price per meal for the whole family including tip: $95) and 9 counter service meals (average price per meal for the whole family: $35). This way they’ll get to sample the best Disney has to offer without stressing over breaking even on the Dining Plan.

Dining Plan Cost: $873
DIY Dining Cost: $695

Savings: $178

They’ll want to have some souvenir money on hand too. I recommend parents put a limit on spending in advance – make sure everyone knows they have say, $50 to spend over the course of the trip. Don’t budge on it and nip the whining in the bud. So if all 4 of them want $50 of spending money, that’s $200 for merchandise.

Unplanned Merchandise Spending: $God Only Knows
Planned Merchandise Spending: $200

Savings: Incalculable

Since we’re planning so far ahead, we have plenty of time to save. Today is August 2, which is 63 weeks prior to the departure date. If we saved $20 a week for that whole time, we’d have $1,260 in hand by the time we hit the Magic Kingdom. That’s more than enough to cover the $695 needed for food and $200 needed for merchandise. Put the balance toward tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party ($230) and you’ve still got some left over for snack purchases.

If you think you can’t save $20 per week, you are flat out wrong. Does Mom have Starbucks every day? Does Dad have a stupidly expensive satellite TV package? How many times a week do you go out to eat (and that includes fast food, which is no longer cheap)? How full of food is your pantry? Do you go grocery shopping when your pantry and two fridges are still full? Are there odd jobs around the neighborhood your kids could earn a few bucks doing? Could you start a home-based business? How often do you go to the movies? Most Americans bleed money on a daily basis – finding $20 a week to reallocate is not a herculean task, and the result will be a debt-free vacation. Doesn’t get much better than that!

If you can cut $20 a week, you can probably cut $30 (total saved up: $1,890) or $40 a week (total saved up: $2,520) and take care of airfare along the way. If you need some ideas on how to “trim the fat” in your family’s budget, check out financial expert Dani Johnson’s War On Debt course.

Speaking of which, use Kayak or Hipmunk to monitor airfares as they open up for booking. There’s no magic formula for cheap airline tickets and sometimes it’s just luck of the draw. If you’re watching them in advance though you’ll know what to prepare for and save accordingly. Since the family is flying from the midwest and specials to Orlando abound, let’s say it going to cost $850 for all four of them to fly. If we estimate that the 1,000 mile drive would cost about $600 in gas, the convenience outweighs the cost factor to my way of thinking. Plus, Disney resort guests are given free transportation to and from the airport, as well as luggage delivery through the Magical Express program. No extra costs for transfers or rental cars needed.

If you’ve got good credit, open up a credit card with the airline of your choice. They’re always offering at least one free ticket as a thank you for joining the card. Use it for all your life expenses and watch the miles pile up (make sure you pay it off as you go). Depending on how much your family spends per year, you could rack up one or two tickets for free and save $425. At the very least you’ll save $200 with that free bonus ticket, so we’ll reduce our estimate for airfare to $650.

Let’s recap what we’ve got in total:

$1,300 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Savannah View Studio
$796.60 (4) 7 Day YES Park Hopper Tickets
$695 Food
$200 Merchandise
$230 (4) Tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
$650 Airfare
$3,871.60 Total Cost of Deluxe Vacation at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Ninja-Style

What if they didn’t have that $1,300 and opted for Pop Century instead? It would look like this:

$774 Disney’s Pop Century Standard View Room
$796.60 (4) 7 Day YES Park Hopper Tickets
$695 Food
$200 Merchandise
$230 (4) Tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
$650 Airfare
$3,345.60 Total Cost of Value Vacation at Disney’s Pop Century Resort

And if they took the Magic Your Way Package with Dining like everybody else and paid full airfares, they’d be up against this:

$2,760 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Savannah View Studio
$1,116 (4) 7 Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper Tickets
$873 Disney Dining Plan
$200 Tips, non-covered dining expenses
$200 Merchandise
$230 (4) Tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
$850 Airfare
$6,229 Full Price of Deluxe Vacation at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village

Even if a discounted package became available and the Dining Plan was offered for free, the price would still come out to $5,356 – saving $1,484.40. If the Dining Plan was paid for, the savings skyrocket to $2,357.40.

By planning 12 – 14 months ahead, adding some nips and tucks to your budget and staying on task, what sounds like an expensive vacation really isn’t that bad – and you can do it debt-free.

If you wanted to pare down the extras you could – skip the Halloween party, save $230. Replace a table service meal with a counter service meal, save $60. Cut the merchandise budget, save $100. Doing all that just cut down the cost by an additional $390. That brings us just under $3,500 at Animal Kingdom Villas or $3,000 at Pop Century, and we’re still having a full and awesome Disney experience.

Bank with Chase? Get a free Disney Debit Card for your checking account. It’ll give you 10% off of merchandise purchases $50 or over in the parks and at local Disney Stores, as well as access to an exclusive character meet-n-greet in Epcot. Disney VISA credit cards can earn you 1-2% in Disney rewards dollars on all your transactions as well – a good alternative to airline miles cards, but again, make sure you keep it paid off.

Disney often releases room discounts as well, usually about 3 or 4 months out. Keep an eye out and if you’ve booked a room through them and a discount becomes available, call and they’ll apply it to your existing reservation. Got a AAA membership? They offer a discount (usually 10 – 15% off) well in advance – if you’re not taking the villa strategy, you can book with an AAA discount through Disney directly over the phone (407 W-DISNEY). 10% off the Pop Century reservation nets us an additional $77 in savings; if a 15% discount is released, $116 (that’s like getting a free night!).

There’s a reason why everyone thinks Disney World is so expensive – because it is. But if you’re not made of money and you still want to enjoy a premium Disney vacation, you can do it with a little planning…and of course, faith, trust and pixie dust.

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Everything at Walt Disney World is big, including Spaceship Earth at 180 feet tall.

Big. Really freakin’ big.

To understand just how big Disney World is, you have to know exactly what makes it up.  The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida consists of four theme parks, two water parks, five golf courses, an entertainment complex, 24 Disney-owned resort hotels and 9 non-Disney hotels. And that’s just the portions of the vast property that have been developed.

In total, Walt Disney World sits on a 47 square mile plot of land in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, just outside of Orlando. In comparison, Manhattan is only 34 square miles. When your vehicle crosses under the Welcome to Walt Disney World archway, you may still have up to a 20 minute drive before reaching its premiere theme park, the Magic Kingdom.

Walt Disney conceived Walt Disney World in the early 60’s after the success of Disneyland in California became truly apparent. Disneyland is built on a small plot of land totaling 510 acres in its current state, surrounded by city development on all sides. Disneyland’s success brought piggybacking businesses that snapped up land all around it, making it landlocked and forcing Disney’s guests to pass them by on their way in or out.

At its current size, you could fit 59 Disneylands into the borders of Walt Disney World.

Walt was determined to not let that happen again, and when Disneyland East (soon renamed Disney World) was in the early planning stages, a location was chosen that would allow as much land as they could buy. The swamps of Central Florida that make up what is now Disney World were purchased under pseudonyms and dummy corporations until Disney revealed its plans in 1965.

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Walt Disney World is big enough that its overseen by its own local government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney is the only company in America to enjoy such a privilege.

Walt’s original plan was for the Magic Kingdom theme park to support the construction of an entirely futuristic city – what he called Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or Epcot. After his untimely death in 1966, his vision was scaled down and transformed into a theme park built on the same concepts. Epcot Center opened in 1982 without the revolutionary city concepts Walt proposed. Disney did eventually develop a town on their Florida property – the town of Celebration opened in 1996 with a distinctly unfuturistic theme, and has since been spun off into its own independent entity. To date, no city has employed the efficient and futuristic ideas contained in the original plans for Epcot.

Disney focused on growing Walt Disney World into a formidable vacation spot, eventually becoming the best known and most popular destination in the world. In 2011, over 17 million people visited the Magic Kingdom alone. Millions more added on visits to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom to complete their vacation..

The resort is also home to one the world’s largest transportation systems with monorails, boats and a humongous fleet of buses.

If you’re thinking about visiting Walt Disney World, it’s huge size can be daunting. Where do you stay? Can you afford it? How long should you visit for? Is it really easier to stay with Disney or can you have just as much fun staying off-property? There’s lots to think about, and lots more to do at as huge a place as Walt Disney World.

“A” marks the spot for the Most Magical Place on Earth!

So now that you know where it is, the next question is how do we get there? The vast majority of Disney guests arrive by plane at Orlando International Airport, which is just over 20 miles away. Disney resort guests who have booked a stay at a Disney hotel are offered free transportation via Disney’s Magical Express, but anyone can rent a car and drive themselves. If you’re straight up fancy, you can even hire a limo.

Coming in by car is another matter. Most motorists arrive in Florida from the north via I-75, eventually finding their way to I-4, the diagonal freeway that offers direct access to Disney World. If they head straight to the Magic Kingdom, they’ll park in the largest surface parking lot in the world. After all, over 17 million people visit Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom every year.

Besides Walt Disney World, there are five other Disney theme park resorts located around the world: Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Japan, Disneyland Resort Paris in Chessy, France, Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, and the new Shanghai Disney Resort opening in late 2015 outside Shanghai, China.

Magic Kingdom

Maintenance Closures

• Magic Carpets of Aladdin closed November 10 – 21
• Haunted Mansion closed December 1 – 19
• Splash Mountain closed January 4 – January 30
• Cinderella’s Royal Table closed January 5 – March 6
• Liberty Belle Riverboat closed January 23 – 27
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid closed February 2 – March 6
• Harmony Barbershop closed February 2 – March 30

Construction Projects

None.

Epcot

Maintenance Closures

None.

Construction Projects

• Maelstrom closed permanently for construction of a new Frozen attraction, opening early 2016

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Maintenance Closures

None.

Construction Projects

• A new Starbucks location is expected to open in this park in 2015
• The Sorcerer Hat at the park’s center will be removed in early 2015

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Maintenance Closures

• Rafiki’s Planet Watch closed October 7 – November 10
• Kali River Rapids closed January 20 – February 4

Construction Projects

• Pandora: The World of AVATAR will open in 2017
• A new Starbucks location will open on Discovery Island in 2015

Downtown Disney, Water Parks & Resorts

Maintenance Closures

• Typhoon Lagoon closed October 26 – January 3
• Blizzard Beach closed January 4 – March 14

Construction Projects

• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is under construction as Disney Vacation Club villas, a new lobby and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto are added
• Downtown Disney has begun a multi-year transformation to Disney Springs, with dozens of new retail, dining and entertainment outlets, plus a parking garage. Disney Springs will be completed in phases, with the final phase opening in 2016

Rumored Closures (Unconfirmed)

None.

Disneyland

Maintenance Closures

• Space Mountain closed November 3
• Jungle Cruise closed November 1 – 13
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey closed November 12 & 13
• Snow White’s Scary Adventures closed November 12 & 13
• Casey Jr. Circus Train closed December 1 – 18
• Storybookland Canal Boats closed December 1 – 18
• Haunted Mansion closed January 12 – 22
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh closed through January 12 – February 5
• Splash Mountain closed through January 12 – April 2
• Snow White’s Grotto closed January 12 – April 30
• Peter Pan’s Flight closed January 12 – May 7
• Matterhorn Bobsleds closed January 12 – May 13
• it’s a small world closed TBA

Construction Projects

None.

Disney California Adventure

Maintenance Closures

• Boudin Bakery Tour closed October 21 – January 16
• Turtle Talk with Crush closed October 28 & 29
• Goofy’s Sky School closed December 1
• Toy Story Midway Mania closed December 8 –  11
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror closed January 5 – 8
• Soarin’ Over California closed January 6 – May 14
• World of Color dark January 7 – March 12

Construction Projects

• Luigi’s Flying Tires is closing permanently January 12. It will reopen as a new ride experience December 1

Resort Hotels & Downtown Disney

Maintenance Closures

None.

Construction Projects

None.

Rumored Closures (Unconfirmed)

None.

My first visit to Walt Disney World was at the age of 3, and my first trip to Disneyland was at age 9. I vividly remember begging my parents on a weekly basis to take me back, and the 8 years between my first Disney World trip and the next were the LONGEST EVER. Once I grew up and learned that I could just take myself, I’ve visited all six American Disney theme parks (4 at Disney World, 2 at Disneyland) more times than I can possibly count, stayed in every kind of hotel Disney offers, and eaten more Disney food than I care to admit. I’ve also been carefully cultivating plans for world domination in my spare time, with an elaborate scheme involving frying pans and laughing gas. Shh, don’t tell anyone.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2005, and after purchasing an Annual Passport to Disneyland (denying that I’d ever work there), within five months I was cast as a Pixar Pal dancer in Block Party Bash, a hugely popular parade at Disney California Adventure in celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. I planned on a six month run and stayed for almost three years.

Disney was good to me and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. I got paid to delight, uplift and inspire guests every day while getting an amazing workout and hanging with the most amazing group of people. Six weeks after getting cast I met my wife, so I owe Disney a lot! They are very generous with their employees (known as Cast Members), so I began visiting Walt Disney World more often thanks to the phenomenal cast discounts.

We celebrated our engagement with our first trip to Walt Disney World together in November 2006. After having a delightful tea at the Grand Floridian, we brazenly struck out to explore Disney’s Wedding Pavilion as a lark. Fast forward twelve months, and our wedding took place right there with our friends and family in attendance. Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings team sealed what was already love at first sight for us, and convinced the uninitiated amongst our families that Walt Disney World was the ultimate vacation destination.

For our wedding, I planned and executed an itinerary for 60 guests, plus our own honeymoon there and on Disney Cruise Line. Since then, I’ve helped countless friends and family members map out their Walt Disney World and Disneyland vacations, saving them time, money and frustration so they could relax and enjoy all Disney has to offer instead of doing a headless chicken impression. Many of those people have asked for a guide they could take with them, and that’s how the idea for Small World Ninja was born.

I’m a real person with real experience from the outside as a guest, as well as the insight only a former Cast Member can provide. I will deliver you the only no fluff, no stress guide on the market – just helping you have an epic Disney vacation.

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