Tips about Disney Cruise Line and Planning

A lot of people do not realize that once you unpack [on the Disney Cruise] you can actually store your empty suitcases and other luggage. The Disney Dream and Fantasy have storage space under the bed. If you are on the other ships, you may be able to ask your cabin steward to store your luggage for you. This is not guaranteed, but it never hurts to ask!

We just got back from Disney World today... please let your readers know that "Heelys" (skate sneakers) are not permitted in any amusement park in Florida. We were stopped by a Disney employee who informed us that we could be fined up to $150 by the sheriff! - Barbara Friedman

For all WDW visitors from the UK -- try to find jet-setting friends who will bring you home US coins, quarters especially, because when you land at Orlando they're jolly useful for tolls. Saves having to worry about splitting paper money when you're tired and the kids can't wait to get to Mickey! - Rosie, Northampton, UK

All Star Resorts - My husband, 4-year-old son and I just returned from a fantastic 10-day WDW trip and one of the best things we did was ship a small coffee pot with filters and coffee packets to our All-Star resort ahead of time since they do not provide coffee pots in those rooms. What a treat it was to just wake up and make our own personal pot of coffee each morning. The 4-cup pot at Walmart was only $19.99, and the filters/coffee were inexpensive. - Laureen EDITOR'S NOTE: The Family Suites at Art of Animation and All Star Music have coffee pots.

We tried to book a room for the first week of December. Not a single room was available at any Disney resort. The Disney representative suggested looking at a resort that was still on Disney property but not an actual Disney resort. She said the Buena Vista Palace had rooms available. They are located across from Disney Springs and offer bus service via Mears shuttles. I called them directly and because I'm a firefighter was able to get a greatly reduced rate that isn't offered at Disney resorts! (It's called the "government rate." I just had to show my firefighter ID when I checked in.) - Alexiss from MA

We've become hooked on the Disney cruises, and subsequently, we always book our next cruise while on the current cruise. We get a 10 percent booking discount (discount not valid for concierge room/suite), a shipboard credit and the comfort of knowing that next year's vacation is confirmed. It makes the ending of the first vacation less difficult, knowing that you're coming back for sure. And then, while on the ship, we buy albums, post-its, note pads, pens, etc., because we don't pay any tax on the ship. I also buy my new 16-month Disney calendar, and start filling in important dates, such as the newly planned trip, Advanced Dining Reservation call times, Castaway Club Member booking dates, and whatever else I may need. For us, Disney is our "home away from home." - Jackie Psarianos

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you normally book with a travel agent, just tell the cruise reservation specialist to transfer the reservation to them! Or once you get home, call your travel planner and request to have the booking moved. DCL only allows 30 days for you to transfer.

One way my mom and I got ready for our trip to Disney World was to make a list of every animated Disney movie (in order of when each came out) and watch a movie a day until the trip! It helps you remember the magic of the movies while you get ready to experience the magic of the parks! - Chelsea

This year I bought the travel BINGO cards at a store before we left for Disney World. I gave each of my children a card when we got in the car. The first round of BINGO was postage stamp, the next round was horizontal, etc. Each time one of the kids won, they would receive a Disney Dollar. The final round was a $10 Disney Dollar. Of course, no one wants to leave Disney World, so on the way home they played BINGO again. This time, while we were there, I had picked up a few pins, pens, an ornament, keychains, and a cup for the prizes. The grand prize was another $10 Disney Dollar to save for the next trip. - K. Watson

This year I bought the travel BINGO cards at a store before we left for Disney World. I gave each of my children a card when we got in the car. The first round of BINGO was postage stamp, the next round was horizontal, etc. Each time one of the kids won, they would receive a Disney Dollar. The final round was a $10 Disney Dollar. Of course, no one wants to leave Disney World, so on the way home they played BINGO again. This time, while we were there, I had picked up a few pins, pens, an ornament, keychains, and a cup for the prizes. The grand prize was another $10 Disney Dollar to save for the next trip. - K. Watson

Flying the red-eye from Las Vegas to Orlando (three-hour time difference) on the first day of your vacation, after exhausting months of work earning this vacation, guarantees that when the excitement wears off you will hit the wall hard! I love the researching and planning and getting the most for my time and money, but stop! Think! After three eight-day vacations, I've learned that the best time I ever had was when I didn't hit the parks on the first day, but instead went to a water park for some exercise and sunshine (to reset my clock), then to World of Disney in Disney Srpings to get my pin collecting/souvenir shopping out of the way (check for discount deals from Disney Visa), then to an early seating at 'Ohana at the Polynesian. Trust me, a slow start will give you tons more energy over the next few days. - Leslie Seibert

I think it's really important to let your readers know that the Disney Cruise Line will let you build up your own onboard credit before you cruise. Just call the Disney Cruise Line with you confirmation number and credit card. This is a great way to save up for the special things you want to do on the cruise or even for necessities that you know you will encounter, like end-of-the-cruise tipping. If you booked your cruise a year in advance like I did, you'll have several months after your final payment to call in and add some cash onto your account. And if your family or friends want to give you a gift they can call the Disney Cruise Line with your account number and make a contribution to your onboard credit! My family always gives us cash for Christmas, so I plan to take that money and invest it in my cruise! There's no limit on the amount. As the Cruise Line representative I talked to said with a laugh, "You can give yourself as much money as you want!" - Buffy

If you are an American Automobile Association (AAA) member, be sure to tell Disney when booking reservations. We just saved $100 per night at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! You must specifically ask the Disney employee on the phone though. They never volunteer money-saving opportunities like this one! - Amy

For those Disney visitors who live in Florida, unless you specifically ask for a Florida residency discount when making reservations, they don't offer it. Case in point: when calling to make my reservation at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I told the Cast Member that I was a Florida resident, and she quoted me the same rate as it was online. Only when I asked about a discount for Florida residents did she quote a rate substantially lower. I asked her why she didn't quote the lowest rate from the start and she informed me that it's Disney policy not to "assume" that because you mention being a Florida resident that you are asking for a discount. - Bill

My wife and I recently returned from our honeymoon aboard the Disney Wonder. We did a 4-Day Land/3-Day Sea travel package. Here are a couple of things that will work for either the Wonder or the Magic ships that may be useful to other travelers:

1. Use the luggage tags in your cruise booklets! We didn't, and getting our luggage was a bit of a problem. It took the Disney Magical Express baggage handlers longer to get our luggage, which in turn took the hotel longer to deliver our bags. We arrived to the hotel around 12:30 p.m. EST and our bags didn't get to our room until approximately 4:30 p.m.!

2. If you or your kids want to get pictures with the characters, read your Navigator (which you receive every day) to find out the times. Since the characters are only out for 20 minutes at a time, time is of the essence. Once you know what time they are arriving, head to the atrium on Deck 3 at least 10-15 minutes early. Once kids start to see the characters, lines get really long. Disney Cast Members will have a cut-off and you might not get in. - Sean Mc.

A really helpful site to visit when considering Priceline is biddingfortravel.com. Scroll down to Florida -- Orlando/Walt Disney World and see what bids others are winning. It's helpful to know prices that others got and on what dates, what hotels are in the different zones, and to read reviews from other travelers about the hotels that Priceline offers. - Christina