Tips about Other and Planning

We are leaving on our 6th trip to WDW and are taking 13 others with us! Something new we are doing this year....we have made 1 reservation a day for everyone (Hoop De Doo, Crystal Palace, Fantasmic, Cinderella's Breakfast......) so to make it easy for everyone we made a spread sheet of sorts with the whole week (calendar look to it) and put all of our confirmation numbers for each day at each location with times included (hotels also). Then we reduced it to a credit card size (still readable) and laminated it. That way everyone in the party has a copy and it is easily accessible!!!! - Gaylia Laird

When planning my vacation, I got a calendar that you can write on, and put on the calendar when to call for dining reservations, reminders to buy things for vacations, phone numbers, anything related to the vacation. Anytime I thought of something related to the vacation I wrote it on. I even wrote confirmation numbers on it so they would all be in the same place. This is a great way to keep reminders for vacation planning. - Donna Rebholz

Print out adhesive address labels of everyone you will be sending postcards to on your trip. You will wind up carrying one sheet of paper with you instead of an address book, and won't forget anyone in your vacation frenzy! - Victoria L. Moynihan

I went on a Disney Trip with many people and I suggest this for anyone who is traveling in a larger group from one location. Each of us made a little gift for each person. We made notes, bags of candy, tapes with our favorite Disney songs, coloring pages, games, and pictures. Then before the flight each person put their gifts in everyone else's bags. It added a lot of excitement to have a plane packet. My gift was a little more complex, but it was great. It was a journal that had quotes, pictures, photos, maps, and brochure clippings pasted inside. Everyone on the trip wrote in them. Another tip is to have a pre-party a week or two before the trip. We did this before our cruise. We played games, had dinner, read through books and researched little things and just discussed everything. Then we had a post party to look at pictures and videos. - Lindsay

We love to visit WDW over the Christmas holidays. In fact, I've already booked our 2 week December Wilderness Lodge trip. As you know, the holiday season rates at the resorts are out of this world. A few years ago we just happened to stumble on the fact that the rate you receive for your entire stay is based upon what "season" it is when you check in. Thanks to this little known fact, we are checking in on December 20th (the last day of value season) and receiving the value season rate for our entire 13 night stay! By arriving on the 20th (instead of the 21st) we are saving hundreds of dollars. - DZNYNUT35

I was recently unable to book a room for the nights of 2/9 -2/10 to no avail. Then I started asking for the whole week and many things became available. When it became time to pay for the entire trip, I just had them cancel the other days and I kept the nights that I wanted. - Roxanne Stritt

To save yourself some money, and avoid the grocery trip on the way in, send yourself a package via UPS to your hotel. Mark on the package: hold until guest arrival xx/xx/xx (the date). Package up whatever you like to eat: cereals, Parmalat milk, crackers, juice boxes, etc! - Dorothy Kurz

At WDW, it is difficult to save both time and money. Usually you have to spend one to save the other. Figure out which is more important to you, and plan accordingly. For instance, buses will take longer than driving, but will save you the cost of a rental car and parking fees. - Jen Kitchen

ALL PARKS - I found that if you get tired of waiting in long lines, and you don't mind splitting up your party ( maybe to 1, 2,or even 3) some attractions offer singles lines. These lines help fill up unused space. I tried this at Test Track and the normal wait time was 70 minutes. It took me 5 minutes on the singles line and I still got a seat with my parents. - Matthew

I just returned from WDW and have a tip for those travelers wanting ideas on what to do outside the parks during the shortened hours! We were able to do lots of things we never found time for on previous trips. Our favorite is to play mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens! This is a total blast! The easiest way to get there for folks staying on Disney property is to take the boat from Epcot (International Gateway) or the boat at Disney's Hollywood Studios (no park admission required for either) to the Swan/Dolphin Resorts. The boat lets you off at a dock right between the two resorts. Instead of entering the Swan (like we'd done on a previous trip), walk outside, around the lake and past the little beach area to the sidewalk that leads right to the road. This brings you almost directly across from Fantasia you only have to cross the street! You easily cut 20 minutes of walking by not going in the hotel itself. No one we asked were able to give us these step-by-step instructions, even though we talked to the information desk at Port Orleans Riverside, to various bus drivers and to the people manning the boats. Lucky for us we just happened on the short cut! - Christie Falck

SUPER SOAP WEEKEND: If you are going to see the soap stars, the most important thing to remember is "Get there early." Lines for autographs form as much as an hour before the scheduled appearance times. Even though the park was scheduled to open at 9 a.m., soap fans were able to queue for autographs/photo ops well before 8:30 a.m.

If you are going to the Studios that day and are not interested in seeing the celebrities, I'd say don't let the crowds scare you. Most folks in the park that day are there waiting to see the soap opera stars, therefore most attractions have low to moderate wait times.

ALL PARKS - We had a fantastic time, but I am sure many others did not -- especially those folks who thought that noon was a good time to arrive at the Magic Kingdom. Remember my Golden Rule of Disney: always be at the entrance gate when the park opens. We took advantage of the one hour early park opening every day (Extra Magic Hour), and were finished with all major attractions and back at the hotel by 1 p.m. We'd spend a nice afternoon poolside and then return in the evening for a Priority Seating dinner and the show/parade. We did not use Fastpass once, and never stood in a line for more than 20 minutes, except for that misbehaving Test Track at Epcot. - Timothy Helm

ALL PARKS - While wandering around Walt Disney World, I like to carry a small plastic tube for paper souvenirs. I use a plastic tennis ball container that has a lid -- other similar tubes will work well. This allows me to store maps, menus, napkins and any other paper items without them being crushed, wrinkled or soaked. I just put them under a few heavy books when I get home. - Brian Brennan

ALL PARKS - Be sure to have a group destination while walking around the park -- for example, once everyone in your party has ridden Buzz, decide where your group is headed, just in case someone gets separated. Then the rest of the group will continue on to that spot and wait until you regroup. This happened to us recently at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party -- while heading toward the Haunted Mansion, the first parade ended and it was crazy in front of the castle. Our group of 11 broke up into 8 and 3 and luckily we all headed on to Haunted Mansion and waited until everyone met up again. It took only about 20 minutes to regroup, instead of everyone heading off to a "central meeting place" like in front of the castle! It is also always good to have a specific spot for emergencies, like at the Sword in the Stone, for example. Just stay together! That 20 minutes separated was scary. - Suzanne from Patchogue, NY

[Unless you have a car] don't attempt to go to the Winter Summerland miniature golf course at Blizzard Beach after BB closes. No buses travel there after BB closes (which is either 5 or 6 p.m.), so you have to take a taxi or a "short walk" from Coronado Springs to get there. But the "short walk" is 25 minutes along a highway. Go in the morning or afternoon, instead. - Jennifer Beck