We're Going Back: Part Two

I stared blankly at my "pros and cons" list of several possible dates for our next Disney vacation.  Over the past two days, I'd revised the list three times, added and deleted potential dates, cross-checked flights, and crunched numbers...all to no avail.  Choosing a date for our first vacation had been a snap.  I knew that September (with its lower rates and lower crowds) would be a great time to visit.  Of course, that meant pulling my children out of school for a few days, but since they were so young (preschool and first grade), I was not conflicted at all.  This time around, the decision was much harder. 

Even though the weather would be pleasant and the prices would be reasonable, I'd quickly eliminated late spring (even though they were young, I personally couldn't justify pulling the kids out of school TWICE in one year).  I also ruled out the month of July; no part of me was interested in battling the giant mid-summer crowds in the blistering heat and stifling humidity.  Early fall was also out of the question; my mother is an administrative assistant for a school district, so the beginning of the school year is a busy time for her at work.  

Grandma's Coming, Too!

Then, it hit me.  I remembered a conversation that I'd had with an airline desk clerk several years earlier when we were returning from a mid-August trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  I commented that the airport seemed strangely empty for summertime, and he responded that, for much of the country, school had already begun.  Being Michiganders, our kids don't return to school until after Labor Day, but that's not the case for many other states (including Florida).  Late August was starting to look like a viable solution to my scheduling predicament!
 
Tip Time: Now that I am a travel professional, my clients often ask for my advice on the best time of year to visit Disney World.  Although the answer is somewhat subjective, depending entirely on how the client is defining “best”, I can offer them some guidelines.  First, I would recommend avoiding the weeks before and after Christmas, the weeks before and after Easter, and the entire month of July.  These are some of the most crowded, most expensive times of year to visit Disney World.  The weeks before and after President's Day in February are also often crowded, but they are more tolerable than the previous weeks that I mentioned.  My favorite time of year to visit Disney World is late September/early October when crowds and prices are low and the parks are decorated for Halloween.  Another great time to visit is during the week after Thanksgiving and the first two weeks of December.  Crowds are bearable, prices are reasonable, and festive holiday decorations adorn the entire resort.  In early January, crowds and prices are at their lowest, but park hours are often shortened and ride closures are likely.  If you can't (or don't want to) pull your kids out of school for a vacation, try visiting Disney World immediately after school lets out in June or during the last two weeks of August.  The weather will be hot and humid (and it's hurricane season) and crowds will be above average (although not as bad as July), but discounts are often available.

Countdown to August 22nd!

I selected a few potential dates in late August, found some available room discounts, and discovered that flights were reasonably priced for that time period.  Before I knew it, I'd zeroed in on a departure date of August 22nd.  On our first trip, we'd spent four nights at Disney World, and we felt like that was just a little too short.  This time, since the kids weren't missing school, we were able to devote an entire week to our trip, but my husband also had expressed a strong desire to visit the ocean while we were there.  As a result, I settled on a seven night vacation, spending five nights at Disney's Beach Club Resort in Disney World and two nights at Disney's Vero Beach Resort (approximately 90 minutes from Orlando, located right on the Atlantic Ocean).  

With the trip officially booked, I was able to focus on the really fun aspects of Disney vacation planning: deciding on dining reservations and designing our itinerary and daily touring plans.  As I excitedly set to these tasks, a nagging feeling of dread refused to leave the deep recesses of my mind.  Although I was confident that mid-August was the perfect time for our vacation, I'd read that late summer is peak hurricane season in Florida.  Still, the chances that a hurricane would actually hit during our vacation were very slim, right?  Right???.......(to be continued)


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We're Going Back: Part One!

Click.  With a push of my finger on the mouse, it was official!  In ten months, we would be going to Walt Disney World!!  Again!!

It had barely been four weeks since we had trudged through the lobby of the Contemporary Resort for the last time, my son sobbing over our impending departure from the happiest place on earth.  Taking pity on my devastated child, one of the Contemporary's Cast Members ran over, gave Jack a hug, and said, "Oh, honey.  You drank the Kool-Aid for sure!!."  Then, with a wink and a smile, she whispered in my ear, "Don't worry.  You'll be back soon."  And she was absolutely right, although I didn't know it then!

We're going to Disney World--again!!

When I began planning our first Disney trip, I was operating under the naive assumption that this vacation would be a "once-in-a-childhood" experience for the McCutcheon household.  Approximately two days into our amazing trip, however, I abandoned this assumption entirely.  The touring plans had been incredibly successful.  They'd alleviated tons of stress, allowing us to experience more attractions and spend less time waiting in line.  Moreover, because we spent very little time in line, we had much more time to relax and explore the plethora of magical details that make Disney vacation destinations so unique.  We'd truly gotten the most out of our vacation, and I knew that I wanted to help other people get the most out of their Disney vacations, too.  I realized that I'd found my passion in the field of travel.  I also knew, however, that if I wanted to seriously pursue this passion as a career, I would need some formal training, so I enrolled in travel school.  Of course, I'd also convinced myself that nothing could compare to hands-on experience, which led me to an obvious conclusion: for the sake of my budding business, we needed to go back.  And this time, Grandma was coming along, too!

It was an easy decision to bring my mother with us on our second trip.  Although she is a lifelong Disney fan, my mom never had the opportunity to visit Disney World.  My parents had always wanted to take my brother and me when we were little, but it just wasn't financially feasible for them.  I knew that spending a vacation at Disney World with her grandchildren would truly be a dream-come-true for my mom.

Confident that I would finally get the wild reaction I'd hoped for the first time (see "The First Taste: Our Inaugural Trip to Disney World, The Big Announcement" on October 1st), I couldn't wait to break the news to Jack and Sadie.  This time, I was definitely not disappointed.  Jack and Sadie screamed and jumped and fell on the floor...everything I'd ever dreamed of.  To be fair, however, I'm still not sure who was more excited (my mom or the kids) when we officially invited Grandma to come with us.  After the hysterics ended, it was time to tackle a few basic decisions, the most pressing of which was lodging.  Specifically, we needed to determine whether we were going to stay at an onsite or on offsite hotel this time.

The Wilderness Lodge, one of Disney's 26 onsite properties

Tip Time: My Disney clients often ask me for hotel advice, usually wondering about the difference between onsite and offsite properties.  Impeccably clean and beautifully themed, Disney World offers lodging options at multiple price points to fit every budget.  Furthermore, with 26 properties (including 17 resorts, eight villas, and one campground), everyone is sure to find a Disney resort that caters to his or her own style.  In addition, all Disney resort guests qualify for exclusive perks such as Extra Magic Hours (during which a select park opens early or stays open late on certain days).  Finally, Disney provides free and dependable transportation from its resort hotels to its theme parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney area (but if you do choose to rent a car, parking fees are waived for resort guests).  While offsite hotels may sometimes offer attractive deals, shuttle service from many of these properties is less dependable (and sometimes nonexistent), frequently making it necessary to rent a car.  When car rental and parking fees are factored in, oftentimes the savings of staying offsite is negligible.  While there are exceptional circumstances (large groups or guests who intend to visit other Orlando-area attractions) under which staying offsite might be beneficial, I would almost always recommend booking an onsite hotel when visiting Walt Disney World.

After careful research, we decided that staying onsite was the best choice for our family.  The obvious next question was which hotel should we choose?  Because this was my mom's first trip to Disney World, I wanted to make it as special and memorable as possible.  I knew that one way to do this would be to stay at one of Disney's Deluxe Resorts, and I had a specific one in mind.

Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht and Beach Clubs

On the last day of our first vacation, we visited Disney's Beach Club Resort for a character breakfast at one of its restaurants, the Cape May Cafe (see "Until Our Next Glass" on November 9th).  We immediately fell in love with the resort's light and airy feel, its beachy theme, and Stormalong Bay (the gigantic pool complex share by the Beach Club and the adjacent Yacht Club).  The Beach Club's close proximity to the culturally-inspired fare at the numerous restaurants of Epcot's World Showcase was also a bonus, especially for "date night" when my mom would be enjoying special time with her grandchildren.

The only question remaining for now was when should we go?  Although I'm a strong believer that people should vacation when they can and that pulling young children out of school for a family vacation is by no means the end of the world, I couldn't quite justify allowing the kids to miss another week of school for another Disney vacation in the same year.  On the other hand, the thought of battling the intense summer crowds made me cringe.  So I was faced with a dilemma.  Should we wait until the following school year (when the crowds and rates would be lower) or should we put my touring plans (and our wallets) to the ultimate test by visiting Disney World during the high summer season?  After some more research, I came up with a viable solution, one that I was sure would please everybody...

Next Up: "We're Going Back: Part Two", including tips on the best times of year to visit Disney World

Note To My Readership: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, "Drinking the Kool:Aid" is taking a one-week break and will return on Friday, November 30th.  Have a magical and safe Thanksgiving!   

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Until Our Next Glass..

On our last morning at Walt Disney World, we all woke up in a serious funk, already experiencing the first pangs of Disney withdrawal.  It was hard to believe that only five days earlier, we'd broken the exciting news to the kids, donned our "mouse gear", and set off on our biggest adventure yet.  From princesses to pirates, ponchos to parades, and meltdowns to magic, our trip had been a wonderful success.  We'd made amazing memories that we would never forget (and learned some valuable lessons along the way).  Now, it was time to fly back to reality. 

At the start of our grand adventure

Fortunately, I had one more surprise up my sleeve to (hopefully) dull the pang of our impending departure.  As a way to bid a fond farewell to our Disney friends, I'd made a reservation for the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe in Disney's Beach Club resort.  What better way to end a Disney trip than chowing down on bacon and waffles with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy?

Tip Time: Attending a character breakfast at a Disney hotel is a wonderful way to end a Disney vacation.  Unlike character meals inside Disney parks, no park ticket is required for meals at hotel restaurants.  Furthermore, since you're not rushing to make "rope drop" at a park, you can completely relax, enjoying your breakfast and the characters at a leisurely pace.  As a bonus, you have an opportunity to check out other Disney properties for your next trip!  When choosing a reservation time, however, keep in mind that if you are taking Disney's Magical Express back to the airport, you need to board the bus three hours prior to your flight's departure time.

At Disney World, you can dine with some combination of the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy) at the following locations: Tusker House in Animal Kingdom, Chef Mickey at Disney's Contemporary Resort, and Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club.  While each of these locations offer something special and unique, I'd chosen the Beach Club for its relaxed atmosphere and greater character-guest ratio.

So, that last morning, we hopped in our rental car and set off for Disney's Beach Club Resort to enjoy one last celebratory meal.  In a previous post, I mentioned that the roads on Disney property can sometimes be confusing, harboring the potential for great frustration and marital strife.  I strongly believe that the single most confusing stretch of road in the entire country is located between Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Beach Club Resort.  Consequently, we arrived about 10 minutes late for our breakfast reservation, slightly frazzled.

A magical ending to our vacation

Fortunately, the waitstaff at Cape May Cafe was able to accommodate us, and we were seated within 15 minutes of our arrival.  Almost immediately, Minnie joined us at our table, followed soon after by Mickey and Donald.  My daughter was thoroughly starstruck.  My son, however, was holding out for his Fab Five hero, Goofy.  Ever since Jack was a toddler in his playpen, the mere sight of Goofy on the show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse would send him into uncontrollable laughing fits.  So when Goofy rounded the corner and started walking toward our table, Jack leaped up from his seat with abandon, a giant grin spreading across his face.  Jack was so thrilled that he didn't even mind it when Goofy accidentally poked him in the eye with one of his whiskers! 

Tip Time: This was our first buffet of the trip, and I was a little concerned about my son's peanut allergies.  I quickly learned that my fears were completely unfounded.  Almost immediately upon our arrival, the chef visited our table and walked me through the buffet, pointing out the items that my son should avoid.  He even offered to make Jack an alternate plate of food prepared with non-contaminated utensils and pans.  Disney dining is extraordinarily accommodating to families with food allergies, bending over backwards to ensure that all guests have a safe, enjoyable dining experience.

It's so hard to say good-bye...

Since we had nowhere to rush off to, we were able to really take our time at this meal; Goofy even visited our table twice, much to my son's delight!  After breakfast, we returned to our hotel and planned out the rest of our short day.  Since our flight did not depart until later in the afternoon, we spent the next few hours swimming and exploring some other nearby resorts.  Before we knew it, however, it was time to head to the airport.  As we walked through the lobby of the Contemporary Resort for the last time, Jack became completely devastated.  Even hugs from the Contemporary's cast members did little to ease his sadness. 

I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a few tears in my eyes as well.  This vacation had exceeded all of my expectations.  All of those countless hours of advance planning had truly paid off.  We'd stayed ahead of the crowds throughout our entire trip, never waiting in line for more than 10 minutes, even during the busiest times of the day.  More importantly, however, we'd had an opportunity to spend four days together as a family, free of real-world obligations, in the most magical place on earth.  By the third day of our vacation, I knew that we would return to Disney World soon.  I also knew, however, that when we did return, the kids would be older and wiser, and the magic would never be exactly the same.  Jack probably wouldn't be quite as excited to see Goofy.  Sadie might be a little less inclined to believe that Cinderella actually lives in that castle at the end of Main Street.  And the lights of the Main Street Electrical Parade would not be reflected in either of their eyes quite as brightly.

On our way home

As soon as we walked in the door of our home, I started dreaming about our next trip to Disney World.  More importantly, I began thinking about how I could help other people have the same magical experience that we did.  So, I helped a few friends plan their Disney vacations.  I received such positive feedback that I began a Disney vacation planning business called The Magic Minus the Mayhem.  Perhaps most significantly, I decided that I was not going to return to my career as an educator, at least not for awhile.  Instead, I chose to follow my passion for travel.  I enrolled in travel school and eventually joined a local full-service travel agency called Ginger's Getaways, where I specialize in booking and planning Disney vacations.  I absolutely love turning people's Disney dreams into reality.

We took our second trip to Disney World last August, less than a year after our first Disney vacation, and we had a fantastic time.  Currently, we're planning a combination Walt Disney World/Disney Cruise trip in May.  Batch after batch, I've never gotten tired of that Disney Kool-Aid, and I doubt I ever will.     

Next Up: Trip Number Two and Grandma's Coming, Too!

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