1. When is the best time to visit Walt Disney World? The best time to visit Walt Disney World is the time that fits best into your family’s schedule. There really isn’t a time when WDW is “slow” anymore. However, Mid-January through President’s Day in February, Mid-September through mid-October, and the first half of November are typically “less busy” than school break periods. If your vacation dates are restricted to school break periods, don’t worry; with a proper touring plan and positive attitude, you can experience all your favorite attractions and have a magical vacation.
2. What are the most important items to pack when vacationing at Walt Disney World?
· Firstly, pack a good pair of walking shoes. You will likely average 10 – 15 miles walking per day when visiting a WDW park, plan accordingly. This is not the time to break in a new pair of shoes.
· Secondly, WDW is best navigated using your cell phone. The WDW mobile app will be used to check attraction wait times, schedule Genie+ rides (formerly FastPass), mobile order food and snacks, find the closest restroom, and unlock your hotel room door. This will quickly drain your battery. Pack a battery charger or two (per phone) and ensure they are fully charged each morning. You can purchase a FuelRod (pack of 2) on Amazon for $35. These can be exchanged for free at kiosks across WDW property for a fresh charger when yours runs out of power.
· Pack a poncho for each member of your travel party (and one for each stroller). The weather is unpredictable; but, rain is inevitable in Florida no matter the time of the year. If you forget your poncho, Disney will gladly sell you one of dollar store quality but with Mickey Mouse printed on the back for $20. Save yourself some money and buy nice Coleman ones from the camping section at Target or Academy Sports for $8 each.
· Lastly, and most importantly, don’t forget to pack your patience! WDW is crowded and everyone is hot and tired from walking 10 – 15 miles per day.
3. Can I use Disney gift cards to pay for my vacation? The short answer is “Yes, of course, you can!” Here are a few important things to remember when using gift cards as a method of payment in WDW.
· Disney gift cards have a maximum balance of $1,000. Use www.disneygiftcard.com to consolidate your smaller gift card balances.
· Keep your physical gift cards. In the event of a refund, the funds will be returned to the original form of payment.
· Gift cards CAN be used in the MyDisneyExperience app to pay for mobile orders. However, you can not save the gift card number in the app as you would a credit card. Put all your gift card numbers and their PIN code in the Notes app on your phone. Then, you can copy and paste the number into MyDisneyExperience whenever you want to mobile order.
· If you want to use mobile check in for your WDW resort hotel, you must have a debit/credit card linked in the MyDisneyExperience app. However, you can stop by the front desk of your resort each day to pay off your charges with a gift card.
4. I would like to get some snacks and breakfast items and a case of water for my WDW hotel stay. What are my best options?
· If you have a car, there are several stores nearby:
i. Target
ii. Publix
iii. Walmart
· You can also place an order through one of the following services and have items delivered to your WDW resort. Your order can be delivered to Bell Services, who will hold the items for you until you can pick up or will deliver to your room upon request for a fee.
i. Instacart
ii. Amazon
iii. Dizzy Dolphin
5. Who are the best Disney vloggers / bloggers? While this is rather subjective, a few of my favorites are:
· Resort TV 1 – Josh and Jenna are a brother/sister team who live in the Orlando area. Their livestreams are great for getting a feel of the part and attractions.
· AllEars.Net – the best repository of WDW dining menus on the internet. This is an excellent resource when planning your dining reservations or quick service meals.
· Touring Plans – website includes discussion boards, blog, touring plan creator, crowd level predictor and other planning resources. Len Testa also authors “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World”. The weekly podcast is “Disney Dish with Jim Hill”. This is another very informative resource. Len Testa is a true geek (background is in computer science and data analytics) who has made a living by combining his professional passions with his passion for Disney. Jim Hill’s podcast channel includes “Fine Tooning”, for those interested in animation and animated movies, and “Marvel Us Disney”, for marvel fans.
6. Is the Dining Plan right for me? The answer to this question is unfortunately, “it depends”. I can help you analyze the options and make an informed decision based upon your family’s touring style and eating habits.
7. Even if the dining plan wasn’t the best option from a financial perspective, we enjoyed not stressing over the high cost of meals at WDW. Any suggestions? The most practical option is to take the amount of money you would have spent on the dining plan and buy Disney gift cards. These can be purchased at Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale and Costco at a discount if you are a member. This allows you the freedom and flexibility to eat what you want without the stress of choosing the highest priced item. You’re on vacation – order the steak! You also have the flexibility to order an appetizer or dessert to share instead of one for everybody. Have your meal and then go to a snack cart for a churro or Mickey ice cream bar for dessert. Any money left on the gift cards can go toward your souvenir budget or a down payment for your next trip!
8. Help! I’m tired of saying no when my kids want that over-priced souvenir. What are some quick and easy ways to increase my souvenir budget? I’m sure you’ve already considered a garage sale and taking your coins to the bank. Do you have a skill that you could monetize – wreath making, cookies and desserts for holiday gatherings, cupcakes, cocoa bombs – be creative! Also, there are several apps that give you cash back or let you redeem points earned for gift cards. $0.25 here and $1.00 there may seem insignificant; but trust me, it adds up quickly! Here are a few of my favorites:
· Poshmark – sell your gently used items for more than you can at your garage sale.
· Mercari - sell your gently used items for more than you can at your garage sale.
· Ibotta – get cash back for items you purchase on your shopping trips. Use my referral code (yqcnfyv) for a welcome bonus.
· Coupons.com – get cash back for items you purchase on your shopping trips.
· Receipt Pal – earn points on the receipts you scan and redeem for gift cards.
· Fetch – earn points on the receipts you submit and redeem for gift cards. Use my referral code (95Q4N) for a welcome bonus.
· GetUpside – earn cash back on your fuel purchases and redeem to your bank or for gift cards. Use my referral code (Rebecca96255) for a welcome bonus.
· Brand Club – earn cash back on your shopping. Brand Club currently partners with Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Chewy. Use my link for a welcome bonus. https://brandclub.com/appshare?referralCode=f19245c4-5191-42dd-8d00-ea2ef7836990
· Target Circle – use your Target Circle earnings to buy Disney gift cards.
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