Disney Planning/Week 1: Help!
Two months and counting until our Disney trip and as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve done little to prepare. This is about to end. If a Disney trip is in your future (even in the distant future), please join me on the journey. I’m going to get help for all of us!
Allow me to officially introduce Jodi Grundig of Natick. Her credentials? She is one of 16 new parents selected to sit on the interactive online forum at Walt Disney World Moms Panel (thousands applied!) offering free trip planning advice. Every week, Jodi has agreed to respond to my most pressing questions, which I’ll post here. Here we go…
First a little more about Jodi: It wasn’t an easy feat to become a member of this exclusive panel - for two months, Jodi had to write essay upon essay on her own Disney experiences, how she plans for her trips, what were her most memorable moments. There was a phone interview and then she got the great news - she was in!
I spoke with her on the phone last week and there wasn’t any question she couldn’t answer. Hotels, restaurant names, reference book titles and web sites, rolled off her tongue. What I love most about Jodi (and from what I’ve read about the others moms serving on the panel) is that they’re all so upbeat. I mean, it’s Disney after all. There are not like some moms who run in horror when I tell them I’m just starting to plan. Their answers are brief (as to not overwhelm!), and helpful (which is the point). Here’s my first installment of a Q&A with Jodi. Check back next week for more Q&A and a little status update from me!
ME: Why all the craziness? Why are parents looking at me like I have two heads for not planning my trip from start to finish?
Jodi: With four theme parks, two water parks, world-class entertainment, many signature and character dining experiences, and numerous on-site themed resorts, it’s nearly impossible to see everything in one single trip. Many families enjoy planning their trips many months in advance, and the planning becomes part of the experience. From a practical standpoint, it’s useful to do advance planning so that you arrive at Walt Disney World with at least a rough plan of what parks you’ll want to see, which attractions are must-dos, and what restaurants you’ll want to experience. In addition, many of the restaurant venues are extremely popular and making advanced dining reservations helps ensure you’ll be able to eat there. Most of us have limited vacation time and dollars, so planning ahead can make sure you make the most of those. However, it is a vacation, so don’t stress, and have fun!
ME: What three things do I need to do right away?
Jodi: I’d recommend that you start out doing research on which parks you want to visit and how many days you want to visit the parks. Next, decide upon which restaurants you want to go to. The character meals, where Disney characters go from table to table greeting families one on one, are extremely popular with families with young children. To do this research, I’d recommend you look at the Walt Disney World Website, the Moms Panel, and various independent guidebooks, such as the Complete Idiots Guide to Walt Disney World, the Passporter, and the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
Finally, call Disney Dining at (407)WDW-DINE up to 90-days prior to your arrival to make advanced dining reservations.
ME: My husband and I have to watch our budget. We had considered just going to Disney World for 3 - 5 days but do you think we should mix it up and go to the other parks?
Jodi: I think you should try to visit all four Disney theme parks — the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. While the park hopping option (which allows you to visit multiple parks in one day) does cost extra, it is worth it. You can definitely do the four parks in four to five days, especially if you go to one park in the morning and one park in the afternoon. All four of the parks have attractions that will appeal to your 4 and 6 year old children.
As for your budget, consider sharing snacks at the park (my kids love the popcorn, which is pretty filling), bringing your own bottles of water, and setting a souvenir budget for your children.
Great advice Jodi-can’t wait to follow this journey all the way to Heather’s fantastic WDW trip!
Comment by Margaret Fries — January 22, 2009 @ 11:36 am
Good luck! You do need to do some planning, but don’t forget to leave some free time open. When we went, we had the whole week planned. Each day as we dashed past the inviting pool at our hotel, the kids kept asking “when can we stay here and go swimming?” Finally we decided to skip a day at a water park. Instead we hung out at the pool, did some shopping, some of the activities the hotel offered, and it was another great day.
Comment by Debbie — January 22, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
As Jodi said, it is a vacation. Don’t try to do and see it all. Soak up the magic. Take mid-day breaks and yes, most kids LOVE the resort pool.
Comment by Kim — February 20, 2009 @ 10:18 am