Driving to Disney....

Good morning everyone!

So you are thinking of driving to Disney?  Been there, many times, and up until a great deal came out for airfare we were doing the big drive again in a couple weeks!  It is not nearly as bad as some may think.  When we drive we are coming from southeastern Pennsylvania.  Total drive time is about 16-17 hours.

So how do we make it work?  Well with some trial and error we have figured out the best equation for a successful Disney road trip!

Know your travelers, and by this I mean kids!  For us, my son does not sleep well in the car.  A nap here or there, but no long stretches.  Therefore overnight driving is not an ideal choice for us.  We tried doing the dinner time drive start and going through the night, but we found that we were having to stop midway and sleep, adding expense to our travels.  So our solution is getting up at daybreak or even before - 4-5am - and hitting the road for an all day road trip!  When doing this we end up in WDW by 8-9pm.

For whatever reason doing the whole drive in one day makes it seem like it is not as bad.  There is something about getting it all done and out of the way in one day.  The thought of stopping and waking up to get back in a car is just awful to me, but for some this is ideal for them.  Again, knowing your travel party and how they will travel best is what is going to make the drive a success.

Have LOTS of activities for the littles!!  Yes they are going to be bored, yes it is a LONG ride, but planning well can make it not quite so awful and can bring the constant are we there yet questions to a minimum.  What we bring - iPods, portable dvd players with new movies and classic Disney, 3DS game systems, coloring books, activity books, reading books, leap pad readers, you name it, we bring it.  They are allowed a couple toys too.  Basically they pack a fun bag and that's what they have to entertain themselves.  :-)

We also make sure to point out where we are as we are driving through the states.  It is a little learning time and then we draw an imaginary line on the car ceiling and show them where we started, where we are and where we have to end up.  My kids are like me, visual learners, so seeing it makes it not so daunting.

Encourage sleeping!!  Chances are they won't do it, and I agree this is why if you can do it driving through the night is kind of nice.  I tell my two that if they rest their eyes for a bit, when they wake up we may be in a whole new state, making us that much closer to Disney.  Sometimes it works, but usually it doesn't.  With our early start time it is always fun for them to wake up and we are almost to Virginia!!

Another thing we do is try to make it tank to tank and limit stops.  The less you stop the faster you get there.  Yes, there are needs for potty stops, but we bring a portable potty or pull into quick rest stops.  I am all about getting there as quickly as possible.  No stopping at a sit down meal, just go.  We pack a cooler and bring snacks.  We hit up a drive thru, etc.

Everyone will have different tips on how to make the drive work best for them, but for us this is it.  We get there around 8/9pm and get a great night sleep so we are ready to go for day one and a full fun filled day in the parks!!

Make sure you factor in all your trip costs when deciding if driving is better than flying for your family.  You can do a gas calculator on mapquest.  Not 100%, but I think it over estimates the cost as we are usually below that amount.  Our minivan driving down is around $150-$200 each way based on current gas prices.  Be sure to include the cost of food and snacks that you will grab at the gas stops.  Also include the wear and tear on your vehicle.  It is just under 1000 miles for us one way, plus all the driving around down there that we do.  My husband is against us taking our own car anymore, so if that is a factor for you make sure you calculate the cost of a rental car.  When you add it all up it may still be way less to drive than fly, but keep your eye out for deals.  Like I said at the beginning of this post, we were planning to drive in May, but then a deal for just $635 round trip for four of us came up and that was just too good to pass up!!

Happy travels!!  Just remember, however you get there you are ending up in the Happiest Place on Earth, so it'll be awesome no matter what!!  And you get to drive in under the big sign.....my favorite part!!!

Thursday Tip - Baby Care Centers

Happy Thursday!!  Almost the weekend!!

So this is something that I did write about before, but I am going to revise and give an update to my former post.  I have so many new followers now that I think it would be just as easy to rehash some oldies, but goodies!!

Picture outside of Magic Kingdom Baby Care Center

Many people do not even know that Baby Care Centers exist in all four of the major Disney theme parks!








 Easily found on the park maps by a pacifier icon.  Baby care centers can either be deep within the park or right by the park entrance.

In Hollywood Studios it is located right at the front entrance by Guest Services.



Magic Kingdom's Baby Care Center is located back by the Crystal Palace.  It is one of the nicer baby care centers.  My kids are now 8 and 6, but we have been traveling to Disney World since my kids were infants!  When I first found these little gems I was so excited.  I haven't stepped foot in one in a few years, but tI really did enjoy them when I needed them for all those trips years ago!!

Baby Care Centers are great for nursing moms!  They have a private dimly lit room that has rocking chairs in them.  You can get some privacy and get your baby away from the sometimes very overstimulating environment!







All of the Baby Care Centers are equipped with areas to feed your little one and heat up food if necessary!  They also have a little shop of (overpriced) baby and toddler necessities!!  Nice if you are in need when you forget something, but not something you want to make a habit of, as it is pricey!

The best part of all - on a HOT WDW day - it is quiet and air conditioned!  Little ones can crawl/walk around and play with some toys or watch some classic Disney shows.  Kid sized potties and helpful staff!!  Just a nice break from the craziness that is Disney sometimes!!

A bit from my review back in 2010, when I was still really using the Baby Care Centers:

The best Baby Care Centers are in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. They have televisions with old classic Disney cartoons on, toys, nice changing tables, a bathroom or two, high chairs, a small shop with items you may need in a pinch (PRICEY!) and microwaves. There is a cast member there as well. Strollers are NOT allowed in!

We went one year and it was HOT, so hot!! These little stops were wonderful!! To be able to go take a break from the heat in some nice A/C in a spot that wasn't over stimulating for my little one was perfect. I let them crawl around and play, gave them a diaper change and fed them. It was a nice break. Oh and FREE too! Usually they are located right by the first aide center in the park.

Thursday Tip - Keeping Cool!

This post is from 2011....with so many of you planning summer trips and FL heating up I felt it was important to reshare this helpful tip AND update it with some of our experiences after traveling in June twice and September once!!

So you are in Disney and it is HOT!!!  Well several months out of the year it will be very hot down there in sunny Florida!  This tip is something that my mom and I started doing and man oh man do I love it!!

First the ingredients - wash clothes (can be found right in your hotel room), ice cold water, and preferrably a freezer, oh and a cooler that you bring with you to the parks.

Ok now what to do - drench the washcloth in ice water or just regular water if you have a freezer to put them in.  (Freezers are available in the room fridges that you get for free.)  Freeze them over night.  Now pack them in your soft sided cooler and when you are sweating and hot in the parks, pull out one of those great washclothes and use it to cool off!!

Along those same lines - freeze some bottled water!  Use it instead of ice to keep your cooler items cool and it will melt throughout the day for a nice cool drink!!

Edited and Reposted in 2014....more tips!!

We simply put the washcloths in ice water in a gallon ziploc bag now and carry them in our cooler.  It really is refreshing after having been on 3 trips during hot months now.




Something we invested in for our last trip was Frogg Togg Chilly Pads.  We bought them off of Amazon for a very reasonable price.  I did find that they helped and they were nice because they didn't get you wet like the washcloth will.

Two hot kids in Epcot!  June 2013

Cooling off with a smoothie!  Yum!

It really is imperative when you are there on hot days to stay hydrated and cool.  This can make or break your trip.  Take plenty of A/C breaks!  We will sometimes go to an attraction that we may
not have otherwise gone to just to sit in some A/C.  Have a cool drink and sit back and relax on a shady bench!!




Just always remember - a sizzling HOT day in WDW, is better than being home in an air conditioned office any day!!  :-)

Happy travels and Stay Cool!!!

Thursday Tip - Signing Up for Jedi Training

Do you have a Star Wars fan in your family?  Are they between the ages of 4 and 12?  Then I am guessing that defeating Darth Vader may be the highlight of the decade for them!

Star Wars Jedi Training Academy is held in Disney's Hollywood Studios daily.  Show times vary, so be sure to check the times guide located throughout the park.  This is one of the most popular things to do in Hollywood Studios.  Many do not know that you have to sign up.  Years ago it was that they picked people from the audience.  You got up close and they randomly selected children, but a few years ago they started the sign up.  It is completely free to participate!  Some are angry that it is now an event you sign up for, but really everyone gets an equal shot this way too.  I guess there are arguments for and against it.  Regardless, you MUST preregister for it.  

My son in 2011 fighting Darth Vader.  I think he was slightly Star Struck!  He has since done it 2 more times - again fighting Darth Vader and the last time he got to fight Darth Maul!

Here's how to ensure your little Jedi gets to train with a Jedi Master and fight the one and only Darth Vader.

1. Get to Hollywood Studios at least 30 minutes prior to the posted opening time.  If the park is opening at 9am, be there and ready to walk through the gates at 8:30am.  A little known fact is that Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios routinely open before the posted 9am.  If it is an Extra Magic Hour Morning for Hollywood Studios and you are a Disney resort guest get there early still, but you don't need to be there at 7:30am.  (It couldn't hurt though!)  The exception to all of this is traveling during Star Wars Weekends.  (I will cover that in it's own section!)
2. Ok you got to the park bright and early.  They start letting people in, but where do you go?  Sometimes they have a cast member holding a sign, but not always telling you how to get there, but for you....a map!  Notice the "OR" - go the way that the least people are going, it shouldn't be to bad if it's not a really busy time of year.  Walk briskly and have the Jedi WITH YOU!!  The child signing up must be present at the sign up!!!
   
3. Once you get there you will be in a line, unless you have beaten everyone there, then you are good!  The line moves quickly and they start assigning shows.  They start with the first and move on through.  When they get to you they will speak to you and the child, but they will ask your child specific questions - How Old?, etc.  Nothing hard at all.  They will then assign you a time and give you a ticket to come back 30 minutes before.  If that time is a conflict you can ask to be moved to a later show, but do it right then.  For instance - if you have a Fastpass+ reservation for Toy Story Midway Mania at the same time as Jedi Training, that won't work, so tell them and they will work with you.
4. Show up 30 minutes before at the same location.  You will want to send one parent to get a spot close to the stage to be able to see your little Jedi!!  Jedi Training Academy takes place on the stage right next to the Star Tours ride.  Another show may be just finishing up when you arrive so wait for them to clear out.  Be sure to secure a space for the parent that is with the child too!  

That pretty much covers it!  Take lots of photos and videos!  If you purchased the Memory Maker there is a photo pass photographer there taking GREAT shots, so make sure you get the card to be able to upload it to your account.  You can get the card regardless and buy some of the photos taken up front at the Photopass shop.

IF IT IS STAR WARS WEEKENDS PLEASE READ:

1. The park opens at 8am on SWW.  That is the posted time.  They will start letting people in as early as 7:30am, I have heard even earlier, so try to be at the main entrance by 7:15am.  You will want to see the opening show anyway!  :-)
2. You have the opportunity to fight either Darth Vader, Darth Maul or Ventress.  However - you CANNOT request who you will fight.
3. Sign ups - follow the same path....BUT sign ups will be at the Indiana Jones Theater.  There will be a cast member carrying a sign if you got there at opening telling you where to go.  
4. Be sure you have your Jedi with you!