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!

Thursday Tip - Meeting Merida

Switching it up and moving Tuesday Tip to Thursday!

Meeting a favorite character can be REALLY difficult, especially if they are a popular character that only meets in one location!  I will give my tips for meeting Elsa and Anna after I have gone and had that opportunity, but for now I am going to tell you how to meet Merida from Brave!  This was a must do for Princess E on our last trip, so we made sure to get there, even if it was on our last day!!!

Where is she?  How do I find her?

• Merida is to the far right of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom.  You want to take Main Street straight up, staying to the right side.  Do not cross into Tomorrowland, but follow the path that will take you towards the tea cups - Cosmic Rays will be to your left.

When:

• Merida starts her Meet & Greet at 9:15am and goes throughout the day until 6pm.  See a Times Guide for exact meet and greet times as they are subject to change.  And know that they may close her line before 6pm because they will account for the people in line and the timing that her area is to close.

Tips:

• The BEST time to go to meet Merida is FIRST thing in the morning.  This means rope drop.  Be at the park at least 30 minutes prior to opening.  Stay to the far right.  Magic Kingdom will open at 9am after the opening show.  Once it opens walk briskly, no need to run (you can if you want of course!) and stay to your right.  It's quite fun as you may be walking in behind some of the characters that opened the park.  We followed in Alice, Peter Pan and Wendy in.  It was a really neat experience!
• Get in line at 9am.  The line forms quickly.  Within 10 minutes it was already at least 50 families deep!  We were 5th in line.  They only take a couple families back at a time as it is an experience not just a quick help, sign and move on.

The Experience:

• It lasts all in all about 5-10 minutes.  Lots of fun!
• First you enter into a themed area.

• Then you get up to meet Merida!  There is a Photopass Photographer there!  You can use your Memory Maker, if purchased.

• Then you can shoot a bow and arrow through a Target just like Merida does!

After that it's all over, but memories are definitely made.  You can visit any time during the day, but my understanding is the line never dies down and is always about an hour at least, even in not so busy times.  So try to get there early!  

Have a Magical Day!!

~Teresa

Why to Use a Travel Agent

Good afternoon!!

I get asked all the time why should I book with an agent when I can go to Disney's site and book my own trip.  Of course I think you should book with an agent because, well I am an agent!!  :-)  But there are legitmate benefits to using a travel agent when booking your Disney vacation.

1. Most importantly PLEASE make sure your travel agent is a Disney specialist.  Don't just book with Joe Shmo at Liberty Travel.  Chances are he has never set foot in a Disney park or maybe he went there a couple times 10 years ago.  He may have completed the Disney College of Knowledge and have a certificate pasted on his wall, but any of us can take and pass that.  Make sure you ask questions and see how knowledgeable he really is.  The last thing you want is someone helping you plan your Disney trip that knows even less than you do!!
2. Your DISNEY travel agent should be your advocate.  Yes some may give you little extras here and there for booking with them, but are they there when you need them?  They should be able to answer your questions and if they don't know the answer they should be able to get that answer for you.  They should be the one sitting on hold and getting those answers for you and looking it all up online.
3. When a promotion comes out they should know if it works for your trip and immediately change your reservation over for you and then pass on the great news to you.  I have sat on hold for 3 hours before changing a client's reservation!
4. Every change and every question is handled by them.  They are they to help and explain and get you through.  A Disney trip is unlike many vacations, you need to do your research to really get the most out of your trip!
5. The service to book your trip should be FREE!!  If it isn't run, don't walk and find another agent!

So there are some reasons why you should use a Disney Travel Agent!  And I am the one for you!  Please share with your friends.  I am working on a referral program and a giveaway!!  Look for that in coming posts!!

Free Fun in Disney!

Ok so this one isn't exactly FREE, but it is a pretty cheap and fun way to get the kids souvenirs without spending tons of money.  My two LOVE getting the pressed pennies. 

The machines are all over the place and part of the fun is finding them, but if you want a cheat sheet for where to find all the fun here is a list with locations made up by AllEarsNet.com - go here.  Now get out your 2 quarts and one shiny new penny and get to pressing! 

There are two types of machines - Here is a picture of one of them:

Push a button and the machine does all the work!

The other machine has a handle that you crank yourself and presses the penny.  Here it is:

Notice the crank - you turn this yourself - don't worry it's easy!!

So while researching this I found more info then I ever thought I would!!  I never realized there was such a cult like following for the elongated coin, ec, or what I call the pressed penny!  There are websites out there with information galore!  But here are a few of the things I found out that I liked the most.  I will start by telling you the links to the two best sites I found and then cover my favorites from them!  The two sites are -Penny Collector and Park Pennies. 

Ok now what did those sites have to say...

Well the Penny Collector gave some great tips on cleaning and the types of pennies to use!  Yes there are certain years to use!  Weird!  So they recommend using a pre 1982 penny because they start to contain zinc after 1982.  Now for those that are not hard core collectors you may not care, but for others the zinc under the copper is noticeable and they don't like it - the choice is yours, you have been warned!  :-)

If you want your penny to really shine after all those years of use there are some cleaning tips you can try.  I am just going to link right to it.  I haven't tried any of this, but I think I am going to be more organized with all of it on our next trip as this is an activity my kids really do enjoy and I hate searching for the perfect penny in my wallet!  Cleaning Tips

Now here is a great idea and one I am going to implement on my next trip - a carrying case!  Ok we buy the pressed penny booklets that they sell down in Disney.  This is a great way to display and hold on to them after you have completed them, although not a required element to the fun!  BUT as I mentioned above this is an activity my kids really enjoy so I want to try and be more organized for it when we go next.  Well a reader submitted a tip to the Penny Collector site - use the M&M minis container.  My plan is to clean them all up and then let the kids decorate them with Disney stickers!  Then you can stack 2 quarters and one penny in there so when they get to a penny press they simply get their container, and they can easily pull out the right amount of coins!  Super tip!!  :-)  Here are more storing tips.

Ok now on the Park Pennies site they have a fairly updated list of where to find penny presses around Walt Disney World.  And the great thing is it is a PDF and you can print it out and take it with you!  They also have a map! And an even more updated list can be found here at Presscoins.com - The Unoffical Guide to Walt Disney World Pressed Coins.

Ok I think that more than covers it!  Trust me I had no clue this would be this FULL of information, but alas it is because like everything with Disney there is usually a following of some sort.  :-) 

Happy Coin Collecting!!!  Be sure to share your tips for this fun activity!!

Linking your Reservation to Disneyworld.com & ADRs

How to link your reservation to your disneyworld.com account and set up ADRs!

Linking your reservation to your Disneyworld.com account is great for many reasons!  But the biggest one is it's help in the Adavanced Dining Reservation online booking system - aka ADRs.  Gotta learn that Disney lingo!  :-)

Click on My Reservations ^

Now click on Retrieve Reservations.

On the Walt Disney World site click on my reservations.  If you are not already signed in or registered with them you will be prompted to do so now.  To the far right you will see a spot to Retrieve Your Reservations.  And a pop up will appear and you.

 Here - if you booked through me, which I am assuming you did (wink wink!) - you will go to the drop down and put in through a travel professional and then put in your confirmation email.  Disney will load up your reservation and give you the number of days til your vacation.  If like in my case for today you are at the magic 180 day mark you now want to click the Where to Eat tab and select Make Dining Reservations.

See...I told you EASY!

Once you have done that you will come to this lovely screen!

No go on and book away!  Of course if you want I will help you with all of this, but you will have to give me login information to have it set to your account.  As you can see in the above screen shot there is a link that says "I want to use my dining plan to book reservations".  If you booked a Magic Your Way plus dining package you can use this.  Comes in handy for those ADRs you have to prepay for - think Cinderella's Royal Table.  Yes a credit card will still be needed to hold, but you won't have to prepay!  Keep in mind if you get there and decide to pay out of pocket (I recommend this as it is not worth 2 dining credits!) you can, but also know that if you don't show or don't cancel within 48 hours they will charge your credit card that you used to hold it.  So back to using your dining plan to book...click the link and then get to this screen:

Put in your information and yay all linked up!

Now you can start booking.  Once you have booked them because you have associated it to your reservation you will find all your ADR information on your main My Reservations page!

Like I said I will gladly do this process for you, but it will require that I get your disneyworld.com password.  You can always change it if you want!

Happy Vacation Planning Disney friends!!!