Vacation Planning According to Lisa Green

 If you are reading this right now, February 20th, then I am in Walt Disney World with Lisa Green and our fellow Disney Exchange go-host David Hodges right now! So why not get some advise on planning a trip from Lisa? - Nick

By Lisa Green 

There are as many schools of thought on Disney vacation planning as there are attractions at Walt Disney World!  If you like the excitement and anticipation of looking forward to a Disney vacation – if the planning is nearly as much fun as the vacation itself, this post is for you!  Let’s talk planning timeline, want to?

Getting Started

Not long ago, I offered a tutorial called, “5 Ways to Ruin Your Own Disney Vacation“.  There are perils involved with both over- and under-planning!  The key is to plan just the right amount!  For me, 12 months (or a little longer) is the perfect planning timeframe for a Walt Disney World Vacation.  It allows me to strategize and choose my vacation options in phases – Advance planning to this degree ensures me the maximum number of options to choose from (I make selections as soon as Disney lets me!) and at the same time, I get to have fun researching, dreaming, scheming…you get the idea.

Step 1 – Decide when you can go and how you’ll get there.  Driving?  Flying?  By Train?  If you’re driving a long way, this may eat up a chunk of your vacation time.  Flying may take a big bite out of your vacation budget.  Will you want to go during the absolute busiest times?  Spring Break, Thanksgiving week, Christmas time – will all be more crowded and expensive.  Best practice – select a couple of weeks, if possible, and price them out using the rest of the steps in this plan.

Step 2. Do a little resort recon.  There are a LOT of resources available – Books and websites both offer excellent information on choosing a location on Walt Disney World property that works for your travel party.  I strongly recommend staying on property (because of the Disney Bubble).  Please consider the number of people traveling with you, your budget, and what’s most important to you with regards to amenities, location, and dining options.  Be mindful of how you think you’ll spend most days – away from the resort enjoying as many rides and attractions as possible? Soaking up the sun poolside?  A little of both?  Compare staying a couple of days longer at a Value or Moderate resort versus a shorter stay at a Deluxe.  Not all resorts are created equal – pick one that works best for your needs.  Choose your resort as far out as possible and book it!

Step 3.  Think about FOOD!  Will you want to bring some of your own?  (We do that – check here for details.)  Will you be happy eating mostly quick/counter service foods?  Do you want some sit-down meals or dinner shows?  Fine dining perhaps?  Go back to those books and websites – look at menus, read reviews, make a plan and a budget.  You can find my tips on dining plans here and here.  Lots of people purchase a Disney Dining Plan – it may not always be the most economical way to buy food at Walt Disney World, but for many people, knowing they’ve budgeted and pre-paid for their food expense is a huge convenience, worth the price.

Step 4. At the 180-day mark, book all the table service meals you’ve planned in Step 2.  That’s right!  Six months before you go to Walt Disney World, you will need to book your Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs).  This may sound ridiculous, but a nice dinner or dinner show in a very popular restaurant needs to be booked 6 months in advance.  If you don’t want to do this, that’s okay – just know that, depending on what time of year you’re traveling, your dining options may be extremely narrow if you wait until right before you go or – gasp! – after you’ve arrived at Walt Disney World to try to snag an ADR.  Even if you only have your heart set on 2 or 3 places, get them booked!

Step 5 – Exactly 60 days out, book your FastPass+ selections via the My Disney Experience website.  It’s important to link up all members of your group first, so don’t wait until the last minute to link.  Some rookies tend to make this harder than it has to be by over thinking choices.  You will want to know height requirements for different rides and also which rides are super thrilling versus the milder attractions.  

 

Since FastPasses do not cost extra, this is a great time to get the entire family / travel party involved in picking which rides, shows, parades, or nighttime shows are most important to the group.  All you really need to keep in mind is where and when you’ve booked any Advance Dining Reservations and make sure your FastPass+ selections won’t interfere with dining plans (and the travel time needed to get to restaurants).  There are a LOT of resources available to help you – take advantage of them, this step can be confusing!

 

Right now, once you book your trip, Walt Disney World sends you reminders of the important booking windows I’ve mentioned.  You’ll get customizable Disney MagicBands to wear during your vacation that serve as your park ticket, resort room key, and, if you like, a way to touch-to-pay for any and everything in stores and restaurant.  You can also pre-purchase the MemoryMaker photo package before you go (another budgeting tool!).

In between all the steps detailed above, research things like typical Orlando weather for the time of year you’ll be visiting, what shoes you’ll need (you’ll be walking a LOT), if any restaurants you’ve booked have dress codes, etc.  Make packing lists, use a fun countdown calendar, heck – get your group some matching tee-shirts if that’s your thing.  With my plan, you have plenty of time for all of that!

Planning not your thing?  Use a travel agent – there’s absolutely no extra expense to you AND they’ll take care of all the steps I mentioned for you!

Your turn!  How long do you need to plan a Disney vacation?  Do you have any steps to add to my plan?  What planning information would help you most in future posts?  C’mon, don’t be shy – leave a comment, please.

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Disney Springs AMC Fork and Screen

By Nick

On my latest solo trip to Walt Disney World I had a few items I wanted to cross off my must do list, and to go to the AMC Fork & Screen theater in Disney Springs was one of them.

I had some preconceived reservations going in, and some of these reservations were justified.

One of these was would I really want to see a movie for the first time with servers walking around, interacting with me or other patrons, thus causing me to miss something?

So I chose a movie I had already seen, twice in fact, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

I went on the morning after I took the Monorail Loop Lounge Tour, and was feeling none too clear headed, and it was also a rainy day, so, the perfect time to go to a movie. I was told that the AMC in Disney Springs, unlike my local theater, doesn't have reserved seating, but that is not the case with the dine in theaters apparently, as I was indeed able to pick a seat for the 11am show.

After arriving in Disney Springs via bus a little early, I walked through the rain from the one side DS to the other, walking through shops along the way.

Once I got to the theater, I went in the wrong entrance, going in by Splitsville. This is the regular side, but since I didn't have any clue how this sprawling theater was laid out, I asked where the Fork & Screen theaters would be found and was told the entrance to that side was by Planet Hollywood, but since I'd been through security already (yes, I had to empty my pockets and get patted down!) and it was pouring rain, I was directed through the inside of the theater to the doors to the dining side.

I was allowed into the theater about 20 minutes before the 11am showtime and was quickly greeted by a very nice server who took my order and returned a few minutes before 11 with my cheeseburger, fries, and Bacardi and Coke.

The burger and fries was pretty good and the rum and Coke was fine. I was pretty much finished by the time the movie started after what felt like 20 minutes of previews.

As for the theater, the seats recline very far back, which isn't a problem, unless the person in front of you is sitting up eating, and their head is very much in the way, which was the case for about 15 minutes of the movie.

About halfway through the film, I realized I hadn't seen a server at all for awhile. I decided I wanted to try one of the milkshakes I heard were so good, and maybe a small popcorn to satisfy my savory and sweet craving.
I pushed the button that I was told would bring a server quickly...and waited about 20 minutes before someone showed up.
I asked for a small popcorn, and was told they only came in large buckets (?!) so I passed and got a chocolate milkshake, which was absolutely better than I was told it would be. Very highly recommended.

The overall experience however, was mediocre at best. And it wasn't cheap. I got the bill 10 minutes before the end of the movie, and admit I did not analyze it thoroughly, but it was $35! (That price doesn't include the cost of the movie ticket.)

My suggestion, if you want a designated seat, this is the way to go. I noticed several people around me who did not order a thing, so can only assume they chose this theater for that reason.
Grab a meal at Splitsville next door, where the food is fantastic and reasonably priced, and save room for a milkshake at the theater.

Disney Pins From the Disney Wonder, Circa 2012

By Nick

Back in 2012, we took a cruise to Alaska on the Disney Wonder
We bought a few pins.
There was one representing each port, dated 2012, and I was tempted to buy them all, but at $12.95 each, I resisted the urge, and stuck to characters that my wife and I collect.

For example Pluto, who represented Juneau, mushing along with Mickey in the sled.

 

Here’s Minnie, getting a picture of Mickey in front of the Seattle skyline.

 

Here’s a picture of my wife Barbie with the Seattle skyline in the background, as the ship departed the Port of Seattle.

Here we have Stitch representing Victoria. While we stopped in Victoria, we didn’t get off the Wonder, as there was only a couple of hours in port.

Finally, there’s this pin of Minnie, not representing a port, but the entire Summer 2012 Alaskan Cruise Season.

 These pins are a Limited Edition of 1000.

The only other item I bought was this t-shirt, which lists the ports we were in.

 
For more about our pin collection, please check out this article by Barbie.
And to see the Mickey Mouse watch she bought on the cruise, please see this article.

Meeko From Pocahontas Cookie Jar

By Nick

I bought this Meeko cookie jar back in 1995, but I can’t remember how much it was or where I got it.

.

Made in Mexico.

Copyright Disney.

Made for Treasure Craft, which has a long an interesting history.

For some reason, I now have a real hankerin’ for a cookie.

Episode 61 of The Disney Exchange: Planning a Make-a-Wish Trip to Walt Disney World

By Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode 61 of The Disney Exchange : Planning a Make-a-Wish Trip to Walt Disney World

The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green and me, Nicholas Maglio.

This week we welcome back special guest Dave Tupper from the island of Aulani Oahu in Hawaii.

He stopped by to ask us for advise on planning a trip for a family visiting Walt Disney World, Universal, Legoland, and SeaWorld through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

We recommend the family starts off with the non Disney Parks first, as well as suggestions on what days to visit these parks as well as Walt Disney World.

We talk about which parks to visit in what order, with suggestions that perhaps due to limited time they skip a park! Please note, the views shared by some members of our podcast are not shared by all members of the podcast!

We go through each park discussing which rides would likely appeal to a 9 year old.

For fans of Star Wars, Disney's Hollywood Studios is a must! Do not miss Symphony in the Stars!

At the Magic Kingdom, we love just about everything, but do recommend a few attractions to skip. 

Per David Hodges: Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid is essentially the same ride as Haunted Mansion! Comments please.

We recommend some restaurants for eating with a group, before moving on to the Wheel of Distiny : The one must do attraction you would suggest a first time visitor to Walt Disney World visit.

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast, and thank you very much for joining us again Dave Tupper!



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Or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange 

An Evening Out at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

One of my favorite resorts (okay, most of them are great) is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. In this post, Lisa takes us out for the evening at this wonderfully themed resort.-Nick

By: Lisa Green 

 

When we’re at Walt Disney World, there’s one resort we love to visit, even if we’re not staying there – the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Beautiful and unique, completely different from any other Walt Disney World property, the Animal Kingdom Lodge offers visitors wonderful dining options along with the chance to step out the massive and gorgeous lobby’s back door and experience something amazing – over 30 species of African wildlife roaming around the savannah.

We may have stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge only once, but we make sure we spend an evening there on every Walt Disney World vacation.  We make our visit to this spectacular resort fit into our plans in one of two ways:  If we’re dining at Boma, we head straight there from the Animal Kingdom Park (a relatively short bus ride) at the end of the day.  Boma’s casual and relaxed atmosphere makes it fine for us to eat there in our park-touring attire.  If we’re eating at Jiko, we like to dress a little nicer, so we’ll make time to go back to our resort and clean up before striking out for the Animal Kingdom Lodge – which may take an hour (or more) to reach by Disney transportation – sounds like a time drain, but believe me, it’s worth it!

We try to arrive at least 60-90 minutes before our dining reservation.  This gives us plenty of time to stroll through the lobby, go out onto the savannah overlook, take in the views from every angle, talk to an African Cast Member about their home country, and see how many different types of animals we can spot.  There are chairs available for relaxing while checking out the animals.  If you’re traveling with children and looking for educational opportunities, the savannah overlook is an excellent one.

Before dinner, we like to stop for a beverage at either the Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar (near Jiko) or the Victoria Falls Lounge (overlooking Boma).  Both of these watering holes offer wonderful selections of African wines and beers (and non-alcoholic options).  Not sure what to order?  The bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly – they’ll be happy to help you with your drink selection.  It’s the perfect way to relax, unwind, and soak up the atmosphere so special to Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Our entire family loves the food at Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Boma – Flavors of Africa:  This buffet is unlike anyplace else at Walt Disney World!  There is absolutely something for everyone.  Picky eaters in your group?  They’ll find plenty of choices.  Adventurous appetites?  Yes, indeed – this is the place!  I love trying new foods and my biggest problem at Boma is making sure to save room for dessert.  I love the soups and salads (especially the watermelon rind salad – it’s delish!), then I love the amazing variety of African-inspired dishes from which to choose.  Finally, the dessert selection, which includes the much-loved Zebra Domes, offers a wide variety of different confections – sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth.

Jiko – The Cooking Place: A bit fancier than Boma, I’d put Jiko on par with the likes of the California Grill (at Disney’s Contemporary Resort) or the Flying Fish Café (at The Boardwalk).  While there is an extensive kids’ menu, this is my recommendation for families with older children or couples out for a romantic evening.  The service is excellent and the meal is paced for enjoying more slowly.  If you’re like us and enjoy wine with dinner, select a bottle with your server’s assistance, or have a pairing with every course to sample a few different types of African wines.  The artisanal cheese platter is our favorite appetizer here and no entrée has ever disappointed.  Even our picky eater (Joseph) loves eating at Jiko. (This is a signature dining experience and does have a dress code – read more here.)

Sanaa – Designed to recreate the feeling of a spice market, Sanaa (located in the resort’s Kidani Village area) offers a variety of dishes from chicken, beef, and lamb to fish and vegetarian selections.  Raymond and I will be experiencing our first dinner at Sanaa in October and cannot wait to try the highly praised Indian-Style Bread Service appetizer.

If you want an evening away from the parks to relax and enjoy some excellent food and amazing sights, a visit to the Animal Kingdom Lodge is an excellent option!  It’s also a great way to check out the resort for a potential place to stay on a future visit to Walt Disney World.

Have you visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge?  What are your favorite things to do there?





 

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

My Walt Disney World Monorail Resort Loop Lounge Tour

By Nick 

If you aren't familiar, the Monorail Resorts are The Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower, The Polynesian Village Resort, and The Grand Floridian, and a lounge is a place to get inebriated. And lounge. Put them together, and you get The Monorail Loop Lounge Tour, which was on my must do list for my solo trip to Walt Disney World.

Since my wife wasn't with me, I figured it was the perfect time to do it because Barbie doesn't drink, so I wouldn't be dragging her from resort to resort to watch me imbibe. Plus I was actually staying at The Polynesian Villas, making my commute very simple indeed.

I didn't actually start out intending to do the tour on Saturday evening. I'd been at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and was in the mood for dinner, but everywhere I went was packed, as it was one of the last evenings for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

So I hopped a bus back to the Polynesian, and headed over to Trader Sams, which was also very crowded. I walked upstairs intending on checking if Kona Cafe had any open seats when I saw a spot open over at Kona Island, which is the sushi bar next to Kona, where I assumed that I'd be only able to order off their menu. I was surprised when a server approached me with a Kona Cafe menu!

I ordered the Kona Coffee Rubbed Pork Chop, which was delicious and a Lapu Lapu, which was also delicious, consisting of Myers’s Original Dark Rum and Tropical Fruit Juices served in a fresh Pineapple topped with Bacardi 151 Rum.

It was after drinking this concoction that I had the brilliant idea to do The Lounge Tour.

As I had been updating my Disney Exchange Podcast co-host Lisa Green as to my plans via Facebook Instant Messaging, I informed her I was about embark on this adventure, and she became my voice of reason. My Jiminy Cricket of sorts.

Unfortunately, like Pinocchio, I went somewhat astray. More on that later.

Perhaps my first misstep of the evening was my decision that Kona Island clearly isn't a lounge. It's an island. Luckily, a lounge is very close to that. Tambu Lounge is located adjacent to O'hana.

So I strolled over there, and, not wanting to get another Lapu Lapu, because, I'm pretty sure it's a rule that a different drink must be had at each stop(?), I started to peruse the drink menu. About this time a young lady sitting next to me received her drink, which had what looked to be a long backscratcher sticking out of it! Well, it looked that way, because it was indeed a backscratcher, which appropriately enough is the name of the drink it was in!

The Backscratcher is Bacardi Superior rum, Myers's Original Dark rum, and passion fruit juice topped with Jack Daniel's and, of course, a bamboo backscratcher.

About this time Lisa started telling me to be sure to drink water! So I did. Honest.

After this very tasty drink, I was feeling pretty good. So I headed over to the monorail stop, where I saw a very, very long line. As it was a fairly nice evening, I decided to walk over to the Grand Floridian. Is there a rule that one must ride the monorail on this tour? If so, I guess I'll just have to do it again in the future! But I digress. 

The second lounge on the tour was Mizner's. This is a very quiet spot. That is until The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra started playing, and I was swinging to some jazz. 

Well, by swinging I mean tapping my toes and drinking a very simple Bacardi and Coke.

I chose this option because I figured, hey, it's rum. The other drinks had rum, so...
Lisa: "Stay Hydrated!" Yes ma'am! 

If you have not caught The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra, you should! They play a wide range of great jazz standards, I especially loved The Pink Panther, as well as Disney classics.

I stumbled strolled onto the Monorail to head to my last stop, The Contemporary. More specifically, Bay Lake Tower and The Top of the World Lounge, which is for members of the Disney Vacation Club. 

 
This spot at the top of BLT offers a great view of the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon.

It was not very late, but Wishes was over, the lounge was almost completely empty.

I sat down and ordered a Monorail Yellow, which is Myer's Platinum Rum, Pina Colada Mix, and Orange Juice.

Lisa: "Are you still drinking water?! Don't mix too much." Me: "Well, all my drinks had rum in them, does that count?"

Well, it didn't count, it turns out, because the next morning, I felt none too well!

My advise, stick to one type of drink. A beer or a whiskey at each stop instead of several tropical drinks. Have a bite to eat in between. And, yes, stay hydrated!

This article was originally posted on The Disney Exchange Blog, official home of The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

By Nick

When I went to Walt Disney World last month, there were many new experiences I was excited about, mostly, I confess, places to eat and drink.

Since I was staying at the DVC Villas at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, I was especially interested in visiting Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.

 I intentionally stayed away from information, as I wanted to be surprised, and boy, was I!

The first thing that surprised me was the size of the place. It's tiny! And if you didn't know about this establishment, you would very likely never know it was there, as it could easily be mistaken for a closet!

But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in themeing and fun. Well, the fun may very well depend on when you go. I went twice during my stay, the first night arriving at opening on Friday January 1st. It was loud, a lot of the volume being provided by the staff telling corny jokes along the lines of those you'd hear on The Jungle Cruise.

The second night was a Tuesday and it was much more sedate. The staff and guests both much more subdued. But I assume that all it would take to turn this place into a party would be a raucous group.

As for the food and drinks.
Whew! Okay, while I had avoided spoilers for the most part, I had at least heard the themed drinks were not cheap and had seen pictures of a few of these.

I knew going in I wanted the Nautilus which contains Barbancourt Pango Rhum, Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, Combier Crème de Pêche de Vigne Liqueur, Tropical Juices, and Falernum.
I had a vague idea that this was a $30 drink. But I love the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and miss the attraction that was at the Magic Kingdom based on that film, and wanted this souvenir, perhaps for my wife to use as a planter.

I was told the drink was for 2, which was fine, I went ahead and ordered it. I am a big boy, I can handle it. It was delicious.

I was asked if I wanted the Nautilus, and my server Brandy explained to me I would receive a fresh one boxed up when leaving. I said "Absolutely!"

Then I got the bill. And sticker shock! The drink was in the $30 range, but the actual Nautilus was an additional $20. Plus tax and tip, this was a souvenir over $60! Oh well, I was on vacation.

By the way, the box it comes in is HUGE and took up a good amount of my carry on luggage!

The second night I went, I ordered another themed drink, this time opting to not bring it home (next trip maybe!).

The Shrunken Zombie Head is Gosling’s 151 Black Seal Rum, Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, Bacardi 8 yr Rum, Tropical Juices, Falernum, and Cinnamon.

It is also very good. And it made me hungry, so I ordered Pan Fried Dumplings and Roasted Chicken and Pork Pâte Báhn Mì Sliders, both of which I cannot recommend enough, but if I had just one to choose, I'd go with the Sliders.

To wash these tasty morsels down I ordered the Kona Beer Flight, which is 5oz. pours of Longboard Island Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, and Castaway IPA. I have to say, I was impressed by just how good these were!

So, my suggestion on Trader Sam's. Maybe go with a large group of friends. Absolutely ask for prices unless money is no object! The food and atmosphere are well worth a visit!