What I learned today!

[jamieguffey]

68 Days to go

If you are new this tip is the one you MUST listen to. Go get The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2009. I felt bad that eveyone was giving away the crowd calendar data so I decided the least I could do was buy the book so I didn't feel like I was stealing their copyrighted info.

When I first got into planning this I went out and bought a guide. I am ashamed to say I picked the one with the most pictures. The unofficial guide is almost 900 pages long and has a lot of words so I passed on it the first time. The first guide "The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 by Julie and Mike Neal" Was good I got a lot of good info. But the Unofficial Guide (touringplans.com) is amazing.

If you have young ones the section on kids at disney alone was worth the money. I paid $19.99 and after I get my free pass to touringplans it will net cost me $11.

 

[shasess]

Great thread!!!

 

[SPOERLX3]

68 Days to go

If you are new this tip is the one you MUST listen to. Go get The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2009. I felt bad that eveyone was giving away the crowd calendar data so I decided the least I could do was buy the book so I didn't feel like I was stealing their copyrighted info.

When I first got into planning this I went out and bought a guide. I am ashamed to say I picked the one with the most pictures. The unofficial guide is almost 900 pages long and has a lot of words so I passed on it the first time. The first guide "The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 by Julie and Mike Neal" Was good I got a lot of good info. But the Unofficial Guide (touringplans.com) is amazing.

If you have young ones the section on kids at disney alone was worth the money. I paid $19.99 and after I get my free pass to touringplans it will net cost me $11.

I agree 100%. I got my Unofficial Guide on line for around $14 with free shipping. It is a great book with lots of useful information.

 

[onemaybaby]

Great thread!

 

[bjscheel]

Thanks...this is a fun thread. Have you thought about adding (copying and pasting) your tip to the first post every day? It will be a great place to organize all of your info

With over 60 tips to go, I'm guessing the first post will go over size limits?

Fantastic thread, just not sure you can put the full text of each tip in the first post. What about an index? I.E. Post #______: Fastpass tips. You could make them links, or not.

 

[chell]

The Unofficial Guide is awesome!

 

[jamieguffey]

With over 60 tips to go, I'm guessing the first post will go over size limits?

Fantastic thread, just not sure you can put the full text of each tip in the first post. What about an index? I.E. Post #______: Fastpass tips. You could make them links, or not.

I will tweak and change up. What is the size limit.

 

[ugadog99]

Although we are very seasoned WDW veterans, this is the coolest thread. And people think I'm obsessed with planning............

 

[Kathy Z]

I will tweak and change up. What is the size limit.

We still have quite a way to go. The size limit seems to be 249 pages or 3727 posts. I'm a reader of the Polynesian Resort thread under Resorts and that is currently into it's third new thread. When it reaches the limit it is closed and people are directed with a link to the new thread that is started.

Take a look at one of the Resort FAQ threads and you'll see how they have updated FAQ at the beginning of the threads. It would be great if you have the time to do something similar!

 

[jamieguffey]

67 to go.

In keeping with my tip from yesterday. I was putting together some customized touring plans last night. This feature on touringplans.com is like a new toy so I wanted to play with it. I spent hours moving stuff around printing stuff out and trying to get one I was really proud of.

This is not especially difficult for Epcot or DHS but MK. YIIKES

So I took my list of must see attractions at MK and I decided to take a look at their plans.

As you may (or may not know) I have a 3 and a 4 year old. So I fit the profile of parents with small children. We will be doing MK on Tuesday and Thursday. So we have two full days to devote to MK. So I took a look at their plan for MK; Parents with small children; 2 days. I went through the plan and crossed off all our must dos as I went through the plan. That plan took us to all but two that were on my list.

It also gives us 3-4 hour breaks back at the resort each day (although we probably won't use it on day 2) and it gets us through all this with TONS of time to spare on thursday.

So my tip for first timers today is whether or not you get the book (The Unofficial Walt Disney World 2009) go to touringplans.com and print out the plan that fits your profile. I know we will not end up working the plan, knowing my kids we will be lucky to make it past the WDWRR if so the Tiki Birds will have to wait til next time, but man what a wonderful guide it is going to be.

If nothing else there is a big weight off my shoulders worrying about whether or not it was even possible to see what we wanted to see.

 

[loritemp]

I was peeking at touring plans the other day. So much fun! We are taking my son (18mons when we go) and grandparents, all first timers, and the plans really allow for fun for a toddler and yet let the adults see a ton as well. My only issue now is having to wait so dang long to go, we don't go till Oct!

 

[flipflopmom]

Great info on Kim Possible missions
http://www.stitchkingdom.com/kimpossible

 

[iteach7th]

You wouldn't believe how many people in the parks don't know about FP.

I was helping a teacher friend plan her spring break trip - it was first trip for her family and she was totally clueless about how to even approach anything. In one of our discussions - she said that another friend told her to make sure and ask me where to buy the fast passes because they were worth every bit of $$ you can spend on them. The other friend even went on to tell her how they stood in the long lines while those with fast passes just breezed right by them in the FP line.

The other friend (who is a highly educated teacher) has been to WDW every year for the past 3 years and I would consider her a good source to get WDW information from. I could not believe that in all of their planning and being at WDW they never realized that the fast passes are FREE !!!

 

[pooh's honey]

Do the plans offered by touringplans change that much from year to year? I have last year's copy of the Unofficial Guide 2008 from our visit in Ocotober. Do you think the tours have changed that much in the last few months (with the exception of Space Mountain and TTA)?

 

[iteach7th]

Do the plans offered by touringplans change that much from year to year? I have last year's copy of the Unofficial Guide 2008 from our visit in Ocotober. Do you think the tours have changed that much in the last few months (with the exception of Space Mountain and TTA)?

Could you get that info from the website without having to buy/borrow a new book?
You might be able to still log on to the website using last year's book and see. I know I used my '06 book for 2 years to answer the questions needed to get full access to the website. I did have to buy a new '09 book to use this year because the old book wouldn't let me have full access.

 

[kindra657]

I was helping a teacher friend plan her spring break trip - it was first trip for her family and she was totally clueless about how to even approach anything. In one of our discussions - she said that another friend told her to make sure and ask me where to buy the fast passes because they were worth every bit of $$ you can spend on them. The other friend even went on to tell her how they stood in the long lines while those with fast passes just breezed right by them in the FP line.

The other friend (who is a highly educated teacher) has been to WDW every year for the past 3 years and I would consider her a good source to get WDW information from. I could not believe that in all of their planning and being at WDW they never realized that the fast passes are FREE !!!

Unreal

Awesome thread btw!!

 

[kindra657]

Actually it is a veiled excuse to ask more questions in a passive aggressive type way. I cover them as a tip and then let the vets tell me what I want to know.


70 To Go

Apparently, It rains just about everyday at some point in central florida. Every book, site, and forum I visit has a whole section on ponchos. The best advice I found was on the Disney Moms I think...Buy your ponchos before hand. Go to the dollar store or some sort of discount store. Get several disposable ones that are of a color not normally used.

Yellow, Clear, and Red "seem" to be the easiest to find. As a result, when it starts to rain no one has a head or a face anymore they are all the same color garbage bags running around.

This is especially a problem if you have a 3 and a 4 year old that are easily distracted. What just moments before was not a big deal for either of you is now a possible serious issue.

If however, they have a bright green poncho that stands out they may now actually be easier to find than the would have been otherwise.

Disposable for two reasons

1. Because who wants to deal with trying to maintain a wet garbage bag for a week straight. Although I am torn on this one. do I really just create trash for the sake of not having to hang up my poncho when I get back to the resort?
2. Space is a big issue and those things are like maps. Once you unfold them the first time they never go back the way they were and now you have to find a spot for it in your fanny pack?

I totally procrastinate when it comes to packing. I don't even start until the night before or the day of. I do, however, clean my house excessively before we go and I start the SUPER cleaning weeks before. I am so depressed about coming home that thinking about how clean my house is puts me in a better mood .

 

[tkitty]

Could you get that info from the website without having to buy/borrow a new book?
You might be able to still log on to the website using last year's book and see. I know I used my '06 book for 2 years to answer the questions needed to get full access to the website. I did have to buy a new '09 book to use this year because the old book wouldn't let me have full access.

I found the 2008 UG at one of the outlet book stores for $5.99, and I can still use it for all the online info, using the words and page numbers given. I don't think I missed anything by buying the old one, and the list any new updates on their website.
Maybe the book changes so little each year, that the "passwords" they ask you for are still the same.

 

[pooh's honey]

I found the 2008 UG at one of the outlet book stores for $5.99, and I can still use it for all the online info, using the words and page numbers given. I don't think I missed anything by buying the old one, and the list any new updates on their website.
Maybe the book changes so little each year, that the "passwords" they ask you for are still the same.

Thanks guys. I didn't even think to try the password form last year's book, I just assumed it wouldn't work. I'll have to give it a shot when I get home.

 

[jamieguffey]

66 to go. Making a B-Line for less than 2 months.

I was talking to a coworker and told her about my trip. She was excited for me but offered this caveat. "That sure is a lot of money to spend considering your kids won't even remember it."

My tip today is about what I think taking this trip means.

I cannot deny that my 3/4 year old will likely have no memory of this experience when they are adults. I can't say I remember anything about my preschool years. But I am not taking my kids to disney world so they will remember the experience forever. I am simply taking them so they can experience it. The memories are all mine!

Here are somethings that make me all misty eyed just thinking about it.
* Seeing their face when we take off in the airplane for the first time.
* Seeing Sophie in her princess dress when we meet Cinderella.
* Seeing Noahs Face when we ride up front on the monorail the first time.
* Having my shy little guy hide behind my legs when the first character tries to shake his hand. With that watching my shy little guy warm up as the week goes on and we meet more and more characters.
* Looking into their eyes and seeing the reflection of Cinderellas Castle with fireworks all around it.
* Hearing them laugh when the bears start singing and dancing at the Country Bear Jamboree.
* Singing it's a small world with them on the way back to the hotel much to the shagrin of every passenger on the bus that didn't ride the ride just so they didn't have that song in their head for the rest of the day.
* Experiencing deathly motion sickness because they wouldn't quit spinning those damn teacups.
* Watching Sophie when she sees tinkerbell fly down from the castle during Wishes

I could go on and on but finally, crying with them when it is time to go home!

Mommy and Daddy have spent roughly 100 hours a week combined at work every week of their life so far...I'm glad they are to young to remember things.