I mean, the fact that I have a Blog called “never2old4disney” should be some what of a clue, but I don’t think that I have come outright and said it. So, get ready, here it comes:
I am totally, completely, entirely, absolutely, wholly, fully, utterly crazy about Disney World.
Constantly reading up on every site/ DISBoard/ Blog Disney World related and searching and watching Disney World Tour Vlogs, I just cannot get enough. To my husband’s dismay, you could even say that I am addicted to Adam Hattan‘s, The Tim Tracker & Charlotte Ruff‘s Disney World Vlogs.
The ever so sad reality is that I live possibly in the furthest possible place – Australia. So, accessibility is limited.
Saying that, and thanks to my amazing parents, I did get to experience Disney World twice growing up. That is when I fell in love with Disney World. That love I passed on to my beloved three daughters, and hopefully, if only partially, to my beloved husband.
So, in spite of the distance I try to get to Orlando every few years to get my Disney fix.
Now, I know that Disneyland is closer, but I pledge my loyalty to Disney World. The four parks, Animal Kingdom & Pandora, Magic Kingdom, Epcot – they are my fave.
I won’t deny it, I do love Orlando too. For me it’s a family holiday dream destination. Theme Parks, Water Parks, Kennedy Space Centre, International Drive with entertainment & food, plenty options for shopping lovers and more. Every time we visit we find something more to do.
Pledging my love and loyalty I have a very important announcement to make:
With the countdown showing 195 days to go, we just booked our flights to Orlando (over 25hr flights both ways, OMG).
We have our Art of Animation Magic Your Way Package booked. 7 nights stay & 9 days tickets. I chose not to get the Hopper this visit, it saves us money. So, I just planned our days around that.
We also booked 4 nights at the Polynesian, room only. I have always wanted to stay at the Polynesian. And staying here this time will allow us to do Ohana for breakfast and dinner (my girls just adore everything Lilo & Stitch).
Our Universal Studios package is also booked – 7 nights Hard Rock Hotel club level with theme park tickets. This also includes Unlimited Express passes.
What’s left to do?
Well, we need to book our Sea World stay & tickets. We were thinking of doing Busch Gardens & Kennedy Space Centre too. We are also contemplating whether to rent a car, at least for our week off Disney and Universal sites – not yet decided.
Only several days to go to our ADR bookings – got to get that done…
This is a pretty special trip for us this time. We are celebrating so much – our little ones 12th birthday, our middle ones 18th, my 50th coming up and our 25th wedding anniversary. So, we do want to do some new and special experiences. We’re hoping to book Wanyama Safari & a couple of dessert parties too.
I know I promised you that my next post would be Sea World. Truth be told, I’ve been trying to write the post but it just hasn’t come to me. I don’t know what it is, but it just isn’t happening for me. I promise I will write that post . But at the moment, instead, I decided to write about something else –Disney resort split stay. This, actually, wasn’t something I was aware of until I started planning my latest trip. I really didn’t know that it was an option, or that it was that common. But after some research, I found out that split stays at the Disney resorts are very popular. I was even convinced to change our plans and try out a Disney resort split stay for the first time.
The Grand Floridian Resort
Disney World is enormous, with so many choices of on-site accommodations. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming and hard to decide where to stay. So, instead of making a decision, some prefer to divide their stay between two or more resorts. That is what is known as a Disney resort split stay.
The question is, if a split stay is the right fit for you.
There are a several reasons you may consider splitting your stay at Disney World:
You have your heart set on more than one resort, and can’t make up your mind.
The resort you have your heart set on is a deluxe resort. Staying there for your whole vacation is too heavy on your budget. Splitting your stay will allow you to enjoy the deluxe resort, if only for a shorter stay.
The resort you want isn’t available for the entirety of your stay.
Sometimes your party composition will change, changing the resort priorities with it.
Mixing business and pleasure on one trip – staying for business in one hotel, and changing hotels for pleasure.
Just being adventurous.
Contemporary Resort
Booking your reservation:
You will need to make two separate reservations. For example: staying at AOA for 6 nights and then another 4 nights at the Polynesian, you’ll need to secure two separate bookings, with two reservation numbers, to be entered separately in My Disney Experience. Doing that also means you’ll need to pay two deposits. Make sure to pay attention to the different cancellation windows for each one of the reservations.
The reservations can be made online, just make sure that your second reservation starts on the day that your first one ends. Reading many posts and forums on the matter, many find it easier to make the split stay reservation over the phone (407-W-DISNEY). You can also use the services of a travel agent.
Pop Century Resort
What about park tickets?
When it comes to booking park tickets, the more days you book, the cheaper the tickets will get. If you’re looking to save money, it would be best to attach your tickets for the entire stay to your first reservation. The tickets can be used up to 14 days from time of activation.
By making your second reservation a room only booking, and not splitting your park tickets, you can surprisingly save a small fortune. It’s a fact. I couldn’t believe it myself until I crunched the numbers for our trip. With a split stay of 6 nights at AOA and 4 nights at The Polynesian, when attaching the park tickets to the first booking we will save over $US 1,500, say what??? Yep, with a small movement of numbers from left to right we will be saving a nice sum of money. Savings like that can be very important when talking about a Disney vacation – a money consuming vacation as it is.- See my post on planning our Disney stay.
Art of Animation Resort
Dining plan/ Free dining
In the past, if you wanted to get the dining plan, when splitting your stay, you would have to attach park tickets to each reservation. The Disney policy has recently changed, and now days guest can book the dining plan on both reservations even if their tickets are attached to the first booking. This means, you can enjoy the cheaper tickets when attaching them to your first reservation, and still have dining plans for the duration of your stay.
Saying that, unlike the park tickets, the dining plan is linked to the number of days in each resort. The dining must be added separately to each reservation. Also, you must use your dining credits during your stay in each resort. If booking first resort for 4 days and second resort for 5 days, you need to use your dining credits for the first stay during your stay in the first resort. Dining credits related to the first reservation will expire at midnight on the day you checked out of your first resort.
All Star Movie Resort
What happens with promotions like Free Dining?
To be able to take advantage of a promotion like free dining, you must have park tickets attached to your multiple reservations. This means you won’t be enjoying the savings when attaching tickets to your first reservation. You need to know, that when the free dining promotion is out, you don’t get discounted room rates either. So, even though the free dining promotion is very tempting, you need to make your individual calculation, including your expected dining expenses, with room rates and ticket prices. You may be surprised to find that the promotion is not always worth your while. In your case, it may be more advantageous to enjoy discount room rates, ticket attachment to first reservation and eating as you go.
What happens with my luggage? How do I get from the first resort to the second?
There is no problem to move from one resort to the other. Even if you don’t have your car with you, Disney will take care of your luggage. All you have to do is check-out of your first resort, and bring your luggage to the bell service desk (or have it brought down by the bell boy). Let them know you’re moving to another Disney resort, and they will tag the bags, give you a receipt, and have them transferred to your new resort.
You can go off to enjoy a great day in the park, and return in the afternoon or evening directly to the new resort. Check in, and make your way to the Bell boy service to retrieve your luggage. You can take your luggage yourself or have it brought up to your room.
The bag transfer will usually take several hours, and in most of the cases the luggage will arrive at the new resort mid-day to late afternoon. If there are items you need during the day – keep them with you while the luggage is in transfer.
All Star Sports Resort
How does the split stay effect dining and Fastpass booking windows?
With the fastpass, if tickets are attached to your first reservation and extend the length of your stay, you can make fastpass reservations at the 60 day mark for your entire stay. If tickets are split, the reservations would need to be make separately at 60 day mark of each reservation. When planning to make your dining reservations online, you will be able to make reservations at the 180 day mark for each reservation. If you make the reservations by phone they will, most likely, make your reservations for both consecutive stays.
What about Disney Magical Express?
While on split stay you can take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express. Attach pick up to your first resort and transfer back to airport to your last resort. Make sure they are aware that you will be arriving to one Disney resort and leaving from another.
Coronado Springs Resort
Do you get two Magic Bands, one for each resort? How are they used?
You will be issued two magic bands, as you are booked in two separate holidays. You can consolidate to one band. When checking into your second resort, just ask Guest Services to add the new resort details to your first band. If you have a My Disney Experience account, and both your Magic Bands are connected to your account. Then you should be able to use them interchangeably for your park tickets, charges to your room, Fastpasses and anything else linked through that account. When checking in just make sure both Magic Bands are properly linked to your room key.
Planning your split stay
A split stay is a great way to experience Disney even more. Saying that, you must understand that managing your split stay takes more effort, more attention to details and more energy.
When you plan your split stay, it would make sense for you to visit the parks in the vicinity of the resort location. For example: Staying at AOA and then at Poly, make your Ohana reservations for your Poly resort stay. Smart planning can make up for time lost in the resort transfer process.
Bottom line, it may be harder to plan a split stay, but on the same note, it may well be worth it.
OK guys, time to tackle a wopper – the dining at Disney World monster.
I mean, a day in the Theme parks is absolutely wonderful, but there’s no way you can get through the day without food.
It is possible, for those who prefer, to BYOF (bring your own food), especially when staying off site. It would work out cheaper than any other option. Even staying on site, especially when staying in a villa, equipped with a full functioning kitchen, you can get through the holiday without ‘eating out’. There is an option for grocery purchase and delivery, that makes it quite easy, with the Garden Grocer – https://www.gardengrocer.com/.- order the supplies and they will be delivered to your hotel room/suit/villa.
But I, for one, wouldn’t want to be chained to the oven when on holiday. Besides, part of the fun is getting to try all the different and interesting options of food and snacks offered up at the parks and resorts.
For food lovers, like me, there is so much up for grabs at Disney World. In the Theme parks, the resorts and Disney Springs, you can find an abundance of options, from quick service restaurants, through sweet shops, snack bars and up the high end fine dining restaurants. And there are so many ‘musts’ to try, things you would regret not trying, if you’re already there.
As with anything regarding Disney, there are so many useful sites and sources to rely on when researching dining at Disney. I can recommend a few that I like to work with:
Well, as I established, we like to stay on site. And as such, also established, we find that we really enjoy the dining options within the parks and resorts. For our last trips we went with the Disney dining plan. Loved it, especially when we got it almost for free on our last trip.
We always went with the regular dining plan, it had the right balance for us between quick service food and table service. We are fans of fine dining, but the deluxe dining plan was just too much – way too much food and too expensive.
Saying that, after our last trip, we found that although it’s a really good option, for us it was just too much food, and at the end of the day, we had quick service meal and snack credits left over, not to mention how much weight we gained (even with the amount of walking we did every day) – OMG!!!
Liberty Tree Tavern Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake
So, this time, after crunching the numbers, having a big think about, and many sleepless nights (nah😉 ), we came to a dramatic decision (😎 ) – we will skip the dining plan this time. We feel it will give us more flexibility with our dining options (where to eat and how much to eat – sharing desserts, for example), and to top it up, it will, most likely also save us money.🤑
There is another upside to our decision. To take the dining plan, we would have to split the park ticket purchase. Meaning that to be eligible for the dining plan you need to stay at a Disney resort on a package (including park tickets), so ticket purchase would have to be split too (for example: 5 days with the first resort and 4 with the second).
What I didn’t know, and that’s what I actually learnt just lately, was that buying the park tickets as one purchase, without splitting, would save me money. I mean, I knew it would save some money, it’s only logical, but I was shocked by the difference – we are talking about approx. 1500 US$. No, I’m not kidding, it’s true. Purchasing all of our park tickets with the one resort, and booking ‘room only’ for the second will actually save us 1500 dollars. And if you don’t believe me, you can check it out yourselves (go onto the Disney site and try the options and you’ll see).
Karamell Kuche
Reservations
Now, although not taking the dining plan, we will want to enjoy our favourite Disney restaurants, and to be able to do that, we will need to make our dining reservations – ADR’s. For most Disney popular table service restaurants, you need to make reservations, otherwise, you may find they are booked out. I recommend that you make the reservation as soon as possible, which is six months ahead, and if staying on site, then six months before your check in date. Reservations can be make by phone or through the Disney World site.
So, when I’m planning our trip, I allocate our park days, and create a timetable for our stay. After deciding how many times and when to visit the different parks, I then make up a list of our favourite restaurants, restaurants we would like to try this time, and snacks we don’t want to miss out on. Of course, sadly, I have to narrow the list down. I’m left with a number of restaurants that need booking, and I make myself a note at the six month point (I will already have my Disney resort reservations) to call up and get my ADR’s. I find it easier by phone, you can get it done all at once with no fuss.
Be Our Guest
Although not all restaurants need ADR’s, especially if you are visiting Disney off season, I recommend not to take the risk. We have, in the past, changed ADR’s while at Disney, so it is possible, but if it’s a popular restaurant that you’re after, the chances are that you won’t be able to find a table. Restaurants that are usually booked out even at the six month mark are: Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table, for example.
Character dining
There are also great options at Disney for character dining. We, for one, love it and greatly recommend it. You get to enjoy good food, usually, and also get to meet the different characters. On the pros and cons for character dining you can read up at:
You have no idea how hard it was to narrow it down to this list. And it must be said, that at this point, it’s definitely not a closed or final list, no sir.
There is so much more for me to plan and share, but I don’t want to overload , so i think that’s enough for today. Hope to see you again soon guys.
Hey there, I’m back 🙂 , and this time I’m starting to plan the Disney World part of our 2019 trip. We decided to split our three week trip into three main portions: Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. I will elaborate in detail over the next few weeks on each and every portion, but today I’m all about planning our Disney stay.
I don’t know about you, but I find that half of the fun is the planning. So even though we are a year and a half away from our trip, it’s never too early for me to get started with the planning.
When planning a trip I tend to first set the timeline, meaning how long the trip will be and setting the specific dates. Because we are flying in from overseas, there does have to be a flexibility in the dates, as we are restricted to flight timetables, but I do need to know in advance the preferable timeline.
If possible, I prefer to first purchase the plane tickets before making the hotel reservations. That prevents last minute changes in the reservations. As soon as the flights are booked and the accommodations are set in, I can get stuck into the rest of the itinerary planning.
This time, we decided to take our trip in January. We’ve been to Disney World in the summer months and found the crowds to be too much for us. Last trip was in October, and it was wonderful. We even got to enjoy Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party, which was great fun. But this time my middle one will be sitting for her VCE exams in October, so the next best time for us was January.
Timeline set. Too early for the flights, but I can still set an approximate timetable, including decisions made about how long and where to stay during our trip.
Out of our 22 day trip, 10 days are dedicated entirely to Disney World . I must tell you, that if it was up to me, we’d stay there even longer, but time is limited, and we do want to enjoy more of what Orlando has to offer. So 10 days it is.
Maybe being slightly obsessive compulsive (only when it comes to travelling), I like to plan my trips to the dot. Meaning, taking care of every aspect of my trip, including a full day to day and hour to hour itinerary that includes, where we stay, what and when we eat, every activity etc. Everything has to be planned ahead. It’s not that plans can’t be changed, if necessary (and we have done that in the past), but I find that having a plan gives me a calmness that allows me to enjoy the holiday much more.
Accommodation
First thing first, the accommodation.
So many articles and posts were written on the question of ‘on or off site stay’ – what are the benefits of staying on site, or is staying off site really cheaper or worth while.
This is such a complex question, and it really comes down to your personal preference. So, I won’t get into it, only to say that in our experience we like to stay on site.
For us, usually staying for 7-10 days, we find it to be more of an immersive and magical experience, something we would miss out on staying off site.
So, 10 days on site stay. Now the question is where to stay on site.
Even though mostly more expensive, there are options for a value stay on site. Resorts are divided into several levels, from value resorts, through moderate and deluxe.
For a detailed explanation on the different types of resorts I recommend the following post from Dad’s guide to WDW:
It all depends on your budget and the experience you are looking for. Every resort has a different theme and level of amenities. Size of rooms and features are also determined by the level of the resort.
We had stayed, in the past, at Coronado Beach Resort (moderate) and Art of Animation (value).
At Coronado Beach, there were more amenities, more dining options and better equipped rooms as a whole. At the time, we were four adults, two kids and a baby. We stayed in two adjoining rooms and in a whole it was a lovely experience and suited our group at the time.
On our next visit there were only the five of us. The girls were grown up, and all five of us staying in the one room would be cramped, at the least. Two rooms was out of the question budget wise. We also wanted more of a Disney experience in the resort itself. After lots of research, we decided that Art of Animation was the right fit for us.
On the one hand it’s a value resort, meaning pricing would be on the lower mark. On the other hand, although slightly more expensive than other value resorts, it was the only value resort offering a family suit. Having the option for a separate bedroom and bathroom for us grownups was definitely worth it. Added to that the special theming of the resort – Disney’s animation. The resort is divided into four sections – Lion King, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo and Cars. – It’s just a great resort to stay in. We loved it.
So, where do we stay this time?
On the one hand, the girls wanted to stay at Art of Animation. They simply loved it there and wanted to go back. On the other hand, this time I wanted to be more adventurous. I wanted to stay at one of the monorail resorts. And, we mustn’t forget the good old all important, and most annoying budget restrictions 😡 .
Well, decisions had to be made, and after lots of surfing and much research and reading, a compromise was found – we will divide our stay into two resorts (simply genius 😉). I found that not only is it possible, but quite common, and moving between the resorts is quite easy (check out in the morning, go to the park, and return to your new resort, luggage waiting for you to check in).
After much deliberation, it was decided. We will split our stay between Art of Animation (staying there for our first 6 nights), and The Polynesian resort (staying there for the last 4 nights, hoping to meet Lilo and Stitch, we love so much).
There is so much more to share with you, so much more that needs to be planned, but I don’t want overload you with information, so, I think that will do for now.
Next time I think I’ll tell you a bit about the dining options….So excited 😀 .
Hey guys. What’s new? Well, it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been busy posting on different pages of my blog. Why don’t you pop in and have a peep?
It’s time now to start planning a Disney World vacation.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we’re planning a trip to Orlando at the beginning of 2019. You’d think that’s a long time off, and starting the planning at this stage is a little premature. Well, maybe it is for some, but I believe it’s not. And I will explain why.
First off, properly planning a trip, any trip, takes time.
Secondly, for me, half the fun is in the planning. That way, I get to enjoy a three week trip for much much longer.
So, let’s get started. How do I plan my trip to Orlando?
First thing first, we have to answer the big three questions – When? How long? How much? All three questions are actually intertwined and influence each other (budget limitations may limit stay and influence decision when to go…).
When – time of year, weather, holidays or special occasions that may effect your stay either crowd wise or budget wise, and special events you may want to attend (Epcot food & wine festival, Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party etc.). Just how flexible are you with your dates – taking into consideration the crowd levels.
How long – how long do you have for your vacation, how much you can take off work or school, how many days you want to spend in each resort and maybe you want to spend outside the resorts.
How much – how much are you willing to spend and how much you can actually spend. Staying on site resorts (at Disney or Universal) is more expensive, but gives you a full on experience.
you have to decide what type of vacation you are looking for – calm and relaxed or filled with excitement and thrills, or maybe a bit of both.
Is it a romantic vacation, are you travelling alone or is it a family vacation.
Are you travelling with young kids or teens, or maybe a combination of all ages.
Do you stay on site or off site – if off site , there are many options, starting with hotels, motels, apartments villas etc. Staying offsite is usually cheaper, but because of distance from the parks, you might need to rent a car.
All these will have an effect on your trip plan.
For starters, we need to decide just how long we want our trip to be this time. Obviously, this would be limited by the amount of time we can get off from work, and budget limitations.
As a matter of fact, I find that the biggest limitation is my budget restrictions, so, as I get into the planning process I prioritize accordingly – deciding where to stay, how long, what activities and extras to choose from this time, what or where we want to eat, transportation (rent a car or depend on public transportation) etc.
This time, we decided to take a three week vacation.
As soon as we decide how long the trip will be, I start my research – I have to decide where to visit, how long and where do we stay, activities, transportation and so much more.
Surfing the net you will find an overload of sites, blog and forums, all with advice and information about Disney World Orlando , Universal Studios and Orlando attractions in general.
I will share with you the sites, blogs and forums I like to work with. I find that these give me all the information that I need and so much more, and I find they are quite sufficient for me.
First of all, there are the official sites – for Disney, Universal, Sea World and Busch gardens:
Because we have prior knowledge, and this isn’t the first time visiting Orlando, we know approximately how we want to break our trip down – starting it off at Disney World, staying there for 10 nights, then 5 days in Orlando, and finishing the trip off with 6-7 nights at Universal studios.
Transportation is another thing we have experience with in Orlando. We personally prefer not to rent a car. It may limit you a bit , but we found that it is very easy to get around in Orlando with public transportation and it is much lighter on the pocket then renting a car, especially when we are staying on site in Disney and Universal (more about that in my next post).
There is so much more to do, we haven’t even gotten started….
Next post – Starting the specific planning – our first 10 days at Disney.
