Plan Your Trip to Walt Disney World

1. How Much?
This area is really up in the air. How much do you want to tip? Even at Disney the service can vary. I generally leave $3 a day. One trip I left $2 a day and we didn't get any towel animals at all. At $3 a day we usually get towel animals every day (generally means the house-keeping is happy). If you want to leave more, feel free. I'm certain they'll appreciate it. (This is at the Value resorts- I recommend $4 for Moderates, and $5 for Deluxes- at minimum)

2. How Often?
I recommend tipping every day. The resort hotels are huge and run seven days a week. You may not have the same housekeeper 2 days in a row, let alone the full length of your stay. By tipping every day you ensure that whoever did the work for you also got the benefit.

3. How To Tip?
Clearly label the tip as housekeeping will not take money that isn't obviously meant for them. I put the cash in envelopes, seal them with a Disney sticker, and write "Mouse-keeping" on the front. It's cheesy, but there can be no mistake who it's meant for. I also do all of this before leaving on the trip so that I'm not stuck halfway through the trip with only an unbroken $20. All I have to do is pull out one of the envelopes and lay it out on the room's table every morning, or at night before going to bed.

If you think you may want to add/subtract money throughout the trip, just don't seal the envelopes, or bring paperclips. As long as the money is clearly labeled, house-keeping will know it's for them.

1. If you're booking your vacation through Walt Disney World's website, be aware that the credit card you use to book it must have an available balance high enough to cover your entire stay. Having a high enough balance for the deposit is not enough.

2. Make certain that you have the receipt for your reservation when you arrive. If you book online, print it out. If you book through the phone lines or through a travel agent, make sure that you have it 1-2 weeks before your trip. If you don't have a receipt, call and get one. Should anything happen to your reservation, this is your proof that it was confirmed and that it must be honored.

1. Purchases can be sent to your hotel- no lugging heavy bags all day or shelling out cash for a locker! (Caveat: food and drink can not be sent this way)

2. Free Transportation- other hotels may offer bus service, but only Disney offers hotels with ferry and monorail service. Plus, if you stay off property, your hotel may say "minutes from Walt Disney World", but WDW is 44 square miles. Once you enter WDW property, you've got 10-20 minutes left to the majority of parks!

3. Free Parking- Rather than pay the parking fee of $10 a day, you may want to take your resort's bus. But if you stay on Walt Disney World property, you get free parking at all of the parks!

4. Special deals- Disney offers a meal plan as part of their Magic Your Way package, which can save you $20-100 a day per person depending on how you eat. But it's only available if you stay at one of their resorts.

5. Practically pest free- What are the three worst things about Florida? Sun, Hurricanes, and bugs. Disney can't do much about the first, but people staying at the resorts during hurricanes report that their lights don't so much as flicker. And as for bugs? Disney has some of the best pest control in the world. It's rare to see any bugs unless you're near the water, and even then it's much less than you'll usually see elsewhere.

6. Price- rooms start at about $80 a night (and you can get special deals, and AAA members can often get approx. 10% off). The free parking and meal plan discount can make up the difference between the cost of staying on and off property- plus all the perks! Even Disney's cheapest hotels are nicer than much more expensive hotels elsewhere. Even the food courts offer excellent food!

I was at the World for the last week of January in 2008 & 2009, and everywhere we looked there were Disney Crocs for sale. They were at the hotel, in the park shops, and in their own kiosks throughout the parks. I think they even had a stand set up in The Land near Sunshine Terrace, but that may be a figment of my imagination. Ahem.

One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that the Disney Crocs are slighly narrower than the older Crocs versions. I've recently noticed that all new Crocs seem to be narrower, so if a new pair of Beach fit you, you should be fine. However, if you haven't bought a pair of Beach Crocs recently, make sure that you try them on first. In the hot Florida sun, your feet can swell up and rub against the inside of the shoe. Bring band-aids and baby powder with you if you plan to buy your Crocs at the park, just to be on the safe side. I recommend buying them before your trip and breaking them in first, but I also understand the appeal of using them as souvenirs. Just be prepared.

There are many, many more websites for planning your Disney trip- but here are a few of my favorites.

All Ears
The greatest website for planning a trip to Walt Disney World- ever! You can see photos of every hotel (inside many rooms as well), actual menus that are updated often, ticket price comparison charts, tips, real-time blogs from staff on vacation, even pictures of ride vehicles with a list of attractions that are especially good or bad for heavier people. There is also a section that will tell you what attractions are being re-habbed at any given time.

Mouse Savers
A website dedicated to getting you the best deals on all things Disney.

Official Walt Disney World Website
Oddly- this has the least amount of information, but has some cool features such as actually being able to book your trip online. They have calendars with park hours, and you can create a personalized map with all of the attractions that you want to hit.

The Mouse For Less
Like MouseSavers, this is a website devoted to helping you get the most out of your trip, while spending the least.

Ultimate Packing List
The ultimate packing list for your Disney Vacation. It's actually part of The Mouse For Less, but is so helpful that it deserves its own link.

WDW Magic
This is a Walt Disney World fansite. I haven't had a chance to fully explore it, but there are lots of nifty things available. This might not be for a first time planner, but if you've been to the World at least once, their update photos and more could be helpful. At the least it's entertaining.

Disney World Coupons
A resource for finding Disney World Coupons, deals, and special offers.

Cheap Disney World Packages
An overview of places to find cheap Disney World packages.

While Disney technically has their own travel agency (themselves), you may find that you want someone else to handle all of the details.

Several companies have sprung up that not only specialize in Disney vacations- but actually offer nothing but Disney! With 5 park locations across the globe and the new Adventures by Disney there's a lot to work with. These people can help you sort out the details.

Mouse Fan Travel
An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner- special offers, free gifts with travel, and more.
The Magic For Less
They're even running specials right now!

>If you need to be somewhere around World Showcase at a specific time, allow extra time for traveling. There is a bridge between China and Germany that may be raised at times. As far as I know, there's no set schedule for when it's raised, but those few minutes can make the difference between you getting to eat at your preferred restaurant, and someone else getting your seat.

>For the best view of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, try to get as close to the lagoon as you can, as early as you can. Benches surrounding the lagoon fill up to 3 hours early depending on the season, and viewers converge on the barrier surrounding the lagoon from seeming nowhere and with no notice. Get there early and save your seat.

Check these links out. There is plenty of great information on planning a Disneyland vacation. You just need to know where to look!

AllEar's Disneyland Resort Information
AllEars is probably the single best resource for information about the Walt Disney World Resort. While their Disneyland information isn't as extensive, it is the best resource that I've seen on the web.
Knotts Berry Farm Coupons
Disneyland only has the two parks and Downtown Disney. Granted, those two parks are packed, but for a longer vacation, you'll want to take in a few other regional attractions. Knott's Berry Farm coupons will make that quite affordable.
Universal Studio Discount Tickets
Universal Studios has a park near both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and while some of their attractions are amazing, some of them are sub-par as well. And since you have to pay a hefty fee for their version of the FastPass, you really want to save money any way you can! Universal Studio discount tickets are the only way it's worth the effort and expense it takes to get here. (What? I'm not biased, not at all!)

Remember, any purchases made through this lens, or any of my other lenses helps to send me back to the World (and gather more info for you!).