Podcast Notes for "Trip Tips to Planning the Perfect Disney World Vacation"

I. Minimizing the Costs

A. Be Flexible

1. Go in off times (Value resort: $192/night/holidays; $101/night/off season—for four people)

2. Be ready to change if the next week or prior week has a “deal”

B. Don’t go without a “deal”

1. Free Disney Dining (check out 1/26/16 episode for detailed instructions on Disney dining)

a. A few weeks a year

b. Falls in late spring—Early April/May

c. Quite literally free meals for all!

d. Saved our family of fourteen $7,000 over paying for meals on Disney. Even if the meals are twice as much as fast food (in place of quick service meals) and chains (in place of sit-down meals), we still saved nearly $4,000 on food!

C. Stay on Disney

1. Resorts—three price range of resorts for everybody

2. “Deals” are associated with packages—stay in resort, buy ticket package, get free dining (or can purchase dining plan)…staying on makes all other aspects of the trip less expensive

3. Lose time also by staying off—driving, parking, not getting in during “magic hours”

4. Pay for parking when staying off ($20 per day per vehicle)

5. Can get other deals besides free dining, like 25% off room rates, etc. during off season

6. Can’t “stack” free dining, room reduction, etc….but off season nearly always offers some special to reduce the trip

II. Minimizing line times

A. Complex algorithms and touring plans—not really needed; just need to learn some key things

B. Times of day—three key times

1. Golden times

a. First hour park is open

b. Any magic hours morning or night (available only to people staying in a Disney resort)

c. Last hour park is open

d. Anytime you use a fast pass (Details on Fast Passes in 1/26/16 episode)

2. Silver times

a. Before noon

b. Last two to three hours park is open to general public

3. Bad times (!)

a. Afternoon—12 to 6

b. Use fast passes and see shows and parades during this time

C . Three attraction line times

1. Long—Peter Pan, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Pooh, Meet and Greets with Mickey/Elsa/Anna

2. Medium—Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Magic Carpet Ride

3. Short/no wait—Most shows, People Mover, and Parades

III. Planning Ahead/Booking

A. Initial plans

1. Know length of trip and potential time period: 9 to 12 months in advance

2. Be flexible, especially with large party—get a couple of starting and ending dates available just in case of specials or full resorts

B. Booking vacation

1. Book vacation: 6 to 9 months in advance

2. Wait on deals (start watching at the 9 month mark—see links at bottom)

3. Be ready with your start and ending dates

C. Booking dining

1. As soon as you can book (180 days in advance with Disney Dining plan (either free dining plan or purchased plan)

2. Pick all of your sit-down places ahead of time (and have alternates)so when one comes open (when you call to make your reservations, you will have a list of first choices, etc., in front of you)

3. Know what types of days you will likely have so that you are not leaving one park to go eat in another or going from park to your resort to eat and back to park—schedule dining in or near the park you will be at on that day (base what park you are on, on the magic hours and hours of operation of each park during the days you are going to be there)

D. Booking fast passes

1. Sixty days out

2. Listen next week for details!

3. Use Long, Medium, Short line list above

4. Sites also list which ones are good ones to get fast passes for

5. Goal: Not wait over thirty minutes for most popular attractions if you are going in off season (we averaged fifteen minutes….many we walked right on in magic hours…)