"Mousekeeper" Gratuity Envelopes

When staying at any of the great Walt Disney World Resorts you will have housekeeping service, which is the Disney universe as mousekeeping. Your wonderful "mousekeepers" will make beds daily, resupply towels and toiletries (soap, shampoos), and leave behind cute little towel animals which you will love. It is customary to leave a gratuity for your mousekeeper. Gratuity amounts are always at the guests' discretion, but a gratuity of US$1 per person, per day is typical. One way to be prepared is to have Mousekeeper Tip Envelopes ready before your trip. You would have an envelope for each day of your stay and you wouldn't have to search for the exact gratuity amount each morning. Also, if you have children they will enjoy decorating the gratuity envelopes for their mousekeeper!

Extra Luggage Stickers

If you are traveling to your Walt Disney World, and using Disney's Magical Express (DME) as your transportation, you should receive a luggage stickers per person on your reservation. These stickers will be placed on your luggage so DME will know to pick up your luggage and which resort to take it to. Sometimes one sticker per person is not enough, and you need to request additional stickers. You can call DME at 866-599-0951 to receive the extra luggage stickers you need.

Disney Travel Agents

I enjoy making my family's WDW Vacation package reservations with the assistance of travel agents at the Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC). Every time I call 407-W-DISNEY the agent that takes my call is super-friendly and they always answer all of my questions and take care of every request. I choose to use the Walt Disney Travel Company not only because of their agents, but also because of the convenience.

Vacation reservations made with the WDTC can be made up to 499 days in advance. All you need is a $200 deposit (per room if reserving more than one room). You can make any changes - number of guests on a package, resort, room, park tickets and options or travel dates - up to 45 days before your arrival date. You must have your trip paid in full 45 days before arrival. The travel agent will always be happy to assist you as many times as you need.

We are currently planning our next Disney World vacation for the week of Halloween 2012. Our trip reservations have already been made and the deposit paid. We have already made two changes (resort and number of guests) after our initial reservation. Should a free dining plan or resort room discount become available for that time period we will change our reservation again in order to benefit from the special offer. I will simply call the WDTC and a travel agent will accommodate our request at no extra charge. Consider calling the Walt Disney Travel Company directly in order to book your next Disney World Magical Vacation.

Disney's Magical Express

Disney's Magical Express (DME) is a free transportation service from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to your Walt Disney World Resort. When booking your WDW Vacation Package you can submit your flight information and DME will send you specific tags for the luggage you will check at your home airport. Once you dispatch your luggage you will not have to worry about it again and it will appear in your room at your Disney resort. It can take up to three hours for your luggage to arrive in your room so if there are items that you will need right away make sure you take them in your carry-on bags. Also, please note that there are various resort stops on your bus line so you may have up to an hour long bus ride, or you may be in luck and your resort will be the first stop. One final note on the DME, if you fly on certain specified airlines you will be able to do your return flight check-in at your resort and DME will take your luggage to the airport and you won't have to worry about it until you get home. More information can be found at the following: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/airport-service/

Refillable Resort Mugs

Refillable mugs can be found at most of the WDW Resorts in the food court area. The mugs in the picture accompanying this post are the new 2011 version. They are a convenient and money saving item. Mugs can be purchased for around $13.99 and the guest is entitled to free refills for the duration of their stay. Refills are available at the beverage dispensers which usually include: coffee, sodas, iced tea and hot chocolate. Please remember that the mugs are for use at that particular resort for the duration of your visit. Refillable mugs are available at the following resorts: All Star Music/Movies/Sports, AKL, Beach Club, Boardwalk, CBR, Contemporary, Coronado Springs, Ft. Wilderness, Grand Floridian, OKW, Polynesian, POP Century, Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs, Wilderness Lodge and Yacht Club.

Key To The World

Your all access card to Walt Disney World...the Key To The World (KTTW)! When you make a Disney Vacation reservation all of your vacation package options/details will be conveniently placed on one all access card. This card will be your room key, it will be used to get into the parks as it holds your park ticket information, and you will hand it over to your food server to deduct your meal plan services. The KTTW can also be linked to a credit card to charge purchases to your room. Even if you do not use your KTTW to charge purchases it is a good idea to link your credit card to the KTTW because it will facilitate your check-out from the resort.

Mailing Packages to Disney Resorts

Guest packages can be shipped (via UPS, FedEx, etc.) to a Disney World Resort ahead of the guests' scheduled arrival date. This service is especially convenient when you are traveling with young children. If your child is still wearing diapers or training pants, eats finger foods/snacks or needs milk or juices, you can save the trouble of traveling with a week's worth of those items. Simply package them and ship them to whichever Disney Resort you are staying. Upon arrival the guest can request the package from the concierge.

Disney World iPhone Apps

There are many applications for smartphones that help guests plan their visits to the WDW parks. The most commonly known app, Mobile Magic, is great, but is only available for Verizon customers. I have AT&T as my service provider, so the apps that I will be featuring are for that particular provider, and are all found at the iPhone App Store. Speaking from personal experience, the following apps are wonderful to use at Disney World. They are all made by VersaEdge Software.

Disney World Wait Times Free

• ride wait times for all four Disney World parks
• all times for each park on the same screen
• see recent times for each ride
• submit a ride wait time if you are in the park
• see rides nearest your GPS position
• time displayed in minutes, a CL if closed or dashes if unavailable

Disney World Maps Free

• interactive guide maps for WDW parks
• wait times on the map shared with the Disney World Wait Times app
• your GPS location on the map
• zoom in to see attractions, restaurants and bathrooms
• zoom out to see each park layout
• search for an attraction or restaurant by name

Disney World Park Hours Free

• park hours for all six Disney World parks
• water button shows or hides the water parks
• event times such as parades and fireworks
• up to 6 months of information
• quickly stroll to any day with the dates on the right

Disney World Dining ($1.99 - no free app available)

• full dining menus for WDW restaurants
• restaurant information such as location, description, photo, etc.
• search by restaurant name or location
• search for a particular food with Food Finder
• organize a dining schedule with your reservations
• email your dining schedule to others
• see restaurants nearest your GPS location
• free app updates to get new menus and features

All of the apps are good sources of information and very useful in planning your vacation, and your days at the parks. I hope this was useful to everyone as they prepare for their magical trip!

Blizzard Beach vs. Typhoon Lagoon

The theme of Blizzard Beach, open in 1995, is "melting" ski resort. The story holds that Blizzard Beach was a result of a freak snowstorm in the area. Out of the waterlogged ski resort that was being built a water park was created. Most of the park's attractions are found on Mount Gushmore. Mount Gushmore is split into three colored slopes: Green, Red and Purple. At Ground Level you can find Melt-Away Bay at the base of Mount Gushmore, which is constantly being fed by "melting snow" waterfalls. All water areas are heated with the exception of the melting snow in the ice cave of Cross Country Creek. Cross Country Creek is a lazy river which travels the perimeter of the park and through a bone-chilling ice cave. It takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes to complete Cross Country Creek.

The theme of Typhoon Lagoon, open in 1989, is storm ravaged tropical bay. The story of the park is that a typhoon wreaked havoc on a formerly pristine tropical paradise. "Miss Tilly", a shrimp boat impaled upon a mountain named "Mount Mayday" which erupts a geyser of water every 30 minutes, is the centerpiece of the park. Typhoon Lagoon is home to the world's largest wave pool, and features waves up to six feet high. The park also features a special area where guests can snorkel among live sharks and other tropical fish. Water is heated to 75-80 degrees year round, excluding the snorkeling area. The river raft ride, Castaway Creek, lets guests meander through rain forests, caves, open grottos, waterfalls and a waterworks area. Hideaway Bay is a sandy white beach area which features a water coaster and a wading pool area. In this area guests can rent premium beach chair space which includes 2 lounge chairs, umbrella, cocktail table and 2 towels.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes! During this special event, which is held on select dates September-November, you can collect yummy candy as you trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom (MK) park. MNSSHP is filled with special entertainment which includes the "Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade, Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular and many favorite Disney Characters and Disney Villains in special Halloween costumes. If you want to buy tickets to attend MNSSHP on October 31st be sure to purchase your tickets by June because it will most likely sell out around that time.

Halloween decorations can mostly be seen at MK. Decorations tend to appear seemingly overnight at WDW. So if you are actually at Disney World during Halloween week you may start to see Christmas decorations on November 1st. In typical Disney magic style, the work happens overnight.

Disney Pin Trading

Collectible pins have always been offered at Walt Disney World in each of the Parks and Resorts around the world. The art of Pin Trading was introduced in October 1999 at the start of the Millenium Celebration. Around the world, thousands of guests trade pins with other guests and cast members. When trading pins with cast members, guests should offer a pin not already displayed on the CM's lanyard. A pin collection is full of memories, stories and friendships that makes its' value priceless to you. There are thousands of pins to choose from to build your collection. Information on each pin can be found on the back stamp which tells the pin's origin. Keep in mind, there are pin trading location etiquette guidelines. More information on pin trading can be found at: http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/page?id=getStarted

I have been collecting pins since 2003. The vast part of my collection started with my first trip to WDW with my husband. I always select pins that mean something to me and are part of a story. My collection currently stands at 64 pins and will certainly continue to grow.

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

The Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) is set on 45-acre Barefoot Bay. The Resort Guest rooms are arranged into six villages - Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Martinique, Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica. Each village is a group of pastel-colored 2-story buildings which surround their own swimming pool. The rooms are spacious enough, and at 340 square feet are the largest of the moderate resorts. The standard room has two double beds, and there are some rooms with king size beds available. For pirate lovers there are Pirate themed rooms available in Trinidad South. At Old Port Royale, the central hub at CBR, you will find dining, a lounge, shopping and the Spanish fortress themed main swimming pool. Caribbean Cay is located in the middle of Barefoot Bay and it's a wonderful place to just relax in the quiet hammocks or the children can play in the new playground. There is a Disney Transportation bus stop at each village as it is a very large resort. Because of the size of the resort, there are 2112 rooms, there is also internal bus service. A fun fact: in certain locations it is possible to view EPCOT's fireworks from the Illuminations show.

We have stayed at the CBR twice already and both times in the village of Jamaica. The last time we stayed in Bldg 45 and faced the pool with a view of Barefoot Bay and part of Old Port Royale and Caribbean Cay. The CMs were very sweet and accommodating, and Mousekeeping always did a great job in our room with little towel animals.

The Monorail

"Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas". The Disney World monorail is absolutely fantastic. It's always fun just to take a ride on the monorail roundtrip around the Seven Seas Lagoon. The Monorail makes the following stops on the line: Magic Kingdom, Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort and Grand Floridian, and also the Ticket & Transportation Center. There is an extension monorail line that runs to EPCOT. Recently, it was announced that the Monorail will only run for an hour into the Extended Magical Hours (EMH) that take place at MK and EC. If you are staying for EMH at those parks and use the Monorail to get back to your resort please plan accordingly.

There are 12 monorail trains. Each train is identified by a colored stripe. The current colors of the monorail trains are: Red, Coral, Orange, Gold, Yellow, Teal, Lime, Green, Blue, Silver, Black and Peach, the newest color. The train colors Purple and Pink were retired as they belonged to the two trains involved in the fatal July 2009 accident. Monorail Teal was made from undamaged cars of Monorails Pink and Purple.

As a side note...since the date of the fatal monorail accident WDW guests riding on the monorail are no longer allowed to ride in the front car with the monorail pilot.

A sweet treat at Disney World...Cupcakes!

Everyone loves a yummy, delicious cupcake every once in a while. You can find many delicious treats located throughout Disney World, including scrumptious cupcakes. Next time you find yourself in the most magical place on earth be sure to try some of the many different cupcakes as a sweet treat. I am listing some of the cupcakes and where you can find them throughout WDW.

Marble Cupcake @ DHS Starring Rolls Cafe, White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake @ AK - Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery, Oreo Bon Bon Cupcake @ Boardwalk Bakery, Black Forest Cupcake with Cherry Pie Filling @ Contemporary Resort's Contemporary Cafe

These are just a few of the MANY cupcakes you can find throughout the parks and resorts. Also, located in Downtown Disney is Babycakes (located inside Fresh A-Peel) where you can get vegan and gluten-free cupcakes. There is definitely always something for everyone!

Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Disney World has many special events that take place throughout the year. One of those annual special events is the international food and wine festival. This festival allows you to "taste your way around the world". The 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival will take place from September 30th - November 13th. This year's theme is "Passport to a World of Flavors", and the new World Showcase Marketplace booths include Portugal, Greece, Australia, Hawaii and Caribbean Islands...among many others. More information can be found by visiting The Disney Food Blog. Bon Appetit!

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011-epcot-food-and-wine-festival/

Free Dining Plan Offers

There are always questions about the free dining plan offers available at Walt Disney World. If your vacation begins the day before the week-long dining plan offer you can make two reservations, which can be linked together to your Key to the World (KTTW). The first night you pay for the room and pay out-of-pocket for meals, and beginning the next day your new reservation with the free dining plan will take into effect. This allows you to remain in the same room and keep the same KTTW. In the event that you have already booked your reservations, and then the free dining plan special offer becomes available for the time period you will be vacationing, you can always call your Walt Disney Travel Company travel agent and they will happily adjust your reservation to reflect the special offer. This way you can enjoy lunching or dining at any of the many wonderful restaurants located throughout the parks and resorts of WDW, including Downtown Disney locations, using your dining plan. Please keep in mind that gratuities are not covered under the dining plan.

Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

The Disney Port Orleans Resort is made up of two sister resorts: Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ) and Disney's Port Orleans Riverside (PORS). These resorts fall under the moderate category of Disney's resorts. PORS, the resort formerly known as Dixie Landings, is made up of two sections - Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. The entire Port Orleans Resort is undergoing a refurbishment. All rooms at POFQ have been renovated. Renovations have recently commenced in the Magnolia Bend section of PORS. All of the new Royal Themed Guest Rooms will be located in the Magnolia Bend section and they are currently bookable for mid-February 2012. All renovations should be completed end of July 2012, which includes all buildings in the Alligator Bayou.

Alert: Special Disney Offer

Attention all Disney lovers! Disney has just announced a special offer to receive a free dining plan for select arrival dates October 2011 through March 2012. It really helps out when you're on a budget and want to enjoy the magic and celebrate with Disney. Click on link for more information: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/

Dear Disney Mum...

Hello all. I am a new Disney mommy and am in love with Disney and planning trips to the most magical place on earth...Walt Disney World. I am currently planning our family's Halloween 2012 trip to WDW and have learned a lot. I want to use this blog to share my thoughts, knowledge and experience of all things Disney. If I can help I will also gladly answer any questions my readers may have. As I begin this blogging journey I would like to thank my husband for letting me indulge in Disney. Let's have a magical time!