"De plane....De plane"
I began the more detailed planning of each day of our trip around Day 250 from arrival. At this distant timeframe it's nearly impossible to have airline reservations in hand. I say "nearly" because you can get flights but the pricing may not be the best. My situation is further complicated in that I have access to 2 large airports within 90 minutes of my home (Newark NJ and Philadelphia PA - I don't count the two New York airports). This gives us access to a larger set of flights with more time choices and carrier options.
When planning arrival I'm looking to leave as early as I possibly can. I do this for several reasons. First, traffic on the roads and at the airports is always a bit lighter in the early morning. Second, being one of the earlier (if not first) flight out means your plane is normally in place and your less likely to be impacted by a late arriving plane. Thirdly, it gives me options regarding connecting flights. Most of the time I book "non-stop" flights but there are times a 1 stop flight could be less expensive. The earlier we begin our trip the earlier we arrive and an intermediate stop doesn't impact our checking at WDW. Finally and most obviously, the earlier we leave the earlier we arrive.........the earlier the magic can begin!
Before I move on, a thought about driving to WDW...........
I live at the Jersey Shore, more than 1000 miles from WDW. I've driven to Florida one time..........and swore I'd never do it again. That's me! Now if you live closer to Florida or you enjoy the drive more than I did..............make that plan. If you have a larger family there could be savings found in driving. Keep in mind there is more cost in driving than just the gasoline. There's maintenance on your car, which you'll probably do before you leave. There's food during the drive, hotel costs if you can't make the trip reasonably in 1 day. And the big one for me TIME!!!
For example; its roughly 1090 miles from my home to WDW. The current price of gas is $3.29/gal. Our car gets roughly 25 miles/gal. on a 15.9 gallon tank. That calculates out to: 397 miles per tank of gas. Which comes to $52.31 to fill the tank. It will take 2.75 tanks of gas to Orlando. That comes to $143.85 in gas cost............seems reasonable. But add the other things in.........and you approach $300/$400 to get to Florida. Again doesn't seem too bad. HOWEVER, it will take 17 hours to make the drive.............That's the big NEGATIVE for us.
Remember planning is personal.............
Disney Magical Express (DME)
So while I don't have a definitive flight when I begin, I make the assumption that we'll be leaving in the morning. I also have to take into account the travel from the airport to our resort (the Wilderness Lodge on this trip). Since our trip is "Disney all day long"............we won't be renting a car. There's a financial cost savings there but you do lose some control over "when" you arrive at your resort. We choose to use Disney's Magical Express bus service.
Disney's Magical Express is an outstanding service that we include when booking our package. Its available when arriving at Orlando International Airport using a select group of airlines; Southwest, United, US Airways, Delta, JetBlue, Air Tran, Alaska. Please note that DME is only good for "Disney owned resorts. No Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, or Downtown Disney hotels. You can access more information at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magical-express/
The DME will pick up your checked luggage at the airport (special luggage tags are a part of the deal) and deliver it to your resort. Timing of this delivery is not perfect so that's caveat #1. If you're ok with losing site of your stuff and having Disney deliver it........then go for it.....that's caveat #2. Donna and I don't check luggage, we carry everything. To each his/her own.
What we do love about DME is we get on the bus sit back and enjoy the ride to WDW. No muss no fuss! The bus we were on during our last visit was quite comfortable. They play a video to prepare you for the Disney magic and after that's over if your still on the road you get a Disney cartoon or two. Great for the little ones!
A few things to keep in mind........... the buses don't serve one particular resort (at least they didn't in May 2013). The guests on your bus and their resorts dictate how long your ride might be (again remember you do lose some control with the DME). What I noticed on our last trip was that the POP's and the moderates are closer to the main highways so our bus dropped off there first. The deeper your resort is in the property the "potentially" longer your ride might take. Also don't forget to have a couple of dollar bills handy. The driver is not only responsible for driving the bus but he/she also loads the carryon luggage at the airport and unloads at the resort. I nice feature and, for me, worth a tip!
Arrival at the resort (or....the Wilderness Lodge....for US!)
Check in for our resort is 3pm. (Important info to know because it's not uniform to all resorts) My plan is to be there well before that. If we arrive really early, (before noon) our plan will be to check our luggage at the desk (if a room is not available) and catch a bus to the Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs). That way we can grab a bite to eat and walk and shop a bit before "regular" check in.
If we arrive after 1pm the plan is to check our luggage at the desk and catch a bite to eat at the Roaring Fork Snack Shop or Whispering Canyon Cafe. After lunch we'll explore the resort until it's time to formally check in at the desk. This is a good time to check out the bus and boat launch locations as they'll be very important transportation places. If it's warm, and it probably will be, we can also catch a drink by the pool.
We are planning to be at check in as close to 3pm as is possible. Most of the tough work will have been completed by completing online check. Cannot emphasize this enough, using the Disney Experience website really helps!. Once we're in the room, It's time for a shower and a bit of a rest.
Start the vacation off with something fun..................
Donna and I always like to start our vacation with something fun. At Disney that usually means "Fireworks" and Food! On our last visit we did Epcot because we could easily walk there (Stayed at the Yacht Club on that trip). The plan was the Beirgarten restaurant for dinner and Illuminations (Epcot's fireworks show) right after. It was so much fun and a great way to start.
This year we again wanted fireworks again but we wanted to be different. Since our sketch plan has us visiting the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, we decided against going there. Instead we found "Fantasmic". This is the big fireworks show at Hollywood Studios. This works great for us this time since we didn't get the chance to visit HS in May because I took ill on the day we planned to visit.
In doing our research we also found that the show has a package deal when you buy lunch/dinner at a select restaurant you get priority seating for the show..........essentially no waiting in line and saved seats!!! So we now have our arrival day event! Since we'll need to be at HS for a 6 or 7pm dinner reservation we've added a note to setup a FastPass+ for the "Rock and Roller Coaster". Both Donna and I love coasters and since this one is based around Aerosmith (Donna's favorite rock band) it seemed appropriate! So there's the first take on "Arrival Day".........simple......... more detail but nothing so specific it can't be modified.
A few closing comments on the "Arrival Day" plan
This is about throwing color onto our "Sketch plan". However, not so much color that we're locked into anything. For one thing the park hours for HS are about 45 days away (as of the writing of this article). We also haven't selected our restaurant on our Fantasmic package. Then there's always a chance the weather could impact things. If it rains they usually don't have the Fantasmic show...........
One thing you might assume given the park we've selected is that we'll be taking the bus to HS. Not so fast my friends? You see no transportation decisions in this plan. That's because Donna and I like to use transportation to the parks to create some fun and an adventure. Adventure? Yeah.............let me show you. We could potentially get to the Hollywood Studios via:
(1) Boat to the Contemporary resort. (remember we're at the Wilderness Lodge);
(2) Monorail at the Contemporary to the Transportation Center;
(3) Switch to the Monorail to Epcot;
(4) Walk through Epcot to the Boat Launch near the International Gateway;
(5) Boat to Hollywood Studios.........phew! But that is a possible transportation plan to our evening events.....but not yet! More to come.
Finally, in my plan I mentioned "FastPass+". This is a feature of the newly implemented "My Magic+". This is a huge and some might say "controversial" Disney upgrade to how guests interact with resorts, parks, restaurants, and attractions". It's truly a revolutionary change in how we visit and interact with WDW. I do plan on discussing each piece of this new program as each becomes a part of our trip. So you understand, FastPass+ allows those guests staying on site, who use the My Disney Experience site, to schedule "a FastPass" 60 days prior to the beginning of your trip. Huge planning feature. They'll be SOOO much more on this stuff in future articles. If you're curious now..........I've linked a YouTube video in the NEWS section by the folks at the DIS Unplugged that explains a bit more.
Day 2 at the Magic Kingdom is up next!!!!!
I began the more detailed planning of each day of our trip around Day 250 from arrival. At this distant timeframe it's nearly impossible to have airline reservations in hand. I say "nearly" because you can get flights but the pricing may not be the best. My situation is further complicated in that I have access to 2 large airports within 90 minutes of my home (Newark NJ and Philadelphia PA - I don't count the two New York airports). This gives us access to a larger set of flights with more time choices and carrier options.
When planning arrival I'm looking to leave as early as I possibly can. I do this for several reasons. First, traffic on the roads and at the airports is always a bit lighter in the early morning. Second, being one of the earlier (if not first) flight out means your plane is normally in place and your less likely to be impacted by a late arriving plane. Thirdly, it gives me options regarding connecting flights. Most of the time I book "non-stop" flights but there are times a 1 stop flight could be less expensive. The earlier we begin our trip the earlier we arrive and an intermediate stop doesn't impact our checking at WDW. Finally and most obviously, the earlier we leave the earlier we arrive.........the earlier the magic can begin!
Before I move on, a thought about driving to WDW...........
I live at the Jersey Shore, more than 1000 miles from WDW. I've driven to Florida one time..........and swore I'd never do it again. That's me! Now if you live closer to Florida or you enjoy the drive more than I did..............make that plan. If you have a larger family there could be savings found in driving. Keep in mind there is more cost in driving than just the gasoline. There's maintenance on your car, which you'll probably do before you leave. There's food during the drive, hotel costs if you can't make the trip reasonably in 1 day. And the big one for me TIME!!!
For example; its roughly 1090 miles from my home to WDW. The current price of gas is $3.29/gal. Our car gets roughly 25 miles/gal. on a 15.9 gallon tank. That calculates out to: 397 miles per tank of gas. Which comes to $52.31 to fill the tank. It will take 2.75 tanks of gas to Orlando. That comes to $143.85 in gas cost............seems reasonable. But add the other things in.........and you approach $300/$400 to get to Florida. Again doesn't seem too bad. HOWEVER, it will take 17 hours to make the drive.............That's the big NEGATIVE for us.
Remember planning is personal.............
Disney Magical Express (DME)
So while I don't have a definitive flight when I begin, I make the assumption that we'll be leaving in the morning. I also have to take into account the travel from the airport to our resort (the Wilderness Lodge on this trip). Since our trip is "Disney all day long"............we won't be renting a car. There's a financial cost savings there but you do lose some control over "when" you arrive at your resort. We choose to use Disney's Magical Express bus service.
Disney's Magical Express is an outstanding service that we include when booking our package. Its available when arriving at Orlando International Airport using a select group of airlines; Southwest, United, US Airways, Delta, JetBlue, Air Tran, Alaska. Please note that DME is only good for "Disney owned resorts. No Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, or Downtown Disney hotels. You can access more information at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magical-express/
The DME will pick up your checked luggage at the airport (special luggage tags are a part of the deal) and deliver it to your resort. Timing of this delivery is not perfect so that's caveat #1. If you're ok with losing site of your stuff and having Disney deliver it........then go for it.....that's caveat #2. Donna and I don't check luggage, we carry everything. To each his/her own.
What we do love about DME is we get on the bus sit back and enjoy the ride to WDW. No muss no fuss! The bus we were on during our last visit was quite comfortable. They play a video to prepare you for the Disney magic and after that's over if your still on the road you get a Disney cartoon or two. Great for the little ones!
A few things to keep in mind........... the buses don't serve one particular resort (at least they didn't in May 2013). The guests on your bus and their resorts dictate how long your ride might be (again remember you do lose some control with the DME). What I noticed on our last trip was that the POP's and the moderates are closer to the main highways so our bus dropped off there first. The deeper your resort is in the property the "potentially" longer your ride might take. Also don't forget to have a couple of dollar bills handy. The driver is not only responsible for driving the bus but he/she also loads the carryon luggage at the airport and unloads at the resort. I nice feature and, for me, worth a tip!
Arrival at the resort (or....the Wilderness Lodge....for US!)
Check in for our resort is 3pm. (Important info to know because it's not uniform to all resorts) My plan is to be there well before that. If we arrive really early, (before noon) our plan will be to check our luggage at the desk (if a room is not available) and catch a bus to the Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs). That way we can grab a bite to eat and walk and shop a bit before "regular" check in.
If we arrive after 1pm the plan is to check our luggage at the desk and catch a bite to eat at the Roaring Fork Snack Shop or Whispering Canyon Cafe. After lunch we'll explore the resort until it's time to formally check in at the desk. This is a good time to check out the bus and boat launch locations as they'll be very important transportation places. If it's warm, and it probably will be, we can also catch a drink by the pool.
We are planning to be at check in as close to 3pm as is possible. Most of the tough work will have been completed by completing online check. Cannot emphasize this enough, using the Disney Experience website really helps!. Once we're in the room, It's time for a shower and a bit of a rest.
Start the vacation off with something fun..................
Donna and I always like to start our vacation with something fun. At Disney that usually means "Fireworks" and Food! On our last visit we did Epcot because we could easily walk there (Stayed at the Yacht Club on that trip). The plan was the Beirgarten restaurant for dinner and Illuminations (Epcot's fireworks show) right after. It was so much fun and a great way to start.
This year we again wanted fireworks again but we wanted to be different. Since our sketch plan has us visiting the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, we decided against going there. Instead we found "Fantasmic". This is the big fireworks show at Hollywood Studios. This works great for us this time since we didn't get the chance to visit HS in May because I took ill on the day we planned to visit.
In doing our research we also found that the show has a package deal when you buy lunch/dinner at a select restaurant you get priority seating for the show..........essentially no waiting in line and saved seats!!! So we now have our arrival day event! Since we'll need to be at HS for a 6 or 7pm dinner reservation we've added a note to setup a FastPass+ for the "Rock and Roller Coaster". Both Donna and I love coasters and since this one is based around Aerosmith (Donna's favorite rock band) it seemed appropriate! So there's the first take on "Arrival Day".........simple......... more detail but nothing so specific it can't be modified.
A few closing comments on the "Arrival Day" plan
This is about throwing color onto our "Sketch plan". However, not so much color that we're locked into anything. For one thing the park hours for HS are about 45 days away (as of the writing of this article). We also haven't selected our restaurant on our Fantasmic package. Then there's always a chance the weather could impact things. If it rains they usually don't have the Fantasmic show...........
One thing you might assume given the park we've selected is that we'll be taking the bus to HS. Not so fast my friends? You see no transportation decisions in this plan. That's because Donna and I like to use transportation to the parks to create some fun and an adventure. Adventure? Yeah.............let me show you. We could potentially get to the Hollywood Studios via:
(1) Boat to the Contemporary resort. (remember we're at the Wilderness Lodge);
(2) Monorail at the Contemporary to the Transportation Center;
(3) Switch to the Monorail to Epcot;
(4) Walk through Epcot to the Boat Launch near the International Gateway;
(5) Boat to Hollywood Studios.........phew! But that is a possible transportation plan to our evening events.....but not yet! More to come.
Finally, in my plan I mentioned "FastPass+". This is a feature of the newly implemented "My Magic+". This is a huge and some might say "controversial" Disney upgrade to how guests interact with resorts, parks, restaurants, and attractions". It's truly a revolutionary change in how we visit and interact with WDW. I do plan on discussing each piece of this new program as each becomes a part of our trip. So you understand, FastPass+ allows those guests staying on site, who use the My Disney Experience site, to schedule "a FastPass" 60 days prior to the beginning of your trip. Huge planning feature. They'll be SOOO much more on this stuff in future articles. If you're curious now..........I've linked a YouTube video in the NEWS section by the folks at the DIS Unplugged that explains a bit more.
Day 2 at the Magic Kingdom is up next!!!!!