Disney Diva Tips

This article has been moved to Magical Memory Planners

There are lots of amazing shows in Disney. You will want to see them all. Here are some of the best ones you don't want to miss.

1. Beauty and the Beast - Live On Stage (Hollywood Studios)
2. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Hollywood Studios)
3. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (Hollywood Studios)
4. Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios)
5. Finding Nemo the Musical - Animal Kingdom

Is there one you thought should have made the list? Let me know. I would love to hear from you.



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One of the big decisions when planning a trip to Walt Disney World is what kind of tickets to buy. There are 4 options and you don't want to waste money by purchasing options you won't use. ( Be sure when you purchase a package that you are allowed to select the type of tickets you want. Don't pay for options you won't use)


The Base Ticket - The simplest and cheapest ticket is a base ticket. This is where it all starts. You can purchase it for 1 - 10 days. (Longer then that and you should be thinking annual pass) This pass entitles you to enter the parks up to 10 times. It doesn't expire until you use your first day. After you use it the first time it will expire 14 days after first use. This means there is no problem purchasing your tickets in advance. You don't have to use the days in a row, just within the 14 day window. Children under 3 do not need a ticket. Children 3-9 can purchase a child's ticket and 10 and above need an adult ticket. The more days you purchase the cheaper the per day rate gets. This gets significant around day 4. Here is a list of the prices for 2010 not including tax.



Day       Adult       Child

1           $82           $74

2           $162         $146

3           $224         $202

4           $232         $209

5           $237         $214

6           $242         $219

7           $247         $224

8           $252         $229

9           $257         $234

10         $262         $239



As you can see after day 4 each additional day is only $5.


There are 3 options you can add to your ticket for an additional price. You can choose which options you want to add in any combination.


Park Hopper Option (additional $54 per ticket)



This allows you to go to more than one park on one day and only use 1 day of your ticket. For example, you can go to Epcot for the morning and then go to Magic Kingdom for lunch and then over to Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic. You would only use one day on your ticket. This can be a good option if you have no children with you or your children are older. It can take up to an hour to get between parks and there isn't always a direct transportation option. This can get crazy with little ones unless you plan to go back to the room and rest and then go someplace different.

If you plan to leave the park and go back to your room or another hotel to rest/use the pool/eat and go back to the same park you do not need the Park Hopper Option for that. Only if you want to go to a different park on the same day.


Water Park and More Option (additional $54 per ticket)

This option allows you to be admitted into the two water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), Disney Quest, ESPN Wide World of Sports, or a round of golf at Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course. The number of days at the other parks is equal to the number of days of your ticket. (except for a one day ticket you get two option days). Therefore, if you get a 3 day ticket with water park and more option you will have 3 option days. I do not believe that means you get 3 days in the main theme parks and then 3 days at one of the other option places giving you a total of 6 days. It just means that you can use up to 3 of those days at one of the other places. The exception is the 1 day ticket. You get two options so you can do one day at the theme park and then a second day at one of the options or 2 days at the options. Does that make sense? This is the most confusing add on. Let me know if you have further questions.

No Expiration Option (additional amount changes)

This option protects your ticket from expiring. Remember with the base ticket your days will expire 14 days after your start using it. If you add this option then your remaining days will never expire. This is a great option if you travel to Florida every year but don't spend all your time in Disney. Purchasing a multi-day ticket with no expiration can be a lot cheaper then purchases 1-3 day tickets ever year. You will also pay the current price and not be affected by future price increases. The additional cost per ticket depend on the number of days but is the same for adults and children.

Days Additional Cost Days Additional Cost

2 $22     6 $106

3 $28     7 $142

4 $67     8 $182

5 $95     9 $208

    10 $213



As you can see it gets very costly to add the no expiration to a longer ticket. If you only use 6 out of 8 days on a trip and you plan to come for a week on your next trip, you don't really need the no expiration option. You only payed about $4 for the days you didn't use and you would have to pay $152 to keep them. Like I said before the No Expiration Option is great when you are only going to use less than 3 days a year over a few years.


A few things to remember for this option. First, if you purchase a child's ticket with the no expiration option you must be careful. It will only be good for the child you purchased the ticket for. If your child is 7 and you don't use all the days before he is 9 then you may lose the other days since he will now need an adult ticket. They may be able to modify the ticket but I don't know about that. Second, You can use a pen to make dots or slash marks on the back of the ticket so you will remember how many days you have left on it. Lastly, it may be a good idea to make 2 photocopies of the tickets front and back and put it in a safe place with your receipt. Bring one with you when you travel to Disney and keep the other at home in a safe place. If you have a 10 day no expiration ticket it will cost about $475 (or more if you added other options to it). If it gets lost or damaged you want to have all the numbers on the ticket to try to get it replaced.

To calculate how much the ticket you need will cost just start with the base price and then add on the options you want to add. It is hard to make a recommendation on tickets because it depends on so many things. Figure out how many days you will use on your trip and what your plans to return are. Look at the big picture and add things up. See what makes the most sense for you.

If you stay at a Disney Resort with a package you will need to purchase at least a one day base ticket. Keep this in mind when you are planning what tickets to buy and future trips.

If you need help with this feel free to leave me a comment. Let me know what your plans include and who is in your party and I can help you run the numbers.

Hollywood Studios
Morning
Muppet Vision 3-D
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Star Tours
Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Evening
The Great Movie Ride
Muppet Vision 3-D
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Star Tours
Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Voyage of The Little Mermaid

Animal Kingdom
Morning
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
It's Tough to be a Bug!
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail 
Evening
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Festival of the Lion King
It's Tough to be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Primeval Whirl
TriceraTop Spin  

Don't forget to check out the Extra Magic Hours at Magic Kingdom and Epcot
 

Extra magic hours (EMH) are when the parks are open early or stay open late for a few hours and is available at no extra charge to WDW resort guests. During the EMH many of the popular rides are open but not every attraction in the park. Here is some info on what is open so you can plan accordingly (of course this is subject to change).

Magic Kingdom
Morning:
            Fantasyland
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
"it's a small world"
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
             Tomorrowland
Space Mountain
Stitch's Great Escape!
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Evening:
           Adventureland
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean
           Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Splash Mountain
           Liberty Square
Haunted Mansion
            Fantasyland
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
"it's a small world"
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
           Tomorrowland
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Space Mountain
Stitch's Great Escape!
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway


Epcot
Morning: All in Future World
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
Soarin'
Spaceship Earth
Test Track


Evening
                Future World
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
Soarin'
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
                 World Showcase
The American Adventure in the American Pavilion
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in the Mexico Pavilion
Maelstrom in the Norway Pavilion

Don't forget to check out the Extra Magic Hour attractions for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom

Walt Disney World has a great policy (that is not too well known) for families with children that are too small to ride an attraction at Disney World. It is called a "rider switch" or "baby swap". This allows the family to wait once and take turns riding the ride without having to get back in the line and wait a second time. Every ride has a different way of doing this so be sure to ask the ride attendant at the attraction entrance what the procedure is for the "child swap".

Here is an example. In Epcot we wanted to go on Soarin' and there is a height restriction of 40 inches. I had children under that. One of us stayed off with the baby while the others waited in line and went on the ride. We were told to wait in an area by the entrance. When they got off the ride they came back and one of the previous riders waited with the baby and we went on the ride. They sent us through the fastpass line. If you have children who are over the height restriction they can ride twice (once with each parent).

Like I said,  each ride has a different procedure since the layout of every ride is different. Be sure to ask the attendant at the entrance for a "rider switch".

Also, be sure to check out the height restrictions for rides before you go. You don't want to get your kids all excited to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then find out one of them is too small to ride it. They will be so dissapointed. We always know ahead of time our children's heights and what rides they can or cannot go on. Then we will separate and do something special with the younger kids while an older one rides a big ride. That way the younger ones don't feel like they are missing out. You can find out all the restrictions on height here.

Spring is a beautiful time to go to Walt Disney World. It is even more beautiful at EPCOT during the International Flower and Garden Festival. It was held this year from March 3rd - May 16th. I was not able to attend but my parents went down and took some beautiful pictures for me to share.

Enjoy!!

This article has been moved to Magical Memory Planners

Fastpass is a great way to see lots of attractions in Disney World without having to wait in a long line. It is not available at every ride though. Here is how it works.

First of all, fastpass is FREE. It does not cost anything additional and is available to all park guests.

Each person needs their own fastpass to get on the attraction including adults and children over 3.


To get a fastpass for an attraction you go to the fastpass distribution point for that ride. Usually its to the side of the entrance of the ride. There will be two times show like 2:30 and 3:30. That is the return window you will receive if you get fastpasses now. (Take note of that time window before you get your fastpasses) You need EVERYONES park ticket to get each person their own fastpass. Put each ticket in and a fastpass will come out the bottom of the machine. Keep going until you have fastpasses for your entire group.

Make sure you don't lose your fastpasses. Come back to the attraction during the designated time window and get in the fastpass return line. A cast member will collect your fastpasses and be sure you are getting in line at the correct time.

Tips:

• You can send one person to get the fastpasses for the group. Just make sure they have all the tickets. (adults and children over 3)
• Once you get the fastpass you can't give it back and you cannot get another fastpass for a designated amount of time. It will say on the fastpass when you can get the next one. 
• Check the return time before you get the fastpass. Make sure it is a time that would work to come back. For Example, don't take a fastpass for 4:30-5:30 if you know you have an ADR for 4:45.
• Take a look at the standby wait time. Sometimes the standby line may only be 10 min and it makes more sense to just get on that line instead of getting a fastpass and then coming back later.
• Use the fastpass to ride a ride twice when the standy line is short and the return time is close. You can get the fastpass and then go into the standby line (if its short) and then go on the ride again in the fastpass line during your return window.
• Every time you get to a fastpass ride you need to check the standby wait time, check the return time for the fastpass, and check the current time...then you can decide what to do. Fastpass isn't always best option.
• During peak times popular attractions will give out fastpasses for the whole day early in the morning. If you come by that ride at 11am there may not be any fastpasses left.

This article has been moved to Magical Memory Planners

This article has been moved to MagicalMemoryPlanners.com

Here are the QS for Epcot. You can also check out the QS for MK, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom

Future World East
Electric Umbrella -  Innoventions East - Burgers, ww vegetable wrap, grilled chicken, and chicken nuggets

Future World West
Sunshine Season - The Land - This is the only QS place that serves breakfast. It is like a food court with one final place to pay. There are both made-to-order and already prepared options. Lots of healthy options including, salads, soups, fresh sandwiches, sushi, rotisserie chicken, beef, salmon, and stir fry. I love to get something here. There is also a children's area with mac n cheese, chicken legs, and other kids foods. 

World Showcase (Clockwise from Mexico to Canada)
Norway - Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe - Chicken salad, egg, roast beef, and open face sandwiches served with or without soup. PBJ for the kids. Lots of great coffee drinks and some nice sweet treats.
China - Lotus Blossom Cafe - Pot stickers, egg rolls, orange chicken, beef noodle soup bowl, shrimp fried rice, vegetarian stir fry, mongolian beef, sesame chicken salad. Delicious fresh brewed iced tea here.

I've seen people asking for a list of the quick service restaurants. Here they are by area and going around the park clockwise.

Main Street, U.S.A
Main Street Bakery - almost the end of Main Street on the right - Serves B,L,D including breakfast and gourmet sandwhiches, coffee, and yummy baked goods. This is the only QS place that serves breakfast.
Casey's Corner - end of Main Street on the left - Serves hot dogs, chili, french fries, cracker jacks, and beverages including milk.

Adventureland
El Pirata Y El Perico - across from Pirate of the Caribbean - Beef and vegetarian tacos, open seasonally

Frontierland
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe - next to Country Bear Jamboree - Pulled pork, burgers, veggieburgers, Caesar and taco salad, chicken wraps, fries, and chili. 

Liberty Square
Columbia Harbour House - across from haunted mansion just before fantasyland - Fish and chips, chicken, clam chowder, vegetarian chili, tuna, and a lighthouse sandwich with humus and broccoli slaw. This is one of my favorite quick service. There is more seating upstairs too.  Nice selection for vegetarians too (especially if you eat fish). Also an inside restaurant with air conditioning. We usually have lunch here.

Fantasyland
Pinocchio Village Haus - next to "its a small world" -   pizza, chicken nuggets, and salads (Ceaser and Mediterranean). Also an indoor restaurant with air conditioning.

Tomorrowland
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - across from tomorrowland speedway - three bays to order from can make this difficult if you want things from different areas but this is the best value (IMHO) for quick service on the property. They serve rotisserie chicken, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, grilled chicken, vegetarian burgers, wraps and salads. The half chicken and rib combo with mashed potatoes and vegetables is a healthy meal, a nice change from burgers and fries, and can feed two people. Lots of indoor seating.

The Lunching Pad -  Under the Astro Orbiter and TTA - Smoked turkey legs, my husbands favorite. More of a snack place but my DH always gets a turkey leg here.

Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station - Right before you get back to main street and the plaza restaurant - open seasonally serving noodle bowls with chicken or tofu, beef and broccoli, orange chicken, chicken nuggets, Ceaser salad, or tofu.

Also check out QS in Epcot, Hollywood Studios  ,Animal Kingdom 

You can create customized maps of each park for your family. This is completely free and a lot of fun. They make a great keepsake and are fun to look at before your trip. Even if you don't have a trip planned right now, these maps are still a great way to remember the trips you have taken. Check it out here.

This information has been moved to Kidcot Fun Stops in Epcot at Magical Memory Planners.

One of the big decisions when planning a trip to Walt Disney World is what kind of tickets to buy. There are 4 options and you don't want to waste money by purchasing options you won't use. ( Be sure when you purchase a package that you are allowed to select the type of tickets you want. Don't pay for options you won't use)

The Base Ticket - The simplest and cheapest ticket is a base ticket. This is where it all starts. You can purchase it for 1 - 10 days. (Longer then that and you should be thinking annual pass) This pass entitles you to enter the parks up to 10 times. It doesn't expire until you use your first day. After you use it the first time it will expire 14 days after first use. This means there is no problem  purchasing your tickets in advance. You don't have to use the days in a row, just within the 14 day window. Children under 3 do not need a ticket. Children 3-9 can purchase a child's ticket and 10 and above need an adult ticket. The more days you purchase the cheaper the per day rate gets. This gets significant around day 4. Here is a list of the prices for 2010 not including tax.

Day                      Adult                       Child
1                            $78                           $68
2                            $156                         $133
3                            $219                         $187
4                            $225                         $192
5                            $228                         $195
6                            $231                         $198
7                            $234                         $201
8                            $237                         $204
9                            $240                         $207
10                          $243                         $210

As you can see after day 4 each additional day is only $2 or $3.

There are 3 options you can add to your ticket for an additional price. You can choose which options you want to add in any combination.

Park Hopper Option (additional $52 per ticket)

This allows you to go to more than one park on one day and only use 1 day of your ticket. For example, you can go to Epcot for the morning and then go to Magic Kingdom for lunch and then over to Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic. You would only use one day on your ticket. This can be a good option if you have no children with you or your children are older. It can take up to an hour to get between parks and there isn't always a direct transportation option. This can get crazy with little ones unless you plan to go back to the room and rest and then go someplace different.

If you plan to leave the park and go back to your room or another hotel to rest/use the pool/eat  and go back to the same park you do not need the Park Hopper Option for that. Only if you want to go to a different park on the same day.

Water Park and More Option (additional $52 per ticket)

This option allows you to be admited into the two water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), Disney Quest, ESPN Wide Wolrd of Sports, or a round of golf at Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course. The number of days at the other parks is equal to the number of days of your ticket. (except for a one day ticket you get two option days). Therefore, if you get a 3 day ticket with water park and more option you will have 3 option days. I do not believe that means you get 3 days in the main theme parks and then 3 days at one of the other option places giving you a total of 6 days. It just means that you can use up to 3 of those days at one of the other places. The exception is the 1 day ticket. You get two options so you can do one day at the theme park and then a second day at one of the options or 2 days at the options. Does that make sense? This is the most confusing add on. Let me know if you have further questions.

No Expiration Option (additional amount changes)

This option protects your ticket from expiring. Remember with the base ticket your days will expire 14 days after your start using it. If you add this option then your remaining days will never expire. This is a great option if you travel to Florida every year but don't spend all your time in Disney. Purchasing a multi-day ticket with no expiration can be a lot cheaper then purchases 1-3 day tickets ever year. The additional cost per ticket depend on the number of days but is the same for adults and children.
Days     Additional  Cost            Days                Additional Cost
   2                            $18               6                                     $84
   3                            $24               7                                     $115
   4                            $52               8                                     $152
   5                            $73               9                                     $178
                                                     10                                    $209

As you can see it gets very costly to add the no expiration to a longer ticket. If you only use 6 out of 8 days on a trip, and you plan to come for a week on your next trip, you don't really need the no expiration option. You only payed about $4 for the days you didn't use and you would have to pay $152 to keep them. Like I said before the No Expiration Option is great when you are only going to use less than 3 days a year over a few years.

A few things to remember for this option. First, if you purchase a child's ticket with the no expiration option you must be careful. It will only be good for the child you purchased the ticket for. If your child is 7 and you don't use all the days before he is 9 then you may lose the other days since he will now need an adult ticket. They may be able to modify the ticket but I don't know about that. Second, You can use a pen to make dots or slash marks on the back of the ticket so you will remember how many days you have left on it. Lastly, it may be a good idea to make 2 photocopies of the tickets front and back and put it in a safe place with your receipt. Bring one with you when you travel to Disney and keep the other at home in a safe place. If you have a 10 day no expiration ticket it will cost about $450 (or more if you added other options to it). If it gets lost or damaged you want to have all the numbers on the ticket to try to get it replaced.

To calculate how much the ticket you need will cost just start with the base price and then add on the options you want to add. It is hard to make a recommendation on tickets because it depends on so many things. Figure out how many days you will use on your trip and what your plans to return are. Look at  the big picture and add things up. See what makes the most sense for you.

If you stay at a Disney Resort with a package you will need to purchase at least a one day base ticket. Keep this in mind when you are planning what tickets to buy and future trips.

If you need help with this feel free to leave me a comment. Let me know what your plans include and who is in your party and I can help you run the numbers.

Where can you go to meet Tinker Bell and all her friends? Pixie Hollow of course. It is located in the back of the Magic Kingdom in Mickey's Toontown Fair.

There are two ways to get back there. You can walk down Main Street toward the castle. Go through the castle and head toward the right. The entrance to Mickey's Toontown Fair is on the left behind the Mad Tea Party. Once you are in Mickey's Toontown Fair the County Bounty Shop will be on your left. The other way is to board the train. You can board it on Main Street or in Frontierland. Get off the train in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Follow the path past Mickey's Country House and County Bounty will be on your right. Once inside the County Bounty Shop you will find the Hall of Fame lines on your right. Get in line for Pixie Hollow.

When you get to the front of the line a CM will take a few groups down a hall. This is a magical hall because, after all, pixies are very tiny. This hall will shrink you down to the perfect size to see the pixies. You will notice that everything gets bigger and bigger as you go down the hall. When you are the right size a CM will take one family at a time into Pixie Hollow.

While inside you can use your camera/video camera or photopass to capture the memories. There is usually a different mix of fairies in Pixie Hollow. It will be some assemblance of
Tinker Bell, a pots and kettles fairy
Fawn, an animal fairy
Iridessa, a light fairy
Rosetta, a garden fairy
Silvermist, a water fairy
Terence (from Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure)

There are usually 4 fairies there including Tinker Bell.

We have had wonderful experiences with the fairies. Even though you are not the only family in Pixie Hollow they only invite one family in at a time. It is a nice, relaxed and personal visit with each of the fairies. This is a great chance to use your video camera. Tinker Bell was playing "fly and go seek" with my daughter and discussing her talents. Very Cute!!

If you are planning a trip to Disney, even if its already booked, you need to request a free planning DVD. I actually request one every year. I always hope it will help me get a discount code email. No one seems to know how you get one but the more interest you show the more likely you are to get one. Anyway, you can get your free planning DVD by going here. It is fun to watch with your kids and show them all the things they can expect on their trip. Even if they have been before it is still fun to look at and get ready for the magic!

This article has been moved to my new site Magical Memory Planners.