There are certain Walt Disney World restaurants that get all the (totally justifiable!) hype. Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, the list goes on and on. (In fact, I have an entire blog post dedicated to some of the best romantic restaurants!) Sometimes, those hard-to-get reservations elude us. I've found these tried-and-true hidden gem dining spots for those days where you're in a pinch and need a reservation quickly! The Wave
The Wave...of American Flavors is located at Disney's Contemporary Resort. If you're dying to check out the Contemporary, this is an exceptional hidden gem. Located just off the lobby, this spot has breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. The food is fresh and there's something for everyone...even for the pickiest of eaters! (Pro tip: if you're there for breakfast, order the sweet potato pancakes...then be prepared to fall in love!) Whispering Canyon Whispering Canyon Cafe is located in the lobby at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort. Here, they're known for the phenomenal all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets for breakfast lunch, and dinner, though you can order an entree a la carte if you'd like. The name of this restaurant is definitely misleading, because this sounds about as far from "whispering" as you can get! Be prepared for some silly shenanigans from your waitstaff. (Of course, if you don't want to participate in the hijinks, just let them know! It's still a lot of fun to watch!)
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From the classics to the "Disney walls" to foodies...there are 10 photo ops you don't want to miss on your next trip! (Pro tip: make sure that you ask me to add on Memory Maker to your package! Adding it prior to your stay will save you $20!) #1 - The Park Icons (Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, the EPCOT Ball, Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios) Yes, I know, technically this is 4 photos altogether, but did you really visit Walt Disney World if you didn't get a photo in front of these icons? You'll see tons of PhotoPass photographers stationed all around these areas, so make sure you grab one. These all look totally amazing in the sunshine AND all lit up at night! #2 - The Purple Wall (Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom) The original wall to go "viral" at Walt Disney World! This one can be found as you're heading into Tomorrowland from Main Street USA. Get your Insta captions ready! #3 - The Popsicle Wall (Toy Story Land, Hollywood Studios) You'll find this one as you're exiting Toy Story Mania. The detail in this wall (and all of Toy Story Land, really) is incredible!
It's no secret that Walt Disney World can cost a pretty penny. (Though it doesn't have to!) At the end of the day, and despite all of the magical touches, Disney is still running a business. Here are 4 ways that Disney gets you to spend some major moolah, and 4 money-saving alternatives!
The Splurge: Light Up Toys
If you've been to the Disney Parks at night, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The light up toys, light up bubble wands, light up balloons, and light up ears seem to be at every kiosk and store. With nighttime shows temporarily suspended, you may not be in the parks as late. But, you'll definitely still see these. These things are cool, but PRICEY. (Not to mention, they're difficult to travel home with...especially if you're flying.) The Save: Glow Necklaces I encourage my clients to pack glow necklaces/bracelets/wands for nighttime at the parks. This lets the kids in your party still participate in the nighttime fun without the hefty price tag. As a bonus, some of those parks are dark when you're walking through at night, and this helps your kiddos stand out.
Walt Disney World gets all of the (totally justified!) hype around its parks, but what do you do if you're not in the parks?
First of all, this means you likely took my advice and purposefully scheduled a non-park day! Disney is non-stop, and sometimes we all need a breather. Non-park days are also a great alternative to arrival and departure days so that you aren't burning a park ticket on a partial day.
#1 - Disney Springs Disney Springs is the most logical non-park day locale. Disney Springs is a massive shopping, dining, and entertainment district on Walt Disney World property. (Columbus friends: it's Easton on steroids.) I could spend 5 hours going on and on about where to eat, where to drink, where to shop, and where to play. Do yourself a favor and at minimum head there for dinner one night. *Pro tip: Disney Springs is still much more busy on weekends than weekdays. If you're hesitant about being around big crowds, save this one for a weekday.
#2 - Resort Day
One of the best parts about staying on Disney property is your fabulous hotel! Disney Resort hotels have incredible themed pools, fantastic shopping, delectable dining choices, and fun for the whole family. Rent a boat or surrey bike or check out the arcade. Many Resorts have walking/running paths, and select Resorts even have full-service spas! Your Resort pool will have daily activities (weather permitting), and your resort will have some other entertainment as well. I happen to know from experience that Wilderness Lodge has a fantastic Hidden Mickey hunt. Be on the lookout for characters, too...they've been known to swing by the hotels for a visit! (My recommended 2021 resorts can be found here!)
Disney recently announced the newest perk to staying on-site at Walt Disney World, Early Park Admission! (Read all about that announcement here!) While it is different from the Extra Magic Hours from the "before times", this perk actually adds value to your stay!
What were Extra Magic Hours?
Extra Magic Hours (EMH) were one of the biggest draws to staying on-site at Walt Disney World. Basically, they allowed Disney Resort hotel guests to either enter select parks on select days an hour early or stay later at select parks on select days after closing. The parks and hours were selected by Disney, so your options were either to enter/stay in those parks along with everyone else staying on-site or to skip those parks/hours, which means you weren't taking advantage of every perk you were paying for. What is Early Park Admission? Early Park Admission is the newest perk announced by Disney. This 30-minute early entry will be available exclusively to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels. The best part is that Early Park Admission will be available every day at every park. This means that you can knock out your big ticket items (why, hello, Flight of Passage!) before the park is even open to off-site guests and locals. YOU get to choose your early entry park, rather than Disney choosing for you! Why the change? Extra Magic Hours, in many cases, actually made the Disney-selected parks busier than the other parks. For example, if Magic Kingdom had EMH from 8-9 am, and the park opened to the general public at 9 am, Magic Kingdom was statistically busier than any other park for the entire remainder of the day. Once Walt Disney World reopened in 2020, Disney had to drastically change quite a few of their operations. Increasing crowds, even with reduced capacity, is obviously not ideal in the current pandemic climate. With Early Park Admission, Disney is able to spread on-site guests out between any of the 4 parks every single morning. This allows major perks for guests while still allowing Disney to spread guests between 4 parks instead of pushing them all to 1 park. With no FastPasses right now, guests will be able to knock out their favorite attractions 30 minutes with minimal wait times, doing it all prior to off-site guests and the general public being admitted into any of those parks. How do I take advantage of Early Park Admission? Book a Walt Disney World package through me, and I'll walk you through it! As you know, travel to anywhere is changing by the minute. I stay up-to-date on the latest Disney news so that you can kick back and enjoy your vacation! Contact me to get started!
Looking to travel to Walt Disney World in 2021? I'm highlighting my top Disney Resort picks for 2021 guests! I've included my top picks for Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Villa Resorts as well as a few honorable mentions!
Value Resort: Pop Century
Disney's Pop Century Resort is in the Value Resort category. What makes this truly unique is that it's now on the Skyliner route...which means it connects you straight to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, in addition to the Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera Resorts. The rooms were all recently refurbished, so everything will feel brand new and much cleaner than before! Rooms sleep 4, plus 1 child under 3. How do I have so many tips and tricks? I’ve made ALL of the mistakes so you don’t have to! The photo here was taken during a February trip. I skipped the sunscreen that day because it “wasn’t hot outside” and I paid the price with that sunburn! (But you can see that I was carrying a cross-body bag! One of my top tips that you can check out here!)
Make sure that you pack and use sunscreen and perhaps some aloe vera, too! You'll find sunscreen and sunburn relief in your resort gift shop, of course, and they will come with a resort price tag! Make sure you bring that sunscreen with you to the parks, too. You'll need to reapply throughout the day. I also always recommend bringing hats and sunglasses to keep that bright Florida sun out of your eyes. I include a packing checklist in every client's e-package. Get the ultimate packing checklist by booking a Disney or Universal package through me! Click "Contact" above or email me to get started! danielle@fairytaleconcierge.com One of my TOP travel tips is a simple one, but one that many people overlook. STAY HYDRATED!
Drink water more frequently than you think you need to. (Just be stationary and in a designated area to do it!) Between the heat, the walking, the adult beverages, or any combination of those...it’s easy to become dehydrated quickly in the parks. Find a spot to sit and sip some water AT LEAST once per hour! I always like to bring water bottle straps with me to the parks to remind me to hydrate! The one is this photo is one of my “vintage” WDW lanyards from the 90s, but Amazon has tons of options. Quick service locations will offer a free cup of water. Use that to refill those water bottles! Do you have any other tips for staying hydrated in the parks? Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line! It's been a busy news week, so let's dive in!
Universal Orlando Resort Promotion EXTENDED! Universal Orlando has relaunched its unprecedented Black Friday offer for a limited time! Due to popular demand, Universal Orlando Resort is giving you another opportunity to take advantage of its best package offer ever – SAVE 40% on a 4-Day, 4-Night vacation package. This deal was originally offered for Black Friday and sold out in record time. Limited quantities are now available until Friday, December 11, so act fast! Remember, this package includes:
Your park bag is one of the most important parts of your trip. Whether you're traveling solo, with a family, riding rides, or shopping, I'm breaking down the best bag for each type of traveler! Just make sure you follow my only rule: ALL BAGS MUST ZIP! For the Family Traveling Together: Full-Size Backpack
Invest in a great sturdy backpack. I have one from Thirty-One that I bought YEARS ago to use as a park bag, and still use it on every trip. (And yes, that's my maiden name embroidered on it! Told you I've had it for years!) This bag has two large zipper pockets to keep things organized, a smaller zipper pocket (great for snacks), two side pockets for water bottles, an interior zipper pouch, and the world's most comfortable shoulder straps. There's plenty of space to keep everyone's things organized and protected. |
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