Friday, February 5, 2010

Disney Retrospective

Waiting to startTeacups startingYou spin me right round...There's no yawning in teacups!!!


Ordinarily, I shy away from large corporations whose sole objective is to separate you from your money. I try to aspire to the "Stickin' it to tha man" mentality by refusing to buy into huge money sucks just because the other lemmings are jumping off the cliff in droves. The big exception to this is Disneyworld. We affectionately call it "Dinny-whorl". Yes, that's us in the front seats of the Rockin' Rollercoaster in the pic below. We just had to do it...
JapanI'm ready for my photoIMG_3396Expedition Everest
Yes, I gladly handed over a couple of paychecks over to a large mouse last month and enjoyed every penny! Two years ago was our first trip. I had felt a bit regretful that I had never taken my child to Disneyworld when she was younger and thought taking a 17 year old would have less luster and child-like magic, but I was wrong. You see, it helps if its participants are just big kids themselves and we fit that bill just fine. We squeal with delight every time we see Cinderella's castle for the first time. If you can go to Disneyworld and not feel like a kid in even a small way, you are made of stone.
Disney PrincessesTree in Animal Kingdom01 05 10 044Rockin' RollercoasterAriel!Disney 060Animal Kingdom Christmas Tree

We like to go at the beginning of January which is an off season (read: cheaper) but is still decorated for Christmas. The lines are shorter, the lodging is cheaper and we can still fit it during a school Christmas break. We had taken advantage of a "buy 4 nights, get 3 free" deal which was SO worth it. At the end of this post I'll post some helpful tips for enjoying Disneyworld to its fullest.
Disney 045The Disney EpicentreDisney 038

I was a bit sad at the end of our little vacation. This may be the last vacation we take before she's a married lady! I'd like to tell you, dear reader, that I kept my cool about it, but I did cry the last night we were there. It couldn't be helped.

Tips for a great Disney vacation:
  • Go during off season - lines are shorter, rates are cheaper and it's a lot more bang for the buck
  • Get the Disney meal plan - We got the deluxe. One counter meal (like fast food), one restaurant meal (yeah, sit-down, cloth napkins and excellent food) and one snack per day. All meals include dessert and we usually boxed them up and ate the for breakfast or a snack later. The plan saves you money and pulls you out of the mindset that you need to get cheap, junk food at the park. We ate lamb, salmon, and steak and not just burgers and hot dogs. You can reserve your restaurant online now. So convenient. Guidebooks usually have a section about which restaurants boast certain Disney characters if you want to guarantee some photo ops with your child and their favorite character
BelleCinderella
Snow WhiteMulan
  • Stay in the park - maybe a little more expensive, but worth it when you have to factor in rest breaks during the day. Just hop a shuttle bus to your lodging, take a nap then hit the parks again! You won't be in your room very much, so staying at less expensive sites is fine.
  • Get park-hopper tickets - These allow you to go from park to park as you feel the need. Bored with one park? Go to another.
  • Get a guide book - We're far from having the ill-fated "clipboard-o-fun" setup, but a decent guidebook can give you tips on what you want to see. This year, we used some great iPhone apps which were invaluable. Apps that show what the avg wait time per ride right now, dining menus, GPS enabled maps, parade/event times...etc.
  • Get fast passes to the rides you really want to ride early in the day and fill in with other shorter wait rides and shows.
My favorite memory from Dinny-whorl? Doing the chicken dance with my daughter and Goofy. Here's my daughter feelin' a little Goofy (haha, get it? wink wink, nudge nudge)
Clubbin' With Goofy



3 comments:

tee-squared said...

Woo! I like the revamped blog! It has been years since I've been to Disneyworld - and seeing your pictures makes me want to go back!

Jaime said...

I'm so jealous! I LOVE DisneyWorld like it's my job. My boyfriend and I were going to go for New Year's but he couldn't get time off work, and I teach so I have to work around the school schedule. We've rescheduled for June and it's going to be hot, but I will be in DisneyWorld and I really don't care.

I totally agree with you about not enjoying Disney any less if you're older. I was 8 for my first trip, but I've been probably seven times since. I'm 25 now and no one can tell me that the singing animals on Splash Mountain are not real.

choperena said...

I think I was 8 when I went to Disney World, and I know I enjoyed it, but I can't really remember anything. I went to Euro Disney when I graduated from college, and it effin rocked! If/when I ever finish my Masters, I am totally going back to Disney World (hopefully while my friend is still working there >.<) I definitely appreciate these trips so much more the older I get!