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Disney World Quick Tips – Miscellaneous Tips I have learned
There is so much to do at Disney World often times we look over little things that could make our visit even more enjoyable. I have learned a thing or two while visiting the parks and while I am sure I could write out articles for every one of these tips I thought it might be better to list them all together.
So here are the miscellaneous Disney Quick Tips I have learned over the years.
- Where you can find the characters plus attractions, entertainment and interactive activities of special interest to young children? Most everything you need is available at Guest Relations in all the theme parks. That is usually our first stop at the parks so we can get buttons and info for our stay.
- Baby Care Centers in all four theme parks feature private rooms with rocking chairs for nursing mothers, diaper-changing rooms, and feeding rooms with highchairs, bibs and plastic spoons. There are even diapers, formula and snacks and more for sale. Great place to cool off with small children too!
- Stroller rentals are available. Rather than lugging a stroller (including on and off of parking lot trams), parents with young children can rent a stroller at the theme parks. We use Kingdom Stroller Rentals as they have the best service and prices! Ask for Matt! Be sure to tell him Chip sent ya!
- Theme park guide maps are available in six languages – English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese. They are available at Guest Relations locations in each park, along with times guides for shows, character greetings, parades and fireworks. These make great collectables too.
- The Guide map for Guests with Disabilities provides a detailed overview of services and facilities available for guests with disabilities and is available at Guest Relations locations within all four parks as well as Lobby Concierge locations at Walt Disney World resort hotels. Types of disabilities covered include mobility disability, hearing disability, visual disability and non-apparent disability.
- Wheelchairs and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) are available for rent at Disney theme parks for the convenience of guests with disabilities.
- A length-of-stay rental ticket is available which offers not only savings but also involves a one-time payment transaction after which the guest simply shows the receipt at the stroller rental location and is expedited through the queue with little or no wait time.
- Special dietary requests can typically be accommodated. The Walt Disney World Food & Beverage team is committed to offering a wide range of choices to accommodate guests who require lifestyle dining options, as well as most specific requests from guests with food allergies or intolerances.
- Whether dining at a table-service restaurant or at a quick-service restaurant, desired dining requests will be addressed. In many cases, advance notice is required – usually at the time of your reservation. Please call Disney’s Dining Reservation Center at 407/WDW-DINE to discuss arrangements.
- Disney’s PhotoPass service photographers are stationed at prime photo spots throughout the theme parks. The guest’s Disney’s PhotoPass ID card (issued free) is used by the photo team to keep track of images. The images can be viewed online; guests can order prints, customized photo albums, T-shirts, mugs and more. Additional information is available online by visiting www.disneyphotopass.com.
- Package pickup is available at no charge. Merchandise is moved to package pickup, conveniently located near the front entrance of each park, for guests’ pickup when they are leaving the park. Hotel delivery is available at no charge to guests of Walt Disney World resorts. Purchases made prior to 7 p.m. will be delivered to the guest’s hotel by noon the following day. Purchases made after 7 p.m. will be at the hotel on the second day after purchase. Shipping is available for an additional charge at the time of purchase.
- Lockers are available for rental. They are first come, first served – and quite popular. They are located near the entrance of each park. There are a variety of sizes. If you are park-hopping, you don’t have to pay the locker fee a second time on a day (just a key deposit) provided you keep your receipt.
I hope these tips help. If you have any please let us know in the comment box below.
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Disney World Planning – Special Needs Tips for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Oscar winning Deaf actress Marlee Matlin has often said, “the only thing Deaf people can’t do is hear” and she proves it everyday. The sights and sounds of Walt Disney World aren’t only for hearing people, the Deaf and hard of hearing can experience all that Walt Disney World has to offer through a variety of communication devices.
If you have a family member who is Deaf or hard of hearing and haven’t experienced Disney destinations because of it, this should help you understand what Disney has to offer so you and your family can make the most of your magical vacation.
There are many mis-conceptions about what Deaf and hard of hearing people can do and not do, and what they can enjoy, and i’m sure there’s plenty of debate about whether a Walt Disney World vacation is “worth it” if someone in your travel party has hearing issues. As a student of American Sign Language and a person with Deaf friends, I won’t attempt to answer all the questions that us ignorant hearing people have; but I will tell you that Walt Disney World is a place that makes sure EVERYONE’s experience is as magical as it can be, whether you can hear or not.
Major experiences in Walt Disney World include the attractions and the stage shows. They are often everyone’s favorite parts of the trip and there’s no reason everyone can’t enjoy them.
- The first stop you should make at the parks is Guest Relations, this is where you can get information and pick up most of your hearing assistive devices. Some require a refundable deposit and for the device to be returned same day. You can also receive schedules of Sign Language interpreted performances in the parks that week.
- At the entrance of attractions and shows ask a cast member for a guest assistance packet. This includes things like a flashlight, pen and paper, and dialogue and narrations for the attractions within the park. Have patience, it may take a minute for the cast member to locate what you need but at least you will have those resources as a back up if all other communication fails.
- Basic communication needs are met with amplified headsets on pay phones, assistive listening devices (which require a $25 refundable deposit if returned same day) and TTY locations for information and to book your vacation (407-827-5141) or to request an interpreter.
- Most theater shows offer reflective captioning, ask a cast member for the device and for early entrance into the show to set up your captioning device properly. Reflective captioning allows you to attach a plexiglass sort of device to a chair in front of you that will reflect the captions from the back wall. It must be situated so that you can view the stage and see the words at the base of the stage. Shows with 3-D glasses may make the captions difficult to read.
- Handheld Captioning Units - These are wireless devices that give you a written version of scripts for certain attractions. These devices require a $100 refundable deposit, but have no other charge. Pick up your unit at Guest Services in your park; but if you are park hopping, your HCU can’t. You’ll have to turn it in and pick up another one at your next park. These units also serve as closed captioning activators for some attractions, if you are within 20 feet of the screen this function will work.
- Video Captioning and Closed Captioning - This remote requires a $25 refundable deposit and will activate closed captioning on tv monitors for attractions (like the pre-shows in the queue).
- ASL Interpreters are available for live shows on a rotating basis. Schedules for interpreters vary from week to week to ask Guest Relations in the park (or your lobby concierge) for an up-to-date schedule. If you would like to request free sign language interpretation for other live entertainment (such as Candlelight Processional) call 407-824-4321 or TTY 407-827-5141 at least two weeks in advance.
- Look for cast members with the “ASL” symbol on their name tag, these cast members are trained in sign language.
When you’re ready to end your time in the parks, your Disney resort also offers “Room Communication Kits” that include:
- Door knock and phone alerts
- Bed shaker alarm
- TTY (text typewriter)
- Strobe light fire alarm
- Phone amplifier
If you’re making your reservation online, there is a box to check if you need a room communication kit, if you are using a travel agent, let them know and they can note it on the reservation for you. While most travel arrangements can be made online and much agent-client communication is done via e-mail having someone who understands YOUR first language is a huge asset. American Sign Language and verbal speech don’t have the same subject/verb sentence structure and can be confusing for someone who isn’t trained in ASL and frustrating for you, the Deaf client. If you have questions about Disney travel, need more information about the services available for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in the parks or would like a free quote, feel free to contact me.
There’s plenty of magic in Disney parks for everyone, including the Deaf and hard of hearing, remember…the only thing a Deaf person can’t do is hear.
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- The Complete Walt Disney World 2012 Guidebook (chipandco.com)
Drink Around the World Showcase – Classic American Beer at Fife & Drum Tavern
- Fife & Drum Tavern at American Adventure, Epcot
In many ways, the American Adventure in Epcot is located perfectly for a quick, palate-cleansing stop on a “Drink Around the World Showcase” (DAWS) day. Located halfway around World Showcase, the American Adventure focuses as much on comfort food and non-alcoholic beverages as it does on its beer selections.
All this may be a polite way of saying that there’s a limited selection of alcoholic drinks at the U.S. pavilion. The Fife & Drum Tavern, the drink and snack kiosk at the American Adventure, isn’t much of a tavern at all. It’s a snack shack that serves two draft beers: Bud Light and a Sam Adams seasonal beer that changes with the time of year.
Samuel Adams Beer. Bryan Rosengrant. Flickr.
So with those choices, I order up a Samuel Adams. After all, it is a classic and, for my taste buds, the better of the two selections. And the seasonal beer selection allows Disney to shift the to lighter beers during the hotter seasons and heavier, darker beers during cooler periods. But really, given the ubiquity of the two beers, just pick your favorite brand.
The limited selection of beer, representing two of the most familiar American breweries, might be cause for some mild complaints about the American Adventure on a DAWS day. The beer, however, does represent American brewing traditions. Budweiser have been brewing beer since the 1870s, roughly the same period that the family of Jim Koch, the founder of Sam Adams, had been brewing beer. (As a brand, Sam Adams debuted in 1985.)
If you look at DAWS as participating in Epcot’s cultural-entertainment mission, then –focusing on gastronomical tourism – the beer selections make sense.
There’s an added benefit or two from the menu. The Fife & Drum Tavern offers a number of hearty foods to complement the beer, and to encourage Disney guests to balance out their consumption of alcohol. At the tavern you can enjoy some cult foods favored by Disney regulars: the turkey leg, the bucket of popcorn and the funnel cake kiosk also located in the American Adventure area.
Also consider using the American Adventure for A DAWS non-alcoholic drink, where there’s a wider selection. Try the frozen lemonade or, better yet, the slushes at Fife & Drum Tavern that come in blue raspberry and strawberry; that’s right, patriotic colors.
Liberty Inn offers the same beer selections, if you’d prefer to enjoy your beer with a cheeseburger or chili-cheese dog, among its menu of American fast food classics. It somehow seems appropriate to do so, if you’re going for a DAWS beer-focused tour of Epcot World Showcase.
Photo credit: Samuel Adams Beer. Bryan Rosengrant. Flickr, Creative Commons License.
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- Drink Around the World Showcase – Germany Pavilion (chipandco.com)
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Why I love Walt Disney World Extra Magic Hours!
One of my favorite memories from evening Extra Magic Hours!
When it comes to Walt Disney World and Extra Magic Hours, the debate is endless! There are strategies about how to make the most of your Extra Magic Hours (EMH), there are debates over which is better, morning EMH or evening EMH, and there are people that avoid them like the plague! For those that don’t know, Walt Disney World opens up a park either one hour early in the morning, or keeps a park open up to three hours later in the evening, just for guests of the Walt Disney World Resorts. So, if you are staying on property, this is included to you for no additional cost. The beauty of it is that if you plan it properly, you can get a lot extra time in the parks (and consequently, enjoy a lot of rides without really long lines!)
Ironically, my family has only enjoyed the Extra Magic Hours a few times in all the years that we’ve been staying on property. Primarily this was because our daughter was a little too young to be staying out so late, and also because we would wake up to late to get to a park in time for morning extra magic hours. So, as a result, our experiences with them are somewhat limited.
The first time we experienced EMH was in 2007. Since this was the first time that we stayed on property, that put us off to a good start. Disney’s Animal Kingdom had evening extra magic hours for part of the park, and we were able to enjoy a block party over at Dinoland, U.S.A.! We had character dancing, meet and greets, music, and just a whole lot of fun, and out of that I got this photo of my daughter!
Sophie dancing with Chip
Not long after that, though, the Animal Kingdom stopped offering up extra magic hours in the evening, so we haven’t experienced that again. We then went a few years without experiencing any extra magic hours, but in June, 2010, when we took my niece Stephanie to Disney World, we decided that it was time to experience them to a greater degree! We had been going all day, we were at Animal Kingdom in the morning, we got wet on Kali River Rapids and poured on by an afternoon rainstorm, and to top it all off, we were racing to get over to Epcot in order to eat at Akershus for dinner! We made it over there, and after we ate, we decided that we had just had enough of our cold wet clothes (we were really drenched!) so we went back to Port Orleans French Quarter to change. After we did that, we decided that it was a perfect time to head over to the Magic Kingdom to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade, and then enjoy the evening, so that’s what we did. Since it had rained for quite a while during the afternoon, the park wasn’t as busy, and since it was extra magic hours, we decided to enjoy them to the fullest! It was when Stephanie and Sophie were going to ride Dumbo, and my wife Cindy and I were going to ride the Carrousel that we saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse over at Dumbo, where they surprised a family by riding with them on the ride. That’s where my opening photo originated from. Here are some others from that magical moment!
Stunned Silence
The Ride of her life!
I guess what I’m trying to say here is that, if you are inclined to not bother with Extra Magic Hours, either morning or evening, you might want to give it a second look. You never know when the incredible Disney Magic will jump up and transform your vacation from wonderful into a memory that you will never forget!
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Review of Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise, by Tom Bricker
If you subscribe to TouringPlans.com, you are probably familiar with the photographic genius of Tom Bricker. Tom is the Chief Photographer for TouringPlans, and as such is responsible for the photos at the top of each page of the website as well as the attraction photo galleries and other assignments. You may also recognize Tom’s photography from the Unofficial Guide: Color Companion to Walt Disney World, Popular Photography Magazine, or his daily Disney photos featured on the blog he and his wife Sarah operate.
Launching the new line of eBooks produced by the TouringPlans team, Tom recently published a beautiful new eBook, Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise. As Tom explains, the project was born of two “crazy ideas.” One, the Walt Disney Company’s One More Disney Day promotion, which kept Disneyland Park open an entire 24 hours to celebrate Leap Day on February 29, 2012, and two, Tom’s plan to be there for it!
In Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise, Tom Bricker highlights some 200 stunning photographs that capture two sunrises, one sunset and all the magic of that historic Disney day. The pictures indeed are worth a thousand words, but Tom complements them nicely with tidbits of Disney trivia interspersed throughout the book. I especially appreciate the many views of the Walt and Mickey “Partners” statue. It’s as if they kept watch that day, smiling along with hitchhiking ghosts, Captain Jack Sparrow, Cast Members, Guests, and dozens of delightful details that keep one man’s dream alive.
Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise has been released as a high-quality full-color PDF that can be downloaded instantly and read on your computer or the go on your iPhone, iPad, or other eReader. It is available at a very reasonable $8.00 (USDollars). For a limited time readers of TouringPlans Blog can use discount code SUNRISE2012 at checkout to receive 25% off the purchase of Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise.
You can purchase Disneyland: Sunrise to Sunrise directly by clicking here.
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