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Category Archives: Planning 101
Star Wars Weekends 2012 Maps
It’s that time of year for the galaxies to come together and celebrate Star Wars Weekends!
Star Wars Weekends has officially begun and if you’re attending you’ll need to get a look at the park maps for the events on May 18th and May 27th to make your plan of attack.
Star Wars Weekends offers:
- Celebrity autograph sessions
- Character meet n’ greets
- Exclusive Star Wars motorcade parade
- Hyperspace Hooplah show
- Jedi Training Academy
To learn more about Star Wars Weekends or to plan your dream vacation, email Michele@PixieVacations.com or click here for more information.
Hidden Oasis for Parents – Disney World Baby Care Centers
For most vacationers, standard routines go out the window. Regularly scheduled meals, diapers, potty breaks, naps, go out the window in search of magic and fun. But, even though the schedules may not be exact, Walt Disney World provides a safe haven for families to escape to, in search of return to normalcy.
Located in all four parks, though not at the water park or Downtown Disney, these baby care centers are nice and air conditioned, providing a comfortable place to cool down and relax. There is a room full of changing tables, cleaned in between each diaper change by cast members, high chairs, and private nursing rooms. There is a microwave to heat up food or bottles, fresh bottles of water (for free!) to mix formulas, or simply have a drink!
A separate room usually has a Disney movie on, and a big open area for children to run around without fears of bumping into other people, or getting run over by strollers. Chairs or couches line the walls, so parents can sit and relax while their children burn off energy from being in strollers all day.
Forget anything? Bottles, formula, baby food, diapers, or wipes? These, along with bibs and other Disney paraphernalia are for sale in the Baby Care Centers as well. As per Disney custom, expect them to cost a bit more than at your local store, but not insanely unreasonable, especially in an emergency!
Other bathrooms around the parks having changing stations, but none nearly as nice (actual changing tables with changing pads!) or as clean as in the Baby Care Centers. Unfortunately, there is only one changing station per park, so it may not always work to run all the way for a simple diaper change or a very hungry and fussy baby feeding, but if you’re in the general vicinity you will have a wonderful refuge waiting for you.
By park, the Baby Care Centers are located:
- Magic Kingdom – next to the Crystal Palace Restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A.
- EPCOT – Inside Future World’s Odyssey Center, near the Mexico Pavilion.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – In Discovery Island, behind Creature Comforts (look for the ladybugs!)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios - In the Guest Services Building inside the Main Entrance.
On a related note for nursing mothers – it is Florida law that nursing in public is absolutely legal. Feel free to nurse wherever and whenever you like. Many attractions offer dark, comfortable areas to feed babies, instead of hauling the family to a Baby Care Center from across the park.
Related articles
- Traveling to Disney: How Young is too Young? (chipandco.com)
- Disneyworld Planning 101 – Taking advantage of guest services (chipandco.com)
- Disney World Quick Tips – Miscellaneous Tips I have learned (chipandco.com)
- Disney World Quick Tips for Parents with Children under 3 (chipandco.com)
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.
Related articles
- Five Things EVERY Adult has the Right to do at Disney World! (chipandco.com)
- Disney World Planning: Picking Non Busy Times to Go (chipandco.com)
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.
Related articles
- Accessible Ride Vehicles at the Magic Kingdom (chipandco.com)
- The Complete Walt Disney World 2012 Guidebook (chipandco.com)
Some Frequently Asked Disney Vacation Questions
So your Disney Countdown is on the wall and you are excited but still have a lot of unanswered questions ………
I have had a full inbox today from excited clients with their vacations approaching with similar questions so I thought I should write a quick article to help any of you who also may have these lingering questions about your upcoming Disney vacations.
1). When will we get our tickets?
At Pixie Vacations we always mail our clients a package about 2 weeks prior to your trip and it typically contains some travel incentive goodies and a travel itinerary, but what about the all important Disney park tickets and dining credits that you purchased?? Well……… when you check in you get a “Key to the World” card. Everyone in your traveling party will get one of these cards at check in. The “Key to the World” cards will have your tickets that you purchased with your reservation loaded onto them as well as any dining credits that you purchased with a Disney dining plan.
You can also determine if you want to allow charging to the room on any or all of the cards. For us, we typically will add a credit card to our “Key to the World” cards but not the kids. When you allow charging on your “Key to the World” card it makes it super easy in the parks because there is no need to carry cash.
For tipping at dining locations you can also just charge those to the room so cash is not needed. If you don’t want to wrack up a high credit card bill at check out and have cash or Disney gift cards, etc. you want to use, simply go down to the counter the night before check out and settle up the bill. They WILL charge your card if the amount goes over $400 dollars so you can keep tabs on what you owe by calling down to the front desk and inquiring about your bill.
2). What is this Magical Express all about?
Magical Express is a free transfer service to and from the Orlando International Airport available to ALL resort guests.
You DO NOT have to book your air through Disney in order to get this service! Your simply need to provide your airline and flight information to Disney or your travel agent and inform them you want to take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express.
You will get a packet from Disney’s Magical Express a few weeks before your trip and it will include yellow luggage tags with your resort name on it that you place on your checked bags.
Once you check your bags at your departing airport your bags will then “Magically appear” in your Disney resort hotel room (about 2-3 hours after your flight lands), there is NO need to go to baggage from baggage claim at the Orlando International Airport.
If you WANT to get your own bags you can do this and THEN make your way to the Magical Express counter in Terminal B.
In your Magical Express packet that was mailed to you there will be detailed information on where to go to pick up the Magical Express bus inside of the Orlando airport terminal as well as “vouchers” for you to present to the driver.
Magical Express going HOME:
2 days before you check out you will have a Magical Express envelope on your resort door with pick up time (3 hours before your scheduled flight home) to the Orlando airport as well as vouchers for your ride back to the airport.
You can check your bags for your flight (for most major airlines) right there at your Disney hotel and they will take your bags and print your boarding passes so all you need to do is catch Magical Express and you will be on your way.
3). What if my flight isn’t until 8pm but checkout is at 11am?
You are not “kicked off” of property at 11am. You can check your luggage for your flight and leave any unchecked bags with Bell Services while you take the day to enjoy the pool or take in a theme park before your flight home.
There are restrooms and changing areas by all of the pools at the various resort hotels so you can get changed and cleaned up before your flight in there.
If you have dining credits left they do not expire until midnight the night of check in, so get your eat on! : )
4). Do I have to decide ahead of time what park I will go to on which day or can we change our mind?
If you have base tickets you can only visit one park per day but you can exit and re enter that park at any time on that same day. If you purchased park hoppers you can enter and exit any theme park multiple times per day (i.e. going to Magic Kingdom in the morning and Epcot in the evening).
You can not use your base ticket in the morning at Epcot for example and then think you can use another day of your base ticket that night at Magic Kingdom (Disney is smarter than this : )
Your park tickets on your reservation activate when you use it on that first day and you have 14 days from that first use until they expire (this is for non expiration option tickets) so you can be as spontaneous or as organized as you want to be throughout your vacation.
So what did I miss? What unanswered questions do you have about your upcoming Disney vacation?
Lesley is a travel agent with Pixie Vacations, contact her for your next Disney vacation at Lesley@pixievacations.com or check her out at www.destinationmagic.com. She is currently offering generous booking incentives (Disney gift cards for Disney World/Disneyland, and Disney on board credits for Disney Cruise line)
Related articles
- Planning: A Less Painful Way to Pay for a Disney Vacation (aglassslippervacation.com)
- Disney World Planning: Picking Non Busy Times to Go (chipandco.com)
