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Category Archives: Tips and Tricks
How to take in the sights and sounds of Disneyland
Hey all you fans of Mickey! So you’ve planned a visit to Disneyland! You’ve made it known to everyone you are going, you’ve contacted a Disney Specialist travel agent to do all the boring booking part for you, including booking your ‘Priority Seating’ dinner reservations. Now you are on your way!
You have arrived at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’, what should you do first? last? That’s what I’m here to help you with. Well at least share my Must Do’s. I’ve been to Disneyland more times than I should admit to.
First things first, get in front of the floral arrangement in front of the train station and get you a picture! Collect your Photo Pass, or even better purchase your Photo Pass+ before even going to parks, so that you can use it for the rest of your trip. Don’t worry the photographer will also take your picture with your personal camera. Do It! You will love having the Photo’s available later on to purchase, sometimes making excellent Christmas Cards. Also know that you can pre-order the PhotoPass CD. If you do this and you make sure to take advantage of all the photography opportunities you can score an excellent deal!
Once you’ve walked under the train trestle, follow my lead and look to your left. Right next to the City Hall is the Fire Station. The top floor is Walt Disney’s apartment. Give him a quick hello, friendly wave, and perhaps a Thank You. If you are close enough you will notice that there is an oil lamp in the window. This lamp is always on, symbolizing Walt Disney’s spirit is always around. Quick note, don’t freak out if it’s out, that only means that one of the Disney Family is visiting the park and Walt’s spirit resides with them.
Purchase Disney Gift Cards at Kroger to help save money…
Let’s face it, Disney World vacations aren’t exactly cheap. If they were I would be there almost every month. Here’s a quick and easy way for you to save money for your Disney World vacation:
Buy Disney gift cards at Kroger.
Kroger sells Disney gift cards in $25 and $50 denominations. Sometimes you can even find gift cards that let you choose the amount you want on them. For every dollar that you spend at Kroger (with your free Kroger plus card), you earn one point. However, during select times of the year, Kroger offers 4 points per dollar on gift cards. These points can be used to save on gas when you fill up at Kroger fuel stations. Just one-hundred points gives you ten cents off per gallon. When getting 4 times the fuel points, one $25 gift card gives you 100 points, 10 cents off per gallon. You can redeem up to $2.00 off per gallon at a time, or two-thousand points.
You can use your Disney gift cards to pay for almost anything on your vacation. You can use them to buy souvenirs at Disney merchandise locations, Disney restaurants, or even your vacation reservation. Did you know that you can even pay for your Disney World vacation with Disney gift cards? That’s right- you can pay for your entire package (resort, tickets, and dining) with gift cards!
So, why not get something extra from your vacation?
You can also use your gift cards to purchase souvenirs at disneystore.com ahead of time or if you forgot a special souvenir at the parks.
Have you ever bought Disney gift cards at Kroger? What have you used Disney gift cards to pay for on your Disney World vacation?
EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival: Tips to Make the Most of Your Visit
It’s always important to have a game plan when it comes to visiting the parks. When I hit the parks I want to be prepared-not preoccupied! I want to enjoy the offerings, especially special events that I can’t see on just any old ordinary Disney day (I’m wondering what day at Disney is considered “plain old” or “ordinary”…hopefully you get what I’m trying to say here!)
This week kicks off one of my favorite “limited time” events, EPCOT’s International Flower and Garden Festival! EPCOT simply bursts to life as the unofficial start to spring is ushered in by magnificent topiaries, exhibits, speakers, food, merchandise, and musicians! There are literally petals, leaves, and blooms everywhere you look! It is truly a breathtaking sight!
Today, we are taking a look at what you need to ” know before you go” in order to make the most of your visit to the flower festival! Let’s get growing!
Capture it!
I can assure you that you will want to take pictures…and lots of them! There’s nothing worse than going to snap a picture only to realize that your camera isn’t charged! Make sure to check and charge your camera’s battery and memory card the night before you visit the festival. The topiaries and displays really are magnificent and they make for beautiful pictures! Don’t forget your camera or your smile!
What’s the Right Age to visit Disneyland?
As you might have guessed, we here at Chip and Co love Disneyland! As a newer writer here, I have imagined some of the questions readers may have. One that I struggled with personally was what’s the right age to visit Disneyland? I imagine some of you may have the same concerns.
So my wife and I discussed, with some trepidation, taking our toddler son with us right after his 3rd birthday. We wondered what’s the right age to visit Disneyland? Additionally, we were feeling slightly guilty over the number of trips we’d taken since his birth to Disneyland without him. So we said Hakuna Matata and off we went. This was an especially good trip for his first visit. We were fortunate enough to have my Sister in law and her family with us, including our 6 year old niece. They were visiting us from Stockholm for a few weeks, so off we went. It was both kids first visit!
I know many, many parents have asked me what’s the right age to visit Disneyland? I’m not fully sure there’s a correct answer. Before going we felt 3 may have been too young. In some ways we were right, mostly we were wonderfully surprised at his enjoyment, wonder and curiosity over the whole magical experience. Were there moments of time that we wanted to rip our hair out, yeah… Quite a few moments. Were there just as many, if not more moments of looking at each other with pride in our kid who was loving Disney as much as we were… Absolutely.
Top Reasons to bring your toddler to Disneyland:
Nap Time at Disney World’s Baby Care Centers
If you are traveling to the Walt Disney World Resort with an infant or toddler, chances are you are going to have to allow time for your child to nap during your day. If you have been following along with fellow writer Mickey Mom she has been sharing her Top 5 Nap Spots at WDW. You can read about Epcot and the Magic Kingdom here.
One popular option for families staying at a Disney resort is to go back to their resort during the day to rest and even allow older children time at the pools. However, some families may not want to leave the park during the day, especially if there are rides and attractions older children may want to see. The good news is that you have options for whatever works best for your family! There are plenty of places for nap time at Disney World!
One of the best options for families staying in the parks, but need somewhere to go for a small child to nap is the Baby Care Center. All 4 of the Disney theme parks have indoor Baby Care Centers. These offer amenities such as a private nursing room with rocking chairs, a changing room, a feeding area with highchairs, a kitchen with microwave, oven and sink, a sitting room with TV, and an on-site shop offering formula, baby food, juice, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, over-the-counter medications and clothing for purchase. They offer a break from the heat and crowds and an area for your child to nap.
