Planning for Pixie Dust

Food, glorious food! Let’s face it! One of the most important things about going on any vacation is what you will eat. Some of us are looking for some delectable morsels that we just can’t find at home! Some of us are in search of the world’s best burger! Others, just want snacks on snacks on snacks! Whatever you’re looking for, they have it at Disney ! Food carts  If you’re looking for a quick snack or beverage, you’re in luck! Disney has food carts everywhere! I don’t know the actual number of steps between carts, but you won’t have to walk far! Ice cream, popcorn, pretzels, and more are available at all 4 parks! Each park also has some special snacks to nosh on. To find out what, just click: Magic Kingdom , Epcot , Hollywood Studios , or Animal Kingdom . Quick Service If you’re looking for fast, familiar, kid friendly food you’re in luck! Burgers, pizza, chicken tenders, hotdogs, and more can be found at most Quick Service restaurants both in the parks and at the resorts . Or...

Allergens everywhere! If you live with food allergies you already know how important it is to avoid the offending item. Whether the allergen gives you a rash or makes it difficult to breathe or any other symptom, you definitely don’t need to be exposed to it unknowingly.   Disney has gone to great lengths to help you make sure that your food allergy doesn’t ruin your next vacation! Making Dining Reservations If you make a dining reservation online, you will be glad to know that you can peruse the menu right there before you place the reservation! While some items might be subject to change, checking the menu is a great tool to help you know if you will have some great choices to choose from! Ready to make that reservation? Great! While you are completing the reservation on the My Disney Experience app, look below you payment method for a box that will allow you to let the restaurant know what your allergy is so that they will be prepared for you on the day of your arrival!  C...

It’s time! Believe it or not, it’s time to book a Disney vacation if you plan on going this fall! Yes, I know it’s not even summer yet, but as the saying goes, if you snooze you lose! How’s the weather?  Gone will be the extreme heat of summer! While it will still be warm, even hot, it will not be that stifling heat that summer in Florida brings! Yes, there will be rain at times, but it’s Florida! There’s always a chance of rain! Does Epcot have a festival? Of course Epcot has a festival! Crowd favorite, The Food and Wine Festival to be precise! So many tasty morsels from around the world for you to taste and enjoy! So many libations from so many countries! So much to love! And don’t forget the Eat to the Beat concert series! You can even guarantee a seat at the concert by booking an Eat to the Beat Dining Package ! Watch for the announcement of these dining packages! What’s special at The Magic Kingdom ? Why Mickey and Minnie’s Not So Scary Halloween Party of course! This speci...

What? There are discounts? Yes! There are Disney discounts! In fact, there are almost always discounts for your trip provided you aren’t booking at the last minute during peak season!  What kind of discounts and how do I qualify? In general, Disney almost always offers some sort of discount for military personnel for both tickets and resort stays. If you qualify, I would definitely look into this one! For the rest of us, there are usually some level of discounts available for Annual Passholders , Disney Vacation Club Owners, Disney+ Subscribers, Chase Disney Visa Cardholders, and even some discounts for everyone else! Many of these discounts are for resorts, but some are for tickets , tours, or even dining! Currently, there are even offers to entice guests to visit Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser!   Great! How do I get the discount? Glad you asked! With so many discounts available at any one time, getting the discount isn’t something that happens automatically! I always start o...

What is it? Mickey and Minnie’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or MMNSSHP,  is just what it says: a Halloween party made for the whole family! Unlike some other ticketed Halloween parties in Orlando that are often too intense for children, this one is for everyone! The MMNSSHP is held at the Magic Kingdom and does require an extra ticket purchase.  Attractions One of the perks of attending the MMNSSHP is access to shorter lines at many of the Magic Kingdom attractions. Some attractions are not available during the party, but all of the highlights are generally available! Trick or Treats  Beginning at 7pm, you can Trick or Treat throughout the magic kingdom! WDW will even provide you with a Trick or Treat bag! Have someone with food allergies? Disney has you covered! In the past they have had special tokens that food allergy guests can trick or treat for and exchange for allergy friendly treats! See a Cast Member for specific details! Also, you can find locations on your...

 What is it?  The My Disney Experience app is a tool to make planning your Walt Disney World vacation easier, both before you go and while you are there. It is an app that you download for free to your phone. Once you have downloaded it, you will login with your Disney credentials. This is the same login you have already used to access any Disney site, including Walt Disney World, Disney+, ShopDisney, The Disney Cruiseline, and more. Don’t have login credentials? No problem! Simply go to one of these sites and create a login! Then, when you open the app you will login to it with those same credentials! Easy! So, when should you download the app? As soon as you start thinking about planning a Disney vacation!  How do I get started? On the app you will not be able to book your hotel. You can do that by calling Disney directly, logging into their website, or using a travel agent. Once you have done that, you will be able to see your reservation on the app and make further ...

What is it?  Magic Bands are Disney’s way to simplify your experience at their parks. When they first cam out, they were complimentary and nearly obligatory. I say nearly because there was an option for a ticket card, but you had to deliberately elect that option or the Magic Bands would arrive at your house announcing your next vacation!  They are a band that you wear on your wrist, similar to wearing a watch or step counter. Inside they have a chip  and a battery. The original Magic Bands didn’t require charging and would last over a year, which meant that you could reuse them.  What can they do?  In a word, everything! You can open your resort door with them; use your ticket to get into a park with them; pay for purchases in the parks, Disney Springs and your resort with them; charge your meals on them; have a Photopass Photographer scan them to load your Photopass pictures onto your account with them; and more!  In the beginning I wasn’t sure that I li...

Is my teen or tween too old to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation? The answer is absolutely not! Of course, they will likely be interested in different things that Disney has to offer than when they were a little princess or pirate! In some cases, there will be some things that they finally get to experience! With a little planning your tween or teen will have a fantastic vacation! Attractions! Let's admit one thing: Your teen or tween is probably not excited about It's a Small World or Dumbo like they were when they were little. That doesn't mean that they couldn't be persuaded to ride it for old time's sake, but you will definitely need a different A game! Each park has built attractions with teens and adults in mind! In fact, there are several rides at each park that most children can't even ride due to height restrictions! So, ow is there chance! Magic Kingdom   This was probably your little one's favorite park! Now that they are older, they can still en...

 What is character dining and why would I want to book it? Character Dining is just that: dining while meeting characters! The best thing about it is that you make your reservation, show up about 15 minutes before, are seated, and the characters come to you! No long line, no fuss, no muss! If you have young children who want to meet characters, it is one of the best ways to ensure they will meet them!  What's for dinner? Or lunch? Or breakfast? Most of the Character Dining locations are a buffet, which makes it easier to both get your food and meet the characters. While this isn't necessarily the favorite food of your vacation for grown-ups, there is a nice variety so that everyone can find something they like! Also, the buffets sometimes have a kid section (for kids of all ages!) that carry items like mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, corn, and even sometimes French fries. That can be helpful if your littles or even not so littles are on the picky side. Got adventurous eaters?...

How do you do a 4 park challenge? The 4 Park Challenge is something that Disney Guests have invented and passed down through the years. In truth, you can do it any way you want to, but today I will be talking about the unofficial official way to do it! Simply put, a 4 Park Challenge is visiting all 4 Walt Disney World parks in the same day! You may have heard in the news about a man who travelled the globe and did all of the Disney Parks worldwide in a 24 hour period. While I'm certain that was an adventure, it was also pretty pricey and he definitely didn't have long in each park! Now that Disney has announced that Park Hopping will be allowed all day starting January 9, 2024 for dated park hopper tickets, this will be more possible than ever! Get ready to hop, hop, and hop again! While there are no official rules, the intent is that you will ride at least one ride and eat or drink at least one item in each park. Of course, if you find this too easy you can amend the goals t...