PassPorter.com
Award-winning travel guidebooks
  About Us  |  Customs Office   |   Register Books   |   Book Updates   |   Blogs   |  Newsletter  |   News Desk   |  Articles  |  Photos  |  
PassPorter Blogs | Tag Archive | Getting the most out of my trip

Epcot: a big new world!

Filed under Disney Inspired, Fresh Picked Posts, Getting in Shape for Travel by rescuesk on March 15, 2012 at 12:09 pm {3 comments}

So you are well rested after your adventure in the Magic Kingdom yesterday, and ready to take on Epcot, right? Let’s go!

While the Magic Kingdom is the smallest park on property, Epcot sometimes appears to be the biggest. (It’s not.) Epcot is actually divided into 2 lands, FutureWorld and World Showcase, and both will require some walking!

If you arrive at Epcot via Disney bus or monorail, you will have a relatively short walk to the entrance of the park. If you drive your vehicle, keep in mind that the paking ot is rather large. If you want to save your walking strength for the park, take one of the trams that circle the parking area. They will drop you close to the entrance.

Once you are in Epcot, don’t become overwhelmed by the size. (Save that for Animal Kingdom.) Epcot is laid out, in my opinion, very nicely and very convienently for getting to all attractions. You will start by walking past the fountains and the Leave-a-Legacy towards the park’s icon, Spaceship Earth. From there, you can choose to walk right or left, depending on which attractions you want to see. The walk around the park is beautiful. 

You will be walking towards World Showcase, but the walk will be made easier because you will be stopping to see so many of the attractions along the way, as well as appreciating the beauty that is Epcot. Epcot always gives me the impression that you have stepped into a futue filled with music, sunshine, flowers, birds and fountains. I have seen the future, and it’s good! The attractions in Epcot are set a bit back from the main path, and they are large attractions! Unlike the Magic Kingdon, where you often stand in an outside queue and enter the building at the beginning of the ride, you will enter many Epcot attractions and find a whole story to go with the attraction. For example, if Soarin’ is your goal, you will enter into The Land Pavilion. Soarin is downstairs and to your left, but there are a treasure trove of other goodies to explore before you get there or while you ar waiting for your Fastpass time to come up. Spend some time in all the pavilions in FutureWorld…you’ll d up your walking steps! :)

From here, its on to World Showcase! When you enter the park via the bridge between FutureWorld and World Showcase, you will be facig World Showcase Lagoon. From here, you can walk to the left or the right. The path is a big circle around the circumference of the lagoon, passing by the countries on your way around. This can be a long walk, especially on a hot summer aftrnoon. It can also get very crowded during some of the festivals. Take time to rest. There are benches placed all around the lagoon, as well as tables near the outdoor eateries. And one of the nicest perks is the Friendship boats that run the length and breadth of the lagoon. Climb on one for a relaxing and scenic ride across the lagoon. The ships run in both directions with 2 seperate lanes of travel, so you can cut out some, or all of your walking back.

Remember that with every park adventure comes the walk back. You will get tired in Epcot, and then you will have to get back to your resort. If you stay to watch Illuminations, the night time show that is presented on World Showcase Lagoon, you will have to walk from wherever you are in World Showcase, across the bridge into Future World, and then back to your transportation option. The Friendships do not run after  Illuminations gets set up, around 7 PM, and they do not run after the show. Unlike the Magic Kingdom, your feet are your only option out of the park.

Once back at your resort, time to rest, relax and rehydrate. Our next park is small but mighty…Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Get prepared to do some walking, but alot of standing. You don’t want to miss the Streetmosphere that goes on in this wonderful park!

Disney on foot!

Filed under Fresh Picked Posts, Getting in Shape for Travel by rescuesk on February 25, 2012 at 2:47 pm {6 comments}

Ready to walk?

Hey, that got your attention, didn’t it! :D For one brief moment, you thought I was going to blog about getting to Disney by foot, didn’t you!

No, don’t worry. There are lots of ways to get to Disney, but unless you live in Cinderella’s Castle, walking there isn’t a way most travel journals would recommend.

But we are going to talk about walking in Disney.

Disney is a big place. Its a large place. Actually, its a huge place! 43 square miles, to be exact! Now, don’t fret, you aren’t going to be walking all 43 miles of that. Some of it is resort area, some of it is undeveloped,  and some is downright swamp country! But since you’ve chosen a Disney vacation, walking will be a big part of your daily routine.

If you’ve been following the blog, you know how important walking before you leave is. So, you’re ready for this, right?

The amount of walking you will do each day depends on the park you choose to visit. I’m going to cover the Magic Kingdom today, and address the others in future blogs!

The Magic Kingdom is the quintessential Disney theme park. It might surprise our readers to know that this is also one of the smallest of the parks, approximately 107 acres! Your walking day begins before you get to the park. If you are arriving at the Magic Kinfdom in a car, you will be parking on the other side of the lagoon. You will take either a monorail or the ferryboat to get to the kingdom. When you park, you can proceed to one of the tram stops and take the tram to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and choose your option. There will be a short walk from your car to the tram, and from the tram to the transportation of choice. You cannot walk from the TTC to the Kingdom; there is no path, and it would be quite a hike anyway. Once you arrive at the Kingdom, there is another walk from the boat launch or the monorail station to the main entrance. If you are arriving at the Kingdom via Disney bus, the walk to the Kingdom is slightly windy and slightly uphill. It actually is a little bit further away than you would suspect. If you are staying at the Contemporary Resort or Bay Lake Towers, right next to the Magic Kingdom, you can walk to the park. This walk is a bit more than a quarter mile, but its quite pleasant, and a great way to start your day!

Once you pass through the main gates, you will need to walk up Main Street to access the attractions. The Magic Kingdom is designed around a central hub, Cinderella’s Castle, with all the lands branching out from there. “Walking” might be too broad of a term, You will more than likely meander up Main Street, taking in the ambience of this uniquely Disney area. Pace yourself…you have alot of ground to cover and you don’t want to get tired.

Once you get to the hub, you can choose your land. No matter which direction you travel in, you will be walking, but with so much to see and do, you should be pacing yourself at a nice leisurely pace. You will not have this luxury at every park, so enjoy it now! :D You’ll basically be walking in a big circle, around the back of the park and back to the front. All in all, its a nice easy walk, mostly flat and with plenty of places to rest.

When your touring day is done, walk back to the hub for a final stroll down Main Street. If you are tired, you can wait for one of the transportation vehicles to take you back down to Main Street. If you are still feeling like you can do a bit more wlaking, meander back down Main Street to the main entrance. Keep in mind that the same walk you did to get into the park now needs to be done in reverse. You will need to walk to the Disney buses, the monorail station, the ferry boat launch or the Contemporary Resort. And from there, you will still need to get back to your resort and room. Its always good to save a little energy for this return trip, especially if you are going to be carrying tired children or pushing a stroller.

So, you survived your first big walking adventure at Disney! You are back at your room and ready to take on the next park. Rehydrate at night (water or Gatorade…we’ll talk more about hydration in a future blog) and get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow we take on Epcot…get ready to hoof it here!!

 

Autism at Disney: Tips From my PassPorter Friends

Filed under Disney With Hidden Needs by Pamela Dorr on February 1, 2012 at 3:58 pm {one comment}

A familiar blanket or plush will give a child something to focus on when they begin to get sensory overloaded.

For anyone visiting the Vacationing Your Way: Special Needs forum on PassPorter.com, you will notice many threads about dealing with a variety of special needs at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Lines. In my last few posts I have talked about my personal experiences with Hidden Needs at Disney. However, I know that my experiences don’t reflect every Hidden Need out there. So today, I draw inspiration from my PassPorter friends. (I’m sure I will draw inspiration from them in the future as well, so this is just the start of a – hopefully – long tradition.)

 

One Hidden Need that is often addressed on the PassPorter forums is Autism. I have read many, many tips for helping kids (and adults) all along the Autism Spectrum to enjoy their Disney vacations. Here are a few of those tips that stand out in my mind. (Of course, this leaves me open to put more tips in another blog later.)

 

Get a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). So what if your child, or you, doesn’t look like you would need a GAC?? That is why we call our Special Needs “Hidden Needs.” They are not visible to the naked eye usually. We don’t all go around with signs around our necks identifying what is “wrong” with us. That is not to imply that someone with Autism, or any other Hidden Need, has anything wrong with them. They just view and interact with the world in a different way and it is up to the rest of us to see it through their eyes so we can make it easier for them to navigate through life. If waiting in long lines can lead to a meltdown, then explain to the Cast Member that you just need a less crowded place to wait.

Use a stroller. If you have young children, or even older children that are still small enough to ride in a stroller, then use your stroller at Disney. This will be a lifesaver in more ways than one. Be sure to stop at Guest Relations for the first park you visit. In addition to asking for a GAC, you will want to ask for a “Stroller as Wheelchair” tag. This tag will allow you to keep your stroller with you in all the queue lines, since you are usually asked to leave the stroller outside the attraction.

Bring a comfort blanket/item. This one might seem like it is a no-brainer, but then again we may want to leave a truly loved item at home for fear of losing it in a big place like Walt Disney World. A favorite plush toy or a favorite blanket might be just enough familiarity in an unfamiliar place to allow your child to stave off a sensory overload. It can be something for your child to focus on. Also, a blanket or towel can be used to cover the stroller and provide a safe haven. Placing the blanket over the top of the stroller to create a “tent” allows your child to block out everything else for a time.

Sunglasses are for MORE than shading your eyes· Dark sunglasses, if your child will wear them, are another way to block out others. Your child can put them on and “escape” from a visual overload of information. Headphones can be use to block out the auditory overload as well.

Let something else do the talking for you. This one sounds kind of out there I know. However, if you don’t want to spend the whole day worrying about what you are going to say to someone should they get upset or offended at your child’s behavior (and, by the way, you should NOT have to say anything), you could make up small business cards that simply read, “I am blessed with the gift of Autism. I see things differently than you do and I experience the world in a much different way.” If your child wants to meet the characters, but he/she is too shy to actually talk to any of them, you can write a note on the inside cover of the autograph book. I made an autograph book for one PassPorter friend’s son with the note “Hi! My name is _______. I am very shy, but I really want your autograph.”

 

These tips may not seem like much, but some of the Autism Blessed parents on PassPorter.com have sworn by these tips and tricks. As I remember more tips and tricks I will post them here on Disney With Hidden Needs. Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Lines are wonderful about making their parks and attractions accessible to everyone.  Sometimes, we just need to help them make things a little less sensory overloading for Autism Spectrum children.

Beginning a Healthy Journey

Filed under Fresh Picked Posts, Getting in Shape for Travel by rescuesk on January 24, 2012 at 9:19 pm {3 comments}

What not to eat!

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Truer words were never spoken! That simple statement applies to all facets of life, including the journey to better health. And that journey needs to include good food choices, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

If you are already in preparation for a Disney vacation, then its the perfect time to start your healthy journey. And even if there is no vacation in your immediate future, its never to early to plan!

Good vacation health planning begins at home with the right choices and changes in lifestyle. Now don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you eat nothing but bean sprouts and cucumber slices to prepare for your vacation. Nothing of the sort! But you can make several simple changes that will help you get ready!

Disney trips involve a great deal of walking. So one of the simplest ways to start is simply to walk! You don’t need to start with a marathon, just take the steps instead of the escalator. Park your car in a far corner and walk to the mall. While you’re in the mall, take a few laps around the perimeter (they even have a name for this…its called “mall walking”!). Do something active at home. Do you know what counts as active? Vacuuming. Dusting the high places. Raking leaves. Cleaning the gutters. Anything that gets you up and moving begins your exercise journey.

You will be assaulted by a wonderful array of food options at Disney, especially if you are on a cruise. Now is the time to begin to get ready for those options.  Switch your regular soda for diet, or better yet, for water. Don’t like diet soda? Squeeze a lemon in it. Don’t like plain water? Try those Crystal Light packets, only 5 calories each! Instead of a donut for breakfast, try a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of fruit. I am a big fan of breakfast smoothies. A little 2% milk, ice cubes, fruit, maybe a packet of Carnation Instant breakfast, whirled in the smoothie maker…yum!! If good habits are already instilled, the choices at Disney become so much easier!

One more thing to start with…portion control. Do you know what a portion size is? I only recently learned, and its a culture shock! We tend to “supersize” everything, and our portions are no exception. Did you know that the meat serving on your plate should be the size of a deck of cards? A serving of cheese is about the size of a pair of dice? And a single serving of pasta should be about the same size as a scoop of ice cream? Take a look at your plate. If you are loading up on high calorie foods, it might be time to rethink your choices.

A healthy lifestyle at home will make it easier to continue a healthy lifestyle on vacation. In our next segment, we’ll talk about beginning a walking regiment and how that will help you get ready for your vacation!

 

It’s the CAREGIVER’s Vacation Too!!

Filed under Disney With Hidden Needs, Fresh Picked Posts by Pamela Dorr on January 23, 2012 at 6:30 pm {3 comments}

Every day I deal with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety, Major Depression, and Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis. However, I personally only “suffer” from a mild case of depression. So why do I deal with all those other things? Simple, I am a mom, girlfriend, and caregiver to two wonderful people that are diagnosed with these mental and physical problems. Disney trips are a chance for all of us to forget about the diagnoses for a little while, to an extent.

I am the trip planner. I make sure that my boyfriend gets face time with his favorite characters in an environment where he is more comfortable. This means that I reserve a dinner or breakfast seating at one of those restaurants that has character dining with Stitch or Chip and Dale. (Although, I did surprise myself this last time with a breakfast at 1900 Park Faire where Tigger was in attendance. I really didn’t know he would be there.) If we have to wait in line, he feels rushed and anxious because everyone is “watching” him while he visits with 626 or the ‘munks. Although, one of my favorite photos from his first Disney trip is that first meeting with Chip and Dale outside Innoventions in Epcot. He was able to forget his anxiety and depression for a few moments and be a kid.

I also make sure that my daughter gets time with Goofy and that she is able to enjoy her favorite rides. I push her wheelchair and get her to Splash Mountain or to Goofy’s Barnstormer (when it was there). I worry about how much walking she does because I don’t want her to spend the nights in pain because she over did the walking. She doesn’t always like it when I tell her she needs to use the wheelchair at Disney, but she always thanks me at the end of the day.

However, I have to remember that it is MY vacation too. I get so caught up and trying to make sure that the two of them have all the accommodations they need to enjoy the trip that I forget to make sure we do something I want to do as well.

In 2007, my daughter and I made our first trip to Walt Disney World. Since it was her first visit, I tried to make sure she got to do everything she wanted to do. She didn’t have a wheelchair at that time, so she walked from 7:00 or 8:00 AM to whenever Evening Extra Magic Hours were over.I spent the trip concerned about her legs and making sure that she found some relief with her ibuprofen and  hot baths at night. I wanted to explore World Showcase, but because her legs were hurting so much by the time we went to Epcot, we only visited Mexico before returning to Future World.

In 2009, my boyfriend joined us for another trip to Walt Disney World. Once again, I wanted to explore World Showcase. This time, my daughter had a wheelchair, but my boyfriend wasn’t comfortable with crowds in World Showcase the day we were at Epcot due to his social phobia. Once again, the thing I most wanted to do was put to the back burner. I saw it as a reason for another trip to Walt Disney World.

In 2011, I FINALLY realized that I was spending so much time making sure that they enjoyed their vacation, that I had moments where I didn’t enjoy it very much. I found that I would feel a little resentment that we didn’t get to do what I wanted to do while at Disney. So this last time I “put my foot down” that I was going to explore World Showcase. If they didn’t want to explore it with me, then I would meet them either at the resort or at our dinner reservation.

It was “quick” exploration. I didn’t go inside to all the pavilions. However, I did make sure to enjoy something in each country. Admittedly, a few of those enjoyments were of the adult beverage variety, but other enjoyments were things like the attention to detail in the buildings. In Germany, I indulged myself in a chocolate and caramel dipped pretzel stick. (YUM!!!!) In the outpost I enjoyed watching the artisan carve animals from wood. Exploring the World is one of my favorite memories from this last trip. Both of my loved ones joined me in my exploration. They each found something they liked and enjoyed. I even heard them both say that we needed to spend more time in World Showcase next time we go.

What I had finally realized is that these are my vacations too. While I still need to worry about their hidden needs and make sure that they are able to enjoy themselves despite these needs, I also need to enjoy myself and relax. As my daughter gets older, she is also becoming more independent. I can see that on our next trip, she will probably want to go off and explore on her own for a while.

As caregivers to family or friends with Hidden and Special Needs, we often forget to take some time for ourselves. This is a common caregiver lament. Every article I have ever read about HOW to be a good caregiver tells us to take some time for ourselves. However, we rarely do this. Many caregivers have the same line of thinking that I do: “If I don’t take care of it, then who will?” We often put our needs aside to focus on the needs of those we love. (This is a common parental lament as well.) Vacations are meant for everyone to relax a bit. They are a chance to do something other than worry about someone’s special needs. Vacations are meant to give us a respite from our every day lives. As caregivers, we need to recognize that it is not just our loved ones’ vacations. It is OUR vacation too.

So next time you are planning a trip to Disney, or anywhere else, make sure to plan in something YOU want to do. If the others don’t want to do it, that’s fine; enjoy your alone time. If they do want to join you, then it is a happier memory because they took part in something you wanted to experience. So what am I planning for our next Disney trip? Well, we are discussing a Disney cruise and I see some spa time in my future.

What’s the best time of year to vacation at Disney?

Filed under The Disney Queue by Caldercup on October 18, 2011 at 12:21 pm {3 comments}

Deciding what time of year to visit Walt Disney World is probably one of the biggest questions you’ll toy with when planning a trip to visit Mickey.

After more than twenty trips, I still agonize over this question.

So, how will you decide?

Well, for starters, I’d suggest that you consider some key factors that will that affect budget, crowds, and weather.

Travel during the school months? (Even if you don’t have kids, you’ll be affected by how the school calendar affects attendance at Disney.)

Pros:

  • Low crowds means shorter lines, and you’ll get on more rides and in more attractions per day with less people in front of you. You’ll also get better spots to watch parades, shows and fireworks, without having to save spots hours before or elbow pushy people to hold onto your space.
  • Value Season has the lowest price point for Disney resort room rates, plus there’s no peak season charges added on at the restaurants.
  • Disney is likely to offer discounts on rooms and packages. For annual passholders, this means the deepest room rate discounts. And, for the general public, Disney typically offers a “percent off” rate depending on the level of resort you choose. For those who enjoy packages, Free Dining or “Play for 7/Pay for 5” types of offers are typically sent out to entice travelers to book for less-crowded times.
  • There are the special event parties to look forward to. For family-friendly Halloween festivities, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is offered from mid-September thru the first days of November. And Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties are held from just before Thanksgiving to about a week before Christmas itself.
  • Then there are the “festivals.” A delight for foodies of all tastes, October serves up the Food and Wine Festival, with yummy offerings from around the world served at kiosks that ring the World Showcase. And May blooms to life with the Flower & Garden Festival — for gardeners, I can promise you that the classes and displays are enough to make you swoon!

Cons:

  • Parks have shorter hours so you have less time to spend on the rides and enjoying the Festival offerings.
  • From November through March, the weather can be cool, making the pools and wet rides off-limits for all but the bravest souls.
  • When crowds are low, Disney takes the opportunity to spruce up the rides and attractions. You may find that a family favorite is down for a short rehab during your trip.
  • Additionally, Disney closes one water park at a time (November through February), to perform repairs and to give everything a good scrub. While you will still have one water park to splash in, you might miss out on your favorite, depending on their rehab schedule.

 

Travel during the summer months?

Pros:

  • No school means no problems with teachers, homework, missed classes, etc.
  • The weather will be warm and sunny!
  • The parks will have extended hours – sometimes into the middle of the night. Not to mention lots of Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests to enjoy.

Cons:

  • It’s very hot and the sun is intense. Plus, you can count on a brief and intense rainshower EVERY day.
  • The parks are crowded, making the lines very long.
  • Being that it’s one of Disney’s peak seasons, the resort rates are higher and, though there are discounts, they aren’t as steep as value season.
  • With more people in the parks, there are more people waiting to see the parades, shows, and fireworks. There are also more people in line at the counter service restaurants, and the table services restaurants are often booked to capacity. (If you’re not the type to make Advanced Dining Reservations  180 days out, this might be frustrating, especially if you pay for the Disney Dining Plan.)

 

Travel during the school holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas week, Spring Break)?

Pros:

  • You’ll have the freedom of vacationing when there’s no school.
  • Thanksgiving and Spring Break often have good weather, though Christmas week can sometimes be quite cold.
  • The parks have very extended hours.
  • The parks will be decorated for the Christmas holidays starting in mid-November through just after New Years Day.

Cons:

  • You’ll be vacationing with EVERYONE ELSE who doesn’t have school.
  • The parks are crowded, often to capacity (which can cause Disney to close the turnstiles until the crowds thin out.) Lines can easily be 120 minutes for the most popular rides.
  • These are Disney’s peak seasons, and the resort rates will be at their highest, often with limited or no discounts offered.
  • Many restaurants are booked to capacity, and Disney tacks on a seasonal upcharge at most venues.

 

Personally, the trade-off for taking my child out of school is worth the improvement to our family’s vacation. But that’s me! You’ll need to assess your child’s needs and your school’s policies.

Our favorite times of year are:

  • the end of April/beginning of May (Flower & Garden Festival)
  • the week before the Thanksgiving week (Mickey’s birthday is on November 18th!)
  • the first two weeks of December (low crowds and good weather, plus you can attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party!)

 

So, how are you going to decide? What factors do you consider when laying out your plans? Do you take kids out of school?