Fun WDW Photo Ops!

Most people know about the purple wall or taking pictures in front of the castle, tree of life, and Epcot ball - but here are some ideas for other fun photo opportunities that you may not have considered! :) I'd love to see some of your fun photos in the comments! There are SO many great places to take pictures at WDW!

1. The giant troll statue in the Norway Pavilion gift shop in Epcot. There's plenty of space there for your whole family to gather. Just be quick snapping your picture because it is in an area that can be highly trafficked and you may have people waiting to walk by.

2. The busts in the queue for Haunted Mansion. Perfect for selfies with you and your favorite late mansion resident. Speaking of - you should look up the story behind these characters. It's very interesting and the busts themselves illustrate parts of the story if you look carefully.

3. The sword in the stone beside Prince Charming's Carousel in Fantasyland of Magic Kingdom. Fun fact - the sword actually DOES come out of the stone, randomly. So be ready with your camera in case you have a bit of extra magic!

4. Giant dinosaur statues in DinoLand of Animal Kingdom. The one pictured below is positioned perfectly to cradle yourself in his arms!

5. The Frozen mural in Disney Springs outside the Christmas shop. There's space to the left for your whole family to stand and it says "Happy Holidays from our family to yours." Or you can choose to pose along with the characters like my crew did, making it seem more like a real-life scene. :)

I realize I'm not including any Hollywood Studios pictures, so bonus if you can comment with some fun HS pics!

Crowd Calendars - Are They Reliable?

Screenshot from Undercover Tourist (link below)

A simple Google search for WDW crowd calendars will give you several results from Disney-related websites and blogs, all with a calendar that estimates how crowded the parks will be each week or even day of the year. Most will label each period of time with a color, number, or both -- indicating anticipated crowd levels. Many people use these calendars when planning their vacations. But how useful are they?

Crowd calendars are definitely helpful in identifying the very busiest times of the year. Usually marked with a red color or 8-10/10 on a number scale, historically busy weeks such as Thanksgiving week, Christmas/New Years, President's Day week, Spring Break season, and most weeks during the summer are easy to locate. If you are concerned about crowds on your vacation, I think a crowd calendar can be a great tool in helping you figure out which weeks to avoid at all costs! Basically any holiday week or time when most kids are out of school are going to be guaranteed to draw crowds. (And if you're thinking...who would want to spend Christmas at a theme park? Surely it won't be busy then... oh, my! You couldn't be more wrong!)

There are other historical crowd patterns that are fairly safe to consider reliable. Weekends will always be busier than week days. Mondays are usually busiest for Magic Kingdom because so many people start their vacations on Monday and want to start with MK. Many crowd calendars will show you these patterns.

I also think crowd calendars are good for anticipating big events that draw crowds. Things like Pop Warner Week or cheerleading competitions are events the average person may not consider, so seeing it on a calendar can be very helpful.

But I think there are downfalls to relying too heavily on a crowd calendar.

If countless people are planning their vacations according to the weeks the crowd calendars claim to be less busy, it only makes sense that eventually those weeks will become busy as well! After a certain time is hailed to be "slow" or the "perfect" time, people start catching on and it becomes a more popular time to visit.

There are also really no slow times anymore. There's busy and there's insanely busy. Disney is quick to rectify any "slow" times by offering promotions, festivals, and other special events to continue drawing a crowd. Also, as a world-wide vacation destination, times that may be slower b/c US schools are in session may still be popular for other countries. We went the 3rd week of January one year, expecting it to be slow, and it was very crowded! There were a lot of South American visitors. We struck up a conversation with one family during Fantasmic and learned that their schools are out for their version of summer break during that time. Who knew? But the point is, if you are going into it expecting it to be "dead" because a crowd calendar had it marked as a "green" week -- you're going to be more frustrated than ever when it's still relatively crowded. Adjust your expectations, no matter what the crowd calendar tells you.

My other suggestion is don't let it rule your vacation plans. I use one that has day-by-day predictions for each park and I have planned 2 big vacations according to which parks should be the best to visit on each day, determined by the crowd calendar. In both cases it had me ending my vacation with Animal Kingdom. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, well... I was a little annoyed with myself the 2nd time this happened. I've learned that I don't like ending my vacation with Animal Kingdom. I like Animal Kingdom, but I like it early in my vacation. I want to end my vacation with Magic Kingdom. I know this usually means it'll be busy because our vacations usually end on Friday or Saturday, which is when MK will be busiest. But it's the most magical, the most iconic, and I want to end my trip with fireworks, dang it! As much as I love AK, it feels anticlimactic as a closer. After that last trip, I decided to not let the crowd calendar determine my plans to such a degree. Ultimately I go to the parks I want, when I want, and just use the calendar as a guide. (It should also be noted that AK was still pretty darn busy on those days, which only added to my frustration.)

So, my official opinion is this -- look at the crowd calendars. Check to see if it's a historically super busy week (and prepare accordingly, if rescheduling isn't an option or desire). And then take the rest with a grain of salt.

And by the way, Undercover Tourist is my calendar of choice. I like it best because it includes more than just crowd predictions. It lists park hours for each day, Extra Magic Hours, special events (like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in Aug-Oct), and even the weather forecasts (if it's close enough). It really is the best chart that shows all the information I need to plan my days at one glance.

https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuLPnBRDjARIsACDzGL2dgqg0fi9PcBFPltcsrYU3HQ2OjjaUkl01PRg8muJ1sGvKuuXzeq8aAj_uEALw_wcB

So, what do you think? Do you use crowd calendars? Which one is your favorite? 

Best Free-Play Areas in Disney Parks

Today I'm talking about the best places to let your kids play freely in Disney parks. With the crowds, lines, and being confined to a stroller for most of the day, sometimes your kids may need to run around for a bit to stretch their legs, enjoy some level of independence, get out some energy, and all without you worrying that they'll get lost or squished in a crowd of people. Here are some of the best places to do that in Disney parks!

1. Tom Sawyer's Island at Magic Kingdom. This is an underrated attraction at MK and often overlooked. You take a raft across the Rivers of America in Frontierland to the island. It's very rarely busy or crowded over there, which can elicit a sigh of relief on busy park days! There are all kinds of spaces for kids to explore -- bridges, tunnels, caves, and play areas. There's also a quick service location over there that is open during select hours. (Photo courtesy of Undercover Tourist)

Photo Courtesy of Undercover Tourist

2. The Boneyard playground in Animal Kingdom. This is a HUGE and highly immersive playground in DinoLand. I'm pretty sure my kids spent about an hour in there and still weren't ready to leave! Go up to the 2nd level and there's a giant fossil dig area. My favorite part is jumping on the different dino footprints and hearing the different sounding roars! 🦖

3. The Laughin' Place play area near the exit of Splash Mountain. This is a small, soft floored area that's geared more towards toddlers, but it's the perfect place to play if you have bigger people in your group who are riding Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Photo Courtesy of Guide To Disney

4. Space Base inside the Mission Space building at Epcot. One side of the room has space-related video games where everyone works together on a mission while the other side has a regular play area with tunnels and slides. This is the perfect place to play while your bigger friends ride Mission Space and Test Track.

5. Various interactive queues. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has a lot to keep kiddos busy while they wait in line. Dumbo has a full indoor playground where you can play freely until your number is "called" (via vibrating pager - like a restaurant). This is a great alternative to standing in yet another line. Though if the line isn't too long for the ride, they usually won't use the play area for waiting but you are still welcome to go play for a while and then join the line when you're done.

Bonus - during the Flower & Garden Festival of Epcot there is an excellent interactive garden play area for the kids.

What are some of your favorites? Anything I missed?

Is Epcot Just for Adults?

I have a list of pet-peeves when it comes to conversations about Disney, but high on that list is when people rule out Epcot because they think it's not fun for kids or is strictly for adults. They claim that it's boring or that it's nothing but shopping and drinking. That is just not true! My family loves Epcot! And I have 2 young kids (currently ages 5 and 3, but we have been going since the youngest was 20 months). While Magic Kingdom feels the most iconic and has the most rides, Epcot may actually be our favorite! And here's why:

1. It has more family friendly rides than Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios combined. Nothing against the other parks. They are all wonderful! But if your kids really want rides and aren't as excited by shows or animals, then Epcot is your best bet! For all sizes and ages you have:

• Living with the Land
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Finding Nemo
• Spaceship Earth
• Frozen Ever After
• Gran Fiesta Tour

And if your kids are tall enough, you can add Soarin', Test Track, and Mission Space to that list.

2. It's a great place to meet characters, especially the princesses! I feel like lines here are often shorter than you'll see in Magic Kingdom for some of the same characters, especially the ones stationed in the World Showcase. It's the only place to see Belle in her blue dress. And you can meet characters in the atmosphere of their country of origin. And because there are fewer rides here than at Magic Kingdom, it doesn't feel like as much of a sacrifice to spend time meeting characters. My kids have met the following characters at Epcot (and this is only some of the ones you can meet there):

• Belle (blue dress)
• Aurora
• Mulan
• Snow White
• Anna & Elsa (the only place to regularly meet them)
• Donald Duck in his fiesta outfit
• Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in their traditional clothes
• Joy and Sadness from Inside Out (the only place to regularly meet them)
• Baymax (only place to regularly meet him)
• Daisy Duck 
• Mary Poppins

3. And if you want character dining, they have two excellent character meals. Akershus in the Norway Pavilion has the princesses and is a little more affordable and accessible than Cinderella's Royal Table in MK. And Garden Grill in the Land Pavilion (my personal favorite!). Garden Grill slowly rotates while you eat, so you get to see parts of the Living with the Land attraction during your meal. It's a smaller restaurant so it doesn't feel as crazy and loud as many of the other character meals. And because it's smaller, the characters often come by multiple times during your meal. We felt it was the most quality interactions we had of any character meal we've ever done. Also the food is locally grown and delicious! 

4. Splash pads. If you bring a change of clothes or don't mind your kiddos being wet for a while, they have 2 splash pad fountain areas for your kids to play at Epcot. This is perfect on a really hot day! 

5. Innoventions. There are two Innoventions areas in the park where your kids can do hands-on science related activities and games. This is perfect for your older elementary aged kids or even middle schoolers. Heck, my husband and I have spent some time playing in those areas too! 

6. Club Cool. You can try free samples of sodas from around the world. If it's your birthday, you can visit Club Cool for a free birthday drink. And be sure to try The Beverly! 

7. There are lots of other fun attractions at Epcot that aren't actual rides. The Pixar Short Film Festival, Turtle Talk with Crush (interactive and so cute, especially when he talks to one of your kids! He talked to my oldest and it was so magical!), and tons of live performers around the World Showcase. My kids have danced along with German musicians playing the spoons and washboards, and have watched in awe at jugglers, balancing acts, mimes, live statues, and more! Also, most countries have an educational show that may  be boring to some but interesting to others. Unfortunately the Reflections of China show at Epcot had my oldest asking to go home (not just to another attraction or back to the hotel, but straight home! lol!). But if you have a History fan among you, those shows are a nice opportunity to learn something new and enjoy the AC.

8. The Seas with Nemo & Friends aquarium. If your kids like ocean life, be sure to spend some time at the aquarium over by the Nemo ride. They have fish, crabs, sharks, dolphins, etc... It's nice and cool in there and a great place to take a break and let nature entertain you! If you're a seafood fan, you can also book a reservation at Coral Reef and eat dinner around the massive tanks.

9. Kidcot stations. Each country in the World Showcase has a Kidcot station where your child can get a stamp from each country as well as have their name written in the native language of that country. They also have a little coloring station, so my kids love to stop and color for a bit at each. These make great souvenirs and give the kids something to do if someone else in your party wants to stop and look around a shop or have a drink or bite to eat. 

10. It's not as dang crowded there! Okay, it can be crowded, but I feel like the walkways are bigger and there's just more room to move around at this park. You don't feel like you're walking shoulder to shoulder the entire day. The pace of the park is slower, while still fun. After a long day at Magic Kingdom, I welcome the more laid back feel of Epcot. 

11. The Festivals! Kids may not be as excited about festivals as adults, but it's Disney and they are keeping those kiddos in mind at all times! For each festival there is some special activity that your kid can do while you enjoy food booths! At the Festival of the Arts, they had a scavenger hunt to find Figment in different works of art. At Flower & Garden they have a butterfly house, an awesome interactive play garden, and a scavenger hunt to find Spike the bee in each topiary. There are similar activities for the other festivals as well. 

12. Agent P's World Showcase Adventure. If you have a smart phone, your kid can do an interactive adventure around the world showcase where they look for clues and cause their surroundings to change and interact with them based on where they are in the game. More info here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/agent-p-world-showcase-adventure/

13. I can't stop without at least saying that sometimes shopping and eating is fun for kids too! They have great foods for you and your whole family to enjoy from each country. I bet you can easily convince your kids to eat around the world with you if you include some dessert options! And if souvenirs is part of your plan, there are great unique options at Epcot that you won't find at other Disney shops and definitely not at your local Disney Store back home. 

14. Last but not least, teach them to find culture and history interesting! If you go into it saying how boring it will be, they're going to agree with you. But if you can point out the interesting aspects of each country and take in all the details and really appreciate it, then maybe your kids will too. They're never too young to learn about this stuff, and you never know -- maybe you have a History buff or human geographer on your hands and you didn't even know it! 

So what do you think? Does your family like Epcot? I really believe you should spend your time and money enjoying the parks that will most interest YOUR family. If Epcot doesn't fit the bill, fine! But please don't rule it out without considering all it has to offer and maybe trying it at least once!

Upcoming additions to Epcot that should be noted: Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster, Beauty & The Beast Sing-A-Long Show, and Ratatouille ride. Other additions have been rumored but not confirmed. I am willing to bet this park will be seeing some big changes and improvements in the coming years! So stay tuned! 

Magical Moments: Meeting Merida

A Walt Disney World vacation is all about those magical moments. On one of our trips, we made a list of all the characters we hoped to meet. I want to say there were about 20 characters on our list and we ended up meeting closer to 30 during our 7 park days. One of our favorites was meeting Merida in the Magic Kingdom.

My boys like Brave, but it's not necessarily one of their favorites. But Merida was on our list and her meet & greet area looks cool, so we decided to wait to meet her. I think her wait was one of the longest we experienced on our trip. We probably waited about 30 minutes (don't worry, we had Daddy go get us Mickey bars to hold us over!). But I would say she was well worth the wait!

As soon as we walk up she says, "Oh! My little redhead brothers!" She gives my boys a big squeeze and seems to really hang on for an extra beat or two. She talks with them about their vacation. She asks about my youngest's stuffed cat that he insisted on carrying around that whole trip (Meow- Meow was its name).

Meanwhile, my oldest (4 yrs old) is holding the autograph book and green sharpie pen, waiting to have her sign it. As she's talking, he is totally smitten with her. It's like he's going into a daze, listening to her. And as he's zoning out and marveling at her princess beauty, he starts absent-mindedly coloring on his face with the marker!! I think he was nervously going to nibble on it or something and didn't realize the cap was off. I'm watching and taking pictures and suddenly realize what's happening. I shout out to him to stop. He realizes what he's done and gets embarrassed.

Merida laughs (authentically!) and says, "You know what? You look a bit like a warrior!" She goes on to say, "You really are like my little brothers! That's something they would do!"

After I snap some pictures, I have the cast member take a picture of all of us together. As I stand next to Merida to pose, she gives me a side-squeeze and says, "Oh, mum! Enjoy them!"

I could have been upset that he drew on his face (and it stayed there for a bit after!). I could have been disappointed that the pictures weren't perfect. But instead, it was a highlight of the trip. Merida handled it perfectly and added to the magic. What could have been a typical 4 yr old mess, turned out to be a magical moment with a princess.

Do you have a good character meet & greet story? I'd love to hear it! Share in the comments!

Top 10 Reasons to Purchase Customized Itineraries

A Disney vacation is expensive. So why would you want to spend even more money on it? Here are my top 10 reasons why you could benefit from one of my customized itineraries.

1. Crowds. You may have heard, but Disney is crowded! It's only gotten more crowded in recent years as new attractions are opening up each year and Disney is running more promos than ever to where there isn't really an "off" season anymore. For travelers who aren't used to being around large crowds or get anxious walking elbow-to-elbow with strangers, having a plan that accounts for crowd patters during the day can help you avoid certain areas and attractions at the busiest part of the day and navigate more smoothly through the parks. This can save so much time and anxiety!

2. Long lines. To some people, amusement parks and long lines go hand in hand. But it doesn't have to be that way! When I took my oldest son for the first time, he was 2 years old and I was determined to not wait in long lines with him for fear of meltdowns or my arms falling off from holding him for so long! I did tons of research to figure out the best way to structure my day so I could experience all our must-do attractions without the long waits. The result of all that research (and several subsequent vacations under my belt!) is the ability to craft plans that give you the shortest possible wait times for the rides you care most about. Time is money, and the price of these plans can pay for itself in the time you save by not standing in long lines.

3. So many decisions! The sheer number of attractions at Walt Disney World is enough to send anyone's head spinning, but especially if you are new to the parks. It's not possible to see and do all that WDW has to offer in one vacation (unless maybe you're there for a month!), so it's important to know what your options are and what you most want to experience. I can work with you to figure out the best options for your family and then strategically plan your days to include those attractions. Can't you just wing it when you get there? You could, but I cannot tell you how many borderline-angry conversations I overhear at Disney from families who are trying to decide what to do next. Having a plan can eliminate those kinds of frustrating moments and allow you to spend your time making magical memories instead.

4. Fastpass, Show Times, Dining. It's not just a matter of lining up what you'll do when. A Disney vacation requires advanced planning if you want to ride the most popular attractions without waiting an hour or more. Fastpass + allows you to schedule 3 advanced fastpasses (FP) per day. If staying off Disney property, you can schedule 30 days in advance. If you're staying at a Disney resort or a good neighbor hotel, you can schedule those 60 days in advance. If you want table service restaurants on your vacation, particularly those with characters, you must have reservations. Those can be made 180 days in advance. You also have to factor in scheduled times for shows you want to see including parades, fireworks, and live performances. Disney basically requires you to be a planner if you want to optimize your trip. But if you've never done it before, it can be overwhelming. Let me help!

5. Weather. Did you know it gets pretty dang hot in Florida? It also rains a lot. Unfortunately I cannot craft you a plan that avoids either of these elements. But I do consider the hottest part of the day, as well as the frequent afternoon showers, and structure your day so that you'll be experiencing attractions that are indoors during those times. These are also some of the more crowded times of the day, and those attractions are typically shows that see lower wait times. So it's a win/win!

6. Steps. So many steps. My family averages around 15-20K steps per day at Disney. That's a lot of walking! And that's with a plan that tries to eliminate excessive walking and back-tracking! Here's what often happens at Disney (and this can happen to the best of us!) -- you're in one area of the park. You check the My Disney Experience app and see that an attraction in another area has a very low wait time so you book it over there, then you check again and see that an attraction in yet another area has a low wait time so you head over there, then you have to go back across the park for your next FP. Then you have to go across the park again for your lunch reservations. By midday you're completely exhausted, may have blisters, and if you have kiddos without a stroller -- you may be carrying a child. My plans help you tackle each park in a strategic way so that you aren't running back and forth all day long. Trust me. You'll be tired enough as it is!

7. Rest Time. If you're going with young kids (or even if you're not!), you may require a midday rest. This can look different, depending on your family's preferences. It could mean heading back to the hotel for a swim and a nap. It could mean choosing indoor shows where you can sit, cool off, and hopefully get your kids to fall asleep. It could mean shopping or catching a castle-front show while your kids nap in the stroller. It could mean stopping for a meal. However it looks, you need to account for it. If you plan a lot of fastpasses or big attractions during those hours, you may end up with a tired and cranky family.

8. Planning takes effort! Figuring all of this out can take hours and hours of research and consideration. If you're completely new to WDW or haven't been in 10 or so years, you'll need to do some research to be properly prepared. And considering each of the things I've already mentioned takes a lot of time, too. Not everyone wants to do this or has the spare time to put into it. Creating a WDW touring plan is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, often with the image slightly changing about halfway through! Some crazy people (like me!) think it's fun. Others think it's a nightmare. If you're in the latter group, or just don't have the time to put in all this work, let me do that for you! It will only take you about 30 minutes total to answer some questions during an initial consultation and then I'll put in the time to create your plans!

9. Disney is expensive. I know this was kind of my first point as we started, but it's so true that it's worth repeating. You're spending a lot of hard earned money for this family vacation. Don't you want to do all you can to make that investment worth it? I've heard too many sad stories of families not enjoying their time at Disney because they weren't properly prepared for the realities of it and how to navigate each day. Don't be that family!

10. These plans are not expensive. This is probably the cheapest Disney-related thing you'll purchase. For the cost a round of Dole Whips or Mickey Bars for the family, you can invest in magical memories and not hours of exhaustion, frustration, and ultimately experiencing very little of what Disney has to offer.

So there you have it! The top 10 reasons to purchase a customized Disney itinerary from A Whole New World: Planning Services. Click on the services tab or visit us on Facebook to schedule your initial consultation and choose the package that's right for you. I can promise you that going to Disney with a plan versus without really is a whole new world!