How Do I Create Your Plans?

What can you expect from working with me for your daily Disney plans? There's the "business" process and then there's the "creative" process. I'll talk you through both so you know just what to expect!

I am not a Disney travel agent. I do not book vacations. I only assist with the daily detailed planning for a small fee.

The Business Process

1. Initial Contact -- You can reach me via Facebook Messenger (A Whole New World Planning Service), Instagram (A Whole New World Planning), Email (awholenewworld.planning@gmail.com), or Google Hangouts. Let me know that you're interested in working with me! 
2. We'll chat about the details of your trip, how I can help, and how much it'll cost. (See the "Services" tab for pricing info)
3. Once you've decided to hire me, I'll email you a list of questions to help me get started on the planning process. Typically I ask about your family size, ages/heights of kids, travel dates, parks you wish to visit, must-do rides/shows, etc... 
4. I will send you a Paypal invoice via email
5. I'm available for questions/chatting leading up to and even during your vacation. I can help you figure out which attractions to fastpass at what times and talk you through what to expect from various attractions to decide if they're right for your family. I will not create your final plan until you've booked your fastpasses due to the time it would take to revise them later.
6. Once you've booked your fastpasses, and I have the payment and answers to my questions, I can begin your plans. I try to have them to you as quickly as possible, but guarantee that you'll have them no later than 1 week prior to your vacation dates (assuming I've received everything I need from you in a timely fashion). 
7. You will receive your plans via email in a Google doc link as well as a Word document attachment. The plans are a bullet point list of what to do in each day included specific times for scheduled rides, meals, shows, etc. I recommend pulling up the Google doc on your phone during your vacation for ease of access.
8. I ask that you consider leaving me a review on my Facebook page! 

The Creative Process

This is my actual process for creating your plans. Yes, I realize you could take this information and create your own plans. But not everyone has the time or desire to put into this process. For some crazy people (ME), it's fun! Let me have fun and help you out too! 

1. I look up park hours for each of your park days.
2. I look up the times for the parades and nighttime shows you said you wanted to see.
3. I make note of your fastpasses, dining reservations, and any other time sensitive plans.
4. I strategically figure out which areas of the parks for you to visit first thing in the morning for "rope drop," based on what your family wants to experience and which rides would be best experienced during those lower wait times.
5. I work in as many other attractions as possible into your day, around your existing booked plans.

• I plan for minimal walking back and forth
• I account for typical standby/crowd patterns
• I consider temperature during the day and try to include indoor attractions during the hottest part of the day
• I mention which attractions will most likely be available for additional fastpasses later in the day
• I include the attractions you indicated were most important to your family

It may not sound like a lot, but it generally takes me around 1-1.5 hrs to create a 1-day plan. Each plan is like a unique puzzle. While there are loads of free sample plans available online, none of those will be perfectly customized to your family's needs/preferences or your fastpass selections. This is something I actually enjoy doing, but for those who aren't as familiar with the parks and attractions it can take hours of research to figure out even one day's worth of plans. So for a very minimal price, you can save yourself lots of time in preparation, not to mention the time saved during your vacation by approaching the parks in a strategic way. 

So, what do you say? You now know what to expect. Can I help you plan your magical vacation? 

Beat the Heat at Disney!

That summertime heat is upon us and it's nice and steamy in WDW! This week I'm sharing 5 ways to beat the heat at Disney!

1. Cooling towels. Personally, I've never tried them but you better believe I will be when we go this year! Last Sept nearly everyone had one around their necks and I was steaming (almost literally!) with jealousy!! I would get ice cubes to rub on my forehead, neck, and check just to cool down. Get you those towels!! They sell them on Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/yyuv56o8

2. Handheld fans. Bonus points if they mist! We bought ours in the camping section of Wal-mart. If you have a stroller, buy one that can clip onto the stroller if your child is too young to hold it themselves. 

3. HYDRATE!! This should really be #1. You can bring your own water bottles or cups into the parks and fill up for free at one of the many water fountains or get a free cup of ice water at any quick service dining location. If you don't like drinking water, bring flavor packets to make it taste more appealing. But whatever you do - keep drinking it regularly!! Dehydration will make you very ill and can ruin a trip. Other options if you aren't into water could be Gatorade or Poweraid (be careful about too much sugar though) or coconut water.

Photo Courtesy of DisneyDaybyDay

4. Seek AC! Disney is better than a lot of theme parks because it offers plenty of indoor rides and shows. I like to plan for indoor attractions (preferably those with short waits and chairs to sit comfortably in) for midday when it's hottest and most crowded. It's an excellent break from the heat and time to rest and recover. I'll share some ideas for this in a future post. Also scheduling an indoor table service dining reservation for midday could also be a good way to get a break and some cool air.

One of my favorite indoor shows! Photo thanks to Disney

5. Consider heading back to the resort for a midday break. You could go swimming, take a nap, whatever! Just get away from the craziness and heat for a few hours and then head back out after you've recovered. Personally I don't do this often because we usually go in the winter when the parks aren't open quite as late. I can't fathom taking that much time out of my park day, but it's also not quite as hot so it's more tolerable to stick around from open to close. If it's summertime and the parks are open until 11 or later...seriously consider the midday break for an overall more magical day.

Honorable mentions: Water rides, water parks, splash pad areas in Epcot, and dressing appropriately for hot weather!

Getting drenched on Kali River Rapids!

What are your favorite tips for beating the heat?