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PassPorter’s® Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten-Step Program to a Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation

by Justine Fellows

© 2006–2008 by PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.P.O. Box 3880, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 • 877-929-3273Visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.passporter.com

PassPorter® is a registered trademark of MediaMarx, Inc. Photographs on cover and pages 13 and 31 © Chad and Nikki Larner; photographs on pages 4, 11, 17, and 27 © Justine Fellows ; all other photographs © MediaMarx, Inc.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act.

PassPorter’s® Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten Step Program to a Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates.

While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this book, the passage of time will always bring changes, and consequently, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors that may occur. The author and publisher of this book shall not be held liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney World® is a registered trademark of The Walt Disney Company. This book makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks, and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., and other trademark owners. The use in this guide of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, and no commercial claim to their use, or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement, is made by the authors or publisher. Those words or terms that the author and publisher have reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitalization, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which trademark or other proprietary rights may exist. Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgment on, or affect the validity of legal status of, any word or term as a trademark, service mark, or other proprietary mark.

PassPorter’s® Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten-Step Program to a Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation is authored by Justine Fellows and edited by Jennifer Marx. The information presented is for entertainment purposes. Any stated opinions are ours alone, unless otherwise noted, and do not represent The Walt Disney Company or anyone else. Materials submitted and credited by persons other than ourselves are used here with their permission, and any associated rights belong to them.

Any and all written messages, suggestions, ideas, or other information shared with the author in response to this guide shall be deemed and shall remain the property of PassPorter Travel Press.

Special Sales: PassPorter Travel Press publications are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales premiums or promotions. Special editions, including personalized covers and excerpts of existing guides, can be created in large quantities. For information, write to Special Sales, P.O. Box 3880, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48106.

Resale of this guide is strictly prohibited without the copyright holder’s permission. If you purchased this publication from someone other than PassPorter Travel Press, please call 877-929-3273.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58771-036-0ISBN-10: 1-58771-036-6

Version 1.23 (December 17, 2008)

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PassPorter’s®Disney® Speed

Planner

The Easy Ten-Step Program to a Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation

Authored by Justine FellowsEdited by Jennifer Marx

PassPorter Travel Press

An imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.P.O. Box 3880, Ann Arbor, MI 48106

877-WAYFARERhttp://www.passporter.com

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About the AuthorRumor has it that Justine’s love of Walt Disney World stems from being deprived by her non-Disney parents. Much to their dismay, she has made up for it with nine trips under her belt, including a recent trip with 17 family members. Justine lives with her husband Cris, a firefighter, and two daughters, Kallie and Emma, in Connecticut where she works as a Director of Academic Technology at a private school. Be careful—she’s been known to turn even the most unenthusiastic Disney traveler into a fan. Her parents even managed to enjoy almost every minute of their recent trip! She is passionate about travel, having enjoyed trips around the U.S. and to Africa, India, Europe, and the Caribbean. Seeing the difference that research and organization made in the success of her own trips inspired her to write an easy step-by-step planner that will help to bring a little magic to yours!

About the EditorJennifer Marx is the co-author of PassPorter’s Walt Disney World Resort, PassPorter’s Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call, and PassPorter’s Disneyland Resort and Southern California Attractions. She’s been to Walt Disney World well over 100 times, and the majority of her trips have been with kids of various ages, including her step-daughter Allie and son Alexander.

AcknowledgmentsA huge thank you to Ellie Petrov for her editing, input, and inspiration! Thanks to Laurie Baker, Marta Malloy, Dianne Schlosser, Lorri Carroll, Katie Scandalios, and everyone else who puts up with my incessant Disney planning, especially my family and saint-like husband. And a special thank you to Terry Malloy, for putting my planning skills to the test, and to Jennifer Marx for her incredible Disney knowledge and editing skills!

A special thanks to these very important folks “behind the scenes” at PassPorter Travel Press:

Publishers: Jennifer and Dave MarxOffice Managers: Nicole Larner and Chad LarnerProofreader: Sandy LivingstonOnline Coordinator and Newsletter Editor: Sara Varney

People Behind the Planner

© Med

iaM

arx,

Inc

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“Luck favors the prepared.” — Edna Mode, The Incredibles

Are you too busy to obsessively plan your vacation? Are you looking for the best advice on what to do and what to avoid? Do you just want to go and have fun without all the fuss? Then this is the planner for you!

When I talked to friends going to Walt Disney World, I noticed that most were not like me when it came to their trips. They hadn’t psychotically planned and researched up to a year in advance; I’ve been told that I need a therapist. My friends had their accommodations in order (they were either in a hotel or staying with relatives), their flights booked, and that’s it—they were done. Often, just a few weeks out from the trip, they would casually mention to me that they were heading to Walt Disney World. In my excitement, I would start rattling off all the great things I assumed that they had completed, such as dining reservations, park schedules, adventures, and childcare. The stunned looks on their faces summed it all up. My friends had no idea what I was talking about. I tried not to scare them with lectures on advance planning, but the thought of sending them into the “World” without some kind of itinerary just freaked me out. So I wrote a short guide with ten easy steps to help those without a lot of time have a great vacation.

Due to the time constraints, I ask that you trust me. You have little time and I can’t give you a lot of choices—I can only lead you in the right direction to make this a smooth and magical trip! If you decide that you have Disney fever when you get back, I have included a list of recommended books and web sites for the advanced planner.

Special Notes: This planner is best suited for those staying at one of Disney’s resorts (to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours and transportation) and for families with children, though everyone will find helpful tips. Also, I make many recommendations and warnings in this planner based on my personal experiences. Feel free to prove me wrong. I will be extremely happy if you are the lucky one who gets reservations to Cinderella’s Royal Breakfast two days before the trip when I have gloated that only advanced planners can do this—that’s part of the magic! I hope that taking advange of the Speed Planner will open up extra time for spontaneity and relaxation.

Enjoy!

P.S. Check out my new podcast at http://speedplanner.podbean.com

About the Planner

Contact me at disneyplanner@optonline.net

I would love to hear from you!

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Table of Contents

Ten steps to creating your perfect vacation!

Step One: Start Today! ........................................................................................................... 7Step Two: Create Your Base Calendar ........................................................................... 8Step Three: Plan Your Visits to the Park ...................................................................... 10Step Four: Choose Your Park Passes ............................................................................ 23Step Five: Pick Your Dining ..........................................................................................24Step Six: Add Kids Adventures, Tours, and More .......................................................30Step Seven: Pack Your Bags ......................................................................................... 32Step Eight: Travel From the Airport .............................................................................34Step Nine: Add the Magic ............................................................................................ 35Step Ten: Soothe Your Psyche ...................................................................................... 36

Also included:So Now What? (What to Expect When You Get There) ................................................ 38Calendar Templates ....................................................................................................... 40Dining Plan Worksheet .................................................................................................. 44Reservations Worksheet .................................................................................................45What the Heck Are They Talking About? ......................................................................46My Kid Won’t Do That! (Activities Your Kids Will Want to Do) ....................................47For the Advanced Planner ............................................................................................. 50Important Phone Numbers ............................................................................................ 51Notes ............................................................................................................................... 52

© Just

ine

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You’re in good hands!

“I went to Disney once when my children were young. I planned nothing, it was complete chaos, we were miserable—I can definitely see how a plan would have made the difference.”—Nancy Fishkin

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Things to do today:

❏ Read this Speed Planner. I suggest you read it—and any other sources of information—in small doses. Too much information can be overwhelming and counter-productive. When you feel overwhelmed, step back and remember the basics: meet Mickey, see the castle, enjoy family time!

❏ Put a big box somewhere in your house and start collecting the items that you’ll need for the trip (more on that later).

❏ Buy the latest copy of “PassPorter Walt Disney World”—not only does it allow you to reference height restrictions, maps, an entire list of restaurants, etc., it also serves as a great place to keep your paperwork. PassPorter is a wonderful way to get your family excited for the trip. It also familiarizes you with the layout of Disney, and I will refer to it often in this planner.

❏ If you haven’t booked your hotel yet, use PassPorter to pick a Disney resort hotel and book at 407-WDISNEY. If you booked an off-property hotel, you may want to change to a Disney resort. This will allow you to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, Disney transportation, and many of the tips in this planner. Not staying onsite? Don’t worry—you will still find the planner helpful!

Step One: Start Today!

Full Speed Ahead Checklist❏ Create base calendar (see Step 2).

❏ Decide on park plan (Step 3).

❏ Buy park passes if they aren’t included in package (Step 4).

❏ Choose and book restaurants (Step 5).

❏ Review shows, kids’ adventures, and more to see if there are any you’d like to book (Step 6).

❏ Review the Packing List and buy any missing items (Step 7).

❏ Reserve Disney’s Magical Express or a car service (Step 8).

❏ Learn tips (Step 9) and relieve tension (Step 10).

❏ Relax and read the Extras.

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Before you begin, I highly recommend that you find a quiet spot to work; I like to lock myself in the bathroom. Putting together your Disney calendar is a lot like putting together an intricate puzzle—don’t expect to do it in one sitting and do expect to get confused and sometimes a bit frustrated. You’ll find as you get more familiar with how it works that it becomes part of the excitement of going to Disney and less like work.

a. Use the calendar templates on pages 34–37 or a spreadsheet on your computer to plot the days of your vacation.

b. Get online and check Extra Magic Hours (EMH) during your visit at Disney’s web site: http://www.disneyworld.com (click on the “Calendar” link). Also, it’s helpful to check if you are travelling during low, moderate, or high attendance times—you’ll find this information at http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/attend.htm and in the “Best of Times” chart on page 14 of the PassPorter guidebook.

c. In your calendar, plug in the morning EMH times for the parks. I know you want to sleep late, but I’m sorry, you can’t. EMH are the best way to experience fewer crowds, happy kids, and a chance to come back to your hotel for a nap in the afternoon. So suck it up. If you are going for a longer trip (more than five days), I’ll give you a day or two to sleep in.

P The average Disney guest arrives at a park mid-morning—if you arrive earlier, even on non-EMH days, you’ll have an advantage! Those not staying onsite should try to arrive 15-30 minutes before park opening.

Step Two: Create Your Base Calendar

© Just

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A Grand Gathering at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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d. Now plug in the evening EMH hours if you think your kids can stay up late. Add “sleep-in days” where you will enjoy the resort, a trip to Downtown Disney, and do something later in the evening. This may not be a possibility if you are on a short trip and want to visit as many parks as possible. I guess you can sleep on the plane. Here’s what your calendar may look like at this point:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Morning EMH

Arrival day

Magic Kingdom 8:00 am

Disney’sHollywood Studios

8:00 am

no EMH Animal Kingdom8:00 am

Epcot8:00 am

Magic Kingdom

***

Breakfast

Morning

Lunch

Afternoon

Dinner

Evening

Evening EMH

no EMH Disney’sHollywood Studios

***

no EMH Epcot12:00 am

Animal Kingdom

***

Magic Kingdom 1:00 am

Return home

*** Indicates an EMH that is not being used. Kids can’t always stay up that late and you shouldn’t feel like you have to use the EMH. It’s okay to relax.

Congratulations! You have your base calendar. You may not have early or late EMH times for all of the parks during your stay. This is not a problem— it will give you more flexibility.