WDW Prep To Go Podcast – WDW Prep School

April day 4 – Magic Kingdom

April day 3 – Epcot (all the food!)

April day 2 – Universal Studios

April day 1 – Islands of Adventure

Kelsey L.’s March Walt Disney World trip – PREP271

There are always things that happen during Disney World trips that are less-than-ideal and people traveling during the first part of the year often have to handle more of that than anybody else. Today, we'll talk about how to deal with closures, refurbishments and other disappointments during Disney World trips. I also have a quick tip about shopping for Disney World trips when it's not summer where you live. These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation. Dealing with disappointments People traveling in the first part of 2014 are having to put up with a lot of changes at Disney World which include: The normal refurbishments that take places this time of year Festival of the Lion King being closed for 6 months (reopening in summer 2014) Magic Kingdom monorail closures from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. on weekdays beginning January 21 until the end of March (the Epcot monorail will remain open like normal) Construction at The Polynesian as a new DVC section is built Miyuki the candy maker retired The afternoon parade at Magic Kingdom is gone (the new one will open mid-March) FastPass+ is being rolled out fully this month to all guests - including those staying off-site - and legacy FastPass machines are being removed So how do you deal with all of that? Well, here are a few ideas: Attitude. "There are 2 ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations" is a quote I recently came across and it's a good strategy when approaching a Disney World trip that might have some disappointments. Parents in particular should make sure to frame everything in a positive way to help kids see it that way. Make new plans. If necessary, change your plans a bit. You might consider renting a car, switching to a different hotel or changing your trip dates. Focus on other things. Take the time you would have been doing something that will be closed (like seeing Festival of the Lion King) to do something else you might not have (like seeing Finding Nemo - The Musical). Research and stay flexible. Know as much as you can ahead of time about the changes and then make a plan but stay flexible during your trip. Quick tip of the day Is it cold where you are but you're headed to warm Florida for a trip? It's likely that your local Target isn't selling shorts, swimsuits and personal misting fans then. If you need to buy some of those things, be sure to look on eBay which often has a good assortment year round. Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go. Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the feed Listen on Stitcher ************************* Do you have concerns for things happening during your trip? Please share them in the comments.

Lots of parents have dreams of surprising their kids with a trip to Disney World. Today, I have some ideas for how you might want to pull off the surprise (just be sure to not have super high expectations for their reaction - you never know how it's going to go). I also have a quick tip on preventing motion sickness on a ride at Epcot. These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation. 4 ways to surprise kids 1. Custom lottery ticket Either make or order a custom lottery ticket that will announce the trip. DIY scratch-off lottery ticket tutorial - http://www.ohthelovelythings.com/2011/08/scratch-off-lottery-tickets-diy-free.html Photo credit to Ohthelovelythings.com Etsy shop to order custom tickets and decoder messages - https://www.etsy.com/shop/crankbunny?section_id=14119715 Photo credit to the crankbunny Etsy shop 2. Phone call from a character Have a friend who sounds like a character call you or pay $5 to hire somebody on fiverr.com to record a message for you. Mickey or Goofy voice actor - http://fiverr.com/esalaah/call-you-or-your-child-children-using-a-cartoon-voice-of-your-choice Princess voice actress - http://fiverr.com/asongaboutyou/read-anything-in-a-princess-voice To have your call appear to come from Florida, sign up for a free Florida Google Voice number at https://www.google.com/voice and then have that call forward to your home phone number. You may also want to setup a contact in your phone beforehand with a custom picture and name to show that the call is coming from Disney World or from the character. Here's a video of a family who did this for their trip surprise... 3. Puzzle scavenger hunt The basic idea is that you set up a scavenger hunt to find puzzle pieces and then when the puzzle is put together in the end, it announces your Disney World trip. To create the puzzle, you can design a graphic and upload it to a site that will create the puzzle piece layout such as http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php You can also order a puzzle for just $5 and this site allows you to make some simple customizations like background color and text - http://www.printerstudio.com/unique-ideas/jigsaw-photo-puzzles.html Here's a video of a family who did this with their 3 children (the people who uploaded the video won't allow it to be embedded so you'll need to click over to watch it on YouTube) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOOlYr3475Q 4. Road trip scavenger hunt Driving to Disney World and need to entertain kids along the way? Reveal your trip with clues during your trip like this family did... Quick tip of the day People are often scared to ride Mission: Space at Epcot due to the potential for motion sickness. One way to make it easier is to make sure you face forward during the ride. Parents often want to look at their children next to them but the best idea is to just face forward and watch the screen in front of you. Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go. Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the feed Listen on Stitcher ************************* Do you have other ideas for surprising kids with a Disney World trip? Please share them in the comments.

When people put together trip plans, they often don't consider some details that can really affect their trip plans. Today, I have 6 tips for making your trip plans even better. I also have a quick tip for you about maximizing your FastPass+ reservations. These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation. 6 tips for making your trip plans better Don't let breakfast reservations interfere with morning touring time. Make Advanced Dining Reservations at 8 a.m. or earlier to finish eating before the parks open. Generally avoid Extra Magic Hours. Parks that have Extra Magic Hours are usually the busiest of the day. If you want to visit during Extra Magic Hours, be sure to take full advantage and consider changing parks if/when it gets too busy. Pick restaurants based on where you'll be that day to avoid excess time in transit. If you plan to do things late at night, don't follow that with an early morning the next day (especially if you have young children). Don't be afraid to remove things from your plans to make the pace more leisurely and less frantic. Eat lunch and dinner at off-peak times. Peak times are generally 12-1 p.m. for lunch and 6-7 p.m. for dinner. Quick tip of the day If you arrive to an attraction to use your FastPass+ reservation and the standby line his short, get into the standby line and open your phone to try to change your FastPass+ reservation to something else. Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go. Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the feed Listen on Stitcher ************************* Any other tips that you'd add to make a trip plan better? Please share them in the comments.

There are several special things you can be chosen for at Disney World like parades, shows and park openings. Today, I've got an interview with somebody whose family has been chosen for all of those things. She shares her experiences and tips on getting picked for these special things that can bring a little extra magic to your trip. I also have a quick tip that will let you know a shortcut to exiting one of the nighttime shows. These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation. Interview with Jody Williams Jody has a blog at http://toddjodybrent.blogspot.com where she details the various experiences they've been chosen for. In this episode, she discussed being part of the Animal Kingdom parade, opening 3 of the parks and being part of the Indiana Jones show at Hollywood Studios. Jody also shared some of her tips for increasing your odds of being chosen which include wearing matching shirts, being willing to say yes to what Cast Member's ask (and without hesitation), arriving early and sometimes just a stroke of luck. Here's a video showing the Cast Member named Barbara who Jody mentioned. She makes me happy to watch. Quick tip of the day When you enter the theater for the Fantasmic! show at Hollywood Studios, you come in from the top left part of the theater. When you exit, go out the top right of the theater which will take you right to the front of the park. Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go. Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the feed Listen on Stitcher ************************* Have you been picked for something special at Disney World? Or are you hoping to be chosen? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

After months of planning your Disney World trip, what should you be doing in the final days before you leave? I get asked that question a lot so I have some tips on doing that which will allow you to kick off your trip as relaxed as possible. I also have a quick tip about an easy way to make sure you always have cold water while you're at Disney World. These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation. What to do before your trip I think your goal should be to start your trip off as relaxed and unanxious as possible. Try to move into vacation mode so you're ready to have a fun trip. Here are some suggestions for doing that: Pack a week ahead of time, using the Ultimate Disney World Packing List to help you remember everything you want to take with you Although most info is available digitally, print off all hotel, dining and FastPass+ reservation info Figure out if you want to buy snacks to take along or have them delivered through a service like GardenGrocer.com Finalize your touring plans so you're not worried about that during your trip Make a final To Do List of little things that still need to be done and don't wait until the last minute to do them Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. You never know if there will be busy traffic or long airport security lines. Consider using vacation travel bags for kids which can keep them busy once you arrive at the airport gate. Quick tip of the day Just about anywhere at Disney World (including small kiosks) will give you cups of ice for free. I like doing this as an alternative to carrying water bottles which can be heavy, especially if you need several bottles of water for your family. Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go. Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the feed Listen on Stitcher ************************* Do you have a pre-trip ritual or tips? I'd love to hear them in the comments.

5 things I don't like at Disney World which includes resorts, rides and a restaurant.

Kenny the Pirate shares his 5 favorite character experiences at Disney World as well as his thoughts on FastPass+ and how he got into characters in the first place.

An interview with a first-time visitor to Disney World before and after her trip.

Some ideas for how to add extra magic to your Disney World trip.

5 things that are worth doing for just about anybody going to Disney World.