Discussion: Group Itinerary

This is the first "Discussion" post (note: Discussion posts are no longer, as the message board has replaced comments). These will be short and will pose a question or topic for discussion in the comments.

While at Disney World, would you prefer to have your daily itinerary planned for you? Do you plan on staying as a big group, or going off on your own or with a smaller group?

Kid Stuff

Disney World is for people of every age. I plan on discussing things that appeal to adults, but in this post I wanted to mention a few cool things geared toward kids.

Pin Trading
Most Disney Cast Members (employees) in the parks wear lanyards with Disney-themed pins on them, which they will gladly trade with guests who also have pins. There are countless pins, some more rare than others, in countless pin sets. Pins can also be purchased in the parks, but they're not cheap. Starter sets can be bought online for a reasonable price, which is what we plan on doing for the boys before we leave for the trip. Also, some Cast Members wear green lanyards, which means they only trade pins with kids. Of course, adults can pin trade as well, as Mary wants to do.



Disney Dollars
Disney Dollars are pretty much what you'd expect; they're equivalent to $1 U.S. currency, and can be spent on just about anything at Disney World. What I really like about Disney Dollars is how they can be used:

1. to reward kids for doing [extra] chores and/or good behaviour (if they already receive allowance, perhaps a percentage could be given as Disney dollars)
2. to show kids how much money they have to spend while at Disney World on souvenirs, toys, etc.
   
3. as supplementary gifts for special occasions, such as birthdays and Christmas

Disney Dollars are only sold in the U.S., but I plan to buy a stack online a few years before the vacation (I'll ask around to see who wants me to buy some for them also).



Epcot Passports and Scavenger Hunt
Epcot is divided into two sections: Future World and the World Showcase. Future World has lots of rides and attractions, while the World Showcase is a huge... showcase of different countries from around the world, including Canada. Each country, which is hosted by Cast Members who are actually from that country, typically has a ride or attraction, gift shop, restaurant or two, and an educational exhibition. They also have an activity for kids to do at each pavilion, for which they receive a sticker. Once they have collected stickers from each country, the kids receive a poster. In addition, Disney sells passport kits containing stickers and a passport, which can be stamped and signed by representatives from each country.

Why About When

I'm going to pretend that the blog is still being visited on an occasional basis, and also that someone has submitted a question about the vacation. ;) I've been talking with Brenda about the proposed vacation date lately, and I thought I would talk about why that date is ideal.

First, why leave on a Sunday and return on a Thursday eleven days later? Room rates are double their usual rates on Friday and Saturday nights, so while it kind of sucks that we don't take advantage of Saturday, it also provides a typically non-work, non-school day to pack and prepare. Sunday will be primarily a travel day, as it will likely be around 3:00-4:00 p.m. when we arrive at our resort. There will be time to unpack, have dinner, relax and explore. Monday through Saturday will provide 6 full days to visit the parks, which is ideal. Sunday is a transition day; we'll leave the resort around 10:00-11:00 a.m. and be aboard the cruise ship around 12:00 noon. We'll leave the ship on Thursday morning to catch our plane, and perhaps be home by dinner.

Second, why December 2-13? I've mentioned previously that crowds at Disney will be low with the U.S. Thanksgiving having ended 1½ weeks earlier. In addition, prices are very low, crowds are low (but the parks will be far from empty), weather is historically beautiful, and the threat of hurricanes (primarily a cruise issue) is virtually nil. As a bonus, Christmas decorations will be on display everywhere, and there are several really cool Christmas events, including a candlelight processional with a choir and the reading of the Christmas story, and a massive spectacle of over 5,000,000 Christmas lights in an area of one of the parks. Considerable research has found this time of the year to be optimal for all of the above-mentioned reasons.

Third, none of this is final. Nothing is certain at this point, and there is still much time to consider and discuss all aspects of the vacation. Roughly one year before the trip, I will plan a get-together for everyone in order to give a presentation covering all aspects of the trip, and to discuss and hopefully finalize the most important plans.

Feel free to discuss this issue in the comments.

BoardWalk Villas Video

Below is a 1-minute video about the BoardWalk Villas from Disney's Vacation Planning DVD.