Category — k. Special Circumstances at Walt Disney World
Help Military Disney Tips Celebrate its Fifth Birthday!
My friend Steve is celebrating the fifth birthday of his site MilitaryDisneyTips.com.
Steve opened his site just about a month after this one opened, we soon discovered each other, and we’ve been helping our mutual readers ever since. Just this year, he became the moderator of this site’s military comments!
So wander on over to his site to help him celebrate, to hear his thoughts on the renewal of the Disney Armed Forces Salute, and just to say thanks!
And from me–Thanks, Steve, and happy birthday to your site!
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April 30, 2013 1 Comment
A Lesser-Known Tip for Large Families at Walt Disney World
THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ON-SITE OPTION FOR LARGE FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Teal. Enjoy the ride as this month we discuss some lesser known tips and tricks for Walt Disney World visitors.
This site has tons of advice for large families trying to figure out where to stay. It begins here, then continues with
But there’s no great lower-priced answer for staying on site with a really large group–say ten people.
What I recommend on Large Families: Value Prices for groups of this size is a family suite and a standard room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, at a price (during the 2013 Fall price season) of $45/person/night. Another even less expensive option is two Alligator Bayou rooms at Port Orleans Riverside, at $41/person/night.
The problem with both these options is that your rooms might be a real hike apart…and no one would ever call them cheap…
Or ten people could tent-camp at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort for about $62 bucks a night during the same season*…or about $6.20 per person per night.
Fort Wilderness campsites hold as many as ten people, and, in a change from past practice, there’s no difference in cost between one person and ten on the site. That’s my lesser known tip!
However, tent camping at Disney World is not for the inexperienced, and not really a good idea for first time visitors.
PROS AND CONS OF LARGE FAMILIES TENT CAMPING AT FORT WILDERNESS [Read more →]
February 26, 2013 6 Comments
Steve Bell of Military Disney Tips to Moderate “Military Families” Comments
ADULT SUPERVISION FOR MATERIAL ON MILITARY FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Longtime readers of this site’s comments (that is, my mom) will know the name “Steve from MilitaryDisneyTips.com” as that of an expert who helps out all the time when I’m over my head on some of the complexities that military families face at Walt Disney World. See for example this.
Disney World has a variety of great opportunities for military families, but since they exist at the intersection of two of the world’s great bureaucracies, sorting out who is eligible for what when can be a trial.
Steve has helped this site’s readers with these and other issues for years now, and now we’ve agreed to formalize this relationship and he’s become the “official” moderator of comments and questions on this site’s military family pages!
ABOUT STEVE
Steve brings both Disney World and military expertise.
His Disney World background began even before the Magic Kingdom opened, as he and his family began their Disney World story with a visit to the old Welcome Center.
Soon they visited the Magic Kingdom itself, and that’s been followed by dozens of visits since to Walt Disney World. Moreover, Steve also worked for years as a Magic Kingdom cast member!
His cast member experience was preceded and followed by stints in the Air Force, from which he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant in 2012.
There’s nothing quite like the combination of being both a former very senior NCO and a former Disney World cast member for bringing insight and compassion to military families planning their Disney World visits.
Steve’s been combining these two skill sets for almost five years on his site Military Disney Tips and its associated blog.
I first ran across him, I think, in 2009 when I was expanding my material for military families and realized that my readers would often be better served from me just linking to his pages rather than writing a lot about stuff I only partially understand.
Since then we’ve become tight collaborators and friends, and, in trying to help our readers as best we can, we have sent tens of thousands of them to each other’s sites. And he’s always been willing to take the time to help out when I’m over my head!
So I was happy as a clam when he said he’d be willing to formally take on the role of moderating this site’s military family comments!
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January 23, 2013 18 Comments
Review: Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou Rooms
For the first page of this review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, see this.
THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE
Port Orleans Riverside has two areas and three distinct room types.
Its Magnolia Bend area has two room types, Royal Rooms and Standard Rooms, each sleeping four in two queen beds.
Its Alligator Bayou area rooms sleep five in two queen beds and one short (~66 inches long) Murphy bed.
These Alligator Bayou rooms are one of only two traditional moderate resort spaces that sleep 5 (non-Pirate rooms at Caribbean Beach are the other), and these rooms are as a result very important to families a little larger than average.
For families that don’t need the extra bed, these rooms have so-so theming, are kind of ugly in spots–although your taste may vary–and are thin on storage. Such families have better options.
REVIEW OF THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU ROOMS [Read more →]
November 19, 2012 32 Comments
Veterans Day 2012: Thanks For Your Service
On this Veterans Day, just a note to thank all of those who have put their lives at risk so that the rest of us can be free.
My favorite veteran is my dad–that’s him above during the Korean War.
Next favorite is my wife’s dad–that’s him above, on the right, during World War II.
After him, my next favorite is my sister’s husband, who served with the riverine Navy in Vietnam.
And another favorite is Steve (above) from MilitaryDisneyTips.com, a retired Air Force First Shirt who does a great job keeping military families up to date on great Disney World deals and other important info.
And all the millions of the rest of you are my favorites too! Thank you for your service, and God bless! Wherever you are, and whatever you do, my gratitude goes with you.
LINKS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
- Military Families at Walt Disney World
- Deals and Discounts
- Shades of Green
- Other Resources for Military Families
November 11, 2012 5 Comments
Important News for Military Families Considering an Orlando Vacation
My friend Steve at MilitaryDisneyTips.com has published recently a couple of important news items for military families:
- He’s broken the story that families can now use the 4 day Disney World Military Salute tickets back to back for a trip longer than 4 days. See this.
- He’s also recently posted on a new Universal Orlando military deal–the first since Harry Potter opened. See this.
Thanks, Steve, for writing about these!
November 6, 2012 11 Comments
