Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

BOOKING WALT DISNEY WORLD FOR 2020

I can tell from my search traffic that people are already starting to plan their 2020 Walt Disney World vacations.

The Walt Disney World website currently only allows bookings through 2019…so how do you book for later dates? Do you have to wait?

The short answer is that you can book a Disney World resort room 499 days ahead…but it’s a little complicated… [Read more →]

(This page is one of a series explicating Walt Disney World lingo, abbreviations, and FAQ for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.)

CAN YOU FIT A STANDARD CARRY-ON BAG INTO A LOCKER AT DISNEY WORLD’S THEME PARKS?

My itineraries note the option of renting lockers at the Walt Disney World theme parks at several points—e.g. for stuff you mean to carry on to your flight on the last day of trip, and for dry clothes if you are planning to ride Kali River Rapids.

I had an email about whether these lockers are big enough for standard-sized carry on rolling bags.

The answer is a firm maybe. Some lockers will fit a standard bag…but they might be sold out.

LOCKERS AROUND THE WORLD [Read more →]

THE LATEST ON WALT DISNEY WORLD’S NEXTGEN PROJECT

In Disney’s February 2011 investor conference, Parks and Resorts head Tom Staggs gave a little more detail about the initiatives that have become known as Disney’s NextGen Project.

(See this for prior thoughts on NextGen.)

He described what he called “a version of FASTPASS for the entire vacation.”

It would include being able to handle from home before even leaving for Walt Disney World reserving times to see attractions, setting times for character interactions, and reserving seats and times for theater-style shows.

Moreover, hotel keys would be in your hands before you left as well.

The upshot of all this would be less time spent waiting in line, less uncertainty about whether or not you’ll be able to see an attraction, less fuss checking in to hotels, and an overall better and more personalized experience.

Staggs noted that it will be some time before these features become available, and did not hint as to when that time would be…

Stagg’s presentation was largely consistent with this site’s previous speculation about Disney’s NextGen Project, without confirming any specific thoughts other than those noted above.

This site recommends that first time family visitors stay in Disney’s Polynesian Resort  if they can afford it, or at Disney’s Pop Century Resort if they are on a tight budget.

Dale emailed me recently. 

He had heard that Pop Century’s main pool, the Hippy Dippy Pool, would be closed for rehab from mid-February to mid-March.

He wondered if I thought he should cancel and book another value resorts.

I said no–Pop has three large pools, and will still have two open during the refurb. (See the image.)

These pools may be more crowded than usual, but not enough to require changing reservations.

If a family wants to change reservations anyway, I rank the other three value resorts in this order:

1. All-Star Movies
2. All-Star Sports
3. All-Star Music

MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• For where to stay, see this
  • For your next best choices, in order, see this
  • For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
  • For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
  • For where not to stay, see this

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• For what you get in each resort price category, see this
  • For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
  • For resort reviews, see this
  • For the value resorts, see this
  • For the moderate resorts, see this
  • For the deluxe resorts, see this
  • For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
  • For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this

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• For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this

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• Large families should look at this, and also at
  • Large Families Looking for Value Pricing at Walt Disney World
  • Large Families Looking for Deluxe Accommodations at Disney World
  • Beds and Sleeping Spaces at the Walt Disney World Resorts
  • Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
  • Suites at Walt Disney World

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• Military/DOD families should look at this

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• Tightwads should look at this

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• Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this

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MORE ON THE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

(For the first page of this review, click here.)

There are currently 8 official Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World.

However, I have come to count them as ten.

Ten because two of the resorts–Saratoga Springs and the Animal Kingdom Villas–have two very different areas.

In order of their appropriateness for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World, they are:

1. The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
2. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House
3. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Kidani Village
4. Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
5. The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
6. Disney’s Beach Club Villas
7. Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
8. Disney’s Old Key West Resort
9. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, main resort
10. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Treehouse Villas area.

These resorts are available to anyone to reserve through the regular Walt Disney World website or the resort reservations phone number at 407-939-7675.

They also are available to the general public at great discounts through renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member.

ROOMS AT THE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE [Read more →]

OVERVIEW: SUMMER AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Summer at Walt Disney World—loosely defined as Memorial Day in late May through Labor Day in early September–is an often difficult season.

The weather is hot and humid, and in mid-August shifts to hot, humid, and also the peak of the  hurricane season.

Crowds are very high most of the summer–lightest in the latter part of August, and also a little lighter in early June. They peak over the Fourth of July holiday.

Prices begin fairly high, peak over the Fourth of July weekend, and drop to their lowest level of the year at the deluxe resorts in mid-July, and at the moderate resorts and value resorts in mid August.

Deals and discounts are available for parts of this period.

[Read more →]