Anthony’s Key Dock Cabins from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key Dock and Dive Shop from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key Dining from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key General Overview from longyear on Vimeo.

Friday we had a bon voyage / birthday party for Mariah.

Saturday night Steph called me from Orlando.  She was upset.  I can’t find my purse.  It has my ID and passports.  I think it was stolen.  I’m not sure they will let us on the ship tomorrow.

What took place from 11:00PM Saturday night to 4:00PM Sunday afternoon was amazing.

It’s all explained in the video.  Grab some popcorn and settle in.

Stolen Passports and the Kindness of Strangers from longyear on Vimeo.

For a complete play-by-play (the DIS posts) of this beautiful mess, click here.

Thanks to the Marriott Orlando Airport hotel for incredible customer service.

Check out The Perfect Gift, the biz run by Shirley and Norm.  They are amazing.

To book your next cruise, call Kelsie or John at Dreams Unlimited.  You will not be disappointed.

I’m probably forgetting to thank somebody.  If you were any part of this little miracle, THANK YOU!

Stephanie: I found these tips for newbies on the DISboards and loved them. Dave says that he comes across a number of people that are going to Disney for the first time or have not been for a long time and they ask him for some tips. He decided to gather up a top ten list for Disney newbies and have them printed out to give to people who ask. I think Dave did a great job giving newbies just the right amount of information. Not too little. Not too much. Great job, Dave! Thanks for sharing with us at Trekeo.

1. Research – You will likely be spending thousands of dollars on your Disney Vacation. Spend some time researching your trip. Get maps so you will know your way around. Pick up a touring guide like the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. Check out bulletin boards like DISBoards, they can be invaluable and have lots of Disney experts that are happy to help you have a Magical trip. On these boards you can find out everything from menus to information about hidden Mickeys.
2. Have a Plan – Choose your dates trying to avoid holidays. Once you have your dates, chose which park you want to go to each day. Consult the calendar on the Disney website for current hours. Disney hours are not the same everyday and can change often. Disney also offers Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests. These times allow resort guests only in the park before and after the non resort guests may enter. These can make the parks extra busy on the day that a park has an EMH. Decide before getting in the park which rides you want to do first, second and third and know where these rides are at. This will save a considerable amount of time trying to figure out where to go. There are also pay sites like TouringPlans, Tour Guide Mike and RideMax. Considering how much a trip costs spending an extra $20 for some great advise is cheap.
3. ADR – Advance Dining Reservation. If you want to eat at a sit down restaurant while at Disney World you should have reservations. ADR’s can be made 90 days in advance by calling 407-WDW-DINE. Most of the better restaurants will fill up quickly and not take any walk up requests for dining. There are also many Counter Service restaurants that don’t take reservations. Eating early will lesson the crowds, as there is a huge difference in the lines from 11:30 to 12:00.
4. Park Hopping – If you want to go to more than one park on the same day you need a Park Hopper ticket. You cannot just use an extra day from your Magic Your Way ticket to hit 2 parks in the same day. If you are unsure that you will use park hopping, don’t get it but put the money aside (currently the hopper option is $50 per ticket for your entire stay whether it is one day or 10) and then if you need to add the hopper option you can upgrade at any ticket booth or even at your Disney resort. If you don’t end up hopping you just saved a considerable amount of money that you can spend on that stuffed Mickey you have been eyeing.
5. Transportation – Getting around the parks is easy, but can take a while. Buses, monorails and boats go between resorts and theme parks and from theme parks to theme parks but not from resorts to resorts. Allow for 30-60 minutes to get from a resort to a theme park and a bit longer to get from one resort to another. Disney’s Magical Express provides free airport transportation to and from Disney resorts. (advanced booking for DME is required)
6. Rope Drop – Disney gets crowded. The earlier in the day you start your tour of the parks, the more you will get done. If you get there 30 minutes before the park opens for the day you will be at the turnstiles when they open 15 minutes before the park opens. From the turnstiles you will be held inside the park by a rope. When the park officially opens for the day they remove the rope and you may then proceed to the attractions. You will get more done in the first hour than you will in the next 3 hours and more done in the first 3 hours than you will the rest of the day.
7. Fastpasses – They are free and are included with your park admission. You get a Fastpass by inserting your Key to the World card or park ticket into the Fastpass machine at the attraction you want the Fastpass for. This will give you a ticket with a return time that will allow you to ride with a minimal wait. You can get a second Fastpass as soon as the return time on the ticket or 2 hours from the time you got the previous Fastpass whichever is less. Fastpasses may be used after the return time that is printed on the ticket but never before the time printed.
8. Take Care of Yourself and Your Group - Make sure to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause meltdowns and muscle fatigue. If someone in your group starts to imitate Grumpy from the Seven Dwarfs have them drink some water. There are many drinking fountains around the parks but filtered water is also available for free from any location that has fountain drinks. Bring a couple of pairs of comfortable shoes that are broken in. Take a first aid kit with moleskin for putting on blisters and check your kids feet regularly to make sure that they don’t have a blister starting. Extra dry socks are a good idea to take with you into the parks. Medicated powders can be helpful for keeping chaffing under control. If your in pain, your not feeling the Magic.
9. Know your Group – Gear your trip to the needs and interest of all members of your group. Not all people are into big coasters or meeting characters. Plan something for everyone. Also remember that you are only as strong as your weakest link. Young children (some adults too) may need a break in the afternoon whether it is a nap or a swim in the pool. You will then be better rested to hit the parks in the evening. Remember that you can get Fastpasses before you leave that you can use when you get back to the park.
10. Have Fun – Remember that this is a vacation and not a military exercise. You will not be able to see and do everything in a single visit. Slow down and enjoy what you are doing instead of rushing around trying to get it all done. If you miss something, don’t get upset about it. Just think of it as being the reason for your next trip to the Mouse House.

Dave Wetterstroem is from Columbus Ohio. He is known on the DISboards as DaveStroem. While he has only been to Walt Disney World three times he has done a lot of research on the World. During his latest trip he put most of these tips to use and found out the hard way about a few others (it took 1 1/2 hours to get from POR to the Poly for dinner at Ohana).

Photo by PSD.

What? Can you imagine spending your hard earned money and vacation time for a trip to Walt Disney World only to arrive at the gates of the Magic Kingdom and be told, "Sorry folks. The park is closed. The Mouse out front should have told you."

The Magic Kingdom has closed twice this week already due to the park reaching capacity. I am hearing reports that this has also happened at Epcot. What does it mean when they close a park, how is it done and what can you do about it?

According to Cheshire Figment on the DISboards:

The turnstile master computer at each park keeps track of both entries and exits. When a park capacity closes (which is done in stages) there has to be a certain number of people exiting, with the total "in park" below a certain number, before they start allowing people in again.
There are four stages to park closing:
Stage 1 – The parking lot entrance is closed. You can only access the park if you are using Disney Transportation.
Stage 2 – The ticket windows are all closed (and the automated Ticket Vending Machines are turned off). Unless you already have a ticket you cannot get in.
Stage 3 – Only people with Annual Passes or current Resort IDs will be allowed in.
Stage 4 – Nobody is allowed in.
Note – having restaurant reservations in a park, even with written proof, will not override a stage closing for you.
Also, if you are staying at a Disney owned and operated Resort and have a ticket, you are guaranteed entry into A park. Not necessarily the one you want (unless you want to go into AK). And if you have entered and left a park and do not have a hopper you may not get into anything.

I’m not sure what the actual capacity at each park is. There seem to be some conflicting numbers out there, but once a park reaches capacity the above measures are taken until capacity drops and the park is reopened. I’m not sure which is worse being turned away at the gates or being in a capacity crowd at the park waiting in line for hours to ride your favorite rides. The pictures I have seen of the crowds this week are unbelievable.

How are some tips to help you either avoid the crowds or deal with them.

1. Don’t travel during peak season – to avoid the overwhelming crowds all together travel off season.

WDW is the busiest at these times: President’s Week (February), Spring Break (mid April – mid July, worst weeks surrounding Easter), Memorial Day Weekend, Summer Break (mid June – mid August, peaking at the 4th of July), Thanksgiving week, Christmas Break (week before Christmas – first week of January).

WDW is slowest at these times: January, February (except President’s Week), Fall (after school starts, except Thanksgiving week), between Thanksgiving and Christmas (week after Thanksgiving to week before Christmas).

2. Arrive at rope drop – arrive at the park before it opens. You will be insured entry into the park and it will not fill to capacity most likely until afternoon which means less crowds to deal with in those first few hours.

3. Use the Fast Pass system – You can avoid long waits in ride lines even during peak season if you understand Disney’s Fast Pass system and use it wisely. Please click here to watch my video explanation of the Fast Pass.

4. Have a plan – if you must travel during peak season, have a plan. I have used several planning tools over the years. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Over the next few weeks I will review the following for you: The Unofficial Guide, TouringPlans.com, Tour Guide Mike and RideMax.

I love to travel and I love a good deal. When I can marry the two it’s like a symphony to my ears. Can you hear it? If not, I am here to help you with three tips for getting a great deal on a hotel room.

Watch my video on Expo and then come back for some more details. None of this will make sense without seeing the video.

1. Use Priceline to book your room. Look midway down on the left side of the page for the name your own price section. Click bid now under the hotels heading. Enter your information on your city and dates and click bid now. Check out the possible areas of the city you can bid for on Priceline.

2. Don’t bid blindly. Go to BetterBidding or BiddingForTravel.com to learn about successful bids in your chosen city. On both these websites travelers post their successful wins on Priceline. You can benefit from their experience.

3. Use free rebids. If your first bid on Priceline is unsuccessful, you have two options. You can either wait 24 hours and try again or you can bid again immediately if you change one of the following variables: dates of your stay, star level or location. Usually my dates are already set and I am fairly committed to trying for the star level I am bidding on. I can change my location using any free rebids available to me.

I will use Orlando as an example. Go to the Priceline name your own price area and input some dates for an Orlando stay and click the bid now button. I’ll wait. Go ahead.

You will see that Step 1 is to choose where you will stay. If you click on each area individually you will find that the Step 2 section, Choose the star level for your hotel changes to reflect the level of hotels offered in that area. I found the following for Orlando:

1. Disney World Vicinity – all star levels available

2. Downtown Orlando – up to 4 star

3. Kissimmee – up to 2.5 star

4. Maitland – Altamonte Springs – up to 3.5 star

5. Orlando Airport – up to 3.5 star

6. Orlando East – up to 2.5 star

7. Sand Lake Corporate Park – up to 2

8. Universal Studios – Sea World – all star levels

9. West Disney – up to 3 star

10. Winter Garden – up to 3 star

11. Winter Park – up to 2 star

I have learned that there are 11 areas I could stay in in the Orlando area. I want  to stay in the Walt Disney World Vicinity. I know that others are getting a 3 star hotel in that area for around $40. I can bid for a 3 star in that area and if I don’t win I have 4 free rebids. Kissimmee, Orlando East, Sand Lake Corporate Park and Winter Park are all free rebids for me because they do not have any hotels available above the 2.5 star rating. That makes them free rebids because I can add them as an area I am willing to stay in, thus changing a variable and allowing me to rebid, but I know I won’t win a hotel there because Priceline does not have any 3 star hotels in that area.

My bidding strategy looked like this:

1st bid – I offered $35 for a 3 star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity – unsuccessful

2nd bid – I offered $36 for a 3 star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity and Kissimmee area – unsuccessful

3rd bid – I offered $37 for a 3 star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee and Orlando East area – unsuccessful

4th bid – I offered $38 for a 3 star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee, Orlando East and Sand Lake Corporate Park – unsuccessful

5th bid – I offered $39 for a 3 star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee, Orlando East, Sand Lake Corporate Park and Winter park- I got it this time. I won 3 star hotel in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, the Radisson Resort Orlando – Celebration. I needed two nights and here is the cost breakdown:

Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $39.00

Subtotal: $78.00

Taxes and service fees: $18.02

Total charges: $96.02

By using Priceline, not bidding blindly and using free rebids, I got a great deal on a hotel room in in Orlando. I’ll let you know how our stay is when we return.

To see our video review of Walt Disney World for Adults, click here.

As in leaving the kids at home and going to Disney without them. Why not? Scot and I have taken several adult only trips to the Walt Disney World Resort. Our most recent was this past January when Scot ran the Walt Disney World Marathon. I used to think Disney was for kids, but then I found out I was wrong. Way wrong. WDW has a lot to offer for adults. Check out my video to find out some of my favorites things to do sans children.

Do you have any favorite activities as an adult at Walt Disney World. We would love to hear them.

For Stephanie’s video review of the Walt Disney World Resort, click here.

If I go to Disney World, does that include that animal place?  What about the big castle that I see all the time?  How about that great big golf ball looking thing – is that in the Disney World park.  Ah, grasshopper, so much to learn. 

The Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Fl (USA) is home to four theme parks:

1.  The Magic Kingdom
2.  Epcot
3.  Disney’s Hollywood Studios
4.  Disney’s Animal Kingdom

That may be the Disney World you know, but the Walt Disney World Resort is home to so much more.  There is also tons of Disney-themed lodging, restaurants, shops, Downtown Disney, Disney’s Wide World of Sports, golf courses, and spas.  There are even two water parks, Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Stick around Trekeo and we will break down the Disney experience park by park and ride by ride.  It’s almost as good as being there.  OK, that is a lie, but you can use the information here to beat the system and stick it to the mouse. 

Let me just be straight with you.  If you follow along with the information that will be posted on Trekeo, you will have a better Disney experience, guaranteed (or your money back).  My wife is queen of all things Disney.  She knows the tips, the tricks, the history, and the way to get the most for not only your money, but your time.  Don’t be the tourist that walks down Main Street USA (in the Magic Kingdom) and looks at the map and decides what to ride.  While you are doing that, Stephanie has already come off of Space Mountain for a 2nd time and has fastpasses in hand. 

Check back often as we explore the Walt Disney World Resort.