Planning A Disney Trip: Part 1

So, since I am in full planning mode I have been thinking about Disney. A lot. I thought it might be a good idea to go over the entire planning process. After all, I do have a lot of experience planning all kinds of Disney Vacations.

The Magic Kingdom is typically the most crowded park.

The first thing you will want to do once you have decided on  Disney vacation is come up with a budget. I know, it sounds like it should be common sense. But, seriously pick a budget and stay with it. Only you know what you will be able to spend and once you start to see all of the amazing things you can add to a Disney vacation the total price can get quite high. Bottom line: if you know that you can only spend $1500 don't budge. Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to save on the vacation if you know how to be creative.

Once you have your budget you will need to pick your dates. This is were things can be a little tricky. It is more expensive to stay over weekends and anytime when school is not in session. If you are able to go in 'off season' months (think January, February, October, and November) and stay during the week you are more likely to be able to save on your room rate.

So, you have picked the week and you have your budget. Now what? You will need to find a place to stay. You have so many options to choose from. Yes, you can find a cheaper room off Disney property. And some of those hotels will include amenities like free breakfasts, which is not something you will find at any of the Disney resorts. But, you will miss out on some of the complimentary services that Disney offers its resort guests. Sure, your off property hotel may have a shuttle to and from the airport. But, Disney does one better. Once you check your bag at your departing airport you won't touch it again until you unpack in your hotel room. The same goes for your flight home. And the bus ride to and from the airport is complimentary. Disney will also take you anywhere you want to go on Disney property free of charge. The transportation system at Disney is truly second to none: buses, trams, boats, and the monorail. Some off property hotels have a shuttle that will come to the parks. But, these are often vans that can seat a family or two at a time. This means that it will most likely take a lot of time to get to and from the parks. If you decide that doesn't work for you then you can drive to the parks, and then pay for parking.

The Contemporary Resort is one of the original resorts on Disney property

Like I said before, only you know your budget. If you can get a room for $20 less a night off property that will save you $100 on a five night stay. If that means a lot to your budget then stay off property. I recommend talking with the front desk at the hotel to find out the best way to get around during your stay.

The type of park ticket you get can also make a big difference. If you are counting your pennies then maybe the park hoper option may not be for you. I would recommend picking a park and staying there for the day. What's the point of paying extra when you most likely stay at one park each day anywhere? If your plans don't allow for you to spend a day at each park it might be worth looking in to getting the park hoper ticket there are things on your must do list at each park.

One of the best things you can do to stretch your dollar is to check out any deals on the Disney website. Sometimes Disney will have special offers where you can get a room, park tickets, and a meal plan for a low price. Check the website regularly and you'll get a feel for when Disney has special promotions.

Of course, there is a lot more that goes in to planning a Disney vacation. But, that would make for a much longer article. I'll go over more as time goes on.

Planning In Action

I am so lucky my parents bring me with them when they go on vacation.

For those of you that have been bitten by the Disney bug you will know how strong the urge to plan a Disney trip is. I know that I am already thinking about my next trip before I even get home from my current trip.

That being said that last pilgrimage I made the the Orlando parks was absolutely amazing. My boyfriend join my family and me on vacation. The poor thing didn't know what to expect having only gone once before when he was much younger. I savored every minute of it. The phenomenal food. The awe-inspiring night shows. The magic of the parks. All of it. I just love it. It truly feels like home.

For the last few years, ever since college, I have truly cherished these vacations. And I always feel so sad when I leave. I have even cried during Wishes on occasion. Why? Because, each time I go I feel that it will be my last time. At least for a long time.

You see, I have been living on my own for several years now. While I am finally doing well enough that I can get by with one job, I still mainly live paycheck to paycheck. (Thanks student loans....) If I had to pay for myself to go I could not afford to go to Disney. But, I could be much worse off. This is know.

We have already started saving for Food and Wine!

I have been unbelievably lucky in that my parents have been taking me with them whenever they plan a trip to Disney even though I am grown and live on my own. Sometimes, I can only go for part of the trip and other times I can get off work at all. But, the fact that they still invite me, and pay for nearly the entire trip, is amazing. I know that I am incredibly lucky and I hope that one day I will be able to return the favor and bring them with us when my boyfriend and I have our own family.

I can feel my Disney bug coming back to life with each passing day. My parents are planning a trip in October and my boyfriend and I have been invited. The Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT has long been on my list. Even before I started drinking alcohol! I have always loved trying new foods and experiencing the different cultures of the world. Now that I enjoy a glass of wine I am beyond excited to finally be able to go. Not only that, but we are going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. For those of you that don't know it is the only time adults are allowed to wear costumes at the parks. My boyfriend and I have a lot of planning to do!

I know taking a picture with this guy is high on my list.

Not only are my parents going to be with us, but much of my extended family will be as well. I have not seen many of my cousins for years. And sadly, I have only met one of their six children. Life just hasn't allowed me to make the long, expensive, trip to visit my extended family. I can't wait to see my family at one of the most magical places on Earth. It should be exciting since they will be meeting my boyfriend of two years for the first time. What fun!

We don't know where exactly we will be staying, just that it will be on property. We don't know exactly where we will make dining reservations. And I have no idea which attractions we will get fastpasses for. Though, I can assume that some of the major attractions will be high on the list. I'm not sure I can imagine a trip without Big Thunder Mountain, Test Track, Toy Story Mainia, Star Tours, or the Safari ride at Animal Kingdom. Not to mention Illuminations at EPCOT.

I do know that I will be seeing the new Pandora area at Animal Kingdom. I do know that I will spend an afternoon sampling food and beverages from around the world, after I ride the renovated Soarin' of course. I know that I will see the new night show at Animal Kingdom. And I know that I will be seeing the new fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom since Wishes will be retired before our trip. Aside from that the rest of the trip will be relaxing and fun. This time I would like to try for as few pre-planned events as possible. Since the parks, except EPCOT, should be less crowded I am looking forward to a slow paced Disney trip. I want to be able to do the things I want to do when I want to do them.

I look forward to more pictures like this one. 

There is so much to be excited for! My boyfriend and I flew down the last time and met up with my family. This time we will drive down and make a road trip of it and will meet up with them the day they get there. My boyfriend and I want to savor as much of this trip as possible. Like I've said before, I feel that each trip will be my last and I think this may be my last trip until my boyfriend and I go back with our own family many years from now.

I plan on highlighting the planning process and showcasing new things as they open. I am so excited to have something to get me through the difficult days at work. (As we all know, even if you love your job like I do there are some days that are just plain hard.) After all, I work to support my Disney addiction.

Shenanigans with Chili

So, it has been a while. A lot longer than I had intended between posts. It was a little of lack of inspiration. A lot of having my attention on other projections on-line. And a whole lot of overtime at work. But, for now, things appear to be slowing back down to normal.

My parents have announced that we will be taking a trip to Walt Disney World in October. That's right. Food and Wine Festival. I know, I'm excited too. In effort to get back in to the swing of things and get pumped for the upcoming trip (yes, I am aware that it is still over nine months away) I have decided to get back on track and continue my journey through the Disney cookbooks. I made beer cheese soup about a week ago (I'm not saying it helped the Packers beat the Cowboys, but I'm just saying the soup had just finished when the game winning field goal was made...) But, I've already covered that here. So, its still football season and while it's not to terribly cold out winter is still here. What is better than chili in winter? Just about nothing.

I found the recipe for Walt Disney's personal chili in on of my books. So, I set about planing the meal. What is funny is I wanted to do everything according the the recipe since I knew I would be writing a blog about it, but nothing seemed to go my way no matter what I did.

I had read the ingredient list and directions. I was prepped to make the chili in the middle of the work week. It would be perfect for dinner and have tons of leftovers. But, apparently I hadn't read the instructions as carefully as I thought. The recipe clearly said to soak the beans overnight.Well I hadn't, so we had something else and then I planned to make it on another night. Well, then I read that the beans needed to simmer for two hours. I don't have that kind of time during the week. So, chili and cornbread would go great with the NFL playoff games on Sunday.

I soaked the beans overnight. There really wasn't a clear timeframe. In the morning I was surprised to find that the beans had nearly soaked up all the water. Following the directions I drained, rinsed, and put them in a pot with fresh water. Here is where things got a little weird. The recipe says to use a 2 quart sauce pan. I had to use a 5 quart dutch oven and still didn't have enough room. Granted I did use kidney beans, which the recipe does not call for, but I like them in my chili so I went with it. On the flip side the beans are supposed to sinner with chopped onions (2 whole white onions) for two hours. I somehow forgot to get onions so I didn't have them in the pot.

I ended up taking about a third of the beans out to use a different night. Waste not want not after all. I don't know how two pounds of pinto beans alone would fit in a 2 quart pot if 3 pounds of beans fills a 5 quart pot, but math was never my strong point...

The garlic with the ground beef and celery smelled absolutely amazing. I thought it couldn't get any better, but then I added the spices. I had been wrong. My boyfriend and I had to have a quick snack because the smell had our mouths watering and stomachs growling. I had the beans simmering and the meat mixture simmering at the same time. I figured it would be easier that way. I was surprised at how little of the spices the directions called for, but I figured it would turn out just fine.

By the time it simmering time was complete I realized that this recipe was not the kind of chili that I am used to. I wold totally put it on a hotdog, or a baked potato, or possibly some steamed rice. But I would not consider it to be a bowl of chili. There wasn't much liquid to it. It was simply beans, spices, and ground beef. So, after some quick collaboration with my boyfriend we decided to add a can of tomato paste, a can of tomato sauce, a little water, and more spices. A lot more.

We let our new concoction simmer for nearly a half hour so all the flavors could meld together. I was pleased with the final product. The beans were not as tender as I would have liked, but perhaps I had not cooked them enough before adding them. The original recipe said it would serve four people, they must have been four very hungry people. Before I made my additions I had enough in the pot for at least two dinners and lunch for my boyfriend and I. Now, I have enough chili in my fridge to feed us for an entire week. I must say that I am quite pleased as I really feel that we got a lot of bang for our buck on this recipe.

I prefer my chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and crackers. My boyfriend is not a fan of crackers in his chili.

In the end I am happy that I made this recipe. Have I made better chili before? Yes, yes I have. I didn't feel that the directions in the cook book were enough to go on. My boyfriend and I both interpreted them differently and overall I felt the chili was a little bland before I made my changes. But, keep in mind that I spent a good deal of time of my youth in Texas and good chili was not hard to find. Overall, I'd say it is worth trying but to keep in mind that you may need to adjust the recipe to better suite your own personal tastes.