Walt Disney and the gigantic franchise that followed are a huge part of my life and one of my goals is to visit every Disney theme park, but how will I ever be able to pick a favorite? I probably won’t be able to, but I will share my thought, tips and comparisons on Disneyland in California verses Walt Disney World Resort in Florida so you are able to make a decision based on your every wish and dream of making your visit to a Disney park magical.

(TIP: Disneyland=California, Disney World=Florida)

For me, dreams did come true, as I was lucky enough to complete an internship at the Walt Disney World Resort as a vacation planner at Epcot, one of the four theme parks of the resort. I did take on roles at the rest of the parks as well (Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom). In doing so, I  learned quite a bit about the 250+ varieties of ticket packages available for purchase. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure as a guest.

Though their ticket packages change by the year, there are some similarities for both parks offerings and little factoids to look into before you venture into the parks. The process of ticket taking has been getting more strict as people are finding ways to scam people into buying used tickets at a reduced price, that WILL NOT work once entering the park. Your fingerprints are taken in order to make sure you are the only one using your ticket, so keep this in mind when you see a street vendor trying to sell you a $20 ticket, you will get ripped off. Also keep in mind that Disney parks are open 365 days a year and there are as many people working while the park is closed to the public as there are when the park is open to the public in order to maintain the parks charm and continually repair and update the rides in order to make them safe for all who enjoy them, give them a break if the ride is down for a small part of the day, check back later, they work hard to keep everything safe and magical.

1. If you plan on staying in a Disney hotel, check to see if the magical express is running, you can set it up before you leave and they will pick you up at the airport, take you to your hotel and take you back to the airport.

2. Another bonus of staying at a Disney hotel is extra magic hours! Grab a schedule or ask at the front desk: for Disney hotel guests only, the park will open earlier and/or stay open later for those staying at Disney hotels. Simply present your room key to a cast member (Disney park employee) at the time of the time extension and you are free to roam about and conquer rides and attractions with ease.

3. Disney hotels can be quite expensive, though their value hotels are affordable and the perks of free transportation and extra time in the park have sold me numerous times.

4. Speaking of free transportation, the monorail at Disney World is free to all!

(TIP: If you are riding the monorail for the first time and/or have kids with you, it is a lot of fun to wait in line at the very front and take in the beautiful sites as you are surrounded almost completely by windows).

5. You do not by tickets to a certain park, you buy days into the park. You can purchase a ticket at Epcot, jump on the monorail and use it at Animal Kingdom without a problem.

6. If you think you will want to see more than one park in a day, add a park hopper to your ticket, this lets you hop from park to park as many times as you want throughout the day, but it only works for the amount of days you have on your ticket. You do only have to purchase this option once for a multi-day ticket and it can be added on at any point in your trip. So if you bought a 5 day ticket, used 2 days and wanted to see a show at animal kingdom, but wanted to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, you would add a park hopper (1-time fee) and you can freely hop all 5 days if you add it in the beginning or the last 2-3 days if you add it part way through.

(TIP: If you’ve never been to Disney World before, there is pretty much no way to see all 4 parks and get to enjoy what each has to offer in less than 2-3 days. I recommend 1 day per park depending on the season, though Animal Kingdom is the smallest and you may be able to combine Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios into one day, but it would be pushing it.)

7. Ran out of vacation time, but still have days left on your tickets? Add a no expiration option, this will keep your ticket valid forever, if not you have 7-10 days from the first day you use your ticket until it expires.

8. Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure is a bit more for those who are older and want more thrill seeking rides. They are also a bit smaller and can probably be seen in a day or so. My take on Disneyland is that it is a shrunken down version of Disney World as shopping and the parks are all together.

9. Park at one park and use the park’s transportation if possible because you will have to pay to park at each park if you travel from park to park in your own vehicle, which adds up fast. Or you can stay at a Disney hotel and not worry about a thing

10. Fast passes at the park are a great way to get a secure spot on the ride you really want to go to, but you can only have one active fast pass at a time. You use your park ticket to get the pass at the ride you want and it gives you a time to return, once than time frame has expired you are able to activate another fast pass at the same ride or a different ride.

11. Firework displays are breathtaking and need to be seen at one, if not all parks on your trip.

12. There are hidden Mickey’s throughout each park and in almost each ride. There are books to give you clues as to where to find them. It is quite fun for all. Some rides have been updated or remodeled, so not all Mickey’s are still there or in the same spot, depending on when the book you buy is published.

(TIP: There is a yetti wearing Mickey ears in a display case in Expedition Everest)

I am still partial to Disney World because of the friendliness of the cast members and the size of the parks, but have love for both I’ve been to so far. I feel like there is much more to share on this subject so if you are interested in me explaining more or have specific questions on something you are looking into, let me know

 

Cinderella's Castle during "Wishes" Fireworks Display 2006

Jet setting is getting so close, but what do you pack?

Depending on how much time you have and whether you are male or female, packing can be easy or a bit of a challenge. It’s best to prepare for all types of weather as well as plan for activities you might participate in while on your trip, but still keep your bag under the weight limit to keep from having to pay extra.

(TIP: Be sure to check for luggage regulations with your airline before you arrive at the airport as each company has their own set of rules on overweight luggage and how many pieces you are allowed to carry onboard and/or check without penalty.)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and all U.S. airports still enforce pretty tight restrictions on taking liquids onto the plane, so if you know you will be gone for a week, place all liquids in a sealed plastic bag so they do not leak when the plane pressurizes and check them with your luggage. If you are only going overnight or for the weekend and do not want to waste time checking luggage, make sure ALL of your liquids and gel items are less than 3oz in size and can fit inside a quart-sized, sealed, clear, plastic bag. You are allowed only 1 quart-sized bag per person. Examples of items to declare are baby formula, cough medicine, liquid make-up, lip gloss, shampoo & conditioner, gel/aerosol deodorant, hair gel, hair spray, sunscreen, stain remover pen, nail polish, perfume/cologne, eye drops, mouthwash, toothpaste etc.

(TIP: You may want to bring a change of clothes in your carry-on in case your luggage is delayed, don’t let it delay your trip’s first day. Try not to overpack a carry-on bag or purse, especially with many electronic devices, as these bags are harder for the scanners to read and will more often than not, be pulled aside and manually checked. It will save you time as well as other travelers behind you, to organize your bag well so it is easy to repack if you happen to be the random inspection or one with a lot of electronics.)

Rules, rules rules, now let’s have some fun!

Weather is a funny thing around this wonderful world we live in, so you’ll want to be prepared without having to pack your whole closet. For cold destinations make sure you bring at least one warm outfit and for warm destinations, just the opposite, layering works well if you are unsure or cannot predict the weather for your entire trip.

BOTTOMS: Try bringing at least one pair of pants or jeans on the trip, I sometimes wear them on the plane to save room in my luggage and make sure I have something warm for the plane, that is usually cold. Even in warm destinations, it often cools down at night or after it rains (pray for no rain before you leave too!) Pants are usually the item you can skimp on while packing and maybe wear twice on your trip if need be so I recommend bringing a dressy pair of pants or capris and one dress outfit in case you want to dine out or go to a play on a whim, there may be a dress code and you wouldn’t want to have to hunt for an outfit you may not be comfortable in and spend money you could spend on souvenirs or a fancy dessert. 

TOPS: You can then bring a variety of styles of shirts and blouses to match these pants or that will go well with whichever bottom you choose (think of what you would be comfortable and/or feel stylish in while you are doing the planned or perspective activities on this trip). I would also recommend bringing a sweater or long-sleeved shirt, again because of the weather and also low air conditioned venues.

SHOES: Bring a nice pair of shoes that could double for dressy or casual, black is always a safe color, but look at your pant/blouse/dress combinations to decide–don’t bring your whole closet! Bring a comfy pair of sandals, boots or tennis shoes for walking or if you decide to exercise or need a break from dress shoes etc. You know your own routine, but may feel motivated to push yourself just a little harder to squeeze in as much fun as possible, so be nice to your feet and think of them for a minute while you are packing.

ETC.: Bathing suits for warm destinations or those with a pool.

(TIP: Make sure you bring a T-shirt, outfit or dress (ladies) to wear over your bathing suit, especially at desitinations where there are restaurants near the pool, as it is usually a requirement to be dressed, with shoes, while entering the establishment.)

Make sure to pack a lock inside your suitcase to lock it in the hotel when you leave as it is hard to say what the economic times are driving people to do. Keep your passport locked up in the hotel safe and do not carry it with you while you are out on your excursions, shopping etc., use a driver’s license or I.D. card for identification as it is much easier to replace and carries a lot less value.

Do a bit of research on things to do before you go and print it out or visit a travel agent location to get books or brochure on things you may want to do to maximize your trip’s excitement or relaxation. Grab anything and everything as you may change your mind when you get there and it’s nice to have an idea of what is out there to do.

Whether you are in a hurry to hit the road for either a long or short period of time, some minimal planning is necessary.

(Tip:Keep in mind you will want to spend a few dollars on travel insurance, especially if you are planning far in advance. If you are a last minute planner, you know how quickly something can come up, whether it is an illness, injury or better opportunity you don’t want to miss out on your trip–go on a later date and/or get more people to join you, think positive! Some airlines or or travel services may work with you to get some money reimbursed, but play on the safe side and get insurance.)

For a last minute trip you don’t want to empty the pocketbook, I recommend checking out discount, one-stop booking travel sites like Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, CheapTickets, Hotwire etc. This may also help if you don’t know where you would like to travel to, a great deal may sway your decision into a great getaway!

(Tip: If you are planning on traveling from the U.S. to Canada or Mexico you will need a passport and they may take some time to obtain so plan far in advance for a trip like this. Ideally you should get one to have on hand in case you do want to take a trip out of the country, though there are plenty of gorgeous destinations in the U.S.)

If you have a preferred airline, or not, you could very easily check out airline sites directly as most, if not all of them, have a last minute deal section of some sort.

(Tip: I’ve had quite a few delays on AirTran, though their prices are fairly inexpensive, so if you have some time to spare and want to save a few bucks maybe book with them, if not I enjoy flying with NWA/Delta or Spirit.)

Once you have your destination and flight scheduled, decide of course if you would like to rent a car, though I usually opt out of this opportunity as most places have shuttle transportation(check with the hotel) or public transportation that can easily get you around to the sites you want to see and save you a load of cash on a car you may not use, especially if you do not know the area, you could risk getting lost or end up somewhere not so desirable and make for a unpleasant vacation.

(Tip: If you do decide to rent a car, I recommend calling the rental agency to check on deals in certain locales that may not be posted online. Reminder…get the extra insurance!)

Ok, so everything is booked and you are ready to go, yesss!! If you are traveling within the U.S. it is recommended that you arrive at the airport with 2-2.5 hours before your plane takes off, though usually 1.5-2 hours is fine depending on the security level and popularity of your airport (I fly out of DTW in Detroit and usually arrive an hour or so in advance and make it to my gate without a problem).

Hope this helps get you started! We’ll back track a little and talk packing next time.

Thanks for your interest in I Need To Jet Set. We’ve all had those moments when we’ve become just a little overwhelmed at school, work, home, in a relationship, with children or all of the above (yikes!) and think aloud, “I need to jet set, take a vacation, explore and have an adventure or relax and regroup,” but where do you go? What do you want to see and do? How much is this going to cost me and will it be worth it? What do I need to do to prepare & pack? Where do I even get started!?–take a deep breath–Though, you may not be living the jet-setting lifestyle per-say (I certainly am not) or have the answers to all of these questions (I may not have all the answers either), but with quite a bit of travel experience under my belt, I plan on making things a little less worrisome and more of a vacation to plan your vacation! I hope you enjoy my reviews and travel tips and if you have any specific questions on a certain destination area, state, city, airline, hotel, tourism spot, cruise expedition etc., please let me know!

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