traveling Archives - Dad of Divas

4 Tips When Choosing Travel Accommodation As A Family

January 6, 2021 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Everyone knows that family travel is the gift that keeps on giving. There’s no limit on the memories you create when traveling as a family, and it gets better every year. In truth, it’s one of the few things you can do with your kids when they’re well into their teens and adult years! Of course, for many of you, that’s a long way away. Instead, we’ll focus on family travel with younger children.

Thus, we arrive at a key topic when planning your trip: where will you stay? Traveling as a family throws up more complications and concerns than traveling alone or as a couple. Therefore, the accommodation options aren’t as diverse as they once were. You have limited places that are suitable, so how do you choose where your family stays? Here are a few major things to consider.

Space

Obviously, you need to find somewhere with enough space for your whole family. Now, this can rule out a few options as they’re simply not convenient. For instance, some hotels in the area might have small rooms or cramped family rooms that just don’t work for you. What if you have a family of 5, 6, or 7?! You can’t possibly stay in the same room, meaning you’d need to pay for multiple rooms in the same hotel. This throws up other concerns, which you’ll see in the next point.

Instead, you have to turn your attention to accommodation options with enough space for your family to feel comfortable. You could consider looking at a house for rent – it will give you more than enough space to enjoy your trip over a few days. Or, you may think about staying at a campsite – again, you have lots of space here as you can rent a static caravan or bring your own tents. Look at your family, think about how much space you need, then seek out suitable options.

Money

Naturally, money is a big part of choosing where to stay. This is why hotels aren’t always the best option for large families. As mentioned above, you may need to book two rooms for your entire family. Instead of paying for one room for a few nights, you now have double the costs! It quickly makes your family holiday far more expensive than it needs to be – and it’s even worse when you consider that you won’t be in the hotel for that much of your trip!

So, work out your budget and find accommodation options that suit it better than others. This will also influence your decision if you want to rent a house or an Airbnb for your trip. Instead of renting a massive villa, you can save money by renting a small apartment.

Safety

Keeping your family safe is of the utmost importance for all parents. Once more, this is why some families don’t like staying in separate rooms in a hotel. For starters, you need to get two rooms as close to one another as you can. If this isn’t possible, your family is split up, so there’s more risk of bad things happening. It’s rare, but what if someone breaks into the room where your kids are sleeping? There are also safety concerns surrounding some Airbnb’s or campsites as there might not be any strict security measures.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to discover all the security measures before choosing your accommodation. A key safety aspect is where the place is situated – is it in a rough part of town or somewhere that’s generally deemed safe?

Trip duration

The final factor is your trip duration. Now, this is pretty critical as it influences the cost of your accommodation. If you’re going away for a weekend, you suddenly have more options than if you’re away for two weeks. Staying in a hotel for two nights is nowhere near as expensive as booking one for two weeks! As such, it could be a more suitable option if you’re on a short trip.

Likewise, some accommodation options have minimum stay times. For example, a lot of campsites or short-term rentals have a 3-night minimum. If you’re not staying for that long, these options are crossed out for you.

All in all, you need to consider all four of these points before choosing where to stay during your trip. Think about how much space your family has, consider how long you’ll be staying, then work on finding the safest options within your budget. It sounds complicated, but you soon narrow down the possibilities and find the best places to stay.

4 Tips for Stress-Free Travel With Kids

June 24, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Every parent knows that traveling as a family can be difficult, particularly when you have young children. However, you shouldn’t let potential challenges discourage you from going on a family vacation and enjoying trips abroad. Fortunately, there are dozens of ways to ensure that your family getaway is relaxing and enjoyable for everyone. With this in mind, here are four tips for stress-free travel with kids:

1. Get kids involved

Getting your kids involved in the planning process is a great way to get them excited about an upcoming vacation and give them a sense of ownership over the trip. It will also help to prepare your kids for what to expect when you go away, meaning they’ll be more likely to be on their best behavior. Sit down as a family and discuss travel plans, such as what destination to visit, where to stay, and what activities to do while you’re on vacation. Try to be flexible and take your kids’ thoughts and opinions into account when making your travel plans.

2. Organize your travel plans

Booking early and being organized with your travel plans is particularly important when you are traveling with kids. Making plans last minute and being spontaneous may work for solo travelers or couples, but this style of travel is not well-suited to families or those traveling with young children. Instead, make your travel arrangements in advance and book your accommodation and transport as a minimum. You should also consider booking things like tours, activities, and even restaurants before you arrive at your destination, as many of these get fully booked in popular tourist areas. If you are traveling by plane, then you can book parking and transfers online. For instance, LaGuardia airport parking offers a secure online booking form where you can reserve your parking spot of choice before traveling. Having travel plans confirmed in advance will avoid any unnecessary stress and hassle during your vacation.

3. Avoid planning too much

Vacations allow you to spend quality time with your family and plan lots of fun activities and experiences. However, you should avoid planning too much when you go away, or you risk your kids becoming tired and frustrated. For that reason, you should try to limit your itinerary to one or two activities a day. Make sure you factor in plenty of leisure time where your kids can relax and take naps. You should also remember to pack a good selection of kid-friendly activities to keep your kids entertained when you’re not doing activities. According to advice on pretravels.com, you can keep kids occupied on their own by packing electronic games, coloring books, and healthy snacks.

4. Practice travel safety

Many parents worry about their kids wandering off or going missing on vacation. You can help to alleviate feelings of anxiety by practicing family travel safety. This should involve providing your kids with your contact information including details of the place where you are staying and choosing a family meeting point in case you get split up. You could also consider giving your kids a GPS tracking device to improve their safety and security while traveling.

The Best National Parks To Visit On a Road Trip

February 10, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

The US has some of the best natural spaces in the world. These beautiful spots are designated National Parks, and there’s a total of 62 official locations to choose from. It’s no surprise that people flock to these spots time and time again, and there is no shortage of opportunities for exploring the best that nature has to offer. The diverse ecosystems in play also open up a new world of experiences and sights to uncover, including some of the country’s most famous landmarks and vast untouched landscapes.

If you’re thinking of visiting a National Park this year, renting an RV is a great option. Road trips make for the perfect getaway, and you can pack everything up and just hit the open road.

However, there are a few things to consider before you travel, including:

What time of year you will be visiting – some parks are more suitable to visit during the spring/summer months due to extreme weather conditions. However, being prepared for anything is also advisable.

Don’t forget the essentials – If you’re traveling in an RV on your road trip, you’ll have plenty of space for the essentials. If your journey takes you off camping in remote spots, just be sure to have everything you need in case of emergencies.

Get insured – Don’t forget vacation insurance while you’re away, including health cover, as accidents can happen.

So once that’s all covered, you can start planning your adventure. So where is best to go? Take a look below:

Great Smoky Mountains

As one of the country’s most popular National Parks, it’s not hard to see why people come to this fantastic location. It’s one of the most biodiverse spots in the world and has a variety of flora, fauna, and wildlife just waiting to be explored. If you want to take the kids on a history lesson, this park is ideal for learning more. It’s packed with history and was home to some of the earliest human settlements. One of the most spectacular sights is admiring the leaves as they turn during the fall season, as the colors blanket the landscape.

Zion National Park

In the west, you’ll find the beauty of Zion National Park. This scenery is ever-reaching and has a distinctive desert-like appearance, which gives us the illusion of how Mars might look. Scattered throughout this landscape, you’ll also see sparkling waters and riverways that break up the striking rock formations. It’s quite hot here in the summer, so spring and fall is an excellent time to visit. There are many campsites inside and outside of the park, so it’s an excellent opportunity to admire the beauty of the area on your road trip adventure.

Denali National Park

If you’re visiting Alaska this year, then a road trip to Denali National Park is a must-visit. This spot is said to be one of the best landscapes for admiring the state’s raw and untamed scenery. Plus, the vastness of the terrain makes it a perfect spot to enjoy total peace and tranquillity. If your family loves winter sports, this is an ideal place to take them. In the winter, the pretty snow-capped landscape is a sight to behold, and there are plenty of activities to enjoy including skiing and snowboarding.

Grand Canyon National Park

As one of the country’s most famous locations, Grand Canyon National certainly upholds its title. It is the largest canyon in existence and covers an expanse of 1.2 million acres in northern Arizona. The vastness of this landscape is breathtaking and is undoubtedly one of those bucket-list moments. You can take a trip to this spot from Las Vegas in a few hours, and there’s also the opportunity to see everything from the air on a helicopter tour if your budget allows.

Olympic National Park

Located in the northwestern states of the country, you’ll find the beauty of Olympic National Park. This park covers a diverse range of landscapes; in fact, four in total, and it has everything you need for a fantastic road trip. Traveling through it, you will see the Pacific coastline, emerald rainforest, and alpine landscapes. Plus, there are miles of trails to hike that take you straight to the heart of the park.

These are just a few of the top National Parks to visit on a road trip. Each has a unique and enchanting atmosphere that makes it a truly memorable experience for everyone. Why not start planning your vacation now, and see how many of these fantastic parks you can visit.

Enjoying a family vacation to the United Kingdom: top tips

August 30, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

If you consider your family to be the adventurous-type or those who love soaking up the history of an old town, then the United Kingdom is the ideal vacation destination for you. With a temperate climate, countless historical sites and endless hiking and walking trails, you won’t be stuck for activities. So, if you’re not keen on spending your summer vacation lazing on the beach in Ibiza, but would prefer to spend some time in historical Europe, here are some top tips.

Find a balance between history and activities

Kids will love finding out about medieval villains and ancient kings and queens, but they only have a finite attention span. After all, kids need to be entertained as well as distracted. While adults could spend all day walking through the Natural History Museum, children might get a little bored after the dinosaurs. Be sure to find a theme park or adventure playground nearby to break up your educational endeavors.

In Sussex, for example, you will find a happy balance between both history and activity. You can visit Battle for walks around the sites of the Battle of Hastings, as well as views of the English countryside. Not too far from that, you will also find Blue Reef Aquarium Hastings – complete with lizard and underwater tunnel exhibits.

Bring the wetsuits

Just because the United Kingdom doesn’t enjoy a Mediterranean climate doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the outdoors. In fact, if you find yourself based along the coast, you should absolutely make the most of potential activities such as swimming, surfing, and paddle-boarding. Truth be told, however, the British sea isn’t exactly balmy in temperature. If you have little ones who are more acclimatized to warmer temperatures, then ensure you either bring or rent wetsuits.

Rent when possible

Family schedules never run according to the time they were originally destined. Children refusing to go to bed, too much time in the bathroom and hectic breakfast times mean that we often find ourselves rushing out of the door at the last minute. It’s for this reason that renting a cottage to stay in will make your trip to the UK much easier. After all, Britain is renowned for its quirky and quaint cottages, which are ideal for basing yourself when you have small children. If you were planning a trip to Sussex and the South Downs, for example, Amberley House Cottage Holidays would be able to find you a place to stay. You can hunt through tons of images and features until you find the place that is right for you and your family.

Don’t be afraid to be spontaneous

Thanks to its dramatic scenery, but mostly tame wildlife, the UK is a cozy country to go exploring in. For example, if you were driving through Scotland’s glens, you would find plenty of brown road markers detailing nearby hikes and monuments. While your children might not be down for climbing a cliff face, you will still find plenty of easy-to-moderate walks to explore – and you might find these by pure accident.

Family vacations are all about balance. It’s about getting up when you want to, exploring, discovering, but providing plenty of downtime to enjoy your well-earned time off. When visiting the United Kingdom, you will quickly learn that you can happily strike a balance between fun and education, as well as adventure and relaxation.

4 Smart Ways to Finance Your Travel Plans

August 25, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Is your wallet restricting your wanderlust? You certainly aren’t alone. Most of us end up setting travel plans aside because we haven’t saved enough. And while saving for travel should definitely be your priority, there are times when sudden or unexpected trips are simply unavoidable.

So what can you do when you have to travel, but don’t have the money for it? Should you take a travel loan or personal line of credit for travel? Are there any other options available, and which is the best one? We’ll answer all these questions for you!

Here are four instant funding options you should explore:

Personal Loan for Travel – Smart travelers often choose this option when they have to travel unexpectedly. Rather than taking money out of your emergency savings or high-yield investment portfolio, using a holiday loan, personal loan or personal line of credit to fund travel expenses helps you keep your finances on track. Of course, you need to make sure you can repay the loan on time, so make room for the EMIs in your monthly budget!
Travel Credit Cards – You could opt for a travel credit card, or use a credit card with an option for converting expenses into EMIs for travel funding. Credit cards allow you anywhere from 20 days to almost two months for repayments, interest-free. If you can convert spends to EMIs, you get even more time for repayment. Travel credit cards, on the other hand, are set up specifically for travel-related expenses, so they may be more competitive than regular credit cards.
Payday Loans – A payday loan is very similar to a personal loan, except that the interest rate is higher, with a shorter repayment period. Payday loans may be approved faster than travel loans and personal loans, so these can be a good option when you need funds urgently. However, you need to make sure you can repay the loan amount quickly, since the tenure for these short-term loans is generally between 3 months to a year.
Travel Operator Financing – Many travel operators partner with banks and NBFCs to offer financing schemes, where you can pay for tickets, stay, meals, sightseeing and other planned or unplanned travel expenses after your trip. Interest rates for these schemes are comparable to rates for personal loans, and repayment may be spread out over 1-5 years. There is typically an upper limit for how much these schemes will cover, though, so keep that in mind.

Remember, dipping into your savings or investments should be your last resort, unless you have set aside a separate fund just for travel. Even if you have saved enough, learn how to travel on a budget. And when you need to make last-minute plans, such as attending a wedding in the family or traveling for medical treatment, take some time to compare prices and select a loan option that really works for you!

Adventuring In Food While Traveling

July 30, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Traveling is all about experiencing new cultures, learning about parts of the world far removed from your own and connecting with people of different nationalities and religions. If you happen to love eating, then it’s also about the food.

Food has long been a great way for a traveler to integrate with locals, whether it be fish and chips in the United Kingdom or something a little more exotic from a Vietnamese street market. Nobody, after all, wants to be the other side of the world and eating in a fast food chain that exists in their hometown.

Here are four ways in which you can experience the best local cuisine while you are traveling.

Connect to the local restaurant scene

The best way to experience local cuisine is obviously to go where locals go – and that can often mean heading off the beaten track. Take New York, for example. How many locals ever eat in and around Times Square unless they are going to a show on Broadway? Not many is your answer.

To experience a real taste of New York (or anywhere else for that matter), you need to look to the suburbs of a city or town, to where the real people live. In a world where TripAdvisor exists, that is now a lot easier. Find the number one rated pizza joint away from the hustle and bustle of downtown New York, and you’ll be enjoying a far more authentic taste of the city with authentic New Yorkers.

Don’t be afraid of going down the cliché route

Having said that, you shouldn’t be afraid of going down the cliche route when it comes to eating out. If you’re in Paris, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample genuine French snails, frog’s legs, or any of those other weird things that the French eat.

This is true of anywhere in the world. Don’t be afraid to gulp down a huge steak or burger in between sticking it all on red in casino restaurants. Why not go for a barbecue in Australia or have a burrito in Mexico – sometimes, cliche food can give us experiences we can’t get anywhere else.

Visit a local food market

Over the last decade, food markets have become popular tourist destinations for travelers. Food market bucket lists are now a thing, and National Geographic has even produced the Best Food Market in the World list – with Toronto’s St Lawrence Market coming top if you’re looking for destination inspiration.

It isn’t hard to see why, as these markets are a great way to understand and experience local cuisine. It’s quite easy to lose yourself for hours at a time in a food market, wandering around and taking in the sights and smells. You can sample and purchase authentic local ingredients in a way that really takes you to the heart of the city or country you are visiting.

Eat with a local in their home

Airbnb brought travelers into people’s homes as an alternative to hotels, and now that is extending into locals inviting strangers in for a dinner party. Websites such as EatWith allow travelers to seek out locals who are looking to throw a dinner party for guests they don’t know. This can provide the unique opportunity of actually being able to go and eat a local meal with a local family in their home. You won’t find many experiences more authentic than that.

Learn While Having Fun: How to Make Your Family Vacation Educational

April 26, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Family vacation time is sacred because it does not only help improve your family’s physical and mental health due to stress relief. It’s also a perfect opportunity for bonding as people connect better when they have to rely on each other in a foreign land. However, you can add more benefits to your family trip by including some educational elements into it. This will be very important for your kids because traveling provides them with experience that will help them succeed in studies and life (Journal of Travel Research). But you’ll need to plan how you can interest them in studying during the vacation.

Get children involved in the planning

The first learning opportunity comes at the planning stage. Get children involved in creating the itinerary as well as budget for your vacation. This will not only be a chance to learn how to do those things but also a help in motivating your children for the trip. They will need to research the country’s main attractions in order to work on an itinerary, so you can easily slip in some lessons on history and culture.

Working on the budget with you is even more important. According to Chris Ceballos from Bright Star Credit Union, learning money management from a young age can help prevent impulse spending in the future. It’s also an essential life skill that one should master as early as possible. Learning through creating vacation budgets will definitely be more fun than creating a grocery budget at home.

Take walking tours through the cities you visit

A walking tour is one of the best methods of learning about a new city and its history. They are even more useful for families with kids because walking through the streets will provide enough of visual input to keep them from getting bored. Anthony Jones from Strawberry Tours also points out that “The best way of learning a city is to walk its streets, breathe its air, and meet its people.” This allows you to immerse yourself into the foreign life around you and observe it from an outsider’s position.

For kids, such observations will be an important lesson. All of us are the same, yet all of our cultures and traditions are different. Therefore, one must always learn where the person comes from and what their culture and traditions are before passing judgment on their behavior. Observing details is another handy skill that can help one in life. You should turn this into a game. For example, observe your tour group and share details over ice cream afterward. Whoever noticed most details about the other tourists wins.

Read together about your destination

Reading to your child, or better yet with your child, is essential for their mental health and intelligence. According to data from the University of Melbourne, reading to children from age 4 provides significant benefits to their cognitive development and helps them develop necessary academic skills.

Reading interesting stories about your destination will do that as well as get the child more excited about the trip. But most importantly, visiting the places you’ve read about can help make children more interested in reading itself.

If your kid looks at a book as if it will bite them any moment, creating positive associations with the activity is a must. To achieve this goal, you should focus on fiction because it’s more exciting and easier to understand for kids. For example, read Harry Potter books before your vacation in London where you will take one of the Harry Potter tours.

The main goal of any vacation is to relax and enjoy yourself. However, traveling presents such a fantastic learning opportunity, you can’t afford to miss it if you want to help your children grow up the best and happiest they can be.

Ways to Keep your Child Safe When on Vacation

November 1, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When you head off on vacation to somewhere nice and sunny, ensuring that you keep your child safe is clearly an important consideration factor. Children of all ages will look at their adults to help guide and coach them on what to do in terms of keeping safe. Whether it is the sun or well being you are looking to protect, here are some things that you should look to keep in mind.

Sun Protection

It sounds really simple but it is clearly extremely important for you to keep you children safe in the sun. Between the hours of 12pm and 3pm when the sun rays are the strongest is when your child is most at risk. Depending on the age of the child will also determine the level of protection you may wish to consider. If the child is an infant then the recommendation is that you keep them away from as much direct sunlight as possible. This can include keeping them in the shade or placing a hat on them. If the child is a little older then it is important to get the right level of sun cream (or block) on them to minimize any skin damage or risk of something a little more serious. If the child is playing in the outdoor water then it is even more important that water proof protection is put on. As the water is cool, you may not realise how much sun you are actually being exposed to which can be an even greater concern.

Correct Clothing

It is important to keep the right balance of protecting your child against sun rays but also allowing them to cool down. There is many different outfits that are suitable and specifically for the water you may wish to look at Folpetto swimwear options. On the other hand, if you are going on vacation somewhere colder then you should think about the clothing required for this type of weather also. Head wear is particularly important in these circumstances as this is the area where heat leaves the body the most.

Security

Keeping an eye on your child when on vacation is important to ensure they remain safe. Whether they are at the pool playing or at the arcades, they are always at risk of something happening. You may wish to do a little research of the area in advance to understand if there are any common security concerns. Some areas have specific “children clubs” where you can look to then ensure that your child is watched by an adult. Although this is more reassuring it is still not an invitation for you to let your guard down as there is still the risk of something happening here.

Do Your Research

Wherever it is you are going on vacation, you should do your research of the area and understand the weather, security and risks. This is even more important if it is an area that you are not particularly aware of. It is a good idea to also make sure that you have the correct level of insurance in place if something goes wrong. If you are in another country and you need medical help then the insurance cover is specifically important to make sure that there is no hesitation in your child getting any help or treatment. The internet is a very powerful source of information and before jetting off on your vacation, simply just “Google” what you want to know about the area, resort or people in order to help you prepare the best you can for your child.

How to Overcome Travel Disasters

September 20, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When you’re planning a trip, it’s always tempting to focus on the positive elements of what you’re about to experience. After all, who wants to dwell on the potential negatives when you’re planning the vacation of a lifetime or a break from the dull routine of the everyday? As you plan your schedule and do research on fantastic activities to experience, planning for a disaster can all-too-easily take a back seat. Things do go wrong when you’re traveling, and being aware of the potential travel disasters means that you’ll be able to deal with them much easier. If you have a trip on the horizon and you’re starting to get excited, here are the best ways to prepare and overcome even the most frustrating of travel disasters.

Travel light

Lost baggage is always a common nightmare when traveling, but there are some ways to minimize the chances of that happening and reduce the negative impact that losing all of your suitcases will have. The best way to ensure that you don’t lose your luggage (or the airline doesn’t lose your luggage) is to simply pack so lightly that you need nothing more than your carry-on bag. Make sure that your documents are close to hand, a spare change of clothes, and your itinerary. That way, even if you have a suitcase in storage that ends up on the wrong side of the planet, you still have the basics that you need and can start your vacation with minimal amounts of stress. The less that you take, the less you can potentially lose, so pack light and you’ll be able to start relaxing much sooner.

Being stuck at the airport

Unfortunately, being forced to endure hours of unplanned delays while being trapped in the departure lounge is a common disaster. Flight delays or even cancellations can very quickly ruin your trip, which is why it’s a good idea to be prepared, just in case. Make sure that you have plenty of entertainment options with you, and whether that’s a Kindle loaded with books, a laptop full of TV shows and films to while away the hours, or even just a few albums and a good set of headphones, the time will go much faster if you’re preoccupied. Remember to keep your travel documents close to hand in case you have to make a compensation claim for a flight delay or cancellation. The more information that you have, the faster SkyRefund will be able to assess your compensation, so make sure that you have all of your flight details in your carry-on bag.

Hotels from Hell

In the age of TripAdvisor and Yelp, you’d think that booking a hotel and finding it’s as reviewed would be simple, but it’s still very common to arrive at a hotel to find that it’s not quite as advertised. Everyone has a hotel from hell story, and sometimes all of the research that you do can mean nothing if you have been deliberately misled. Sometimes, this is a simple communication error, and having a chat with the staff may make the problem go away by moving you to a better room or upgrading your accommodation package. However, if the staff are unhelpful, remember that the power of social media or a threat to call the local media can go a long way. In the days of digital reviews and viral campaigns, the damage to a business through negative online interactions can be very damaging, and as a consumer, you have a lot of power.

Being prepared for disasters is the best way to ensure that you overcome them. Make your preparations early and never assume that things will go as smoothly as you hope. The more that you prepare, the fewer obstacles will negatively affect your travel, and that will lead to a much more enjoyable trip.

Visiting Walt Disney World Brings Your Family Together!

April 5, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Over the past week my family and I stayed on site at Walt Disney World’s Saratoga Springs Resort. As a part of this we decided to be able to take the kids to the parks over three of our days. While this was not enough time to be able to see everything, we focused our attention on Walt Disney’s The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on this trip.

My family has been HUGE Disney fans forever. I grew up on Disney and have continued this love with my own girls as they have grown up. We have been a bit lucky to be able to bring the kids to the parks a few times in their lives thanks to another family member who is a part of Disney’s vacation club.

Staying on-site definitely has its’ perks. If you are staying at one of the Disney resorts, not only is their transportation from the resort to all of the parks and Disney Springs, but you also have access to the parks early on days where they have Magic Hours (where they open an hour early). One thing we learned this go around about these hours though for Hollywood Studios was that the whole park does not open early, it was specific rides, and for when we went, we only really were able to ride one ride in that hour because there were so many people!

The resort that we stayed at was wonderful. As you will find in all of Disney the culture is that of total customer service and this transcends into the parks, resorts and everywhere you go. Saratoga Springs is set up with a few different areas. We stayed in The Grandstand. Each of the areas is just a little different and is setup like the old says within Saratoga Springs New York. There are a ton of walking trails and even a golf course (I did not use as I do not golf). Almost all of the areas within the resort have their own pools which were also unique and two of them have their own water slides. There is also a walkway from one of the areas at Saratoga Springs that will allow you to walk over to Disney Springs for shopping or nightlife entertainment.

As I mentioned we took time to go to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on this trip. It had been a while since we had last gone to Hollywood Studios and not a lot had changed except for the Great Movie Ride being gone and having the Star Wars Launch Bay now open. There was a lot of anticipation for Toy Story Land to open in only a few months and you could see the new Star Wars land being built as well. While there was still construction happenings, the people at Disney keep this under wraps and allow you to experience and enjoy the other areas of the park. There are new Star Wars shows throughout the day that were great and we loved riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours: The Adventure Continues, Toy Story Mania and more! The one thing that we found was to make sure that you get fast passes for Toy Story Mania at least as the lines were very busy! Also, the Roller Coaster lines could also get long!

At Magic Kingdom, we decided to spread this out over two days and I am so glad that we did. We found that there were a lot of people in the parks and the lines did get long on some of the rides, so it was nice to be able to spread out the park and not feel like we did not have to rush through things and we could actually see every show and ride every ride if we so chose. I have not been to the park since the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride opened and we added this to our fast pass which is definitely a must as lines were over two hours at times and sometimes longer. The ride was worth it though and the amount of effort to add in amazing visual effects along with the thrill was a ton of fun too! This park was such a great one for families and for kids specifically. The rides are fun, and some even thrilling. There is a bit of everything for everyone, and you definitely get to see so many of your favorite characters at this park.

One of the things that I definitely encourage you to do if you go to the Magic Kingdom is to make sure you see the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade which happens every afternoon, and you stay for the electric light parade and the Happily Ever After Fireworks show at night (Simply amazing!) . While I know this can make for a long day, it is something that you and your family will never forget.

Eating while in the

parks is easy and convenient. The staff in the parks have food service down to a science and while you may wait in a bit of a line, you will get your food pretty quick and it tastes great. One of the things that I love about the food at Disney in general is the wide array of variety. They rank their restaurants by dollar signs. They have restaurants that rank from one to four dollar signs based on how expensive the restaurants are. Thus, whether you want something quick or a sit down meal you can definitely get it. The one thing you need to keep in mind though is planning things out. If you want to have a character breakfast or a nice meal out as a family or as a couple, you need to plan this or you may not get to go to the restaurant that you want to go to when you want to go there. J-Mom and I decided to use a park hopper ticket which was provided by Walt Disney World, to do and experience a restaurant at Hollywood Studios on the second day that we visited the Magic Kingdom. By setting things up on MyDisneyExperience.com we were able to select the day, time and look at the possible restaurants that were available. We chose to eat at The Crystal Palace for a character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and his friends and it was such a great experience and the food was great too. On top of getting to meet characters up close and personal the chefs use high quality ingredients and create food that you will remember.

I mentioned park hopper tickets, and probably should explain for those that have never been to Walt Disney World. Park hopper tickets allow you to visit multiple parks in one day. This allows you to not be bound to only visiting one park, but instead allows you to split your day the way you wish. These tickets are more expensive than single park tickets, but if you want to be able to have the flexibility of moving around the parks during the days, they are well worth it.

The final thing I will comment on this go around, is the importance of setting up your fast passes ahead of time! Depending on the park you can set up a specific number of Fast Passes for your visits. At Magic Kingdom it was three and at Hollywood Studios it was two. While you can change them when you get to the park if you so choose, it is important to set these up early, especially if you are going at a busy time of year. So if you have purchased your tickets in advance you can also set up your week at Disney at the MyDisneyExperience.com and when you have selected your parks, you can set up fast passes for some of the most popular rides.

Walt Disney World is a magical place and a place where you definitely can feel at home. The Walt Disney Company has done it right and continually makes you feel like the most important guest when you are visiting. I started a fan and remain one. If you have never experienced this, you should!

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