Travel Girl's™ Tips for Disney World

Five Tips to a Trouble Free Trip

speedplanner — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:40:13 +0000

When a friend arrived back from a recent trip to Disney World I couldn’t wait to see how it went. I ran up to her office only to see a rather disappointed face. She looked exhausted. Now, don’t get me wrong, Disney World can be tiring- especially without a good plan and lots of time to relax built in to the schedule. But my friend’s exhaustion looked more like disappointment. What went wrong? She was so prepared!

This got me thinking about how a great plan can go wrong…and after some conversations with previous Disney World travelers and a lot of my own experience; I’ve come up with five tips that will hopefully help everyone to come back refreshed and satisfied.

One Day in Epcot - For Jessie

speedplanner — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:23:39 +0000

This special episode goes out to Jessie and is a tour of Epcot made especially for her. I promise my regular listeners will enjoy this one day tour of Epcot as well.

Why Planning Matters?

speedplanner — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:12:31 +0000

There are so many options, so many choices, so much that over stimulates that I often see adults and kids alike melt down. OK, I’m probably preaching to the choir, but let me clarify two things. Planning does not take the place of spontaneity - spontaneity happens everywhere in Disney. Two, planning is not a burden- it can take just a few hours and will allow your family to make decisions together leading up to the excitement of the trip.

Disney Dining - Epcot Take Two

speedplanner — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:31:48 +0000

So we are dining our way around Epcot and our next stop is Morocco. In this podcast will move through Restaurant Marrakesh, the Coral Reef, Garden Grill and finish off in London and Canada. Nothing like a trip around “the world” to satisfy your every taste

Disney Dining - Epcot Take One

speedplanner — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:23:41 +0000

So now we are talking dining! And you can’t talk about dining at Disney World without talking about Epcot. The choices are overwhelming- where do I start? I plan at least a few nights at the World Showcase for dinner and evenings during our stay.

Disney Dining - I’m a Snob!

speedplanner — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:30:07 +0000

Ahhhh- sweet gratification. One article in the New York Times and my parents finally understand there is more to Disney World than chicken nuggets and It’s A Small World. This article by Florance Fabricant is perfectly timed as we begin discussions about dining at Disney. Here’s the link for those who would like to check it out.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/travel/escapes/27disney.html?scp=1&sq=Disney+World&st=nyt

The Disney Dining Plan - Is It Right For You?

speedplanner — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:15:55 +0000

A few years ago Disney World began its new dining option- the Disney Dining Plan. I’m going to be honest- when it comes to planning- dining at Disney is where we turn up the heat. You can get away with winging if you have a hotel, plane tickets and a general idea of what parks you want to go to, BUT you can’t wing it with dining at Disney.

Travel Girl Introduces Kid Chat

speedplanner — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:49:32 +0000

Our guest this week is Kallie who introduces a Disney podcast just for kids! This weeks topic - keeping busy while your parents check in!

Intro to Dining at Disney World - A Pleasant Surprise

speedplanner — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:06:04 +0000

If you think that you will be stuffing yourself with junk food at Disney World, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise! You don’t have to! Disney offers and incredible selection of snack, walk up, and sit down restaurant choices in both its parks and resorts. Before we get started on our dining journey let’s learn the lingo.

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend- See You Next Week!

speedplanner — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:54:18 +0000

Due to the Memorial Day Holiday (U.S.), Travel Girl will continue podcasting next week. See you then!

The Art of a Smooth Check-in at Disney World

speedplanner — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:39:50 +0000

So I have to think about checking in? Is it not enough that I have planned for hours, reserved dining, memorized the maps, pre-purchased the park tickets? I know, sounds crazy, but you have to trust me on this one - checking in the right way can make the difference between a smooth, problem free trip and one struck with issues.

Magical Express at Disney World

speedplanner — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:19:26 +0000

So what’s the big hype about Disney’s Magical Express and how does it work? Magical Express was introduced a few years ago. At first, most Disney fans thought it was a nice free promotion that would soon turn into another way for Disney to snag up a few bucks. But, fortunately and let’s hope permanently, this service is offered to all guests staying at Disney’s onsite resorts. So let’s walk through a typical trip with Magical Express.

Making the Most of Disney World’s Onsite Transportation

speedplanner — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:55:16 +0000

So you’ve decided to forgo the rental car and you’re ready for Disney’s greatest adventure - transportation! I like to think of the buses, boats and monorail as rides in themselves! So how do they work and what’s the most efficient way to use them?

Should You Rent a Car at Disney World?

speedplanner — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:26:46 +0000

To Rent or Not to Rent - Do You Need a Car at Disney World? The dilemma of whether to rent a car can be a tough one. Find out what travel girl recommends in this week’s episode.

Hotel Savings- How to Catch a Deal at Disney

speedplanner — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:10 +0000

As you know staying at Disney is not exactly a cheap vacation. If you’re listening to this podcast you are most likely pretty web savvy. You’ve already jumped from Orbitz to Priceline to Disney World.com with not much luck getting a great deal. Well, you’re not alone and obviously Disney does this for a reason. They are in tight control of their room inventory and only cut deals on occasion. So let’s talk about some secret tricks for Disney deals.

Heck of a Lot of Hotels! Disney World’s Onsite Choices

speedplanner — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:29:04 +0000

Holy hotel choices! There are many excellent onsite hotel choices at Disney World. Let’s make your life easier by talking about two key concepts- categories and location!

Travel Girl Asks Onsite or Offsite at Disney World

speedplanner — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:17:24 +0000

Confused about whether to stay on Disney World property or off? Take a listen to get Travel Girl’s opinion.

Welcome to Travel Girl’s Podcast with Quick Tips for Disney World

speedplanner — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:11:18 +0000

Worrying about planning the perfect Disney World vacation? Overwhelmed by the millions of websites, books and choices that you have to make?Let me take the worry out of planning. As author of Passporter’s Disney Speed Planner, I have many trips and tips under my belt. Let’s break the “World” down into short, easy to use pieces for you. Enjoy, and thank you for listening to my weekly Podcast.