Hi I'm Katy and I'm a Disney-holic. It's nice to meet all of you! Brittney asked me to share my love for Disney with all you guys this week and I very quickly said yes! I was born and raised in the PNW in the very green and very rainy state of Oregon...I've been a Disnerd since I was a wee-one.
My first memory of Disney goes back to 1994, I was a 6 year old little girl, sitting in a movie theatre watching The Lion King. The moment comes where Rafiki is standing on top of Pride Rock, as he begins to lift Simba in the air
I suddenly get out of my chair in the middle of the theatre and raise up both my arms...mimicking the wise monkey I was watching on the screen. It's safe to say this is where it all began for me.
To a large majority of people Disney is just a company who makes cartoon movies or they think of it as an overpriced place to go where you stand in long lines waiting to ride childish rides...but for me it's more than that, much more. As someone who has lived with anxiety/panic/depression for 10+ years, it's been an escape for me. It's transported me out of my mind in times I've needed it the most. Disney has become a vacation from myself and my thoughts and well, we all need a good vacation sometimes...I apologize if that just got really deep. Now, I absolutely adore Disney movies, but there's nothing more magical to me then visiting a Disney park. From the warm cinnamon sugar churros to the smell of the water in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride to the cast members calling me Princess...it all makes my heart skip a beat.
Unfortunately the nearest park is a state away
so I don't get to go as often as I'd like (everyday)...but thankfully I get to go at least once a year. Today I'm going to share my top tips on Disney travel to make your planning and your trip go as smoothly and as "cheap" as possible. I hope you all get some useful tips and happy planning!
1.My all time number one tip for planning a Disney trip is...gift cards! If you've ever noticed those Disney cards by the check stands at Target, Wal Mart or your local grocery store, those little babies aren't just good for the Disney store...they are for some much more! I pick one or two of those up a month, or I'll grab one when I get a little extra cash. They all add up by the time you go on your next trip. Gift cards work towards everything in Disney. I'm talking tickets into the park, food or merch...if it's in Disneyland then those sweet little gift cards will cover it all. After you've collected all your cards head on over to https://disneygiftcard.com and load them all onto one card so you aren't lugging around 15 at a time...gotta save room in your bag for all that stuff you're going to want to buy in the parks!
2.If you have to fly to get to Disneyland/world...or overseas if you're one of those lucky Disney folk...then I highly suggest downloading the Hopper app. It allows you to plug in whatever flights you need for whatever dates you want and it will keep you notified when your flights go up or down in price. It's amazing and saves you from checking prices everyday...or multiple times a day if you're like me.
3.As far as hotels go I highly HIGHLY recommend going through hotels.com. Most hotels through the site allow you to pay when you get to your destination which is perfect for when you're trying to save for your Disney vacation. My favorite part about hotels.com is their rewards program. You get a free night after every 10 you stay using their site! Make sure you make an account and sign up to collect your nights.
4.Speaking of hotels let's talk about WHERE you should stay. Now I personally have never stayed at a Disney hotel. It's honestly never been in my budget and I'm ok with that. I don't go to Disney to sit in a hotel. My favorite places to stay are on Harbor Blvd. There are several amazing hotels for 1/3 of the price of staying on property. My personal favorite is Hyatt House on Harbor. It's right above a Walgreens and all the rooms have a pull out couch/sitting area and kitchen. They also a full buffet hot breakfast...this saves a ton especially if you're traveling with kids! I also really enjoy Grand Legacy at the park. It's right across from the park entrance...the rooms are smaller than the Hyatt and parking there is a pain. BUT they have an awesome roof top restaurant where you can watch the fireworks and they play the music that goes along with the show. It's really magical!
5.If you're debating on what time of year to go to the parks I suggest looking at crowd calendars. There are several online that show you the best time to go and how busy it will be once you get there. I've been for Halloween, Christmas, summer and during the off season. Christmas was absolutely magical and beyond beautiful but it was the busiest time in the parks, I'm talking back to back people at all times. Halloween was probably my favorite, it wasn't as busy as Christmas, the decor was amazing and you can pay extra to stay for the Halloween party...I'm talking trick or treating at Disneyland! Summer is always pretty busy and hot but in my opinion doable. I went in late February/early March and it was the least busiest time I've been to the parks and the weather was perfect! So when you're planning your vacation to the parks keep in mind that some times are much more intense crowd wise than others.
Well folks that's all I have for today. As far as tickets go unfortunately there's not a lot of options for discounts. Sometimes they'll have lower rates for California residence or military...but for folks like me...we're out of luck.
I'll be back later this week to give you some more of my Dis-knowledge. Have a magical day!
