Guest Author Sunday

Welcome Back Tamela Hansen

As Disney lovers we all enjoyed planning our own vacations and many of us enjoy planning vacations for friends, family and the ones in the community.  When I plan our Disney vacations I do this in several stages.  First, I take time to plan the best dates for our family and the resort we choose to stay.  Second, I order maps and plan out which parks we will go to on each day.  Third, I make reservations and decide transportation from the parks toe my dining of choice. Then last but not least packing is part of our planning.

Choosing the best time for our family to go on a Disney vacation experience can be tricky.  We have to take into consideration the times that our children are out of school, my husband can take off work, and if we are going to take friends or family with us, a time that works best for everyone.  Also depending on what type of Disney vacation we are exploring we will consider the temperatures and weather that we may encounter during that time of the year.  We always make sure we plan our Disney vacation 8 months to a year before our arrival date.  This helps us with planning and also in budgeting.  Then of course this is what makes the Countdown begin!

Once we decide on a date now we have to decide on a resort.  The resort we pick will depends on our budget, the time of year, and the specials that are typically offered during those times of the year.  For our family if we are going to Walt Disney World during the summer we prefer to stay at a deluxe resort.  Since it may be very warm we can enjoy the pools and the, different amenities that the deluxe resorts offer.  If we are going with a larger group we typically stay at a value resort to make it easier on the budget for everyone included.  Then if it is just our family and there are nice dining or resort specials offered we typically stay at a moderate.  Through the years we have truly enjoyed all of the different resorts that we have stayed in at Walt Disney World.  Each and every resort has something awesome and amazing to offer to everyone.

When I am helping someone else planned an amazing Disney vacation I always help them start their Countdown by deciding the dates and the Walt Disney World Resort that works the best for them.  This is always a very enjoyable experience especially for those who are planning their very first Disney vacation!  Even though it is not my Walt Disney World vacation the excitement and the pure bliss of helping someone else planned their vacation is amazing for me!

Yeah! The excitement begins and the Countdown is on! Now to order maps and start looking at dining possibilities!  I always make a point to find out different foods that everyone likes and pick restaurant that will complement it.  Also, I always think about the dining experience because when you are dining at Disney it's not all about the food!  This is usually enough to keep us busy or family and friends busy until the next stage in our trip planning adventure!

A Stay at the Swan and Dolphin

If you've been to Disney World, you've probably seen the Swan and Dolphin.  These sister resorts, located in the Epcot area, rise high between Hollywood Studios and Epcot and are a stop along the path of the Friendship boats.  The 56-foot swans and dolphins on top of the coral and aqua buildings (they actually look more like a fish to me) are easy-to-spot landmarks, even from a distance.  I've been curious about the Swan and Dolphin for quite a while, but only recently had the chance to stay there.  

In late May, our family of 5 (2 adults and 3 kids, ages 13, 10 and 4) took a last-minute trip to Disney World.  Our resort options on Disney property are already limited since many rooms can only sleep four, and our budget was tight for this trip, meaning deluxe resorts and family suites were immediately off the list.  We looked at Port Orleans-Riverside, but it was fully booked for rooms sleeping five. As a last resort (no pun intended) before booking two connecting rooms at a value resort, we called Swan and Dolphin to see if their rooms could sleep five.  We were thrilled to learn they CAN, with the addition of a rollaway bed for an extra $25 per night, and they had availability! We were also thrilled with the rate of $199 per night (this included an educator discount, but not the rollaway charge of $25 per night), making the rates pretty comparable with a moderate resort.  We were booked...just a few days before we arrived!

Guest Author Sunday-Tamela Hansen

Guest Author Sunday

Tamela Hansen

This week Tamela is back to talk about the wonderful choice in where to stay when planning your trip to the WDW Resorts! 

Hi this is Tamela Hansen from Alabama. I am back with a frequently asked question "Why do you keep going back to Walt Disney World? ". My answer to this question is always "It is the Happiest Place on Earth to make Special Memories! " At Walt Disney World if you can dream it you can do it! This is so true when you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort.

Walt Disney Resorts come in all destinations, stories, cultures, adventures and escapes. If you want to feel as if you are living on a tropical island you can do it! If you want to explore the African savannah you can do it! If you want to live in a storybook you can do it! If you desire to camp and explore by horseback or have a golf cart all week as your personal transportation you can do it! The Resort at Walt Disney World are more than just a place to sleep they are a home away from home!

The Value Resorts have so many special memories waiting to happen. The rooms are full of Disney details that bring the storybook experience to life. The pools offer not only amazing water features but pool side games are fun for all. Scavenger hunts around the pool provide great special memories. I love to share personal special memories so I have a funny one for you. My son was searching for a painting in a scavenger hunt around the pool. Everyone was sent out to find a sock with a hole in it. So my send again searching the pool area for people wearing socks, he approached a gentlemen and ask him if he could borrow his sock. The man could not speak English so my son began some type of sign language to explain to the man that he needed his sock. Somehow the man figured out what my son was asking for and he gave him his sock. When my son brought the sock to the cast member in charge of the game she replied in the microphone " I need a sock with a hole in it". My son said " it does the whole is where you put your foot in". The pool erupted with laughter and the man that could not speak English somehow understood the humor!