by Brian Bennett
3/27/01
Q.
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Leslie Writes: We're attending WDW
in October, the 11th-17th and I wanted to know if you knew any
good websites that would give me an estimate of the weather
patterns there and also times that the parks would most likely
be open. Thanks!! |
A.
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I don't know of any sites that will predict weather
that far in advance. My own pages discuss that issue, but only
in general terms.
Check out the Year
at a Glance page, and scroll down to the part of the page
that covers October.
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Q.
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LouAnn Writes: My family and I are
going to WDW from November 16th to the 26th. We have already
booked our rooms at the All-Star Movie Resort, but are having
some troubles deciding on what admission plan is the best for
out situation. We are staying in the park for ten days...but
are taking two days to go to Sea World and Universal Studios.
Which plan would be the best for the least amount of money?
The Park Hopper Plus or the Unlimited Park Hopper Pass? |
A.
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You have a classic apples and oranges problem
here. You can't buy Unlimited Magic (the tickets that are available
only to WDW resort guests) for only a portion of your stay at
a Disney resort, so for those days you'll be at non-Disney parks
-- you'll still be paying for Disney park admission, too.
Of course, you'll be able to enjoy Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon,
River Country, Pleasure Island, Wide World of Sports, and DisneyQuest
as much as you'd like...but if you're at Universal, you won't
get the benefit.
If you go with the Park Hopper Plus, you'll also get some
"flex options" that you can use to visit Blizzard
Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, Pleasure Island, Wide
World of Sports, or DisneyQuest on four separate occasions
during the entire stay (one "occasion" would be
an entire day in one of the water parks, though, so it's quite
a deal).
If it was me, I'd go with the six or seven day Park Hopper
Plus and use the options to enjoy some of those other WDW
venues. I'd give up a day in the major parks for a day at
one of the water parks or at Pleasure Island, Wide World of
Sports, or DisneyQuest. I'd also feel better about not paying
for time at the Disney parks when I'm visiting the non-Disney
parks.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you'll be visiting
in November and the weather might not cooperate. If it's colder,
you certainly won't want to spend a day in the water. Still,
Pleasure Island, Wide World of Sports, and DisneyQuest can
be very enjoyable, too.
One last thing, you didn't mention spending a day at Islands
of Adventure, Universal's "other" park. You might
want to spend some time there, too. MousePlanet now
has a great section covering that park,
you might want to check it out!
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Q.
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Stephanie Writes: I have
searched your website, and Deb Wills' as well, and don't see
any mention of whether Disney World resort pools are heated.
We have only stayed on-site at Wilderness Lodge, in April a
couple of years ago. Pool was manageable, but I am unaware if
it was actually heated. Now we are planning a trip for
Feb. 2002 with our five-year-old, and wonder if any of the Disney
resorts have heated pools, or indoor pools. Any suggestions? |
A.
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None of the WDW pools are indoors, but they are
all heated to 80-84 degrees Fahrenheit. What that means is that
the water is fine, even in the cooler evenings, but getting
out is a pain. :) |
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Q.
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Tina Writes: Can you please give
me pricing on fort wilderness campground and the main park admissions.
or their email address to get a brochure sent to me on the campground.
Thanks! |
A.
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You can find the prices for the campground is
on MousePlanet's WDW
Resorts from A to Z page and information on park admission
is on MousePlanet's Admission
Media from A to Z page. |
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Q.
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Greg Writes: I'd like to do a hotel
review or two. How do I submit one? |
A.
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Well, that depends.
If you want to submit a review of an off-site hotel, use
this
link and fill out the form. If it's a WDW resort,
the form is located at this
link. Finally, if it's a Disneyland resort, go to
this
link.
Sorry things are so complex, but the various forms actually
allow you to provide different information depending on the
type or location of the resort.
Hope that helps!
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Q.
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Patrick Writes: Is there an internet
cafe on property where I could check my email? I know
DisneyQuest has internet access, but the admission is a little
pricey if all I want to do is check my email. |
A.
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No, to the best of my knowledge there is no "internet
cafe" on property. |
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Q.
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Jill Writes: I cannot find info,
though it may be here, on the Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian
for children 3-10. |
A.
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Unfortunately, you're right Jill. I don't have
anything in the WDW Trip Planning Guide on the cruise.
However, if you go to the search
page, you can do a search of MousePlanet's trip report
archive using the words "pirate cruise" and you'll
find several trip reports that can provide some information
that will be helpful.
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Q.
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Ray Writes: I really love your article's
and advise as well as the whole MousePlanet website! It really
has been fun reading all of the stories. I found this website
when I decided to plan my very first Disneyland trip (taking
place on March 24). I live in South Florida and visit Disney
World often (like every two to three months) but had not idea
what was in store for me in California.
Well, the reason for my writing to you is I wanted to comment
on Jennifer's request for information regarding shipping food
in advance to an "on property" resort. It is VERY
expensive to "receive" a package at a Disney World
Resort!
Here is an excerpt from an "All Ears" info E:Mail
(from Deb Wills)...
"In response to using Netgrocer, ALL EARS reader Eileen
Kelly sent in this important information:
"My family and I thought the idea of ordering snacks,
water bottles, etc. from Netgrocer and having the items delivered
to our resort was great, so when we visited Disney in December
we did just that and had our groceries delivered to the Beach
Club.
"We were very dismayed to find out that the Beach Club
charged a "Package Delivery Fee" by weight - in
our case $37.00! (Guess those water bottles were heavy!) This
completely negated any savings we accrued by not buying our
snacks on site. I'm not sure if the other resorts do this,
but it is important to find out before you order!"
Anyway, Brian, I hope that this information helps!
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A.
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I appreciated Ray's email, but of course, I didn't
feel like I could print it here without Deb Will's permission.
So I asked, and Deb graciously agreed.
Hi Brian,
You have my permission, per your email, for your use as described.
Just so you know, it appears as though some of the resorts
charge and some don't. CBR, for instance, does not. We think
it's the convention hotels that charge, but that hasn't been
verified.
Deb
Deb Wills, of course, is the editor of the All Ears Ezine
and the webmaster of the Walt
Disney World Information Guide, the only web site with
a WDW that is better than mine. ;)
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Q.
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Kenneth Writes: please send me a
free vacation guide for Disneyland in Orlando, FL. if you have
one. send to... |
A.
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MousePlanet has trip planning information online.
For trip planning information on Walt Disney World in Florida,
follow this
link. You should find everything you'll need right
there! |
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Q.
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Here's a question about Disneyland...not
quite a good issue for a "Notes from the World" feature,
but it might be valuable to someone out there!
Sandi Writes: I LOVED your section on Disneyland
Trip Planning!!!! Thank you so much for being blunt on
what was worth seeing and more importantly, what was not.
I have a question on scheduling.... I plan to be at Disneyland
with my husband and our two preschoolers (3 and 5) in early
May. We will be at Disneyland for one weekend night and we're
really hoping to see both Fantasmic and Believe... There's
Magic in the Stars. Is this possible? I couldn't find anything
anywhere that described how long each show was. If it's possible,
can you recommend a "strategy" of how we can accomplish
this without having to sprint from one show to the other?
Is there an ideal location to watch one show so that we can
make it to the other show easily?
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A.
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Fantasmic!, at Disneyland, is shown on the Rivers
of America looking toward Tom Sawyer Island from Frontierland
and New Orleans Square. The crowds will be huge, believe me,
but the show is much better than the one at the Studios in Florida
(because you're much closer to the show, for one thing, and
because the big fight scene is a Peter Pan / Hook one on Columbia,
for another.)
You'll have to brave the crowds in the area to see the show.
There's no good way around that. Also, with kids, you
may want to try to catch the first showing (because they might
be too tired out for the later show), but that also means
bigger crowds.
Believe is a fireworks show that can be scene from many locations
around the park. I think Main Street is the best place, but
by no means the only one.
I'd suggest that you try to catch the First Fantasmic! show,
then make your way through the milling masses to the hub or
Main Street to see Believe. You'll have time, but with
the crowds you won't have to worry about "sprinting."
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Q.
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And here's a couple of questions about the
Disney Vacation Club. There's a lot more information on
the DVC in MousePlanet's
DVC Trip Planning Guide!
Bill Writes: Just got back from WDW and while
there, attended one of the DVC presentations at Boardwalk
Beach Club. I know you have lots of opinions on DVC on your
great website which I'll be reading thoroughly now, but in
a nutshell, what is your take on DVC?
Personally, it looks like not a "great" deal, but
it is Disney, so for them I'm inclined to do it anyway (as
finances permit).
Anxious to hear your response!
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A.
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To answer you question, I'll just quote from the
summary page of MousePlanet's Disney Vacation Club Trip Planning
Guide:
"The Disney Vacation Club is an interesting vacation
alternative. If you travel to Disney parks often, it might
be a very worthwhile program to consider. It should not, however,
be looked at as a great financial deal. DVC membership is
many things, but certainly not a good fiscal investment. Buying
a membership in the DVC can, however, be a wonderful investment
in your family -- in memories and in creating family traditions
that you'll treasure for a lifetime.
"If you consider the purchase of vacation points as
a pre-paid vacation, you will have the right perspective."
Financially, the bottom line is that you can probably do
better with other timeshare alternatives. But, MousePlanet's
DVC Trip Planning Guide states, it's just not the same
if you enjoy the Disney magic. :)
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Q.
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And the second DVC question... Again,
there's a lot more information on the DVC in MousePlanet's
DVC Trip Planning Guide!
David and Danielle Write: Nice website! Very
helpful!
I'm reading through your site and I see where people are
talking about DVC points expiring. I was under the impression
you bank your unused points.
Am I wrong?
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A.
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You can bank your points from one year to the
next, but they do expire one year after the use year ends. Fortunately,
the first points you use when you make a reservation are any
points that you have already banked.
Essentially, that means that you can use three year's worth
of points in one year if you wish (previous year's "banked"
points, current year, and next year's "borrowed"
points). Some people plan their use of DVC accordingly.
You can read through MousePlanet's
DVC Trip Planning Guide for more information, if you'd
like to.
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Well, I hope you enjoyed the reader feedback
for the WDW Trip Planning Guide! Feed free to send more questions
or comments to brian@mouseplanet.com!
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Brian Bennett's Disney Trip Planner
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Click here to see
some awesome WDW pieces that have run on MousePlanet recently!
Click
here to check out the rest of Brian's Archive, including all of the previously
published "Notes From the World" pieces!
I've
always gotten email about the WDW Trip Planning Guide, but since we added
the feedback
form to the site several months ago, the number of questions has increased
dramatically! I do my best to answer each and every question personally,
but I've noticed that a lot of the questions are asked again and again.
The question that one person asks might very well be the question that
someone else is wondering about. Thus this page!
So...I'll post
reader email and feedback every once in a while, because the question
someone else asks might be the same one you're thinking about yourself!
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