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Handling Rainy Weather During Your Family Vacation

With as often as my family visits Ireland, we’ve learned a thing or two about packing for and dealing with wet weather.  I was thrilled to be interviewed for this article by Colleen Lanin for Today (Show) Travel.

Rainy day at Birr castle
Creator of the Ireland with Kids website, Jody Halsted, says, “There is a saying in Ireland that goes, If the Irish waited on the weather they would be forever waiting.” When traveling somewhere that gets a lot of rain, like Ireland, Halsted advises, “The best thing you can do is just realize that you will likely have some rainy days and pack for them. Pack a weather resistant jacket and shoes, extra socks and an umbrella that will condense down to pocket size.”

Click to continue reading Make the most of a rainy family vacation on Today Travel.

And check out Ireland With Kids for my favorite rain gear for travel (to Ireland or anywhere else).

 

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Choosing Luggage for Family Travel

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you have probably realized that I believe the key to successful family travel is proper preparation and organization, with a dash of resourcefulness. Even the best laid plans can go awry for reasons beyond your control – from overbooked flights to lost reservations to bad weather. But you can plan ahead for many of these types of setbacks; and if you don’t have a Plan B, you can at least be flexible and take comfort in experiencing an adventure that makes great stories later.

Packing with Space BagsOnce your children get old enough that you no longer need a diaper bag, family travel gets a lot lighter- at least for you! I strongly advocate for children toting their own carry-on bags as soon as they can walk – not only does it help you, but they gain a sense of pride (as well as compliments from others on “what a good traveler” they are!) Older children are also easier to entertain and distract on longer flights or road trips. If this summer is your first week or longer excursion with your family, check out my post about packing tips “All About Packing.”

For a long road trip – more than 4 hours – or a long flight – more than 2 hours – I try to pack for two purposes. The luggage that will be inaccessible because it is in the trunk or checked in at the airport will have clothes and gear for our destination. The luggage that stays at hand or goes on the plane as a carry on will have snacks, entertainment items, a change of clothes, and necessities in case we get stuck somewhere.

Luggage Lessons

When back packs and duffel bags just aren’t good enough to pack everything for your vacation, it’s time to seriously consider investing in good quality, road worthy luggage. Modern fabrics and construction methods have made quality luggage a must-have for the serious traveler. If you need tips on buying luggage, there are many great web sites to guide you. Deciding to upgrade your gear, comparison shopping and then finding a good price can easily take a week of serious shopping before making a final buying decision.

If purchasing identical luggage, consider adding a bit of personalization to each family member’s bag. (Trust me- it will save time at the airport. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Is this my bag? I don’t want to carry her bag!”) Consider having their names or initials stitched on the luggage and let them choose the style of lettering and color of thread, or take the kids shopping for their own bag tags- the wilder the better!

The important thing to remember when choosing luggage is that it is easy to identify for you and easy for others to avoid grabbing- thinking it is their own.

What tricks do you use to make your luggage easily identifiable?

One important word of caution: if you ever personalize a child’s luggage, backpack or outerwear with their name, be warned that strangers with bad intentions could use that information to lure your child away. Make sure that you talk to your kids about this kind of stranger danger and reinforce it with them every time you travel. People should not know your name unless you have been introduced, and even then, calling you by name does not automatically mean you can trust someone.

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The World’s Largest Truck Stop, Interstate 80, just north of Walcott, Iowa

I recently spoke to the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association.  As we drove to the Quad Cities we passed the World’s Largest Truck Stop, which was our lunch stop as we relocated to Boston 2 years ago.  I thought it would be fun to revisit the post.  Enjoy!

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything. ~Charles Kuralt

Truer words were never spoken. As we set out today, van pointed east, destination Boston, our only real goal is to arrive before Doug has to be at work Tuesday. Which leaves little time for sightseeing.

With the rented minivan packed with necessities for our extended stay in Massachusetts and items that would, hopefully, keep the girls from getting too bored during our drive, we were off.

Driving collage

One thing you do see along the interstate, though, is truck stops. And the World’s Largest Truck Stop just happens to be located along Interstate 80 in eastern Iowa.

signsThe Iowa 80 truck stop opened in 1964 at exit 284 just north of Walcott, Iowa. Interstates did not yet spread across the country and the trucking industry was only a fraction of what is is now. Today the truck stop includes:

  • a sit down restaurant, the I-80 Kitchen which serves a full menu of “home cookin’” and offers a hot buffet (which featured meat loaf, chicken & pork loin along with sides and veggies when we were there) and full salad bar. The buffet is $10.75 for adults, kids 5 and under are free.
  • a fast food court with Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell & Pizza Hut Express (you’ll find the restrooms and a family restroom back here)
  • a huge convenience store & gift shop
  • a showroom full of semi truck accessories. Two semi’s are there as well, one on a rotating show floor.
  • a full semi & trailer with an incredible painted mural
  • at least half a dozen antique cars and trucks
  • a second floor for truckers with not only showers and laundry but a theater, dentist & chiropractor!
  • a full service center to get any fixin’ done or add some chrome you just picked up.
  • a truck wash
  • the I-80 Trucking Museum is located just behind the truck stop. From antique pickups to classic semis…

 

I-80 Truck Stop collage

My little girls were fixated on everything there was to see. This is definitely a fun stop even if you’re not a trucker. And if you’re near here in July you’ll want to stop in for the Trucker’s Jamboree (check website for dates). Live music, exhibits, antique trucks and much more!

 

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When You Can’t Avoid Travel Problems

Or “The One Where a Semi Shatters the Side Window of our Van”

Sometimes you can plan every aspect of your trip- from packing to drive time entertainment, schedules to snacks- but there are times you just can’t avoid travel problems.  It’s how you handle the problems that will impact your journey.  (Tips at the end of the post.)

I am writing this post from the lobby of the Lou Fusz Chrysler in O’Fallon, Missouri.  My family made the drive from central Iowa to Nashville, Tennessee to join me at the beautiful Opryland Hotel for a couple of days, a short stop to visit Financial Peace Plaza, one night at the Omni Majestic in St Louis, and then back home.

That, unfortunately, is not the itinerary our trip followed…

Biizzaster 2011

Our time in Nashville played out according to plan.  The family arrived safe, the girls adored the Opryland Hotel and we did a bit of exploring.  We checked out Monday morning and made our way to FPP to visit the greatest hostess in the world (Martha Thompson) and watch Dave Ramsey do his show live for an hour.

It was after we left that things began to go terribly wrong…

Check Your Navigation

I tend to rely quite a bit on the navigation in my Droid X.  I adore that phone.  Unfortunately, something happened the night before when the phone was charging and it refused to turn on.  No problem- we went “old school” and grabbed the map we keep in the car.  It is a couple years old, so we made our first mistake- assuming that a highway that was under construction 2 years ago would be open.  No such luck.  It took us an hour to navigate- via map- around Nashville to the interstate we needed.

We then decided to take a more southernly route from Nashville to St. Louis across Tennessee instead of the more northerly route through Kentucky and Illinois.  Though my husband swears he checked on Mapquest and it only added 30 miles to the distance, it easily added a couple hours to the drive time.  Que será, será.

Look on the Bright Side

By the time we hit highway 155 in Missouri it was full dark.  It wasn’t until the electronic road signs were saying “Severe Storm; tune to local station” that we were aware of the blizzaster we would encounter.  It wasn’t until my sister decided to call my husband’s phone (mine is still not working) that we knew the magnitude of the storm that ate the Midwest.

We finally arrived at our hotel for the night, the Omni Majestic, at 9:30 pm.  I had called the property and told them we were running late and approximately what time we should arrive.  I entered, travel weary and carrying a small child with a nasty cough.  We were welcomed by John who presented me with the room key and told me that everything was ready for our stay- if anything needed filled out it could be done in the morning.  Such beautiful words I have never heard upon hotel check-in…

It was only after we checked in and watched the weather that we realized the more northern route could have left us stranded somewhere in the storm.  That silver lining made the extra hours of driving worth it.

Be Polite, State Your Problem and Ask Nicely

Realizing that our one night stay at the Omni Majestic was going to turn into two, I approached the front desk early the next morning and asked to speak with the hotel manager.  I noted the weather situation and stated that while our room was beautiful my family of four would surely be ready to throttle each other after spending an entire day in it.  I politely asked if a larger room would be available and if a reduced rate would be possible, due to the weather.  After briefly checking at the front desk Martin Pittman, the general manager, showed me the Ambassador Suite, asked if the two room, two bath splendor would be enough room and then offered it to my family for the remainder of the day and the night.  My offer to pay something was  delicately brushed aside with the statement, “I travel with my children, too; I understand what it’s like to be stuck somewhere.”

That bit of understanding from a gracious host will make my family very loyal to Omni hotels for future travel; and I am sure the offer was extended because I wasn’t demanding or expecting special treatment, but because I was polite and made my request early.  By mid-afternoon the city of St. Louis- and all roads leaving the city- were shut down.  And the hotel was full.

Remember- Your Problems Could Always Be Worse

By 10 am the next morning we were on the recently opened Interstate 70 heading west to Kansas City with plans to follow Interstate 35 north to home as the route we would normally take through north east Missouri and south east Iowa was still closed due to the storm.  We were crawling along the interstate with a top speed of 30 miles per hour when a semi passed us, going very fast, in the far left lane.  It is still unclear to us whether the ice fell from the top of the semi or if it came up from the road, but it hit the side of our van with such force that it shattered the large window- just inches from my 6 year old daughter.

window shattered by passing semiThank God for safety glass.

We slowed and got off at the first exit available.  Just off the exit was an O’Reilly Auto Parts store.  My husband got out of the van, closed his door and…

window shattered by a semi

There was no covering the window and driving 7 hours.  The guys at O’Reilly helped us remove the glass, cover the window and gave us directions to a Chrysler dealership about 5 miles away.  (Thank you to the guys at the O’Reilly in O’Fallon, MO!)

Which is how I came to begin this post at a car dealership.  While the mechanics at Lou Fusz were unable to repair the window they went out of their way to make sure it was repaired.  They called window repair companies (quite a few were closed due to the storm), let us set up a small office space in their lobby- for 6 hours!- showed our girls their well stocked play room and even shuttled us to and from a local restaurant.  Everyone was so friendly and helpful that Doug says when we need a new car we will check there first.

It was only after things began to settle down that the “what if” thoughts entered our heads…  What if the safety glass hadn’t stopped the ice?  What if our daughter had been injured?  What if the ice had hit the windshield?  What if, what if, what if???

Which made us realize that though our trip had been plagued with problems it could have been much worse.

Helpful Tips when Travel Problems Plague You

  • Have a navigation system- and a back up!
  • Look on the bright side; find the silver lining.
  • Be proactive; if you see a problem on the horizon address it quickly- before anyone else notices it.
  • Be polite when stating your problem.  Offer a solution, and be open to other suggestions.
  • Count your blessings- problems could always be worse!

Family Rambling would like to thank the following businesses who showed true kindness to us during this trip:

Martha Thompson- the epitome of Southern Hospitality and Director of Guest Relations at Financial Peace Plaza

The guys at O’Reilly in O’Fallon, MO

Martin Pittman and the wonderful staff at the Omni Majestic in St. Louis.

The staff at Lou Fusz Chrysler in O’Fallon, Mo.

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Should You Fly or Drive for Vacation?

Quite often we take trips that bring up the question, “Should we fly or drive?”  In our home this isn’t a question to take lightly; my husband is a contractor so no work = no pay.  Often we fly because the additional expense is less than the loss of income due to an extra day or two on the road.  This decision involves a crazed mathematical equation that looks something like this:

If flight cost  is > cost of gas + food + lodging + extra travel time at Doug’s pay rate then we drive.

If flight cost is  ≤ cost of gas + food + lodging + extra travel time at Doug’s pay rate then we fly.

Don’t forget to figure in checked baggage costs!

But, lately, I’ve noticed a rather disturbing trend that we have had to take into account as our “international” airport is rather small.  If flights are delayed-or, heaven forbid, canceled- it may take an additional day for us to return home.  This has happened on the last two trips I took and has made me look a bit more closely at our drive vs. fly equation.

Something else I’ve noticed, again from our airport, is that driving and flying can often take the same amount of time due to layovers and delays.

So, though it takes more time in the decision, these are the criteria I use for whether my family takes a roadtrip or flies to our destination.  These are in addition to the original equation.

  • What is the flight time – including lead time to get to the airport and layovers?
  • What is the drive time- including (approximate) potty breaks?
  • Will the drive include a hotel stay?  How many nights?  (To destination and return trip.)
  • Can we plan return flight for Saturday so if we do have a problem and can’t get home until the next day Doug won’t miss more work?
  • Is there anything really interesting that we could experience on a roadtrip that we might not otherwise see?

After figuring the equation and adding in these factors we end up driving more than flying as anything within 12-15 hours is often equal to flight time, with no additional costs, possible delays and lost baggage.

How do you decide whether to fly or drive for your vacations?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Note:  I use AAA’s Trip Gas Price calculator to help determine how much gas will cost.  I can input starting city, destination, and vehicle type.

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Traveling With Kids by Wanderlust and Lipstick

Traveling with kids is a hot topic.  Don’t believe me?  The ladies behind Wanderlust and Lipstick, the “go-to” womens’ travel site, recently released Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids, a book filled with tips on safety, affordable travel, what to take and what to leave and even the importance of technology while you’re on the go.

I had the opportunity to ask co-author Michelle Duffy a few questions about the book- and my favorite place in the world (and her birth-place), Ireland.

FR: It seems like traveling with kids is a hot topic right now. When I began sharing my travel tips and destinations in 2005 the only sites out there focused on theme parks and “kids” destinations. Why did the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides decide to release this book now as opposed to two or three years ago?

Michelle: The reason Beth (Whitman) explained to me when she suggested the book project to me was that the Wanderlust and Lipstick brand was all about women traveling + that most women at some time travel with children – whether the children are sons or daughter, nieces of nephews or just friends – and that she wanted the series to include a kids book for this reason.

FR: I appreciate the “real life” tips included in the book; did you have one that, when you heard it, it was like a light switch went on and you thought, “why didn’t I think of that?”

Michelle: I spent some time looking through the book yesterday… I have to say that I don’t think there was a “wow!” tip. I realize this is odd, but by the time I was writing on the book I’d been traveling with my kids for 12 years and had pretty much covered every situation you could think of. Instead, I felt that the tips and stories I heard from other mom’s validated the advice I was writing in the book.

FR: I know that both you and your husband hail from my favorite country in the world: Ireland. We’ve taken our daughters a few times and can’t wait to return. What is your favorite place to visit in Ireland? Is there anyplace you think may be overlooked due to location or other sites nearby?

There are many great places to visit in Ireland, but I like to get off the beaten path and on our recent trip there, discovered my new favorite place: Omey Island (http://wandermom.com/international-escapades/connemara-secrets/). A tidal island on a peninsula west of Clifden, Omey has beautiful scenery and is about as far away from anywhere as you can get in Ireland. There’s miles of empty beach for kids to explore with rocks to climb on and tide-pools to investigate. And, for good measure, the fields are full of wild rabbits – a sure delight for younger children. Omey is not so much overlooked in comparison to other nearby attractions as little known. It’s a perfect family day trip from Clifden. Pack a picnic or stop at the store in Claddaghduff for picnic supplies. On the way back, take a moment to stop in Cleggan – it’s a picture-perfect Irish fishing village.

I found Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids to be well thought out and to include every scenario for traveling with kids- from traveling with toddlers to teens and even children with special needs.  The 50 true life stories included from moms who have handled almost every situation imaginable are inspiring (if you haven’t yet ventured out with your kids) and validating (if you have).

I recommend this book for families who are just beginning to travel with their kids.  It is available through Amazon (affiliate link) or wherever books are sold.

Win a Copy of Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids

Wanderlust and Lipstick Travel with KidsI have a copy of Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids to give away!  To enter please leave a comment sharing where you would most like to take your kids if money and time were no object!

For a second entry “LIKE” my Facebook page.  Please leave a second comment letting me know that you “like” me (insert old, tired Sally Field joke here).

Contest ends June 30, 11:59pm CST.  Drawing will take place July 1.  Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 3 days to reply.  If winner does not reply a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure:  I was given a copy of this book to review.  Interview and thoughts are my own.  Links are Amazon affiliate.

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Travel Tips and Secrets

Late last year travel bloggers were receiving a message in their inbox:  Write a post with you best travel secrets.  Those travel secrets have been compiled into seven free e-books at Tripbase.com covering everything from family travel and foodie travel to worldwide beaches.

The books are free, but for every download Tripbase will donate $1 to Charity: Water with the goal of building four fresh water wells.

Click here to learn more and download the e-books.

I helpedpeople get clean water
led by Tripbase
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Savvy Auntie Travel Tips

womenMy friend Andi interviewed me for her Savvy Auntie Travel series.  Her questions:

[1] If you had a childless sister (or brother), would you let them take your children on a trip? Even out of the country?  For either answer – why?
[2] Do you have a couple of travel tips for childless aunties/uncles?

The tips I gave her are also really great if you are just beginning to travel with your own children.  Visit Savvy Auntie Travels at Misadventures with Andi to see the tips.  And while you’re there enter to win two Family Rambling Travel Journals and a Savvy Auntie tote!

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Being Productive on the Go

I call myself a “mobile mommy”.  No matter where we go I’m connected.  Which is quite handy as we are constantly on the go.  Between travel, waiting at gymnastics lesson and school drop-offs, productive home time is short.  And I’m really not good at waiting.

Back in December my husband and I “broke down” and upgraded to Blackberries.  Now I completely understand their nickname of “crackberry”.  But it’s amazing just how many emails I can answer while I’m waiting at pre-school drop off.  Or how many Twitter conversations I can join in on while the girls are at gymnastics.  Or I can upload photos of dinner to Facebook.  Normally wasted time has now become productive!

I recently spent 6 weeks “playing” with two of Verizon’s other productivity products, the Palm Pre Plus and the HP Mini 311 with built in mobile broadband modem.

The Palm Pre Plus

Palm Pre Plus

Palm Pre Plus

I was really excited to try this phone as, back in my 9-5 job days, I had the first two versions of the Palm Pilot and loved them.

Getting started with the Palm Pre Plus was quite simple.  You begin by creating a Palm profile online.  This keeps your phone updated and your information backed-up (a nice feature if you have a habit of losing phones).

I loved that Palm has a website devoted to Self-Paced Learning Guides for their phones.  This made getting used to the phone and setting it up easier than reading a manual.

The Palm Pre Plus excels at organizing your schedule.  Using Palm Synergy™ multiple calendars migrate into one.  Each calendar is color coded (ex: blue=office, pink=personal, green=spouse) and laid onto one view.  You can migrate calendars from a few different sources such as Outlook, Palm desktop, and Google.

Another handy feature of the Palm Pre Plus (and it’s little sister the Pixi Plus) is that is can serve as a mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices (like a netbook, Nintendo DSi or other gaming devices).  This additional service is $40 per month (and free for a limited time).

The Palm Pre Plus is a fun phone to use with it’s touch screen and slide out keyboard.  The keypad was especially nice for me as the keys have a rubbery “grip” to them and my fingers didn’t “miss” some letters- like they do with my Blackberry. And I loved the “Post It Notes” app.  It appealed to my pen and paper loving tendencies.

That said, there were a couple of things I didn’t care for with the Palm Pre.  It is slow to start up.  This was a bit annoying during travel.  Flight attendants insist you turn your phones off completely, not just to airplane mode, so powering back up at landing took too long for my preferences.   Sadly apps for the Palm OS are not able to compete with those for the iPhone or even the Blackberry.  It will be interesting to see if the recent acquisition of Palm by HP will change that.  Battery life seems to be the same as with any smart phone I’ve used.  If you have apps that update often (Twitter, Facebook,Foursquare) be prepared to charge the phone nightly.  If you are very active on it during the day you will want to invest in a car charger or a spare charger for the office.

The Palm Pre Plus is $49.99 with a 2 year contract through Verizon Wireless.  Connectivity charges are extra.

The HP Mini 311

HP Mini 311

HP Mini 311 Modeled by Caelan

I’m just going to get this out of the way and say that I loved this netbook and really, really don’t want to return it.  This is a terrific product for travelers (or really busy moms) as it has a mobile broadband modem built in.  No tethering to your phone necessary.  And, as part of the Verizon network, I was able to get free wifi in areas you usually pay for it- like airports and Starbucks.  Of course I could get regular free wifi, too, if it was available.

The screen images were crisp and clear and the keyboard felt almost “normal” size (I believe it’s 92% of full size) so I wasn’t mis-keying as much as I do on a smaller netbook.  My girls loved it because it has enough power to play their favorite games (something our current netbook can’t do) thanks to the NVIDIA ION with 895MB graphics memory.

This netbook comes with Windows 7 Home Edition, 1.6GHz processor speed, 2GB RAM and 160GB hard drive.  That will hold a lot of vacation photos, notes, spreadsheets….  Connecting to the internat is quick with the VZ Access Manager.

My favorite feature:  I was able to connect to the internet and work while driving.  OK, my husband was driving, I was working in the passenger seat.  The modem is also “global ready” for world travelers (a global plan is required).

My only problem with this computer was the touch pad.  It didn’t seem to respond well.  I may have been able to fix that if it had bothered me too much.

The HP Mini 311 with mobile broadband modem is $299 with a 2 year contract.  A 5GB connection package is $59.99 per month (really not that expensive if you travel quite a bit.)

Disclosure: I have been a Verizon customer for over 5 years (as an AT&T customer previously I have personally found that their coverage doesn’t work many places my family ventures) and have been happy with their extensive coverage areas and products. The products I am talking about today were loaned to me by Verizon Wireless. I did not receive cash or product compensation for this post.

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Avoid Sadness at the Happiest Place on Earth

Celebrate Today, Walt Disney World banner

Celebrate Today

Now, I’m no expert on Walt Disney World, but I just want to share some observations from my weekend at the Mouse’s House.

1)  Walt Disney World is HUGE. To give you a visual- it’s twice the size of Manhattan.  Without the subway.  Walt Disney World has free transportation that will take you from park to park, just be prepared for each trip to take anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending on how long you wait for the bus.

2) Sometimes it is quicker to walk- which I found out after catching a boat from Epcot to the Boardwalk Inn…  And saw a man walking with two small children reach it before me.

3) Your kids are going to get tired. I saw it over and over again…  Children asking to take a nap; kids falling asleep on buses only to have their parents wake them so they could go to another park; parents yelling at their kids because they were slow, cranky or just didn’t want to “have fun” anymore.

I understand that, for many families, a trip to Walt Disney World is a once-in-a-lifetime event (it probably will be for mine) and the cost can be enormous.  You want to get your “money’s worth”.  But you just can’t see it all in one trip- no matter how hard you try.  So don’t try.  Pick a couple parks to really enjoy, take a day to spend by the pool and another day to play at Downtown Disney.  Slow down.  Take breaks.  And make magical memories.

Side note:  As I watched parents yell and kids cry I wondered if that is part of the reason that people think travel with kids is an oxymoron.  Do they have memories of terrible family vacations?

4)  Rent someplace with a kitchen. Walt Disney World has amazing food and something for everyone.  But you will easily spend $100 per person per day if you only eat at the parks.  Do yourself a favor and stay at a resort or a condo with a kitchen.  (Do the math, of course, to see what works best for your family.)  Other options:  free dining for fall or purchase a Walt Disney World dining plan.

5) Do your research! I went into Walt Disney World unprepared.  I planned it that way as I knew much of my time would be scheduled.  And I was still overwhelmed.  I met a couple great ladies from the Walt Disney World Moms Panel.  Everyone on this panel is a Disney-phile and can answer any question you throw at them.  So ask!  The ladies I met are Kathie F and Amy R.  These ladies amazed me with their knowledge and tips.  You can ask them Disney questions directly from their (linked) profile pages.  Below their bio at the right is a button that says “ask a question”.  And tell them I sent you.

Have a magical time at Disney!

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