Disney Travel Tips

Taking A Family Trip To Disney World

Taking the family to Disney can be one of the happiest times you spend with your children but it can also be the hardest. The same fun which creates smiles also provokes over stimulation, exhaustion and general crankiness in both child and parent. And as with many things, big fun can also mean a big price tag. Admission into the Magic Kingdom for a family of four costs almost $200 for one day without any discounts or special rates. Add on sodas, snacks, souvenirs, hotel and travel to and from Orlando and your Disney World vacation can leave you wishing upon a star.

Seasoned parents will tell you that there are secrets to maximizing the magic of your Disney World vacation. Here are just a few:

Stay at one of the Disney hotels located on the Monorail Although the transportation system within Disney is easy to navigate, accommodations located on the monorail system allow you to get back to your room quickly and with few stops. Nap time is easy to fit into the schedule when you are only one monorail stop away. For family with older children, the close proximity of your room provides a level of comfort when the family decides to split up or when a teenager wants to stay in the park long after you've gone back to shower. Disney offers three properties with direct access to the monorail: Contemporary Hotels, The Polynesian Hotel and The Floridian.

Gain early access to the park by staying at a Disney hotel Staying at a Disney hotel comes with Guest privileges. Each day, Disney offers early admission into Guests who stay at a Disney property. This privilege allows you to get the most popular rides out of the way prior to the park opening to the public. For early risers, try booking a breakfast with the Characters in the park at The Crystal Palace or Cinderella's Castle.

Begin at the back of the park It's a known fact that people will stop at the first attraction they reach so start at the back and work forward. For parents with young children it's wise to ride Dumbo's ride as early as possible. The line is always long later in the day. Leave the shows and indoor attractions for the hottest part of the day when you'll appreciate the cool air conditioning.
Discover Disney fun outside of the park This is easiest to do with younger children. There are plenty of fun things to do outside of the parks. Take the bus over to Fort Wilderness Campground for some free fun. There is a general store, over-sized petting zoo and several well designed playgrounds. In the evening, try the Mickey character dinner at the Contemporary hotel. Book your reservations so that dinner will be over at 8:45pm and then take a walk outside to the parking lot. From the Valet stand you will have the best and least crowded view of the Magic Kingdom's Fireworks. (Make sure to confirm the days and times of fireworks.)

Take a break A full day at Epcot, The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom or MGM Studios can take a great deal of energy. You'll find that the day will be more enjoyable if you leave the park at midday to recharge your batteries with a short nap or dip in the hotel pool. Re-enter the park late afternoon when others are leaving or having dinner. You'll find the lines will be shorter and you'll be more tolerant too.

Purchase multiple day passes Disney admission passes never expire and it's always cheaper to purchase multiple day park passes. Use what you need on this visit and save the card for future trips. Florida residents have the opportunity to save on tickets in the off-seasons. Visit www.disney.com for complete pricing on admissions and vacation packages.

Buy your Disney t-shirts prior to arriving at the park Visit your local Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart prior to leaving for the land of Mickey. You are certain to find a t-shirt of your child's favorite character on a sale rack. Surprise your kids with a new shirt while unpacking. They'll feel like they've received a souvenir and you'll be pleased with your frugal accomplishment

Passport Confusion

Passport Confusion:

On June 1 requirements for travel- US returning home from Canda, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, by land or sea, will be required to present one of the travel documents listed below:

Passport Book : This is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies a
person’s identity and nationality. It is accepted for travel by air, land
and sea.

US Passport Card: This is a new, limited-use travel document that fits in your wallet and
costs less than a U.S. Passport. It is only valid for travel by land and sea.

Children: Beginning June 1, 2009, U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

PASSPORTS ARE RECOMMENDED

www.getyouhome.gov

New Identification needed for Travel

Secure Flight and You Beginning in mid-2009, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require you to provide your: full name; date of birth; and, gender as shown on the identification document that you plan to present at airport security check-points. Providing this information is not optional and should be presented at the time of booking.

The purpose of collecting this information is to allow TSA to perform terrorist watch list matching that is currently being done by each airline. Failure to provide the required elements in advance could: (1) inhibit your ability to get a boarding pass either at home or at the airport until the information has been provided; and, (2) require you to undergo additional airport security screening.

If you have a name similar to, or the same as, a name on the current terrorist watch list, and have experienced secondary screening at airports, you will have the option of providing your Redress Number at the time of booking to prevent secondary security screening. A Redress Number is a unique number that helps TSA eliminate watch list misidentification. If you encounter watch list misidentifications, you can go to DHSTrip.gov to apply for a Redress Number.

Tips
Contact your travel agent to update your profile with your full name, date of birth and gender. Also provide your Redress Number if you have one.
You should begin making reservations using your full name and, when applicable, provide your date of birth and gender. All data elements should match exactly the ID you plan to present at the airport. For example, if your state-issued drivers license lists your name as Anthony Q Public, then your reservation must be booked as Anthony Q Public, not Tony Q Public or A. Quinn Public. If your full middle name is on the ID, you must include your full middle name in the reservation.

Verify your name on your frequent traveler profiles. If you signed up for frequent traveler programs using a nick name or a name other than your name as shown on your identification, you should contact each frequent traveler program to update your name to match Secure Flight's full name requirement. For example, frequent traveler program participant Tony Q Public should update his frequent flyer profiles to Anthony Q Public so that he does not jeopardize receiving credit when traveling under his full name as required by Secure Flight.

If you use your state-issued ID card for some trips and your passport for other trips, check to see if the names match exactly, as passports often include full middle names and a state issued ID cards may only include a middle initial. If the names do not match exactly, for each trip you must remember to use the name format of the identifying document that you plan to use.

Be sure to bring your valid government-issued documentation when flying.

Visit TSA.gov for updates on Secure Flight.