Today’s tip is rather vague…but I will illustrate it with a real-life example (thus making it worthy of a blog post). Here it is: Plan your trip in as much detail as you can tolerate. OK, I’m not suggesting that you create a spreadsheet with a to-the-minute schedule (although, I was almost that meticulous on our first few trips as a family…I’m better now). But it is a good idea to have a plan, a framework. Know which Park you’ll visit on which day, have an idea of what restaurant you’ll eat at for at least one meal (if it’s table service, you’ll need to book ADRs anyhow), and know your top three or four attractions that you don’t want to miss so that you can give them priority. Without a plan, you’ll be spending too much time hemming and hawing about what to do next.

And, really, isn’t this the way it is with any undertaking? Case in point: As a homeschool family, I find that we accomplish so much more when we have a plan in place. I am a big fan of The Well-Planned Day homeschool planner. In my first year of homeschooling, I wrote extensive and very detailed lesson plans for each subject in this handy book. I probably went overboard. By my second year, my approach was less stringent as I merely wrote the framework for what I wanted to accomplish within the week. This worked well–it gave me goals to strive for but didn’t make me feel trapped into a set schedule. This year we moved to a new home in the middle of the school year. It was a “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” kind of year. I barely kept track of how many hours we were in school, and I certainly didn’t have a daily plan for each subject. Yes, we covered math, language arts, science, and social studies, but there were definitely some gaps in our learning this year. And while I’m still confident that my children are getting a quality education and that we covered the core concepts for each of their grade levels, I feel less certain that they excelled. In fact, this is the first year EVER that we’ve come to the end of our 180-day school year and I still have pages left to cover in some of our textbooks. Usually, we’ve completed all curriculum well before our 180 days are completed. (FYI, the 180-day school year is a state mandate for homeschoolers in Tennessee. While we have at least 180 official days of school, we try to foster an atmosphere of learning all year long. We focus primarily on academic subjects during those 180 days and use our summers to fill in gaps with enrichment activities such as drama, piano, and foreign language.)

Back to the planning. If I had properly used my very efficient The Well-Planned Day planner this year, I would likely feel better about how we’re finishing the school year. Not having a clear plan has caused me to suffer self-doubt and will likely cause us all to play catch-up this summer. A few extra minutes of planning each week would have saved us all some trouble. Lesson learned.

I could easily spend many hours (and often do) planning a Walt Disney World vacation. But even a few minutes of researching Park hours, attractions lists, refurbishment schedules, restaurant menus, and crowd calendars online before you go can save you HOURS in the Parks. You really can’t over-plan a Disney vacation. Good planning is really what allows for spontaneity.

By the way, you can click below to purchase The Well-Planned Day. It really is a great tool.

Are you familiar with Trekaroo? It’s a travel site designed especially for families with kids, featuring thousands of reader-driven reviews of restaurants, hotels, and attractions that are deemed kid-friendly. And, of course, one of the more popular destinations is Walt Disney World.

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a 2013 Superoo. (That just means they liked my reviews and I might be offered the opportunity to review other attractions, hotels, or restaurants…yes, I’m talking free tickets, meal passes, and hotel stays!) This is where I need your help. First, I think you should check out the site because it’s full of honest and helpful information. But while you’re there, could you seek out a few of my reviews–especially the Disney-related ones–and mark them as “helpful”? (Only if they truly were, of course.) It might help me to get a bit of recognition and perhaps have a leg up for review opportunities that come my way.

I truly appreciate all my readers. And as I have said before, the compensation I receive for my work on this site is the minimal ad revenue (because I hate tons of ads on sites) and little perks like review items. So being able to take a basically free trip with my family would be so awesome! Thanks for your support!

You can click HERE to find my reviews. The Disney ones are mostly near the end of the grouping, as I wrote most of them first.

With the recent Boston bombings filling our TV screens, and with my family planning a trip to New York City next month, I’ve been in “Safety Mom” mode. Typically, I feel incredibly safe at Walt Disney World. We’ve been enough times and my kids are comfortable enough with their surroundings that I feel confident that they could handle a situation where they might get separated from us. Here are a few safety tips that will help you and your children feel safe and secure in the crowds and (sometimes) mayhem of Walt Disney World:

• Teach your kiddos to recognize Cast Members. The most obvious way to recognize them is by dress, but you can also teach them to look for their nametags. In the event that a child gets out of your sight, CMs are trained to handle the situation quickly and efficiently.
• Tag your children. It can be a sticker, a bracelet, or anything that can list their name, your name, and your cell phone number. It’s probably safest if the information is hidden (some predators will use a parent’s name to lure children away), but make it easy for the child to locate in the event of an emergency. Sometimes little ones get flustered when they’re lost and can’t remember important numbers–having it in an accessible spot (I sticker my girls on the underside of their shirt tail in front, so they can just flip it up to show a CM) allows them to give that information to a CM and be reunited with you faster.
• Carry money and valuables such as tickets in a front pocket, or somewhere close to your body. Don’t put your wallet in the front zipper pouch of your backpack–that’s just asking for someone to take it.
• Don’t leave valuables behind in your stroller. Especially if it’s a rental, as other guests might accidentally mistake it for theirs.
• If anyone in your party has a life-threatening medical condition, wear a medic alert bracelet or something that would clearly indicate the nature of your condition to emergency workers. Carry any medication you might need with you into the Parks. Wherever I go, I’m always packing…an epi-Pen, that is, for my oldest daughter (tree nut allergy).
• Believe the best in all people, but prepare for the worst. Mostly, guests at Walt Disney World are basically honest people hoping to share a few days of fun with their families, just like you. But heat and exhaustion and lack of sleep and crowds can cause irritability to escalate into ugliness. If you encounter an angry guest, steer clear if you can. Humor can often diffuse a potentially-nasty situation. As for your own attitude, try taking annoyances in stride and adapt a “go with the flow” mentality. (This does NOT come naturally to me!) It’s almost a given that some minor inconvenience will come to hamper a bit of your fun, but fixating and complaining about it is sure to spoil the fun for everyone in your party.
• Finally, obey the rules. They really are there for your safety.

I’m trying to plan a trip for our family to New York City to see my cousin in Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway. (That’s almost a Disney connection, right?) I’m realizing that our entire family can visit Walt Disney World for over a week for less than what it will cost us to spend 3 days in NYC. Ouch! If any of my readers have any great NYC money-saving tips, please hit me with them in the comments.

But I digress…all my trip planning has led to much frustration, as I know very little about the area. While I can plan a trip to WDW in my sleep, with the confidence that I’m getting the best deal available, I feel pretty lost when it comes to NYC. So, here’s my tip: don’t be afraid to seek professional help. No, I don’t mean a therapist (although, I could probably use one of those at this point!). I’m talking about a travel agent or consultant–one that specializes in all things Disney. Most travel agents work on commission, so theoretically they won’t cost you anything. And even a consultant who charges a fee (like me) will typically save you more than you pay in fees…and will save you countless hours of hassle and frustration. (I actually guarantee my fees against the client’s savings; if I don’t save you more off standard Disney rates than my fee, then I don’t get paid!)

If you’re like me and you love to do the research yourself, then there are tons of resources available to you. But if your head is about to explode from the information overload, seek qualified help. After all, time is money, so you’ll likely save some $ and your sanity too!

Today I have a savings tip for you: never pay full price. No, I’m not just referring to a Walt Disney World vacation (although I certainly never pay full price on that!). This is my mantra for every day life. If you adopt a “never pay full price” attitude, you’ll become a saver. And savers can afford to take their families to Walt Disney World!

Here’s an example: I coupon shop. And if it’s not on sale or I don’t have a coupon, I rarely buy it. Obviously, there are a few exceptions…but not many. For example, my husband and I have been sharing a tiny sample of toothpaste this week because I actually let my stockpile of regular-sized tubes run out, and I don’t currently have any good coupons. That’s how cheap I am! I’m sure that soon there will be a great sale or I will come up with some coupons and we can replenish our stash. Until then, we’re finally putting all those freebies from the dentist to good use.

Another great way to implement this tip is to shop seasonally. As I’ve mentioned, we’re homeschoolers, and I’m currently deciding on next year’s curriculum for my girls. Although I have made most of the decisions, I’m holding off on purchases because I know there will be several deals that coincide with the spring homeschool conventions and fairs around the country. There are also usually some springtime used curriculum sales at local churches. I’m holding out for the best deal. BUT, I’m going to purchase my favorite planner this week, because it’s on sale and I’m fairly certain I won’t find a better price before school starts next fall. (I’m a loyal “Well-Planned Day” user. Click on the link below for more info or to purchase.)

Every day savings can add up to a week of vacation with some careful planning!

I shared many tips over the years on how to save money on food at Walt Disney World. But even the cheapest among us (yes, I’m speaking of myself) likes to splurge every now and then. While we’re not big fans of spending too much time (or money!) in table service restaurants while on vacation, our family usually tries to splurge on at least one new dining experience each trip. So my tip is two-fold: First, make your ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) as early as possible–in most cases, you can do this 180 days in advance of your arrival. This step has become increasingly important in recent years, as “Free Fall Dining” promotions have become the norm. And second, be sure to know about any dining closures for your travel dates. Obviously, when you call to make ADRs, you will be alerted to closures for table service restaurants, but it’s also good to know if your favorite counter service eatery is going to be closed too. Here’s a list of current and upcoming closures:

• ESPN Club (BoardWalk Resort): closed now and will re-open late spring
• BoardWalk Bakery, BoardWalk Resort: currently closed and expected to open late spring or early summer
• Main Street Bakery (Magic Kingdom): currently closed and will re-open May 18 as a Starbucks location
• California Grill (Contemporary Resort): closed now through late summer
• Fountain View Cafe (Epcot): closing in March and will reopen sometime this summer as a Starbucks location
• Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom): closing briefly for refurbishment May 13-16