Memories...

Last week, as we were cleaning out the basement in order to put in our new TV, we came across some old pictures. One was from almost ten years ago. It was of my family and some friends on Splash Mountain in Walt Disney World. The girls in the front (my sister and her friends) are screaming their heads off, my dad and I have our arms up in the air and our friend Jack looks like he's asleep in the back row.

I've admitted my love for Disney before but this discovery came at an interesting time--exactly one year since our last Disney trip. My family and I have been there so many times, we have everything down to a science. Allow me to share.

Hotels. There are two options: staying on property or staying off. If you want the full Disney experience, stay on property. Each resort has it's own unique theme and charm, providing a good fit for whatever suits your family. We have our favorite resorts to stay--lately, it's been Pop Century since it's an economy class. We book two rooms--one for my parents, one for my sister and I. It allows us to do that and stay for a long period of time. Each section is devoted to a decade from the last century (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's) and decorated to match. For example, when we stayed in the 80's, our staircases were inside Rubik's Cubes. Pacman and the ghosts decorated the railings as well as sayings like "Radical!" There are three pools and a main center with a gift shop and cafeteria (complete with a grocery section).

Though I wouldn't mind a return to Fort Wilderness, a cabin setting. It's easy to fit a family or party of eight in there (a queen sized bed, bunk beds, a large Murphy bed, and the couch). It also has a kitchen, so you are not confined to park eating. While I'm not much of an outdoors girl, there's just something about the setting that I love. Even if you are walking around in the dark coming back from the pool trying to find which cabin is yours, illuminating the numbers with a small flashlight.

Dining: Walt Disney World has a dining plan. My family doesn't use it and usually get annoyed at the people who do when they are holding up the line. For a better idea, go to this website. However, it does require everyone (whether on the plan or not) to make reservations if there is a sit-down restaurant you want to eat at. Some of our favorites to reserve are: Chef Mickey's (a buffet complete with characters in the Contemporary Hotel), the Liberty Tree Tavern and Trail's End. The Liberty Tree Tavern is located in Liberty Square with a preset menu: delicious biscuits, a salad, chicken, ham and roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables with apple cobbler for dessert. Until next year, there are also characters. Trail's End is a buffet at Fort Wilderness. My family loves it for the ribs. I love it for the fried chicken and rice.

The window service options at Disney aren't bad either--I'd suggest Geppetto's in the Magic Kingdom, the Electric Umbrella in Epcot, the Backlot in Hollywoodland and the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney. Each service area has the fallback of hamburgers (or cheeseburgers without the cheese), but the menus vary. You and your party can easily find whatever you want.

Transportation. If you stay on property, Disney provides transportation around the resort. Buses run from each hotel to the parks as well as Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. If you want to go to a different hotel for food, you'll have to either go to a park or Downtown Disney (and after the parks close, only Downtown Disney until 3 AM. I don't know if this will continue once Pleasure Island closes). You can also take the monorails to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot from the Ticket and Transportation Center. If you stay at the Polynesian Resort, the Contemporary or the Grand Floridian, a monorail runs through those hotels. There are also ferry services available as well. Of course, you can also bring a car and drive everywhere. Saves time at the end of the day when everyone rushes the buses/ferries/monorails.

The Parks. For these, each family is different. My family always goes to the Magic Kingdom first, fastpass Buzz Lightyear and go on the Wed-way People Mover. A relaxing start and allows you to scope out the wait times in Tomorrowland. If you go to Epcot, I suggest going to the World Showcase once it opens. It opens an hour after Future World, so everyone is online or waiting on fastpasses for those rides. There are no lines in the Showcase. Once you are finished going around the world in 80 minutes, everyone is heading toward the Showcase while you are going to the much shorter lines in Future World. Note though: Fastpass Soarin' immediately. It has a three-hour stand-by wait and the fastpasses are usually for 4 PM if you show up at 11 AM. Animal Kingdom is generally a half-day thing, so plan for a trip to Hollywoodland or the Magic Kingdom for the second half. Also, avoid the Magic Kingdom on the weekends. It's usually the most crowded then.

Miscellanous. My family loves a good game of mini-golf. Last year, we went to the Fantasia golf course. It's a great time and allows you to meet some nice families in the back-up for the holes. Never underestimate the importance of just relaxing and using the hotel pool. If you have a car, don't be afraid of leaving the property for dinner one night. There's a Sizzler and an Olive Garden nearby. If you are Catholic, there is a church just outside the property called the Shrine of Our Lady of the Universe. It's just tourists and masses are packed. Don't be afraid to explore.

If you have any more Disney related questions, don't be afraid to ask!