>118 Days

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Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, it’s one of those holidays that you don’t want to see coming. It means it’s the end of summer, which means school starts soon. I know other places have already started, down south you all start well before our kids do. And I know deep down most kids don’t mind going back, they want to see their friends. But my problem with the Labor Day holiday is that it means the merchandise in all stores will be changing over. Not to school supplies, they have been out since July first, now that the kids are back in school and Labor Day is here, we have unofficially entered the Christmas Shopping Season! Think I’m kidding? After September first go to any store and see if they aren’t starting to put Christmas things around. I mean as of today, August 29, there are only 118 days until Christmas. You better get your shopping done soon, don’t forget you have to bake cookies and decorate in that time also! If you were in Walt Disney World though some of this worry could be avoided. The reason you wouldn’t have to worry is the subject of today’s Unknown Magic; Disney’s Days of Christmas.

Disney’s Days of Christmas is a shop in Downtown Disney. It is located in the Marketplace of Downtown Disney, back near the Rainforest Café and the Art of Disney store. This store sells exactly what the name implies, Christmas items. And when I say Christmas items, I mean many different Christmas items. Of course most of them are Disney related items. We go into Disney’s Days of Christmas during every trip to Downtown Disney, because the things we find there give us Magical Experiences as we are celebrating our holidays at home.

The merchandise we’re talking about here aren’t your normal Hallmark ornaments, the items they have here are things you can’t really find anywhere else. Some of them are available on specialized Disney Shopping sites, but not all of them. Things like box sets of Ornaments that are themed from the Disney Parks, or Disney Movies. They have mouse head Christmas balls in any color you would like and in different sizes. They also sell specialized ornaments, like baby’s first Christmas and First year together, which have Disney Characters on them and can be personalized. They just don’t sell Christmas things they sell some Fourth of July merchandise, Halloween items and Hanukkah also.

The Merchandise sold here is not the only thing that can cause a Magical Experience, The Shop itself is a pretty neat place to be and can give you a Magical Experience as you are shopping. The decorations for the store actually start outside of the building and help to make you excited about going in. Throughout the inside of the store, there are plaques with different versions of the 12 Days of Christmas on them, featuring Disney Characters. Next to these plaques, they have pictures and murals that go along with the plaque. If you take the time to go around to all of them, it makes a neat little 12 Days of Christmas song.

Attached to the back of the Days of Christmas, there is a little shop that offers embroidery and engraving of  everything from Mouse Ears and Santa Hats to shirts and towels to picture frames and jewelry . This little area also has a section dedicated to the Nightmare Before Christmas and they sell Jim Shore and Precious Moments figurines.

So, now you know, when you are in Walt Disney World you can shop for Christmas and enjoy a Magical Experience by shopping at Disney’s Days of Christmas, even if you have more than 118 days until Christmas.

>Let’s go When the Kids are in School.

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Yesterday’s post talked about when to go to Walt Disney World if you have to follow the School Calendar. If your kids are still young enough not to worry about it, or old enough that you and your special one are going by yourselves, or even if you are pulling the kids out of school, there are some better times to go than I mentioned yesterday. This is because when you don’t have to follow the School Calendar, you have so many more options available to you. If you don’t have to follow the School Calendar, there are some Unknown Magical times to visit Disney World that will make your trip that much better and give you more Magical Experiences.

Yesterday, I mentioned visiting the week of Christmas. What a Magical Time to visit. But there is an Unknown Magic that a lot of Disney World guests don’t realize. The Walt Disney World Holiday Services Team actually starts decorating for the Christmas Holiday many, many months in advance. And starting in November, the parks are all decked out and lit up for the Christmas Season. As mentioned yesterday, the first weekend in November may be a little crowded, but the rest of November, excluding Thanksgiving weekend, is a very slow time in Walt Disney World, so are the weeks leading up to Christmas in December. And with all the Regalia of the Christmas Season in full display, this is my favorite time of the year to visit, for so many reasons.

Another great time to visit the parks is right after the Holiday Season, in January. The parks are quiet, un-crowded and the weather is nice. Not hot though. Many people think that going to Disney in January means you will be wearing shorts and you’ll need your swimsuit. You can take your swimsuit (because all the pools’ waters are temperature regulated) but as for the shorts, make sure you also take long sleeved shirts and even a sweatshirt. It does get chilly and sometimes, downright cold! This could lead to some Magical Experiences though, when you have to find places to keep warm, you may just go into an attraction or building that will lead you to some fun and excitement.

If you are a Sports Fan, the last weekend in February is a great time to visit, Disney. The reason for this is because ESPN the Weekend takes place at the Walt Disney World Resort at this time. ESPN the Weekend usually starts on Thursday morning of that last weekend with the Mike and Mike show first thing in the morning then continues throughout the weekend with different athletes and ESPN personalities making appearances in Parades and special shows.

Now, please don’t misunderstand today’s and yesterday’s posts. I don’t believe there is a bad time to go to Disney. Any time I’m there with my family, we always seem to make Magical Experiences. If I could, I would go more than once a year. And I am one that doesn’t like crowds, but they are part of the trip. As I stated yesterday, people ask why we would go in the summer, it has to do with the school calendar and the heat is the same here at home as it is down there. Walt Disney looked for a place where the parks could be open all year around for a reason. So in my eyes, any time you get to go to Disney and I’m not there or going in the foreseeable future, I’m jealous, but I wish you many Magical Experiences.

So, now you know, although any trip to Walt Disney World is great, there are some Unknown Magic times that are better to visit than others. The reasons differ, either for cheaper rates, special packages or lower crowds. But any or all of these things can lead to Magical Experiences for you and your family.

>We have to Wait until the Kids are Out of School…

>When we discuss our summer plans with people and we say we’re going to Disney, we will get the question “Why would you go in the summer, it’s so hot!” That makes me laugh, because here in New Jersey, for the last week, we have been over 90 degrees every day. The Heat index has been over 100 for 5 of those days and today is only June 30th.  A few years ago, we went to Williamsburg Virginia in August, and a friend told me to pack as if I was going to the Florida Keys, because it would be just as hot in Williamsburg. I know what a lot of people don’t realize, the heat here is the same as the heat in Disney.Then you have to add in the fact that some of us don’t have the luxury of vacationing at any time during the year. Some of us have to go in the summer or during other vacations when the kids are out of school. Which means everyone else is out of school also, which means there are more families at Walt Disney World. So, the question arises, when is the best time to go, if you have to go by the School Calendar? The Timing of your trip to Walt Disney World is an Unknown Magic many people don’t think about, but it can mean the difference between many Magical Experiences and frustration.

So, when is the best time to go according to the School Calendar? It’s an easy answer, but I know that throughout the United States, schools start at different times of the year, and I’m sure in other countries it is the same, so I will be talking in general terms about school calendars, but will be using the one we have to go by as my guide. Let’s start with a great, but difficult time to go. The Christmas Season in Walt Disney World is Fantastic, between the decorations, the special shows and parades and the different happenings in the parks, it is something that should not be missed. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is something that everyone should experience. They actually make it Snow on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. With that said, if you don’t want to miss it, but you can’t get there until the day before Christmas or even anytime that week, expect there to be A LOT of people. We went down the 26th a few years back and stayed until the 31st. It was a Fantastic trip, but I don’t remember there ever being more people in the Magic Kingdom when I have been there. It was unbelievable the amount of people that were there. I’d love to go that time of year again, but that week, I don’t know if I would.

 For a First time visitor, I’d say if you can stand the heat wait until the summer, the crowds will actually be smaller then. Another time the crowds are unbelievably big is the week of Easter. Neither of these busy times have anything to do with Religion, it is just that people think it will be cooler than the summer and the kids are off, let’s go. What they don’t think about is that everyone has off the same days and they are all thinking the same way. Another time to warn you about that many people don’t know about is the first weekend in November. This is a Phenomenon that happens every year and the Cast Members in Disney even recognize that it happens. The reason why this weekend (actually it starts the Wednesday night leading up to the weekend) is very busy is because the schools in New Jersey close Thursday and Friday the first week in November for a Teachers convention every year (Waste of School Days? Yes. Big boost in the economy for the Jersey Shore, where it is held? Yes). So, with New Jersey Schools closed down, families from New Jersey now have a 4 day weekend and head to Walt Disney World. This weekend isn’t as crowded as the other two times mentioned, but there are quite a few people and they all seem to be trying to cram as much into that short amount of time as possible. This is what makes this weekend a difficult time to go, especially if you are laid back visitors as we are. So looking at the School calendar, when does that leave to go? Summertime. Something to remember though is that most people have off for 4th of July and when it falls near a weekend, they can tack on their vacation days to make a longer vacation. Also Many Florida residents will come to Disney World for the Day to witness the fireworks.

There are a few things other things to beware of with summer travel to Walt Disney World; Rain, Tropical Storms and the Heat of course. Summer rain in Florida happens every day. It is usually a quick strong storm in the middle or late afternoon. It is a fact of Florida life.

 Disney Daddy wrote a great blog about the weather a few weeks ago as one of his Tuesday Tips. It was called Watch the Weather.

Tropical storms can happen at any time in Florida from June Through November, but you have to remember Walt Disney World is not on the coast and very few storms cut across the state of Florida, they usually head on up the coast. And we discussed the heat earlier. So, the question comes down to when would be the best time to go to Disney in the summer? The best answer for this is to look to Disney themselves. They are running a special right now that is for the Disney Dining Plan:

“Purchase this 5-night/6-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package and enjoy most of your meals for FREE. That’s a savings of $689 for a family of 4 at select Disney Moderate Resorts. For stays most nights 08/15/10-10/02/10.”
For Disney Vacation Club Members it will you cost less points to visit after August 16 than it will to visit before. So, one could conclude there are less crowds towards the end of August, therefore according to Disney, it is the best time to visit Walt Disney World in the late summer.

Honestly, we’ve been in both July and August. It is just as hot in July as it is in August. Last year we went for a week at the end of August. And the crowds were lighter, southern U.S. schools go back in August, which accounts for this drop off. Our trip was wonderful, although there was a tropical storm we kept
watching while we were there, not so much for while we were there, but for our drive up the eastern coast to get home. Any time in the summer you are going to have crowds, rain and heat, but the end of August is my recommendation of when to go if you have to follow the School calendar, because with fewer crowds, you can do more things, enjoy your time together more and create those Magical Experiences.

So, now you know, if you have to follow the School Calendar to schedule your Disney trip, you can try over Christmas for many Magical Experiences, but if you want to go without the crowds, try late in August. You will have many more opportunities for Magical Experiences without all the people.