There are several special events and parties held at Disney World that you might want to do during your trip.

Today, I have info on each of those, including what each event includes, how much it costs (if anything), if I think it's worth it and the best times to go to each.

I also have a quick tip if you'd like to enjoy the fireworks from the special parties without attending the event.

These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

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PODCASTS I RECOMMEND

Disney World podcasts:

• DIS Unplugged
• Be Our Guest
• WDW Radio

Business podcasts:

• Smart Passive Income
• Fizzle
• The James Altucher Show

PARTIES AND EVENTS OF DISNEY WORLD

Flower and Garden Festival

• When it's held: early March through mid-May
• What it includes: topiaries, workshops, HGTV celebrity appearances, musical acts from the 70s, outdoor kitchens, gardens, play areas
• Cost: No extra cost beyond your Epcot park ticket except for a couple of special tours
• When to go: weekends will be busier but that's when the musical acts appear
• Worth it? I wouldn't plan a whole trip around it but it's nice to visit if you happen to be there during that time
• More info: https://wdwprepschool.com/flower-and-garden-festival-epcot/

Star Wars Weekends

• When it's held: weekend in mid-May through mid-june
• What it includes: celebrity appearances, Star Wars character experiences, special food and merchandise, Symphony in the Stars fireworks, character dining
• Cost: No extra cost beyond your Hollywood Studios park ticket except for the premium package
• When to go: mid-May party dates will be better than later dates
• Worth it? Yes, for Star Wars fans
• More info: https://wdwprepschool.com/complete-overview-of-star-wars-weekends-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

• When it's held: at Magic Kingdom from 7-midnight a few times a week during September and October
• What it includes: trick-or-treating, chance for everybody to wear costumes, special parade/fireworks/castle show, character meet-and-greets, shorter waits at rides (for most party dates), magic photo shots
• Cost: this is a hard-ticketed event that requires a separate ticket that costs $62-71
• When to go: September dates will be less crowded than October dates
• Worth it? Yes, for people who can stay up until midnight
• More info: https://wdwprepschool.com/guide-to-mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party/

Food and Wine Festival

• When it's held: at Epcot from mid-September through mid-November
• What it includes: food booths, musical acts from the 80s and 90s, premium events, celebrity chefs, seminars
• Cost: no extra cost except for the premium events
• When to go: weekends are busy so I'd recommend going on a weekday
• Worth it? I wouldn't plan a whole trip around it but it's fun to do if you're already planning to be there during this time
• More info: https://wdwprepschool.com/complete-overview-of-epcots-food-and-wine-festival/

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

• When it's held: at Magic Kingdom from 7-midnight a few days a week in November through mid-December (except for Thanksgiving week)
• What it includes: special parade and fireworks, character meet-and-greets and dance parties, shorter lines on rides (usually), cookies and hot chocolate from restaurants
• Cost: hard-ticketed event that costs $62-71
• When to go: November dates are usually better than December
• Worth it? While not as popular as the Halloween party, I still think it's worth it for groups who are able to stay up until midnight
• More info: https://wdwprepschool.com/holiday-christmas-season-at-disney-world/

Frozen Summer Fun

• When it's held: in 2014, the dates were July 5-September 28
• What it includes: sing-along, ice skating, dance party, character procession, fireworks
• Cost: no extra cost beyond your Hollywood Studios park ticket except for the premium package
• When to go: Not sure if the event will return for 2015
• Worth it? For Frozen fans, it's worth it, but the premium package isn't necessary

Villains Unleashed

• When it's held: in 2014, it was held on August 23
• What it includes: meet-and-greets with rare characters, dance party, special stage shows, merchandise, fireworks
• Cost: this was a hard-ticketed event that cost $67
• When to go: Not sure if the event will return for 2015
• Worth it? Many complaints about the event having long lines and issues

QUICK TIP OF THE DAY

Just want to watch the fireworks for the special parties but don't want to pay to enter? Read this DISboards.com post for detailed locations to watch Magic Kingdom fireworks.

You can also watch Hollywood Studios fireworks (which only take place during special events) from outside the park for a great view.

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Most Disney World info focuses on families with little ones, but how do you do put together a trip plan for older kids?

I have info for you today on doing that, including when to go, where to stay and places to eat.

I also have a quick tip on using Disney gift cards on your trip and a way to save money when you purchase them.

These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

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DISNEY WORLD WITH OLDER KIDS

Following my 6 step planning process, this is what I'd recommend for families with older kids:

• Step 1: pick your dates - many older kids don't like missing school so I'd recommend visiting at the end of May, end of August or during Spring Break (if your Spring Break isn't connected to Easter)
• Step 2: choose a place to stay - I really like the Boardwalk area for older kids because they have the freedom to visit the Boardwalk activities, walk to two of the parks and use the Stormalong Bay pool if your family is staying at The Beach Club or Yacht Club
• Step 3: make a daily plan - if you plan to cut out little kid rides, I'd suggest a day at each of the 4 parks plus a day or two at Universal
• Step 4: decide where you'll eat - there are good character meals (1900 Park Fare dinner, Chef Mickey's), unique foods (Biergarten, Marrakesh, Teppan Edo, Boma), ornery/fun places (Whispering Canyon Cafe, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Sci-Fi Dine In, Ohana) and upscale restaurants that aren't pretentious (Artist Point, Jiko)
• Step 5: plan park touring - I suggest following my normal touring plans, but you might want to skip most of the Fantasyland section of Magic Kingdom if you're trying to eliminate little kid rides
• Step 6: add extra magic - The in-room celebrations from the Disney Florist are a nice way to surprise anybody, including older kids

QUICK TIP OF THE DAY

Disney gift cards can be used to pay for most anything at Disney World, including room charges. You'll want to stop by the front desk to pay it off before your account reaches $500 in charges and/or by the day before you depart so your credit card doesn't get charged.

You can get discounted Disney gift cards at Sam's Club ($150 worth of gift cards for $142.98) or by using your Target Red Card for 5% discount.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES

There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go (if you're used to listening on the website, subscribe so you can take new episodes with you on your phone)

 

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Disney World park tickets are expensive and can be confusing to figure out. Today, I have info on which options are available and who should choose each one.

I also have a quick tip about your techie setup when making hard-to-get dining and FastPass+ reservations.

These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

BECOME A WDW PREP TO GO PATRON

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I was recently a guest on the Disney Dose podcast. You can listen to that episode at http://disneydose.com/magicband/#axzz39wFlI2q6

TICKET TYPES

These are the types of tickets that you can get for your Disney World trip:

• Base tickets - allows you entry into 1 park for each day of your trip
• Base tickets with the Park Hopper option - flat rate fee on top of the price of base tickets that allows you to enter more than 1 park per day. Read my article on who should make use of Park Hoppers for more info.
• Base tickets with Water Parks Fun and More - flat rate fee that allows you to enter 1 park per day plus entries into extra things like the water parks, DisneyQuest, the 2 miniature golf courses and Oak Tree golf course (anybody planning to go to a water park should probably get this option since the cost is basically the same)
• Base tickets with both Park Hoppers and Water Parks Fun and More - allows you to park hop and entry into the extra places (buying both gives you a reduced flat fee compared to buying them each separately)
• No expiration tickets - most tickets expire within 14 days of first being used but adding the No Expiration option allows you to use them anytime. These make sense for people who know they'll be back to Disney World but won't be spending more than 10 days in 1 year. (No expiration tickets were discontinued in February 2015)
• Annual passes - unlimited entry into the theme parks for 1 year which makes sense for people who will spend more than 10 days per year there and sometimes makes sense for people only making 1 trip.

FINDING DEALS

People buying a package will pay full price through Disney since packages require you to book a hotel and park tickets (and you can add a Disney Dining Plan optionally).

For current full-price ticket prices, see http://www.mousesavers.com/regular-walt-disney-world-ticket-prices/

The best deals are often found through third-party wholesalers like Undercover Tourist (use the UT link in the Mousesavers.com newsletter) or Official Ticket Center which is who I use.

See my comparison of ticket prices (which is now outdated since Disney increased their ticket prices) at https://wdwprepschool.com/where-to-find-the-best-disney-world-ticket-deals-cheapest-discounts/

QUICK TIP OF THE DAY

You can use multiple devices (computers, tablets, smartphones) when trying to get dining or FastPass+ reservations. This might make it easier to get difficult reservations, especially if you have multiple people logging on at once. You will not be logged out of My Disney Experience by doing it this way.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES

There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go (if you're used to listening on the website, subscribe so you can take new episodes with you on your phone)

• Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!)
• Subscribe to the feed
• Listen on Stitcher

Today, I have a different kind of first-timer trip report because this one comes from a Disneyland pro who just returned from her Disney World trip with her family.

I also have a quick tip of the day about scheduling a wake-up call in your Disney World resort room.

These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

BECOME A WDW PREP TO GO PATRON

WDW Prep To Go Patrons pay a little to unlock even more content than what’s on the main podcast feed, such as a private FB Group and exclusive audio that’s released on a private podcast feed.
 
Become a Patron Now

CASEY'S DISNEY WORLD TRIP

Casey from DLRPrepSchool.com talked about her trip and also wrote a trip report about her trip.

QUICK TIP OF THE DAY

When you're staying on-site, you can get a wake up call from a character. Put the phone on speakerphone to allow everybody to hear it. Currently, the character that calls is Olaf.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES

There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go.

• Subscribe in iTunes (and please leave a review!)
• Subscribe to the feed
• Listen on Stitcher