Photopass...a definite must have!!

So today, I'm going to talk a bit about the Photopass at Disney.  For those who don't know, the Photopass is a photo card that is available from any Disney Portrait Photographer anywhere in the parks.  It's a small card with an electronic scan signature that logs all your professionally taken pictures to one place for you to have, use, or leave behind.  The card itself is free, however, getting the pictures has a small fee associated with it, depending on what you choose to purchase.

First off, one small bit of advice for those going...and I'll be as subtle as I can....GET THE PHOTOPASS!!!!  Okay...not so subtle...but I believe this is the best..the absolute BEST thing that Disney does to help you get the most Magic out of your trip.  The card is free, and taking pictures is free, so there is no harm in it whatsoever.  The best part is that these authorized photographers (like my college friend Dan!) have the best spots for picture taking in all of the parks!!  It is a win win for all involved, so definitely stop, get a picture taken, and get a card.

Next bit of advice would be to pre-order a CD of your pictures.  This, again, is a small cost, but very worth it.  The CD includes all pictures associated with your Photopass ID# as well as some stock photos that are included for you to use (with certain limitations outlined in the CD's use policy).  As an added bonus, you can associate multiple cards to one CD.  For example, our good friends and neighbors Allen and Mairo as well as Melissa and Matt and us all went to Disney within about 4 weeks of each other.  We all got Photopasses, and linked each of our cards together, but only ordered one CD.  Then we copied the CD for each other and all had a great time looking at each other's pictures.  It saved costs as well as got us some great pictures of our close friends.

Many times, it's these professional photos that are the most memorable.  The best photographers will keep snapping pictures of you, your family, or your kids in various situations, linking them all to your Photopass account.  Lots of the best "candid" shots we have of our little princess are the ones where the photographer just kept snapping pictures while our girl was interacting with the characters or while we were waiting for something else (like a crowd to move out of the short, or something similar).  It's definitely a more magical thing to see these photos, not knowing that they were taken.

Another great feature is the ability for you to go online after the photos have been uploaded by Disney (within hours in some cases) and be able to edit, right there on their website, the photos for your use.  For instance, you can add things like borders, characters, messages, backgrounds, or even change it from color to B&W, all before you place the order for your CD to be delivered. 

Lastly, and this is very specific to the pass itself, for those who are like me a lose things all the time, the pictures can even be retrieved if you lose the card.  We lost ours at Hollywood Studio once, and all my wife had to do (yes...she did this...she was actually the one to lose the card.  Normally, it's me....) was head to the nearest Photopass office (generally at the front of the park) and ask to find the pictures.  As long as you know the last time (approximately) you took a Photopass picture with a photographer, they can search and you can then retrieve all the pictures to be linked to a new card.  How cool is that!  No worries about losing a memory card, erasing a memory card, losing a camera, running out of film (I know...who uses film any more!) or anything like that.  It's all there, ready for you when you get home to make a great scrap book of your trip!

I'm sure there is something I missed, but that gets you the gist of  it.  Definitely worth the time and money, and I think it only adds to the Magic. 

Until next time, have a Magical Day!!

-Jason

Disney Discount....Myth or Reality?

A funny title, I know.  But it's quite true.  Sometimes, even for travel professionals, it seems that nothing we do or nowhere we look will gather discounts for us and our clients.  I have a friend...we'll just call him MS for now..however, who seems to have most of the answers when it comes to discounts.  He is nothing short of amazing when it comes to finding deals and then taking advantage of those deals to make a magical trip for his family. 

Here are a few of his tips to finding the best deals....and then I'll add my own below! :)

1) Register on the Disney Website and make sure you log in and are active.  Price trips, save trips, order planning DVD's.  All of these things get you noticed and will, occasionally, prompt them to send you special Pin Numbers via email for various room/package discounts or even free dining (without it being public!)

2) Be active on all the message boards.  Disboards, Disdads, Allears, etc. all list multiple places where you can look for discounts and special offers.  It never hurts to look, and sometimes you'll get lucky.

3) Be patient!  If you are looking to plan a trip, begin looking early.  Know what you'd LIKE to pay and be prepared to book when you see it.  He's going in November and just booked air a bit ago at, what I believe, will be the lowest we will see.  He knew what he wanted, waited for it, and pounced when it was available. 

4) Be quick to act.  If a discount comes along, it's definitely not there forever.  If you see one you're looking for, book it right then...don't wait!  Disney routinely offers only a certain number of discounts for each promotion, so if you don't book right away, it's possible the discount won't be available to you later.

5) Try to travel off season.  By his admission, this is harder now that our kids (we have kids the same age) are in school.  It was much easier when they weren't in school and days off didn't matter as much.  Mid Spring, and Mid Fall on weeks that don't fall on events such as The Flower and Garden Show or the Food and Wine Festival are great times to travel, and you can usually find great deals!

6) Take advantage of Bounce Back deals.  When you finally do pull the trigger on the your magical vacation to Disney, before you check out, ask about Bounce Back deals.  Many times, if you reserve a trip for another time before you leave, they can offer great rates, or even free nights.  It never hurts to ask.

I think that's all I've learned from him.  If he gives me any more, I'll be sure to steal them....uhhhhh...post them here for you all to see. :)

One of my biggest tips would be (and this is in no way self serving...I've taken advantage of this before as well) is to use an Authorized Vacation Planner.  A Disney Vacation Planner can take your reservation and, if a discount comes along for the time you are going to be there, can apply the discount to your reservation with no hassle.  Sometimes...not all of the time...if you book  yourself through Disney.com or another travel site, it's difficult to add the discount to the package because you've paid your entire balance.  Using a travel planner, you can pay a deposit, and then not pay the full balance until closer to your travel date.

Do you have any tips for finding discounts??  Feel free to comment below.  I'll try to compile them for everyone and post them here.

Have a magical day!!

Jason

Am I tall enough, Mom??

So, my daughter is almost 6, but she's been going to Disney since she was 2...actually she turned 2 the day we left the first time with her to Disney, so she's a Disney veteran like myself.  One thing we've had to learn (and with some disappointment at times) is which rides are appropriate, height wise, for her and our other cousins/friends who have come with us. 

Today, I wanted to share a chart that has been floating around among Disney bloggers, travel planners, and Disney Professionals.  It's pictured below, and it has all the height requirements for all the rides at Disney World that have them.  Boy...would this have been helpful before!

The first question I've been asked about this is "Where are all the other rides?  That's not all that Disney has!!"  You're right...there are plenty of other magical rides at Disney...but those don't have height requirements...just hop on and go!

Anyway, enjoy, and use to your liking! 

Disney Resources...first of many posts.

Happy Friday!!

I've been busy booking clients for the summer with Disney's incredible Monstrous Summer Rates, so I've not had a chance to post much on the blog.

Today, I wanted to give you all a bit of a start to help you plan your vacation.  As I mentioned in a previous post, there is no shortage of reference materials related to all things Disney, from guidebooks to TV shows, to DVD's to travel professional, like myself.

Of course, your first step should be speaking with a professional.  We have all been trained by Disney to offer superior customer service, information, and vacation pricing, and are all very happy to do it.  Look for the Authorized Disney Vacation Professional logo at your local travel agent or online.  When you see it, you'll be comforted to know that you are working with a Disney professional.

Another great source of information is the Disney planning DVD direct from Disney.com.  You can order it after you create an account and enter your shipping information.  It's, of course, a DVD designed to show you just the highlights and benefits of a Disney vacation, but it will, at the very least, provide you with a good starting point for your vacation and start you on your list of questions for either Disney directly or your travel professional.

Books are everywhere about Disney, but my favorites are still the Passporter Books by Jennifer, Dave, and Allison Marx.  Their website is also quite amazing, having travel information for Disney World, Disneyland, beyond Disney, and Disney Cruises.  Additionally, they have an amazing forum on their site...but I'll get to that below in a minute.  Other great sources include Fodors, Frommers, Hidden Disney, Birnbaums Guides, and The Unofficial Guide (but, as I've said before, there are comedic entries in the Unofficial guide, so don't trust everything).  Look for any of these at your local bookstore.

The internet is probably the best source these days, with various sites, forums, and information sources that are available to anyone.  Each of the book sources I listed above has an online version (Passporter even has their books available as Ebooks so you can take them with you on your favorite tablet device).  Additionally, Allears.net, disboards.com, and disdads.com are some of the sources I use frequently to get user generated advice and tips.  Many times, you can find these sites will provide you with special pins and codes for extra percentages off, as well as tips to make the most of your vacation.

There are many more, and I'll probably review some later on, but that should get everyone started.  Explore the options.  Most people think of Disney as a once in a lifetime opportunity, as the costs appear to be very high.  The truth is, it's no higher than any other comparable trip, and the memories will last a lifetime.  If you've never been to Disney, you truly don't know what you are missing.  If you've been, you can't wait to go back.  If you're like me, you are already planning your next visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth!!

Have a great weekend, and until next time, Have a Magical Day and always search for your Enchantment Destination!!

Jason