Friday, July 31, 2015

5 Must Dos BEFORE Booking Your Walt Disney World Vacation

A couple of weeks ago, I got a text from my cousin.  She is planning a trip to Walt Disney World!  Yay!!!!!  She’s been there a couple of times, but she knows that I’ve been there dozens of times (I’ve actually lost count of how many).  My husband and I were annual passholders when we lived in Florida, and I obsess over planning my vacations.  So, she reached out for advice and I was more than happy to help.  (I love helping other people plan trips as much as I love planning my own.)

A trip to Walt Disney World takes months of planning, so where should she (or you) start?  Here are my top five tips for getting started:

This is the book I buy every year, but there are tons of Walt Disney World
books, see which one you like best!

1. BUY THE BOOK
The first thing I told my cousin, is to buy a book at Walt Disney World.  The one I always buy is Birnbaum’s “Walt Disney World: The Official Guide”.  A new, updated one comes out every year, and it has everything you need to know- from the parks, to dining, to resorts, to anything else you can imagine.  But there are a bunch of other books out there as well, so get one- and please, don’t forget to read it!

2. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
As you’re going through your book, think about a budget.  This is so important!  Your budget will help determine a lot about the trip including- how long you’re going to stay, where you’re going to stay, what type of tickets you’re going to get and if you’ll buy a dining plan, and which one you should buy. (Another tip, make your plans based on a realistic budget.  Don’t book something you can’t afford, hoping for a deal to be released down the road.  During less crowded times Walt Disney World often offers some deals, you but you can’t count on it, and you shouldn’t plan your trip based on it.  If a good deal does come out later, you can always call and get it- or upgrade to something more expensive that now meets your budget!)

3. WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT
Once you have your budget set, you need to decide when to go and how long to stay.  Of course there are certain times of the year, when it’s more expensive and more crowded.  Pretty much any time kids are out of school- including the summer and holidays- will be crowded and more costly.  Also, if possible, schedule your trip at least 6 months in advance.  If you book closer to your actual vacation, the most popular restaurants, tours and other reservations will be sold out!

4. WHERE IN THE WORLD???
Okay, so you have your budget, and you know when you’re going.  Now, you can decide where to stay- on property or off property.  We always stay on Disney property, and I highly recommend it.  It’s much more convenient, you can use Disney transportation to and from the parks, and you get a bit of an advantage when booking dining and fastpass+ reservations.  There are all styles and prices of accommodations- from campsites to deluxe club level resorts to suites for the entire family.  While the prices of tickets never change, the prices of rooms do- depending on the season.

Disney still sends tickets for some special events,
but your room key, park tickets, and meal plans will be linked to your Magic Band!


5. THAT’S THE TICKET
Finally, what type of "Magic your way" tickets will you need?  Do you want to go to one park a day or do you want to hop from park to park?  Will you be visiting the water parks too?  We always get a park hopper, but skip the water park option.  We like to visit multiple parks in a day, especially toward the end of the trip when everyone wants to go on their favorite rides one more time.  We usually travel in the off season when it’s not scorching hot, so we haven’t been to the water parks in years.  What about food?  Forget everything you think you know about theme park food.  You can find everything from fast food to meals with your favorite Disney characters to fine dining experiences.  Should you add a dining plan to your ticket?  There are several options available.  The most popular plan allows you to get 1 counter service meal (fast food restaurant), 1 table service meal (sit down restaurant), and 1 snack per night you’re staying. You also get a travel mug that you can refill at your hotel with unlimited coffee, tea, soda, or juice for the length of your stay. For us, food is always a huge part of our vacation so we definitely add this on!  (Also, I cannot think of a better place to eat gluten free than Walt Disney World.  The chefs go above and beyond to accommodate all dietary restrictions.)

BOOK EM, DANNO!
Okay, so you have your budget, you know when you’re going, where you’re staying and what type of ticket you want.  Now you’re ready to book your trip!  You can do it online or call.  I like to call 407-W-DISNEY.  I usually have a few options of resorts I am interested in.  I ask the vacation planner to check them all out for me, see what’s available, and how much it will cost.

THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

Now what??  You’re done, right?  WRONG!  There’s so much more to think about.  Stay tuned for future blog posts on what to do as your trip approaches!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

It's a Lifesaver!

It's something all parents think about and fear. Losing your child. But, if you have a child with autism who wanders, you don't just think about it, you obsess over it.

Nathan wearing his Project Lifesaver bracelet

Nathan is 10 years old and has a tendency to wander. We have talked to him and explained the dangers and that he must always be with his family.  While he understands this, if he sees or thinks about something he's interested in, he will take off. Even our younger son, Drew, is terrified of losing Nathan.

And we did lose him. Once. It was the most awful few minutes of my life.

We were in church.  My husband and I were kneeling down and praying. Nathan was sitting on the pew.  Or so we thought.  At some point he got up and walked out, we never heard a thing. After searching the street outside the church, we found him in the church office on the computer.

This incident led us to a true lifesaver. Actually, it's called Project Lifesaver. Project Lifesaver provides a radio transmitter that Nathan wears on his wrist. It looks like a watch and if he ever gets lost again, the sheriff's department can track him. We got ours through a partnership between Westchester County and Westchester Jewish Community Services (in New York).  Project Lifesaver is not the only service available to find or track a person with autism, there are others you can check out.
At first he hated wearing the transmitter,
now he forgets it's even there

We even travel with it!  We just let the people at the Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) office know where we're going. They take it from there, contacting the local police at our destination to find out if they participate in Project Lifesaver (Walt Disney World is covered!!!). If so, they give the police the dates we will be in the area, and the radio frequency of Nathan's transmitter. We also carry documentation that we give to the TSA when going through airport security.  It explains what the bracelet is, and why he can't take it off.

As a Project Lifesaver family, we have responsibilities as well. In order to take part in the program, we must agree to test the transmitter everyday to make sure it's working.  We also keep track of what Nathan's wearing each day so we can tell the police what he is wearing if he gets lost. Every other month we take Nathan in to the WJCS office to get the transmitter battery changed.
We test the battery of transmitter daily
and keep a log of what Nathan is wearing

If someone in your family wanders either because of autism, Alzheimer's disease or for any other reason, please, get some type of tracking device. It will not only ease your mind, but it could also be a lifesaver.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!

I rarely go to the grocery store, and when I do go, I usually go alone, it's just quicker, easier and saves me money. Most of the time though, I use an online grocery delivery service. It's awesome!  It's also quicker, easier, and saves me money!

But sometimes I just need to go shopping.


This was one of those weeks. We needed bread and a few other gluten free things that aren't available online. I dragged my hubby and kids along to the store, because we were already out. Big mistake!

Look at what we came home with. If you had seen us and our shopping cart, you would have thought my family had never seen ice cream before! Jason, Nathan and Drew went crazy in the frozen section, buying 5 containers of ice cream,  2 packages of ice pops, fudge bars, Italian ices, and drumsticks!
Think we got enough ice cream?
This is why I don't take my family to the grocery store!


But wait... there's more! I never buy gluten filled treats! My oldest son, Nathan, and I can't eat them and I try to limit the amount of junk my family eats anyway. Well, Jason, my gluten loving husband, and our youngest son, Drew, went wild in the bakery as well! They bought a cake and a huge container chocolate chip cookies- they ate most of them before I could snap a picture! (They did think of Nathan, by also getting some gluten free ice cream cones to go along with all that ice cream!)
Stocking up on some gluten. Blach!

I have no idea what we'll have for dinner this week,  but I'm pretty sure I know what's for dessert!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Blogging?? Yes, I'm blogging!


Time, it's the one thing no one has enough of.  Being busy is a new status symbol.  We're always talking about how busy we are, how tired we are, how we're always trying to DO IT ALL!

Well, I'm busy too, but I've still decided to start my own blog anyway.  Go ahead, call me crazy, I won't be offended.

So, who is Becky Cook?

First and foremost, I love my family!  I am a wife and a mother to 2 amazing boys.  Our oldest son, Nathan, has autism, and he and I also have celiac disease.  Our youngest son, Andrew, keeps us busy running to sports games, practices, and whatever else he can think to get us to do!  So, at home there is always something to juggle- practices, therapies, school meetings, special diets- there is ALWAYS something!

I also work full time in television news.  Let's just say, that's something different every day!  I never know what the day will bring me, which is exciting!  Plus, commuting over an hour each way on public transit to and from work is NEVER boring!

Finally, I am a total Disnerd- as my husband calls it!  I LOVE all things Disney, especially Walt Disney World.  So, before anyone asks.  Yes, we are going back to Walt Disney World- AGAIN.  Even when we don't have a date set for our next visit, I am always planning our next trip in my mind!

So, why am I writing a blog, I want to share everything I've learned over the years.  Whether it be related to raising a child with special needs, eating gluten free, juggling a marriage, kids and a career or travel planning (mostly Disney travel planning).

Thanks for joining me for this ride, and I hope you stick around for what tomorrow might bring,...

Because always remember, no matter what challenges you face today- "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of the everyday!"- The Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World