Disney's Boardwalk Villas

Okay, we may have found our official "home away from home"!  We stayed for eight nights in a deluxe studio villa. Remember, we had two adults, an eight year old, a five year old and a baby. This was a sufficient space for us. We will stay in this sized accommodation until the baby is three( and not free anymore).

We rented DVC or Disney Vacation Club points from David's DVC Rentals. Using their service was a breeze!! If we were to book that exact room for the exact dates right through Disney, it would have been about $4000! For the room only! Yup, sorry, not frugal! We paid $1800 for those EIGHT nights at the Boardwalk, a deluxe Disney hotel. Now, that is a savings!

So, right off the bat we were super impressed! Right as we exited the Magical Express, they knew we were the Lovely family! A cast member with an I Pad, welcomed us. They escorted us into the unbelievably beautiful lobby. The invited us to sit(on a comfy sofa). After I gave them my driver's license, they set off to fetch our welcome package. Now, I always do the online check in before we arrive. This was seamless and we waited for no more than 10 minutes. Our room was not ready (we always get early flights to maximize our time in Disney!). We checked our carry on bags and anything else we did not need right away with Bell Services. Then we explored the resort and headed to Hollywood Studios, a short Derry ride away!

Seeing as our room had a kitchenette, I ordered bottled water, juice boxes, breakfast items and some fruit from Garden Grocer They delivered the items right to the hotel for us. I found it very reasonably priced for the service. But, silly me, forgot and packed the large pancake syrup in my carry on, so we had to throw it away in the airport!! Not frugal! So, without syrup and being to cheap to pay resort prices for such a thing:) We ended up using most of our snack credits for breakfast down at the Boardwalk Bakery. They had delicious huge cinnamon rolls, muffins, etc all that could be purchased using one snack credit!! Score!

The location of this resort is wonderful! It is a literal five minute walk to the back gates of Epcot. Also, a 10 minute Ferry ride to Hollywood Studios. Anytime you get to avoid the buses with small kids, the better! 

The pool was great here! They had a wonderful  water slide, large hot tub, kiddie splash pool, playground, arcade, club house. The clubhouse was great. On some rainy days or nights, you can rent movies, do a craft, play some video games, air hockey, board games, watch a Disney movie, etc. That was a life saver! 

All in all, this was by far the best Disney hotel we have stayed at! We will be staying here again. 

The midday rest

One of the most important golden rules to a great Disney trip with small kids: THE MIDDAY REST!!! It is so easy to get caught up in the mindset of fitting in every last bit that you can into everyday. Let's face it, you want to get every pennies worth of your vacation. But, trust me, if you start early and end late with small kids, no one will enjoy themselves. So, my advice to you:

• Get up, eat breakfast and get to the park for 9am. 
• Choose 3 or 4 rides or shows to visit before lunch.
• Eat lunch at a quick service at the park, or eat when you get back to your resort.
• Take the bus back to your resort for a nap or a swim break. Stepping away from the hustle and bustle does wonders. This is especially important if you want to stay up for fireworks, parades, or a movie under the stars.
• After everyone is rested up, probably two hours later, take the bus back to the park..

Then enjoy the rest of your day. When you walk by that family with exhausted and crying kids(and parents!)you can just smile and enjoy your drama free day! We have had our kids nap in the stroller, but honestly, if you have little ones you will most likely benefit from a nap as well!

Multi-use extra suitcase....

We give our kids each a $25/day allowance when at Disney for toys or souvenirs. We have learned along the way, that stuffing the shopping bags in overhead bins on the way home, is not convenient. We always try to fly Southwest, two checked bags always fly for free per person. So, we started dedicating one big suitcase(to be checked) for all of the treasures your family has gathered throughout your Disney trip. You can use this suitcase to pack snacks to have in your room.  At the end of your vacation these items are used up and that frees up that checked bag for souvenirs.

When you have small kids, lots of on hand snacks are great. You never know when they will say they are hungry, or when a snack bribe will be needed. Your hotel will have some available for purchase, but this can add up really quickly with resort prices. So, here are some things you may want to pack:

• cereal
• oatmeal
• boxed donuts
• muffins
• chips
• goldfish
• trail mix
• Slim Jims/Jerky
• Fruit snacks
• Pretzels



The sleeping situation....

Having been on a multitude of family vacations with 4 small children, I have some incite on the sleeping arrangements at the hotel. If you have 
more than 5 people in your party, you will have to get a family suite at one of the value resorts (Art of Animation or All-Star Music)which sleep six, a studio that sleeps 5 at some of the moderate (The Port Orleans's River Side and the Caribbean Beach Resort) and deluxe resorts(The Beach Club, Boardwalk, Grand Floridian, Polynesian and The Wilderness Lodge) all have studio rooms with 2 Queen Beds and 1 Bunk-Size Pull Down Bed. But, for the kids who sprawl out and need extra room, especially when sharing a bed, it can make for some restless nights. I am a very light sleeper, so every time one of them bump, elbow, or take the other's space, I hear it. I am on vacation too, I want to sleep! So, my advice:

• If you have two little kids sharing a bed, give them the bed closest to a wall. Push the bed against the wall. Instead of having them sleep normally ( the long way) have them sleep sideways on the bed. Since they are short, it is no biggey. It is like creating a king bed for them, more space to have their own space while sleeping.
• Split it up, one parent sleeps with one kid, the other parent with the other kid. This is good if you, the parent needs more space. Instead of sharing the bed with your partner, you can share with a much smaller being.
• All of the Resorts also offer port-a-cribs. You can make it comfy and ask your smallest to sleep in there. Some 3/4 year olds may think this is a "cool" little fort for them to sleep in. My kids never slept in those, but they are there if you need one.
• I have also found child size air mattresses. So it is great for those families of six that include a child under 3. One kid on the pull down bed, a parent and a kid in each of the queen beds and one kid on the little blow up mattress. This one we found at Walmart for $35 is great!
  

All of the Value Resort studios have Double beds. All of the Moderate Resorts have Queen beds. All of the Deluxe Resorts have Queen beds. 

Travel tips

Here are a few travel tips that I live by:

 

• I always pack Clorox Disinfecting wipes with me for the plane. You can buy little packs of these in the travel section of Walmart/Target. You can also put some from a bigger container into a Ziploc baggie.  When you get on the plane, wipe down all of your arm rests, try tables, seat buckles and I even go as far as to wipe down the air nozzles above head.
• Get one of those little plastic accordion folders. You can sometimes find them in the dollar bins at Target. Make a section for your gift cards, cash for airport food, index itinerary cards, travel vouchers, etc.
• If you have booked an early morning flight, buy a pack of muffins and some single serve juice or milk at the grocery store before your trip. That way the kids can eat on the drive to the airport.
• If you fly out of a big airport, like Logan in Boston, it is easier to spilt up on arrival. Drop one parent, preferably the Mom, curbside at your departure terminal, while the other parent(preferably the Dad) drives and leaves the car at the long term parking lot. This saves you from parking and loading baggage, strollers and small children onto an airport shuttle. So, drop Mom, kids, stroller and as many bags as she can manage and then meet inside. Remember to thank your Husband for parking the car.
• Make sure to pack your swim suits, sunblock(in small 3 oz bottles), a change of shorts or warm weather clothes, swim diapers, arm floaties, hats, sunglasses, and anything else you may need at the hotel before your bags arrive. It takes a few hours for Magical Express to have your luggage to your room.
• Make your kids nap on the plane! I know with little ones it is super exciting to fly. Explain to them if they take a nap, it will make getting there faster. Also, that it will give them energy to go to a park when you get there. If  they do, you can nap also! Everyone will be ready to enjoy your vacation the moment that plane lands!
• If you arrive to your Resort and your room is not ready, be polite and do not freak out at the hotel receptionist! There is nothing worse than watching someone else loose it when checking into the most magical place on earth! If this happens, chill out. Put on your vacation panties and relax! You can check your bags and any other items you wish at Bell Services. Then, you can hit the pool or a park and go to your room when you are done. Bell Services will bring your bags right to you.

Renting DVC (Disney Vacation Club) Points to save BIG!!!

Save BIG time by renting DVC Points!!!

The Disney Vacation Club is a Disney Time Share program. The members buy into the program by purchasing "points". The number of points they purchase allows them to stay at different Disney Hotels for different lengths of stay. You can save a lot of money by renting these member's points that they do not use. Here are some reasons to rent points:

• If you are traveling with more than 4 people in your party. Most Disney's standard rooms only accommodate 4 people. You can rent points to stay in family suites. These suites cost an arm and a leg as a rack rate (through Disney or another travel site).
• If you want to stay at a Deluxe Disney Hotel, no matter how small or large your party is. The Deluxe Disney Hotels are SUPER expensive and it will amaze you how much you will save.
• Every Disney Vacation Villa (what the Vacation Club rooms are called), even the studios, have a kitchenette or a full kitchen. This means you can eat breakfast in your room before hitting the parks. Also, if you wish, could prepare lunch or dinner.
• If you have a larger party, the one and two bedroom suites have multiple bathrooms. This is a huge plus for big families/parties.

 The only two negatives I have found of renting points:

• You will not get daily maid service. Trash and Towel service is included in all stays of more than four days. If your stay is for less than eight nights, you will receive Trash & Towel service on day four. If your stay is for eight nights or longer, you will receive a full cleaning service on day four, and Trash & Towel service on day eight. After that, the cycle begins again on day twelve. Day one is check-in day. Daily housekeeping can be arranged and paid for at time of check-in. The following rates are subject to change:

Additional Full Cleaning Rates:
Studio - $30.00 for each day requested
One-Bedroom - $45.00 for each day requested
Two-Bedroom - $60.00 for each day requested
Three-Bedroom - $75.00 for each day requested
Additional Trash & Towel Rates:
Studio - $15.00 for each day requested
One-Bedroom - $20.00 for each day requested
Two-Bedroom - $25.00 for each day requested
Three-Bedroom - $35.00 for each day requested

• You will not be able to get the Free Disney Dining Plan, if they are running that promotion the time of your trip. You will be able to purchase the Dining Plan, so no worries there.

Different times of year combined with different lengths of stay, determine how many points you will need to rent.

We use and would recommend David's Vacation Club Rentals. You will pay $14.00 per Vacation Point rented. On their site you will find an easy to use Points Calculator, to tell you how much your stay will cost you. This is a very reputable renter of points. They do everything for you and is very trustworthy. Like I said before, this is who my family personally uses. 

You will have to pay for your room all at once, no spreading out payments, like if you booked on Disney's site.

Here are some sample prices. I will show you how much your room would cost booked through Disney- "Rack Rate" and also if booked through David's (where you rent points from). These are rates I just looked up today 01/28/2017

If you had a party of 4 staying 7 nights May 16- May 23rd 2017, in a savannah view villa at the:

•  Animal Kingdom Lodge- 

Disney's "Rack Rate" room only price $3474.00

David's DVC Rental price- $1845

That is a savings of $1629!!!

_________________________________________________________________

If you had a party of 8 staying the same 7 nights in a two- bedroom villa at the

• Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary Resort-

Disney's "Rack Rate" room only price $8099.00

David's DVC Rental price $4755.00

                                         That is a savings of $3344.00!!!

If you had 2 families of 4 split the cost of a two-bedroom villa, that would cost less than the price of one family of four to get a studio room at that same Deluxe Resort!







Ways to surprise your kids.....

Ways to surprise your children with your Disney Trip...

 

 

Every year when we take the kids to Disney, we surprise them. They never know when we are going. Every year we come up with a new way. Sometimes it is a little twist and a little bit of a different fib.

 

• If you have planned an early morning flight, wake the kids up super early and surprise them. In the past we have told them that Dad's car was broken and we had to get up really early to bring him to work. We have also told them that Ikea was having this huge sale, and we had to get up extra early so we did not miss out! When you wake them, give them their Tee Shirts you made them and tell them to figure out what it says. I have also put on their shirts that I have made them before they get out of bed. Make sure it is dark in their room, so they cannot see the shirt. Tell them you are just putting a clean shirt on them. Then, make sure you put a sweatshirt or coat over the shirt to hide it. Right before you get to the airport, have them take of the sweatshirt or coat to reveal their  "We are going to Disney shirt". They will be so excited!
• You can book a midday or right after school flight. This way you can tell them they have a doctors appointment and you have to pick them up from early from school. Then you can head straight for the airport and don't say anything until they ask you why you are at the airport!
• You can fill a suitcase with balloons, confetti, and a sign that tells them they are going to Disney. Ask them to open it for you, that you have a special surprise for them. I would wait until the night before for this one.
• Have them get up and ready for school, have them dress and eat as they normally would. When they grab their backpacks to head out the door, say "I think you will need these instead today." Then grab their packed carry-on bags from a closet.

 

 

There are so many creative ways to tell them. I really think a last minute surprise is the best way. They will surely never forget it!