Walt Disney World, Florida is Not Just for First Timer's

Just when you think you've done it all, you find out that there's something you missed so another vacation is in order. We choose Walt Disney World every year for our family vacation because there's something new and different to experience every time we go.

Resorts

We love the themes that Disney puts into each of their resorts. We have yet to stay at all of the resorts. (That alone is like a vacation in a vacation.) When we stay, we usually decide between a moderate and a deluxe hotel. Walt Disney World does offer value priced resorts but we pack heavy and feel that we need more space to spread out. We have heard though from many friends and relatives that they were very happy with their stay at the value resorts. This time when we stayed (June 09) we decided on WDW Port Orleans French Quarter Resort. The price was definitely right and it was a place we had never stayed at before. Usually at some point during our stay we schedule some "down time" so that we can take advantage of what each resort has to offer. Unfortunately this time we only were able to explore the pool and the arcade room. (And the laundry facilities - we must have changed clothes three times a day because of the humidity.) When we entered the French Quarter Resort we were greeted at the door with beads and our daughter was given a "lucky" green coin to toss into the wishing fountain. After walking down the streets of "New Orleans" we entered our beautifully decorated and spacious room. One reason we picked this resort over all the other moderates was because that the layout here was much smaller. We were in building 7 (the one that is the farthest away) and yet everything was less than a five-minute walk away. (Which is a very good thing after a long day in the parks.) Disney's French Quarter offered many other amenities like carriage rides, a boat to Downtown Disney, a fitness room, etc; but as mentioned there was just not enough time to do everything. Most of the deluxes offer many other amenities. When you book your vacation try to schedule some free time just to relax and take in everything at your resort.

As mentioned, Walt Disney World provides so much more to our family than an average theme park. We love the dining experiences that they offer. We usually spend a day at Downtown Disney shopping and playing with Lego's. We tried a water park this time around. (Disney's Typhoon Lagoon) We had a great time there and will definitely be going back. We also spent half of a morning at Disney Quest - an indoor gaming lover's dream.

New Attractions

No matter how often we go, there is always something new to experience. This time we rode "Toy Story Mania". We all loved this ride. However, if it wasn't for FP (fast passes) I know we would have not been able to ride because the line was usually over an hour long. At Magic Kingdom, we waited in line to visit the fairies at Pixie Hollow. The line here was also an hour long. The Disney Fairies are very popular with the younger girls. We actually met three of the Fairies at one time, which made it worth the wait. Our daughter took pictures with and received autographs from Tinkerbell, Silvermist, and Fawn.

We have yet to see and do everything in all the years that we have been. This year we also were able to do some of the "oldie but goodie" things like catch the Indiana Jones Stunt Show and ride things like Splash Mountain. (We usually go in January and it's usually down for maintenance - not that you'd want to get wet in January.) We also rode the less intense version of Mission Space. (Hubby usually rides the real version but since we agreed to ride he went on this version with us.) So even these "older" attractions were new to us. We had new dining experiences at the 1900 Park Fare and Chefs de France.

Walt Disney World offers our family so much when we go that we are often disappointed when we visit other places. We love the cleanliness and the wholesome atmosphere that Disney has to offer. This is why WaltDisney World will be our favorite vacation spot again and again.

If you're thinking about booking a first time vacation or even if you've been a bunch of times and just want to go back, don't forget to look for money saving offers. I've included a few to help get you started in the right direction.

Incentives/Discounts

Current Walt Disney World Offers from Walt Disney World

What a great year for promotions. Disney is offering you free admission to a theme park on your birthday. If you already have admission tickets then they will offer you something else. (Fast passes, gift card, etc;) Visit disneyparks for more information.

Another current offer from Disney - Free Dining during your stay when you book by a certain date. You can find out more about this offer by visiting bookwdw.reservations.disney.

Military discounts

This is the one we took advantage of "Disney's Armed Forces Salute" during this promotion the active duty member gets a 5-day park hopper pass plus five water park and more options. Then the Armed Forces member can purchase up to five discounted 5-day passes for $99 each. You can also add more additional options for a nominal fee. In all you could easily get 10 days uses out of these passes. Disney was also offering 40% off of room rates. You can find more about this offer by visiting wdwinfo.com, but hurry this promotion ends December 23, 2009.

Also, be sure to check with AAA and ARP if you are members. They also offer discounts not available to the public. Disney Rewards Visa also offers perks and discounts at various times for the Walt Disney World Resort.

I hope that Walt Disney World will hold a special place in your heart and in your memories for your family just as it does with ours.