Walt Disney World 101 Recap

I figured it would be a good idea to go back and post all of the videos in the series called "Walt Disney World 101." This gives you a chance to watch them in sequence so you can see that about every aspect of a Walt Disney World vacation was covered.

As you will see, they are posted in chronological order.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5


 Comments? Questions? Is there a part of a Disney acation that you would like to see covered that I did not talk about?

Cruise Vacation 101-Part 6

My last installment in the travel educational series.."Cruise Vacation 101." I hope these videos have helped some of you who may be new to cruising. I welcome comments and questions.

Cruise Vacation 101-Part 5

Next video in the travel educational series..."Cruise Vacation 101." This edition addresses the costs that go into a cruise vacation. I will say that I have accidentally left out one of the incidental costs that need to be factored in to your cruise...specialty restaurant costs onboard. Most ships and cruise lines now have specialty restaurants onboard that offer a great meal and ambiance, but at an added cost of $20-$30 per person. The surcharge allows you to eat an excellent 3 course meal at a fraction of what that meal would cost on land, but you need to factor the cost in if you are thinking about taking advantage of one of those venues onboard. This is an option and can easily be avoided and it is not saying that the meals in the main dining room are of less quality. These specialty restaurants offer a more intimate atmosphere and "made to order" entrees. Thanks again for watching. Please leave comments or questions.

Cruise Vacation 101-Part 4

The continuation of the travel educational series..."Cruise Vacation 101." Today's topic..."which stateroom should I choose?" I hope you find these videos helpful and insightful and please comment or leave a question and I will get back to you soon.

Cruise Vacation 101-Part 2

Second in a series of videos explaining the first steps someone should take when planning a cruise vacation. Are you a newbie to cruise vacations? if so...leave a question and I will be sure to answer it during this series.

Cruise Vacation 101

Here is a short video discussing the first step in the cruise planning process. This will be the first video in a series. I also give a small plug to the Bricktown Hampton Inn and Suites in Oklahoma City which is where I recorded this short video. Thanks for watching.

Hotel Reviews...Take Them With A Grain Of Salt!

Travel Tip of the Week: Should I Buy Travel Insurance?

Hope this answers some of questions that revolve around the subject of travel insurance.

Travel Tip of the Week: Stay Calm!

If you are the type to not stay calm when things are not going your way during your travels...this video is for you.

Read the Fine Print

I am sure you all have seen the famous hovercraft by now as it makes it grand entrance onto your television screen. The blue-suited pilot steps out to deliver the good news to some of the vacationers as the story goes. The good news is how “some” of the men or women will be receiving a rebate for part of their vacation costs because they booked with Orbitz online. The story (commercial) goes on to explain how someone booked their same hotel at a cheaper rate so these lucky travelers are getting refunded the difference which is $100 for the purpose of their commercial. But there is always a sad part of the commercial; there is always one poor soul who doesn’t get a refund because they didn’t book with Orbitz and the famous blue-suited man will then expound, “I think we have learned a valuable lesson here” implying you should only book with Orbitz who gives you this “wonderful price guarantee.”

Now here is the reality of this sort of commercial. First, there will be those who make a decision to book with Orbitz solely based on that commercial and with the idea that they will get a rebate if the price drops. Second, there will be those who book with Orbitz based on the commercial because they will also assume that Orbitz’s prices must be the lowest if they are going to give that sort of guarantee. And third, there will be those who never get rebates because they never read the fine print and they will still assume they got “the best deal.”

It is my job, as a travel professional, to help people weed through those sales ploys so travelers know exactly what they are paying and what they are getting for the price. So let me give you the “Terms and Conditions” of the “Low Price Guarantee” so you can see for yourself how hard it will be for anyone to get a refund from Orbitz.

1. Orbitz Price AssuranceSM is available to any customer who makes a qualifying pre-paid hotel booking through the Orbitz.com Web site. Qualifying booking must occur on Orbitz.com on or after May 1, 2009
2. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to pre-paid hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com, and only for rooms booked using a valid credit card with a United States or Canadian billing address.
3. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to the hotel room cost and does not apply to differences based on taxes, booking, or processing fees.
4. If Orbitz finds, after you have booked your hotel, that another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same hotel, meaning the same check-in/check-out dates, room type, room description, number of rooms, number of travelers, at the same hotel and subject to the same restrictions, that is at least $5 lower than the hotel you booked on Orbitz.com, Orbitz will refund you the difference up to a maximum of $500.00 per reservation.
5. The confirmed hotel reservation you booked on Orbitz.com will be compared to the same reservation subsequently booked on Orbitz.com for drops in rates up until the day you stay. Rates are compared with like room descriptions, so for example, if a single room with two double beds is booked on Orbitz.com, it will not qualify for Orbitz Price Assurance if compared to a single room with one king bed found on the Orbitz.com Web site.
6. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to lower room rates that are available on other Web sites, to rooms you cancel or change, or to reservations booked prior to yours.
7. If your qualifying hotel booked on Orbitz.com is canceled or changed by you after booking, your claim or any potential refund will not be valid or issued.
8. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotel rates that are not available to the general public. Rates not available to the general public include, but are not limited to, corporate discount rates, private rates, government rates, military rates, meeting rates, wholesaler rates or consolidator rates.
9. Orbitz Price Assurance is only available on pre-paid hotel rooms, and is not available on hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com where you pay the hotel directly, or reservations of five or more rooms.
10. Pre-paid hotel rooms qualify for both Price Assurance and our Low Price Guarantee.
11. Only hotels displayed with a "Price Assurance" symbol are covered by the Price Assurance Program.
12. Orbitz Price Assurance is for individual rooms booked on Orbitz.com and does not apply to package rates, such as rooms booked as part of a travel package.
13. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotels booked on Orbitz.com that have been reduced as a result of promotional code, dollar off coupon, loyalty program discount, or stay free offers. If you make a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for Price Assurance; if another traveler makes a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for a refund based on that traveler's reduced rate

There are more terms and conditions that are pretty standard after these that explain how they reserve the right to terminate this offer at any time etc., but I think you get the picture. If you read the parts in bold you will see that Orbitz makes it almost impossible to qualify for their “price assurance” program. So if you make a room reservation with them under the assumption you are protected against any lower price being found, think again and read the fine print. Also...if you remember the commercials, they show the man in the blue suit giving back checks in the amount of $100. If you read the terms again, you will see that it is almost impossible for you to have a room rate booked that someone else will come along on the same site and book it $100 cheaper than you did. False or misleading advertising anyone???

I say all of this to say, PLEASE know what you are paying for when it comes to travel. I see this sort of thing a lot and is not applicable only to sites like Orbitz. There are “deals” offered all the time that have caveats and terms that must be met in order to qualify and are often used and lead-in deals meaning they get you to look at their site or company under the assumption you are getting a great deal only then to learn that the deal is not applicable to you. But so many go ahead and book with that person or company because they were “sold” before they ever booked anything.

Again...it is my job to help you understand what you are paying for and also to help you have the best vacation possible which sometimes does not mean that you got the absolutely lowest price possible. Sometimes the lowest price means staying in a room in a much less desirable part of the hotel where it might be noisy or "miles away" from the pools or restaurants. Sometimes the lowest price means that you will be leaving for your vacation at the crack of dawn or arriving late in the night. Do you want to spend you entire first day of your vacation en route and in airports? A lot of travelers would not consider that an ideal start to their vacation.

Have you always found the "lowest price" also meant you got a "great deal?" Is price the only factor when looking for vacation options? Would you book with someone like Orbitz because of their low price guarantee? I am interested to get your feedback. Have you booked a trip based on a really low price to only later find out that some of the details were not that desirable? Please leave your feedback or comments.

Travel Tip of the Week...The All-Inclusive Resort Explained

Would love to get your questions and comments. What travel question would you like to see addressed in a future post?

Travel Tip of the Week...Which cruise cabin should I choose?

The Best Time to Travel

"What is the best time to visit destination 'XYZ'?" That is a common question I get asked by travelers wanting to visit a variety of places. It is a logical question to ask. So I felt like I needed to take a few moments and address the question generally to show the different ways that the question can be answered.

Most people really expect someone to answer that question in relation to weather and crowds etc. Now here is the thing to consider, in most cases, the better the weather also means the larger the crowds. Europe's best weather months really coincide with their peak travel season. That also translates into higher travel costs.

So the best time to travel to somewhere in Europe is really during times that are considered the "shoulder season" or off-season. There are a lot of destinations in Europe where the weather is rather temperate all year and can offer great savings opportunities if you can travel during off-season dates which are usually early Spring or early to mid-Fall and not around major holidays.

But for almost every "pro," there is a "con" to also consider; traveling to Europe during off-peak times can have limited accommodation and activity options. Some hotels in Europe actually shut down during the off-season to refurbish or simply to take their own vacation so you need to make sure you plan well in advance and don't just show up in a town and expect to find a room to sleep in for the night. There may not be any. But if you prefer to walk down less crowded streets, then off-season travel in Europe may be the thing for you.

Ok...so what about places like the ever-popular Caribbean? What are the best times to travel to that region? This answer will cover all options (i.e. cruises to the area or staying at a resort). In my opinion, the best weather in the Caribbean is during the late Fall and Winter months. The temperatures are a little lower or less hot I should say and with much less humidity. Crowds are also lower in the late Fall months due to so many travelers still being concerned about traveling to the area during the hurricane season. So that brings up a con again. If you travel to the Caribbean between the months of August and the end of November, you are technically going during the region's hurricane season. That means great prices in most cases (big pro) and much lower crowds, but it also means you need to be prepared for changes to your itinerary if a hurricane were to develop and start heading towards your destination. Cruise ships will divert to other ports of call or cancel itineraries all together if their scheduled route is in the path of a possible hurricane. They have the right to change their itinerary at any moment if they feel the possible safety of its passengers and crew are in jeapordy due to weather. A good way to get some peace of mind if you are traveling during that time of year is by purchasing travel insurance. Most plans will cover delays or cancellations due to weather etc. (check each plan for details of what is covered before hitting the purchase button).

So are you seeing that the answer to the question can vary a lot? I really prefer to travel during those off-peak times and that may or may not coincide with the greatest weather etc. But it may offer a better overall experience because of less congestion and keeping more money in my pocket at the end of the day.

What have you experienced when traveling at different times of the year? Do you have your favorite time to travel to a particular destination? I am interested in hearing your answers or questions.

Travel Tip of the Week-Package Vacations

Travel Tip of the Week-Disney Parks Related

Here is my travel tip of the week. Please leave feedback or comments if you can. Thanks for stopping by.

Travel Tip of the Week-Which Cruise Do I Take?

Cruise Excursion...Who Should I Book Through?

My last travel tip video was related to cruise excursions and I addressed the pro of booking the excursion through the cruise line versus going through another supplier etc. As I stated in the video, the number one pro for booking an excursion through the cruise line is that the cruise will have a record of everyone who is on any of their excursions which means they will wait for you to get back on board if your excursion happens to run a little late etc. If you go through another supplier or just decide to go on your own in any of the ports of call, you are responsible for being back on board before the scheduled departure time. The ship will leave you if you are not back and it is up to you to get to the next port or back home and at your own cost if that ever happens.

Now with that said, here are some cons for booking your excursion through the cruise line. Cost is one negative. Typically the cruise line will charge a bit more for the same excursion that could have been booked from a private excursion company. For example, a "Swim with the Dolphin" excursion in Cozumel Mexico would cost @$139.00 per person through one of the larger cruise lines while costing only $108.00 through a private excursion company. That is significant savings for a family of 4.

Another negative is the selection. If you book through the cruise line, you are limited to their selection of excursions for a particular port of call. You may do some research and find that there were choices you would have never known about that better suits your own preference and interests from some other excursion vendor.

One other negative is that you are tied to the cruise line's schedule when you book an excursion through them. They will dictate when you are to proceed to your designated excursion area and sometimes their organization is a bit lacking which means you may be late getting started and have less time at whatever you were planning on seeing or doing. For example, we had booked an excursion in Cozumel Mexico through Royal Caribbean. It was going to be a full day on a private island with lunch included. The cruise line had overbooked the excursion and neglected to tell the local tour guide in advance which meant that he had to scramble to find additional transportation to the actual excursion location. That put us off schedule by almost 2 hours which then shortened our time on the private island. Smaller, private tour companies are not reliant on what a cruise line does at the last minute and are more prone to being on time.

So in summary, if you are new to cruising, you might want to book your first excursion through the cruise line so you can get a feel of how it all works etc. But on your next cruise, feel free to look around for other alternatives and you will be pleasantly surprised to see how easy they can be to book and how reliable they are when it comes to picking you up and getting you back to the ship on time.

If you need information for some private excursion companies, please send me a message or leave on comment on this blog.

Travel Tip of the Week #5

Here is another edition of my "Travel Tip of the Week." This week is devoted to a question I often get concerning cruise excursions. Please let me know if you have any particular question you would like addressed in the near future. Thanks for visiting my site.

On-Site of Off-Site? That is the Question

In my previous post (the travel tip of the week), I touched on some things that a person needs to consider when deciding whether or not to stay on Disney property or off Disney property when visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida.

I want to be more detailed in this post and look at some of the pros and cons of each side of the question.

First, let's look at the pros of staying off-site or off Disney property. Naturally cost is the largest pro for this decision. You will pay less per night when you stay off Disney property, no question about it. The amount you save will vary naturally by the level of off-site accommodations that you choose. Some like to stay in a nice 4-star hotel which would be the equivalent of staying maybe at one of Disney's Deluxe Resorts (which I will touch on in a bit) and when you compare the 4-star to the Deluxe price, you will most likely see a savings, depending on the time of year. For example...the Gaylord Palms in Orlando is considered to be a 4-star resort hotel near Walt Disney World. If I compare its price to one of the Disney Deluxe Resorts (i.e. the Animal Kingdom Lodge) and pick a date range in late September, you will see that it is not really a savings for staying at the Gaylord Palms because it has a nightly rate of over $267 per night and the Animal Kingdom has a nightly rate of $244 per night. But if you then look at the Hilton Orlando Resort, which is a 4-star resort, you will see that you can save quite a bit if you are willing to reserve a non-refundable room at $99 per night. But again it is a preference thing. The Hilton Orlando Resort will not offer the same experience as the Gaylord Palms or Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you are more concerned with price and less with what the hotel offers, then you will always save money by staying off-site when it comes to the hotel costs themselves.

Another pro for staying off-site would be food costs. Staying off Disney property does give you the flexibility of eating some of your meals away from the parks which will no doubt save money if you indeed do that. Again this can vary and is subject to preference. If Character Meals are not that important and if you are willing to leave the parks to go find a place to eat, then it can work and you can save money but you will sacrifice time in the parks to do that. This pro can be negated though if you are visiting Walt Disney World during a time that Disney has offered the free dining plan to its resort guests.

The other pro for staying off-site would be a rest of the senses. Some people like to have a break from everything that is Disney and staying off Disney property can give your senses a break. You are surrounded by Disney everywhere you look when you stay on-site and it can be a little much for some folks, especially during a longer stay.

Ok...that pretty much covers the pros of staying off-site. Now let's examine the cons. Transportation as a whole can be classified as a con for staying off-site. Here is what I mean by that. When you stay off Disney property, you will have to arrange your own transportation from the airport to the hotel which can cost anywhere from $30 to $60 each way depending on the distance that your hotel is from either Orlando International or Orlando's Sanford Airport. This also means that you will be in charge of getting your luggage and carrying it with you to the transportation area of the airport (I will explain why that is a con later on). Assuming you have not rented a car, you will also have to deal with off-site transportation round trip from your off-site resort to the parks. This can be a substantial time constraint for some. Off-site buses do not run as frequently to the Disney Parks which means the time spent waiting for a bus is greatly increased or at least can be. That equates to potentially less time in the parks and more time standing and waiting for the next bus. If you doubt that, please read the comment in my previous post from a traveler who has experience with off-site transportation.

If you rent a car, you have to factor that in to the overall cost of the trip when you are comparing the cost of off-site versus on-site. Depending on the size of the vehicle, a car rental can cost an additional $250-$350 for a week's stay in Orlando. You also have to add in parking costs at the parks. Those staying off Disney property have to pay an additional $10 per day for parking at the parks. Again...that has to be factored in. A week's stay can cost an additional $50-60 just for parking.

We touched on the idea of less time in the parks because of off-site transportation, but we also need to point out that non-Disney resort guests do not have access to Disney's "Extra Magic Hours." Each day one of Disney's parks will open an hour early or stay open a few hours later than normal park hours and only Disney resort guests have access to the attractions during those hours. Disney Cast Members will check to see if you have a Disney resort room key before they will let you in line during evening extra magic hours and they will not allow you entrance into the park during morning extra magic hours. During peak crowd seasons, extra magic hours provide Disney resort guests a great opportunity to ride the more popular rides during less crowded periods which is benefit that is hard to put a dollar figure on. Another con is that you have a harder time getting reservations at some of Disney's more popular restaurants. Resort guests can make an advance dinner reservation up to 10 days out from their scheduled arrival day at 90 days out. This means that resort guests will have access to reservations earlier than a non-resort guest potentially and will also mean that the popular restaurants may be booked up by the time you are able to make your reservation as an off-site guest.

For the sake of space and attention span, I will quickly move to the pros of staying on Disney property. Some of these are obvious since they correlate to the cons of staying off-site so I will just mention some of them again. There is the pro of getting access to extra magic hours and the pro of having a better chance at getting your desired on-site restaurant reservations. There is the pro of having access to the Disney transportation system throughout the Disney property. Buses run every 20-30 minutes from the resorts to the parks.

Then there is the pro of Disney's Magical Express which is free for all Disney resort guests who fly into Orlando's International Airport. You have the ease of letting a Disney representative get your bags at baggage claim and delivering them to your resort room. All you have to do is check-in with the Magical Express desk, board your bus and head for your resort.

Then there is the pro for staying on-site of being surrounded every day by the magic that is Disney. Disney Cast Members are trained to make sure you have the best Disney experience possible and while there are exceptions at times, they truly know how to make you feel like you are truly at the "happiest place on earth."

Another pro would be that you can buy souvenirs at any of the park gift shops or at Downtown Disney and have your packages delivered back to your room at no additional cost.

Again...the real negative for staying on-site is the costs as it relates to resort room costs and food costs. But when comparing the 2, you need to make sure you calculate the costs for each like what we have discussed to see what the real differences are before making the determination that off-site is going to save you and your family any money.

I have helped clients look at both scenarios and book both scenarios. No one can tell you what is best for you unless they know what is the most important part of your trip (i.e. cost, time in the parks, relaxation, food etc).

I hope this has helped shed some additional light on the question and please leave comments, experiences etc and let me know if there are any other questions you might have.

Video Tip of the Week (Disney Related)

Here is this weeks edition of my "Travel Tip of the Week." I am making this one related to Walt Disney World and will be posting further info in much more detail related to the topic of staying off-site versus on-site at Walt Disney World.