Advice for the DisneyWorld Dad: Divorced and Not

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

Before planning a vacation to DisneyWorld:

Get a tested and recommended travel agent such as Sandra Owings in Memphis, Tennessee. Travel agents’ fees are paid by Disney. Sandra knows a ton about what you want and need, your options, and saving money whether you are travelling first class or you are working a very tight vacation budget.
Buy and read the current Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It’s the only book you will need.
Download and listen to two podcasts well in advance of your trip: WDW Today and WDW Radio. Both are on iTunes. If you are a first timer, the level of detail these folks go into about will blow your mind. The WDW Today crew is very objective, informative, and sceptical. As for WDW Radio, it’s owner/creator/host is Lou Mongello, a former attorney, who has not ever been a Disney employee. Lou hosts the WDW Radio pod cast and runs other ventures associated with Disney travel related topics. What makes Lou special is his passion for and knowledge of all things Disney. Even though Lou would never say anything meaningfully critical of Disney, Lou’s shows are fun and intelligent. Both are rarities in this genre. If you really get into Disney, buy Lou’s CDs, too.
Subscribe to TouringPlans.com and get their app. It’s only $12.00 (before discount for Unofficial Guide owners). Before you seriously plan your trip, you must check their crowd calendar. The crowd calendar predicts how busy each park will be. Some impatient dads should not go when the parks are packed, say 8 out of 10 or more. Lines are the enemy. With this app, you get touring plans and real-time wait times for attractions. It is fun, informative, and a must. The app was created by people who have studied the logistics and will save your life by helping you navigate Disney World in a time management battle plan. By avoiding lines and minimizing walking, your improve you and your family’s experience.
Why are lines the enemy? Lines at Disney attractions can suck the life out of impatient dad’s. It is embedded in our DNA to lane-jockey in traffic and manage logistics to avoid avoidable delay. It is part of who we are. Lines can and must be avoided at all cost. Plus, with a little education, pre-reading, and intellectual horsepower, dads can make a real difference! Shorter waits in line equals more fun for the family. In the Unofficial Guide, there is a small section listing the “The Type A Spouse’s Bill of Rights.” Read it. Don’t suck the fun out of the trip by creating an unyielding agenda that is completely optimized, organized, and detailed. A dad’s primary goal is to be able to suggest answers to questions such as, “what’s next?”
There is magic in planning in advance. What magic? Dining reservations. “Sit down” restaurants have both seating and air conditioning – both important commodities when feet ache, it’s hot out, and everyone needs a break. There may be certain popular restaurants and character meals you will want to take your kids. Dining reservations are available exactly 6 months in advance of your trip. If you are visiting “the World” during a busy time, these reservations can be gold. For example, the character breakfast in Cinderella’s Castle will typically book up within 2 minutes after the phones open at 8:00 a.m. 6 months in advance. It’s really that crazy.
There are generally no “deals” or discounts you get for booking 10 months in advance that you can’t also get 3 days in advance. Disney wants you to feel comfortable booking at the last-minute and does not penalize those last-minute planners. The only way to really leave money on the table is to not book with a travel professional such as Sandra Owings. Travel professionals are free to you and know how all of the deals work, especially at the last-minute. Deals change and evolve and depend on the crowd level.
Order the current free Disney Vacation Planning DVD. It’s fun to watch with the family if everyone knows you are going.
If your Disney World trip is a surprise gift to the family, research online cool and creative ways to announce the trip or present your gift.
When you first walk in a park, get a park map and daily calendar. They are always located immediately inside the entrance. Ask a cast member (Disney employees). Read and study both while you are in line. You will have time.
Bathrooms are not clearly marked except on the map. Don’t be shy to ask cast members for directions to rest rooms.
When your kids start getting cranky and fussy, do not push them. Hit the exits. Retreat. Nap. Regroup. Reform. Trust this advice.
If you feel the Disney corporate manipulation take you over, just give in. Don’t fight it. You will lose in the long run. All it takes is a couple of days of your children having a great time with you and Disney owns you. It’s ok. In this process, Disney has a lot more experience than you and 40 billion dollars in annual revenue to break you down. Disney understands fathers because Walt Disney originally built Dinseyland because he enjoyed time with his family at an amusement park. Fathers’ goals are not elaborate. Disney delivers everything fathers want in a vacation.
Seriously consider using Photopass and leave your camera at home. If you are the camera parent, use the Photopass and get in the photo!
Consider giving kids a daily budget of $15-$25 or so with which they can buy candy, play video games, or save up for a special purchase. Read them the riot act to not ask for 1 dime more but let them spend the daily allowance any way they want. Shopping is an attraction, too! No, seriously. Check out Art of Disney store in Downtown Disney.
Seek out “cool dad” Disney stuff. Finding the right coffee mugs for home and office are great reminders of a job well done. There are interesting dress socks, boxer shorts, and dress shirts. Sometimes, you have to look hard, though.
Kids love the monorail. Ride them. Also, ride the boats in between resorts and parks whenever possible. The views are great.
Learn the abbreviations for your on-line learning. DHS is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, MK is the Magic Kingdom, AK is Animal Kingdom, EP is Epcot. All of the resorts and attractions have initials for online discussion, too.
Don’t even think about Disney Vacation Club (DVC). DVC owners buy a dream, not cost savings. In theory, DVC can save some families money, but the annual variable costs limit flexibility with the family’s vacation dollar. Creating a spreadsheet to calculate the potential savings will challenge the best Finance MBAs and CPAs.
Do ticketed events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Christmas Party.
DHS’s Brown Derby and Downtown Disney’s Ragland Road both serve the best scotch, The Macallan.

Ragland Road Serves The Macallan
Attractions not to be missed for fathers include Wishes, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Jungle Cruise at MK; Great Movie Ride at DHS; Soarin’, Beer, brat, and krout in Germany, Saki and sushi in Japan at EP; and Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest in AK.
If you are a parent who is divorcing, be careful you aren’t taking your children to DisneyWorld just to stick it to the other parent or to buy your children’s affections. Certainly don’t spend money on such an expensive trip if you are on a tight budget. If you have the resources and your children’s other parent does not, consider offering to contribute towards the other parent’s trip or make some similar meaningful contribution. Taking your children to Disney World when the other parent can barely pay the rent can be cruel. If your children figure this out when they become adults, the memories you create may be discounted. For the parent who has not yet divorced, learn our advice in our free e-Book, Your First Steps.