You may remember Erin’s informative post this summer about 5 Disney Freebies.  If you missed it, (read it here: Freebies at Disney World).  Erin is a travel agent dishing out more Disney info that will help you when determining when to visit Walt Disney World in 2016 and the reasons that staying on property enhance your Disney experience.

Thinking about a Disney vacation in 2016?  Here are top three questions I’ve been asked in the past month about planning a Walt Disney World Vacation:

1) When should I book my Disney vacation?

2) When is the best time to go to Walt Disney World?

3) What are the benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort?

When should I book?

At least 6 months before travel is best.  The main reason?  Dining.  On your 180th day before travel, you’re able to make dining reservations.  If you want to eat dinner with Cinderella at “the castle” or Breakfast with Mickey at Chef Mickey’s, it’s important that you book early.  And by the way, when you book your vacation with me,  I’m the one who is up at 6 am to make those reservations for you.

When is the best time to go to Walt Disney World?

Confused about when is the best time to visit Walt Disney World?  I’m here to help!  In general, the lowest crowds and the lowest prices are when school is in session.

Here are some of my picks for the best weeks for Disney World travel 2016:

January 9th – Note:  This is Marathon Week at Disney.  Even with the influx of runners, the crowds and costs are still projected to be low.  If you need to travel in January and cannot travel the weeks listed below, this is another great option.

January 23rd- January 30th

February 20th

*February 27th*

The weeks of April 2nd through the first week in May,

The weeks of August 20th through September 24th

 October 15th* -Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is great! (requires separate admission)

October 22nd* -Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is great! (requires separate admission)

October 29th* -Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is great! (requires separate admission)

November 12th* -Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is tons of fun! There are parades and activities that are specific to this event. (requires separate admission)

December 3rd – Note:  This week has projected low crowds and low prices, but it is also Pop Warner Week.  What does this mean to you?  The food courts (breakfast) and the pools will be crowded at the resorts where the athletes stay.  Traditionally the resorts that are booked are the All Star Resorts, Caribbean Beach, and sometime Port Orleans and Coronado Springs.  Stay away from these resorts and you should be fine. * These are my top picks for 2016!

Now that you know which weeks are good, which weeks should you stay away from if you don’t want crowds?

Some weeks are obvious (Christmas week, Easter week), but others may surprise you.  Here are some of the busiest times at Walt Disney World:

– January 16th – Stay away from MLK weekend if you can!
– February 6th – Could be busy. Some southern states have this week off for Mardi Gras.  Those of us in Ohio can lose sight of how seriously our friends in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas take Mardi Gras!
– Presidents’ Day – February 15th – Stay away from this weekend if you can.
– Easter is March 27th in 2016.  The entire month of March will be moderate to high in terms of crowds and prices.  If you’d like to travel during Spring Break 2016, book ASAP to get the best choice of dining reservations and resort room options.
– Memorial Day is May 30th – Another busy week.
– The week of November 5th – Jersey week – Very busy!
– Thanksgiving Week – November 24th – Extremely busy week!  If you want to dine at some of the popular restaurants, it is so important that you book before mid May in order to be able to make your dining reservations on your 180th day before travel.
– The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is the busiest week at Walt Disney World.  If you must travel during this time, book early and get to the parks early.  It is not uncommon for the parks to fill to capacity on these days.

Don’t let high crowds scare you away!

Many people don’t have the option of taking kids out of school, and are limited to visiting Mickey and friends during peak times.  Don’t worry!  I can help you pick the parks that will be least crowded on certain days, and can give you tips on maximizing your itinerary.  I have clients who go every year at Christmas time, because it’s the only time between school and work that they can go.  They love it!  They love the crowds, they love the atmosphere, and wouldn’t dream of going any other time.  Bottom line – with a little planning and some knowing what to expect, your vacation will be magical any time that you choose to go!

Holiday Happenings at Walt Disney World

Disney begins decorating for Halloween in late August, and the decorations are complete by first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an event requiring separate admission that occurs on select nights in September and October.  This year, the first MNSSHP was on September 15th, and the last one was on November 1st.

Christmas decorations usually go up beginning the first of November.  All of the resorts and theme parks are decorated, and the decorations are typically complete in time for the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  Like Mickey’s Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event.  This year, the first MVMCP was on November 8th, and the last one will be on December 8th.  Both parties do sell out, so it’s advisable that you purchase your tickets early!  The deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World have especially amazing edible holiday displays that are a must see!  The biggest edible production is the gingerbread house at Grand Floridian Resort.  The recipe uses 800 pounds of flour!  Here’s a time-lapse of the gingerbread house going up:

What are the benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort?

This video explains it perfectly:

Happy Holiday, friends!  I’d love for you to consider me when you plan your next vacation – whether it’s to Disney or beyond, I can help!  My concierge services are free!  For a no-obligation quote, Click Here. You can reach me at Edavis@mmvagent.com or on Facebook by clicking HERE.

There are many exciting changes happening at Disney World in 2016.  Look for more posts from Erin coming soon so she can keeps us all in the know about Disney and other travel information!

Each year the kids and I create a few different types of ornaments for our tree and to be handed out as gifts.  We took basic Christmas ornaments and jazzed them up with craft supplies.  Making homemade Christmas Ornaments is loads of fun for the kids and will bring back memories each year as their hard work gets placed on the tree.  Check out:

Sometimes I find open ended craft activities to be the best.  I laid out a variety of craft supplies we had and let my little elves get to work with their creations.

Supplies: Plain ornaments, glitter, glue, paint brush, paint, stickers, ribbon (or whatever else you want to use like sequins or googly eyes).

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon products that you can purchase.

Stickers

Check out the BLING BLING we added to this one using stickers!

Buy some similar stickers using these links:

Glitter

Some people are anti-glitter because of the mess.  Not me!  I say bring on the sparkle!

My kids dipped a q-tip in the bottle to make their glue design, poured on the glitter and shook off the extra.

You could also use glitter glue pens like these for less of a mess:

Paint

Here my little ones decided to make polka dots and other designs with paint.

Other Options:

• Combine different materials such as stickers, paint and glitter.
• Use permanent markers to write words or draw designs.

Visit The Resourceful Mama to see a wide variety of other ornaments your kids can create!

As quoted from the super cute book The Not Very Merry Pout Pout Fish ” For his gifts were big, And his gifts were bright.  And his gifts were perfect- And they all brought delight!  And his gifts had meaning Plus a bit of bling-zing, And his each and every friend loved their just-right thing.”  Check out my review here: The Not Very Merry Pout Pout Fish

 

I think everyone would love receiving a homemade ornament packed with love and meaning.  We’re taking orders on these homemade Christmas ornaments.  Who wants one?  🙂  Just kidding, but they are adorable.