The Garden View Tea Room

The Garden View Tea Room is tucked quietly away in the back of the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort lobby. It's easy to miss as you make your mad dash to the ever popular 1900 Park Fare. But somehow, this seems completely appropriate. Far from a ‘mad dash’, the Garden View Tea Room is a quiet gem that I can easily recommend you tuck away for your next Disney visit. 
My first visit to the Garden View Tea Room was quite a few years ago now. We were on an trip with my parents, and I thought it would be a nice thing for my mom, my daughter, and myself to do on a free day in our itinerary. All the generations enjoyed our experience so much - I knew I would be back. Just last month, I visited Walt Disney with a girlfriend who had never been to the World before. I thought this the perfect fit for us, and booked the reservation for 3:20 on our arrival day. 

As you enter the Grand Floridian from the monorail, the Garden View Tea Room is downstairs at the opposite end of the lobby. The Tea Room itself is hidden behind a half wall, and easily goes unnoticed as your eye goes to the windows, and not the room itself. 

Because the travel gods were on our side today, our arrival day tour of the monorail resorts had us in Grand Floridian about an hour ahead of schedule. We inquired at the podium if it would be possible to check In early. They asked us to give them a chance to seat those who arrived on time for their reservations, and then they would seat us early if they had room. This all worked out, so instead of 3:20, we actually were seated at 2:15. 

The room itself is feminine and lovely. Pinks, greens, flowers, and serenity. Although children are welcome (and incredibly adorable), this is very much an experience for a little prince or princess, not a rough and rowdy little pirate.  There are gentlemen in attendance, but by far, women of all ages were the main clientele. 


You can order a full tea service with multiple light food courses from the menu, or simply order a la carte. Because we were hungry and had no firm dinner plans, we both chose the full tea. But I think an afternoon of tea and dessert would be lovely as well. My companion and I both chose the Buckingham -- tea service, finger sandwiches, scones, and dessert. There are many varieties of tea to choose from. I couldn't decide, but knew that I wanted something decaffeinated. Sleeping in a strange place is hard enough... I didn't need caffeine in my system. The server was wonderful, gave me a wink, and asked me to let her surprise me. 
She returned with her personal concoction of a mixture of orange, passion fruit, vanilla, pomegranate and black current teas. It was perfect. But as with any high tea, the presentation here is half the fun The tea cozies, lumps of sugar, Royal Albert Bone China, and fine silver are utterly civilized.

The finger sandwiches were watercress and cucumber, curried chicken, roast pear and gorgonzola, egg salad on garlic potato bread, and shrimp salad. They were accompanied by a sweet onion tartlet. 

After we had lazed over our tea and finger sandwiches for while, our server brought our next course: scones, strawberry jam, strawberry tartlet, and devonshire cream. There was not enough cream to my companions liking, so I gave her mine. And she gave me her tartlet. It was a win - win. 

For dessert, even though it was not on the menu, my server brought me the trifle. My companion was looking forward to the strawberries and cream. 

As in many Disney restaurants, the people watching here is a part of the fun. Across the room from us sat several women with 3 little princesses, all in their finest. They girls were not Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiqued, but simply had on lovely Minnie Mouse themed dresses, with bows in their hair. It was precious. We struck up a conversation with the mother and adult daughter next to us who had been coming to the Tea Room together every year for 20 years - and had the same server every time! The daughter had come as a child, became a part of the student intern program, began her professional career as an employee of Disney in their entertainment division (she looked like she could have been very good friends with Cinderella, but all I got from that comment was a wink). Now, she worked in public relations.

But the most impressive sight was the couple who had gotten married at Disney earlier in the week. They decided to truly make a memory and came to tea totally dressed for the occasion. It was fun to see.

Help Around the Mouse always encourages folks to make room in their itineraries for free space. Disney is so much more than theme parks! The Garden View Tea is a perfect example of a treaSure that can so easily be missed if you spend all of your vacation running from attraction to attraction. Take some time to smell the roses! Including the ones on the Royal Dalton China. 

CHILD SWAPS AT DISNEY WORLD

Our thanks to friend and Help Around the Mouse tour pro Christine for the data behind this blog post.

Well I sure wish I knew about this awesome little trick way back in the 90’s. There were plenty of times I would have liked to swap my daughter for a more cheerful, cooperative child...

But unfortunately that’s not really what child swapping means. Apparently you have to keep the child you came to Disney with after all. 

But I digress...

The official term is Rider Switch Pass.

It’s often called child swap, parent swap, rider swap, etc. We’ll just refer to it as Swaps here.

What is a Swap?

A Swap is a special ticket that is available from the Cast Member at any FASTPASS enabled and Height Restricted attraction. 

If there is a someone in your party that does not meet the height requirements to ride (we’ll call him “the little guy”) you may obtain a Swap that allows up to 3 riders to enter via the FASTPASS line and ride, while someone (not the CM!) entertains the little guy.

That sounds handy! How do I get a Swap?

Approach the CM at the ride entrance and ask nicely! You must show the little guy and he will likely be measured. If the little guy does not meet the height requirement, the CM will then give you a Swap. 

How do I use a Swap?

The most efficient way to use a Swap is in conjunction with a FASTPASS.

Obtain a set of FPs for the ride at any point. When you return to ride, show your FPs and the little guy to the CM. The CM will collect those FPs and trade them for a Swap.

Those riding now- the first group- will enter thru the FP line. 

Those waiting with little guy can go do something else- no need to stand around waiting! 

The second group can return to ride with the Swap whenever they like and will also enter thru the FP line. 

The Swap is good til the end of that day. 

If you do not have a FP for the ride- you can still obtain a Swap but the first group will then enter immediately thru the Standby Line. 

Second group can use the FP line later with the Swap. 

(This is really only efficient if done right at park opening or when there is no wait or only a short Standby wait)

Remember- each Rider Swap allows up to 3 riders, so nobody rides alone. The big kids in your party will come to appreciate how handy the little guy is!

Do all Swaps work the same way?

Depends. 

Sometimes they will do a rider swap right at the ride loading area. In that case there is no need to obtain the Swap from the CM. When you approach the CM at the ride entrance they will let you know how swaps are being handled at that particular ride at that particular time.

My son is tall enough for Expedition Everest but is scared to ride, can I get a Swap?

Technically no. 

It never hurts to ask nicely but Rider Swaps are meant to be used for those not eligible to ride due to height restrictions.

In a case like this- there are usually ways to utilize FP so that nobody rides alone and somebody can wait with your son.

What's a Future Rider Card?

With your Swap, you may want to ask for a Future Rider Card

These cute little cards are available for the litle guys to save til their next Disney trip. When they return, and are tall enough for the attraction, they can present this card and they can ride the attraction with their family, just as if everyone had gotten a Fastpass. Neat, huh?

And don’t worry, Mom. Word on the street is that they let you keep the card so you can put it right back in the little guy’s scrapbook.


Help Around the Mouse is a planning service that uses knowledge such as this to keep our clients out of lines at Walt Disney World. Have you ever used the Rider Swap? How did it work for you? 

Richard Petty Driving Experience

Before Christmas last year, Richard Petty offered discounted prices on Ride Along vouchers. Since we had a trip coming up in February, I thought it a fine idea for my husband and our soon to be 16 year old daughter -- so I purchased two vouchers. I think the price was around $60 for each one. I little pricey, but everything I had read said that this was quite a memory for the participants, and I thought it was a unique experience they could share.

You don't need reservations if all you want to do is the Ride Along. But-- they don't run every day, so do call before your vacation and check to see the days and hours they are running. And, if you have your heart set on doing it, don't save the experience for the end of your trip. If it rains-- you'll be out of luck.

Luckily-- we had a car. Getting to the track with one was easy. If you have ever driven to the Magic Kingdom and parked in the Ticket and Transportation Center parking lot, you may have driven by the entrance to the track on your way out of the parking lot. If you don't have a car, I hear you get to the Ticket and Transportation Center, and they have shuttles that take you to the track. Personally, I am glad we had a car.

Entering the track is kinda cool.

Enter by driving under the track....

. 

...And back up the other side.

From there, the folks at the front desk will sign you in and sign you up. You suit up in coveralls, and then, within a few minutes, head out to the track. Jamie took a little while to find the one that would fit her. The small was not a men's small-- just small!

Another employee will finish suiting you up, ask you to sign your  life away, and then, pose for pictures.

Jon went first. A quick hop in the car, an official photo, and then, bam-- he was off. Three laps later, it was Jamie's turn.

The time on the track was over in minutes.

After the ride, you go back inside, leave your gear behind, and they have a plaque waiting for you complete with your picture to commemorate the trip. We passed.

The entire event - from entering to exiting the Richard Petty Experience easily took less than 30 minutes.

I am glad we did this in February when the weather was perfect. I can't imagine this in August.The heat and humidity, fumes and noise would not be a pleasant combination for families on a summer vacation. There is no air conditioning under the tent while you wait outside. And did you note the coveralls and helmet? Not fun if your already hot!

Was it worth it? Yeah. It was a different experience. I don't think I would have been happy if I had paid full price. But, for $120 total, they had a once in a life time experience.

At last I hope it's once in a life time. Jamie gets her license soon..... !!

How to Create a Disney Tour Plan

“In its most basic form, white space is the unoccupied area between two elements. And despite its namesake, it doesn’t necessarily have to be white. Regardless of the background that you’re working with, white space can be an extremely effective tool when you want to divide elements from one another. It can also come in handy when you’re trying to draw attention to a specific item.” www.newsdesigns.com

What does white space on a newspaper have to do with a Disney tour plan? Plenty.

Every day, I work with folks who, in their quest to fit as much as possible in their Disney tour plan, insist on creating a newspaper full of words. Paragraph after paragraph, column after column of words. No White Space At All. Their days are one long run on sentence that terminates with them in a heap on the bed. Nothing in the day was memorable, because nothing was treated as memorable.  In their quest to fit in as many thoughts as possible, they succeeding in creating nothing but an inundating cacophony of words.

In order for your Walt Disney World story to be memorable, you need to employ some white space in your tour plan. How to do this? Spend a few hours at a park. Then, leave. Yes. Leave. Go back to the resort and rest, swim, and relax. A few hours later, go back to the parks. This down time will become the  white space in your Disney tour plan. The morning will stand apart, and the evening become special. Memories will be made because this white space made them possible.

If you’ve always wanted to have a Disney dinner with Mickey, then, put some white space around your meeting with The Big Cheese. Don't wedge this potentially amazing memory (and expensive one to boot!) between a rushed afternoon and a hectic evening. Try this tour plan idea instead. Visit Mickey on a morning off. Sleep in a little. Have a fun morning jumping on the beds with the kids. Then head off to meet Mickey happy, rested, and excited about what is to come. Afterwards, if you want to include a Disney theme park in your tour plan, fine. The point is, if you want a moment to be special-- you need to treat it like it’s special when you create your tour plan.

A professional Disney tour plan, like those created by Help Around the Mouse, will skillfully distribute white space. Efficient, relaxed, well paced, and presented in a format that flows well.... this is how a professional, customized tour plan will read as you move through your Disney day. Daily breaks are not optional tour plan components, or a waste of time. Instead, this white space is an incredibly important, fundamental ingredient to any successful Disney vacation. Without well designed white space punctuating your plan, nothing on your Disney vacation will be able to stand out. 

Not even a 5 foot mouse. 

The Best Time to Go to Walt Disney World

When should we go to Disney to avoid  crowds?

When folks tell me they want to visit Disney when the crowds are the lowest, I can’t help but feel they are operating from a mistaken assumption. I can almost see the sugar plums dancing in their heads... empty parks, no lines, and ride after ride on Space Mountain.

And I know this is not what they will find. I have been to Disney in the traditionally best, low crowd time.  I know that even if they don't have to wait 45 minutes for a 2 minute ride on Peter Pan (which they probably will), they will find a host of other things that I bet they haven’t even considered.

Let’s look at January--  a much less crowded time than say, June. But, let’s consider the realities of January travel. It can be cold. Yes -- mitten and hat cold. Those beautiful resort pools will probably sit empty. And, park hours are much shorter. Animal Kingdom, for example, closes at 5:00 PM!  And, since the attractions need to be refurbished on occasion, guess when Disney accomplishes more than the normal amount of these refurbishments? You got it. January. This is best?

September is another traditionally best time to go to Disney World. But, if there’s going to be a hurricane, guess when the chances are best? That’s right-- September. And September is about as hot and humid as it gets in Central Florida. You won’t want to be in the parks in the afternoon. It isn’t fun. It’s steamy, heavy, hot and uncomfortable. And the Free Dining (Hurricane Sale) that Disney offers to increase attendance at this time makes the restaurants crowded, and reservations very difficult to come by. Again... this is best?

As for the lines at the attractions, just because there are fewer people in the parks, don’t assume that the lines will be shorter for the rides. When they are busy, Disney has more Cast Members working the attractions, and all the cars are on the tracks. But, when its slower, they cut back on staffing. This mean the number of cars on the tracks are reduced. And consequently, it takes longer to get through the line, and the lines grow. And those refurbishments? What do you think happens to the lines at Space Mountain when Splash Mountain is closed? Hmmm.... this is best?

Now, let’s be clear. My point is not: Don’t go to Disney in January. My point is: Have a realistic picture of Disney in January. Or September. Or August. Or December.  Then, tailor your trip to the playing field. In January, plan to enjoy some comfortable afternoons in the parks. In September, reserve your dining early. In August, enjoy the pools in the afternoons, when no one but a tourist would be walking on black top in Central Florida!

I think the best time to go to Disney is when it fits your budget and your calendar. Period. I don’t ever consider crowds. Ever. I have been during the incredibly busy, decidedly not best time of Thanksgiving, Easter, Presidents Week. And I have been in the slower best time of January, October, and early December. The criteria that really matter are weather, park hours, and show times.  I can not manage these away. Crowds? A good plan can make them a complete non -issue, any time of year. Yes, even at Christmas.

The question is not when can we avoid crowds, it is how!  Visit Walt Disney World when it fits your life. Don’t wait for the best time. Go when you want to, and create the best time!

Let us know--- when do you enjoy going to Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World Transportation Planning

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date....

A Walt Disney World Transportation Plan is an important part of any Disney vacation Itinerary.  I can’t tell you the number of folks that have asked us to get them a dining reservation in the Animal Kingdom Lodge at 5:00, but don’t want to get out of the pool at the resort until 4:00. 30 minutes to get ready, and 30 minutes to get there-- what’s the problem, right?

If you are adults and have your own car, your 60 minute estimate might be okay.  But add in Disney transportation and children, and it’s a whole new ball game. A much longer ball game!

First things first-- let’s look at how long is really takes to get the kids out the door. No... how long it really takes.

‘Where’s my other shoe?’, ‘I can’t find my pin lanyard!’ ‘Do you have the room key?’ ‘Is the water bottle in the backpack?’ Just getting the troops mobilized and out the door can take more time than you think. Don’t kid yourself -- because reality won’t be so kind. A realistic Disney transportation plan can’t ignore mobilizing the troops.

Now, let’s add in the element of Disney resort transportation. We walk to the bus stop... (yes, it can be a long walk), we wait for the bus, we ride the bus. The walk and the ride time are going to be predictable. But the wait? It could be one minute, but it could be twenty. And, unless you want to be twenty minutes late for your meal with Mickey, you need to budget twenty minutes here. 

Finally, we arrive at the park. Park? I thought we were going to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge? Well, we are. But Disney transportation does not provide buses for resort to resort travel. You will need to take a bus to a park, and then transfer to a bus to the Disney resort. So, we need to add another twenty minutes of waiting time and more riding time to our Disney transportation plan.

Are we feeling stressed yet? 

Disney transportation is a huge factor in your over all Disney vacation plan. Not only do you need to know how you are going to get from Point A to Point B, but you need to budget for all the walking, the waiting, the riding, and the walking again. Not accounting for the time these steps demand can easily lead to a great deal of unnecessary stress for you, and your family.

If you don't know how to navigate the Disney transportation options of buses, water taxis, ferries, monorails, and walking paths, you will want to work with a Disney planner who can show you the way. A good Disney vacation itinerary will seamlessly transport you from one Disney location to another, and insure that you won’t be late for the dinner with Mickey that was so important to you. 

All of our Help Around the Mouse custom Disney itineraries and tour plans clearly show you how to get from one location to another... On Time!  To take the uncertainty out of the Disney transportation maze, come on over to our website, and see just how we can Help you Around the Mouse!

Planning a Disney World Vacation - Do I need a plan?

“A plan? No thanks! I prefer to go with the flow... this is a vacation! We don’t need a plan”

Now, understand please that I have no problem with that concept. Relaxing, and enjoying the serendipity in a moment is one of life’s great gifts. 

The problem is that in our friends’ case, this ‘Go with the flow’ non- plan is more accurately translated:

“We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it, and we want it all to flow naturally, with no stress”.

Ouch. No really. OUCH. You need a plan!

A Walt Disney World vacation is the number one family vacation destination in the entire world. They employ a world class marketing department that insures Disney hotels are booked, Disney restaurants tables are reserved, and Disney theme parks are full. Time of year, time of day really doesn't have a lot of bearing on the issue. Thousands upon thousands of people are always at Walt Disney World.

Do our friends really think the seas will divide, laying bare a golden path on which they will revel in their their magical, pixie dusted, once in a life time vacation, basking in the glow of all their Disney dreams come true?

Right.

Unfortunately, I can tell you exactly what our friends’ ‘we don’t need a plan’ vacation day will be like. I’ve seen it over and over... and over. 

• They sleep in-- because, after all, they're on vacation!
• They arrive at the Disney parks at about 10:30. 
• They grab a park map and stand in the middle of Main Street, U.S.A., staring at it. 
• They decide on Space Mountain (because it’s always Space Mountain). 
• They arrive at Space Mountain. Wait time. 70 minutes. 
• They discuss:  “Do you want to wait, or find another attraction with a shorter line? Look--- Jimmy’s can't ride this-- he’s too short. Let’s do something we can do together.”
• They decide to try Dumbo. Wait time. 85 minutes.
• They ride Snow White instead. 40 minutes wait for a 2 minute attraction. The witch makes Jimmy cry.
• They spot Mary Poppins! “I’m sorry folks. This line is closed. Mary Poppins will be back in 45 minutes.”
• They are hungry and had promised the kids they could eat with Winnie the Pooh.
• There is no room with Pooh. If they want to wait, they might get in by 3:30.
• Jimmy wines. It’s 1:00. He usually naps at 1:00 and hasn’t eaten anything.
• They are starting to get hot, as it’s central Florida.

I can’t go on. It’s just too painful!  It’s sad really. So much effort to do so little. And it happens all the time. Had they done their pre- vacation homework, created a Disney plan, or hired a professional to plan with them, this vacation morning could have been so much more magical.

Disney planning professionals, like Help Around the Mouse, know Disney’s attraction height requirements, how to use Fast Pass, how to tour Fantsyland, the Disney character meet and greet schedules, and Disney’s restaurant reservation policy. Our friends could have done all of Fantasyland, Adventureland, eaten with Pooh and come back to ride Space Mountain twice... with no waiting!

So please-- do yourself and your family a favor. Go to WDW with an itinerary and tour plans for your Disney vacation. You can spend countless hours surfing the web and browsing the many Disney related travel sites, such as AAA and Allears, and eventually, you will put together your best guess for a Disney vacation itinerary. Or, you can hire Help Around the Mouse to create a customized tour plan tailor-made for your family.  We can build a plan customized to your family's interests, your taste in food, your favorite Disney characters, your special needs, and much more! 

C’mon guys. A Disney vacation is a big deal. You want to give this amazing gift to your family. And, the old saying is absolutely true- He who fails to plan, plans to fail. So, get going! Go buy a book or go hire a planner. But please... go do something!