With less than 24 hours til we leave for Disney World, my brain is officially in Disney mode. I woke up this morning and immediately thought about how I had just 1 more sleep til Disney!

Our plans so far include going to Ohana for dinner on Friday night, checking out the Caribbean Beach Resort, since we’ve never stayed there before, definitely hitting Magic Kingdom, and possibly squeezing in a trip to the outlet mall. I’m already drooling just thinking about the fabulous bread pudding dessert at Ohana! It’s a fun place to eat anyway, with coconut rolling contests and a wandering ukulele player, your server calling you “cousin”, and meat on skewers!

We’ve been on a Disney Cruise before, and hands down, it was one of the BEST cruises we’ve ever been on. The ship was fantastic, the staff was amazing, and the attention to detail on everything from the entertainment to the decor was super. I’m not surprised that the Disney Cruise Line was recently named one of the top cruise lines in the industry by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine!

The magazine editor’s selected cruises and the readers voted on - because Disney goes out of their way to engage the whole family on their ship, they won high honors. One reason we enjoyed the ship so much is that it had a large area devoted specifically to the kids. On another cruise line we went on, the playroom was mostly used for the babies, and my kids were shuffled from lounge to lounge for their activities. Disney had a huge play area for the kids, a big screen TV, and plenty of activities to keep them busy, but the kids were also able to just have down time to play if they wanted to do that.

Congratulations to Disney!

Have you heard of a new tour company called Adventures By Disney? The Walt Disney Company started this line in order to offer guests a Disney vacation away from the parks. The company offers a guided vacation to some atypical family vacation locations - like boating to Capri! In 2008, Adventures by Disney will be adding 8 more trips, giving families the chance to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, hike Machu Picchu, kayak to the Pont du Gard in France, or explore the Great Wall of China.

An Adventures by Disney vacation includes family activities, as well as special events just for the children - like pizza parties and scavenger hunts - so that the adults can enjoy some alone time. Each group has 2 adventure guides who act as your mobile concierge. You’ll do more than just SEE the sights - you’ll be able to learn local arts and crafts or dances or go behind the scenes for special tours.

You may pay a bit more money for one of these tours than a traditional tour vacation, but having been on a Disney cruise, it’s worth every penny. Disney pays attention to details and really does a great job of engaging the entire family.

I stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort in Walt Disney World for the 3rd time last weekend, and the third time was really the charm. We didn’t have a loud and clunky a/c unit, or a slow maid. The only issue we had was entirely our fault. My oldest daughter dropped an earring into the sink, so we had to call maintenance to remove it for us. We ate our fill of beignets, we enjoyed Star Wars Weekend at MGM, and had a very relaxing (and somewhat rainy) weekend.

Yes, we’re headed back to the Mouse this weekend. Another Disney weekend, and in the same places as our last visit - Port Orleans. We stayed there last time for sentimental reasons, and this time, it’s because Port Orleans is the only Disney moderate resort that can fit 5 people in a room. My lesson was learned though, and if we’ve got issues this time, I’m reporting them before I leave the hotel.

We don’t have any plans yet - I’m thinking possibly Animal Kingdom and some water rides there to beat the heat, and maybe mini golf as a belated birthday gift for the boy. I’d like to rent boats at Port Orleans and cruise to downtown Disney too.

We have season passes for Walt Disney World in Orlando - one of the perks of living an hour away. As a result, we go over there a lot! When you make as many trips as we do, and you live so close, you learn a few tricks about saving money. Yes, it’s easier for us because we can bring a cooler or supplies from home, and people who fly in and don’t rent a car can’t do the same. But if you can hit an offsite grocery store for supplies, you can save a bit of cash too. You can even buy a few things at the resort - the gift shops sell some food and gallons of milk, etc.

We usually bring doughnuts and cereal for breakfast each morning. It saves time AND money to eat quickly in the room before we head out. The moderate and deluxe resorts come with a fridge, but you can request one in the value resorts for $10 a day. We also bring water, lunch meat, peanut butter, jelly, etc. If we’re out of the room early, we buy a snack at Disney (popcorn or pretzels) and come back to the room around 1 for lunch and a rest. We also take our own water bottles into the park.

One thing that’s a great value at Disney are the kids meals. For $4 you get something like chicken or macaroni and cheese, plus fruit, crackers, and a drink. It’s cheap AND healthy.

One thing that’s NOT a bargain are the fixed priced character meals. Anyone over the age of 9 is an adult, and most kids don’t have an adult sized appetite. If you’re willing to fib, say that your 10 year old is only 9, and you’ll pay half price. Charging a 10 year old for a $28 dinner is just insane!