The Value resorts at Disney World are incredibly popular among travelers with families with young kids or those looking to save a few bucks on accommodations (and spend those bucks elsewhere on property—we see you…no, we are you!). The two most well-known Value resorts are probably Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation, and they are widely appreciated for several reasons. If you belong to the family/young children group of visitors, chances are you’ve heard of Disney’s Art of Animation—or, more specifically, the Little Mermaid rooms—as an accommodation option. Note: The Little Mermaid room ..read more

Whether you’re planning a trip to Disney or have visited the parks since Genie+ first rolled out, just about everyone has felt the need to eye-roll at some point when discussing yet another cost introduced to our Disney vacations.  And with Genie+, that could be the difference of hundreds of dollars over a standard Disney trip.  You don’t want to waste your money, but you also don’t want to waste your time – especially when it comes to time in the parks at Disney World. If you know us here at Wish Upon a Planner, you know we especially love to analyze that kind of data to help you ma ..read more

If you could choose anywhere to take a solo trip, what would it be, and why is it Disney World?  Ok, all joking and obvious bias aside, we’d choose Disney for a solo trip again and again. I mean, we already do (for “research!”).  Solo travel can be an incredibly rewarding experience in itself. Traveling at your own pace, choosing what you want to do and when you want to do it, and embracing new experiences are all incredibly fulfilling ways to experience a vacation. Between four attraction-packed parks, dozens of extracurriculars, endless dining options, and a totally immersive atmos ..read more

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, chances are you’ve stumbled across the term “dessert party” more than once. One of Disney’s most popular park ticket add-ons, dessert parties offer you a unique opportunity to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a designated viewing area accompanied by drinks and…wait for it…desserts! But, like anything costing you extra money on top of an already expensive vacation, we have to stop to ask: is the price worth the experience? You’ve seen us explore the actual value of many Disney extras like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merr ..read more

Looking for activities to do in Orlando that aren’t just hitting the Disney theme parks? Check out this article by Redfin that we were featured in — and take note of our drink recommendation at Raglan Road The post Orlando Activities Outside of Disney appeared first on Wish Upon a Planner ..read more

We’ve talked about general Food & Wine at EPCOT, but why not Food & Champagne? Whether you’re celebrating something on your trip or just looking for something off-the-beaten path to experience at Disney, some occasions call for a glass of bubbly (like vacation in general), and there’s a spot you need to know about in EPCOT: Les Vins de France Les Vins is truly a hidden gem in that it’s inside the wine and gift shop in the France Pavilion. Head on in, and you’ll see the champagne bar is open. Courtesy of Flickr. This place is not to be confused with Les Vins Des Chefs de France, the o ..read more

TRON Lightcycle Run is a big hit at Magic Kingdom, making it on most people’s “must-do” list at Disney – ours included! With its completely immersive ambiance, impressive queue area, and butter-smooth track, we think TRON is totally worth the hype. Our only (minor) complaint is we wish the actual ride were a teeeeeny bit longer. Not much of a gripe, really, because we still love it! Who Should Ride Everyone! Although we think this ride is perfect for rollercoaster lovers, teens, and older kids (or brave young ones). For those who are ride-hesitant, the position of leaning forward on the “bik ..read more

We talk a lot about Genie+, Lightning Lanes, and crowd levels – and rightfully so! But sometimes, a good park strategy involves more of the basic know-how. If you’re planning a Disney trip and are looking at what kind of park tickets to buy, chances are you’ve already wondered about buying regular park tickets or tickets with Park Hopper.  Figuring out whether or not to add Park Hopper to your park tickets seems pretty straightforward, but there are a few things to consider whenever you’re considering paying more for something on your (already expensive) Disney vacation. Regular Park Tic ..read more

What’s the best part about visiting Disney World? Aside from the attractions, top-notch snacks, and amazing nighttime spectaculars, it’s gotta be the Disney characters themselves. And one of the best ways to get some of that awesome one-on-one time with your favorite characters is by booking any one of the many character dining experiences offered all around Disney property. So how do you narrow it down? There are so many options for character dining and they’re all so different in terms of pricing, characters, meals offered, and overall feel. On the whole, you can’t really go wrong. We ..read more

Some things around Disney feel fancier than they would at home, and other things really are fancier than at home. Either way, we’re all about embracing our fancy personas while we’re on vacation. Enter “The Finer Things Club: Disney World Edition.”  But instead of discussing culture and literary classics with fine china, we’re discussing Disney World…with paper plates.  Anyway. Our goal instead is to recommend the things at Disney that make us feel fancy and grown-up or that we think are worth the extra cost or time spent. (No, we aren’t talking about the $250,000 crystal Cinderella ..read more