Disney’s latest release, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe opened this past weekend. Alicia Steiner writes in regarding Disney’s advertising campaign:
I have no idea if this email will get to anyone who would care about this at Disney, but… for my daughter, I’d do anything.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is NOT the FIRST book in the Chronicle of Narnia series! It is in fact, the second book.
While I can understand it from a marketing perspective, I know at least one little 10-year-old who swore off Disney this week when she saw the advertisement touting Disney’s production of the “first book in the series.” I have never seen her react like that to advertising before, and I have to say… for us, at least, it was a real disappointment to see a company as respected as Disney get it wrong about a classic book series for children.
Oh well, as I said… I don’t expect a response to this email or a correction of the problem, but I will say Disney would have won over some avid, fantasy fiction READERS if they had only gotten it right.
[Editor: It’s true that the events in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are not the first chronologically in the Narnia universe. However, it was the first book written by C.S. Lewis. I find it interesting to read in the order that the books were published, thus the meaning for certain objects or events in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are revealed when you read The Magician’s Nephew.]
Staff writer Lani Teshima responds to readers’ travel questions:
Marie writes:
My husband and I are planning to visit Disney in Florida in December. I am confused as what to pack. Is it warm enough for shorts and sandals during the day? Is summer attire appropriate? I always tend to pack too much and if you could guide me on what to pack it would be most helpful.
Hi Marie – What you pack depends on a couple of factors that include the weather forecast for your trip, as well as where you are traveling from. That is, if you are flying south from the colds of Wisconsin, you will probably find the weather refreshingly warm, whereas if you are flying from Southern California, you might want to make sure you have some cool-weather clothes.
In general, assuming the temperatures are nice and balmy, you will probably be able to wear short sleeves and shorts during the day, and perhaps have a light sweater or jacket to wear in the evenings. Every so often, though, you do get a cold spell. If one is predicted for your trip, you will want to make sure to take long pants, and perhaps a fleece sweater/shirt to keep warm just in case.
Keep in mind you will more than likely also need to pack sunscreen.
Have a great trip!
Cari Cloud writes:
Hi there. My husband has just returned for his two week R&R from Iraq, and we plan to spend it in Orlando. Does Disney offer any discount on the theme parks tickets? We’re staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort already, so we wouldn’t need a package deal, just the tickets: two children, two adults. Please let me know if this is possible and how to do it.
Hi Cari – First of all, please thank your husband for his service to our country. And thank you for supporting him. What a wonderful idea to spend his leave visiting Walt Disney World, away from all the stresses of war.
My understanding is that you should be able to purchase discounted military tickets either at your local MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) office, or at the Shades of Green (SoG) Resort at Walt Disney World. SoG is run by MWR, and they will be able to sell you tickets when you get there.
For more information, you can visit Shades of Green at their Web site (link).
Have yourselves a wonderful, wonderful trip. I hope you all get to spend lots of family time.
Leo writes:
I was just wondering, say you make reservations at the Disneyland Hotel. When you get there, you find out that your hotel room is a non-smoking room, but you are a smoker. Now, if you smoke in the non-smoking room, what could happen?
One more question. If you do get a non-smoking room at the Disneyland Hotel and the room has a balcony, is it possible that you could smoke on the balcony without getting into trouble?
Hi Leo – You are fortunate that you were staying in the Disneyland Hotel, where at least they have some smoking rooms. The Grand Californian Hotel is a completely no-smoking facility altogether.
I would make sure that at every step, you remind them that you are a smoker and that you wish to have a smoking room. About a week or so before your check-in date, you might wish to phone them to confirm that you are still listed for a smoking room. You might even consider calling and asking the day before you check in.
When you check in and they do not have a smoking room for you, I wouldn’t give up. Continue calling down to ask for one, and see if they can move you for your second day.
I do not know what their policy is on smoking on the balcony, although if your neighbors have their windows open, chances are they are also in a no-smoking room and would not appreciate the smoke smell wafting into their rooms. You might at least close your own balcony window, so that the smoke doesn’t permeate and soak into the furniture in your no-smoking room.
Carleen Larson writes:
Do you have any info on the Marceline Disney Museum (in Marceline, Missouri)? Is there a charge to get in the museum? And when are they open? And what times? We’ve been finding little information on the museum and are hoping to perhaps go in the beginning of June if possible.
Hi Carleen – I believe this is the pertinent information you’re looking for:
Hours:
Closed Mondays
Tuesday – Friday: 11 – 4
Saturday: 10 – 4
Sunday: 1 – 4
Admission: $5.00
Children 3 – 16: $2.50
They are at 120 E. Santa Fe Avenue in Marceline. Their phone number is (660) 376-3343
The folks at Marceline are a wonderful people. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip there in September 2001, and for me, the pure Americana of it was a stark contrast to the images of 9/11 we had been bombarded with just two weeks earlier. If you are going to Marceline, make sure to take in the entire town. You can still feel Walt’s presence there, just like you can at Disneyland.
Mark Bradshaw writes:
We have scheduled a trip to Southern California arriving May 26 and departing June 4 (2006). We plan to spend 3 to 4 days in the Oceanside area (Legoland – Sea World) and the rest in Anaheim with 4 days devoted to Disneyland. Which days would you think it would be the best to go to Disneyland, considering Memorial Day and all?
Hi Mark – Wow, you are an early planner! And like I say, early planning means that much more time to enjoy daydreaming about your vacation.
As you may know, Memorial Day is often considered the start of the summer vacation, although the high summer traffic doesn’t truly start until later in June.
I think you are in good shape to spend the first part of your trip in San Diego, and then head up to Anaheim after Memorial Day. The weekdays after that Memorial Day Monday will probably be fairly sane, with kids not quite yet out of school (meaning fewer out-of-town vacationing families), and it will be on weekdays (meaning fewer local folks visiting on their weekend days off).
You are also doing well to plan a span of four days to visit Disneyland. By incorporating a midday nap or pool break, you will be able to extend a day’s visit from the morning well into the evening. Just make sure to remember that you don’t have to see and do everything all at once, and you will be fine. Consider picking up a book like the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland to get a sense of how popular the rides are (since their guidebook includes comprehensive ratings for each attraction in addition to a description) to decide which are must-sees, and perhaps check them off on your park map as you ride them. Our weekly Disneyland Park Update column will also help you with information on any special events or attraction closures. Hope you have a terrific trip!
Lani’s column on traveling to Walt Disney World with an infant (link) generated the following letters:
Tara Brown writes:
Do you have any recommendations for vacations to take as a family with a 6 month-old to 9 month-old infant? I have been searching the Internet and have not found a site to find a hotel that accommodates babies and will be fun for parents and baby. I live in Georgia and would love somewhere here or in Florida to go (so we can drive!). I love the article on travel—there were a lot of these I didn’t even think about. Any guidance for finding a family friendly vacation would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Tara – Thanks for taking the time to write.
Regarding your inquiry about vacationing with a 6- to 9-month-old infant, a lot of what you want to do depends on the reason for your wanting to take the trip. A good way to check to see if a hotel is infant-friendly is to see what sorts of amenities they provide. You can often get this information from their official Web sites, or through AAA or your travel agent. Things to look for include the availability (either for free or for a fee) of a microwave and baby cribs. Other amenities such as a children’s pool can be a good tip-off as well.
That said, your infant is too young to enjoy the pool. In fact, for many things your baby will be too young to enjoy much of anything. If the purpose is to just get away from the daily grind, you might instead consider asking your parents, grandparents or other trusting adult to babysit for you for an afternoon while you go to a local spa for an afternoon of relaxing massage and aromatherapy.
The main thing to remember is that a young baby requires that you focus your activities around the baby. That means that while a trip to Walt Disney World might be fun, you still have to stick to your baby’s regular feeding and sleeping schedule. For some families (especially those with older children who want to take that trip to Florida), mom might end up shouldering the responsibility of baby while dad and kids run around the park during the day. For a trip that has the potential of costing so much money, you might consider putting off a trip to Walt Disney World for a couple of years, at least until your infant is a toddler and can enjoy plodding around and looking at the ducks in the pond at Epcot.
Kelly writes:
Do you think the additional cost of monorail is worth it (travel with 3 adults, 2 preteens and baby 6mths). It’s really $300 a night instead of 150. What do you think? Your site is great.
Hi Kelly – The monorail resorts are definitely very convenient, and a large family such as yourselves would find it a big plus. However as you correctly concluded, the price is also a factor. More than likely, you will need to book two adjoining rooms, and for that, you will be looking at a pretty steep cost.
Here are some considerations. Depending on what your situation is, the monorail resorts may or may not be worth it for you:
Has your family traveled on vacations before, and what sort of activities do you like do to? Does everyone like to stick together during the day, or are you all freebirds, with maybe grandma taking off with the preteens, mom wheeling baby in a stroller and going shopping on her own, and dad off playing golf? Or perhaps your family all likes to go to the same park for the day, but once there, people split up, with arrangements on where to meet, or arrangements to just eventually find their way back to the hotel room for dinner? Does baby’s need for a nap override the desires of the preteens, or is it important for all the kids to take time out at lunch to take naps or take a dip in the pool to relax?
Do you allow your preteens to have free run within the resort, including riding on the monorails by themselves as long as they stick together?
The monorail resort is very convenient if in the middle of the day, you need to take your baby back to the hotel room for a quiet nap (although keep in mind the Baby Care Centers in the theme parks are a good place to relax and nursing the baby). It is particularly convenient if you think your party will be splitting up to do different things during the day. That way, you are not tied to a rental car that you rent for your family. The monorail is much faster than waiting for a shuttle, as well. That is, not only is the monorail faster, but the monorail stations are much closer to the park exits than the parking lots are (and depending on where you park, you have to catch the tram just to get back to your car).
Taking all of these things into consideration, you need to then look at your travel budget. How tight is your budget? Would paying the extra cost of a monorail resort mean it affects another part of your trip? Maybe you can find somewhere to swap out the cost. For example, can you afford the time to drive to Walt Disney World instead of fly? If that saves you several hundred dollars, it may be enough for you to afford a monorail resort. If that’s the case, you will have to determine if riding in a car for a long time with your full family is something everyone can manage.
Good luck in trying to figure out what works for you, and I hope you have a wonderful family vacation!
Lisa Swicionis writes:
We are leaving for Disney World in a week and I am taking my 9 month old! I know it might be a challenge but I’m very excited. We are also taking my 4-year-old niece.
I have a few concerns about traveling with the infant… I was planning on bringing a double stroller. I realize that it’s large and bulky. I’m not concerned about the airport since we can take it to the gate but how does it work at the parks. Can we take it on the shuttle bus with us? Will it go on the main part of the bus or can it get stored underneath? (We are staying on the property.) Where do strollers go when going on rides? Can the 9-month-old go on any rides? Can I take my sling (baby carrier) on rides? How big of a bag can you take along on the rides when leaving the stroller behind? Thanks for your help,
Hi Lisa – Parenting in the Parks editor Adrienne Krock has written about strollers (here and here). There are many rides you can enjoy with your baby—in fact, almost all of the articles from Adrienne should be helpful for you to some degree.
A primary concern with a side-by-side stroller is that there will be areas where navigation becomes quite a serious issue. Although the pathways in Walt Disney World theme parks are considerably wider than those at Disneyland, you are still going to find yourself frustrated at the speed in which you can move with a double-wide, and you will risk bumping ankles and knees due to space issues.
People do carry non-folding strollers into the monorail, although I must admit I’ve never seen a double-wide version. Again, space will be an issue. The shuttle buses from the resorts to the theme parks do not have undercarriage storage space. They are more like your ordinary city bus.
Parking your double-wide should not be a problem. All the parks have designated stroller parking areas, and yours taking up more space will not be a problem.
Janice Miller writes:
Thank you so much for all of the great tips and advice. You really have helped make traveling with my two young ones less stressful and more enjoyable. I just wanted to share a tip with you. After reading in one of your articles about a service that ships baby supplies ahead for you, I started doing some research to see what was out there for a trip I was taking to Disneyland. I came across a great company called Babies Travel Lite. They have a huge selection of everyday products and some great stuff for vacation travel. You should check them out at www.babiestravellite.com. I used the service for my trip and everything was great. They have great customer service—they took care of everything for me! I was thrilled not to have to worry about baby stuff for two babies.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us. Your knowledge is a true gift.
David B. writes:
I am a TSA screener. TSA procedures do not require anyone to hold an infant out at arms length while proceeding through the walk thru metal detector. If someone is required to do that they should ask to see a supervisor or a manager. My apologies to anyone subjected to poor screening practices. Our procedures allow infants to be carried in a normal, safe manner.
