Life with Tanay<\/a>. Howard, 35, has written about ways to save money at the parks and the best Disney World hotels for large families. \u201cGo slow and go with the flow,\u201d she tells people, noting that it\u2019s possible to get overwhelmed if you try to do too much. \u201cDon\u2019t try to do a thousand things,\u201d she said, explaining that she and her family go at least once a year, sometimes more. And she doesn\u2019t hesitate to go without her kids \u2014 she especially loves the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. <\/p>\nFor Howard, Disney is all about community, something she has found as one of the administrators of Black Disney Moms, a private Facebook group that has grown to nearly 19,000 members who share their tips on everything from where to find the latest merchandise to the best shoes to wear. The group plans a meetup next year at Disneyland Paris. \u201cIt\u2019s important for Black moms to feel that Disney is accessible,\u201d she said, noting the group allows members \u201cto see Disney from a different perspective .\u2002.\u2002. it\u2019s important for these moms to see other Black families in the theme parks \u2014 that is really, really special.\u201d <\/p>\n
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Flight attendant Alissa Williams, of Sayville, seen at Tokyo Disney Resorts, said visiting every Disney park is on her family\u2019s bucket list. Credit: Alissa Williams<\/p>\n
Savings in special passes<\/p>\n
The economics of it all can be daunting, said Shuster, noting that the park raises prices yearly, most recently in October. In Orlando, the most expensive ticket to the Magic Kingdom now breaks the $200 barrier, costing $209 for peak dates in 2026. Prices vary, and there are multiple add-ons like the Park Hopper, which allows you to visit more than one park a day. Disney offers multiple annual pass options, but the Incredi-Pass ($1,629 per year) is the only option for guests who live out of state and are not time-share members. <\/p>\n
The annual pass allows daily entry (reservations are still required on most days) and comes with perks like park hopping, food and merchandise discounts, invitations to preview new rides and attractions, and, on occasion, special goodies like last summer\u2019s Crush ice cream sundae in honor of the beloved \u201cFinding Nemo\u201d character. Not included: Lightning Lane tickets, VIP tours and other experiences that can help streamline the trip. <\/p>\n
Sisters Michelle Falco and Alissa Williams, both of Sayville, hold annual passes and travel to Disney World several times a year with their families. \u201cIt\u2019s a great escape from reality,\u201d said Falco, 47. \u201cThere\u2019s something for everyone, from toddlers to seniors. You can bring your kids and still have adult fun .\u2002.\u2002. it\u2019s a place that just makes us happy.\u201d <\/p>\n
Williams, 50, said visiting every Disney park is on the family bucket list. The Frontier Airlines flight attendant gets perks that allow inexpensive travel, so she\u2019s been to the Tokyo Disney Resort with her husband and son. \u201cEverything was immaculate in Japan,\u201d Williams said. \u201cYou could really see the attention to detail while still getting the sense you were in another country. The language barrier wasn\u2019t an issue. Even if rides like \u2018Beauty and the Beast\u2019 were in Japanese, you know the story.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sometimes her family will make a quick weekend trip and not even set foot in a park, said Williams. \u201cFlying out of MacArthur [Airport], it\u2019s so easy. We\u2019ll just make a quick trip and enjoy the amenities at the resorts,\u201d she added. They\u2019ve tried many of them, she said, and each offers a different atmosphere. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt Animal Kingdom Lodge, you feel like you\u2019re on a safari; at the Wilderness Lodge, you feel like you\u2019re in a forest,\u201d said Falco. \u201cEvery time we go, we do something new.\u201d <\/p>\n
The family also has been on several Disney cruises, and next up is a trip to Disneyland in California. Paris is on the wish list. <\/p>\n
Turning passion into side hustle<\/p>\n
Danielle Livingston, of Garden City, has been traveling to Disney World since her oldest son was 1 \u2014 he\u2019s now 13 and has a younger brother, who\u2019s 10. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like Disney,\u201d said Livingston, 45, who became so familiar with the park that she wound up helping friends and family plan their trips by becoming a consultant with MickeyTravels, a Disney-focused travel agency. <\/p>\n
Livingston makes four to six trips a year and holds an annual pass, as well as taking a couple of Disney cruises a year. Looking ahead, she hopes to soon visit the Disney resort Aulani in Hawaii. What really makes her such a fan? \u201cMy kids\u2019 faces,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than seeing your children at Disney World, no matter the age.\u201d <\/p>\n
Stefanie Fier, 40, and an annual pass holder from Little Neck, Queens, grew up going to Disney, and said her dad, in his 70s, is still a huge fan. Fier, a teacher, became so adept at planning Disney vacations \u2014 \u201cI love a good spreadsheet\u2019\u2019 \u2014 that she took a part-time job as a travel agent to help others plan their vacations. <\/p>\n
Fier is especially appreciative of food options that allow her to eat gluten-free, as well as plentiful choices for her two sons. But more important, she said, is the way the cast members (Disney speak for park staff) \u201cgo above and beyond\u201d \u2014 whether it\u2019s taking a picture or making sure to wish someone a happy birthday. The park also is accepting, said Fier, who acknowledges that one of her sons can get a bit rambunctious at times. \u201cIf he has a meltdown, it\u2019s OK,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s having a meltdown.\u201d <\/p>\n
Friedlander likes Disney so much, she once went by herself, as her husband headed to a football game in Texas. \u201cI had five days to myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI did Disney my way.\u201d And lest you think she might be getting sick of all this, she and her family have scheduled a trip on the new Disney Destiny cruise ship, and in August, she\u2019ll celebrate her birthday aboard the Disney Treasure. <\/p>\n
Mostly, said Kafka, it\u2019s about making memories. \u201cI love going with my family,\u201d she said, talking about the joy of seeing her parents experience the park with their grandchildren or watching the kids hugging their favorite characters. She adds, \u201cI feel like all the troubles of the world are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disney jargon<\/p>\n
To be a true Disney insider, you have to know the lingo. Here are just a few of the most important terms:<\/p>\n
HIDDEN MICKEY. Images of the world\u2019s most famous mouse are hidden all over the parks.<\/p>\n
LIGHTNING LANE. An add-on that allows quicker entry to a ride, it can be purchased for single or multiple rides. Prices start at around $15 for a single ride.<\/p>\n
MAGIC BAND. A multipurpose electronic wristband that allows guests to enter parks, unlock hotel rooms, charge food and merchandise, etc. Prices start at just under $25, though they might be included in some packages.<\/p>\n
PARK HOPPER. An upgraded ticket that allows jumping between more than one park in a day.<\/p>\n
PIXIE DUST. A catchall phrase that refers to random acts of kindness from the staff \u2014 like taking a picture on someone\u2019s phone.<\/p>\n
ROPE DROP. The minute the park opens, die-hards say they like to spend the day “from rope drop to fireworks.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To celebrate her November bat mitzvah, Madison Friedlander decided to forgo the traditional party. Instead, she and her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":88679,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[42496,42495,9,11,10,49,51,50,956],"class_list":["post-88678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-florida-travel","tag-lilife","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-new-york-state","tag-new-york-state-headlines","tag-new-york-state-news","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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