Trip Calendar
Click each link below to find descriptions of upcoming trips.- Robotics Lab: Aug 9, 16
- Rocketry Lab: Aug 30, Sep 6
- Marine Science: Sep 22-25
- Washington DC: Oct 3-7
- Washington DC: Oct 17-21
- Disney World: Nov 16-23
- Wild West: August 2014
- Reports of Past Trips
- Travel FAQs
Disney World, Universal,
& SeaWorld
November 16-23, 2013
Registration Deadline: July 15, 2013*
*(The deadline is August 31 if you're not planning to use Disney's MyMagic+ system, and don't need extra non-student tickets for any of our destinations - please read "Important Notes" section to the right for more information.)
Trip information is divided into six pages in order to help you plan your trip to Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld. Please read through all of these pages before registering.
CONTENTS
Introduction ← you are here
Hotel Information
Disney Educational Programs
Universal Educational Tours
Important Things to Know
Registration Form
What we're doing...
We're taking our 8th trip to Disney World this November and hope you can join us! We'll enjoy all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), the water parks, DisneyQuest, Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, and behind-the-scenes educational programs for our students in kindergarten through college-age.
We're also visiting Universal and SeaWorld, if you'd like to do that in addition to, or rather than, Disney World. (You must arrange your own transportation for this trip - to Florida and back, as well as between Disney and Universal and/or SeaWorld, if you choose more than one.)
The weather is usually great this time of year (averaging in the 70s and low 80s), warm enough to swim in the water parks and resort pools, but still able to enjoy seasonal festivities such as the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (costs extra), and the beautiful decorations at the parks and resorts.
Disney World Tickets
The cost of our Disney tickets is $245 (ages 3 and up). This price includes your registration fee, and the following perks:
• Visit all four Disney parks for 7 days.
These are hopper tickets. You can visit one or more parks each day. The seven days do not have to be consecutive. You can't add more days to these tickets, and you can't add the no-expiration option. They're valid from November 9 to November 30, and will expire after that, even if you haven't used all 7 days. Your student must attend an educational program during the week of November 16-23, and you must have at least one park day left on the ticket to attend the program since it's conducted in a park (except for the Backstage at La Nouba program, which is at Downtown Disney). If your student does not attend the program, you may be charged the difference between regular gate prices and our discounted tickets due to non-attendance.
• 7 passes (per ticket) to the following attractions:
- DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Park
- Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
- Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
You may visit these attractions anytime from November 9 to November 30 seven times total (not 7 times each), in any combination. (Note: One of the water parks may be closed for refurbishing during our dates.) If you visit two different attractions in one day, then it counts as two visits. If you visit one of them in the morning, go out for lunch, then return to the same attraction, that counts as one visit.
• One educational program for each student in your party, ages 5-22. (Student participation is required to qualify for our discounted park tickets.)
• Our tickets will allow families to participate in the new MyMagic+ system Disney is developing. They're still finalizing the details, but basically, this new system will let us reserve FastPass entry to three attractions per day, starting 60 days in advance of our group arrival date. The link above goes to a blog post that explains what their current plans are. I'll post a link to finalized information as soon as they work out the details (they're testing the feature now with different groups). For now, just know that this new system will change my registration and payment deadline (much sooner to accommodate the 60-day advance registration system), and our tickets will be plastic, instead of paper, and will be assigned to individuals via Disney's biometrics system.
Universal Tickets
The cost of our Universal tickets is $107 per person if you're adding them on to a Disney registration. If you're not purchasing Disney tickets, the cost is $125 per person.
This price includes your registration fee, and entry to both parks (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios) for two days (you can visit both parks on both days). They're good between the dates of November 13-23. You can choose the days, but you must use your two days within 7 days of first use. If you're attending the Behind the Adventure or Special F/X tours (at an additional cost), then one of your days must be Sunday, November 17 (that's the date those tours are scheduled, and you must have a ticket to get in the park).
(NOTE: The prices quoted are based on 2012-13 prices, plus a projected increase for the 2013-14 school year. There is a chance that tickets could cost slightly more. I'll let you know if prices change beyond what was projected.)
The price does not include several behind-the-scenes tours they offer for educational groups (two are $22 per person, and one is $40 per person). Enrollment for these tours is limited, and you must purchase a group park ticket to participate. More information about them is available on our Universal Educational Tours page.
SeaWorld Tickets
The cost of our SeaWorld tickets is $25 per person (ages 3 and up) if you're adding them on to a Disney registration. If you're not purchasing Disney tickets, the cost is $35 per person.
This price includes your registration fee, and entry to SeaWorld on Wednesday, November 20. In order to qualify for our discounted group tickets, your party must attend a 30-minute (or so) educational presentation on the morning of our visit. You're free to enjoy the park at your leisure after the presentation.
(NOTE: The prices quoted are based on 2012-13 prices. There is a chance that tickets could cost a little more. I'll let you know if prices change.)
Disney Add-On Activities
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba Performance
We have seats for our group at the 6:00 pm Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba performance on Wednesday, November 20. (Students who register for Disney's Backstage at La Nouba program must attend this performance.)
This is a wonderfully entertaining show and well worth the price of admission. Families who've been to Cirque du Soleil performances in other areas (Las Vegas, etc.) have told me that Disney's show (La Nouba) is the best they've seen. I've never had a family yet say they regretted going, and many have emailed me to tell me that it was one of the highlights of their trip.
Tickets prices are $55 per person (ages 3 and up) and are only available to families who purchase our Disney tickets.
(NOTE: The price quoted is based on 2012-13 prices, plus a projected increase for the 2013-14 school year. There is small chance that tickets could cost slightly more. I'll let you know if prices change beyond what was projected.)
Kingdom Keepers Quest
The Kingdom Keepers Quest is self-guided group adventure through the Magic Kingdom for youth groups who've read The Kingdom Keepers books by Ridley Pearson.
Students (with at least one parent) will meet at Magic Kingdom on Tuesday at 1:00 pm to share program materials and complete the quest in small groups. The materials were written for students in grades 5-9, but younger and older students can do the quest if they're interested. It takes from two to four hours to complete the quest, depending on attraction lines and how fast the kids figure out the clues. More information about the Quest can be found here.
The cost of the Quest is $10 per student (parents are free), and only students who are registered for a Disney educational program can add this experience to their trip.
Still interested in going?
Please read the following links for more information:
Hotel Information
Disney Educational Programs
Universal Educational Programs
Important Things to Know
Registration Form
Registration Deadline: July 15, 2013*
*(The deadline is August 31 if you're not planning to use Disney's MyMagic+ system, and don't need extra non-student tickets for any of our destinations - please read "Important Notes" section to the right for more information.)
Trip information is divided into six pages in order to help you plan your trip to Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld. Please read through all of these pages before registering.
CONTENTS
Introduction ← you are here
Hotel Information
Disney Educational Programs
Universal Educational Tours
Important Things to Know
Registration Form
What we're doing...
We're taking our 8th trip to Disney World this November and hope you can join us! We'll enjoy all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), the water parks, DisneyQuest, Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, and behind-the-scenes educational programs for our students in kindergarten through college-age.
We're also visiting Universal and SeaWorld, if you'd like to do that in addition to, or rather than, Disney World. (You must arrange your own transportation for this trip - to Florida and back, as well as between Disney and Universal and/or SeaWorld, if you choose more than one.)
The weather is usually great this time of year (averaging in the 70s and low 80s), warm enough to swim in the water parks and resort pools, but still able to enjoy seasonal festivities such as the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (costs extra), and the beautiful decorations at the parks and resorts.
Disney World Tickets
The cost of our Disney tickets is $245 (ages 3 and up). This price includes your registration fee, and the following perks:
• Visit all four Disney parks for 7 days.
These are hopper tickets. You can visit one or more parks each day. The seven days do not have to be consecutive. You can't add more days to these tickets, and you can't add the no-expiration option. They're valid from November 9 to November 30, and will expire after that, even if you haven't used all 7 days. Your student must attend an educational program during the week of November 16-23, and you must have at least one park day left on the ticket to attend the program since it's conducted in a park (except for the Backstage at La Nouba program, which is at Downtown Disney). If your student does not attend the program, you may be charged the difference between regular gate prices and our discounted tickets due to non-attendance.
• 7 passes (per ticket) to the following attractions:
- DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Park
- Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
- Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
You may visit these attractions anytime from November 9 to November 30 seven times total (not 7 times each), in any combination. (Note: One of the water parks may be closed for refurbishing during our dates.) If you visit two different attractions in one day, then it counts as two visits. If you visit one of them in the morning, go out for lunch, then return to the same attraction, that counts as one visit.
• One educational program for each student in your party, ages 5-22. (Student participation is required to qualify for our discounted park tickets.)
• Our tickets will allow families to participate in the new MyMagic+ system Disney is developing. They're still finalizing the details, but basically, this new system will let us reserve FastPass entry to three attractions per day, starting 60 days in advance of our group arrival date. The link above goes to a blog post that explains what their current plans are. I'll post a link to finalized information as soon as they work out the details (they're testing the feature now with different groups). For now, just know that this new system will change my registration and payment deadline (much sooner to accommodate the 60-day advance registration system), and our tickets will be plastic, instead of paper, and will be assigned to individuals via Disney's biometrics system.
Universal Tickets
The cost of our Universal tickets is $107 per person if you're adding them on to a Disney registration. If you're not purchasing Disney tickets, the cost is $125 per person.
This price includes your registration fee, and entry to both parks (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios) for two days (you can visit both parks on both days). They're good between the dates of November 13-23. You can choose the days, but you must use your two days within 7 days of first use. If you're attending the Behind the Adventure or Special F/X tours (at an additional cost), then one of your days must be Sunday, November 17 (that's the date those tours are scheduled, and you must have a ticket to get in the park).
(NOTE: The prices quoted are based on 2012-13 prices, plus a projected increase for the 2013-14 school year. There is a chance that tickets could cost slightly more. I'll let you know if prices change beyond what was projected.)
The price does not include several behind-the-scenes tours they offer for educational groups (two are $22 per person, and one is $40 per person). Enrollment for these tours is limited, and you must purchase a group park ticket to participate. More information about them is available on our Universal Educational Tours page.
SeaWorld Tickets
The cost of our SeaWorld tickets is $25 per person (ages 3 and up) if you're adding them on to a Disney registration. If you're not purchasing Disney tickets, the cost is $35 per person.
This price includes your registration fee, and entry to SeaWorld on Wednesday, November 20. In order to qualify for our discounted group tickets, your party must attend a 30-minute (or so) educational presentation on the morning of our visit. You're free to enjoy the park at your leisure after the presentation.
(NOTE: The prices quoted are based on 2012-13 prices. There is a chance that tickets could cost a little more. I'll let you know if prices change.)
Disney Add-On Activities
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba Performance
We have seats for our group at the 6:00 pm Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba performance on Wednesday, November 20. (Students who register for Disney's Backstage at La Nouba program must attend this performance.)
This is a wonderfully entertaining show and well worth the price of admission. Families who've been to Cirque du Soleil performances in other areas (Las Vegas, etc.) have told me that Disney's show (La Nouba) is the best they've seen. I've never had a family yet say they regretted going, and many have emailed me to tell me that it was one of the highlights of their trip.
Tickets prices are $55 per person (ages 3 and up) and are only available to families who purchase our Disney tickets.
(NOTE: The price quoted is based on 2012-13 prices, plus a projected increase for the 2013-14 school year. There is small chance that tickets could cost slightly more. I'll let you know if prices change beyond what was projected.)
Kingdom Keepers Quest
The Kingdom Keepers Quest is self-guided group adventure through the Magic Kingdom for youth groups who've read The Kingdom Keepers books by Ridley Pearson.
Students (with at least one parent) will meet at Magic Kingdom on Tuesday at 1:00 pm to share program materials and complete the quest in small groups. The materials were written for students in grades 5-9, but younger and older students can do the quest if they're interested. It takes from two to four hours to complete the quest, depending on attraction lines and how fast the kids figure out the clues. More information about the Quest can be found here.
The cost of the Quest is $10 per student (parents are free), and only students who are registered for a Disney educational program can add this experience to their trip.
Still interested in going?
Please read the following links for more information:
Hotel Information
Disney Educational Programs
Universal Educational Programs
Important Things to Know
Registration Form
Important Notes
• If you'd
like help planning your trip, consider joining my
(affectionately titled)
Disney Stalkers community, where other Disney
families have gathered to help each other.• Children under 3 get in free at all three destinations and don't require a ticket.
• We get great discounts on our tickets, but we can't have more non-student tickets than student tickets (ages 5 through college at Disney, ages 3 through high school at Universal and SeaWorld). You'll be limited to one extra non-student ticket per student in your party. If you have more non-students in your party than students, you will go on a waiting list for extra tickets. I will distribute them (and you'll pay for them separately) after our registration deadline.
• Payment will be due in my mailbox within 7 days of the day I send your confirmation email. Please don't register until you're able to pay for your tickets. (This eliminates the need to send payment reminders.) If I don't receive your payment by the due date, your registration will be moved to a waiting list and will be processed during the last week of registration.
• If you need to cancel after paying for your tickets, I'll work with you to get your money back (less a $25 per person return fee) by trying to arrange for another family to take your place. I can't guarantee a refund if I have no families on my waiting list. Cirque du Soleil tickets are non-refundable.
• Our group hotel will have a separate cancellation/refund policy, so be sure you understand their policy before you reserve your room. I am not responsible for payments made to our group hotel, or for their refund policy.
• Our tickets will allow families to participate in the new MyMagic+ system. They're still finalizing the details, but this new system will let us reserve FastPass entry to three attractions per day, starting 60 days in advance of our group arrival date. Therefore, my registration and payment deadline is much earlier for Disney travelers who plan to utilize this system.
• Disney World and Universal tickets will be mailed by October 26, 2013. SeaWorld tickets will be distributed the morning of the program.
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