Disney World 2009 - Trip Report and Photos

Around 300 travelers joined us on our pilgrimage to Disney World this year. This trip was similar to previous ones in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We went during the same week, with the weather hovering in the high 80's and high humidity, but we dodged most of the rain. As always, our free passes to the water parks helped us brave the heat.

The reviews of the educational programs have been very good this year. Disney has been working to enhance their programs, and all of them got higher ratings from our families, with more than a few parents saying that their children talked about them during the rest of their trip.

As in past years, the programs for the upper grades received the best reviews (Making Waves, Showbiz Magic, Leadership Excellence), but the programs for the younger grades weren't too far behind in the ratings. I think more parents took my advice this year (registering their older children for the upper-level programs), so it resulted in a better experience for everyone.

Parents also gave high marks for our special group tickets. The low price and added options (hopper, water parks, Disney Quest, as well as the included educational program) made this trip much more fun and affordable in this iffy economy.

The free dining was also a winner - the convenience of it, as well as the chance to experience food from other countries without breaking the budget. Many parents have told me that the free dining was a deal-breaker for them, and that they couldn't afford to go to Disney without it.

A majority of the families who've provided feedback about the trip are planning to go with us again next year. Disney offered a "bounce back" special again this year - offering families the free dining again next year if they paid a deposit before they left. Many reported that they took advantage of it.

If you'd like to join us next year, we plan to go from September 25 - October 2. This differs from our usual Labor Day week because we're hoping to miss some of the heat (both the temperature and humidity should be a little lower by then) and because Disney's Annual International Food and Wine festival will hopefully start by then. I've never been to the festival, but have heard some great things about it. It will give us a chance to experience foods from even more countries, as well as attend special events, bands, and performances scheduled during the festival.

I enjoyed meeting the new families who traveled with us this time around, and seeing families who have been on previous trips with us. I look forward to meeting even more new travelers next year! Hopefully we'll continue to encounter low crowds, good weather, and no hurricanes.

Thanks to everyone who traveled with us!

Trip Photos

Trip photos will be posted soon. Stay tuned. :)

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