I had wanted to ride the newest update to Soarin’ ever since it was announced, which was during my Disney College Program back in 2015. In fact, refurbishment began the very same day my program ended. This summer, I finally got the chance to ride it. I was apprehensive about the changes, as I did not hear good things about them. The only thing that seemed to change with queue was the addition of monitors similar to the ones at airports that post the time of flights. The monitors show trivia questions about the different places Soarin’ takes its passengers. This is a great way to pass time in line. I love that this adds an educational component to the attraction as Epcot was made to be an educational park. Fortunately, the preshow video with Kronk Patrick Warburton still remains. Before he appears, a video of an airplane flying over a map shows the audience where it will take its passengers. My first impression of seeing the map was that there are a lot of...

Once I heard that a few of my former Disney College Program roommates had been accepted for a summer alumni program, I knew I had to go back to Walt Disney World to visit them. Due to both my work schedule and theirs, and the fact that I am a broke college student, I could only visit for a weekend. Normally I do not recommend trying to do all of Walt Disney World in just a couple of days as it can be very overwhelming. When visiting the parks, I stuck to one of my biggest tips for visitors, which is to not try to do too much. It’s impossible to do absolutely everything the Resort has to offer over a week long stay, let alone a weekend long stay. Keeping this in mind, I prioritized about 5 things that I really wanted to do and left the rest of my schedule open for flexibility. The main focus of my visit was my friends, and not necessarily the parks. It did not matter what we did, as long as we did it together. One of my biggest priorities was explorin...

      If you’re a Disney fanatic, you’ll have to fight off the urge to buy everything as soon as you step into a store on Disney property. And after working in a Disney World gift shop, I’m willing to bet that your kids are the same. The only thing worse than a kid in a candy store is a kid in a Disney store. Souvenirs are not completely necessary, but they do serve as a physical reminder of your happy vacation memories. Children will especially love a new toy to play with or a t-shirt to wear to school. But you do not have to buy every toy, or even any toy. Here are a few tips on saving money on souvenirs. How much to spend? You can limit your children’s spending in fun, educational ways other than a harsh “no.” Setting An Amount Giving your kid a Disney gift card is a great way to teach financial responsibility. Give them a preloaded gift card that they can use throughout the trip on souvenirs. They have the freedom to spend it ...