Grandma and I get asked about Disney Vacation Club more than just about any other topic around here. We have been DVC Members since 1996 and should know a thing or two. So I figured it was high time ole Grandpa sat down and worked through the whole thing properly, out loud, for anybody else… Read more: Is Disney Vacation Club Worth It? A Grandpa’s Guide to DVC Ownership

Surviving the Florida Heat: A Grandparent’s Guide to a Summer Disney Visit Grandma and I are headed back to Walt Disney World this summer, and for two folks who have spent a lifetime avoiding hot weather, that is saying something. We used to be December people. Sparse crowds, mild temperatures, resort lobbies dressed up for… Read more: Surviving Florida’s Summer Heat at Disney: A Guide for Seniors

I first published this article over 2 years ago. I felt it was time to revisit. Things change, the parks have changed. The whole point to Crushing It! is to go with the flow and adapt. So here ya go Enjoy! Let me tell you a story. Back in the late ’90s when our kids… Read more: Slowing Your Roll: A Grandpa’s Guide to Enjoying Disney Without the Rush

If you’ve been staying at Disneyland Resort hotels for years, you probably felt a little piece of your Disney heart break on January 5, 2026. That was the day Early Entry officially disappeared, taking with it those magical 30 minutes of peaceful park exploration before the masses arrived. I get it. I really do. For… Read more: Saying Goodbye to Early Entry: How to Navigate Disneyland Without the 30-Minute Head Start

If you’ve visited a major theme park in the past few years, you know that mobile ordering has become a game-changer. No more waiting in long lines just to order a burger and fries – now you can skip straight to pickup. But not all mobile ordering systems are created equal. Let’s dive into how… Read more: Mobile Ordering Showdown: Disney vs. Universal – Which Theme Park Does It Better?

Grandma and I paid a visit to Universal before our family WDW trip back in late November. I should have posted this sooner, but as often happens life got in the way. Nothing major, just holidays, Grandkids, etc. The condition of our politics made me feel uninterested in writing. The current state of our Country… Read more: Grandpa’s EPIC Adventure

Well gentle readers, Disney’s fiscal year is coming to a close. This usually means all kinds of announcements. Most of them bad news for us pinched consumers. We can always expect price increases this time of year and this year was sadly no exception. As with Disney’s custom, bad news was tempered with good. They… Read more: It’s That Time Of Year Again

Back in January I posted that this year is going to be a very Disney year. So far so good! Grandma and I had a great time at Disneyland back in February and sweated it out in May at Disney World. Our next adventure begins in around 60 days. We are taking the Grandkids and… Read more: Disney Split Stay: Tips for Maximizing Family Fun

Normally I do not just repeat news that is available elsewhere. There are many blogs, YouTubes and other sites that do a great job covering Disney news in excruciating detail. However there are some notable news items that I come across that impact those of us on a fixed income. This week has been just… Read more: Disney Food Price Hikes: Budgeting for Magic

Sometimes posts just write themselves. This was not one of them! This post covers how we are planning on attacking our Epic Universe visit. Links to the resources we used are included. We get no commercial consideration for these resources. I am not saying that this is a comprehensive or one-size-fits all guide. It works… Read more: An Epic How To

In a little over 100 days Grandma and I will be going to Universal Orlando parks. This will be our first trip back to Universal in over 20 years. Why are we doing this? What has changed? And are we approaching this trip differently than a WDW vacation? Read on to find out. Why Now?… Read more: Epic Universe Here We Come

Grandma and I just returned from our 10 Day May adventure to Walt Disney World. We went for Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. It was fun but it was hot. Not just hot, unseasonably hot and humid. Grandma and I did it and survived and had a pretty great time doing it. Of course our… Read more: Epcot Flower and Garden Festival: Tips for Older Travelers

It has been a minute since my last post. In that time lots have happened. Disney is both raising prices and giving discounts. I think they could have garnered more good will if they just lowered prices. Grandma and I are getting ready for our May trip. Epic Universe is having a soft open. Tourism… Read more: Catching Up

Grandma and I will be traveling to Walt Disney World again soon. This trip will be a first for us. We have never visited in the summer. Ok, it is Late Spring/Early Summer. For this heat avoiding old couple, it will be a first. Why go? Simple, we had DVC Points that would be expiring… Read more: Rediscovering Disney: Tips for a Summer Visit with Grandma

The post discusses the complexities of planning a Disney trip, emphasizing how it can lead to disappointment and stress, especially for seniors and families. Highlighting a young mother’s experiences, it critiques the heavy reliance on technology, the overwhelming need for advanced reservations, and unpredictable crowds, which contribute to anxiety. The author suggests maintaining flexibility and not over-planning to enhance the vacation experience, ultimately advocating for a more straightforward and enjoyable approach to visiting Disney parks.

Lots of Disney and DVC news floating around the internet. Some just speculation some announcements from the Mouse himself. This is not usually a news blog, but I can’t ignore all the news that is happening. So without more useless drivel, let’s dig in. DVC Speculation First a bit of speculation originally published in DVC… Read more: Disney and DVC news

Grandma and I are back from our adventures at the DVC Villas at the Disneyland Hotel, or VDH for short. It was a great trip and fact finding mission. We were scouting out the parks, attractions, food, and accommodations for future trips with our Grandkids. It was very successful in all regards. We also wanted… Read more: Planning a Magical Stay at Disneyland’s DVC Villas

There is a lot going on in the world today. It is just too easy to become distracted. The vortex beckons and it is easy to get sucked down. I’m not saying that is not important to be involved as much as you can be. We all need/should be active in our beliefs. What I… Read more: Crushing It! Strategy at the Disneyland Resort

The Wall Street Journal revisited the affordability question with an article titled: Even Disney Is Worried About the High Cost of a Disney Vacation. I am not linking to the article since it is behind a paywall. Full Disclosure, I do not have a WSJ subscription, so I have not read the article. Fortunately the… Read more: Is Disney Affordable

Welcome to Winter! A nice calming picture to start things off since the last few weeks have been chaotic and unsettling. I have made it a point not to cover anything political in these pages. I still won’t. This blog is still and only be a Disney for Seniors place. So let’s, instead, turn our… Read more: Disney Quarterly Results

Grandma and I are getting close to our first trip to Disneyland in over 20 years. Back in the late 1990s, the kids were younger. Our plan was to alternate between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It was a great plan. However, California did not have a Disney Vacation club presence. Lodging for a family… Read more: A Very Disney Year.

Due to our upcoming Disney Adult trip to Disneyland Hotel Villas, this post will focus on news and updates to Disneyland Resorts. There has been a lot of updates and news on the west coast Disney parks. Sometimes Disneyland news gets lost in all the updates on the Florida properties. I have a certain fondness… Read more: Exciting Changes in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion

Magic Key is the name of the Disneyland Resort annual pass. These passes do not go on sale very often. When they do, it is only for a very limited time. Naturally these passes have been very hard to come by. Disney just announced that the passes will once again be available starting 1/25. This… Read more: Disneyland Resort Magic Key Sales

I am going to change the content of this blog up a bit. It will still only contain Disney and Disney related information. It will not contain anything Geo-political or political. There is enough of that elsewhere. Instead I will start posting a compilation of posts and news articles that will be of interest Disney… Read more: Explore Disney Free Dining and Upcoming Discounts

This year will be a busy travel year for Grandma and I. We have 3 Disney trips planned and in the books. We will be spending about 30 days under the Disney bubble. I know it is not that much if you look into the other Disney bloggers. However, I do not do this for… Read more: Best Times to Visit Disney Parks for Seniors

Well it has been a minute since my last post and lots of Disney has been in the news. Mufasa was released, Bluey is coming, and various ride closures on both coasts. I tend not to just rebroadcast news that is easily obtained elsewhere. I may give a link to an article or two, but… Read more: Planning Your Disneyland Trip: Tips and Insights

Ok so 2 posts in one day! That has to be a record for me! This posts outlines the massive announcement of all the dates for the various celebrations at Disneyland Resort. This is the second year in a row that Disney has done a huge share of information. I suppose it is to encourage… Read more: Disneyland Breaking News

Lots of news happening around the Disney universe. We have attraction closure dates as well as attraction opening dates. Construction continues and planning for construction is well under way. It is going to be a busy few years at all the Disney Parks. So let’s get into it! Permitting Woes I think everyone may have… Read more: The Games Afoot!

DVC just released more information about the paid perk named Membership Magic Beyond. As a recap, DVC Membership Magic Beyond goes on sale 12/3 for $99. The perk is valid from January 12 through December 31, 2025. You must have purchased at least 150 points direct from Disney to be eligible. I will be buying… Read more: Breaking News: DVC Membership Magic Beyond

The worst kept secret of DVC these days is the restarting of the Reflections project. Reflections was a DVC resort that was to be built between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness on the old River Country site. Reflections, a lakeside lodge, started back in 2019 and was underway when the pandemic hit. This project has… Read more: Disney Lakeshore Lodge: The Return of a DVC Project

Grandpa is back online. Grandma and I live in the Pacific Northwest and was hit with a bomb cyclone on Tuesday night. This knocked out power, cell service and internet. We got our power and cell service back and are still waiting for internet. This storm had winds that topped 90 MPH. Here in the… Read more: Back On Line

 Disney held its Earnings Call and released its Earnings Report for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. These reports outline how the company is doing financially and usually indicate how the company plans on moving forward. This report was no exception. There were no blockbuster announcements like we had during D23 and D23 Brazil.… Read more: Disney Q4 Financial Report: Insights on Disney+ and Theme Parks

It is Election Day tomorrow here in the States. We have been bombarded with political ads on all media. Everywhere you turn, there is yet another political ad about how bad off we are or will be if the opponent is elected. So this is not a political ad. Grandpa will not discuss politics on… Read more: Why Disney Vacations are Perfect for Grandparents: Hint it’s the kids.

So it seems Disney has decided to rip the band-aid and increase prices on almost everything all at once. There are few things in life that are certain. Disney raising prices is unfortunately, one of them. I know this is old news to some of you who keep up with this sort of thing. I… Read more: Disney Price Increases: What You Need to Know

Last post I promised to write about the new paid DVC perk. This perk was announced alongside another paid premium add-on the Lightning Lane Premier Pass. It’s called Membership Magic Beyond. It costs $99 and is good from January 12 through December 31, 2025. So just what does $99 get you and is it worth… Read more: Is Disney’s Membership Magic Beyond Worth $99?

The Disney Blogosphere and Forums have been lit up with all the big news that was announced for Disney World and Disneyland. There are closures, openings, new DVC resorts, and all the usual happenings. However there are two HUGE additions that has caused more than a little controversy and has raised a lot of questions.… Read more: Is the Lightning Lane Premier Pass Worth It?

There is always a lot of opinions and arguments about what Disney should and should not do, what attractions to add, and basically how to run the theme park business. We have been going to Disney resorts since the early 1990’s and have seen a lot of changes. Some for the better, some not so… Read more: Debating Disney: Should Rules Change for Theme Parks and DVC?

Not a long post today. Just a quick note on the tragedy unfolding in Florida. All the Disney blogs are covering Milton really well. The hurricane is a hot topic on the discussion boards. I will not rehash the old news here. What I want to do is give a shout out to those who… Read more: Supporting Florida: Community Spirit After the Hurricane

This post will cover some of the perks that comes from staying on property at Disney Resorts. I have mentioned some of these before, but I thought I would collect them in one place. I also know that I will miss a few. So please let me know in the comments what your favorite perks… Read more: Top Benefits of Staying at Disney Resorts

Greetings! Ole Grandpa has done a lot of reading since the last post. Lots of things are happening in the Disney bubble. Some make the news others are more quiet. This post will summarize some the latest goings on in the Wonderful World that is Disney. As always if there is anything you wish me… Read more: Latest Disney News: Disneyland Updates and Transformations

This post will be a little different. In this blog we have covered Grandpa’s strategy for really being in VACA mode for a Disney vacation. The strategies outlined give Grandma and I the relaxing getaway that vacation is meant to be, instead of the anxiety inducing military campaign that is all too common with park… Read more: DVC Pros and Cons: Is It Right for You?

With the rush to get everything in and do every attraction, down time is often overlooked or just not given much thought. Everyone feels the pressure of “Doing It All“. I really don’t know what “Doing It All” means. All What? What do you win if you do? What do you lose if you don’t?… Read more: Obvious Secret: Importance of Down Time

OK, you have your resort picked out, reservations are done, park tickets purchased, travel arrangements made, dining reservations put in and a host of other things that need to be done before making the magical trek . You have decided on you park visit strategy and are ready for a laid back relaxing time just… Read more: Essential Tips for Seniors Visiting Disney Parks: Clothing, Weather, and Hydration

As promised this post will cover how you can possibly survive only riding standby. I know that there are times where purchasing Lightning Lane could make sense. Say when you can only visit the parks on rare or special occasions. Or if you only have a short time and want to experience as many attractions… Read more: Understanding Lightning Lane: Part 2 Riding Standby

A major part of Grandpa’s Crushing It strategy is to ride standby. I know that this can be controversial. Disney’s line skipping offerings, Lightning Lane Multi/Single pass can save major time. Especially if you want to cram as many rides in a visit as possible. Crushing It is not about just riding the rides. It… Read more: Understanding Disney Lightning Lane: Part 1

Today we get back to a bit of strategy for a low key relaxing Disney Resort vacation. The flurry of news that was D23 is dying down. The excitement of things to be is still hanging in the air. Ole Grandpa feels energized and excited for what’s to come. To be sure things at the… Read more: Crushing It With The Grandkids

This is a brief post to share with you a way to give feedback to Disney, especially about decisions that affect you their guests. I am assuming that everyone has heard to news that the new Cars attractions coming to Magic Kingdom will be replacing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America and with… Read more: Something Lost Something Gained: Save the Muppets!

Wow the D23 fan event did not disappoint. One major complaint about past events was announcements for the parks were often just blue sky musings and not actual plans or projects. Well that changed this time. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro promised that these announcements were in his words “Shovel to Soil” projects due to come… Read more: Exciting Disney Park Announcements: Avatar, CoCo, Avengers Campus, and More

This is a follow up to the last post. Ole Grandpa got something wrong. (it happens!). D23, park attendance, earnings, rumors, whew it is a busy week for Disney bloggers and followers. What did I get wrong? For one there was no announcements in the Disney earnings call. I got this one wrong. What does… Read more: The Impact of Disney’s Earnings Call and D23 Fan Event Expectations

This post is a bit different. First a little news that Grandpa is watching followed by an editorial. After this post I will take you on a journey that is our planning for a family trip with the GrandKids. Grandpa’s basic strategy is still valid, with modifications. So Stay Tuned. WDW In The News. As… Read more: WDW in the News: DVC Perspective.

This post covers a major expense point, Where To Stay. Choosing the right resort can really make or break a vacation. Remember that your resort is your sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the parks. It is vital that this home away from home really suites your needs. Grandpa looks at a resort as… Read more: Maximizing Your Disney Vacation: Tips for Resort Selection

In my old eyes, a vacation is supposed to be relaxing and not an anxiety inducing mad house. The point of going somewhere is to relax, recharge, and to see/do stuff you don’t normally do. In the end you should be able to say. ‘Hey I’m Glad I did that’. Instead, I see folks come… Read more: How to get started.

Starting yesterday Disney killed off Genie+, which some think was the worst post-Covid change that Disney ever came up with. This replaced the Fastpass+ system which replace the old paper Fastness, both of which were Free! That’s right FREE. These free to use line skipping tools were pretty much loved by everyone. Heck, even ol’Grandpa… Read more: Disney Genie+ Removal: Guest Feedback Sparks Change

Knowledge is Treasure Ol’ Grandpa’s memory ain’t what it used to be. I can remember watching The Wonderful World of Color on our Black and White TV However remembering what I had for breakfast, not so much. So I gotta write stuff down. This post is a place where I will write a bunch of… Read more: The Ultimate Disney World Guide for Seniors: Grandpa’s Wisdom

As mentioned last time, this post will out line just how Grandma and I use the “Crush” strategy. To review; Crush from Finding Nemo was a laid back sea turtle that just went with the flow. He did not fight the current but just went with it. This is the core of my Disney for… Read more: “Be Like Crush” Strategy in Action

When we went to the parks in the late 90’s when the kids were kids, we rushed around trying to do everything and ride all the rides. We stayed rope drop to close. It was exhausting, hectic, and a lot of fun. Then we started taking my dear mother-in-law with us on these trips and… Read more: Slowing your roll

Welcome! Disney Parks and Resorts are magical places. However it can be a bit daunting to find the magic at times. Especially for those of us that are not too used to being on our phones or other devices 24/7. We have been going to Disney Parks since the late 1980s. That’s right folks I… Read more: Just Getting Started