Author: Stephen

I'm Stephen Ashley. My wife and I are huge fans of Disney World. I'm the author of Walt Disney World With Disabilities. I also wrote a book called Walt Disney World Made Easy for Everyone, but rather than have it published, at this point we've decided to place all the material from the manuscript on this website so everyone can have access to it! I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it makes your day just a little bit brighter and easier.

Location: Adjacent to the Wide World of Sports Complex, near Caribbean Beach Resort, across from Pop Century Resort, and not far from Hollywood Studios. Address: 1850 Animation Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. Phone: (407) 938-4000 Fax: (407) 938-4040. Parking fee: $15 per night. Check-in: 3 PM. Check-out: 11 AM. Resort Type: Value. This is the newest, and arguably the jewel in the crown of Disney value resorts. Open for business in 2012, it’s one of the two Disney resorts that have family suites in addition to some regular rooms. The other resort with family suites is Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. Naturally as…

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Where are the quiet spots in the Disney World parks to take breaks and to rest? Sometimes you just need a little downtime. The Disney World parks can be highly stimulating, and this can be challenging for some. Those with certain health and emotional issues really need to break way for a while. Really, anyone might need a restful spot. Some people need relief from sensory overload. You can always go back to your resort for a break. That’s one of the benefits of staying on Disney property. Your resort is going to be nearby. Many Disney resorts have quiet…

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Disney allows guests to bring their dogs to four of it’s resorts. While service animals were always permitted, Disney is allowing pets that are not service qualified in four of their resorts. There will be approximately 250 dog-friendly rooms in those resorts. This will be an option for those who don’t want to leave their pet friends behind. (See the Allergy Alert below).  This may also be a great solution for visitors with emotional support dogs. While service dogs can stay in any Disney resort, emotional support dogs do not qualify because they are not covered by the Americans With…

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Header photo by professional Orlando photographer Candi Hall Location: Magic Kingdom area. Address: 4510 North Fort Wilderness Trail, Lake Buena Vista, FL., 32830  Phone: (407) 824-2900, Fax: (407) 824-3508, Kennel: (407) 824-2735, Check-in: 3 PM for cabins and 1 PM for campsites. Check-out is 11 AM. Parking fee: $20 per night for the Cabins. Guests staying at the Campsites get complimentary standard parking for one vehicle. Check-in: 3 PM. Check-out: 11 AM. Resort Type: Moderate. Overview of The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, and Disney Vacation Club Cabins While the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness are considered a Moderate Resort, the…

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All you need to know about Disney World’s Boat Transportation Disney World’s Boat Fleet is HUGE! One of our Disney sources told us that Disney has the ninth-largest boat fleet in the world. We’re not certain if this is legend or fact, but I do believe it’s possible! Throughout Disney World, there are connected waterways and lakes, as well as closed lakes. Many of the resorts, some of the parks and Disney Springs are on them, and some have boats that guests can ride for free for transportation purposes. First we’ll discuss the boats that are for transportation purposes, and…

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DISNEY GENIE, GENIE+. INDIVIDUAL LIGHTING LANES If you’re going to a Disney World park, you’ll want to use Genie. You’ll also want to decide on whether to use Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes or not. This article will cover these options. We’ll also go into detail on how to use them and cover frequently asked questions. Though Disneyland will also have the new app, there will be some differences. So keep in mind that we’re dealing with Disney World here, unless Disneyland is specifically mentioned. DISNEY ANNOUNCEMENT: “…Guests at Walt Disney World will now purchase Disney Genie+ service based…

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(Header image from Disney World’s site) How do you look up allergy and gluten-free options in the Disney World restaurants? If you’re planning a visit to Disney World, there’s a way that you can look up their allergy menus in advance. Plus, you can look up allergy-friendly and gluten-free quick service meals for pre-ordering in the parks. For most of the Disney-owned restaurants, you’ll be able to find the foods they offer that can be prepared without the main allergens or gluten. For the non-Disney-owned restaurants, they may or may not display allergy/gluten options.  These options can be found: On…

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How to Plan a Disney World Trip With Autism Disney World has proven itself to be a magical place for some of those with Autism. We’ve heard many stories of kids suddenly having breakthroughs while visiting the parks. Visiting while dealing with autism does take some good pre-planning. On this page we’ll have: Tips from Donna Lorman, President of the Autism Society of Greater Orlando. Tips from members of our Facebook group called Walt Disney World Made Easy for Everyone. Tips from me, Stephen Ashley. In Part two of this article series, we’ll be sharing from a different perspective with…

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Should you stay in a Disney World resort, or off-site? In most cases I’d suggest staying in a Disney resort for sure!!! While there are some people who might do better in a non-Disney resort (see below), for most people, there are a lot of good reasons to chooseto stay in a Disney-owned hotel on Disney property. For years when we first came to Disney we didn’t know about the option to stay on Disney property. We stayed all over Orlando in a wide variety of hotels and resorts. Eventually we found out about the Disney resorts, and we figured…

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Disney World Rides & Attractions That Are Gentle & Non-Spinning For those who can’t handle rough rides, physically challenging rides, or spinning rides, there’s still plenty to do at Disney World. Here are some options in all four of the Disney World parks that are considered more gentle and non-spinning. Meet and greets are not included, but of course all of those are considered gentle experiences. If we’ve left some rides off the lists below, that’s because there’s something about it that we think may be physically difficult for some people. For example, Tomrrowland Transit Authority (Peoplemover) looks gentle and…

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At Disney World, Can you leave a ride or show before or once it’s begun? Plus, how to use ride test vehicles before choosing to get on a ride. Have you wondered if you can: Decide to leave a ride once you’ve gotten in the queue Refuse to get on a ride car once it’s your turn to board Get off a ride once you’ve gotten on it Get off a ride once it’s started Try out a ride vehicle before going on it We’ll talk all about your options here. Let’s start with the basics! Can you leave a…

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Should I use a Travel Agent to book my Disney World trip? This question gets asked in my Facebook group a lot, and a long thread of opposing viewpoints always results! There’s the “do-it-yourself” camp and the “we love our travel agents” camp. What you choose will depend on you. You have two choices: Book the trip yourself through Disney World (using the website or by phone) Use a Travel Agent to book for you. The actual process of booking a trip yourself is easy, and so is booking through a travel agent. Yet there are some pros and cons…

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In Part 1 of Managing Fear, Anxiety and Phobias at Disney World, we discussed various strategies for dealing with anxiety, fear and phobias. Here in Part 2 we’ll discuss some strategies for managing with specific phobias. Managing With Specific Phobias at Disney World 1 .Managing with a fear of crowds at Disney World If you have fear of crowds, we strongly suggest that you time your trip to coincide with the least crowded periods at Disney. Check out this article here called How to Pick Your Disney World Travel Dates. Also time your daily park visits so that you’re going…

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How do you handle Fear, Anxiety and Phobias at Disney World? Visiting a place as unusual as Disney World for the first time can be anxiety provoking, even for those without fear issues. If you or someone in your travel party has anxiety, fear and/or phobias, it can feel overwhelming. How it’s handled can make or break your trip.The great news is that with a little preparation, it’s often possible to dramatically reduce your fear level, or even to eliminate it all together. And if it’s not removed, it can often be handled in a way that minimizes it. In…

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Getting Lost & Separated in the Disney Parks & Disney Springs – What to do if it happens, and how to avoid it Between the crowds roaming the parks, entering and exiting attractions amidst throngs of people, and all the exciting things that will draw your attention, it’s possible to get separated at Disney World. Here are some safety strategies to take, and info on what to do if you do become separated. First, it’s important to know that Disney actually has a “Lost Child department”. They should help you find a child of any age, including those who are…

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