Travel tips
Spend a Day at a Water Park.
It’s the perfect way for you to cool off from the unforgiving sun and enjoy the Sunshine State. If you’re familiar with the Disney water parks, then you know they’re open for most of the year. However, the party kicks into high gear during the summer months.
Have a World Drinking Tour
Drink your way around the world at Epcot…but remember the Do’s and Don’ts of Drinking at Epcot.
Visit Walt Disney World on the Perfect Days
Remember that the best time to visit Disney is early November or mid to late January. While you’re planning that perfect day to go, don’t forget to download the Disney Crowd Calendar to view the crowd level of each day!
Experience Disney’s Kiss Goodnight
Disney’s Kiss Goodnight is where you stay at the Magic Kingdom 30-minutes after closing to see some very special things. The Kiss Goodnight is a little over 2-minutes long, and it is the Magic Kingdom’s way of saying “goodbye” to guests at the end of a long day… After the park closes, Cinderella Castle starts “twinkling” as the music from When You Wish Upon a Star slowly builds.
Experience an Epcot Festival
Go to an Epcot Festival such as the Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden Festival, Festival of the Holidays, or the new Festival of the Arts!
Always pack a wad of $1 bills for tipping
The cruise industry relies on your generosity to help pay their service employees. That’s why you shouldn’t skimp when it comes to tipping. From baggage handlers to room service waiters to casino waitresses, you’ll want to slip them each a few bucks whenever they give you good service. We’d suggest bringing about $20 in ones and carrying a few with you anywhere you go. This way you always have a few singles with you to tip with instead of having an awkward “I’ll tip you later” conversation.
Topless sunbathing? It’s not a thing in the U.S.
Wondering about private areas of the ship where you could get some sun… without worrying about tan lines? That’s not really a thing these days on cruises from the United States. There are no major cruise lines that allow topless sunbathing that we know of. This includes hanging out by the “adults-only” pools. That said, Virgin Voyages will allow it as one of the few cruise lines only for passengers who are 18+.
It’s likely (several) people have died on your ship
Whether from natural causes (heart attacks) or accidents (falling overboard), people die on cruise ships every single year. And with a non-stop schedule of sailings with thousands of people on each trip, chances are that someone has passed away on your ship. It’s strange to think about considering that everyone steps on the ship with the hopes of a good time, but it’s a reality of cruising that doesn’t often get mentioned.
No marijuana isn’t legal, even on an Alaskan cruise
If you’re cruising to Alaska (where recreational marijuana is legal) from Seattle, Washington (where recreational marijuana is legal), then of course you can bring your pot on board with you, right? Wrong. To be on the safe side, the cruise lines follow federal law — which means that marijuana is illegal to bring on board. If you really need some of the green to let loose on your cruise, you’ll have to wait until you arrive in port.
Bingo may seem silly, but can win you some serious cash
Bingo? Isn’t that for old people? On the cruise, you’ll see bingo contests being held all the time. And while it’s not as exciting as the pool’s belly-flop competition, it is a fun way to spend an hour or two. Best of all, it can help pay for your cruise. Bingo cards are typically $5-10. All the money is then pooled and whomever wins Bingo walks away with the cash. It’s not unusual to see people pocket hundreds or even thousands of bucks playing the game on the ship.