Blog - Page 8 of 11 - Buster and the Banshee

Packing a Special Needs Theme Park Bag

WDW With Disabilitiesdisabilities, walt disney world

I have read some wonderful blogs about what people pack in their park bags. I thought I would contribute to that community. Along with the usual necessary sundries, Buster and I have found some items we are sure to pack for the day unique to Little Banshee’s needs. Some of these are the same as everyone else, some unique to our family. At any rate, I thought I would chime in with our families must brings. First… I carry my own smaller needs in a Loungefly. Perfect size for me and they are so Disney chic! That’s my phone, wallet, lip balm, sunglasses, and body glide…

Our Experience With Wheelchair Transfers at Walt Disney World

WDW With Disabilitieswalt disney world, wheelchair

As we have mentioned in previous articles, Little Banshee has Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. In her case, it means that she has low muscle tone, impaired gross and fine motors skills, and developmental delays (among other symptoms). She is generally able to walk, but just not to the extent that is required in the parks. As a result, when we travel to WDW, she tours the parks in a wheelchair. When she rides the rides, she able to transfer from her wheelchair to most rides with some assistance from us. It is no stretch to say that doing so is akin to…

What Countries Should Be Added to EPCOT’s World Showcase?

Archiveepcot, walt disney world, world showcase

The World Showcase at Epcot is one of our favorite spaces in all of Walt Disney World. It is the It's a Small World ride in park form. Visitors can explore the culture, people, and food of 11 countries spanning 4 continents. And you can do this all within a 1+ mile walk around a picturesque lagoon in Central Florida. While visiting each country's pavilion isn't nearly the same as visiting the country itself, I love how it embraces what makes us the same as people, while celebrating our wonderful differences. The last World Showcase pavilion to open was Norway,…

Our Experience Buying WDW Annual Passes

Archiveannual passes, tickets, trip planning, walt disney world

As I mentioned in my previous article, Disney announced that they are resuming sales of Walt Disney World Annual Passes. This was met with a loud cheer, but also some anxiousness. This was for two reasons. First, Disney explicitly stated that "[t]he quantity of passes will be limited and passes, or a pass type, may become unavailable for purchase at any time". With all of the pent up demand for AP's and the potential for getting shut out yet again, you know that people are going to be slamming Disney's website as soon as they go on sale. That brings…

WDW Annual Passes are Back! But Are They Worth It?

Archiveannual passes, tickets, trip planning, walt disney world

The biggest Walt Disney World news of the week is that Annual Passes will once again be available for purchase! Previously, Disney had suspended sales of all passes except the lowest tier weekday pass which is only available to Florida residents. The general message from Disney had been that they wanted to prioritize park reservations for non-pass holders, since those visitors tend to generate more revenue for the company. While this makes sense from a pure dollars-and-cents standpoint, it alienated many of Disney's most ardent fans, particularly Disney Vacation Club members who tend to make multiple trips per year to…

April 2023 Site News

Site Newssite news

Good morning everyone! April is here which means warmer weather, longer days, and another update for our community on some happenings behind the scenes. We Are Live On Facebook Buster and the Banshee now has a presence on Facebook. You can find us by clicking here, or just search for "Buster and the Banshee". We already have over 200 followers, which is pretty exciting! If you follow us on Facebook, any time we post a new article, it will show up in your Facebook feed. That means that you can be among the first people to know when something new…

Using Reward Points to Stay on Walt Disney World Property

Trip Planningmoney saving tips, trip planning, walt disney world

In the first part of my series on saving money on your Walt Disney World vacation, I discussed how you can save money by buying Disney gift cards at Target using the Target RED Card, driving instead of flying, and staying off property. Originally, I was going to use Part Two to provide suggestions on saving money on dining and souvenirs. However, instead I am going to do a deeper dive into using "reward points" to stay on property. But First, My Disclaimer The strategy that I am going to talk about involves earning points through signing up and using…

WDW Park Reservation Update: Mar 26, 2023

Archivepark reservations, trip planning, walt disney world

Welcome to the March 2023 installment of our ongoing series on Park Reservation availability. Last month we started to see reservations for the Magic Kingdom for Annual Passholders reach capacity, mainly due to the opening of the new Tron ride. This month, we are seeing a lot more parks hit their limit around the Easter holiday. What Does Park Reservation Availability Look Like Today? As is the case every year, crowds start to grow the week before Easter. With many school spring breaks coinciding with the holiday, more people are making the pilgrimage to WDW during this time of year.…

Hardest Places to Use a Wheelchair at Walt Disney World

WDW With Disabilitieswalt disney world, wheelchair

Little Banshee has Phelan-McDermid Syndrome which, among other things, means that she has low muscle tone. The upshot of this is that she needs to be transported in a wheelchair when we visit Walt Disney World. While I commend WDW for making the parks generally wheelchair accessible, there are still many places where pushing her in a wheelchair is problematic for us. Note that this article is written from the point of view of someone who is pushing an approximately 100 lbs individual in a 30 lb manual wheelchair. Therefore, it may or may not apply to your own personal…

Park Hopping Strategies at Walt Disney World

Archivegenie+, park hopping, trip planning, walt disney world

In our previous article about buying Walt Disney World tickets, we touched upon the Park Hopper option, which allows you to visit multiple parks per day (with some restrictions which I will touch upon below). Today we will talk about some strategies to make the most use of this add-on feature. What is Park Hopping? The Park Hopping option allows you to visit multiple WDW parks in a single day. In the past, there were no restrictions to park hopping. You could go to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop, head to Epcot for lunch, bounce over to Animal Kingdom…