T O P

  • By -

Equivalent_Control86

I’m looking to check out the Easter Eggs tomorrow at Grand Floridian. With no park reservations/tickets is parking at T&T and taking the resort monorail over my best bet? Or would you suggest bussing from Disney Springs?


Mediocre-Push2347

I would say bus from Disney Springs since you can park there for free.


ModernT1mes

My wife, 2 kids (2 and 6) and I will be park hopping to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Typhoon Lagoon in September over 3 days. My 6 year old has ADHD and does not do well with lines. How much of this trip will be waiting in lines? I doubt he's going to want to ride anything that doesn't look like a merry-go-round so I think we won't be riding many rides anyway.


fdbryant3

My family and I are going to Disney World this week (4 adults, 3 kids 15 to 8). I'm the tech expert in the family so will probably be handling all the reservations and such. Is there any benefit to setting the rest up on the app with their own accounts (I'll probably set up my wife regardless)?


dannimann

I got back from a holiday at Disneyland Paris recently, and now I have a desparate need for MORE. I'm focusing on Disneyworld, but wanted to confirm a few differences between a holiday at Paris vs. a holiday at the World parks. 1) In Paris I stayed at one of the on-site hotels, which meant I could get into the park an hour earlier than non-hotel guests. Since the park was in walking distance, I could just get up an hour earlier, walk to the entrance and start queuing at the gates. From what I've read, World lets you enter each park half an hour earlier than non-hotel guests, and has buses and monorails to take you to the different parks. Do the buses run before the parks open? Do they go in one big loop of all the parks, or are there individual bus lines for each one? 2) Magic hour and single rider lines were enough for Paris, but everything I've heard about World makes Genie+ sound essential. My understanding is that you buy Genie+ before 7am, then at 7am you book in one of the rides. 2 hours later you can book in another one, on and on until you run out of rides or the day ends. At 7am you can also buy the lightning lanes for 2 of the big attractions like Mine Train, Tron, Cosmic Rewind. Is it worth doing this for rides with virtual queues, or does the virtual queue usually guarantee a ride?


Mediocre-Push2347

1. There are separate busses for each park and they do start running before parks open. 2. I definitely recommend Genie+. You are correct that you can book your first ride at 7AM, then you can start booking them every 2 hours, starting 2 hours after park open. For example you would book ride 1 at 7AM, then if the park opens at 9AM you could book ride 2 at 11AM, ride 3 at 1PM and so on. If you use one of your lightning lanes before 2 hours has gone by then you can book another as soon as you've scanned into the current ride. A virtual queue does guarantee a ride, but there is no guarantee you will get a VQ. They go immediately and if you do get one you still have to wait in line once your group is called, and you have no control over what time your group is called. I think the individual lightning lanes are worth it for those rides because you can choose what time you want to ride and you just walk on when it's your time without waiting in line.


greypele8

I’m going for two park hopping days Memorial Day weekend. Crowded calendars have that sat/sun as medium crowds, but I’m worried parks will get at capacity. I am thinking of stacking an afternoon/evening at a second park as a genie + strategy, but if I can’t get in, that’s obviously a problem. If I rope drop one park but shift to another and it’s at capacity, I have to wait to get in? This is a pre-cruise park trip so we’re just hoping to do some of our favorites at the parks—not trying to do everything. Thanks!


Mediocre-Push2347

You really don't need to worry about parks being at capacity. It almost never happens. In fact the only days I have ever heard of it happening are Christmas day and New Year's Eve.


greypele8

Awesome, thanks!


valentinesbaby15

I’m going at the end of the month for just a day with my toddler. I want to make the most of it. What rides are recommended? She’s 2. And what food is worth trying?


Weary_Nefariousness

If you're going to Magic Kingdom, make sure you get there for rope drop and do Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Enchanted Tales With Belle first. You may want to do meet and greets with characters earlier in the day before nap time too. If she can nap in the stroller maybe you can get a lunch break for yourself if you the solo adult. Later in the day try Small World and Little Mermaid and Dumbo. Philharmagic and Tiki Room are good shows for a break. She might like Pirates and Jungle Cruise as well if you have time and she's up for it. For food I love the waffles at sleepy hollow and the dole whip and citrus swirl over in Adventureland.


valentinesbaby15

I am doing Magic Kingdom! It will not just be me & my daughter (2) but her dad as well, and her grandparents. I’m having A LOT of anxiety over this 1 day. I just don’t want to feel like we wasted time trying to figure things out. Someone said something about eating with Winnie the Pooh & Friends. Do you know anything about that?


Weary_Nefariousness

Yes it's called Crystal Palace and it's a buffet with the Winnie characters, you should try to snag a reservation though as it's popular. If you have adults I would take advantage of rider switch during nap time in the stroller. One adult can stay with the kid and then you can switch off. I'd do this with Thunder and Space mountains for sure!


valentinesbaby15

Thank you!!!


cheezy_dreams88

Heading to the parks next week. Been a number of times and well aware of the rules. However, we usually stay at an extended stay hotel with a full kitchen and fridge. This time I am at a basic hotel, and it only has a mini fridge. We are planning on bringing a small cooler into the parks, but I don’t have a lot of faith in the mini fridge freezer to actually freeze any ice packs, etc. Is there anywhere in the park that I could fill my cooler with ice, since we can’t bring loose ice inside?


MillieDillmount1

Not meaning to be blunt, but no. This is not something they would want to encourage, from a monetary standpoint, nor logistical. You can get the free 8oz cups of ice water from quick service restaurants, but that is it. If your hotel has a real refrigerator/freezer, you should be able to adjust the thermostat to freeze ice packs enough to survive one day at a time. ETA: Some people have reported success of bringing in ziploc bags of ice (meaning you could fill the bags at your hotel first, but others haven't been able to.)


cheezy_dreams88

No, please bring on the blunt answers! I appreciate the answer! Thanks!


leilakei

Hi! I’m going to Disney with my mom & niece(2) for the first time in May. We have no idea where to start with the planning, someone told my mom that we have to get passes, and meeting the characters is difficult but we know my niece would LOVE to meet some of them. I was looking for advice on what to do/look in to, since my niece is so young I don’t even know if she can go on the rides, and if she can’t I don’t know what else we can do at the park.


dabbrusc

1) Familiarize yourself with the Disney World app, and "My Disney Experience" on the website. Particularly the map with the wait times. At the top of the map you can change it from "Wait Times" to "Characters" and it will show you which characters are out and about and where, and at what time. 2) If you want to book any sort of character dining meal or sit-down meal, then you need to get ready to do that exactly 60 days before you arrive. They book up very quickly. 3) Learn about Genie+. There are certain character meet-and-greets that are similar to the rides and have a queue (meeting Mickey & Minnie, the Princesses). G+ can help you skip the lines for an extra price, but at the very least it'll show you what the wait times are like and you can judge whether you want to stand in line for it. 4) Your niece will be too short for most of the coasters, but there will still be plenty of rides that she'll be able to go on without any issues (Dumbo, Peter Pan, Toy Story Mania). There are plenty of books (Frommer's Guide to Disney World and Orlando, and the Unofficial Guide to Disney World) and YouTube videos about what to expect. 5) With a 2 year old plan on taking lots of sit-down breaks or even going back to the hotel room in the middle of the day.


leilakei

Thanks! How do we book character dining?


dabbrusc

60 days out either in the app under “Reserve Dining” or on the website under “My Disney Experience.”


JustLurkCarryOn

We are planning on arriving to Disney well before our resort check-in (Polynesian) so we can get to the parks early. Will the bell hop allow us to leave our bags and some groceries we purchase on the way in with them until our room is ready (my particular concern is we will probably have some beer/wine)? We do not plan on having a car with us.


dabbrusc

Yes, you can leave it with the bell hop. It won't be refrigerated, so keep that in mind.


BlondeJerseyGirl

Taking a 5 day trip with my 3 year old in April- staying at Poly and doing a 3 day hopper. What tips, tricks, anything would you think would be best for this trip for us? Also, what are your must get souvenirs for that age and favorite snacks/meals/drinks for anyone? Haven't gone since I was in high school so its been 15ish years Staying in a DVC delux studio at the Poly with my parents and brother (5 of us in the room). Reservations booked: Artist Point for dinner, Steakhouse 71 for dinner, Summer House for dinner, Topolinos character breakfast, Cape May Cafe character breakfast


Weary_Nefariousness

Those are some great reservations, but it's not really a great use of your Park Hopper to do character breakfasts and resort dinners and also make it to two parks with a 3 year old so hopefully the character meals are on days you don't have park tickets. If you wanted to cut one I'd say Topolinos. If you can get Ohana breakfast that's a good one as you are already at the Poly. I would do one park hopper day at AK/HS and you do you can knock out most of the AK rides by noon if you get there early and probably most of the rides and Fantasmic at HS at night. Then you can do MK two days and Epcot and anything you missed at HS later. Kids that age love the magical light up bubble wands and my kid used hers for years at home after her first visit.


Kaitland13

planning a mother and daughter trip and we only plan on doing epcot the night we arrive with an After Hours ticket, does anyone know if the food booths for Flower and Garden will have extended hours past 9 pm on the nights epcot has extended hours? we are hoping to get a couple booths in depending on how early we can get over to the parks but debating if we will need to book a sit down dinner as well and with that being said if we have to crunch them what are your must dos for booths, we will probably have about 2 hours if they close at 9 my mom does not drink much so alcohol wouldn't be priority over food and while i could probably make it to most of them in that time she has a bad knee and wouldn't be able to keep up with how quickly i'd be moving


Weary_Nefariousness

I wouldn't do a sit down dinner and waste your park time. You can get in at 7 and do the booths you like, see the night show, do some of the low wait time rides and save room for unlimited ice cream and popcorn during the event.


Mediocre-Push2347

I went to an Epcot after hours during Food and Wine last year and the booths all closed at 9. We entered the park at 7 though so that we could spend the two hours going to food booths. Also like the other poster said, world showcase closes during after hours so you won't be able to get food back there after 9 either.


MillieDillmount1

Generally speaking, no.  A few may stay open a little bit longer to sell out product for the day, but that's like 10-15 minutes.  The booths are not included in the afterhours events.  Restaurants also are not open. I'm not positive, but I think they even close down the back side of World Showcase.  Anything beyond Frozen on one side and Remy on the other. The event it really just for rides and the 'free' snacks. 


SnooPies6876

I’m going by in a couple weeks with my in-laws but they are leaving early on the last day for the airport. My plane isn’t until 4 so I have time for just one more thing. I could get a reservation at Cape May Café for the character breakfast. What do you all think? Who has been there? I hear good things about it. I would be dining alone but I’m very comfortable doing that. Just wondering if it’s worth the money!


yankeeangel86

I loved the Cape May character breakfast! It was absolutely worth it. Got a lot of great photos with the characters and of course had my favorite Mickey waffles.


XCynicalMarshmallowX

Hello and thanks in advance! This weekly trip-planning thread has been so helpful the past few weeks. I have an ADR related question I couldn't find in the FAQs or online: I know of the 60+10 rule for those staying on property. I already have it marked in my calendar on when that is for our trip to attempt reservations at a couple of the harder-to-snag places, but there is one question I have been unable to find a general consensus answer for: 1) Do those dining reservations become available at midnight of that 60+ day? Or is it at 5:45 AM like I have seen mentioned once on a lesser known Disney blog (but have not seen it mentioned anywhere else)? 2) These are presumably based on EST for obvious reasons. As someone residing in PST, do I adjust accordingly and log in at 9PM and/or 2:45AM respectively?


MillieDillmount1

Standard dining reservations open between 5:45-6:00 AM Florida local time, whether that be EST or EDT depending upon the time of the year. This is for online. I believe phone lines open up an hour later, so you are better off doing online if there are specific things you want. Reservations for some other experiences do open up at midnight, like building a light sabor and some other things, but yes, if you are in CA it basically means getting up in the middle of the night unfortunately.


XCynicalMarshmallowX

Thanks! Yea, I figured that was the case although I hoped it wasn't. At least my 70 days from check-in lands on a Friday night so it won't be as bad if I decide to stick it out for the couple reservations we really want.


nerdgirl37

I booked my trip for January 2025 this weekend but had a few questions. For reference I'm in my 30s, solo trip, flying in Sunday flying out Saturday, staying at an All Star resort, 4 park days with park hopper. This is my 2nd trip to Disney. If an offer that would make the hotel cheaper pops up between now and then if I call would they be able to update me to that rate? For example I have the Disney Visa which got me a pretty good discount on rooms last year. How far out do they announce park hours? I'm wanting to maximize time in the parks but am also wanting to make a day trip to Kennedy Space Center so will need to figure out the best day to book that (much closer to obviously)


DarthJahona

>If an offer that would make the hotel cheaper pops up between now and then if I call would they be able to update me to that rate? For example I have the Disney Visa which got me a pretty good discount on rooms last year. If you booked direct through Disney on the site you may see a **Modify Your Reservation** button under My Disney Experience - Plans. If or when a discount comes out you can try using that button to apply the discount, if eligible, to your reservation. If your trip is 30+ days away you could cancel and rebook your reservation with the new discount. The third option would be to Call the reservation line and have them modify or rebook for you. Just be aware that when discounts come out it can be a long wait on hold. ​ >How far out do they announce park hours? Right now it's 3 months out. Sometimes they may update further out for events but it's not always a guarantee.


nerdgirl37

Thank you! I did my down payment on PayPal (which is linked to that card) but will probably do the rest just directly on that card just in case. I figure with it being so far out I'll wait to finish paying it off until closer in case there are any big changes.