What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[Disny4girls]

FANTASTIC thread.

question though....What is the wine pass?

second, could someone point me in the direction or explain the FP that occurs at Disney World? We have used it at Disneyland, and very effectivly I might add but am I understanding right that at the World you can use the returning time at anytime? Is there any rides that aren't connected like at DL with calofornia adventures?

Third,

My tip...Got this from Dis 4 years ago. Disser told me to get a late dinner at Ohana's so maybe we can have a window seat to see fireworks. Well we got done early. Went down to take a boat ride from the Poly to MK. On the boat dock, over us the fireworks started. My girls were in awe...

 

[PrincessTiffany]

FANTASTIC thread.

question though....What is the wine pass?

second, could someone point me in the direction or explain the FP that occurs at Disney World? We have used it at Disneyland, and very effectivly I might add but am I understanding right that at the World you can use the returning time at anytime? Is there any rides that aren't connected like at DL with calofornia adventures?

Fastpass works the same at WDW as it does at DL. You can never use a Fastpass BEFORE the return time, but you can use is any time AFTER the return time until park closing for the day. This is the same policy at DL and WDW.

 

[Sammy Cat]

For us it was:

1. Wear a hat and drink lots of water, which I failed to follow on Day 1 at MK (probably overly excited) and ended up with sun stroke by 2 pm and seriously sick, and subsequently down and out for five hours - missing out on our crystal palace dinner reservation. After that, we picked up some water bottles (as I refused to pay $2.50 a bottle) and we chilled them and carried one for each of us into the parks each morning - they were usually gone within first hour but that made all the difference for me and probably saved my life in that crazy June heat.

2. Find the paintbrush on the window sill in the cave on Tom Sawyer's Island and turn it in for free fast passes to splash mountain/thunder mountain. We looked and we found one right away and it was great. It was that little piece of magic that perked us all back up again, despite the heat.

3. Go back for a swim/break mid-day. This also saved us from the heat, although I will admit, that paired with dining reservations really limited us on what we could see and do in one day... but it was the only choice for us in that heat and I am glad we didn't try to toughen through it.

 

[Terri O]

!!


The next year, when we checked into AKL, the first thing my formerly painfully shy DD did, was walk right up to a CM at check-in, and tell him her name and to please tell Mickey that she had arrived! Not missing a beat, the CM replied, "yes, Ma'am!" and acted like he was putting in a call to Mickey. DH and DD took the luggage to the room, and I went back out to the car for the gift bag and let the CM know that we'd be right back to get it. As we left for the park, I persuaded DD to check back in with the CM, and she was SHOCKED to get a package from Mickey with her name on it written in "Mickey's" handwriting (Disney font!)

Loved this!

 

[Liah]

Great tips..thanks!!

 

[awoogala]

Best tip I ever got was to order snacks from amazon instead of shipping them myself. We ordered a case of goldfish crackers, bars, etc... and didn't pay any shipping- even with the extra cost of buying a case (although my picky kid ate almost all of them!) we still saved on shipping it ourself. It was waiting at our resort when we checked in!

 

[satorifound]

Dh lost most of the pinbacks that came with the ones he purchased. Rather than lose the pin itself...replacements were in his pocket already.

I would suggest buying a pack of locking pin backs at the beginning of the day if you are buying pins. If those rubber backs fall off before you notice you are going to lose your pins. I learned this the hard way...

 

[number1tiggerfan]

definitely glad about the sunscreen, but one day of forgetting caused me sunburn... ouch. florida weather is definitely much more intense than the western ny weather i've grown up with also really glad i did the fastpass thing, it was a godsend to be able to surpass the uber long lines for the Maelstrom in Norway not once, but twice

wish i had followed the advice of taking a nap halfway through the day. my group was starting to get cranky with each other on friday, and we left the parks the last day at about 7 pm. two-thirds of us were wiped out, and the third member of my group, being a dancer, had tons of stamina left (curse her lol) next time i'll have to remember that if we need to go back to the hotel to take a nap, we'll still have plenty of time for fun. it kinda stunk having to leave so early from tiredness

 

[Cinderella's slipper]

For us it was:


2. Find the paintbrush on the window sill in the cave on Tom Sawyer's Island and turn it in for free fast passes to splash mountain/thunder mountain. We looked and we found one right away and it was great. It was that little piece of magic that perked us all back up again, despite the heat.


Sammy Cat - shhhh don't give away the paintbrush secret. I'm so excited to try to find it. During our last few trips it has been my DH and I, as our children are grown and we normally skip Tom Sawyer's Island. This time, I'm heading there right after TM and SM.

 

[Drumteacher]

Great thread! subbing

 

[Frannie115]

Taking a break mid day. Best tip ever!

Getting to parks early and leaving by 1 PM. Go back in evening and enjoy dinner, parade and fireworks without being totally exhausted.

We didn't do this at AK, and I got ill from the heat that day

 

[Disny4girls]

I have a question...I am really concern about arriving to the parks so late on my first day. We will probably arrive about noon. Well I just realized that I have to go to my resort to check in first to get my park tickets. I went through AAA but they said I would have to check in first then get park tickest. I was just hoping to be able to drop off our bags and then hit the bus to go to MK.
My question is, if everyone knows to take a break around noonish will the crowds be to horrendous to even try to go to MK? Thanks!

 

[Rekenna]

I have a question...I am really concern about arriving to the parks so late on my first day. We will probably arrive about noon. Well I just realized that I have to go to my resort to check in first to get my park tickets. I went through AAA but they said I would have to check in first then get park tickest. I was just hoping to be able to drop off our bags and then hit the bus to go to MK.
My question is, if everyone knows to take a break around noonish will the crowds be to horrendous to even try to go to MK? Thanks!

When are you going? Will your arrival day be an EMH day? Will you be going to MK another day of your trip?

If you are going to MK on another day as well, don't sweat it! There will be availability on rides and such. Ride the rides you can get on reasonably on your half day and then get to the others on your early arrival MK day. Maybe take this day to watch the afternoon pararade at 3pm, MSEP and Wishes and then save your other MK day just for rides.

It will work out. Try to enjoy your first day, for me after all that traveling I am really worked up when I go to the park after just arriving-it's very stressful between the airport and checking in and the excitement of arrival.

Have fun, travel safe!

 

[Rekenna]

Main Point - small groups are best. Even better when I am part of each one

Great strategy, I will have to take a page from your book. LOVE IT!

 

[minnie mum]

I have a question...I am really concern about arriving to the parks so late on my first day. We will probably arrive about noon. Well I just realized that I have to go to my resort to check in first to get my park tickets. I went through AAA but they said I would have to check in first then get park tickest. I was just hoping to be able to drop off our bags and then hit the bus to go to MK.
My question is, if everyone knows to take a break around noonish will the crowds be to horrendous to even try to go to MK? Thanks!

You haven't said what date you will arrive, so I don't know what time MK closes that day, or what the predicted crowd levels might be. However, I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you are arriving on a holiday weekend. Ride what you can, and get whatever fastpasses you can.

Are you arriving by plane and taking ME? If so, you may want to do online check in (you can do this up to 10 days before you arrive). This way you get off ME and go straight to the online check in counter. The process is much more streamlined than going through the regular check in. And a ME arrival can dump a lot of people into the lineup! Your luggage won't arrive via ME for another 3-4 hours.

If you arrive by car, you can check your luggage, check in quickly, then head to the park. You can call for your luggage when you return later in the day.

 

[Disny4girls]

I looked into the online check in and was wondering about that but how do I get my park tickets?

 

[aribelle]

I looked into the online check in and was wondering about that but how do I get my park tickets?

Online check in doesn't mean you don't have to still go to guest services....it just means that most of the check in process will already be done and your room key (which will have your park tickets encoded) will already be ready for you to pick up. Cuts the wait time by a lot.

 

[amynymom]

- Go to the dollar store and buy spiral-bound, unlined index cards (3x5). We bought some Disney stickers and letters to spell their names, and voila - personalized (cheap) autograph books.

That is a great way to do it cheap! I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. This is a great thing for the kids to decorate themselves.

 

[LisaTC]

All great tips!

They had this exact journal at Walmart today for $10 less! I snagged one. I figued I could use it for autographs for DD7.

http://www.disneystore.com/journals-stationery-home-decor-no-finer-friend-mickey-mouse-journal/mp/1282998/1000359/?CMP=KNC-DSSGoogle

They also had all their Disney tees for kids $5.00. Got Chip and Dale! Never saw that one, beautiful pink mickey with sparkles, too!

Gotta save wherever I can!

 

[pooki1]

Crocs!, you can wear them with socks or without, they dry quickly and are so comfortable!