What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[chiburple]

This thread is great! I read every post before my trip (and for those of you who are reading this and still have many pages to go – my sympathies. I know it’s long but totally worth it so just hang in there!). I listed most of the tips I used and a couple that I heard about but didn’t get an opportunity to try out myself.

- Don’t underestimate the value of Disney food and shopping when planning your trip. Disney is about a lot more than just rides (though I love the rides).

- Get the free subscription to touringplans.com and have it optimize a personal touring plan for you. Keep in my that the optimal plan it spits out isn’t truly optimal to keep rearranging to see if you can do better. For those who don’t want to subscribe, you can still get wait time estimates and fast pass return times for free two months in advance. That in combination with arriving at rope drop allowed us to cross off every ride attraction (not shows obviously) by 11:30am each day. After that we were able to have lunch, enjoy shows and best of all enjoy a nice afternoon nap back at the hotel. (This is less necessary if you’re not going at a crowded time of year, but this last trip was during Thanksgiving week so these touring plans were a life saver for me).

- Check the park opening times and show times once you arrive for your vacation or the week before. At the last minute they added a showing of fantasmic and made AK opening time an hour earlier than it had been when I made my plan.

•For very heavy planners like me, if you’re on the meal plan do an online search for what snack items are available at each park. The first time we went on a meal plan we just ended up getting some junk from the hotel before our departure flight to use up those snack credits – what a waste! This time I had a couple ideas for which snacks I wanted to grab at the different parks and made much better use of our snack credits. To get to try a bunch of different things we’d get one of something (like funnel cake) and share. The countries at Epcot are a great place to use snack credits!

•At some hotels with only one bus stop – call ahead and request to be in a building close to a bus stop. Otherwise you can have a 5 min walk to your room which might be undesirable late at night when you’re already tired.

•I ordered a tinker bell ornament as a gift from my Mom on amazon and had it shipped to the hotel (free shipping ) so she received it there to add a little extra magic to her trip.

•Bring vacuum bags to help make space in your luggage to carry back souvenirs.

•Small bills for tipping. Leaving a small tip for housekeeping might earn you a towel animal as a thank you

•Don’t carry a bag to skip the bag check line. I brought twist ties to help me carry the couple things I wanted to bring. We were staying on site with a meal plan so we’d fill our refillable mugs at the resort in the morning and then when the cup was empty we’d use a twist tie to attach it to our pant belt loops so we wouldn’t have to carry it. The weather was good so we didn’t need to bring our ponchos to the park, but if I had taken them I would have put them in a zip-lock bag so I could squeeze them into the refillable mug once we’d finished our drinks.

•Print out or download (if your bringing a smartphone or something like that) a list of ‘secrets’ like hidden characters and trivia for the each park you’re going to visit and take it with you the day you go to that park. You can have plenty of fun reading the portion of the list appropriate to a given ride before mounting as well as added fun in the parks looking for things like the crown on that appears on Cinderella.I got my list from here and added some things I found on other webpages: http://www.wdwinfo.com/best-kept-secrets_Misc.htm.

•Sit near the front of the magic express bus to the resort so you can be one of the first in line at check in.

- I would recommend online check in, but it didn’t work very well for me. The woman ahead of me had a problem with her reservation and since there was only one cm at the online checkin desk and three at the regular check in desk it actually took me longer to check in than people who arrived at the same time as me and did regular check in. Also they forgot to honor my request to be in the jazz inn building so they had to change my room once it was my turn. Perhaps this was just a fluke and others will have better luck.

•Flashlight in the hotel so you don’t have to make your way around in the dark at night

•Magic kingdom, Epcot, and HWS now have free wi-fi (coming soon to other parks). I don’t have a smart phone so I brought my {insert electronic of choice here – for me it was a tablet} for in-line entertainment (carried via a twist-tie). I also had a map and wait time app (my Disney experience) and my touring plans on there. This way I didn’t have to grab maps when I walked in the parks and it actually had more information than the times guides they give at the door (like when showings of the little mermaid at HWS would be). The only thing is that you have to agree to the terms and conditions each day and sometimes the internet connection was a little iffy.

•I didn’t need this but if there’s a crowd you can use the secret entrance to AK through rainforest café

•Stay to the left

- A hot chocolate or coffee can work wonders for warming up while waiting for a parade or show to start on a cold night. I put hot chocolate in my refillable mug during my afternoon break and brought it to

•Stand near the cast and guest entrances in the morning in case the lines open up

- Instead of bringing a power strip I braught a power bag - bag with a batterie you can plug electronics like tablets and cell phones into. I already had one because I sometimes go on very long trips (Tx to Egypt) and I like to have entertainment on the airplane lasting longer than my batterie life. I wouldn't buy it specifically for Disney but might be worth considering if you also do long trips.

- If you have anything fragile shipped from the parks back to the resort, check it once you receive it to make sure nothing broke. Two of my ornaments broke so I went to the gift shop at the resort and they were able to have them replaced for me. The replacements arrived at 1pm the next day so if you do have something fragile sent to the resort, make sure you have enough time to receive the replacement if it breaks. I don’t know what they would have done if it had been the day of or the day before my departure… refund maybe?

 

[chiburple]

- On site guests: If you’re going to visit the boardwalk you can plan to do it on an Epcot day so you can take the boat there – much more pleasant than having to take two buses. Better yet, do it on an Epcot EMH day so you can use that rout to get back to your resort too.

•AK: Kilimanjaro safaris in the morning when the animals are more energetic. Note that on EMH days it doesn’t necessarily open when the park does. In our case EMH opening was at 7am and Kilimanjaro Safaris opened at 7:30. You can still get a fastpass for it if you want though.

- AK: At affection station make sure to grab one of the brushes in the bins on the side – one or two goats Love being brushed. I had a goat practically melt in my hand – I’ve never seen a goat act so much like a cat!

•Magic kingdom: if you’ve seen the fireworks a couple times before try watching it from fantasy land instead (behind the carrousel) – the fireworks explode right over your head!

•Figure out where the 3pm parade will start. If it starts in Frontier land (more likely when there’s a possibility of rain) you can get a spot there. There will be fewer crowds and once the parade is done you can hop on a ride while everyone else is still watching the parade. (We didn’t do that this trip but have done it in the past)

•Alternatively, I’ve heard (but didn’t get to try this myself) that you can get an ADR to Tony’s town square for about an hour before parade starts, arrive early and ask to sit on the patio. They might not be able to accommodate you but if they can you’ll be in prime position for parade viewing.

•Epcot: Good place to watch the fireworks is on the bridge leading to UK. Also if you have time and you’re up for lots of margaritas and nachos you can go really early (7:30ish) and grab a place in mexico (I think it’s called Cantinas?) on the water. Keep ordering things periodically to justify your presence there and otherwise just have fun as you wait for the fireworks.

•Epcot: Chase now has a Disney debit card that gets you a shorter line for character meet and greet and a free picture.

- Epcot: If you’re planning an adults trip, consider the wine pass.

- Epcot: If you’re going twice and don’t care to see the fireworks a second time, you can use the fireworks time as an opportunity for character meet and greets or to get on rides with shorter lines. We were trying to leave the park to beat the crowd to the buses and accidently stumbled into a character meet and greet with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto. There was no one else there so we got to interact with all three characters at the same time and didn’t feel rushed at all. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

•HWS: You can get the fantasmic dinner package on the dinning plan – this gets you an appetizer with your dining plan along with guaranteed seats to the show.

- Less of a tip, more of a question: I’d heard that the umbrella in HWS would make it rain but try as I might I couldn’t figure out how. I looked for any kind of button or sensor that would trigger it, but no luck. Does this not work anymore? Did it never work and the internet lied to me (Not that the internet isn’t always 100% reliable. Lol)

 

[JillianSam]

I know many of us buy things here and there over time while planning for a Diz trip (I ordered some pins a week ago, my park tickets came in the mail, I bought a few t-shirts, I'll pick up some body glide at some point, etc). For these items, grab your suitcase or carry-on or (even a box), set it out somewhere out of the way, and put everything in there, in one place. I've already started doing it, and I'm 60 days out. This way, I have some pre-trip fun, and I know everything I need is in one place for the final pack.

It's a nice way to know you have not forgotten anything, and it's fun to pick up things you need now and then and "deposit them in the Disney box!"

I was just telling my mom the same thing. I was like let's start putting all our stuff into a box so we don't lose it. It'll be our Disney box!
Great idea!

 

[erynsmom]

I know many of us buy things here and there over time while planning for a Diz trip (I ordered some pins a week ago, my park tickets came in the mail, I bought a few t-shirts, I'll pick up some body glide at some point, etc). For these items, grab your suitcase or carry-on or (even a box), set it out somewhere out of the way, and put everything in there, in one place. I've already started doing it, and I'm 60 days out. This way, I have some pre-trip fun, and I know everything I need is in one place for the final pack.

It's a nice way to know you have not forgotten anything, and it's fun to pick up things you need now and then and "deposit them in the Disney box!"

This is a great idea!
I started our box when we came home from our last trip and just kept things in it that could be used again. Now our upcoming trip is booked so I have started to add things already. 89 days to go!!

 

[Rememberingthe70s]

I love doing it too! Besides keeping organized, it's such a fun way to get into the trip! When I go shopping, I'll sometimes say, "oh, I need little shampoos - I want to put something in my box today." LOL

 

[::danielle::]

- I'm a HUGE planner. I tend to plan everything to death. However, I make a rule for myself that I'm allowed to plan like crazy up until the day before the trip. Day 1 of the trip and I let it all go. I trust that my planning has helped all it can and that everything will work out. I am able to enjoy my vacation and just let the little things go.

Happy planning, everyone!!

I agree with this 100%! My philosophy is "Over-prepare so you can relax when you're there.".

 

[redoschi]

Less of a tip, more of a question: I’d heard that the umbrella in HWS would make it rain but try as I might I couldn’t figure out how. I looked for any kind of button or sensor that would trigger it, but no luck. Does this not work anymore? Did it never work and the internet lied to me (Not that the internet isn’t always 100% reliable. Lol)

Great tips!

I'm not sure if it is still working, but on my last trip it was working and we had fun with it! You had to hold it like Gene Kelly and it would make a light rain, great for photos!

 

[tinkermommyof3]

Bringing hand soap with the pump for the bathroom at the resort! Brilliant tip that we got on the DIS. We always hated washing our hands with the little bars of soap and leaving the slimy things on the sink. Never leave home without our own hand soap with the pump anymore! Thanks, DIS!

 

[gracer9977]

Great tips!

I'm not sure if it is still working, but on my last trip it was working and we had fun with it! You had to hold it like Gene Kelly and it would make a light rain, great for photos!

I never knew you could do this. Totally going to try it on our next visit.

 

[redoschi]

I never knew you could do this. Totally going to try it on our next visit.

For those who don't know, this umbrella is located in the Streets of America near the exit of the Studio Backlot Tour and the Lights Motors Action theater.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Great tips!

I'm not sure if it is still working, but on my last trip it was working and we had fun with it! You had to hold it like Gene Kelly and it would make a light rain, great for photos!

I never knew you could do this. Totally going to try it on our next visit.

For those who don't know, this umbrella is located in the Streets of America near the exit of the Studio Backlot Tour and the Lights Motors Action theater.

I remember seeing it on our last trip. Didn't think about taking pics with it. Now that I know it will make it rain, we'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the fun tip.

 

[SLamott1973]

We drive down and stop at the disney outlet in St Augustine outlets, there may be other ones closer to Orlando try Google to locate

 

[carlbarry]

We drive down and stop at the disney outlet in St Augustine outlets, there may be other ones closer to Orlando try Google to locate

There are 2 right outside of WDW.

 

[lucifie]

There are 2 right outside of WDW.

We're considering stopping in St. Augustine, because I've heard that they're really good, but if there are other outlets close to Disney, maybe we'll skip it. Can anyone tell me if there's a difference between the St. Augustine outlet and the ones closer to WDW?

 

[dnsmills]

There are actually several Disney outlet shops around Orlando. TheMouseForLess has some great info on them. Hope that helps.

 

[2012bella13]

I was wondering if anyone has stayed at AOA in the cars section, & how was the noise level? We have reservations in Feb 2013, just wondering if I need to bring a radio or something.

I just started reading this thread great tips, I have found several that will be useful to us.

My daughter had a MAW trip last yr, stay at Give Kids the World, was there in May,too hot, did not get to enjoy the parks, she wanted to go back to the village after a few hrs, we mostly did Meet & Greets, she loved that,she was 3yrs old at that time. Hoping for better weather & smaller crowds this time.

Thanks

 

[Dis1982]

1) Go in the Spring, Fall or Winter ( Summer is way to Hot and more people because of summer vacation)

2) Rent a scooter off site. It is half the price and its a gurantee as in the parks it is 1st come 1st serve. Also even if you don't need a scooter for health reasons, having one is a wonderful, especially with children. Taking turns with another adult riding helps you keep up your energy and allowing kiddos to lap ride helps them too. Plus you can hook backpacks on the seat

3) Bring your own drinks, snacks & at least lunch! It saved me soooooo much money. Bottle water, granola bars, baggies of gold fish, ect. As far as lunch- think lunchums or sub way/sandwhiches. You can get zip locks full of ice to keep cool.

4)Don't exspect to do it all in the 1st day or trip. Just relax, do what you can, and enjoy

 

[hsmamato2]

1)

2) Rent a scooter off site. It is half the price and its a gurantee as in the parks it is 1st come 1st serve. Also even if you don't need a scooter for health reasons, having one is a wonderful, especially with children. Taking turns with another adult riding helps you keep up your energy and allowing kiddos to lap ride helps them too. Plus you can hook backpacks on the seat

 

[lucifie]

I'm with you.

 

[EveDallas]

2) Rent a scooter off site. It is half the price and its a gurantee as in the parks it is 1st come 1st serve. Also even if you don't need a scooter for health reasons, having one is a wonderful, especially with children. Taking turns with another adult riding helps you keep up your energy and allowing kiddos to lap ride helps them too. Plus you can hook backpacks on the seat

I smell troll.