4 Day Disney Trip without LL or Disney Genie- Help!

[disneygirl2022]

Hi all,
I'm planning my first trip to Disney World with my daughter, sister and brother in law in October, and I'm in charge of the itinerary. I've been doing a lot of research on itineraries for a few weeks, but still can't get my head around it, and need some help. We will be going for four days (one day at each park) and while we haven't exactly decided yet, I don't think we will be purchasing lightning lane or genie+. We will also be staying offsite, so won't have extra magic hours, and won't be attending the Halloween parties. We also plan on arriving about an hour before each park's opening.

So, here are my questions:

1. What rides at each park would you suggest we do first thing each morning?
2. What rides do you think we should skip?
3. What's some quick service/casual dining places you recommend at each park?
4. Are the parades and fireworks really worth it when we could be using that time for rides?
5. Any tips for character meet and greets? My daughter is so excited to meet all the characters, but the rest of us not so much. Would it be okay to leave her in line for a meet and greet while we sit at a restaurant or on a bench nearby?
6. What things can we do at each park before it actually opens? I was looking at the app, and I know that you can meet Mickey at Main street (where you are allowed in before the park opens) so can we meet him before the park actually opens or is it after?
7. Do you have any other tips and tricks for saving time/money at the parks for a first timer?

 

[GBRforWDW]

Hi all,
I'm planning my first trip to Disney World with my daughter, sister and brother in law in October, and I'm in charge of the itinerary. I've been doing a lot of research on itineraries for a few weeks, but still can't get my head around it, and need some help. We will be going for four days (one day at each park) and while we haven't exactly decided yet, I don't think we will be purchasing lightning lane or genie+. We will also be staying offsite, so won't have extra magic hours, and won't be attending the Halloween parties. We also plan on arriving about an hour before each park's opening.

So, here are my questions:

1. What rides at each park would you suggest we do first thing each morning?
2. What rides do you think we should skip?
3. What's some quick service/casual dining places you recommend at each park?
4. Are the parades and fireworks really worth it when we could be using that time for rides?
5. Any tips for character meet and greets? My daughter is so excited to meet all the characters, but the rest of us not so much. Would it be okay to leave her in line for a meet and greet while we sit at a restaurant or on a bench nearby?
6. What things can we do at each park before it actually opens? I was looking at the app, and I know that you can meet Mickey at Main street (where you are allowed in before the park opens) so can we meet him before the park actually opens or is it after?
7. Do you have any other tips and tricks for saving time/money at the parks for a first timer?

Hi, and welcome! I was a first timer a few years ago and wow, WDW can be a bit overwhelming because it's so big. But, it's also a ton of fun one question I have is the age and height of your child as that sort of determines some of the answers as far as rides, etc.

I'll try to give my best advice for each question, just going to copy/paste below and write my answers after.

1. What rides at each park would you suggest we do first thing each morning? At MK, Frontierland and Adventureland are not open for early entry, so if you plan to be in the hub for the Mickey welcome, which I recommend for a first visit, be on the left side of the hub near the entrance to Adventureland. There's a few rides that way that you all should determine which to go for first. Jungle Cruise should be good for all ages, pirates of the Caribbean, it's a dark ride with some small 45° angle drops, splash Mountain same, but with a big drop, Big thunder mountain railroad a fast rollercoaster, and haunted mansion, another dark ride that is more fun than scary, but could be a bit much for Young kids. Oh and also the magic carpet rides. I would not suggest rope dropping this.

Epcot, might be worth hitting spaceship earth right away. This park is pretty distanced, so it's worth just going on the attractions as you pass them.

Hollywood Studios is always busy, it's hard to find the best strategy here, but as a first timer, I'd recommend starting at Mickey and Minnie's Runaway railway. It's the first ride you get to when heading straight in and is a lot of fun.

Animal Kingdom I like Kilimanjaro Safari, animals are usually up and about earlier in the day.

2. What rides do you think we should skip?
This depends on the kids age. If young, you may want to avoid the thrill rides, if a bit older, you'll probably want to skip the spinning rides, but really, there's a bit of thrill in riding each ride. I wouldn't skip a ride just because someone says they don't like it. If you can get on a ride and you're ok with the wait time, go for it and see for yourself if you like it.

3. What's some quick service/casual dining places you recommend at each park?
I'm bad with quick service. For me, it usually comes down to where I am in the park and what's nearby.

4. Are the parades and fireworks really worth it when we could be using that time for rides?
Everyone is at the parks for different reasons, rides, shopping, shows, dining. If you're there for the rides, don't stop for the shows if you don't want to. But... They can be a nice break from rides. Plus kids remember parades, fireworks and shows, etc.

5. Any tips for character meet and greets? My daughter is so excited to meet all the characters, but the rest of us not so much. Would it be okay to leave her in line for a meet and greet while we sit at a restaurant or on a bench nearby?
This depends on the age and comfort level of kid and parent. Again, things just feel different once you're there, she may feel better having an adult wait in line with her. If she's under 10, I'd say definitely plan to stand in line with her. If older, play by ear. As far as strategy, not much you can do other than get in line. Some greetings have wait times in the app, so just check and try to go at a low time. The rest you just hop in line, but hopefully not every line

6. What things can we do at each park before it actually opens? I was looking at the app, and I know that you can meet Mickey at Main street (where you are allowed in before the park opens) so can we meet him before the park actually opens or is it after?
I'm not sure, but I don't think Mickey is there until after park opening. In magic kingdom, you can go up main street to the castle. I believe the shops and some restaurants are open. The rest of the parks you're just held at the gate and can't do much.

7. Do you have any other tips and tricks for saving time/money at the parks for a first timer?
Quick service meals can be large enough for 2 to share. Souvenirs can be costly and enticing. If you are able to, set a budget up front, put it on a gift card and when it runs out you're done. Or just say going in, not buying anything. If you go that route, it can be fun to bring some Disney related things from the dollar store and give to the kid each day, either something they wake up to, or you give before bed.

Go in expecting you can only do 10 percent of what a park offers. Trust me, there's a lot! It's hard to say what you should do because every person. It's best to create a list of 3-4 rides and 1 or 2 entertainment options the group wants to do, do those first, then go from there.

 

[loves to dive]

Ages and interests are important information here. It makes a huge difference if you daughter is a little or a elementary schooler, pre-teen, etc. It also matters what your sister and BIL are interested in, do they like entertainment, riding thrill rides, shopping, chilling. Are you planning on all staying together the entire day or some of you splitting off?

As far as saving money, eating QS helps. If you or any of the adults do not eat huge meals, adults can eat kid's meals at QS. If I eat QS it's usually a kid's meal, not to save money but just because adult meals are just too much for me. You can also ask for any of the meals without soft drinks and get free water. You can also ask for them without the side. It won't save a lot of money but will save some.

Rides first thing really depends on the answers to the above questions. There is the obvious in every park - Seven Dwarfs in MK, Flight of Passage in AK, Rise in HS, try for virtual que to Guardians in Epcot or hop in line for Remy. But that all depends on the make up of your party. Since you won't be able to take advantage of early entry, even getting there before park opens is going to mean that resort guests have already starting lines for those rides.

Skipping rides again depends on your party. Personally I skip just about all of the above I just mentioned but I go often and tend to get a little sick on FoP, not a huge Star Wars fan so Rise is just o.k. for me, I haven't done Guardians yet but Remy was probably a one and done for me.

I rarely eat QS so can't really help you there.

Parades and FWs are subjective and again depends on the make up of your party. There are people who will tell you they are a must do and others who will tell it's not worth it. Just depends on if riding as many rides as you can is your focus or just riding a few.

Her age is going to depend on the meet and greet. Certainly your sister and BIL and take off an go do something while you wait with her and you certainly don't have to meet the character, just be there to take some pictures.

The only thing you can do in the parks before they open is shop and in some cases some of the food places are open.

 

[disneygirl2022]

Thank you @loves to dive and @GBRforWDW for your advice, and sorry for not adding some clarification. My daughter is 13, and she'll turn 14 whilst on the trip. I have left her at home before, she's also gone on school camps, but as you've both pointed out, Disney World is huge, and I think you'd have to know Disney World like the back of your hand to not get turned around a bit. But, she does and will have her phone while we're at Disney, so my thoughts was that while she'll wait in line, I'll go into a restaurant or shop nearby, and then after she's done, she'll meet me at that restaurant or shop after looking at the map on the Disney app. I thought this could especially work at epcot, where as we got to each pavilion, she'll do her character meet and greets while I go into a shop near by to buy a snack for the two of us.

As for rides, parades, and fireworks: My sister and BIL are very much into Star Wars, so I know they'll want to go on the Star Wars rides. My daughter has been a fan of disney since she was young, and knows quite a lot of disneyland and disney world's history and easter eggs from the movies, so I know she will want to go on all the 'classic rides' like Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan's Flight, Haunted Mansion, The many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, etc, but she also doesn't want to go on the bigger rides, like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, although she says she's considering going on rides like Avatar: Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the star wars rides. Personally, I don't really mind what rides we go on, I'm just excited for her to experience Disney.

And, as for parades and fireworks, parades have never really been my thing, and I don't think my daughter would like them either. As for fireworks, I think if we had time to do them, I wouldn't mind watching them.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Does your arrival mean the holiday weekend in October for school break? I hope your pre trip planning has included getting to know Genie for the basics. It might help with your questions Much as I hate to admit it! I guess that is what Genie was designed for. Haha
The free design wants to know your likes . I would just let Genie know my first priority for each park . And I would adid the APP onto my phone. That is where you will find the Virtual Boarding Daily sign up at 7:00 a.m. and you are not required to be inside the Parks to get your day started. And mobile order which I really dislike…
For me personally I would like to not do any of that but it is necessary. So I just let Genie “ know” the basics .
I usually enter and head to Starbucks for their selection It is usually open early and on the Main Street . The line might look long BUT they are set up to handle that ! And do have the basics to start a busy Disney day . Fresh fruit, some pastries, caffeine , oatmeal, yogurt. Iknow some people don’t like Starbucks . But it is a good place to get a glass of ice water and you will need that if nothing else. Stay hydrated for your day and also get to know where the bathrooms are ! Really I’m not kidding!
If you have gotten this far , your day has begun . You are in the Parks , figured out how important it is to arrive Early and dealt with transportation, entry and security! YAY!
Hoping you have a great visit. It can be so much fun but also needs so much more info and tech nowadays! But you can do it !

 

[disneygirl2022]

Does your arrival mean the holiday weekend in October for school break? I hope your pre trip planning has included getting to know Genie for the basics. It might help with your questions Much as I hate to admit it! I guess that is what Genie was designed for. Haha
The free design wants to know your likes . I would just let Genie know my first priority for each park . And I would adid the APP onto my phone. That is where you will find the Virtual Boarding Daily sign up at 7:00 a.m. and you are not required to be inside the Parks to get your day started. And mobile order which I really dislike…
For me personally I would like to not do any of that but it is necessary. So I just let Genie “ know” the basics .
I usually enter and head to Starbucks for their selection It is usually open early and on the Main Street . The line might look long BUT they are set up to handle that ! And do have the basics to start a busy Disney day . Fresh fruit, some pastries, caffeine , oatmeal, yogurt. Iknow some people don’t like Starbucks . But it is a good place to get a glass of ice water and you will need that if nothing else. Stay hydrated for your day and also get to know where the bathrooms are ! Really I’m not kidding!
If you have gotten this far , your day has begun . You are in the Parks , figured out how important it is to arrive Early and dealt with transportation, entry and security! YAY!
Hoping you have a great visit. It can be so much fun but also needs so much more info and tech nowadays! But you can do it !

100% agree with this. I wish we had gone when fastpasses were still available, honestly those days seemed really simple compared to what we have now. We're going in mid October, so the Halloween season will be in full swing, and I'm guessing crowds will be bigger then usual. Because of this, I thought LL and Genie+ would be helpful, but for at least Genie+ I don't think so, I mean you can only make 3 reservations a day, and you have wait to until you've completed one ride reservation to book another, which just seems silly. But, LL, although probably more costly then Genie+ seems much more straight forward. What do think?

I am excited for Disney World, but I think the excitement only really hits you once when you've finally downed your coffee or food after waking up at 6 in the morning to line up for Disney, and finally entering Disney World. But, that only last a minute before you have to rush to one of the Big rides as if your life depends on it haha.

 

[DL1WDW2]

You got the idea!
I felt the same way and still learning the basics which Disney keeps changing… like studying for the finals! Only more important…
I do know that the minute you have used your MagicBand to enter the turnstile for your daily selection… that is when you can book the next and I guess that is the secret to stacking…? Unless it changes …

 

[disneygirl2022]

Yes, it keeps constantly changing. I can't tell you how many articles I've read on Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategies and I still can't figure out how it all works. Thing is, unless you're going to Disney parks frequently, you can't just wing it and just decide what you're doing on the day, which makes it worse.

 

[Tom_E_D]

. . . At MK, Fantasyland and Adventureland are not open for early entry, . . .

Fantasyland is open for early entry, as is Tomorrowland. It is Frontierland, Adventureland and Liberty Square that do not open until the official opening time.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Fantasyland is open for early entry, as is Tomorrowland. It is Frontierland, Adventureland and Liberty Square that do not open until the official opening time.

Thanks, got in a rush and got the wrong F land... Frontierland. I'll update my post

 

[RoseGold]

Be sure to check the "character" drop down on the map on MDE. The characters might not be where you think they are. I'd let a 13 year old do anything in Disney by themselves, but you know your kid.

If your goal is to save time/money, WDW is not the right choice, LOL.

 

[Tom_E_D]

100% agree with this. I wish we had gone when fastpasses were still available, honestly those days seemed really simple compared to what we have now. We're going in mid October, so the Halloween season will be in full swing, and I'm guessing crowds will be bigger then usual. Because of this, I thought LL and Genie+ would be helpful, but for at least Genie+ I don't think so, I mean you can only make 3 reservations a day, and you have wait to until you've completed one ride reservation to book another, which just seems silly. But, LL, although probably more costly then Genie+ seems much more straight forward. What do think?

I am excited for Disney World, but I think the excitement only really hits you once when you've finally downed your coffee or food after waking up at 6 in the morning to line up for Disney, and finally entering Disney World. But, that only last a minute before you have to rush to one of the Big rides as if your life depends on it haha.

You can make more than 3 Genie+ LL reservations per day. The rules allow one G+ LL per attraction per day, subject to availability. People have reported getting ten or more per day on days they were at Magic Kingdom. The Disneyworld website cautions that "On average, Guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using Lightning Lane entrances, if the first selection is made early in the day." However, that is really only intended to lower expectations. It's true that you may only be able to get 2 or 3 of the most popular attractions on a busy day. but there should be something still available when it comes time to book your fourth G+ LL.

Tapping into a G+ LL reservation is one way to get the right to book another, but not the only one. The 2-hour rule is equally important on busy days. If you book a G+ LL reservation that is more than two park hours (i.e., hours that the park is officially open; early entry doesn't count, nor does the time before early entry) away, you can book another two park hours later. That means you can be booking your fourth G+ LL no later six hours after park open, and there are still rides available then.

Using Hollywood Studios as an example, on a busy day you may only be able to get three of the G+ big five (Slinky Dog , Millennium Falcon, Rock n Roller Coaster , Tower of Terror, and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway), but Toy Story, Alien Swirling Saucers and Star Tours should still be available when it is time to book your fourth G+ LL. At least Star Tours (and MuppetVision) should be available when it is time to book your fifth.

And if your daughter is doing meet and greets, G+ LLs for those can be time savers too.