Am I ready?

[BlissP]

We leave for my very first trip to DW on Monday. We purchased a Magic Your Way vacation package right through disney.com - staying at GF, deluxe dining plan, parkhopper tickets, etc.

I did receive a clear plastic envelope that is filled with what appear to be vouchers, listing the various perks of our vacation package. I DON'T have any actual parkhopper tickets (so far as I can tell) or anything official that would say we are on the DDP (apart from just the printed out itinerary)...are these things I will receive when I check in? Or do I need to call someone?

Am I freaking out unnecessarily?

 

[lovetoscrap]

Relax! It sounds like you are good to go!

Your tickets will be on your room key, as will your Dining Plan. It will be like an all in one "credit card" that will get you most all you need for the week. When you check in they will put all that on the key and explain it all to you and if you have any questions, just ask!

Are you flying? And if so are you taking Magical Express from the airport to the resort? If you are make sure you have that booklet, if not let us know so we can help.

And most importantly--Do you have plenty of sunscreen?

Have a great time!

 

[lala3291]

We leave for my very first trip to DW on Monday. We purchased a Magic Your Way vacation package right through disney.com - staying at GF, deluxe dining plan, parkhopper tickets, etc.

I did receive a clear plastic envelope that is filled with what appear to be vouchers, listing the various perks of our vacation package. I DON'T have any actual parkhopper tickets (so far as I can tell) or anything official that would say we are on the DDP (apart from just the printed out itinerary)...are these things I will receive when I check in? Or do I need to call someone?

Am I freaking out unnecessarily?

First of all, don't worry...you will have a blast!! First of all, good choice in GF, we stayed there as a family twice--going back to stay there again in August!
Your park hopper passes will be given to you upon check-in. You will get one card per person which will be a room key and park hopper pass all in one. You can also charge items to your room on it.
I hope that part makes sense.
For the dining plan, I am sure you will recieve something for it upon check-in. We have never done the dining plan, so I am not 100% sure. Just bring all of your papers just in case (for everything from your room to passes to dining plan)
Have a blast!

 

[BlissP]

Relax! It sounds like you are good to go!

Your tickets will be on your room key, as will your Dining Plan. It will be like an all in one "credit card" that will get you most all you need for the week. When you check in they will put all that on the key and explain it all to you and if you have any questions, just ask!

Are you flying? And if so are you taking Magical Express from the airport to the resort? If you are make sure you have that booklet, if not let us know so we can help.

And most importantly--Do you have plenty of sunscreen?

Have a great time!

We are flying, and we are taking Magical Express...but I just booked that a few days ago (it was the last possible day - 10 days out) so I am on the lookout for that stuff...if it's not here tomorrow, I may call.

Sunscreen, CHECK!

 

[BlissP]

First of all, don't worry...you will have a blast!! First of all, good choice in GF, we stayed there as a family twice--going back to stay there again in August!
Your park hopper passes will be given to you upon check-in. You will get one card per person which will be a room key and park hopper pass all in one. You can also charge items to your room on it.
I hope that part makes sense.
For the dining plan, I am sure you will recieve something for it upon check-in. We have never done the dining plan, so I am not 100% sure. Just bring all of your papers just in case (for everything from your room to passes to dining plan)
Have a blast!

So glad to hear good things about GF! Can you believe this - we have four children, and we are going...ALONE!!! We are celebrating our 5th anniversary (two of our boys are my stepsons) and this will be our first trip away from the boys, ever. Thought it would be fun to check out DW alone first, and do the things WE want to do, and when the littlest is a wee bit older (he's only 1) we will take the whole crew!

 

[lala3291]

So glad to hear good things about GF! Can you believe this - we have four children, and we are going...ALONE!!! We are celebrating our 5th anniversary (two of our boys are my stepsons) and this will be our first trip away from the boys, ever. Thought it would be fun to check out DW alone first, and do the things WE want to do, and when the littlest is a wee bit older (he's only 1) we will take the whole crew!

Happy Anniversary! It is a fabulous resort for couples too--we saw a ton of couples walking around. It is quite romantic too! We cannot imagine staying at a different Disney resort. The monorail works out great---2 mins (literally) to the Magic Kingdom.
Have a ball! I hope that you love the GF as much as we do.

 

[wilde_oscar]

Disney does a pretty good job at making everything work they just don't always tell people how everything works. As ya know all that "stuff" gets coded on the room key... but first thing on your trip you need to stop at the customer service and get your buttons that say "anniversary" on them and wear them the entire trip. With your dinning reservations did you tell them you are celebrating your anniversary? Ya also need "My first trip" buttons.

Also watch for the cult of the lima green mickey head... ya might see laminated lime green mickey heads hanging off backpacks, embroidered on hats, ironed on t shirts... these folks are your fellow DIS boarders. Be sure to say hi.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

Have a wonderful time!!!

 

[MuppetManiac]

As ya know all that "stuff" gets coded on the room key... but first thing on your trip you need to stop at the customer service and get your buttons that say "anniversary" on them and wear them the entire trip. With your dinning reservations did you tell them you are celebrating your anniversary? Ya also need "My first trip" buttons.

Congratulations on your anniversary BlissP! Many happy more years to you and yours!

wildeoscar, my family and I are making our first trip to WDW in June. Over the past few months, we have or will celebrate Grandpa's 70th, DSis 40th, and Best Friend's 30th Birthdays and this trip is a celebration of them all. Can you fill me in more on where customer service is and how I can pick up these buttons as a surprise for them? And is there anything else anyone would recommend to help make this trip any more magical for them?
Thanks!

 

[wilde_oscar]

Feb 10th - 15th I am taking my grandparents to WDW for their 65th Anniversary... and my birthday, but everyday I am in WDW is my birthday.

In each of the parks, as you enter, off to the right will be "Guest Relations". For example... In MK it is town hall. It is marked with an "i" on the park maps. There are about a dozen different buttons, Just Married, Birthday, First Trip, WDW Citizen, I'm a Pirate, I'm a Princess, and I know I am forgetting some. Ya pin these to your shirt... and you will be amazed at the number of cast members that will wish you well, other guests, etc. Sometimes it prompts a little pixie dust and extra magic.

Also when making ADRs let them know about the special occasion.

The buttons used to be different in every park, now they are the same across all the parks.

something else that brings out the magic is to have everyone in your group wear matching t shirts that are loud and proudly state "It's my birthday" or something like that... the Dream Squad eat that stuff up.

 

[kaytieeldr]

One minor correction to one piece of wildeoscar's information: Guest Relations will be on your left - pretty much immediately, at Magic Kingdom, Disney Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, but somewhat 'into' the park in Epcot - stay to the left of Spaceship Earth as you enter, and you'll see Guest Relations approximately opposite the SE exit.

 

[wilde_oscar]

ooops, I was having a color blind moment

 

[shellybelly72]

Try not to worry..I think you'll have a great time!!

Have fun!!

 

[MuppetManiac]

Thanks everyone! I'll be sure to stop by and pick up our buttons. We're not trying to make a huge deal of this, but it's fun knowing that they all have significant birthdays and that we'll all be in WDW together is really what's important.

BlissP- Happy Anniversary again and have a great trip on Monday!
G

 

[BlissP]

Thank you so much for all the great info! I did tell V&A that it was our anniversary when making that ADR, but none of the other places...will the buttons be sufficient, or should I somehow let them know in advance? I just want to make this trip super duper special for my husband...he deserves it! (And, if you will indulge me in a catty moment, the only other time he has gone as an adult was with his first wife before they had kids, and from the sounds of it, there was no advance planning...certainly nothing special planned for him by her as that would have been greatly out of character for her, I'm told, hence the reason that union didn't survive...he is just so wonderful that I take every opportunity to show him how I feel, as he does for me!)

 

[libinatorsmom]

What a great post of so much information...

Do the bottons cost anything??? We will def have to get some... it will be our 1st WDW vacation.... I was thinking about making shirts for us for a few days of the trip...

 

[byoung]

Happy Anniversary! Also Welcome to the DIS!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Buttons are free for the asking - Disney doesn't even require proof that it's, say, the Guest's first visit.