First time off-site - a few questions

[soccerdad72]

My wife and I are doing weeklong trip to Orlando / Cocoa Beach, with four days of the trip offsite (at Sheraton Vistana). I bought a 3 day park hopper pass and we're planning on being in the parks November 3rd - 5th. We've been a number of times before, but it's been a few years and this is our first time being off-site. I had a couple questions.

1. When it comes to park tickets (and things like Lightning Lane / Virtual Queues), is it all phone-based? We had Magic Bands before, but can't find them and don't really feel like buying new ones. Do you just tap your phone to all the entrances, just like you would use your Magic Band?

2. Do you think Lightning Lane would be worth it? Since we haven't been in a while, we'd like to focus our time on the attractions that are new since we've been, like Tron, Guardians and Rise of the Resistance. I'm not sure I want to pay for the single ride LLs, but would a multiride LL be worth it for any of our days?

3. Parking - Is TTC the optimal place to park if we plan of doing a fair amount of park hopping? I figure we'll end up at Epcot multiple times, as we love the Food and Wine Festival. We're not opposed to walking to and from Hollywood Studios as well via Boardwalk.

Anything else I'm missing that I need to concern myself with? Thanks

 

[elvispursley]

So you can use your phone just like your MB. The other option is to get a KTTW card and use that to scan in )they’re free and you can get at GS outside of the park).

As for the newer rides, most of them are LLSP or VQ. You can use the standby queue for ride and torn or you can purchase a lightening lane (single pass). Guardians still uses the VQ or, again, you can ise the LLSP. The regular LLMP will not give you access to these rides.

I’d recommend rope dropping ride and trim or doing them at the end of the day for shorter waits.

 

[HopperFan]

My wife and I are doing weeklong trip to Orlando / Cocoa Beach, with four days of the trip offsite (at Sheraton Vistana). I bought a 3 day park hopper pass and we're planning on being in the parks November 3rd - 5th. We've been a number of times before, but it's been a few years and this is our first time being off-site. I had a couple questions.

1. When it comes to park tickets (and things like Lightning Lane / Virtual Queues), is it all phone-based? We had Magic Bands before, but can't find them and don't really feel like buying new ones. Do you just tap your phone to all the entrances, just like you would use your Magic Band?

At first park ask for a Hard Ticket. Much easier to use than the phone for most and faster. You will need your phone for booking LL times if you buy it.

2. Do you think Lightning Lane would be worth it?

Looks like that is Jersey Week, peak week for crowds. I'd probably be buying it for MK and DHS.

Since we haven't been in a while, we'd like to focus our time on the attractions that are new since we've been, like Tron, Guardians and Rise of the Resistance. I'm not sure I want to pay for the single ride LLs, but would a multiride LL be worth it for any of our days?

Depends on the timing of your days, what park hopping you are doing and priorities. We've paid for Tron and Guardians. Guardians was worth it, Tron not so much.

3. Parking - Is TTC the optimal place to park if we plan of doing a fair amount of park hopping? I figure we'll end up at Epcot multiple times, as we love the Food and Wine Festival. We're not opposed to walking to and from Hollywood Studios as well via Boardwalk.

I'd park at DHS if going between those two parks so you don't get stuck. If you park at EPCOT and at DHS at night then you might not be able to get back through EPCOT.

TTC makes sense if doing MK and the other parks but we try to park where we will end our day.

Anything else I'm missing that I need to concern myself with? Thanks

If you are park hopping and want to drive - keep your receipt and you won't have to pay again at the next park.

 

[soccerdad72]

Thanks - I appreciate the advice

 

[sponica]

I think the paid lightning lane for Rise is worth it, because the ride is too unreliable for me to risk standby, the one time we did do standby the ride shut down and couldn't restart. We got an anytime lightning lane for our troubles, and we used it on slinky the next day as we were planning on buying ILLs or whatever it is now for Rise the next day anyway. But we had 5 or 6 park days to play with....on a short trip, I'm not sure how much I'd want to risk the standby wait.

 

[DisneyFive]

I would recommend LLMP for both MK and HS. Not AK, and 50/50 for Epcot.