Getting ready for trip in February

[stephen11]

Hi I will be taking my grandchildren (ages 7 and 9) for their first trip to Disneyworld in February. I'm not sure of all the dates (ie dining reservations, park reservations, ride reservations, etc.) So many things have changed in the past few years. I believe its still 60 days for dining, but not sure of any other very important dates I should note before we go. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We will be staying at my home resort (Boardwalk).
Thanks for your help.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'm sure there will be more notes coming, but in general - dining is 60 days out. Since you are staying at a Disney resort, you can make dining reservations 60 day plus the entire length of your stay - could be a big advantage. You can make park reservations as soon as you have park tickets for your party. Remember - no park reservation, no park entry. If you are planning on park hopping tickets, you still need to enter the original park you reserved for that day, then you can hop after 2PM later in the day. As for ride reservations, you can only purchase Genie+ and/or the Individual Lightning Lane attractions day-off. At 7AM, you'll be able to purchase up to 2 ILLs. If you also decide to purchase Genie+ for the day (you do not need to purchase Genie+ in order to purchase ILLs), you can make your first Genie+ reservation at 7AM. You'll want to read-up on the ins and outs of Genie+! You can use Genie+ throughout the day, as long as you have a smart phone and the MDE app to do it. You'll also want to actually purchase Genie+ prior to 7AM so you can use it most effectively.

If you have the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction on your list of must-dos, that particular attraction has a Virtual Queue option available for free, but you need to grab a spot in line at 7AM - you'll get a time to return later in the day. Hope that helps a little bit...... I can confirm your statement - things have most definitely changed in the past few year! Hope you have a fun and memorable trip!

 

[stephen11]

Thank you so much!

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you so much!

For more info on Genie+, etc., read the first 7 posts of the Genie+ thread - those posts are updated regularly and will fill you in on lots of details! Then you could start at the end and just read going forward and ask any questions you have as your trip gets closer. (And as things change )

You might also find the Planning Tips thread helpful, and of course there are also other helpful threads on the Theme Parks forum.

 

[sp'smom]

I'm sure there will be more notes coming, but in general - dining is 60 days out. Since you are staying at a Disney resort, you can make dining reservations 60 day plus the entire length of your stay - could be a big advantage. You can make park reservations as soon as you have park tickets for your party. Remember - no park reservation, no park entry. If you are planning on park hopping tickets, you still need to enter the original park you reserved for that day, then you can hop after 2PM later in the day. As for ride reservations, you can only purchase Genie+ and/or the Individual Lightning Lane attractions day-off. At 7AM, you'll be able to purchase up to 2 ILLs. If you also decide to purchase Genie+ for the day (you do not need to purchase Genie+ in order to purchase ILLs), you can make your first Genie+ reservation at 7AM. You'll want to read-up on the ins and outs of Genie+! You can use Genie+ throughout the day, as long as you have a smart phone and the MDE app to do it. You'll also want to actually purchase Genie+ prior to 7AM so you can use it most effectively.

If you have the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction on your list of must-dos, that particular attraction has a Virtual Queue option available for free, but you need to grab a spot in line at 7AM - you'll get a time to return later in the day. Hope that helps a little bit...... I can confirm your statement - things have most definitely changed in the past few year! Hope you have a fun and memorable trip!

On Booking dining 60 days plus length of stay...Is that for all resort guests? at any Disney resort?

 

[CarolynFH]

On Booking dining 60 days plus length of stay...Is that for all resort guests? at any Disney resort?

Yes, any Disney resort. To clarify for anyone who might be new here, that means that at 60 days before checkin to your Disney resort, you can book dining for your length of stay including checkout day, for a maximum of 10 days. (If you’re staying longer than 10 days, then on the following day you can book the 11th day, the day after that the 12th day, etc.)

PS I never can remember whether Swan/Dolphin or Shades of Green or any other hotels get 60+10 ADR booking. Check with them or on their threads on DISboards!

PPS A split stay counts as individual reservations with separate 60 day windows. Although recently some have reported success calling WDW-DINE and asking them to book across the split.

 

[pixieprincess925]

60-day reservations also apply to "experiences" such as Savi's lightsaber and droid factory. I believe also for things like horseback riding and other activities.

Also, I think the dining window opens at 6am Eastern time. just a reminder!