Girls only trip. Need tips

[ELT]

So we have 4 women heading to Disney on a spur of the moment trip. We are all late 40’s early 50’s. Two of us just sent our daughters off to Clemson, one has a son that just graduated from college and moved to Wyoming and then one has her only daughter getting married next year. We need tips! We are leaving in the early am on the 12th of September and spending three nights at the Poly. i last went to Disney in October of 2020. So ready to go back with no masks. any Tips for the Poly and this Genie Plus thing are greatly appreciated

 

[holden]

There's definitely a learning curve with Genie+. Read as much as you can and play around with it on the app before your trip. If riding attractions is important, be sure to get up before 7am each day of the trip to purchase Genie+ and book attractions. If it were me, I'd only get it for MK and DHS. I don't think it necessary at AK and EP if you rope drop and/or hit some attractions right before closing.

If I was going with my friends, I'd be sure to plan a day at the Food & Wine Festival! Weekends are more crowded. Booths open at 11am. I'd go when they open as it gets more crowded as the day goes on.

 

[glocon]

Sounds like Trader Sam’s there at the Poly would be a fun time for you.
And maybe a monorail crawl.

 

[CarolynFH]

For the “Genie Plus thing,” read the first 7 posts of the Genie+ thread. They are updated regularly. Then start reading toward the end of the thread and follow it as you get closer to your trip.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

So we have 4 women heading to Disney on a spur of the moment trip. We are all late 40’s early 50’s. Two of us just sent our daughters off to Clemson, one has a son that just graduated from college and moved to Wyoming and then one has her only daughter getting married next year. We need tips! We are leaving in the early am on the 12th of September and spending three nights at the Poly. i last went to Disney in October of 2020. So ready to go back with no masks. any Tips for the Poly and this Genie Plus thing are greatly appreciated

Wow, so much change! We've got several friends whose kids just went off to college and I'm hurting for them and their siblings left behind. It's been a big change for so many of them. I've got my oldest for 3 more years that I know will fly in a blink of an eye.

Your trip sounds amazing and I definitely think you should devote some time to Trader Sam's and you should plan some nicer meals at either Steakhouse 71 at Contemporary or maybe a brunch at GF cafe or a meal at Citricos for a more upscale experience. It's so pretty since it was remodeled.

As far as G+, stuff changes all the time but all stuff at WDW changes all the time. Definitely practice with MDE and G+ before you go so you can see it all and be familiar. Check out this thread for a lot of current details. https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...lightning-lane-please-read-posts-1-7.3856734/

If you do purchase G+, I agree with Holden, you don't really need to it for AK and Epcot, and really is better used at MK and DHS. The price of G+ is not really worth it at AK and Ep given there are just not as many attractions to maximize the value. We've never used iLL$ or G+ for AK but we have used iLL$ at Epcot. Right now you can either purchase iLL$ for Guardians so that's worth it if you all want to ride that or try to join the virtual queues which are 7a and 1p I believe.

Not sure if you'll be there for extended evening hours but if that interests you, do check it out since you'll have access staying at Poly as a deluxe. We really liked EEH and found it to be a great time for shorter lines and that was even back in April when the parks were way more crowded. Epcot and MK will have extended hours 9/12 and 9/14 https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/extended-evening/

Also don't forget about resort guests having early entry access. This is helpful if you do want to rope drop any rides. It's only 30 min so it's not a ton of time, but it does help give you an edge for headliners. And for MK early theme park entry, the entire park isn't open, it's usually only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland attractions at early entry. Have a great trip!

 

[RoseGold]

Ooh, you have the late extended hours, which includes the extra GOTG queue. I'd absolutely prioritize those hours, even if it means napping.

 

[purpliequeen]

Yep - Genie+ is a beast.

If you have some extra time/don't want to be in the parks the entire time, I highly recommend some time at Disney Springs. Opens up your dining options and the shopping is fab. Some fun restaurants for the gals include Homecomin, Boathouse, Wolfgang Puck, Morimoto, Wine Bar George... all depending on what you're craving. Perhaps pick up some treats from Ganachary, Gideons, or Amorettes to take back to the resort. (Don't forget to get in that virtual queue for Gideons as soon as you get to DS though!)

Love the idea of hanging out at Trader Sam's or Enchanted Rose - obviously very different theming so poll the group before deciding. Do factor in getting in the queue for Trader Sam's though - 1 hr before opening. Shouldn't be too rough staying at the Poly. Gosh, I'm craving some Tonga Toast right now. You're going to have a blast!

 

[ELT]

Thank you all. We don’t have any table service reservations yet. We are going to play it by ear. What park would you recommend for Monday afternoon arrival? We plan on heading over to a Epcot Monday late and stay for extended hours. wevwill rope drop AK and HS. Just haven’t decided which park to start with. we will also take advantage of the extended hours at MK Wednesday night. I am bummed that MNSSHP is sold out on the 13th. Maybe I will get lucky and find a reservation at OhanaTuesday night and watch the fireworks from the beach.

 

[RoseGold]

Thank you all. We don’t have any table service reservations yet. We are going to play it by ear. What park would you recommend for Monday afternoon arrival? We plan on heading over to a Epcot Monday late and stay for extended hours. wevwill rope drop AK and HS. Just haven’t decided which park to start with. we will also take advantage of the extended hours at MK Wednesday night. I am bummed that MNSSHP is sold out on the 13th. Maybe I will get lucky and find a reservation at OhanaTuesday night and watch the fireworks from the beach.

Hoppers are crazy expensive, and I don't think most people need them. Last year, they sold tickets to the Halloween parties at the member services/DS, even when they were "sold out" for a lot of them. You might get lucky with a weekday.