Just returned from Disney - random tips!

[DisneyAuntie12]

Just returned from a Disney trip - in no particular order, the (hopefully) helpful tidbits I picked up after planning and enjoying a five day trip:


- Planning a first trip to Disney (or 'first for the new generation') is a bit like planning a wedding. Not to the same extent, but kinda. It's such and iconic place and moment - all of the sudden these sentiments I was not expecting came out of the woodwork. A family member who had lost a parent recently canceled at the last minute without explanation. My brother decided that my nephew should experience some mix of self-sufficiency and attachment parenting whilst at the park (He's in preschooler, and he wanted him to either walk or be carried the whole time - auntie did put her foot down on that. He's huge for his age, not lugging a 6-year-old sized 4-year-old around the park in September heat.) It truly reminded me of wedding planning in that way, although maybe that's just my family. So, possibly, if you are the planner, be ready for that.


- The heat in Florida can actually be dangerous. This is probably not a news flash to most people, but for some reason when reading posts on heat here I got the idea into my head that it was about staying hydrated and being able to tough it out without whining - got there and realized that all the water in the world was not going to make it safe for my parents (who I think of as young but are senior citizens now) - they started to get rather ill even when we were out in the morning. Thankfully all the parks have many indoor options now but for the very old and very young, the heat index there can simply be unsafe, no matter how many fans and hats and water bottles you bring.


- The FastPass system is both amazing and frustrating, so be prepared for the thrill and joy of breezing past the standby line and the irritation when you run into a quirk of that system. Parades? When we first booked, you could FastPass parades. So excited. When I went to schedule a FastPass, it wasn't an option. When we got there, there was a FastPass area roped off for parades, so they must have reopened the option briefly before our stay. Or in Epcot, because you can only Fastpass one "top" attraction, we ended up using a Fastpass for things like Figment's ride which you could essentially just walk on to anyhow. I did get a park survey from Disney and tried to give some feedback on this.


- I know it's a hot debate, but I don't think the resort mugs were worth it. They were never with us when we needed them and it was a royal pain to get back from the parks thirsty, want to go to the cafeteria, and have to trek back to the room for the mug.


- Small children (at least our little guy) totally believe everything at Disney is real. In many ways this is awesome (didn't think my nephew would have any interest in meeting characters as his parents don't really let him watch tv so he doesn't know them, but to him they really were giant walking animals, so he loved them,) and problematic (I was waiting for him to call social services during the Lion King show, like "What is my inexplicably negligent family doing here?! I am in a room with a LION?!? Call animal control!").


- There's is such a temptation to fit in every possible attraction, especially if, like us, you may not be able to go back for a few years. No matter how much it seems like it'd be that much more special with these three more items on your checklist, I would say add plenty of downtime to your schedule, even to the point of it seeming excessive. I thought I had a ton of 'hanging at the resort pool' downtime scheduled and even with that, we had an amazing time but everyone was just utterly exhausted by the end of the trip. The amount of walking, heat, and level of stimulation is so high (and the pools are so neat!) that it's good to have large chunks of "lounge by the pool or in a restaurant" time.


- I found the security both reassuring and strangely heartbreaking. What has the world come to when you need metal detectors at Disney! That is new since my childhood.


- After much handwringing, I said to heck with my credit card bill and did a Halloween in room celebration for my nephew. My thoughts on it were - it was amazing, and if it were under, say $300, I would recommend it in a heartbeat (it's closer to 500). The price is rather steep but in line with typical florist prices, I guess, and they did do an amazing job with presentation (part of it, for Halloween, was the cool spooky lighting, not sure if it would have had the same effect without that.) I was thinking we would splurge once and never do it again - later realized my mistake in that having "Mickey" visit the room creates a Santa Claus-esque situation. So realized I'm going to have to hoof it to the party store and sneak in to decorate the room next time we visit or kiddo will think "Mickey" is ignoring him this time.


- Check to make sure your magic bands are synced (at the resort, before you head out,) if you had more than one person buying things. We had different people chipping in on resort rooms or tickets and so on and different 'planners' on MyDisney accounts, and so when we got to the park a couple of people had to have their bands straightened out.


Whew! My numerous thoughts for the moment - we had an amazing, magical time!

 

[Hootch]

Thanks. We get the resort mugs every trip. I head to fill up when my wife is getting in the shower and I usually fill up again before we leave.

 

[Accident]

I was thinking we would splurge once and never do it again - later realized my mistake in that having "Mickey" visit the room creates a Santa Claus-esque situation. So realized I'm going to have to hoof it to the party store and sneak in to decorate the room next time we visit or kiddo will think "Mickey" is ignoring him this time.

I think this is the best thing you have in this post (and the rest was really good too). daily I see people posting about "what can I do to make this really special" and then they list a lot of things they are already paying extra for.. It's setting the bar for what a disney trip should be at minimum. The people that get there every year or more often aren't making it cost as much.. They pick and choose what to do each trip and what to skip.. yes you have to experience it to know what is right for every trip but if yo dont' do that on your first trip you can afford to get back much sooner.. Being at disney is the special. Pick and choose where you spend more money or eat at more expensive places and it'll help the wallet out and you can stay longer and come more often

 

[adisneyaunt]

Sounds like you made some Magical Memries. Thanks so much for sharing your families fun and kindness in sharing your Tips too!

 

[msp2mco]

Fun and insightful post. I think the information about family dynamics is spot on. You never know what can come out in a new environment with lots of expectations and with spending lots of money.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Regarding effects of the hot weather, one's tolerance can vary not only with age, but also depending on the weather you are accustomed to where you live.

Regarding the FP+s for rides that get little or no line anyway, I believe Disney did this intentionally in an effort to spread the crowds out more evenly among the rides.

Regarding the resort mugs, they are more convenient if you have a car and can leave them in the car for the day, and then stop at the resort cafeteria on the way back. Second choice, though cumbersome, would be to carry the empty mug with you at the park so you'll have it when you get back. Without either of these approaches, I agree it can be a hassle to retrieve and fill them after a long day, especially if your room is far from the cafeteria.

 

[awalker1015]

Thanks for your post! Agree with everything you said. Especially about the mugs. Last time we had them they were never with us when we needed them. None of us like soft drinks or tea, only water, so kind of a waste. I did enjoy filling mine with coffee but not enough to buy one. I guess if you are a big soft drink or tea drinker it's worth doing. Now if you could fill them with adult beverages....

 

[RobinDragonryder]

Great post! I agree with DaisyDuck001 -- I'm from Louisiana, so the heat doesn't bother me or my aging parents as much as it would someone from, say, Colorado or Vermont or something.

The only time I've done the mugs was when me and 2 friends did the free dining plan promotion, and we didn't pay for them and it still didn't feel worth the hassle--like you said, they were always in the room when we needed them, and none of us had a backpack to carry them in to the parks (and we didn't drive to the parks, so keeping them in the car wasn't an option).

If you have a little one and don't have hundreds of dollars to spare, Disney Floral does some cheaper options as well as the crazy all-out ones. For the aforementioned trip (my friends' first time at Disney) I had "Mickey" bring us each embroidered Mickey ears and a personalized diaper bag for one friend's cousin, all for less than $100. Yes, I know the mickey ears are cheaper elsewhere but it was a nice surprise waiting for them after a long day in the park.

 

[HeatherL1985]

- There's is such a temptation to fit in every possible attraction, especially if, like us, you may not be able to go back for a few years. No matter how much it seems like it'd be that much more special with these three more items on your checklist, I would say add plenty of downtime to your schedule, even to the point of it seeming excessive. I thought I had a ton of 'hanging at the resort pool' downtime scheduled and even with that, we had an amazing time but everyone was just utterly exhausted by the end of the trip. The amount of walking, heat, and level of stimulation is so high (and the pools are so neat!) that it's good to have large chunks of "lounge by the pool or in a restaurant" time.

Oh my gosh!! This!! I always recommend picking only three must-do activities for the day and then letting the rest play out as it will. Our first few trips we tried to RULE THE WORLD...and ended up ruling the drool on our flight tray tables instead...and then ruling the couch for a few days...and then the coffee pot at work on Monday...

Since then, we try a more leisurely approach and have found we have WAY more fun!!

 

[CyCub]

We find that it is best to share mugs.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

yes you have to experience it to know what is right for every trip but if yo dont' do that on your first trip you can afford to get back much sooner.. Being at disney is the special. Pick and choose where you spend more money or eat at more expensive places and it'll help the wallet out and you can stay longer and come more often

I just have to state...I'm from a small city in Northern Alberta Canada. Do you realize how much flights are??????!!!!!!! lol. The flights alone for the DD and I to fly to Orlando was 1600.00. That is just for the flight for two people. And No, I don't live close to an American airport. The nearest one would be over an 18 hr drive. So no, it is not worth it for us to drive to catch a cheap flight. And remember our dollar is also not at par with your dollar. So for every 100.00 American we spend, it is going to cost us 135.00 Canadian. So you can see how that adds up. That is just the flight! So you bet I'm going to make it worth my while and fit everything in. It is a HUGE investment for us. Lots of planning and saving to do a trip like this. Sorry for being sensitive on this issue. For many people visiting who can't do multiple trips, it is frustrating to hear comments like that.

And yes...the DD is 22 now lol So we will have a very unique view of Dw for our first trip there. We are very excited to go and we will be trying to fit in everything we want to see! I may come home a dog dead tired...but it will be a good tired because we got to visit Florida and Disney World!!!!

Thanks for the awesome tips. I keep finding little tips for us to use!

 

[nursejackie]

The mug's value depends on your length of stay and how much time you spend at your resort. We go for 15-17 nights so 'length of stay' is worth it to us. We usually have 3 refills a day, and we like to take them home as souvenirs.

 

[YawningDodo]

I just have to state...I'm from a small city in Northern Alberta Canada. Do you realize how much flights are??????!!!!!!! lol. The flights alone for the DD and I to fly to Orlando was 1600.00. That is just for the flight for two people.

Yeah, I live in Montana and it's not quite as bad for me as it is for you, but when I see people talking about cutting down costs to go often...lolno. I'm working on the math to see if it's feasible to buy a Disneyland AP and go three times in whatever year I decide to do DL, since it's closer and theoretically the flights should be less outrageous, but I have my doubts that even that will work out in my favor since my city has such a small airport and it's inherently expensive to fly in and out of here. Other airports in Montana are not much bigger or cheaper; by the time I drove to one I'd be out as much gas money as it would have cost to fly from home.

For me, if I'm going anywhere I can't drive to reach, I have to think about it in terms of the flight being an investment and in terms of stretching my vacation enjoyment to get the most out of that investment. It's generally a lot more economical to go longer and cram more things in than it is to make a series of shorter trips with fewer add-ons.

 

[buzznina]

Yeah, I live in Montana and it's not quite as bad for me as it is for you, but when I see people talking about cutting down costs to go often...lolno. I'm working on the math to see if it's feasible to buy a Disneyland AP and go three times in whatever year I decide to do DL, since it's closer and theoretically the flights should be less outrageous, but I have my doubts that even that will work out in my favor since my city has such a small airport and it's inherently expensive to fly in and out of here. Other airports in Montana are not much bigger or cheaper; by the time I drove to one I'd be out as much gas money as it would have cost to fly from home.

For me, if I'm going anywhere I can't drive to reach, I have to think about it in terms of the flight being an investment and in terms of stretching my vacation enjoyment to get the most out of that investment. It's generally a lot more economical to go longer and cram more things in than it is to make a series of shorter trips with fewer add-ons.

We are lucky enough to be only a 7 hour drive to WDW and so we can visit more frequently and have never paid rack rate. If we had to fly, there would be no way to visit even once a year

 

[YawningDodo]

We are lucky enough to be only a 7 hour drive to WDW and so we can visit more frequently and have never paid rack rate. If we had to fly, there would be no way to visit even once a year

Man, if only....

I don't have a set "schedule" for Disney vacations at this point in my life since it's just been in the last two years that I could afford to start taking bigger vacations as an adult, so it's hard for me to say that WDW is a "once-every-___" type of trip. That being said, if I manage to make it to DLP in May 2017 that'll be a 1.5 year gap since my last WDW vacation (not actually sure yet if I can swing it or if I need to wait until fall). If I kept things stateside I might manage once per year, but it would be a stretch. I think 1.5 to 2 years is more likely; probably longer when I do the Asian Disney parks.

Of course, it being so expensive to fly to Florida is part of what made me consider the foreign parks in the first place. Going abroad is more expensive still, of course, but when it takes over a year to save up for a Disney vacation anyway, taking a few extra months onto the savings plan so I can go to France isn't much of an additional hardship.

 

[mdsouth]

Just returned from a Disney trip - in no particular order, the (hopefully) helpful tidbits I picked up after planning and enjoying a five day trip:


- Planning a first trip to Disney (or 'first for the new generation') is a bit like planning a wedding. Not to the same extent, but kinda. It's such and iconic place and moment - all of the sudden these sentiments I was not expecting came out of the woodwork.So, possibly, if you are the planner, be ready for that.


- The heat in Florida can actually be dangerous. The heat index there can simply be unsafe, no matter how many fans and hats and water bottles you bring.


-
- - There's is such a temptation to fit in every possible attraction, especially if, like us, you may not be able to go back for a few years. No matter how much it seems like it'd be that much more special with these three more items on your checklist, I would say add plenty of downtime to your schedule, even to the point of it seeming excessive. I thought I had a ton of 'hanging at the resort pool' downtime scheduled and even with that, we had an amazing time but everyone was just utterly exhausted by the end of the trip. The amount of walking, heat, and level of stimulation is so high (and the pools are so neat!) that it's good to have large chunks of "lounge by the pool or in a restaurant" time.

Whew! My numerous thoughts for the moment - we had an amazing, magical time!

Great Tips! I have to especially agree with the ones I have quoted here.

Great advice to remember not to try to cram extra stuff in while you are at the parks - it just typically makes for some very cranky people in your traveling group (adults and children alike). Stop and go back to your resort and relax at different points to refresh.

My motto is that if we just won't be able to see it all. I just hope we can see it some other time even though I only get to visit WDW every four years! I wish it would be more often but it isn't.

 

[connie1042]

I had to laugh when you said you set yourself up when you bought the decorations for you nephew. I did not buy the package, but sent it all ahead of time to the resort, plus a lot of extras at dinners and parks. All set up by me. It was for my GD 4th birthday. Everyone said I would be in trouble if she ever went again and would expect the same. Well, we have been back with all the grandkids. She never said a word about what was there before, or that she was missing things. She was just happy to be there again.