New to WDW...again.

[Vandercapellen]

I used to be a WDW pro, but we haven't been in almost 15 years. We honeymooned at WDW over 20 years ago and are now empty nesters. We are looking to head back to WDW in the fall of 2024 to celebrate our anniversary. I'm a major over planner and I have adhd so I'm looking to spend the next 15 month hyper focusing on our trip .#IYKYK Please spam me with any and all tips, tricks, planning info etc. I also LOVE to keep a planning binder for my WGW trips. I welcome any planning sheet/binders you recommend.

Thanks in advance for indulging me.

 

[Gary Stocker]

Sounds like you need a travel agent. Haha.

 

[Gary Stocker]

...however i will indulge.
You want to stay in the bubble on site?
If onsite...consider renting points from someone who is renting their dvc points. .you can save a lot of $ and stay at a deluxe resort.

 

[Vandercapellen]

We ALWAYS stay on site. Wouldn't do it any other way.

...however i will indulge.
You want to stay in the bubble on site?
If onsite...consider renting points from someone who is renting their dvc points. .you can save a lot of $ and stay at a deluxe resort.

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

When you book make sure you have/add on a vacation protection plan.
If you are booking Disney but staying offsite make sure you have supplier failure protection or airline failure protection and hotel failure protection just in case if offsite hotel or airline goes into administration.

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

We ALWAYS stay on site. Wouldn't do it any other way.

Yes it's better in a Disney resort because if you stay somewhere in International Drive the hotels only have complimentary transport to Universal only and the shuttle is extra charge for Disney and you have to book and the shuttle only goes to Magic Kingdom near transport and tickets area and Epcot and doesn't go to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. If you stay at a Disney resort the shuttle busses are complimentary to and from the parks.

 

[midwestdee]

Go to the Theme Parks & Attractions forum - read the Everything Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightening Lanes thread, posts
# 1 - 7, repeat until memorized. They are updated as changes occur. Start watching U tube videos on Genie+ and ILLs.

 

[BostonEd]

I mean, you've got around 6 months until you can even start THINKING about booking anything. Why not just read the forums regularly for a while, instead of asking for generic tips that may or may not apply to you when the time comes? Then maybe in the late fall you can ask more specific, valuable-to-you questions.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Id start by getting familiar with the app because it’s used for everything now

 

[RoseGold]

Whatever you plan for 2024 might be obsolete. Things are changing fast, especially stuff like G+. I would expect all of that to be different by then.

 

[KeroKero]

I know how OP feels. I used to consider myself a pro at planning. People would come to me for advice and tips and now, not having been since 2017, I feel so lost and my head is spinning as I wait for 2024 pricing for April-May to be released and I try to learn the ins and outs of Genie+, LL's, Virtual Queues, mobile ordering

 

[mommajo143]

I know how OP feels. I used to consider myself a pro at planning. People would come to me for advice and tips and now, not having been since 2017, I feel so lost and my head is spinning as I wait for 2024 pricing for April-May to be released and I try to learn the ins and outs of Genie+, LL's, Virtual Queues, mobile ordering

same. we are in the midst of finalizing for a summer trip after going every other year for all my kids childhood...up until CV19...now so much has changed i am struggling.

 

[katekirisit]

I used to be a WDW pro, but we haven't been in almost 15 years. We honeymooned at WDW over 20 years ago and are now empty nesters. We are looking to head back to WDW in the fall of 2024 to celebrate our anniversary. I'm a major over planner and I have adhd so I'm looking to spend the next 15 month hyper focusing on our trip .#IYKYK Please spam me with any and all tips, tricks, planning info etc. I also LOVE to keep a planning binder for my WGW trips. I welcome any planning sheet/binders you recommend.

Thanks in advance for indulging me.

You are my WDW spirit animal!!!!! - I do everything you just mentioned! (I am in the process of planning my first trip ever)

 

[jimmymc]

In 15 years, a good amount has changed, but here are the biggest ones:

1. Magic Express is gone. You need to arrange your own transportation from the airport to your resort. Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer are paid busses, there are also cabs, towncars, and Uber/Lyft.

2. Fastpasses are gone. Instead, you have Genie+, a service where you pay by the day to book return times on your phone. There are dozens of Youtube videos that explain how to use it. You have to buy it each day if you want it, book your first time at 7 am, then book your next one after using the first one or two hours after park opening, whichever comes first. Check out different strategies to get the most value.

3. Extra magic hours are different. Rather than different parks each day, all parks are open 30 minutes early for all Disney resort guests, plus on select nights a park will be open 2 hours late for deluxe and DVC resorts only.

4. The Skyliner is a new cable car with 3 different routes: Caribbean Beach to Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach to Pop Century and Art of Animation, and Caribbean Beach to Epcot with a stop at the new Riviera resort. What this all means is that it's now a lot faster to get from Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera to Epcot and Studios.

The biggest difference in your day to day strategy will be Genie+, so definitely learn the system and at least try it out one day, preferably Magic Kingdom day. Restaurant reservations are made 60 days out from your first day, and mobile ordering is available at almost every quick service restaurant and many table service restaurants for takeout, which cuts down on lines.

After hours events are a lot more common now. You get in to the parks later in the afternoon, then for 3 to 4 hours after closing you get to ride most attractions with almost no waits. These can be worth buying a shorter ticket and adding a party, especially if you really like doing attractions. Some of these are themed and have special parades and shows, like the Magic Kingdom Halloween and Christmas parties, and others are not, you just get short lines and an empty park.