** Official August 2024 Thread **

[BellesRosesAndBooks]

We'll be at WDW the same week as you. It will be hot. We found that we needed to have an indoor dining reservation at least once a day in order to cool off.

Your MNSSHP ticket will get you into the Magic Kingdom as early as 4pm. There are several ways to spend that day, depending on your other park tickets.

Just ask lots of questions and we will be happy to give you lots of answers. We were totally lost when we went to Disneyland for the first time ever last April. WDW would be so much more confusing.

It’s so crazy because I thought that week was supposed to be lower crowds but the week prior…. I’ve been looking at reservations so I am ready to go and SO MUCH is gone!!

Would you do a park in the AM before MNSSHP? Right now I have planned to do the morning at Hollywood Studios until noon, head back to the resort to recoup for a bit, and then head to the party for 3/330.

Food and Wine starts on Thursday…. So that led to a whole plan change too planning Epcot AM until 1 PM and then DHS for after hours starting at 5. We have 5 day park hopper tickets.

I know I can’t get EVERYTHING done and it’s vacation but I want to make sure to hit Food and Wine for at least a tiny bit.

 

[Wood Nymph]

It’s so crazy because I thought that week was supposed to be lower crowds but the week prior…. I’ve been looking at reservations so I am ready to go and SO MUCH is gone!!

Would you do a park in the AM before MNSSHP? Right now I have planned to do the morning at Hollywood Studios until noon, head back to the resort to recoup for a bit, and then head to the party for 3/330.

Food and Wine starts on Thursday…. So that led to a whole plan change too planning Epcot AM until 1 PM and then DHS for after hours starting at 5. We have 5 day park hopper tickets.

I know I can’t get EVERYTHING done and it’s vacation but I want to make sure to hit Food and Wine for at least a tiny bit.

It will be lower crowds, but "lower" is relative. I can tell that they are planning for lower crowds because they haven't extended park hours yet. The end of August and beginning of Sept usually have low crowds because of kids returning to school.

I would do what you are doing - a park in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and party at night. I would also go to Epcot on Thursday because the first day of Food and Wine Festival always has the best food. All the food critics show up on the first day.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Is it bad to say I probably over researched and because of that I have worked in rope drop every day and a break every afternoon? Lurking around the Dis Boards has been so helpful.

How long is your break normally? Any other big first timer tips?!

We pretty much rope drop every day too. We tend to leave the parks around 1ish, go back to resort and swim/nap, then head back into parks around 5ish. Sometimes we even do a load of laundry while we swim. A few hours break really helps.

 

[BellesRosesAndBooks]

It will be lower crowds, but "lower" is relative. I can tell that they are planning for lower crowds because they haven't extended park hours yet. The end of August and beginning of Sept usually have low crowds because of kids returning to school.

I would do what you are doing - a park in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and party at night. I would also go to Epcot on Thursday because the first day of Food and Wine Festival always has the best food. All the food critics show up on the first day.

This is so so helpful. Any other big first timer tips or really any advice even?!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Any other big first timer tips or really any advice even?!

The number one advice is to take it easy. Don't try to do too much. It will be hot, and you'll need to take breaks in the air conditioning. Bring disposable rain ponchos. Florida weather is unpredictable. Rain will appear out of nowhere. Make it to rope drop and if you are staying to a WDW resort than make it to early opening. You can get a lot of rides out of the way before the crowds come in.

My biggest mistake when we went to Disneyland was not knowing the layout of the two parks. We kept asking people where things were because we had no idea which way to go.

 

[dancergirlsmom]

Got our MNSSHP tickets for August 30 and a great rate at Grand Floridian. Heading down August 28 - September 2 before my last first day of school. Looking forward to retiring at the end of this coming school year.

 

[123SA]

Make sure you check this out:

Plan Ahead with Lightning Lane Entry at Walt Disney World Starting July 24​

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-disney-world-starting-july-24.3948850/unread

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Make sure you check this out:

Plan Ahead with Lightning Lane Entry at Walt Disney World Starting July 24​

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...-disney-world-starting-july-24.3948850/unread

Oh my goodness! Thank you for posting this - one more thing for me to learn about lol. Does this sound like how we used to book fastpasses in advance? I just looked quickly and I think I am excited about this! Of course, most of us are on the DIS because we're planners, so it sounds appealing to me.

 

[123SA]

Yes, it seems similar to FP+ -- the iteration with tiers. For me the big question is price, which they apparently aren't releasing until July 24, the day it goes live.

 

[ShannyMcB]

I never used fastpass+ is it going to be crazy trying to get stuff like ADRs? I’m thrilled I’ll be able to sleep a bit more on vacation for sure!

 

[123SA]

I feel bad for the people with vacations scheduled that first week.

I'm just nervous about the price. I had looked at price estimates for Genie+ at thrill data and then overestimated at bit. But if I'm off by $10 per person, per day that's an extra $400

 

[dancergirlsmom]

I feel bad for the people with vacations scheduled that first week.

That would be me . I fly in on July 25 and leave August 2. So I will be busy on the 24th trying to get some lightening lanes. I am not looking forward to this at all. There will be a ton of people trying to get the same rides on the same days. Both on and offsite guests for my first few days. At least my last few days I should be competing with those that are also on site. I think anyway Lol!!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

I feel bad for the people with vacations scheduled that first week.

I'm just nervous about the price. I had looked at price estimates for Genie+ at thrill data and then overestimated at bit. But if I'm off by $10 per person, per day that's an extra $400

What are you estimating per person, per day? I have absolutely no idea and can't even make a guess. I've never done Genie+ either, so I have nothing to compare it to.

 

[123SA]

What are you estimating per person, per day? I have absolutely no idea and can't even make a guess. I've never done Genie+ either, so I have nothing to compare it to.

# people * $29 per day * 1.07 tax (for me that's $1,117 and this doesn't include ILL)

I was estimating that I'd use it everyday and that I would park hop. I initially planned $25 per day but I increased it because I figured Tiana Genie+ would drive it up.

Although I budgeted that amount, I didn't expect to spend all of it. I figured some days I wouldn't use it at all, or I wouldn't park hop. I'm glad now that I did budget all of that. I'll probably buy the new version every day because there won't be enough info to guess whether or not it's needed. If I do skip a day, I think it would be Epcot. But, we are likely to hop on our Epcot day. I don't know. I need to re-think my plans.


I read somewhere that there won't be a significant price increase at the roll out, but who knows what that means. What I don't like is that when I sit down at 7am to frantically get my LL, I won't actually know the price beforehand. At some price point, I won't buy it at all. At some price point, I'd buy a few days. AT some price point, I'd buy it for all of the days. ANd, at some price point, I'll be furious and want to cancel the trip. I'd just like to know this ahead of time.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

# people * $29 per day * 1.07 tax (for me that's $1,117 and this doesn't include ILL)

I was estimating that I'd use it everyday and that I would park hop. I initially planned $25 per day but I increased it because I figured Tiana Genie+ would drive it up.

Although I budgeted that amount, I didn't expect to spend all of it. I figured some days I wouldn't use it at all, or I wouldn't park hop. I'm glad now that I did budget all of that. I'll probably buy the new version every day because there won't be enough info to guess whether or not it's needed. If I do skip a day, I think it would be Epcot. But, we are likely to hop on our Epcot day. I don't know. I need to re-think my plans.


I read somewhere that there won't be a significant price increase at the roll out, but who knows what that means. What I don't like is that when I sit down at 7am to frantically get my LL, I won't actually know the price beforehand. At some price point, I won't buy it at all. At some price point, I'd buy a few days. AT some price point, I'd buy it for all of the days. ANd, at some price point, I'll be furious and want to cancel the trip. I'd just like to know this ahead of time.

Thank you for the detailed reply. I really do appreciate it as I haven't been in a couple of years and never did Genie+, so it's someplace for me to start to budget.
I just read that Canadians can't do this until we are in the US. So disappointing. I'm paying to stay at a deluxe resort and now I can't get this until I cross the border. This means I'll be spending time booking these rides at the beginning of my vacation. I was so excited when I saw this new opportunity to plan ahead, so I'm frustrated! Ugh! My only hope is that we're going to Disney starting August 18th (starting at Universal August 15th, so I will start to book while we are there I guess) so at least we can get it a few days early.

 

[BDFmom]

Hello August people!
My daughter and I will be traveling to WDW 8/18 to 8/25. We are staying at the Swan. We plan on attending MNSHP on 8/20.

We have not been since 2019. My daughter was in the last full DCP program before Covid.

I just spent the last week learning how to use G+. Now Disney has gone and changed back to a system that seems very similar ro the old FP+. I was actually looking forward to some lazy morning with stacked LL for the afternoon.

Now it's back to the rigid planning.
We can't wait to be back.

 

[123SA]

.I just noticed in one of the photos Disney is using to promote the new LL, it shows pricing. It does note that it is example pricing...but the price listed is $27 for MK. I'm hoping that means it will at least be close to that.

You can see the photo on Touring Plans site

 

[BellesRosesAndBooks]

Ahhhh!!!! I got allllll of the reservations we were planning for this morning. Wild Africa Trek, CRT! Over the moon excited.

Fingers crossed we are this fortunate when it’s time to book our LLs! SDD and TBA really eager to see the vloggers handle the new system and hopefully have some of it figured out before I have to book anything.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Today is our ADR day and it is a really good thing that my sister was helping to get reservations, because I totally forgot! Anyway, the only one we couldn't get was Yak & Yeti. The restaurant reservations are loaded into the system for that reservation. We will just keep watching for it to open.

 

[BellesRosesAndBooks]

Today is our ADR day and it is a really good thing that my sister was helping to get reservations, because I totally forgot! Anyway, the only one we couldn't get was Yak & Yeti. The restaurant reservations are loaded into the system for that reservation. We will just keep watching for it to open.

We are literally there the same exact week LOL

I actually did sign up for one of the watching apps to see if I can get the earlier Wild Africa Trek, got 10:15 and wanted 8:45 but happy to do 10:15!