Questions (general advice) and thanks

[MathomAndStuff]

Sorry that this is long. I wanted to get it all in one post.

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone on here for posting as you do. I've been lurking for over a month and feel reasonably armed to take on a visit during the week after Easter. Your experiences and advice has been invaluable.

Thank you to the poster who put the Bibbidi Bobbiti Boutique info on here. The day it opens is our last full day there. My 5 yr old daughter has an 8am appointment and we have a 9:40 breakfast time at Ariel's Grotto (the CM told us to allow 1hr for the boutique package... I'm shocked but Daddy agreed to the full dress expensive package... we only will ever have the one princess... she's worth the sacrifice of a few extra Starbucks trips for me). I'm so excited for her. I will probably end up tearing up then and when we first walk in the gates. You know what they say about karma kicking you in the butt? I laughed at my poor mom when she did it with me all those years ago... look at me now.

Things I've learned to maximize this trip:
- get thyself out of bed early and capitalize on MM's. (my parents never believed in paying for "a place you only sleep in" and I could never afford it in Univ so this time it's the DLHotel for us) Note to self as a late to bed; late to riser: bring RedBulls.
- invest in RideMax
- pay attention and use FastPass (they never had it for my other visits... the last time we were there Indy was newly opened and DCA was still a massive parking lot)
- bring comfy shoes. Get child her own fanny pack and autograph book from home.
- bring mini cereal boxes and shelf-stable or purchase milk to have quick morning breakfast in the room and get moving. Bring some snack foods and water with us in the park.

Questions:
- Those are the major things I've thought of. Did I miss anything that anyone would recommend? (we won't have a car so though I'd like to get a few groceries, the time/cab or bus fare probably won't make it worthwhile)
- On the Friday (I'm expecting it to be crowded) we have the BBB appointment right at park opening 8am. What time should we arrive at the gates to have a chance of getting there as close to that time as possible? We're staying at DLH - should we walk to the gates or take the monorail on this day?
- We bought 5 day Park Hopper passes but probably should've bought a 6 day one. I'm aware that we can likely exchange, but I read somewhere to do so after we use it the first time. Is this true and why?

Thanks again everyone!

27 more sleeps! I have not been this excited in ages...

 

[Disney Dreams]

Welcome out of lurking. Sounds like you have an exciting trip coming up. Yay for you!

I know nothing about BBB and as a local, don't know the ins and outs of multi-day passes so I will let others who know the "tricks" on those answer your question.

I have never used RideMax, so I don't really know its value, but I have done DL countless times without it. I don't know that you need it, but of course that's your call and only you can decide it if's worth the money.

Have a great trip and let us al know as more questions pop up in the coming days.

- Dreams

 

[fairykin]

I hope that your family has a very special trip with lots of wonderful memories.

In regards to the autograph book.. it's best to get a sharpie marker for the characters to sign with.. their big hands can hold the oversided marker better than a pen.

We've *never* used ride max. We look at a map, plan each day by land and where we want to have lunch and dinner then make priority seatings and a little agenda then go with the flow.

Sometimes it's best to work in time to relax.. from all the rushing.

I have read of several people ordering water and things from Costco. You might want to do a separate post about where to order food from for room delivery.

 

[firefly87]

Hi.....welcome to the Boards! I just recently joined a couple months ago!

You might already by doing this, but request a fridge in your room at the DLH. Also, if you are not doing a grocery delivery, you can buy individual milks at the Compass Bookstore. The bookstore is at the very end of DTD, but closest to the DLH! When we last stayed at the DLH, we had a small breakfast in the room (cereal, bagels, etc) and then got a Jamba Juice on our way through DTD.

Bring extra shoes for your daughter as well. I am a firm believer of rotating between pairs of shoes......once my feet are tired and hurt, then I get cranky! If you go back to your room in the afternoon, put on a different pair of shoes to wear that evening. I'm telling you, this little thing makes a huge difference in your feet comfort!

We are leaving tomorrow and will be at the parks for 5 full days. Since we are expecting crowds and will be there for multiple days, our plan of attack is to use FastPass as much as possible, but also fully do certain "Lands" each day (as in not doing the whole park each day). There are many things we have never done and we would like to try some new & different things. For instance, I have never seen the Billy Hill & the Hillbilles show, sat on Main St in the rocking chairs and listened for the sounds from the dentist office, picked up the party line phones on Main St (I think they are in City Hall??) and listened to the gossip.

Have a great time on your trip!

 

[avalon451]

Things I've learned to maximize this trip:
- get thyself out of bed early and capitalize on MM's. (my parents never believed in paying for "a place you only sleep in" and I could never afford it in Univ so this time it's the DLHotel for us) Note to self as a late to bed; late to riser: bring RedBulls.
- invest in RideMax
- pay attention and use FastPass (they never had it for my other visits... the last time we were there Indy was newly opened and DCA was still a massive parking lot)
- bring comfy shoes. Get child her own fanny pack and autograph book from home.
- bring mini cereal boxes and shelf-stable or purchase milk to have quick morning breakfast in the room and get moving. Bring some snack foods and water with us in the park.

Questions:
- Those are the major things I've thought of. Did I miss anything that anyone would recommend? (we won't have a car so though I'd like to get a few groceries, the time/cab or bus fare probably won't make it worthwhile)
- On the Friday (I'm expecting it to be crowded) we have the BBB appointment right at park opening 8am. What time should we arrive at the gates to have a chance of getting there as close to that time as possible? We're staying at DLH - should we walk to the gates or take the monorail on this day?
- We bought 5 day Park Hopper passes but probably should've bought a 6 day one. I'm aware that we can likely exchange, but I read somewhere to do so after we use it the first time. Is this true and why?

Thanks again everyone!

27 more sleeps! I have not been this excited in ages...

Welcome! Glad you de-lurked!

Sounds like you have things well in hand and you're having fun planning. Planning is half the fun for us OCD types!

So is it just you, DH and DD5? No DS's who need to do Jedi Training academy? Actually DD5 might enjoy that, too. Girls make great Jedis.

It sounds like you've read Hydroguy's tips compilation? Ridemax is a good tool, especially since you will be there one of the busiest weeks of the year. I used it to supplement my plan, along with following Hydroguy's rules for getting the most out of high season. I would add to your main ideas, to be sure to take a midday break-- the crowds are going to be very thick midday, and since you'll have already been there since opening and gotten lots of stuff done, it will be prime time to hightail it for DLH and enjoy that pirate pool, and maybe take a nap. (Mom and Dad need the nap, by this point, maybe not the kids so much!)

As far as groceries, you may want to look into ordering from Albertson's online. They will deliver directly to your hotel. You can time it to coincide with your arrival, to within an hour and a half, and the front desk will hold it for you. We did this twice, and it worked great. We ordered individual cereal packets, milk, juice, yogurt, fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, and a rack of bottled water, along with paper towels and plastic spoons and bowls.

For your last day BBB appointment-- don't take the monorail; it does not consistently start on time. Sometimes it does, but it's not dependable. Rather, get to the security tables by 7:30 and you should be able to get a place in line at the turnstiles quite close to the front. They won't expect you to be there at the stroke of 8 a.m.; it takes a few minutes to walk back there. Turnstile hint: line up at gate 13 or gate 20. They move faster because they are blocked by a tree planter, so the adjacent gates feed from that one line. No kidding, I got that tip from the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, and a few DISers here have tried it and reported it to be accurate: those lines move faster.

Not sure about the ticket upgrade-- I think it might be people who are thinking about upgrading to an AP-- who recommend that you do that on your last day, so that you can still use your MM days. For you that wouldn't matter, though, since you're staying at DLH, and on-site hotel guests get MM priveleges regardless.

Hope that helps, and I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[pixiewings71]

For your ticket upgrade you can upgrade it anytime really. Just stop by the ticket booths anyday and let them know you'd like to add a day. They will be happy to help you. Enjoy your trip! I hope it's as magical as you dream!!

 

[MathomAndStuff]

Some more great tips, indeed!
Thank you all!