Revf
disney fanatic
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2014
- Messages
- 133
Just got back and thought I would offer some tips and tricks from our trip.
On Fastpass+
1. Use your fast passes for the afternoons when rides get jam packed. Most mornings we walked on rides, or had shorter 20-30 minute wait times.
2. The fast pass for the main street electrical parade is really three shows in one.
Prime viewing for the parade
Right in front of the castle for the projection show on the castle
Underneath the fireworks in the sky
3. Some attractions never need fast passes. Dumbo has a waiting area where kids can play while you wait in line virtually.
4. Rides that have longer load times need fast passes more than those that are constant movers. (Jungle Cruise, Mission Space, Soarin)
5. Dont be afraid to readjust after you arrive for your extra fast passes. If you are doing 2 days at Magic Kingdom and manage to ride standby on a ride that you have a fast pass for later in the week change the ride to something else you want to do.
6. You will be surprised by how many folks dont book their fast passes till the day of.
On dining
1. If your kids are just eating the kids meals take them yourself. Freeze Smuckers Uncrustables overnight take them with you to the parks.
2. Use your dining time to your advantage. We ate at Pecos Bills at 11:15 AM and had a perfect spot for viewing the Fantasy of Festival Parade at noon.
3. If you are not on a Dinning Plan I really recommend lunch for a reserved sit down meal. We had lunch at Crystal Palace and it really gave us a break during the day.
On specific parks
Epcot - Fast Pass Soarin for right after lunch and Mission Space for the morning. Arrive early and do test track first thing in the morning and then your mission space fp. Have lunch at seasons and then use your fp at Soarin. Afternoon/Night in the world showcase. Makes for a super easy day.
Animal Kingdom - Fast Pass Safari in the morning (animals are out), rapids after lunch(its hot), and everest after the rapids(reasonable walk). Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ (Excellent BBQ! the best we had on our trip)
Hollywood Studios - Fast Pass TSMM (it is a must FP as the standbys get very long very quickly), Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. Arrive early and do rockin roller coaster first thing then use your fast pass for tower of terror.
Magic Kingdom - Fast Pass Dwarves Mine Train(brand new ride and standbys will be long), A&E if you can/want, and anything else of your choosing. To see all of magic kingdom we divided the park in half. We did futureworld/fantasyland one day and adventure land,frontier land, and liberty square the next day. We booked our fp specifically for rides in those two places for the different days.
On transportation
1. If you are staying off site as we did. Arriving before the park opens is the number 1 thing you can do to beat the distance issue from where you park to where you go in. If the park opens at 9 AM be there by 8:30 AM.
2. Dont bother with the monorail unless you have older kids that have to ride the monorail. The ferry is just as fast and not nearly as crowded.
General Thoughts
1. If you are coming to the parks for 3 or more days, buy the magic bands for 12.95. Even if you don't need them because of rfid cards, the bands means one person doesn't have to carry or keep up with the cards. I was in charge of the cards and had to pull them out every single time we went to a fp line. After the first day I bought the bands so my party of 6 could scan their own fp without me having to keep up with the cards.
2. If you bank with Chase there is absolutely no reason NOT to have the disney debit card. It gets you a walk on in photo session at Epcot with a printed 8x10. It also gets you 10% off those expensive souvenirs.
3. Be nice! Be nice to the cast members working. Be nice to the other people in the park. Be nice to other folks waiting in line. Remember being nice goes a long way in changing the mood of the folks around you.
On Fastpass+
1. Use your fast passes for the afternoons when rides get jam packed. Most mornings we walked on rides, or had shorter 20-30 minute wait times.
2. The fast pass for the main street electrical parade is really three shows in one.
Prime viewing for the parade
Right in front of the castle for the projection show on the castle
Underneath the fireworks in the sky
3. Some attractions never need fast passes. Dumbo has a waiting area where kids can play while you wait in line virtually.
4. Rides that have longer load times need fast passes more than those that are constant movers. (Jungle Cruise, Mission Space, Soarin)
5. Dont be afraid to readjust after you arrive for your extra fast passes. If you are doing 2 days at Magic Kingdom and manage to ride standby on a ride that you have a fast pass for later in the week change the ride to something else you want to do.
6. You will be surprised by how many folks dont book their fast passes till the day of.
On dining
1. If your kids are just eating the kids meals take them yourself. Freeze Smuckers Uncrustables overnight take them with you to the parks.
2. Use your dining time to your advantage. We ate at Pecos Bills at 11:15 AM and had a perfect spot for viewing the Fantasy of Festival Parade at noon.
3. If you are not on a Dinning Plan I really recommend lunch for a reserved sit down meal. We had lunch at Crystal Palace and it really gave us a break during the day.
On specific parks
Epcot - Fast Pass Soarin for right after lunch and Mission Space for the morning. Arrive early and do test track first thing in the morning and then your mission space fp. Have lunch at seasons and then use your fp at Soarin. Afternoon/Night in the world showcase. Makes for a super easy day.
Animal Kingdom - Fast Pass Safari in the morning (animals are out), rapids after lunch(its hot), and everest after the rapids(reasonable walk). Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ (Excellent BBQ! the best we had on our trip)
Hollywood Studios - Fast Pass TSMM (it is a must FP as the standbys get very long very quickly), Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. Arrive early and do rockin roller coaster first thing then use your fast pass for tower of terror.
Magic Kingdom - Fast Pass Dwarves Mine Train(brand new ride and standbys will be long), A&E if you can/want, and anything else of your choosing. To see all of magic kingdom we divided the park in half. We did futureworld/fantasyland one day and adventure land,frontier land, and liberty square the next day. We booked our fp specifically for rides in those two places for the different days.
On transportation
1. If you are staying off site as we did. Arriving before the park opens is the number 1 thing you can do to beat the distance issue from where you park to where you go in. If the park opens at 9 AM be there by 8:30 AM.
2. Dont bother with the monorail unless you have older kids that have to ride the monorail. The ferry is just as fast and not nearly as crowded.
General Thoughts
1. If you are coming to the parks for 3 or more days, buy the magic bands for 12.95. Even if you don't need them because of rfid cards, the bands means one person doesn't have to carry or keep up with the cards. I was in charge of the cards and had to pull them out every single time we went to a fp line. After the first day I bought the bands so my party of 6 could scan their own fp without me having to keep up with the cards.
2. If you bank with Chase there is absolutely no reason NOT to have the disney debit card. It gets you a walk on in photo session at Epcot with a printed 8x10. It also gets you 10% off those expensive souvenirs.
3. Be nice! Be nice to the cast members working. Be nice to the other people in the park. Be nice to other folks waiting in line. Remember being nice goes a long way in changing the mood of the folks around you.
I've ordered Memory Maker for our next trip, and I still plan to do the Disney Visa character op.
