Tips to have a better experience while flying to Walt Disney World

[safetymom]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-...experience-while-flying-to-walt-disney-world/

 

[goofy4tink]

Knew you would show up!! Thanks for the good tips.
Anyone one have any favorites to add?

 

[siskaren]

Knew you would show up!! Thanks for the good tips.
Anyone one have any favorites to add?

I don't think it was mentioned, but definitely wear slip-on shoes.

 

[OKW Lover]

Be familiar with what is and isn't allowed through the TSA checkpoint. Take a look at www.tsa.gov.

 

[dano4]

Knew you would show up!! Thanks for the good tips.
Anyone one have any favorites to add?

Download a few good movies to watch on your iPad while on the plane (don't forget headphones). Be sure your devices are fully charged prior to boarding the plane (you can find outlets all over the airport). Don't forget to take portable power to recharge your device(s) while on the plane. If you have Netflix, catch-up on your favorite show while sitting in the airport (I recommend that you use the free Wi-Fi offered at most airports).

 

[bumbershoot]

"7. When the time finally comes for you to board the plane be sure you don’t approach the gate until your zone is called. There is always a large crowd of people that rush the gate and make it harder for you to get through and board the plane."

Disagree. BECAUSE there's always a large crowd, be part of that crowd OR you will have a hard time getting through to board.

Luckily it seems like the legacy airlines are taking SW's lead and putting signs up. Yesterday I stood in my righteous line for boarding group 4 (ugh...I so prefer using DH's United miles where I get his perks, or flying with him on that or other airlines so we get his perks, too!) in the line and wasn't in any other boarding group's way. It was lovely.

"

8. When the time finally comes for you to board the plane make sure everyone is holding their own boarding pass when they get to the gate agent."

This has never once been something required on a flight I've been on. They've always been happy (at the TSA boarding spots and at the gate) for anyone to hold the boarding passes for anyone.

Not saying it's not something that has happened. But if your kid really really wants to hold everyones' passes, it might not be an issue for your flight, and I wouldn't worry about it until/unless it actually is something the gate agent needs.

 

[maxiesmom]

"

8. When the time finally comes for you to board the plane make sure everyone is holding their own boarding pass when they get to the gate agent."

This has never once been something required on a flight I've been on. They've always been happy (at the TSA boarding spots and at the gate) for anyone to hold the boarding passes for anyone.

Not saying it's not something that has happened. But if your kid really really wants to hold everyones' passes, it might not be an issue for your flight, and I wouldn't worry about it until/unless it actually is something the gate agent needs.

Air Tran used to insist that each person have their own pass, even children.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

"10. Some of my personal pet peeves on a plane: if you have to get out of your row to use the bathroom don’t use my seat back as a lever to get up."

Part of packing your patience involves understanding that not everyone has the same physical abilities as you do. Most people are touching your seat because it helps them to balance. -- Suzanne

 

[nkereina]

8. When the time finally comes for you to board the plane make sure everyone is holding their own boarding pass when they get to the gate agent."

This has never once been something required on a flight I've been on. They've always been happy (at the TSA boarding spots and at the gate) for anyone to hold the boarding passes for anyone.

I just flew out of Atlanta last week and the TSA agent told the children in front of me they needed to hang onto their own boarding passes when going through security, and made the mother hand them out to all four children. Some were young. Guess it depends on the agent.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

......

Luckily it seems like the legacy airlines are taking SW's lead and putting signs up. Yesterday I stood in my righteous line for boarding group 4 (ugh...I so prefer using DH's United miles where I get his perks, or flying with him on that or other airlines so we get his perks, too!) in the line and wasn't in any other boarding group's way. .....

Please note that in April, United closed the loophole of inheriting someone else's status when you use their frequent flyer miles to book a ticket for someone with lower status. You will no longer get whatever perks your husband gets, ie, if he's a 1K and you book a trip for yourself traveling without him (assuming you have no status) using his miles, no boarding group one, free checked bags, or free economy plus seats for you.

I'm a 1K on United and I bought my no status son a trip using my miles last February. He flew last week. Because I booked before April, he got free economy plus seats, but was in boarding group 4.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

One of the best articles like this I have read.

A couple of additions

if your airline charges for seating and you have to sit with your child pay for the seats. Do not show up and demonstrate that your child is actually the mature member of the family by screaming and crying because you and your child are not seated together. No there is no law or regulation requiring the airline to seat you with your family.


Check your reservations and your seat assignments often. Routinely read on travel boards about people who miss the plane because they didn't realize the airline had changed the flight time.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

By the way Delta also wants each passenger to hold their own boarding pass

 

[safetymom]

"10. Some of my personal pet peeves on a plane: if you have to get out of your row to use the bathroom don’t use my seat back as a lever to get up."

Part of packing your patience involves understanding that not everyone has the same physical abilities as you do. Most people are touching your seat because it helps them to balance. -- Suzanne

I can understand using the seat back to balance. Then you should mention to the person whose seat you are using that you getting up. I don't care to be jerked back in my seat without warning. I have also had my laptop slammed shut because someone was using my seat for support.

 

[seashoreCM]

I don't like the idea of letting kids hold their own boarding passes or all of the boarding passes for a prolonged time. A boarding pass might be dropped and lost.

Safer for a parent to hold the boarding passes and hand them out to the kids when getting close to the jetway door or wherever the boarding passes need to be shown or held up.

If you have had kids get fussy in the past and wanting to hold the boarding passes, you could make fake boarding passes for the upcoming trip. Use a fictitious airline name such as Columbia (an airline seen in some of Universal Studios' movies).

OT: I don't like the idea of holding up admission tickets at the Transportation & Ticket Center (Magic Kingdom parking lot concourse) when passing the bag check agents and heading towards the monorail or ferry. A ticket might be dropped and lost.

 

[charmed59]

If your kid wants to hold boarding passes just print out two of each one. Only the first one will scan. If they manage to hold onto their boarding pass all the way to gate agent you don't need to handover the back up.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I can understand using the seat back to balance. Then you should mention to the person whose seat you are using that you getting up. I don't care to be jerked back in my seat without warning. I have also had my laptop slammed shut because someone was using my seat for support.

If I am in the window seat, how exactly do I notify the person in the aisle seat in the row in front of my row that I might be touching their seat when I enter the aisle?

I have to admit that when I am walking down the aisle when at altitude that I keep one hand on the seat backs as I move along. While I try to keep my touch light, if there is turbulence, all bets are off. I would assume most passengers would prefer an occasional bump on their seat to a passenger falling on the floor and requiring medical attention. -- Suzanne

 

[sam_gordon]

I have also had my laptop slammed shut because someone was using my seat for support.

I'm sorry, I just can't picture how this would happen. Can you explain?

 

[goofy4tink]

Good ideas all!
I do have to disagree about joining the gate lice though. I prefer to be part of the solution vs part of the problem.
I have seen those passengers denied access when they try to 'cut the line'. I have no issue shoving my way through that group. My comment is usually 'you know...you'll get in a lot faster if you step aside and let those called to board'....yep, I get some dirty looks, but I get more chagrined faces.

 

[goofy4tink]

I hate having the back of my seat grabbed from behind as well! There's a huge difference between someone holds holds the back gently, in order to gain their balance vs someone who grabs it, then hoists themselves up, forcing the seat back to go back suddenly. An 'excuse me, I'm so sorry' goes a long way toward diffusing a situation.
I almost always take a window seat. I seldom need to grab the seat back in front of me to get up. If I'm on a long flight, over 4 hrs., I might get up once, but that's about it...that's usually a cross country flight that lasts 6 hrs. The only time I have any issue is if I'm in the window seat and there are strangers in the seats in the other two seats in my row. Kind of hard to lean into them in order to avoid grabbing that seatback!!!
A little common sense goes a long way....I doubt anyone is going to get in a tizzy because their seat was used as a support, as long as it wasn't a really rough grab...especially if there is some acknowledgement of the disturbance.

 

[OKW Lover]

Just a comment on the whole setback thing. If the person in front of me has reclined the seat all the way back, I'm quite likely going to be hitting it as I get up in flight. Not that they are doing anything wrong, its just that there is so little room that there is really no choice.