Useful Tips

[mushumadness]

Hiya

I was just wondering if anybody has some useful tips for our trip starting with the airport working through to the parks

also where can i buy disney travel tags

thanx anna

 

[KayleeUK]

Originally posted by mushumadness
also where can i buy disney travel tags

thanx anna

Have you checked your local Disney Store?

My tip...take it slow, take time to see everything...there is no need to rush you will be back


Next..

 

[allie5]

Here are a few:

When in the Immigration hall, join the queue nearest the one for American Citizens only. This clears quite quickly and they call people over from the next queue (this tip works best at Sanford).

If you are renting a car, send the drivers ahead to collect the car, whilst the rest of the party collect the baggage (ALL the drivers have to be present at the rental desk though).

DONT make ambitious late night plans for your first few nights. You will be up super early in those first days so take advantage of this and hit your "Must Do" rides and attractions at park opening. This will save you LOTS of time. Save all late night attractions till later in your holiday (Fantasmic, Illuminations, Spectromagic for example).

Eat your main meal at lunch time. Especially in the parks this can save a party of 4 upwards of $20 per meal. Also, look out for the coupon books to save 20% or so off many off site restaurants!

Take your own bottled water into the parks. It cost $5 for 24 sport top bottles at the supermarket...ONE bottle cost $2.50 in the parks! If you have a freezer, freeze a couple and leave a few in the car and a couple in your rucksack!

Ask to travel up front with the driver on the monorail...this is free, you MAY get a "pilots license" and its a great view! You may have to wait until one comes with the seats free though.

If entering Animal Kingdom at opening, go through the Rainforest Cafe (there is also an entrance / exit here). This bypasses all the crowds!

Use the FASTPASS system to its fullest. You will be surprised how many people have no idea what this is, so take advantage of it to plan your day.

Hope that helps a little!
Allie

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

My tip - relax and enjoy!!!!!!!

Cath

 

[maureen4200040]

Hi ya,

My tip is pretty obvious really, make sure you take a extra suitcase for all the goodies you're going to bring back.

Buy your drinks and snacks at Walmart, you will save yourself a lot of time and money, if you make a trip there within the first couple days of your arrival.

Remember to take time out each day to relax and chill out.

 

[disneyholic family]

allie5 -- they don't have a uniline???....we always fly into JFK where the passport control hall is gigantic....but there's a uniline....well, 2 actually....one for non-US and one for US citizens....
i would be irritated to distraction if i had to choose a line to stand in...what if you stand behind someone who has problems being cleared?...you could stand there forever.....that's ridiculous....

 

[allie5]

they don't have a uniline???....

Nope. Its a big free for all. About 10-15 lines (depending on how many desks are manned). And yes, if you get behnind someone who hasnt got the right paperwork, you can be there for AGES.

Another tip for people, try to join lines that have very obvious family groups as they will be seen "as one". Groups of friends travelling together with different names will be seen individually (you often get groups of lads on "rollercoaster" holidays and they interview each one for ages). Choose the line that has plenty of strollers!!!

 

[Kal El]

Originally posted by allie5
Nope. Its a big free for all. About 10-15 lines (depending on how many desks are manned). And yes, if you get behnind someone who hasnt got the right paperwork, you can be there for AGES.

Another tip for people, try to join lines that have very obvious family groups as they will be seen "as one". Groups of friends travelling together with different names will be seen individually (you often get groups of lads on "rollercoaster" holidays and they interview each one for ages). Choose the line that has plenty of strollers!!!

I was there in May for my 4th time and they had 1 big line and directed you to free desks as they became available. This is the first time I have seen it like that so dont know if it was just a trial or if this si the new aproach.

 

[allie5]

Thats interesting Kal El, never come across this on all our trips. I wonder if it will work any better?

How long did you wait in line?

 

[disneyholic family]

allie5 -- unilines always work better....and certainly reduce that gambling tension of having to choose a line.....this year we came in on the 4th of july...our plane arrived at 5 am along with many many other planes (all 747s of course)....the hall, which as i said is ENORMOUS, was packed.....in all my travels to the states i have never ever ever ever seen it that way....including on the US citizen side (which we are)...as we walked up (after our mile hike from the gate we arrived in) we saw the HUGE US citizen line, weaving back and forth and back and forth.....
we were in line for a solid hour!!!!!!.....normally it takes 5 minutes on the american side of the hall (the other side is much slower)...
they only had 2 (!!) people working on the american side....it was the 4th of july after all.....
and worse, there were two men who were at one of the desks for about 20 of the minutes we stood there (imagine if you were behind them)...finally another immigration official together with a policeman came and took them away....at least it was an entertaining moment while we waited....

and the funniest thing....everyone in line seemed to have a cellphone....well the guard immediately made everyone turn off their phones....(in that marine like tone of voice, "no cell phones maam.....NO CELL PHONES MAAM"....i was cracking up)...

anyway....it was a mess.....
on the good side, by the time we made it through passport control our luggage was not only out, but stacked on the floor off the carousel....we grabbed it and raced for our connecting flight....