WDW Commando Club

[TanJDis2014]

I don't think of myself as a commando, but I want to post my over the top commando experience at DHS and support other commandos and say that a commando experience can be an absolute blast. This commando day is one of my fondest Disney memories. First time of year -- December 21st -- busy season -- not as bad a Christmas week, but getting close to that season. // Group -- huge 10 people all ages 13 and over // Goal: Get the most out of our one and only one day at a Disney park and minimize waits in line I was in charge of planning for the group. Some of the relatives called me and asked me what they could do to get ready / prepared for the trip. I was just kidding, but they actually took me seriously. I told some what would really help would be to start a jogging program, so we all as a group would be in good physical shape to dodge the strollers at rope drop and get to top attractions before the crowds. And OMG -- I couldn't believe it, but my out of shape relatives who were joining us for the trip actually started a jogging program. lol I had a preliminary plan from touringplans.com laid out and the night before our DHS day sat down and went over it with my brother, my partner in crime, to tweak it and make it as appealing as possible for the entire group. We then went down to the condo lobby and printed 10 copies. For everyone who was going with us, we told them what time we would have breakfast ready and be leaving for the park. We told them two cars would be going at that time, and anyone late would need to find their own transportation to the park and meet up with us, as we wanted to be early people for rope drop and weren't going to wait for anyone. My brother got up early and made a huge breakfast for everyone going. At the same time, my mom and I made 15 sandwiches, as our plan had no time to stop for lunch and several of us would be carrying sandwiches, snacks, and juice boxes in cooler backpacks. We then distributed the plan to every person and said that this is what a core group of us would be doing. Everyone could join us for all or part of this if they wanted and/or do their own thing, but this is what we would be doing. To my total and complete surprise everyone stuck with the group and the plan all day and loved it. We arrived at the entrance to DHS 90 minutes before opening. This is when they actually did have an official rope drop and rope, and we were right at the front of that rope drop line. Next thing, OMG, the rope was down and our party of nine jogs around the strollers and as a group jog over to Toy Story Mania which we had read is the longest line in the park. And we couldn't believe it, only two people in that big crowd actually made it over before we did. So we ride the ride, and there is still no wait (total walk on) when we get off, so we ride it a second time, and then have everyone pick up a fastpass for it. And then it's on with the plan. My niece and nephew are so cute during the day with comments like, "Oh Aunt Kathy, this is so much fun, what does our plan say to get on next." I LOVE plans with big groups especially, as there is none of that, "What do you want to do next. I don't know what do you want to do." It's so much easier and more fun to have a plan in advance I think, and the bigger the group the more I feel that way.

I love this I want to do this for our extended family one day!

 

[AirGoofy]

Okay ya'll! I just booked my FPs and got everything for the windows of time I wanted! Yay! I can't believe how excited I am! Down to the nitty gritty of planning now.
This is my first visit so any input is great.
Any tips on how to best make use of the 60 minute windows for fastpasses? I don't want to ride Test Track at 1:05 and hang around for 45 minutes till it's time for Turtle Talk at 2:20. Any suggestions? I could probably fit in another ride or two right? I guess I need to research how long rides around my FP rides are. Am I making sense? Haha.

Yes, makes sense. Since Test Track and Crush are on the opposite sides of Epcot, then you should be good. If you do FP right at 1:05, the ride will still take 10-15 minutes from entrance, design your car, then ride. Then, walk across Epcot - don't run - and enjoy it. Will you be stopping for lunch? Snack? There is the free Disney Visa pic in Illuminations that I think opens at 1. If you get lucky, Ellen's Universe of Energy ride is nearby test track with 30 minutes of air conditioned seating. Or, you can hit Nemo and friends for some AC and exit into Aquarium near Crush. Planning is important - but so is flexibility. Have a great trip.

 

[TanJDis2014]

Yes, makes sense. Since Test Track and Crush are on the opposite sides of Epcot, then you should be good. If you do FP right at 1:05, the ride will still take 10-15 minutes from entrance, design your car, then ride. Then, walk across Epcot - don't run - and enjoy it. Will you be stopping for lunch? Snack? There is the free Disney Visa pic in Illuminations that I think opens at 1. If you get lucky, Ellen's Universe of Energy ride is nearby test track with 30 minutes of air conditioned seating. Or, you can hit Nemo and friends for some AC and exit into Aquarium near Crush. Planning is important - but so is flexibility. Have a great trip.

Great thank you for such a detailed response. I will have to remember to walk and enjoy. Do you plan out every hour of your trip? I've got most of our days pretty well planned, but am going to try and not be too strict with it as Hubby may rebel from my Disney Dictatorship haha. Plus we'll be staying with friends and having 'relaxed' park days our 2nd week so I can't plan those days.

 

[AirGoofy]

Great thank you for such a detailed response. I will have to remember to walk and enjoy. Do you plan out every hour of your trip? I've got most of our days pretty well planned, but am going to try and not be too strict with it as Hubby may rebel from my Disney Dictatorship haha. Plus we'll be staying with friends and having 'relaxed' park days our 2nd week so I can't plan those days.

In the beginning, I had a more detailed plan. Since we've made a dozen trips, I have it more in my mind. Now, I plan the least amount of walking - trying to maneuver thru the park without doubling back. That is more of a challenge.

 

[Disney Commando]

Okay ya'll! I just booked my FPs and got everything for the windows of time I wanted! Yay! I can't believe how excited I am! Down to the nitty gritty of planning now.
This is my first visit so any input is great.
Any tips on how to best make use of the 60 minute windows for fastpasses? I don't want to ride Test Track at 1:05 and hang around for 45 minutes till it's time for Turtle Talk at 2:20. Any suggestions? I could probably fit in another ride or two right? I guess I need to research how long rides around my FP rides are. Am I making sense? Haha.

I agree with Norm (AirGoofy) and I will add a few other things, 1st I believe around 12:45 the Jamminaters put on a 10min show where you would turn into TT, if you catch the show by the time you get to TT your FP will just about be ready, also Mission Space you usually get on pretty quick depending on how intense you want it, less intense might have a 5 or 10min wait, or some other ideas Meet Duffy at the beginning of the World Showcase, Journey into Imagination with Figment or Living With The Land seem to not to usually have lines. There is always something to do to fill up any void of time

 

[TanJDis2014]

I agree with Norm (AirGoofy) and I will add a few other things, 1st I believe around 12:45 the Jamminaters put on a 10min show where you would turn into TT, if you catch the show by the time you get to TT your FP will just about be ready, also Mission Space you usually get on pretty quick depending on how intense you want it, less intense might have a 5 or 10min wait, or some other ideas Meet Duffy at the beginning of the World Showcase, Journey into Imagination with Figment or Living With The Land seem to not to usually have lines. There is always something to do to fill up any void of time

Great! Thanks for all the ideas. I feel more relaxed about not wasting time now

 

[Disney Commando]

Great! Thanks for all the ideas. I feel more relaxed about not wasting time now

Don't forget you can always visit Club Cool to try some sodas from around the world

Now not to be a downer but according to todays Disney News by the end of Sept. Mo'Rockin, Off Kilter, Spirit Of America Fife & Drum & The World Showcase Players will all be cancelled So if anyone is going to WDW in the next month you might want to make it a point to go see some or all of these shows for the last time, as of now the shows that will replace them do not seem too exciting, but none of us have ever seen them so I guess we have to give them a chance but it's not easy to replace a classic

 

[Disney Commando]

Are any fellow Commando's going to be at WDW Sept 26- 29th

 

[Elevationist]

Are any fellow Commando's going to be at WDW Sept 26- 29th

We'll overlap a bit, I'm there Sept. 21-28!

 

[Disney Commando]

We'll overlap a bit, I'm there Sept. 21-28!

Maybe a Commando Club meet, we will be in 2 or 3 parks everyday & going to MNSSHP on the 26th, I'm sure we will be at the same park at sometime

 

[Disney Commando]

Magic Bands arrived today, This is our 4th trip this year and since they offer a new band each time we now all have 4 different colors each with our names on them, From what I understand we can use any of them since they should be linked together, now that is pretty cool you could use a different color band everyday if you go to WDW multiple trips. I'm sure eventually they will not offer bands if you already have one, but until then I will keep adding to the collection

 

[MaMudduck]

Got my bands today too! Happy dance.... This is my first magicband, I got a red one and of course came with the Passholder slider. I thought the window for FP+ was 30days? Is the 60days only for on-site hotels or is it linked to the magic bands? And I need to do something on WDW site.?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Disney Commando]

Got my bands today too! Happy dance.... This is my first magicband, I got a red one and of course came with the Passholder slider. I thought the window for FP+ was 30days? Is the 60days only for on-site hotels or is it linked to the magic bands? And I need to do something on WDW site.?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I'm not sure exactly how many days out you can make FP+ (our last couple trips were all booked within t he window already) I thought it was 45 but not sure

If you a Disney account you can log on and go to My Disney Experience and there you can make all your FP+ and ADR's

 

[Elevationist]

I'm not sure exactly how many days out you can make FP+ (our last couple trips were all booked within t he window already) I thought it was 45 but not sure

If you a Disney account you can log on and go to My Disney Experience and there you can make all your FP+ and ADR's

60 days out if staying on-property, 30 days if staying off.

 

[Disney Commando]

This years MNSSHP will be most challenging for us with all stuff to do and Meet & Greets

This is my wish list of things to do in 5 hrs

- Get the pirate sorcerer card at the firehouse
- Jafar M&G
- Aurora with Maleficent & Snow White with Queen ( This will probably be a cut off the list or will try to do it last) You know the line will be huge
- Lotso M&G
- Jack Sparrow M&G
- Jack Skellington & Sally M&G
- Tarzan & Friends M&G
- 7 Dwarfs M&G (once again depending on line)
- Gaston M&G
- Out of This World M&G (depending who it is)

Mickey, The Princesses, Pooh & Friends , Queen Of Hearts, Tinkerbell are all on the B list for us, we already have all of them and are not my sons favorites, except for Mickey but we have a million pics with Mickey

Then of course we want to visit the HM a couple of the ghosts will be interacting in the graveyard, also there are 3 locations around the park, if you have a photo pass a hitch hiking ghost appears in the pic

Next there is Club Villian Dance party at the Diamond Horseshoe & The Cadaver Dans in Frontierland

Also HallowWishes & The MNSSHP parade (we are hitting the 2nd one, want to make some serious time during the 1st one on the M&Gs), and the 12 Trick or Treat locations

Talk about trying to jam 10lbs of stuff into a 5lb bag

We have 5 hrs to complete as much as we can and will be in a party of 9

 

[Disney Commando]

Yet another thing that provides a bit of a challenge is the refurbs that will open or close and shows that will be cancelled while I am there at end Sept.

Supposed Reopening Dates
- Mickey's Philharmonic reopening 9/27
- Carousel of Progress reopening 9/27
- It's Tough To Be A Bug reopening 9/27

Closing for refurb or cancelled
- Tiki Room Refurb closing 9/27
- WDW Railroad Refurb closing 9/28
- Mo Rockin' cancelled 9/27
- Off Kilter cancelled 9/27
- Fife & Drum Cancelled 9/27
- Most of the Frozen events at HS 9/28 (rumor has it the Frozen Sing Along will be moving to the Americam Idol stage in Oct )

Although the attractions coming off of refurb are not my priorities it' s the one going on refurb or being cancelled that I would like to get in since some will be gone forever

Also The Food & Wine Festival will be going on so there a lot of yummies all around Epcot, and let's not forget about the concerts, the days I'm there Christopher Cross will be playing the fist 2 days and Hanson on the last 2 days, I would like to see Christopher Cross, and will have to pass on Hanson

 

[Disney Commando]

I've really been digging deep for new things to do around WDW and found some perfect things for non park days or down time that are free or cheap

- Boardwalk Ballyhoo Guided Tour- Free tour around the Boardwalk area of how it came to be

- Chip 'N Dale's Campfire Sing Along - Free - Campsites at Fort Wilderness Resort

- Horse Drawn Excursion - Wagon Ride - $8 Adult, $5 Child - Campsite At Fort Wilderness Resort

 

[Disney Commando]

Last night we went to dinner with the other family we will be touring with and leaving it to the wives the top 3 M&G's we have to do during MNSSHP are, Captain Jack Sparrow, Jack Skellington & Gaston, well got to keep them happy, I think we will be able to fit a few more M&G's in during the night like Jafar, 7 Dwarfs & Tarzan

Also we all agreed that we will have to be sure to hit The Maelstrom one last time this trip

 

[MaMudduck]

Last night we went to dinner with the other family we will be touring with and leaving it to the wives the top 3 M&G's we have to do during MNSSHP are, Captain Jack Sparrow, Jack Skellington & Gaston, well got to keep them happy, I think we will be able to fit a few more M&G's in during the night like Jafar, 7 Dwarfs & Tarzan

Also we all agreed that we will have to be sure to hit The Maelstrom one last time this trip

Ok, I agree total with Jack Sparrow and Gaston, but forget Skellington, but absolutely Tazan!!! I total don't get why you threw in Jafar & 7 dwarfs....they have nothing to do with a women's world!!

 

[Disney Commando]

Ok, I agree total with Jack Sparrow and Gaston, but forget Skellington, but absolutely Tazan!!! I total don't get why you threw in Jafar & 7 dwarfs....they have nothing to do with a women's world!!

The ladies have nothing to do with the the one's I threw in, Never saw Tarzan, & Jafar & 7 Dwarfs In a guy's world they would interesting to hang out with and have a drink with, This keeps the guys out of trouble choosing some of the Princesses we would hear oh you like that one