What's your best kept Disney secrets?

[Aspenmarie82]

Hello! Lately, the best thing for us is getting a FP for Mine Train. All of Frontierland and Adventureland is empty for like the first hour, because everyone is at 7DMT

I check the wait times on MDE a few weeks prior to when I leave. I know that fantasyland is more popular during the day, and the park empties slightly after the afternoon parade. And rain is your friend! I personally like seeing characters, so I always see them really late (around 30 min before close)

Thanks!! I'll be going with my niece (3y) and nephew (5y) so character greetings are a must for us. We have a FP at Epcot's Meet Disney Pals the first day but don't have any FP for the princesses at MK. I was wondering if we should try to see most Princesses first thing in the morning (during EMH times) or closer to park closing? We have FP for 7DMT and ideally I would have loved to start in Adventureland/Frontierland but are first FP for the day is with Buzz at 9:30a then 7DMT at 11a. I've tried changing it up but so far it hasn't worked out.

 

[Aspenmarie82]

Also I thought getting Fps for the morning would be best but now I'm not so sure?? Once you've checked into the 3rd FP you can add a 4th one so the earlier it's done the better chance of getting a good 4th FP. Is that a good way of thinking or no?

 

[Aliceacc]

Also I thought getting Fps for the morning would be best but now I'm not so sure?? Once you've checked into the 3rd FP you can add a 4th one so the earlier it's done the better chance of getting a good 4th FP. Is that a good way of thinking or no?

We're at the parks at rope drop. There really are no lines worth mentioning. So we don't spend FPs on that first hour or hour and a half; we really just buzz from one ride to the next.

We start our FPs at about 10 or 10:30, and go one per hour till 1 or 1:30. That way, we KNOW we'll get on the rides we really want, but we'll be doing those while the lines are getting longer, once people finish their Mickey waffles and head into the parks. We work lunch in between the last 2; we do an early 12 and a late 1:30 ride; plenty of time in there for a counter service lunch.

That 4th FP doesn't really matter so much to us. We leave after that 3rd FP for a swim or a nap back at the resort. At night, we take our chances, sometimes playing with the app on the bus ride back (or at the pool) to work a 4th FP in for the evening.

 

[peg110]

I agree with Aliceacc.... If you are an early person/group (i.e. Rope Drop) the lines aren't that bad, don't waste the FP. In my opinion, forget about the 4th FP. It will drive you nuts trying to figure out how to get it. If an occasion arises where you can get one, then use a mobile phone with the MDE app and schedule one. We have found that stressing over that 4th FP actually causes us to miss alot.

Even if you go in a morning that is NOT an EMH morning, I think the same still applies. In fact, we generally try to avoid the parks that are doing the Morning EMH because they do get larger crowds.

 

[ZoZo]

Also I thought getting Fps for the morning would be best but now I'm not so sure?? Once you've checked into the 3rd FP you can add a 4th one so the earlier it's done the better chance of getting a good 4th FP. Is that a good way of thinking or no?

Are you going during a slower time of year, or when it' subsystem? One thing to be aware of is that the really valuable FPs (for headliners) often aren't available as a fourth FP - they tend to "sell out" well in advance. Additional FPs might be available after you use the first three, but they're often for rides or shows that you really don't want/need a FP for. You might luck into something if someone cancels their FPs, but it's a long-shot.

My strategy would be to rope-drop, taking advantage of the first few hours of short lines and riding standby. I'd start scheduling FPs around 11:00 or 12:00 at the earliest.

 

[Aspenmarie82]

Are you going during a slower time of year, or when it' subsystem? One thing to be aware of is that the really valuable FPs (for headliners) often aren't available as a fourth FP - they tend to "sell out" well in advance. Additional FPs might be available after you use the first three, but they're often for rides or shows that you really don't want/need a FP for. You might luck into something if someone cancels their FPs, but it's a long-shot.

My strategy would be to rope-drop, taking advantage of the first few hours of short lines and riding standby. I'd start scheduling FPs around 11:00 or 12:00 at the earliest.

Nope going in July! We are staying on property so was planning to enjoy the EMH in those selected parks and be there for rope drop. Hoping to hit some of the bigger attractions (the ones that we don't have FP for) first. The last time we went the only 4th FP option that worked for us was meeting Tink or another character.

 

[dreiwhit]

Maybe this isn't actually a secret but somehow we walked by Club Cool in Epcot dozens of times on several trips without realizing it was there. It's a nice spot on a hot day to stop in for a few minutes of air conditioning and taste (free) all the different sodas.

Its not really a secret, but my family stops at Club Cool to get a frozen Coke as we are leaving Future World and heading for the World Showcase. Its great on a hot day, and probably the best $$$ you can spend at Disney.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Don't know how secret this is, but there are first aid stations. You can go in and grab any minor medical supplies you need for free, apply or swallow, and go back out to the park. No lugging things around involved.

Also, make note of the AC QS locations at each park. We enjoy going in between meal rush periods, getting sodas (you could also get water for free) and sitting in the cool by windows, watching the visitors go by. Sometimes they are more entertaining than the shows!

 

[peg110]

Sometimes they are more entertaining than the shows!

Almost like your local Walmart!

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

Not really a secret, but there are a automatic sliding doors on either side of the temple in the Mexico Pavilion. I always exit through the one on the left & take the ramp. I can't say that I see many people walking that way or aware that the automatic doors are there to enter through or exit. I have seen many wheelchairs go through the doors in the front instead of ones to the side.

 

[DVCcurious]

for families with little ones, the "beach" at the fort is an excellent place to play and then watch the light parade on the lake and fireworks!

uhh......

 

[granmarquee]

Not sure this is a secret, but I didn't know you could do this until I stumbled across it online: Instead of spending $$$ on autograph books that end up thrown in a corner after the trip, I purchased Mickey ears for each of my kids and ordered fabric markers in metallic silver on Amazon. Instead of getting an autograph book signed, the characters sign their Mickey ears using the fabric markers. The kids were able to wear their autographed ears around WDW and people kept coming up to them asking them about how to do it. Now each time we go, they take the ears with them and only seek out characters that have yet to sign their ears. It's become a competition amongst the siblings to see who can get the most autographs on their ears.