Speaking of magical moments, I took my mother to Disney World for her birthday several years ago. We were going to get on Pirates and one of the cast members noticed my mom's birthday button, he started singing some random birthday song and escorted us right to the front of the line (singing all the way). My mom loved it! 😄
On my honeymoon, the bellhop at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, aka Tower of Terror, stopped us when we were leaving and told us that we had left our luggage in our room, and we had to go back up. We skipped the line, and then asked us AGAIN when we got off the 2nd time! 3 Tower of terrors in a ROW!!!! Magical!
You are so right about "Magical Moments" I was at MK with my 2yr old granddaughter back in April and she was wearing her brand new Bella Princess dress. A cast member saw her and not only complemented her but ask us if we were aware of the "special princess entrance" to the Little Mermaid ride. He proceeded to lead us straight through and onto the ride. It was just a special moment among so many that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Speaking of magical moments: Back in 2007 my family and I were waiting for the magical express when a cast member walked over to us and told us Disney was rewarding us with a limo to the airport just because. It was really a nice touch and a good memory. We were totally shocked.
I remember when Bippity Boppity Boutique was JUST starting! My sister was a cast member and Disney had their "Pirates and Princesses" campaign going for the opening week. I got to be one of the first Princesses and Pirates used for training the OG "Fairy Godmothers in Training". I was made up for Pirates, then everything was removed, and I loved on to the next station for the Princesses station. It was a truly magical experience I will NEVER forget...
We got married in WDW and we're lucky enough to experience several of these things :) My favorite Magical Moment: At the Haunted Mansion, the CM pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to give the opening spiel. He didn't know I had studied theater, so when I busted out the creepy voice and crazy eyes he was very surprised!
I’m actually on the plane to Disney World right now! Ready to have a marvelous time and apply some of your great tips! Thanks and blessings to everyone reading this comment 🏰🎡🎢
Re: taking parents to WDW. When my parents were still with us and my kids were young (9 & 6), they all went on the Teacups. I considered the ride a good way to induce nausea. My kids were allowed to control the spin. My parents were both weaving when they came off the ride, my children were both beaming and I was laughing quite a bit. All four loved that experience and I have a great memory from that trip.
My family, including two kids under 5, loved spending an afternoon riding the skyliner when we were there last month.. our non park day consisted of breakfast at chef mickeys, riding the resort monorail loop, riding the skyliner many times and lounging by the pool. It was a fantastic day!
I took my mom to Disneyland earlier this year. It’s the first time we ever went together. She went once in the 70s when she was 7, and it was a terrible experience because she was all alone with her parents who were right about to get divorced. Because of this, she raised me to think Disney was awful. I got to experience it for the first time as an adult, and went at least once a year since then. Finally, at 33, I took my mom (57) back and pretended it was her first time. She loved it. Now she wants all of us to go to DL for my parents 50th anniversary. We’re all Disney fans now.
Taking my mom to Flight of Passage was lovely. Her face when she realized we had another fast pass was like she was a little girl. Eating at prime time grill. Just knowing it exists. Knowing that every night of the year, there’s a first timer child out at Disney who just had the best day of their whole lives and they can’t believe they’re lucky enough to be on this planet with these people and just when it ends- fireworks start.
I love that AJ is an introvert. When I heard the suggestion to go on crowded holiday days for the extra hype, I was thinking how terrible of an experience that would be for me personally. Great to know who is more/less introverted so you can pair their ideas with your personality type.
Have you done a video about the history and evolution of DFB Guide? A sort of behind the scenes for your channel where you introduce all of your team? How does the magic of DFB Guide happen? I would love to see that.
Rise of the Resistance had two hour plus wait times the entire time we were there… until one evening just before close. Wait times dropped down to 60 minutes or less, so we were able to finally get on! Waiting till the end of the day was super helpful.
Agree that Behind the Seeds tour is awesome - my kids loved it! Another best thing is to enter Epcot early, before the countries are officially open, by way of the bridge from the Boardwalk. France’s Boulangerie is open, so grab a brioche and coffee and wander through!
My friends and I had a 9:05 pm reservation for ogas cantina. When we left, the park was empty and the atmosphere was completely different. Truly an unforgettable experience
October of 2021 I went to Disney World for the first time since I was a kid, and was able to experience rise of resistance without any technical problems on my first ride. From the time I walked into the room with the storm troopers until I got off the ride I was completely taken to a new world, and it felt so real. I'm not even a star wars fan, I've just seen most of the movies once. I had so much fun in Disney World I went to Disneyland 4 months later, and I'm headed back to Disney World this October.
One thing I didn’t know about was that Disney resorts pick a ‘Family of the Day’. This is one of our fondest memories. You get your picture taken, receive a frame, balloons, upgraded room & get a few free gifts. Bonus - some staff members will congratulate you for being family of the day. It was something I never heard of till it happened to me. Happens every day though!
I agree that eating at Sanaa is one of the best things we ever did....and while AJ is correct that the views out the window are awesome, the food cannot be overlooked! Our one visit to Sanaa about 5 years ago was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life! The bread service was well worth it, and the flavours of my entree were out of this world....go for it if you can get a reservation!
Big thunder, once you’ve seen the parade/fireworks once or a thousand times, is absolutely unparalleled for me for fireworks 🎇 bursts. As are riding any and all of those major rides during parade/fireworks, especially if you tend to go to the parks solo like I do and walk fast 🏃🏾♀️💨😏
I may be a complete fool, but I've just realized Google Maps will give you directions for getting around Disney and quote times and Disney transport to take. I feel so silly not realizing this. Sharing if anyone else hasn't found this! Great way to estimate your travel times! I would consider this the best thing for a future trip. ;)
Just be careful if you are driving. We've had Google Maps direct us into backstage employee areas which, of course, we cannot enter. It's good to vet the directions before they end up costing you a lot of time.
@@kimropp3696 Oh yes, I can see that thank you. I think it's best for one when you are just on foot/buggy/whatever, then it can be used to literally tell you to take X Disney Bus, or the skytrain thingy (forgot the name just now lol). Thank you thou, I will make sure to be realistic if driving! :)
“It inspires me to grow my own garden! Have I done this? No! I’d be horrible at it.” My thoughts ANYTIME I get inspired with gardening. I would be awful. Haha.
I'm 30 days out for my Disney world vacation. It's been 22 years from the last time I was there. And I have spent the last 2 years planning this trip, I want to thank the DFB team for all the amazing videos I have watched over the last 2 years for my planning. I can't wait to go!
I’ve done Disneyland semi-solo (was chaperoning a high school trip and they got some time to explore on their own) and it was fascinating. Great people watching, totally on my own to explore. Would recommend.
Thanks AJ & team for all the great tips and ideas! One thing I noticed though: 13:01 I think your team member probably went for regular park opening rather than Early Theme Park Entry to hit Pirates and Jungle Cruise? Those 2 rides are not open during EE!😉
Some great suggestions. We just did the Wild Africa Trek, and it was amazing. My daughter is a huge animal lover, and getting this 3.5-hour behind-the-scene tour of the safari was memorable. It was fun to engage the keepers, and they love to answer your questions. Our magical moment (on this trip) came on Toy Story Mania. Our scores were only separated by 500 points (I lost). The cast member let us ride it again. So cool (and I lost by a larger margin). We love our resort day. Swim, relax, read, and partake in resort activities are so much fun. Getting a late start is great too. Using Genie+, you can start stacking our lightning lanes and get a lot done quickly. We had been to Mikey's Not So Scary one night (pitch black Space Mountain is really disorienting) and stayed up late. We were to head into Epcot the next day. We were both exhausted and decided to sleep in. When I got up later, I started stacking lightning lane. It worked out so well that we could ride Cosmic Rewind twice! Behind the seed tour is great! My daughter has a green thumb (as well as being an animal lover), so she asked many questions during the tour.
I've done the amphicar ride twice... if you take kids, make sure they understand NOT to lift the lever on the door. Lift the lever, everyone dies. Plus the steaks at The Boathouse are amazing. Right up there with STK.
Behind the Seeds definitely. Mission Space Green - with the lovely Gina Torres, who was a star from Firefly. Riding Frozen at 7 am day Rise of the Resistance opened - walked right up, no line, in nearly deserted Epcot. In earlier trip renting a boat at Coronado Springs
We’re in Disney this week, the best tip I've discovered that apparently nobody else does. I had a electric scooter all week long we put our cooler with drinks and free hotel ice on the drinks. We took 2 hotel hand towels and rolled them into a burrito shape stuck them into the top of the ice in it when we got hot we grabbed the towels wet with ice cold water and wiped neck, face with it and felt brand new..it works awesome..and the scooter was great to carry the backpack and cooler full of ice..
@@demoldbones they don’t check ANYTHING unless the metal detectors go off. People bring in coolers, Pizza Hut boxes, McDonald’s and anything you could imagine. Just no weapons
a family member of mine works at magic kingdom and an old lady who needed a scooter had to join a waitlist of 60 people. it doesn’t seem fair to get a scooter just because it’s handier for you when you don’t actually need one, because then there aren’t enough for the people that do
Toledo is incredibly underrated imo. The coronado is so beautiful, the food is amazing and the presentation is wonderful, and for a slightly lower price tag than some of the other high class restaurants in WDW
We skipped the fireworks once and rode the barnstormer while they were going on-one of the most beautiful experiences we have had at Disney world. That is also when we rode barnstormer like four times, one after the other, thanks to the cast members!!
Our most magical moment was when we took our daughter to Sir Mickey's to buy a princess dress before we went to go eat at Cinderella's table... she was doted on from the moment she walked in the door. They helped her select a beautiful Bell dress with a necklace, bracelet and tiara to match. They have her pixie dust and after she asked everyone to Bow to her and they did! She was called princess everywhere she went and don't you know she wore that dress our whole trip to Disney! Most magical place on earth as far as we are concerned by far!
The fireworks dessert party can be incredible! I have done it twice! I proposed to my wife before it the second time. We got clear pictures alone and it was fantastic!
I'm bringing my mom and my son this time. I'm paying for almost everything. Last time she went was when she took me and my brother. I'm so excited to do this for her.
Out of all my trips to Disney World, I have so many magical "best things" I've ever done. Watching the fireworks on Splash Mountain, a full day in Hollywood Studios (bonus: my first time riding Rise of Resistance - ever - with no break downs!!) & then park hopping via the skyliner to watch the Epcot Harmonious spectacular, trying the grey stuff/dining west wing of Be Our Guest when it first opened, getting to see the Wishes Firework Show one last time - three days before it's last performance, racing through Epcot and Magic Kingdom with my fiancé to make it on time to our Seven Dwarfs lightning lane reservation (made it with 10 mins to spare!) Also getting to take my fiancé to Disney World for the first time since he was a small child! When we first met, he wasn't much of a Disney fan. Of course, I converted him! We got to experience 3 of the parks in 2 days and though we were exhausted, it was such a fun, memorable time.
I don't consider myself a Disney expert, but I have done so many of these! My favorite experience at Disney world ever was watching my kids make light sabers at Savvi's Workshop.
Best thing we ever did was having a birthday party on the Monorail between MK and EPCOT. Want to say this was quite a few years ago (before I get negative comments). It was our friends 5th birthday and he was in love with the monorail. We asked the cast member if we could use the back car and take our cupcakes. No problem. They let us stay on for the return trip. One of the best birthdays he ever had!
We never went on family vacation like that as a kid., but 16 yrs ago I took my mother and my sisters and their family to WDW and my mother had a great time and cried.
How do you know you’ve been watching DFB for too long? When you’re caught off guard when AJ doesn’t mention her dessert hack of Haagen Dazs with the twilight feast meal.
Did anyone ever notice that at 10:50, Ryno Clavin from Dis Unplugged is in the shot, and right after she says, “ Ok, it’s time to talk Rhinos” lol. I’m sure it was unintentional, but perfect timing I would say!
The best thing I ever did in Disney World? As cool as everything was, the best thing was when my Dad and I went there back in 1988. It was just me and him. We had such a great time. Hollywood Studios was just being built. They were calling it MGM Studios then. So we just bounced back and forth between Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but we had a lot of fun. We didn't stay on property. We hit up Wet N Wild and Sea World too, but Disney was definitely the best.
Best thing I’ve done is wait til night for the wait times to drop. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Test Track, Mission Space, Aerosmith, even Flight have all been nearly walk on - 20 minute wait.
We rode Flight of passage twice in a day 3 weeks ago. First at rope drop, early entry: no wait, just a long walk! Second time after dinner, wait time announced 60 minutes, actual wait time 30! It was great!
Here's one of my personal favorites - train for, run, and finish The Walt Disney World Marathon! While I was always more of a "Participant" than an "Athlete", I have completed The Walt Disney World Marathon on many occasions (I have even completed multiple Goofy & Dopey Challenges, but that type of endevor is for the truly insane Disney endurance nut). Running in the Marathon gives you the opportunity to see more of the Walt Disney World property than you ever even knew was there, grants you the gift of running through all four theme parks, and awards you with one of the coolest limited edition mementos you could ever acquire - The Walt Disney World Marathon medal (all finishers get one, and the design changes every year). I know that the thought of running 26.2 miles (on purpose) isn't going to be attractive to everybody, but it is much more doable than one might think. If you are interested in giving it a try, I highly recommend Jeff Galloway's "Run / Walk / Run" method of marathon participation. This can set you on a training schedule where you might run only 10 seconds out of every minute AND still be able to finish The Walt Disney World Marathon well under the strictly enforced time limit (I know this for a fact because I have done it myself). One last thing that can make this experience memorable - train for / with a charitable fundraising group. There are a lot of these out there that benefit different cancer charities, alzheimers, diabetes, Make A Wish, etc. Many of them can offer you coaching toward your marathon goal(s), and some of them even provide regularly scheduled training runs that you can attend (this will vary greatly on where exactly that you live). I know from my personal experiences that, when things got difficult on Marathon Day, it was inspirational to think about the others you are actually participating for / in the name of...(plus I just think it is nice to do charitable works wherever you can while still striving toward your own goals). There are my 26.2 cents! ;-)
This might sound nice for sporty people, but if I go on a vacation in WDW which is already a bit like marathon every day, going on an actual marathon (let alone spending months, or even years preparing) sounds like a nightmare.
Magical Moments: I was at Disney Hollywood Studios in the evening trying to catch all of the Star Tours variations. I would finish the ride, race through the gift shop (walk don't run) and get back into the mostly empty line to ride again. One of the cast members running the ride saw what I was doing and let me walk through the passthrough. Darn tootin' I felt like a VIP!
Re: Candlelight Processional- Another amazing aspect of that is that while half of the choir is professional (I believe, it's been a long time since I've been to one), the other half is actually high school choir singers!
I remember seeing a proposal in front of tower of terror and the whole family was hidden around the quick service restaurants and she had no idea any of them were there
On the proposal thing, I have two friends that were dating and have been dating the whole time I knew them (which was, like, 8 years; they were highschool sweethearts). The guy works at Disney World and loves Splash Mountain. So the two of them went on a trip to Magic Kingdom and a bunch of his friends tagged along to the point that they filled a log. The lovebirds sat in the front row and shared a kiss as they went down the drop. When they got to the end where it shows you your pictures, their picture had everyone else in the log holding up signs that said "Will you marry me?" and then he gave her the ring. And of course they bought the picture.
This was without a doubt the best tips vlog you ever came out with, AJ. I have done at LEAST 5 of those on my last trip 3 years ago, and I'm going to do those same 5 when I go back in March for MY birthday! (Happy early Birthday, AJ!!!)
IMHO, Disney doesn't care about the celebration buttons lol. We've done them all: birthday, first family camping trip, pregnant with #4, survived a deployment, graduated with master's degree, no one says anything lol 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I got to ride 7 Dwarves Mine Train during the fireworks last time I went to Disney and it was amazing! I got to ride 2 times in a row with only a 5 minute wait each time too. I highly recommend!
We use a limo service from airport that stops at grocery store on way to resort, no extra cost. We grab a pack of water and snacks for the room. Saves money. We also pack instant oatmeal for a quick breakfast at resort rom.
The price has gone up, but I think it's still worth it for the Keys of the Kingdom Backstage Tour! One of the best things I've ever done in Disney World!! LOVED IT!
My favorite magical moments: Push the Talking Trash Can in Tomorrowland. Told me he liked my hair. 🥰 I GOT A FREE PRIVATE BOAT RIDE TO SEEE THE MK FIREWORKS with my boyfriend at the time. We were getting on the monorail and we got pulled aside for this special experience. 🥰
Wait, so that one tip about hopping from resort to resort does that include like view points for fireworks? Like can you hop from one of the value resorts to say Polynesian to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom for instance without showing that you are a guest at Polynesian?
AJ you said in the video that the “DFB cast member” used the 30 minute resort head start to go into Adventure Land early. I’m curious how? When we tried that when we stayed at a resort Adventure Land opens at park open. Not 30 minutes early for resort people. Just curious.
We're heading down the first week of October. We intended to stay at a Disney resort (At least during the 4 Disney park days), but there was no availability. Well, there was for the Deluxe resorts ($700-$800 per night).... So, we opted for the Margaritaville Resort for 4 nights, and the Universal Aventura Hotel for the 3 Universal nights. We've stayed at Margaritaville before, so that certainly wasn't a downgrade, and we'll have to see about the Aventura.
Is Adventureland now open for Early Theme Park entry? I thought you said your colleague rode Jungle Cruise and Pirates before opening. This would be wonderful!
I thought adventure land didn’t open for a half hour later then fantasyland/tomorrow land? Did this change? When we went early entry was at 8:30 but Adventureland didn’t open until 9am?
We paid for Disney genie plus and had a 2 ride an hour average. That's line free enough for me. My pockets aren't deep enough for that VIP package. Lol Also, we caught an excellent view of the fireworks from the ferry landing. We were trying to be ON the ferry when they started but we timed it too early so we had disembarked when they started. But we watched them right there and loved it (even without being able to see the cool castle displays) and then got back to the car before the crowds to boot. Haha!
Is there a time limit you can stay eating at the restaurant if you have a late night reservation? Let’s say, can I stay 30 minutes after park closing hours?
We once rode rise of the resistance twice In one day because we went without my mom in the morning and both my brother and mom have das passes so we used my brothers in the morning then when my mom joined us later in the afternoon we had to get her to do it my dad is a massive Star Wars fan so loved in and so did everyone else
Your videos are so helpful! I will be there for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend 2023. Do you have any tips for these events? Thank you for all that you and your team accomplish! It's a lot of hard work and it is very appreciated!
heya! i did the 10k at the parks in january and just wanna say i don’t recommend going into the parks after your run! you’ll be very tired and won’t be able to have the best time possible!
Hi AJ and all. ¥ou asked us to tell you unique Disney World experiences. I auditioned for a Stage Manager position in 1983 (a stage manager is the person who coordinates all elements of a show). At that time (they had an ensemble of singers where Sunny Eclipse is now. a lot of everything was live . So i asked "where do people in college get to have this experience?" in 1983, there was no idea of the Disney College Program. Reggie Jarrett, the park Production Manager at the time in Entertainment, said, "we don't hire people out of college who are going back.." Ten years later ,the Disney College Program happened. As have many, my daughter Finley Judge Kaminska met her husband there. But it was at orientation. Disney University. He asked her, "do you like hockey,?" For a bit of context, Michael grew up in the NHL Sabres organization. His dad is in charge of the merchandise department, so this was not an odd question. It turns out, Finley (our daughter) had become a hockey fan through her mother's constantly watching the Blackhawks" games through high sschool and college (she went to school in town. look up the best colleges and universitities in the US and see the six Universities, 20 Colleges, and five Law schools on that list). In addition to that, my son (now 22) refuses to go on rollercoarsters based on his experiencee of the Barnstormer (which his sister now operates) when he was six.
How did your team member get in Adventureland early for resort guests? I thought it was only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland that were open for the early hours.
Curious how one of your writers rode rides in Adventureland during EE. Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for EE. We've been there twice in the last year and that never changed. Looking at the WDW site, MK shows only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open for EE. The other lands don't open until normal park hours.
Speaking of magical moments, I took my mother to Disney World for her birthday several years ago. We were going to get on Pirates and one of the cast members noticed my mom's birthday button, he started singing some random birthday song and escorted us right to the front of the line (singing all the way). My mom loved it! 😄
Aw!!! Thats awesome!!!
On my honeymoon, the bellhop at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, aka Tower of Terror, stopped us when we were leaving and told us that we had left our luggage in our room, and we had to go back up. We skipped the line, and then asked us AGAIN when we got off the 2nd time! 3 Tower of terrors in a ROW!!!! Magical!
You are so right about "Magical Moments" I was at MK with my 2yr old granddaughter back in April and she was wearing her brand new Bella Princess dress. A cast member saw her and not only complemented her but ask us if we were aware of the "special princess entrance" to the Little Mermaid ride. He proceeded to lead us straight through and onto the ride. It was just a special moment among so many that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Speaking of magical moments: Back in 2007 my family and I were waiting for the magical express when a cast member walked over to us and told us Disney was rewarding us with a limo to the airport just because. It was really a nice touch and a good memory. We were totally shocked.
I remember when Bippity Boppity Boutique was JUST starting! My sister was a cast member and Disney had their "Pirates and Princesses" campaign going for the opening week. I got to be one of the first Princesses and Pirates used for training the OG "Fairy Godmothers in Training". I was made up for Pirates, then everything was removed, and I loved on to the next station for the Princesses station. It was a truly magical experience I will NEVER forget...
We got married in WDW and we're lucky enough to experience several of these things :)
My favorite Magical Moment: At the Haunted Mansion, the CM pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to give the opening spiel. He didn't know I had studied theater, so when I busted out the creepy voice and crazy eyes he was very surprised!
I’m actually on the plane to Disney World right now! Ready to have a marvelous time and apply some of your great tips! Thanks and blessings to everyone reading this comment 🏰🎡🎢
HAVE AN AWESOME TIME!!! And stay hydrated!!!
How was it?
Re: taking parents to WDW. When my parents were still with us and my kids were young (9 & 6), they all went on the Teacups. I considered the ride a good way to induce nausea. My kids were allowed to control the spin. My parents were both weaving when they came off the ride, my children were both beaming and I was laughing quite a bit. All four loved that experience and I have a great memory from that trip.
My family, including two kids under 5, loved spending an afternoon riding the skyliner when we were there last month..
our non park day consisted of breakfast at chef mickeys, riding the resort monorail loop, riding the skyliner many times and lounging by the pool. It was a fantastic day!
I took my mom to Disneyland earlier this year. It’s the first time we ever went together. She went once in the 70s when she was 7, and it was a terrible experience because she was all alone with her parents who were right about to get divorced.
Because of this, she raised me to think Disney was awful. I got to experience it for the first time as an adult, and went at least once a year since then. Finally, at 33, I took my mom (57) back and pretended it was her first time. She loved it. Now she wants all of us to go to DL for my parents 50th anniversary. We’re all Disney fans now.
Taking my mom to Flight of Passage was lovely. Her face when she realized we had another fast pass was like she was a little girl.
Eating at prime time grill. Just knowing it exists.
Knowing that every night of the year, there’s a first timer child out at Disney who just had the best day of their whole lives and they can’t believe they’re lucky enough to be on this planet with these people and just when it ends- fireworks start.
I love that AJ is an introvert. When I heard the suggestion to go on crowded holiday days for the extra hype, I was thinking how terrible of an experience that would be for me personally.
Great to know who is more/less introverted so you can pair their ideas with your personality type.
Have you done a video about the history and evolution of DFB Guide? A sort of behind the scenes for your channel where you introduce all of your team? How does the magic of DFB Guide happen? I would love to see that.
Rise of the Resistance had two hour plus wait times the entire time we were there… until one evening just before close. Wait times dropped down to 60 minutes or less, so we were able to finally get on! Waiting till the end of the day was super helpful.
Agree that Behind the Seeds tour is awesome - my kids loved it! Another best thing is to enter Epcot early, before the countries are officially open, by way of the bridge from the Boardwalk. France’s Boulangerie is open, so grab a brioche and coffee and wander through!
Taking my kids (3, 6, 8) for the first time in two weeks. So excited to watch them experience it all!
Taking my grandkids aged 8, 6, and 3 in January! Hope you have a wonderful trip.
@@vvvcfg We had the best time!
My friends and I had a 9:05 pm reservation for ogas cantina. When we left, the park was empty and the atmosphere was completely different. Truly an unforgettable experience
Is there a time limit you can stay at the restaurant after park hours?
October of 2021 I went to Disney World for the first time since I was a kid, and was able to experience rise of resistance without any technical problems on my first ride.
From the time I walked into the room with the storm troopers until I got off the ride I was completely taken to a new world, and it felt so real. I'm not even a star wars fan, I've just seen most of the movies once.
I had so much fun in Disney World I went to Disneyland 4 months later, and I'm headed back to Disney World this October.
One thing I didn’t know about was that Disney resorts pick a ‘Family of the Day’. This is one of our fondest memories. You get your picture taken, receive a frame, balloons, upgraded room & get a few free gifts. Bonus - some staff members will congratulate you for being family of the day. It was something I never heard of till it happened to me. Happens every day though!
I agree that eating at Sanaa is one of the best things we ever did....and while AJ is correct that the views out the window are awesome, the food cannot be overlooked!
Our one visit to Sanaa about 5 years ago was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life! The bread service was well worth it, and the flavours of my entree were out of this world....go for it if you can get a reservation!
Big thunder, once you’ve seen the parade/fireworks once or a thousand times, is absolutely unparalleled for me for fireworks 🎇 bursts. As are riding any and all of those major rides during parade/fireworks, especially if you tend to go to the parks solo like I do and walk fast 🏃🏾♀️💨😏
I may be a complete fool, but I've just realized Google Maps will give you directions for getting around Disney and quote times and Disney transport to take. I feel so silly not realizing this. Sharing if anyone else hasn't found this! Great way to estimate your travel times! I would consider this the best thing for a future trip. ;)
Just be careful if you are driving. We've had Google Maps direct us into backstage employee areas which, of course, we cannot enter. It's good to vet the directions before they end up costing you a lot of time.
@@kimropp3696 Oh yes, I can see that thank you. I think it's best for one when you are just on foot/buggy/whatever, then it can be used to literally tell you to take X Disney Bus, or the skytrain thingy (forgot the name just now lol). Thank you thou, I will make sure to be realistic if driving! :)
“It inspires me to grow my own garden! Have I done this? No! I’d be horrible at it.” My thoughts ANYTIME I get inspired with gardening. I would be awful. Haha.
The most memorable/best thing I have done at WDW was stand with Mickey at the England pavilion to start the fireworks for Reflections of Earth.
I miss that show!
I'm 30 days out for my Disney world vacation. It's been 22 years from the last time I was there. And I have spent the last 2 years planning this trip, I want to thank the DFB team for all the amazing videos I have watched over the last 2 years for my planning. I can't wait to go!
Fireworks at Poly along with the water parade on the Bach was the best!!!
I’ve done Disneyland semi-solo (was chaperoning a high school trip and they got some time to explore on their own) and it was fascinating. Great people watching, totally on my own to explore. Would recommend.
Thanks AJ & team for all the great tips and ideas! One thing I noticed though: 13:01 I think your team member probably went for regular park opening rather than Early Theme Park Entry to hit Pirates and Jungle Cruise? Those 2 rides are not open during EE!😉
Some great suggestions. We just did the Wild Africa Trek, and it was amazing. My daughter is a huge animal lover, and getting this 3.5-hour behind-the-scene tour of the safari was memorable. It was fun to engage the keepers, and they love to answer your questions.
Our magical moment (on this trip) came on Toy Story Mania. Our scores were only separated by 500 points (I lost). The cast member let us ride it again. So cool (and I lost by a larger margin).
We love our resort day. Swim, relax, read, and partake in resort activities are so much fun. Getting a late start is great too. Using Genie+, you can start stacking our lightning lanes and get a lot done quickly. We had been to Mikey's Not So Scary one night (pitch black Space Mountain is really disorienting) and stayed up late. We were to head into Epcot the next day. We were both exhausted and decided to sleep in. When I got up later, I started stacking lightning lane. It worked out so well that we could ride Cosmic Rewind twice!
Behind the seed tour is great! My daughter has a green thumb (as well as being an animal lover), so she asked many questions during the tour.
Riding the monorail during the fireworks is the best.
I've done the amphicar ride twice... if you take kids, make sure they understand NOT to lift the lever on the door. Lift the lever, everyone dies. Plus the steaks at The Boathouse are amazing. Right up there with STK.
Behind the Seeds definitely. Mission Space Green - with the lovely Gina Torres, who was a star from Firefly. Riding Frozen at 7 am day Rise of the Resistance opened - walked right up, no line, in nearly deserted Epcot. In earlier trip renting a boat at Coronado Springs
We’re in Disney this week, the best tip I've discovered that apparently nobody else does. I had a electric scooter all week long we put our cooler with drinks and free hotel ice on the drinks. We took 2 hotel hand towels and rolled them into a burrito shape stuck them into the top of the ice in it when we got hot we grabbed the towels wet with ice cold water and wiped neck, face with it and felt brand new..it works awesome..and the scooter was great to carry the backpack and cooler full of ice..
I use cooling towels
Great idea!
Loose ice is not permitted in the parks (see WDW rules). You got lucky.
@@demoldbones they don’t check ANYTHING unless the metal detectors go off. People bring in coolers, Pizza Hut boxes, McDonald’s and anything you could imagine. Just no weapons
a family member of mine works at magic kingdom and an old lady who needed a scooter had to join a waitlist of 60 people. it doesn’t seem fair to get a scooter just because it’s handier for you when you don’t actually need one, because then there aren’t enough for the people that do
Toledo is incredibly underrated imo. The coronado is so beautiful, the food is amazing and the presentation is wonderful, and for a slightly lower price tag than some of the other high class restaurants in WDW
We skipped the fireworks once and rode the barnstormer while they were going on-one of the most beautiful experiences we have had at Disney world. That is also when we rode barnstormer like four times, one after the other, thanks to the cast members!!
Our most magical moment was when we took our daughter to Sir Mickey's to buy a princess dress before we went to go eat at Cinderella's table... she was doted on from the moment she walked in the door. They helped her select a beautiful Bell dress with a necklace, bracelet and tiara to match. They have her pixie dust and after she asked everyone to Bow to her and they did! She was called princess everywhere she went and don't you know she wore that dress our whole trip to Disney! Most magical place on earth as far as we are concerned by far!
AJ, we are actually taking my Dad and his wife. They are as excited as little kids. I'm excited to see them.
The fireworks dessert party can be incredible! I have done it twice! I proposed to my wife before it the second time. We got clear pictures alone and it was fantastic!
I'm bringing my mom and my son this time. I'm paying for almost everything. Last time she went was when she took me and my brother. I'm so excited to do this for her.
Out of all my trips to Disney World, I have so many magical "best things" I've ever done. Watching the fireworks on Splash Mountain, a full day in Hollywood Studios (bonus: my first time riding Rise of Resistance - ever - with no break downs!!) & then park hopping via the skyliner to watch the Epcot Harmonious spectacular, trying the grey stuff/dining west wing of Be Our Guest when it first opened, getting to see the Wishes Firework Show one last time - three days before it's last performance, racing through Epcot and Magic Kingdom with my fiancé to make it on time to our Seven Dwarfs lightning lane reservation (made it with 10 mins to spare!) Also getting to take my fiancé to Disney World for the first time since he was a small child! When we first met, he wasn't much of a Disney fan. Of course, I converted him! We got to experience 3 of the parks in 2 days and though we were exhausted, it was such a fun, memorable time.
I don't consider myself a Disney expert, but I have done so many of these! My favorite experience at Disney world ever was watching my kids make light sabers at Savvi's Workshop.
Best thing we ever did was having a birthday party on the Monorail between MK and EPCOT. Want to say this was quite a few years ago (before I get negative comments). It was our friends 5th birthday and he was in love with the monorail. We asked the cast member if we could use the back car and take our cupcakes. No problem. They let us stay on for the return trip. One of the best birthdays he ever had!
We never went on family vacation like that as a kid., but 16 yrs ago I took my mother and my sisters and their family to WDW and my mother had a great time and cried.
How do you know you’ve been watching DFB for too long?
When you’re caught off guard when AJ doesn’t mention her dessert hack of Haagen Dazs with the twilight feast meal.
Did anyone ever notice that at 10:50, Ryno Clavin from Dis Unplugged is in the shot, and right after she says, “ Ok, it’s time to talk Rhinos” lol. I’m sure it was unintentional, but perfect timing I would say!
Best - Broadway at the TOP was the best. I never missed it when I went early on and still miss it
The best thing I ever did in Disney World? As cool as everything was, the best thing was when my Dad and I went there back in 1988. It was just me and him. We had such a great time. Hollywood Studios was just being built. They were calling it MGM Studios then. So we just bounced back and forth between Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but we had a lot of fun. We didn't stay on property. We hit up Wet N Wild and Sea World too, but Disney was definitely the best.
Best thing I’ve done is wait til night for the wait times to drop. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Test Track, Mission Space, Aerosmith, even Flight have all been nearly walk on - 20 minute wait.
We rode Flight of passage twice in a day 3 weeks ago. First at rope drop, early entry: no wait, just a long walk! Second time after dinner, wait time announced 60 minutes, actual wait time 30! It was great!
My husband had the tour quite a few years ago. It was just him and his friends. My daughter and I had the best day without him lol
Here's one of my personal favorites - train for, run, and finish The Walt Disney World Marathon!
While I was always more of a "Participant" than an "Athlete", I have completed The Walt Disney World Marathon on many occasions (I have even completed multiple Goofy & Dopey Challenges, but that type of endevor is for the truly insane Disney endurance nut).
Running in the Marathon gives you the opportunity to see more of the Walt Disney World property than you ever even knew was there, grants you the gift of running through all four theme parks, and awards you with one of the coolest limited edition mementos you could ever acquire - The Walt Disney World Marathon medal (all finishers get one, and the design changes every year).
I know that the thought of running 26.2 miles (on purpose) isn't going to be attractive to everybody, but it is much more doable than one might think. If you are interested in giving it a try, I highly recommend Jeff Galloway's "Run / Walk / Run" method of marathon participation. This can set you on a training schedule where you might run only 10 seconds out of every minute AND still be able to finish The Walt Disney World Marathon well under the strictly enforced time limit (I know this for a fact because I have done it myself).
One last thing that can make this experience memorable - train for / with a charitable fundraising group. There are a lot of these out there that benefit different cancer charities, alzheimers, diabetes, Make A Wish, etc. Many of them can offer you coaching toward your marathon goal(s), and some of them even provide regularly scheduled training runs that you can attend (this will vary greatly on where exactly that you live). I know from my personal experiences that, when things got difficult on Marathon Day, it was inspirational to think about the others you are actually participating for / in the name of...(plus I just think it is nice to do charitable works wherever you can while still striving toward your own goals).
There are my 26.2 cents! ;-)
This is on my Disney bucket list. I hope to do it in Jan 2025.
This might sound nice for sporty people, but if I go on a vacation in WDW which is already a bit like marathon every day, going on an actual marathon (let alone spending months, or even years preparing) sounds like a nightmare.
Magical Moments: I was at Disney Hollywood Studios in the evening trying to catch all of the Star Tours variations. I would finish the ride, race through the gift shop (walk don't run) and get back into the mostly empty line to ride again. One of the cast members running the ride saw what I was doing and let me walk through the passthrough. Darn tootin' I felt like a VIP!
Re: Candlelight Processional- Another amazing aspect of that is that while half of the choir is professional (I believe, it's been a long time since I've been to one), the other half is actually high school choir singers!
I remember seeing a proposal in front of tower of terror and the whole family was hidden around the quick service restaurants and she had no idea any of them were there
I love taking a solo trip. Goin on my second in December
On the proposal thing, I have two friends that were dating and have been dating the whole time I knew them (which was, like, 8 years; they were highschool sweethearts). The guy works at Disney World and loves Splash Mountain. So the two of them went on a trip to Magic Kingdom and a bunch of his friends tagged along to the point that they filled a log. The lovebirds sat in the front row and shared a kiss as they went down the drop. When they got to the end where it shows you your pictures, their picture had everyone else in the log holding up signs that said "Will you marry me?" and then he gave her the ring. And of course they bought the picture.
This was without a doubt the best tips vlog you ever came out with, AJ. I have done at LEAST 5 of those on my last trip 3 years ago, and I'm going to do those same 5 when I go back in March for MY birthday! (Happy early Birthday, AJ!!!)
Amphicar tour was definitely the highlight of our trip.
IMHO, Disney doesn't care about the celebration buttons lol. We've done them all: birthday, first family camping trip, pregnant with #4, survived a deployment, graduated with master's degree, no one says anything lol 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
Finally a positive video. Thanks AJ
This video is one of the best things you guys have done for the channel! Simply love it!❤
Yay for AJ! Happy Wednesday y’all! 🎩🥂🖤
I got to ride 7 Dwarves Mine Train during the fireworks last time I went to Disney and it was amazing! I got to ride 2 times in a row with only a 5 minute wait each time too. I highly recommend!
Yes, but have you watched the fireworks from inside Cinderella’s Royal Table?
We use a limo service from airport that stops at grocery store on way to resort, no extra cost. We grab a pack of water and snacks for the room. Saves money. We also pack instant oatmeal for a quick breakfast at resort rom.
Hilarious how you manage to include both using a limo and saving money in the same story
The price has gone up, but I think it's still worth it for the Keys of the Kingdom Backstage Tour! One of the best things I've ever done in Disney World!! LOVED IT!
Fantastic list! I'm done quite a few of these, but definitely not all of them. There are just so many things to do in WDW.
Fun video… but one thing is I thought Adventureland wasn’t open for early park hours… ??
When u put living with the land I was eating a banana and the company that sponsors it is a banana brand 😂 lol
i might cry if i were waken up by micky. (good tears)
I Love ❤️ Old Disney
My favorite magical moments: Push the Talking Trash Can in Tomorrowland. Told me he liked my hair. 🥰
I GOT A FREE PRIVATE BOAT RIDE TO SEEE THE MK FIREWORKS with my boyfriend at the time. We were getting on the monorail and we got pulled aside for this special experience. 🥰
The best thing I did at Disneyworld was Grad night. It was epic in the eighties!
Wait, so that one tip about hopping from resort to resort does that include like view points for fireworks? Like can you hop from one of the value resorts to say Polynesian to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom for instance without showing that you are a guest at Polynesian?
Yes
AJ you said in the video that the “DFB cast member” used the 30 minute resort head start to go into Adventure Land early. I’m curious how? When we tried that when we stayed at a resort Adventure Land opens at park open. Not 30 minutes early for resort people. Just curious.
We're heading down the first week of October. We intended to stay at a Disney resort (At least during the 4 Disney park days), but there was no availability. Well, there was for the Deluxe resorts ($700-$800 per night).... So, we opted for the Margaritaville Resort for 4 nights, and the Universal Aventura Hotel for the 3 Universal nights. We've stayed at Margaritaville before, so that certainly wasn't a downgrade, and we'll have to see about the Aventura.
Has Aj ever posted a video regarding what snacks are best to have delivered or the kind to can store in the mini-fridge?
Since when do they open Adventure Land for early admission? I thought it was only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland?
I’ve done the Polynesian and I wasn’t even staying there. There was only one set of chairs. And the three of us grabbed them .
can you make more park reservation days than you have on your ticket? so make reservations for 20 but visit only 14 of them during your stay?
Yes
Is Adventureland now open for Early Theme Park entry? I thought you said your colleague rode Jungle Cruise and Pirates before opening. This would be wonderful!
Loved the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. Completely worth it! However, it does ruin some of the "Magic" if you don't want that...
Adventureland isn't open during Early Morning Entry...
I thought adventure land didn’t open for a half hour later then fantasyland/tomorrow land? Did this change? When we went early entry was at 8:30 but Adventureland didn’t open until 9am?
We paid for Disney genie plus and had a 2 ride an hour average. That's line free enough for me. My pockets aren't deep enough for that VIP package. Lol
Also, we caught an excellent view of the fireworks from the ferry landing. We were trying to be ON the ferry when they started but we timed it too early so we had disembarked when they started. But we watched them right there and loved it (even without being able to see the cool castle displays) and then got back to the car before the crowds to boot. Haha!
We skip the fireworks every time! We still see them and get to ride our favorite rides. Win win
Is there a time limit you can stay eating at the restaurant if you have a late night reservation? Let’s say, can I stay 30 minutes after park closing hours?
Also wow, the extra goodies!!! (Dear lottery) 😆
We once rode rise of the resistance twice In one day because we went without my mom in the morning and both my brother and mom have das passes so we used my brothers in the morning then when my mom joined us later in the afternoon we had to get her to do it my dad is a massive Star Wars fan so loved in and so did everyone else
Your videos are so helpful! I will be there for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend 2023. Do you have any tips for these events? Thank you for all that you and your team accomplish! It's a lot of hard work and it is very appreciated!
heya! i did the 10k at the parks in january and just wanna say i don’t recommend going into the parks after your run! you’ll be very tired and won’t be able to have the best time possible!
Hi AJ and all. ¥ou asked us to tell you unique Disney World experiences. I auditioned for a Stage Manager position in 1983 (a stage manager is the person who coordinates all elements of a show). At that time (they had an ensemble of singers where Sunny Eclipse is now. a lot of everything was live .
So i asked "where do people in college get to have this experience?" in 1983, there was no idea of the Disney College Program. Reggie Jarrett, the park Production Manager at the time in Entertainment, said, "we don't hire people out of college who are going back.."
Ten years later ,the Disney College Program happened.
As have many, my daughter Finley Judge Kaminska met her husband there. But it was at orientation. Disney University. He asked her, "do you like hockey,?"
For a bit of context, Michael grew up in the NHL Sabres organization. His dad is in charge of the merchandise department, so this was not an odd question. It turns out, Finley (our daughter) had become a hockey fan through her mother's constantly watching the Blackhawks" games through high sschool and college (she went to school in town. look up the best colleges and universitities in the US and see the six Universities, 20 Colleges, and five Law schools on that list).
In addition to that, my son (now 22) refuses to go on rollercoarsters based on his experiencee of the Barnstormer (which his sister now operates) when he was six.
How did your team member get in Adventureland early for resort guests? I thought it was only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland that were open for the early hours.
Hey AJ i love u r Disney videos
I love what you do
Watching fireworks from the Swiss family treehouse!
Curious how one of your writers rode rides in Adventureland during EE. Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for EE. We've been there twice in the last year and that never changed. Looking at the WDW site, MK shows only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open for EE. The other lands don't open until normal park hours.
Super amazing video
Where can you find the private Boats to rent ?? For a firework party
popcorn bowls are #1
Super fun amusement park