Ex cast member here, if a big ride like a roller coaster breaks down it will take at least 30 mins to restart because everything has to be reset and sometimes the guests need to be evacuated. If you see people walking out of the inside of the attraction led by cast members that means it will be a while before it’s working again
@@fairyteethzs no problem 👍🏾 It’s a waste of time asking cast members when it will be starting again coz they don’t know, it’s the maintenance crew need to sort it out as quick as they can. Sometimes it’s a little problem like a guest dropping their popcorn or phone when they get told to keep hands and arms inside and it falls on a sensor that shuts things down for safety reasons. I worked at one time on Peter Pan’s flight which was amusing getting the boats to concealed platforms to get people off to walk down some stairs across London with huge work lights on that was basically a concrete floor painted in neon 😂
It’s better to sit on a bench outside a ride and gamble for it to open up than having to stand in a queue for 2 hours. Sometimes the gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn’t but at least you got to sit down.
Always stayed in the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. Get an ice cream - mobile order before show, sit and relax watching the people trying to leave, then shop! Just loved walking down main street with fewer people and take the ferry back to the ticket center. Exhausted but not stressed.
As for hopping between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, there's actually a fantastic footpath between them, starting at the side entrance between England and France, running past resorts to Hollywood's front gate. It's a 20 minute brisk walk, 30 minute stroll.
What I like to do is walk over to Boardwalk instead of continuing through the path, stop at Belle Vue Lounge for a drink and then call an Uber to take me from Boardwalk to HS since it's like a five minute journey by car lol. Walking to Boardwalk from Epcot and then Ubering to HS has become my favorite way to park hop those two, since it gives me some rest and is a bit faster (6 min walk from International Gateway to Boardwalk and then another 5 mins or less from there to HS by car)
Yeah, that walkway is called the International Gateway. It also leads to the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Boardwalk Resort(where I own) and the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. You can also board the Skyliner in that location that will take you to Holly Studios and other various resorts on that line. It is also a kiosk entrance and exit for the World Showcse of Epcot.
You know, with all this new technology stuff, I’m just as glad I will never visit Disney again. I enjoyed the old days when we just wandered the park and just enjoyed the day. No rushing around to keep set “appointments” all over the park. Appointments are for work time, not play time. 😊
i mean this amount of planning isn’t really necessary i went to the park on the 4th of july park hopped and rode 13 rides including a few re rides and some of the really popular rides. a little planning does go a long way tho if you get there when it opens and ride the most popular stuff first you can chill and still do a lot throughout the day
I disagree. As a kid, I remember waiting for hours on end for rides and being so exhausted even though we didn't really do too much. Just went recently and managed to ride every single ride I wanted to and didn't wait in a line longer than 30m thanks to planning. Yes it took a decent amount of phone time but it was mostly done while in queue anyway so no big deal. I would rather deal with the technology and get to see more than not worth about it and see less.
Same. I remember waking up early to get there before rope drop and hitting up POTC or jungle cruise and then choosing which other rides were worth the wait throughout the day into the night. People make things to complicated.
As for waiting in line for broken rides... when waiting for Rise of the Resistance recently, the ride broke down. We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes, but so many people had left that we basically made up the wait time and were essentially able to ride the ride in the same amount of time as if the ride had not broken down. Something to think about!
There's definitely a strategy to the "Should I stay or should I go" dilemma. We usually wait about 5 minutes and see if there is a mass exodus. We then wait a little longer after the exodus, move as close to the head of the line as possible, and then try to find a cast member to chat with. If we've saved enough time by moving ahead of the people who have left, we wait it out if the cast member thinks it'll be soon ish (especially if the line is comfortable). Once when this happened we got a generic LL return when the castmember got word that the ride would be down a long time. We've also gotten one for gently defending a cast member who was being yelled at for the ride going down. Another tip is that if you have a genie + LL reservation when a ride goes down, it will convert to a "replacement" LL return that can be used at any time for the rest of the day at almost any of the genie+ LL line (but not the paid ala carte ones). Happened as we were just getting to Toy Story Midway Mania. We got a snack and the ride opened up. Walked on TSMM through standby line as the line had been evacuated, then used our generic LL on Smugglers Run .
Me and my niece stayed in line for radiator springs racers when it broke down lots of people left. We have already waited over an hour. I asked my niece she said she could wait. Thank God she had her nobi toy with games so she was happy just sitting and waiting lol 😆 in less than 20 mins it was back up. We cut over 45mins or more since so many left in front of us.
The time we spent on RoR ruined our day at Hollywood Studios. I will take the blame for being there in July. Luckily Wilderness Lodge was a nice retreat. So nice, we decided to just stay back for the rest of the day roasting marshmallows, eating at Geiser Pointe, and watching the fireworks over the trees.
I continue to see videos of people on their phones attempting to get reservations and get on rides. Spending thousands on a vacation just to stay glued to your phone is such a waste of time. Remember when you could walk up to the gate and pay to get in. Walk around and ride anything with a 10 minutes or less wait. Then you eat anything at anytime you want. All this over planning has destroyed the fun and magic of Disney.
When was it you could ride anything with a 10 minute or less wait? I've been going since 1999 and that really hasn't been a thing during that time unless there was something unusual going on like a storm>
Yes, I always visited just after the Thanksgiving weekend and you really could ride nearly everything with less than a 10 minute wait. It might get up to a 20 minute wait for the most popular attractions at the busiest time in the afternoon. I remember riding Space Mountain 4 times in a row with the only delay being how quickly I could get off the ride back to the loading area in 2012. The good old days...
You said it! PAYING THOUSANDS TO OVER PLAN. We went for Christmas last year (OUR Christmas being the week before). We truly did make a lot of great memories. . 3 kids 18/16/11. It's been years since we have been...in fact this was my youngest 1st experience. The amount of LITERAL work/planning this takes is insane! I spent so much time watching video after video about how to make the most of Disney Genie.....how to make dining reservations...it's insane and tbh I'm kinda mad at myself for spending so much on this trip! Not just money... time...energy...I was on my phone most the time trying to "make the most" of our time at the parks. We paid for genie plus every day.
@@jennibishop718 I'm in the same boat watching video after video and people seem to be divided on purchasing the Genie+ option. What was your experience? Was it worth it? Were there certain parks that didn't really need it?
@@msVanessajay such a hard question to answer! For us it was "needed" to make the most out of the experience we wanted. (Which is unfortunate). My kids were 17 15 and 12. We wanted to ride EVERYTHING! (if possible more than once! Lol. ) Each park has a ride or rides that have super long wait times. Not to mention how many rides broke down when we were in line (Avatar 1st time for over an hr and a half) We spent 5 days and bought genie + each day. I feel like I'm sucking at answering your question lol. Basically if you want to RIDE all you can and depending on any kids and what they like, you definitely need it. We truly did have a blast...but it wasn't until day 3 that I felt like I had the hang of it all as far as genie+ goes. That said last Christmas genie+ was still fairly new! Hope this was somewhat helpful.
This is my daughter's Make a Wish...thanks for the tips...we have 4 and a half days for all the parks at Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal studios...I'm trying to strategically time everything out perfectly so we can have time to do everything and this helps 👍🏿
A few years ago I had a two week vacation at Disney world and I remember just reading a book for an afternoon in one of the cafes in one of the parks. It was a magical experience - that feeling of being at the parks but not in a hurry and having some self-love time casually.
I understand. I got two free entrance tickets back in the early 2000s. I brought my friend. Because we did not have to pay, suddenly all the pressure was gone, the pressure to squeeze in as much as possible. We took our time moseying around, treated ourselves to an expensive restaurant, and left before the sun went down, ahead of the crowds. It was probably the best Disney trip ever. Taking it slow and relaxing is the meaning of vacation, at least for me.
@@donnybench5289 While I agree that the Parks are insanely more expensive now (what's next, are they going to charge you to watch the fireworks?!) You CAN enjoy yourself at Disney- to each their own....
@@donnybench5289 I enjoy myself every time I'm at Disney. However, I'm not going to just show up like a schmuck and hope for the best. Gotta save $$$ and implement cost-cutting tips, gotta have a daily plan, gotta take regular breaks and have some scheduled downtime. Awesome trips.
I am the person who lost her car 🤦♀️. My kids and I searched for quite a while before taking the “walk of shame” back to the TTC to ask a cast member for help. Their car parking/timing map feature is accurate and we were back on the road in no time.
My tip isn’t so much for time wasted but for damage control. It was my first time having to do Disney in mobility assistance scooter after the fireworks show at magic kingdom, so one of the most magical times of your family trip, people get really hateful some even told me to get out of the way. I froze and cried. My family was also upset. We ended up paying for the minnieVans and it really helped. Disney in general are AMAZING at meeting any handicap needs but keep in mind people get hateful when having to load and unload at buses and in general.
There are always a few emotional immature people there, but that's just a few out of many. Don't sweat it too much. Maybe just plan to stay away from the stampede next time by watching the fireworks from behind Cinderella castle, or a more outer portion of the park. As another commenter stated, it's really nice to after most of the people are almost out if the park. You can really enjoy staying another 45 minutes or so if the people you are with are ok with it. I hate being in crowds for the very reason you stated, and I struggle to stay silent when someone acts like that. It's just the way I'm wired so I try to just avoid the situations where the jerks show out as beat I can. Seems like when I speak up everyone acts like I'm the bad guy anyway💁♂️. Even si,I still managed to behave and have a great time with my family at the parks, and usually bump into a lot if very friendly people working at the parks,and other visitors like us. Just keep your chin up, and keep going. Don't let anyone steel your joy🙏
I kinda like some of the rain- cools you down and scared away people (reduces lines). All this advice reminds me of a saying that is well know in the backpacking/hiking community- hike your own hike (meaning one method you think is dumb is the best for someone else, depends on what you want out of the experience). Some people might say the parades and fireworks are a time waster. To each their own.😏
"Make a reservation a few days before your visit to a park"...that's funny. My wife and I were just there in November and restaurants had been fulling booked with reservations, every day we were there, months ago! We were told to make dining reservations at least three to four months out if we wanted to be sure to get a seat. We both love Disney and have made annual trips there for years, first with the kids and now that they're grown, just the two of us, but it's reaching the point that it's not much fun anymore, it's just too crowded, all the time.
I agree with most of these ideas. Disney is expensive and most of us want to maximize that investment. With most people having 1 day for a park, make a list of "Must Dos" and set your expectations to do around half of those. Train your mind to have a lowered expectation of "success" and bring those battery backups for your phone to help pass time in lines and place those mobile orders to have that meal ready when your done with your ride.
I agree with not standing in lines for longer than 20 mins. When my husband and I went, there was an hour long wait for peter pan’s flight most of the day & we went at night when it went down to 15-20. We actually only waited like 5 mins or less and it was fun, but I would have been mad if we’d waited an hour or more!!
We watched fireworks as we ate a quick service dinner at CASEYS. We sat at one of the outdoor tables right in front of the CASTLE. A wonderful experience.
Us too, only me & my hubby. I don't like groups because it's restricting. I hate waiting & some of my family don't like being out in the sun so we don't go with them. That goes with other vacation places not just theme parks.
When I was a kid it was my job to remember the parking number and lot. I took a lot of pride in that job! If you have a kiddo they may also love that job! It made me feel important!
I can always predict the rain in the summer in Florida. I just say there is a 50% of rain. That even applies as it will rain in 50% of the places. I’m actually an expert at staying ahead of the rain since I live here. In the summer the rain only lasts about 15-20 minutes anyway. I have seen many times it’s raining in my front yard but not the backyard. The lightening is very dangerous so stay safe and away from thunder. I was once driving and my car was struck by lightning. That’s a safe place because of the rubber tires. Also, warning! The sun is so brutal because of climate change I now get sunburned underneath my clothes being outside for 15 or 20 minutes. I’ve had heat strokes and do my best to prevent them. But this year it’s happening to more people for the first time. It’s very dangerous and when you go to bad your muscles in your legs cramp into a charley horse it wakes you up and you have to fly off the bed. Do your best to try to stretch your calves. Drink tons of water all day. That’s usually not enough so you need something with electrolytes. Another good tip is to bring ice. Put some in your hat before you put it on your head. You will thank me later. I manage people who have to work outside. We keep having actual heat warnings. I tell my outdoor workers to take a break every hour. Trust me, it’s way way hotter here than it used to be and the sun is more deadly. And it used to be extremely hot, so this is serious. Use sunscreen even under your clothes.
Cars are pretty safe in lightning (assuming windows are closed) because the metal roof acts as a Faraday cage. The rubber on the tires doesn't really have an effect.
@@jtimko2196 oh okay thanks. So the rubber tires don’t help at all? I think it’s funny when people say lightening never strikes in the same place twice. That implies that lightning has a brain and plans ahead of time when to strike. I know in Florida it definitely strikes in the same place twice.
Making it where you only can book your Dining Plan reservations 60 days out is a good change. There were people booking multiple times and hogging entire restaurant blocks for the longest time, and that wasn't fair at all. Also.. only a few quick service places in each park are worth having the food. For at least one meal, eat at the hotel, and one actually bring your own food. They cannot force you not to bring your own.
Thanks for these! Our family have been to WDW DOZENS of times. So many people don’t realize how far it is from one park to another, so park hopping really is time consuming. This is especially true if you are at the back of one park and have to travel out to a mode of transportation, wait for it, travel time, then getting into the next park. You could easily spend an hour or two getting to your next park. For me really not worth it. Especially if you have small children, or slower family members, this can be more difficult task.
i see everyone saying it takes so much time to park hop and i’m convinced everyone is doing it wrong because it takes maybe 30 minutes for me. maybe i’m just a fast walker?
I just take my time and enjoy whatever Disney Park I’m in, let Disney come to you, it’s a great relaxing way to enjoy Disney. Too much information is not good, I like to learn as I go. I really dislike running all over the place to get on rides at certain times that is not relaxing to me. Never rush!
Went to Disneyland with my family and we spent the whole day walking around. (Everyone had blisters after because we were practically walking/standing for 8+ hours with only ride times spent sitting, and those who went for the second later run of splash mountain (re:not me) was absolutely soaked for the rest of the day lol) Getting off Big Thunder Mountain right as the fireworks started was absolutely amazing 🤗 I highly reccomend bringing really comfy shoes and blister bandages lol
Could DFB do a video on handicap accessibility? We have a family member that can only walk short distances and is in a wheelchair otherwise. I wish I had know about the amenities that DW offers guest with special needs.
I just got back from a trip in May with my mother-in-law, who can only walk short distances and can’t stand for long periods of time. I was very pleased with the accessibility. We were able to rent a wheelchair for four days (if you pay up front, it’s only $10/day so it saves a few dollars each day) and we just showed our receipt at each park after the first day. A majority of the lines are wheelchair accessible, so you can just push the chair through the queue to the ride. For those that aren’t, the cast members will either have you use a different entrance, the lightning lane, or they’ll give you a return time (this only happened once). The whole time, our wheelchair guest only had to stand a little while, and the chair provided a handy bag and drink holder. I hope this helps and that you have a great time!
WDW has a program for people who have difficulty waiting in line. It is known as Disability Access Service (DAS.) It requires preregistration. Up to 30 days before your visit but at least 2. I cannot speak from first hand experience about how effective it is. But look in to it. Also, if you have your own scooter and are concerned about your battery being up to the job, ask a staff member where you might find a power outlet to give your scooter a little boost. Especially if you are doing a sit down meal. An extra hour of charge might make a big difference depending on your system. Of course, this requires that you have your charger with you. Mine is a small power brick that fits easily in the back pocket of my seat. Also, EPCOT has areas along the lagoon reserved for the handicapped. Keep an eye out for that option at the end of the day to watch the show.
I am here right now in WDW. I am amazed at the accessibility. All lines are accessible for wheel chairs and mobility scooters. Strollers are not allowed but ECV scooters and all kinds of wheel chairs are allowed. I didn't have to get up until I had to walk to get on the ride. If you couldn't get up or need help, I believe they will help. Then they move the scooter/wheel chair to the exit so it is there when you get off the ride. Disney transportation is also accessible. They load me on first with my ECV scooter on the bus along with my companions.
Last time I visited Disney was when I was in high school, and went with my classmates during spring break. (Live in Washington state, so big deal). I NEVER make plans when visiting parks, besides which park for which day maybe. No schedules, no time limits outside of things out of my control (closing, opening, breakdowns). Just running around and doing whatever looks cool when I see it there.
When I used to go with my family (yay, 90s Disney!) and the Walt Disney Story was at the Magic Kingdom, we would plan to be in the movie when the storms were coming. We also realized pretty quickly that the midday rain usually only lasted a few minutes, and if we needed, we would just step inside a store or restaurant and wait it out - watching all the people rush into the stores to stand in line for those yellow ponchos, only to have the rain be over by the time the line was finished. 🤣
We go to WDW to unwind, de- stress, & have fun - it really 'ticks us off' when first timers come & have to have every moment planned to take everything in & want to jump in lines before us & get all agitated when things don't go as smoothly as they planned!
My biggest time waster was the buses relying on Disney buses takes so much longer. In the time you can wait for a bus to show up you could go back-and-forth between your hotel like twice
To take your time, I recommend October travel and dedicating full days at each park. We are adults and did 3 full days at Epcot (including evening dinners), 2 full days at Animal Kingdom (included the private Safari package - extra charge $$$) and 1 afternoon at Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks at the Cinderella Castle! NOTE: We are retired! 🤗
Park Hopper does have its advantages. The last time I went was in the Christmas season, and one day I spent at Animal Kingdom. I planned to go to Hollywood Studios the next, but while I was getting ready, the TV in my room announced a new thing, a meet and greet with an Everest sherpa who was going to talk about the trash problem on the mountain. He was going to sell special ornaments to raise money to help with the costs of disposing of all those used up oxygen canisters. I decided I wanted to get one, but I didn't want to spend another whole day there. Since I had a Park Hopper ticket, I went over first thing, got the ornament, and then went over to Hollywood Studios as planned. Of course, this was back when there were no time constraints on when you could hop, but the theory still holds.
One tip I've done at another theme park; I buy one of those cheap Mylar Balloons with an extra-long string and either tie it to your antennae or hang it out your car window and roll window up tight. (Make sure it has the weight at the end). Even if someone else has the same idea you just follow the balloons!
Dan: One of the biggest waste of time is thinking like everybody else. Traveling during peek times, eating at typical times 7-8am, 12-1pm for lunch etc
The biggest waste of time is spending your money in this place. Stay home, donate some of that damn money to some BLACK americans in the ghettos, like in New York. Come give some of that money to us. Open the wallet, and give the money up. This entire system will be popped anyway which is what this system deserves. But in the meantime make sure my brothas are getting paid. AMEN
I was there just yesterday and I would say the most time saving thing is the genie + feature. It also gives you one hour to be there. So if you made a appointment ride for 5 you have to be there at 5-6. And you don’t need to wait in one hour lines!
Good to hear! I’m not good at visualizing how long it can take to get from one place to another, and the thought of scheduling rides is a bit stress inducing for me, because say I have an appointment at 11, I won’t do anything before in case it makes me late or something, if that makes sense? 😅 So knowing there’s a « window » is interesting, thanks!
@@valeriegoulettalbot9900I spent days on the app beforehand so I didn’t have to do much in the parks by estimating walking distances during peak hours. This way I didn’t have to constantly check the app and I could enjoy the park. Plus I set the notifications and the app to do most of the work.
Just went to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Won’t go back. All the running back and forth for ride appointments made it not so fun. It was also very expensive. My family used to have yearly passes for Disney World. Wow has the experience gone down hill.
I've never been and don't plan on going. I'm too cheap, and honestly don't think I'd enjoy it because of all the associated stress. But I do get a kick out of watching videos about it. So, that's a time saver.
It took mankind 3.5 billion years to create a place like Disney World and you're going to die without ever having experienced it in real life? That is a sad thought. Try to go at least once. Trust me.
Sometimes you can bribe the poor attendee cast members into paying half price for using their “guest passes”. There are web sites and discord for them, I am not saying any more on that lol
If you have adults and children, specifically in Epcot, make sure you plan a rotating schedule for who is doing something close with the kids and who is drinking in the world showcase. Either rides or a snack will help. I remember being a kid and just waiting for my mom and dad to just finish their drinks because the maelstrom was 30 feet away with a 10-minute wait. even having a mickey ice cream sandwich would keep me and my brother happy for long enough.
Oh how that gift shop thing brings back memories. My mother and sister wanted to look at all that junk, my dad, brother, and myself eventually said we needed to quit wasting time there.
We just got back from our annual Disneyland trip. We stayed 3 days, and weren’t even able to do as much as we used to do in a single day. I could go on and on about all of the issues we ran into. We won’t be returning for quite some time. Disney has really lost its magic.
Pro Tip: TAKE OFF YOUR HATS AND EARS! Rides like Rise of the Resistance, Remy, and Mickey & Minnie are a trackless ride system that have sensors all over the floor to detect ride vehicles. If you leave your hat on and it falls off, it will mess up the sensors and the ride will have to be reset. This is why when those rides go down they are a doozy to get back up and running. This also applies to kids with toys, pacifiers/dummies, etc. if they drop them outside the vehicle, it causes the same sensor issues! Just take it all off and put it all away!
Great information. Let me add another for saving time, visit when kids are in school and the crowds are less. There are websites that will show you the peak and best off-peak times for crowds at Disney World . And if you have kids, take them out of school and go at those off-peak times and save all the stress of those longest wait times in line with tired kids. Cheers
That's what my parents did for my brother and I when we were kids. They kept us out of school for an extra week after Christmas break. I'm doing basically the same thing for my son, but we're going the last full week of January. So all the kids are back in school, Disney's still celebrating their 50th, and we get to catch the international arts festival at epcot. I booked us to be at epcot for 2 days.
Honestly as far as fireworks go when staying at the contemporary resort you can watch them on the floor where the bridge is and get the lake parade my mom loved being able to watch the fireworks from our hotel and we didn’t have to rush back to resort or anything so worth watching it like that
Biggest time suck is standing around after riding a ride to figure out what to ride next. Figure out your next ride while in the queue of current ride so you can straight there.
I think THE single biggest time soaker is parking and entering at Magic Kingdom. Walk (maybe tram), ferry or monorail, sometimes have to wait multiple trips for either. I’m glad this video mentioned that the bus drops you right next to security.
Never been to Disney World. More of Dinseyland person. More the dislike of the heat, humidity, and storms than anything. But this is sound advice and you're a great presenter. ❤
I know the buses get a bad wrap, am I crazy that I love them? The individual theming. Riding from the hotel with everyone else excited to get there. I love it!
I like to go to the other parks in the morning, take a lunch break, then finish the day in Magic Kingdom, soaking up the atmosphere. I find a nice place to sit and relax, get some ice cream, and people watch or read a book.
I went to WDW a couple times as a child. Of course none of the inconveniences like driving, parking, waiting in line, are part of my memories at all. However, having only been to Disneyland/CA Adventure as an adult, I have to say how much easier it seems to enjoy the Anaheim experience than Orlando. Huge selection of affordable hotels in walking distance, and we watched the fireworks from the pool at our hotel. SO easy. We didn't park-hop but if we wanted to it would have been a few minutes walk from one entrance to the other. Not sure I'd want to try WDW now lol. (but I'd still not turn down an opportunity!)
Orlando is definitely a must do, I went to All the Disney parks in peak season which was August and I managed to ride every single ride in all the parks as the queues weren't bad at All! The longest I waited for a ride was around an hour max. Rides like Avatar flight of passage in animal kingdom which is one of their busiest rides only had about 50 minute queue which compared to now(3 and a half hours) is super Short! I'd definitely give it a go if you had a chance lol 😊
10:00 can confirm, Journey into Imagination was the best thing at EPCOT Center. With the rainbow tunnel upstairs! It's so sad today, greed has sucked all the imagination out of that place.
We brought our own packed lunches, snacks and drinks, had a big breakfast before we arrived... and when the parade happened, we skipped watching it and were able to walk straight into the Haunted Mansion with zero wait time.
Fwiw, as someone who needs coffee in the morning, I usually grab Starbucks on my way OUT of the Disneyland parks (open until 30 minutes after park close) and take it back to the hotel to heat up in the morning and drink while in line for opening, but that's where we are walking distance to our hotel so not sure if that would work as well at Disney World. Just an idea!
I have severe ADHD and have had that diagnosis since i was 8. Im 34 now. Im telling you... no matter where i park... i have a honing device in my head that guids me back to my truck. It never fails.
As someone who used to worked at the skyliner I would cry before I head to work if check the weather there going to rain during my shift. I know if it's windings more then 35 miles per hour 2 miles away from disney we got to shut it . The amount of times I get yelled at people 😒 to tell them the bad new. As if I could control the weather. I get it you running late but thats not my fault
Some of you people might be too young to remember this, but there was a time that parking was not a problem, because Disneyland had each lot be of a different Disney Characters; it was SO AWESOME!! I remember once parking in Pluto's lot and another in Chips' lot!
@@1982pencil SEE... THAT IS AWESOME! Because here it is only Mickey and Minnie, so yeah... good luck finding your car, but at least by having the Disney Characters, you only spend 15 mins looking for your car instead of the hour you might here.
Although I'm now a cast member. Any time we came to Disney we only had a general agenda. The first time we came the kids were 8 and 4. No diapers, no stroller, no backpacks. We would wonder in when we were ready and take a break during the day to use the pool, nap etc. Then back to the park later in the day. The kids (and us) didn't have a breakdown and we always enjoyed every minute. Again, I'm a cast member and discover new things all the time and look forward to doing something new the next time.
For food, my group usually makes a dinner reservation at a resort for the evening and we graze the park for lunch. The food kiosks in the parks are usually enough to keep us going during the day and we don't have the long wait. Mobile Order has saved us a couple of times when we were dying for a chili dog in Hollywood Studios. During an Epcot festival, we budget to hit the various food places and try whatever looks good (or is recommended by DFB). Small bites to eat throughout the day seem to work for us, but we don't have kiddos, so that will make a difference.
The biggest problem in a group is making decision. Real example - standing outside the Big Thunder Mtn queue for 45 minutes deciding if we are going to get on line because the wait is 45 minutes.
With the lightening lane pass, if you had one for the ride while it’s down you will get another and it will tell you what rides you can use it on, if you have already scanned, you will need to visit a cast member to get it back, I just went to Disney had this happen to me 3 times and each time I got my lightening pass returned to my app. Hope this helps!
Wasting time planning every single thing because it never works out the exact way you want it to - if you know the park layout to the parks don't plan - just enjoy the day - you won't get on every attraction so don't expect to - enjoy the time you have there rather than be stressed
After 13 trips to Disney World, it finally occurred to me that I no longer wanted to spend precious vacation time and way too much money mostly standing in lines. Never again.
people in the hood in NYC live and die on their same streets, and we got a dude right here who been to this place 13 times.. smh, Biden gonna destroy this whole country, good. It need to be destroyed. Fantasyass lifestyle. FAKE
For many years when I lived in Florida I have only visited Walt Disney World in early November during the final days of Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival. I have always loved it, and picked up some tips of my own. Case in point: The end of the day and the fireworks have ended. Do NOT be in such a rush to exit! EVERYBODY is trying to leave at the same time! I have been on my feet for hours and now is the appropriate moment to relax. All of the international pavilions in World Showcase have a secluded area you can chill-out while the masses rush to exit. My favorite location is the village park in the United Kingdom pavilion. It is set back away from the main foot traffic, so it is peaceful. I hang out there for thirty minutes; sitting on a park bench, resting my feet, listening to the music from the speakers. After thirty minutes, I can exit Epcot without being trapped inside a mass exodus.
I'm not spending money or time on park hopping. 1 park per day. Also, that waiting in line thing... Peter Pan is NOT worth anything more than a 20 min wait. Even Pooh. And unpopular opinion, Slinky not more than 35. It's cute but, meh. Totally willing to wait 60+ min for Rise though.
We used to park hop all the time, but we have littles. I think it’s a lot harder at WDW if the bus is your only transportation option. We skipped park hopping this time because we weren’t sure what to expect with the 2 pm rule and Genie+ and were fine with it! Maybe I’d revisit it we did Animal Kingdom or had older kids who can tolerate longer days, lol!
Another way to save time is to head in the right direction. The crowd heads to the right, so you head left. You will ride more and you will get to the back of the park before most of the crowd will.
If you don't want to download a parking app. When you get parked open your map app of choice and drop a pin where you are. Share that pin with someone else there. This records the exact location. Then when you go to look you just click the pin in the message and it pops up and you can see where you are in relation to it
When we went in late September 2018, I brought disposable ponchos for everyone on every day. It rained one night in the week we were there. It was weird.
Just got back from Disney with the kiddos a couple weeks ago. It rained for the first 72 hours of our trip. We were able to do our Hollywood Studios musts (RoR, Slinky Dog, Aerosmith, Tower of Terror and TS Mania) in roughly 2 hours one evening due to the inclement weather. We did need all the extra shoes (3 pairs apiece) and a pack of Amazon assorted ponchos. Although the weather wasn't ideal, it did create unforgettable memories and additional flexibility for the second half of our stay.
Rain storms pop up frequently in Florida. Buy your rain gear and pack in your suitcase. If your staying on a Disney site get your coffee/breakfast to go and eat while waiting on transpiration. There are also places to buy Mickey/Minnie ears before your trip for cheap!
Not gonna lie I'm guilty of standing in line for a (half) broken ride. It was back in January with relatively busy crowds and one of Tower's tracks was down leaving the one shaft. Turned a 30 min wait into an hour and in hindsight I should've just gone to another attraction or shopped down Hollywood Blvd in the meantime. Love the ride but hate wasting time for sure
What’s annoying is waiting for a ride and NOT KNOWING it’s closed. This has happened to us on many occasions. Cast members won’t even tell you it’s closed. You have to discover that on the app. Cast members will occasionally wait by exit doors to let anyone out that needs out, bathroom breaks, ADRs, etc., but they won’t tell you it’s closed, even when you start witnessing actual ride evacuations. They also used to give you an apology fast pass when you did finally give up, (which is probably why they didn’t want to tell you), but they don’t even do that anymore. Two hour wait? Sorry you wasted your time and money.
Best Disney day I ever had was getting in early in the morning and leaving in the late afternoon but around Teo hours before the fireworks. Easy out and not as exhausting. Get a hotel that have fireworks watch rooms and save yourself the waiting or crowds when you are tired. Also, check the weather app and plan accordingly but make sure to have a dinner/late lunch reservation for around 3 to 4 pm afternoon, because that is usually the raining time, after 2 pm and before 5. So, having dinner or a big long lighting lane scheduled during that time will give you respite for the rain without being cramped in with so many people in small spaces all trying to get out the rain. Always carry ponchos, and do all outdoor rides during the morning. Use the my Disney experience but if you have a big crowd don’t spend the genie money unless you plan on waking up at 6 am and even then it is ridiculous how useless it is. If you can, might as well use pay per ride for like your main attraction, at least that way you have pre planed that time of your day way ahead. Virtual lines can be a great idea if they had more than the 7 and 1 chances to get a spot. If the fireworks are a must for you, consider budgeting for a meal time around 6 to 7 pm so that you can eat before the show and it doesn’t feel like such a long wait afterwards, and make sure to Uber back to the hotel that day. Never spend on an expensive resort just for all days in parks, because if you spend a day or two in the resort itself, it might be the most relaxing and fun day of your stay in terms of experiences and the money spend on it will feel less of a pain for you. Getting any hotel with free breakfast is a great money saver for all days at the park guests, and consider resorts outside the Disney area with water parks and awesome pools as well as condo style if you have a car or don’t want to blow the budget in food. That full kitchen saves you a lot of money that could go into actual time savers like Uber or lift or parking closer to the entrance of the park. Or even the inside the parks reservation meal experiences.
How to "get out of Dodge fast" aka the Magic Kingdom, after the fireworks? Avoid having to find transportation at all by staying at the Contemporary Resort and walking home along the path. Also great for getting there for rope drop first thing in the morning. No need to wait for the bus or monorail, just use your feet and 10 later you are there!
I do really think waiting for the parade or firework show is a waste of time. You can find good places regardless if you wait or not. Some people get upset because they waited an hour and someone got in front of them. Well there’s no rule against it and if you left space for someone to get in front of you it’s kind of your fault. Maybe if you have kids or it’s your first time in the park it’s not a waste of time to wait for parade or night show. I rather just wait for rides and still find a good spot to watch fireworks/harmonious
They may not give you lightning lane to that ride, but they will sometimes give you a free lightning lane at any ride that doesn’t have a top-tier wait if you agree to leave a top ride, such as Star Wars.
lol I’m very serious about my coffee! I packed my own coffee in Ziploc bags along with filters and ordered milk/condensed milk on Walmart+. I made coffee in my hotel room and poured it over ice provided from the ice machines into a disposable plastic cup with lid and straw (or you can bring an insulated cup). It bought me several hours until I needed another pick up later on 😂! Sometimes I’d rinsed out and save the cup and lid so I can have a vessel for future iced coffees 😂. The cafes in the hotels don’t open until 7 am, and since we rope dropped the time didn’t work for us!
Lol the great thing about Disney Land is that you don’t pay to go on rides… lol you pay to stand in line and wait 😂 You probably spend a total of 20 minutes on rides and the whole day waiting to get on them lol
Going to Disney World is a waste of time and money. Went there last year and it was awful. When you look around at everybody there, 98% of people look unhappy. The only reason to go to Disney World is to be super grateful to get home afterwards
Tip for Disneyland Paris Magic Kingdom : to avoid longer waits at Discoveryland front restrooms, use the new Gender Neutral Restrooms right next to ladies restrooms. This provides extra stalls for everyone. I also remember wasting my time waiting at WDW restrooms because it only had two stalls despite being in a popular location, but I can't figure out which one it was.
If you are trying to do everything possible in a Disney park, you will not have nearly enough time to go to a second park in one day. There is enough in each park to keep you busy for days. The only time park hopping is smart is to go hit up one of the night time shows after Animal Kingdom closes for the day.
Ex cast member here, if a big ride like a roller coaster breaks down it will take at least 30 mins to restart because everything has to be reset and sometimes the guests need to be evacuated. If you see people walking out of the inside of the attraction led by cast members that means it will be a while before it’s working again
Thank You 🙏
@@fairyteethzs no problem 👍🏾
It’s a waste of time asking cast members when it will be starting again coz they don’t know, it’s the maintenance crew need to sort it out as quick as they can.
Sometimes it’s a little problem like a guest dropping their popcorn or phone when they get told to keep hands and arms inside and it falls on a sensor that shuts things down for safety reasons.
I worked at one time on Peter Pan’s flight which was amusing getting the boats to concealed platforms to get people off to walk down some stairs across London with huge work lights on that was basically a concrete floor painted in neon 😂
@@TayWoode lol, thanks again man
It’s better to sit on a bench outside a ride and gamble for it to open up than having to stand in a queue for 2 hours. Sometimes the gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn’t but at least you got to sit down.
Always stayed in the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. Get an ice cream - mobile order before show, sit and relax watching the people trying to leave, then shop! Just loved walking down main street with fewer people and take the ferry back to the ticket center. Exhausted but not stressed.
As for hopping between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, there's actually a fantastic footpath between them, starting at the side entrance between England and France, running past resorts to Hollywood's front gate. It's a 20 minute brisk walk, 30 minute stroll.
What I like to do is walk over to Boardwalk instead of continuing through the path, stop at Belle Vue Lounge for a drink and then call an Uber to take me from Boardwalk to HS since it's like a five minute journey by car lol. Walking to Boardwalk from Epcot and then Ubering to HS has become my favorite way to park hop those two, since it gives me some rest and is a bit faster (6 min walk from International Gateway to Boardwalk and then another 5 mins or less from there to HS by car)
thank you for your service
That’s why I love staying at boardwalk the night life and the scenic walk makes it very different
Yeah, that walkway is called the International Gateway. It also leads to the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Boardwalk Resort(where I own) and the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. You can also board the Skyliner in that location that will take you to Holly Studios and other various resorts on that line. It is also a kiosk entrance and exit for the World Showcse of Epcot.
It’s a nice walk but it’s definitely longer than what the cast member told me and my party. Almost missed our reservation once 😂
You know, with all this new technology stuff, I’m just as glad I will never visit Disney again. I enjoyed the old days when we just wandered the park and just enjoyed the day. No rushing around to keep set “appointments” all over the park. Appointments are for work time, not play time. 😊
i mean this amount of planning isn’t really necessary i went to the park on the 4th of july park hopped and rode 13 rides including a few re rides and some of the really popular rides. a little planning does go a long way tho if you get there when it opens and ride the most popular stuff first you can chill and still do a lot throughout the day
I disagree. As a kid, I remember waiting for hours on end for rides and being so exhausted even though we didn't really do too much. Just went recently and managed to ride every single ride I wanted to and didn't wait in a line longer than 30m thanks to planning. Yes it took a decent amount of phone time but it was mostly done while in queue anyway so no big deal. I would rather deal with the technology and get to see more than not worth about it and see less.
I went to magic kingdom a few days ago for 4 hours and went on 6 rides.. it’s summer vacation. Love genie plus.
Same. I remember waking up early to get there before rope drop and hitting up POTC or jungle cruise and then choosing which other rides were worth the wait throughout the day into the night. People make things to complicated.
Yeah Disney kind of died a few years ago when they fully sold out to profit
As for waiting in line for broken rides... when waiting for Rise of the Resistance recently, the ride broke down. We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes, but so many people had left that we basically made up the wait time and were essentially able to ride the ride in the same amount of time as if the ride had not broken down. Something to think about!
Got stuck on Spash Mountain for 25 mins when it broke down this week after using a LL. Kid panicking too, yeah not fun!
This happened to us too.
There's definitely a strategy to the "Should I stay or should I go" dilemma. We usually wait about 5 minutes and see if there is a mass exodus. We then wait a little longer after the exodus, move as close to the head of the line as possible, and then try to find a cast member to chat with. If we've saved enough time by moving ahead of the people who have left, we wait it out if the cast member thinks it'll be soon ish (especially if the line is comfortable). Once when this happened we got a generic LL return when the castmember got word that the ride would be down a long time. We've also gotten one for gently defending a cast member who was being yelled at for the ride going down. Another tip is that if you have a genie + LL reservation when a ride goes down, it will convert to a "replacement" LL return that can be used at any time for the rest of the day at almost any of the genie+ LL line (but not the paid ala carte ones). Happened as we were just getting to Toy Story Midway Mania. We got a snack and the ride opened up. Walked on TSMM through standby line as the line had been evacuated, then used our generic LL on Smugglers Run .
Me and my niece stayed in line for radiator springs racers when it broke down lots of people left. We have already waited over an hour. I asked my niece she said she could wait. Thank God she had her nobi toy with games so she was happy just sitting and waiting lol 😆 in less than 20 mins it was back up. We cut over 45mins or more since so many left in front of us.
The time we spent on RoR ruined our day at Hollywood Studios. I will take the blame for being there in July. Luckily Wilderness Lodge was a nice retreat. So nice, we decided to just stay back for the rest of the day roasting marshmallows, eating at Geiser Pointe, and watching the fireworks over the trees.
I continue to see videos of people on their phones attempting to get reservations and get on rides. Spending thousands on a vacation just to stay glued to your phone is such a waste of time. Remember when you could walk up to the gate and pay to get in. Walk around and ride anything with a 10 minutes or less wait. Then you eat anything at anytime you want. All this over planning has destroyed the fun and magic of Disney.
When was it you could ride anything with a 10 minute or less wait? I've been going since 1999 and that really hasn't been a thing during that time unless there was something unusual going on like a storm>
Yes, I always visited just after the Thanksgiving weekend and you really could ride nearly everything with less than a 10 minute wait. It might get up to a 20 minute wait for the most popular attractions at the busiest time in the afternoon. I remember riding Space Mountain 4 times in a row with the only delay being how quickly I could get off the ride back to the loading area in 2012. The good old days...
You said it! PAYING THOUSANDS TO OVER PLAN.
We went for Christmas last year (OUR Christmas being the week before). We truly did make a lot of great memories. . 3 kids 18/16/11.
It's been years since we have been...in fact this was my youngest 1st experience.
The amount of LITERAL work/planning this takes is insane!
I spent so much time watching video after video about how to make the most of Disney Genie.....how to make dining reservations...it's insane and tbh I'm kinda mad at myself for spending so much on this trip! Not just money... time...energy...I was on my phone most the time trying to "make the most" of our time at the parks.
We paid for genie plus every day.
@@jennibishop718 I'm in the same boat watching video after video and people seem to be divided on purchasing the Genie+ option. What was your experience? Was it worth it? Were there certain parks that didn't really need it?
@@msVanessajay such a hard question to answer! For us it was "needed" to make the most out of the experience we wanted. (Which is unfortunate). My kids were 17 15 and 12.
We wanted to ride EVERYTHING! (if possible more than once! Lol. )
Each park has a ride or rides that have super long wait times. Not to mention how many rides broke down when we were in line (Avatar 1st time for over an hr and a half)
We spent 5 days and bought genie + each day.
I feel like I'm sucking at answering your question lol.
Basically if you want to RIDE all you can and depending on any kids and what they like, you definitely need it.
We truly did have a blast...but it wasn't until day 3 that I felt like I had the hang of it all as far as genie+ goes.
That said last Christmas genie+ was still fairly new!
Hope this was somewhat helpful.
This is my daughter's Make a Wish...thanks for the tips...we have 4 and a half days for all the parks at Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal studios...I'm trying to strategically time everything out perfectly so we can have time to do everything and this helps 👍🏿
I hope y’all had fun! ❤
Skip sea world and spend an extra day at Disney. Sea world should not be supported 😢
Praying for your precious daughter❤ I'm thinking of you two.
@tysymone4788 I hope she has the time of her life. 🙏💛👑🎇🎠🎡🌞🌃🏰
Praying for y’all ❤️❤️ I hope y’all had/have an amazing time together
A few years ago I had a two week vacation at Disney world and I remember just reading a book for an afternoon in one of the cafes in one of the parks. It was a magical experience - that feeling of being at the parks but not in a hurry and having some self-love time casually.
I understand. I got two free entrance tickets back in the early 2000s. I brought my friend. Because we did not have to pay, suddenly all the pressure was gone, the pressure to squeeze in as much as possible. We took our time moseying around, treated ourselves to an expensive restaurant, and left before the sun went down, ahead of the crowds. It was probably the best Disney trip ever. Taking it slow and relaxing is the meaning of vacation, at least for me.
That sounds awesome! Were you by yourself on this trip?
Oh so you're rich, rich. 😅
Lmao imagine going to Disney world and reading a book LOOOL
two weeks is actually crazy
Seems to me that Disney has been finding ways to waste everyone’s time and money over the past decade.
and quite successfully
Here is a giant waste of time and money she forgot to mention: going to Disney World.
Yeah.... they sit around in meetings finding ways to waste everybody's time and money. Are you Goofy?
@@DAD0123 hyperbole not in the vocabulary eh?
@@DAD0123you think they’re sitting in meetings trying to find ways to help ppl save their money at the parks? lol
Nothing like getting ready for a Disney trip and seeing DFB pop up 🙌🏼
Nicco DiRenzi- Aint it the truth?!! :)
Planning a Jan 2023 trip over here - M
@@donnybench5289 While I agree that the Parks are insanely more expensive now (what's next, are they going to charge you to watch the fireworks?!) You CAN enjoy yourself at Disney- to each their own....
Right?!! Agreed!
@@donnybench5289 I enjoy myself every time I'm at Disney. However, I'm not going to just show up like a schmuck and hope for the best. Gotta save $$$ and implement cost-cutting tips, gotta have a daily plan, gotta take regular breaks and have some scheduled downtime. Awesome trips.
We watched fireworks behind the castle on the dumbo ride. It was so dead they let us stay on for three trips. Was like a Disney world commercial
I am the person who lost her car 🤦♀️. My kids and I searched for quite a while before taking the “walk of shame” back to the TTC to ask a cast member for help. Their car parking/timing map feature is accurate and we were back on the road in no time.
My tip isn’t so much for time wasted but for damage control. It was my first time having to do Disney in mobility assistance scooter after the fireworks show at magic kingdom, so one of the most magical times of your family trip, people get really hateful some even told me to get out of the way. I froze and cried. My family was also upset. We ended up paying for the minnieVans and it really helped. Disney in general are AMAZING at meeting any handicap needs but keep in mind people get hateful when having to load and unload at buses and in general.
There are always a few emotional immature people there, but that's just a few out of many. Don't sweat it too much. Maybe just plan to stay away from the stampede next time by watching the fireworks from behind Cinderella castle, or a more outer portion of the park. As another commenter stated, it's really nice to after most of the people are almost out if the park. You can really enjoy staying another 45 minutes or so if the people you are with are ok with it.
I hate being in crowds for the very reason you stated, and I struggle to stay silent when someone acts like that. It's just the way I'm wired so I try to just avoid the situations where the jerks show out as beat I can. Seems like when I speak up everyone acts like I'm the bad guy anyway💁♂️.
Even si,I still managed to behave and have a great time with my family at the parks, and usually bump into a lot if very friendly people working at the parks,and other visitors like us. Just keep your chin up, and keep going. Don't let anyone steel your joy🙏
I kinda like some of the rain- cools you down and scared away people (reduces lines). All this advice reminds me of a saying that is well know in the backpacking/hiking community- hike your own hike (meaning one method you think is dumb is the best for someone else, depends on what you want out of the experience). Some people might say the parades and fireworks are a time waster. To each their own.😏
Going to the parks by myself was amazing. I WAS the Fastpass!
That’s what I’ll be doing in April! I prefer solo traveling, if you have any tips let me know! 😊
"Make a reservation a few days before your visit to a park"...that's funny. My wife and I were just there in November and restaurants had been fulling booked with reservations, every day we were there, months ago! We were told to make dining reservations at least three to four months out if we wanted to be sure to get a seat. We both love Disney and have made annual trips there for years, first with the kids and now that they're grown, just the two of us, but it's reaching the point that it's not much fun anymore, it's just too crowded, all the time.
I agree with most of these ideas. Disney is expensive and most of us want to maximize that investment. With most people having 1 day for a park, make a list of "Must Dos" and set your expectations to do around half of those. Train your mind to have a lowered expectation of "success" and bring those battery backups for your phone to help pass time in lines and place those mobile orders to have that meal ready when your done with your ride.
We really enjoyed the Minnie Van! It was awesome with the cast members telling us what to do at a certain park and the tips and tricks of each park
As a former employee, these were great tips that a lot of people may think about but they forget when they are at the parks! Such good info!
I agree with not standing in lines for longer than 20 mins. When my husband and I went, there was an hour long wait for peter pan’s flight most of the day & we went at night when it went down to 15-20. We actually only waited like 5 mins or less and it was fun, but I would have been mad if we’d waited an hour or more!!
We watched fireworks as we ate a quick service dinner at CASEYS. We sat at one of the outdoor tables right in front of the CASTLE. A wonderful experience.
Lots of these reasons are why I travel alone! I do what I want when I want.
Us too, only me & my hubby. I don't like groups because it's restricting. I hate waiting & some of my family don't like being out in the sun so we don't go with them. That goes with other vacation places not just theme parks.
Sounds lonely. I love traveling with my kids. You just have to raise them right. 😊
I mean I admire people that travel alone but there's no one to share the experiences with.
Rule of thumb #1: You won't see/do everything you want to do, even on a light day.
When I was a kid it was my job to remember the parking number and lot. I took a lot of pride in that job! If you have a kiddo they may also love that job! It made me feel important!
I can always predict the rain in the summer in Florida. I just say there is a 50% of rain. That even applies as it will rain in 50% of the places. I’m actually an expert at staying ahead of the rain since I live here. In the summer the rain only lasts about 15-20 minutes anyway. I have seen many times it’s raining in my front yard but not the backyard. The lightening is very dangerous so stay safe and away from thunder. I was once driving and my car was struck by lightning. That’s a safe place because of the rubber tires.
Also, warning! The sun is so brutal because of climate change I now get sunburned underneath my clothes being outside for 15 or 20 minutes. I’ve had heat strokes and do my best to prevent them. But this year it’s happening to more people for the first time. It’s very dangerous and when you go to bad your muscles in your legs cramp into a charley horse it wakes you up and you have to fly off the bed. Do your best to try to stretch your calves. Drink tons of water all day. That’s usually not enough so you need something with electrolytes. Another good tip is to bring ice. Put some in your hat before you put it on your head. You will thank me later. I manage people who have to work outside. We keep having actual heat warnings. I tell my outdoor workers to take a break every hour. Trust me, it’s way way hotter here than it used to be and the sun is more deadly. And it used to be extremely hot, so this is serious. Use sunscreen even under your clothes.
Cars are pretty safe in lightning (assuming windows are closed) because the metal roof acts as a Faraday cage. The rubber on the tires doesn't really have an effect.
@@jtimko2196 what is a faraday cage?
@@kellykerr5225 basically the electricity stays on the outside of the cage(in this case a car). Michael Faraday discovered this 200 years ago.
@@jtimko2196 oh okay thanks. So the rubber tires don’t help at all? I think it’s funny when people say lightening never strikes in the same place twice. That implies that lightning has a brain and plans ahead of time when to strike. I know in Florida it definitely strikes in the same place twice.
Making it where you only can book your Dining Plan reservations 60 days out is a good change. There were people booking multiple times and hogging entire restaurant blocks for the longest time, and that wasn't fair at all. Also.. only a few quick service places in each park are worth having the food. For at least one meal, eat at the hotel, and one actually bring your own food. They cannot force you not to bring your own.
Thanks for these! Our family have been to WDW DOZENS of times. So many people don’t realize how far it is from one park to another, so park hopping really is time consuming. This is especially true if you are at the back of one park and have to travel out to a mode of transportation, wait for it, travel time, then getting into the next park. You could easily spend an hour or two getting to your next park. For me really not worth it. Especially if you have small children, or slower family members, this can be more difficult task.
i see everyone saying it takes so much time to park hop and i’m convinced everyone is doing it wrong because it takes maybe 30 minutes for me. maybe i’m just a fast walker?
i still wish Eisner made parks better, instead of making more of them! ):
I just take my time and enjoy whatever Disney Park I’m in, let Disney come to you, it’s a great relaxing way to enjoy Disney. Too much information is not good, I like to learn as I go. I really dislike running all over the place to get on rides at certain times that is not relaxing to me. Never rush!
An early morning coaster will wake you up just as much as a cup of coffee.
Amen. Expedition is my go to at every AK visit first thing in the morning.
Went to Disneyland with my family and we spent the whole day walking around.
(Everyone had blisters after because we were practically walking/standing for 8+ hours with only ride times spent sitting, and those who went for the second later run of splash mountain (re:not me) was absolutely soaked for the rest of the day lol)
Getting off Big Thunder Mountain right as the fireworks started was absolutely amazing 🤗
I highly reccomend bringing really comfy shoes and blister bandages lol
I was on big thunder mountain on Christmas during fireworks!
That’s what most locals do, but with yearly passes. It takes hours stand in the line. Most people don’t ride any rides at all.
Could DFB do a video on handicap accessibility? We have a family member that can only walk short distances and is in a wheelchair otherwise. I wish I had know about the amenities that DW offers guest with special needs.
I just got back from a trip in May with my mother-in-law, who can only walk short distances and can’t stand for long periods of time. I was very pleased with the accessibility. We were able to rent a wheelchair for four days (if you pay up front, it’s only $10/day so it saves a few dollars each day) and we just showed our receipt at each park after the first day. A majority of the lines are wheelchair accessible, so you can just push the chair through the queue to the ride. For those that aren’t, the cast members will either have you use a different entrance, the lightning lane, or they’ll give you a return time (this only happened once). The whole time, our wheelchair guest only had to stand a little while, and the chair provided a handy bag and drink holder. I hope this helps and that you have a great time!
Also don’t rent the scooters from Disney. They are super expensive, slow, and can’t go from park to park.
WDW has a program for people who have difficulty waiting in line. It is known as Disability Access Service (DAS.) It requires preregistration. Up to 30 days before your visit but at least 2.
I cannot speak from first hand experience about how effective it is. But look in to it.
Also, if you have your own scooter and are concerned about your battery being up to the job, ask a staff member where you might find a power outlet to give your scooter a little boost. Especially if you are doing a sit down meal. An extra hour of charge might make a big difference depending on your system. Of course, this requires that you have your charger with you. Mine is a small power brick that fits easily in the back pocket of my seat.
Also, EPCOT has areas along the lagoon reserved for the handicapped. Keep an eye out for that option at the end of the day to watch the show.
I am here right now in WDW. I am amazed at the accessibility. All lines are accessible for wheel chairs and mobility scooters. Strollers are not allowed but ECV scooters and all kinds of wheel chairs are allowed. I didn't have to get up until I had to walk to get on the ride. If you couldn't get up or need help, I believe they will help. Then they move the scooter/wheel chair to the exit so it is there when you get off the ride. Disney transportation is also accessible. They load me on first with my ECV scooter on the bus along with my companions.
This would be really cool. I've seen other resources, but honestly I just trust DFB to be the most up to date and quality insights.
Last time I visited Disney was when I was in high school, and went with my classmates during spring break. (Live in Washington state, so big deal).
I NEVER make plans when visiting parks, besides which park for which day maybe. No schedules, no time limits outside of things out of my control (closing, opening, breakdowns). Just running around and doing whatever looks cool when I see it there.
When I used to go with my family (yay, 90s Disney!) and the Walt Disney Story was at the Magic Kingdom, we would plan to be in the movie when the storms were coming. We also realized pretty quickly that the midday rain usually only lasted a few minutes, and if we needed, we would just step inside a store or restaurant and wait it out - watching all the people rush into the stores to stand in line for those yellow ponchos, only to have the rain be over by the time the line was finished. 🤣
We go to WDW to unwind, de- stress, & have fun - it really 'ticks us off' when first timers come & have to have every moment planned to take everything in & want to jump in lines before us & get all agitated when things don't go as smoothly as they planned!
My biggest time waster was the buses relying on Disney buses takes so much longer. In the time you can wait for a bus to show up you could go back-and-forth between your hotel like twice
We had pretty good luck with buses last august! The only time it was horrible was coming back from Epcot. We waited soooo long.
To take your time, I recommend October travel and dedicating full days at each park. We are adults and did 3 full days at Epcot (including evening dinners), 2 full days at Animal Kingdom (included the private Safari package - extra charge $$$) and 1 afternoon at Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks at the Cinderella Castle!
NOTE: We are retired! 🤗
Park Hopper does have its advantages. The last time I went was in the Christmas season, and one day I spent at Animal Kingdom. I planned to go to Hollywood Studios the next, but while I was getting ready, the TV in my room announced a new thing, a meet and greet with an Everest sherpa who was going to talk about the trash problem on the mountain. He was going to sell special ornaments to raise money to help with the costs of disposing of all those used up oxygen canisters. I decided I wanted to get one, but I didn't want to spend another whole day there. Since I had a Park Hopper ticket, I went over first thing, got the ornament, and then went over to Hollywood Studios as planned. Of course, this was back when there were no time constraints on when you could hop, but the theory still holds.
Does november feels as october busy wise?
@@Yellownicolas October and early November are not busy, plus weather is real nice and cool.
One tip I've done at another theme park; I buy one of those cheap Mylar Balloons with an extra-long string and either tie it to your antennae or hang it out your car window and roll window up tight. (Make sure it has the weight at the end). Even if someone else has the same idea you just follow the balloons!
Such a great tip! Just shared it with a friend who plans to drive.
Or just take a pic of the area you’re staying in ie: scar, hook, buzz Minnie and text it to someone your with?
drop pin in your smart phones map app
I really just need to make sure everyone fully appreciate the immaculate play on words that was "feeding two birds with one scone".
Dan: One of the biggest waste of time is thinking like everybody else. Traveling during peek times, eating at typical times 7-8am, 12-1pm for lunch etc
The biggest waste of time is spending your money in this place. Stay home, donate some of that damn money to some BLACK americans in the ghettos, like in New York. Come give some of that money to us. Open the wallet, and give the money up. This entire system will be popped anyway which is what this system deserves. But in the meantime make sure my brothas are getting paid. AMEN
I liked that sign that said "Free parking $45"
I was there just yesterday and I would say the most time saving thing is the genie + feature. It also gives you one hour to be there. So if you made a appointment ride for 5 you have to be there at 5-6. And you don’t need to wait in one hour lines!
Good to hear! I’m not good at visualizing how long it can take to get from one place to another, and the thought of scheduling rides is a bit stress inducing for me, because say I have an appointment at 11, I won’t do anything before in case it makes me late or something, if that makes sense? 😅 So knowing there’s a « window » is interesting, thanks!
@@valeriegoulettalbot9900I spent days on the app beforehand so I didn’t have to do much in the parks by estimating walking distances during peak hours. This way I didn’t have to constantly check the app and I could enjoy the park. Plus I set the notifications and the app to do most of the work.
Just went to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Won’t go back. All the running back and forth for ride appointments made it not so fun. It was also very expensive. My family used to have yearly passes for Disney World. Wow has the experience gone down hill.
Then go to knott’s , settle for less, . You get what you paid for
I've never been and don't plan on going. I'm too cheap, and honestly don't think I'd enjoy it because of all the associated stress. But I do get a kick out of watching videos about it. So, that's a time saver.
Same lol . Gotta have a few thousand to spend to have a good time here
@@leklekjasmine416 come on now that’s beyond a lie…all you need is a ticket and food bruh
Money saver too!!
It took mankind 3.5 billion years to create a place like Disney World and you're going to die without ever having experienced it in real life? That is a sad thought. Try to go at least once. Trust me.
Sometimes you can bribe the poor attendee cast members into paying half price for using their “guest passes”. There are web sites and discord for them, I am not saying any more on that lol
If you have adults and children, specifically in Epcot, make sure you plan a rotating schedule for who is doing something close with the kids and who is drinking in the world showcase. Either rides or a snack will help. I remember being a kid and just waiting for my mom and dad to just finish their drinks because the maelstrom was 30 feet away with a 10-minute wait. even having a mickey ice cream sandwich would keep me and my brother happy for long enough.
Such a soothing voice. I had no reason to listen except I was curious and listened to the whole thing! Helps time fly by while I'm working, thank you!
Oh how that gift shop thing brings back memories. My mother and sister wanted to look at all that junk, my dad, brother, and myself eventually said we needed to quit wasting time there.
I always save the shopping for last. Any place I go to shopping is the last thing I wanna do cuz you can always do that at home.
We just got back from our annual Disneyland trip. We stayed 3 days, and weren’t even able to do as much as we used to do in a single day. I could go on and on about all of the issues we ran into. We won’t be returning for quite some time. Disney has really lost its magic.
Pro Tip: TAKE OFF YOUR HATS AND EARS!
Rides like Rise of the Resistance, Remy, and Mickey & Minnie are a trackless ride system that have sensors all over the floor to detect ride vehicles. If you leave your hat on and it falls off, it will mess up the sensors and the ride will have to be reset. This is why when those rides go down they are a doozy to get back up and running.
This also applies to kids with toys, pacifiers/dummies, etc. if they drop them outside the vehicle, it causes the same sensor issues!
Just take it all off and put it all away!
Great information. Let me add another for saving time, visit when kids are in school and the crowds are less. There are websites that will show you the peak and best off-peak times for crowds at Disney World . And if you have kids, take them out of school and go at those off-peak times and save all the stress of those longest wait times in line with tired kids. Cheers
That's what my parents did for my brother and I when we were kids. They kept us out of school for an extra week after Christmas break. I'm doing basically the same thing for my son, but we're going the last full week of January. So all the kids are back in school, Disney's still celebrating their 50th, and we get to catch the international arts festival at epcot. I booked us to be at epcot for 2 days.
@@ThisIsATireFire I'm doing end of January, first week of February. So excited
Honestly as far as fireworks go when staying at the contemporary resort you can watch them on the floor where the bridge is and get the lake parade my mom loved being able to watch the fireworks from our hotel and we didn’t have to rush back to resort or anything so worth watching it like that
"TTC is basically a black hole where time goes to die..."= I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants.
Biggest time suck is standing around after riding a ride to figure out what to ride next. Figure out your next ride while in the queue of current ride so you can straight there.
I think THE single biggest time soaker is parking and entering at Magic Kingdom. Walk (maybe tram), ferry or monorail, sometimes have to wait multiple trips for either. I’m glad this video mentioned that the bus drops you right next to security.
Never been to Disney World. More of Dinseyland person. More the dislike of the heat, humidity, and storms than anything. But this is sound advice and you're a great presenter. ❤
i went right after covid NO LINES, amazing
Best spot for MK Fireworks is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! It was awesome!
I know the buses get a bad wrap, am I crazy that I love them? The individual theming. Riding from the hotel with everyone else excited to get there. I love it!
Also, you can walk between Epcot and Hollywood Studios if you want to have a small relaxing walk next to the water.
Our solution to meals at DW? snacks and bottled water in a backpack, and stop at a local fast food place on our way back to our hotel.
I agree to no park hopping to totally enjoy one park at the time. It’s very exhausting to always on the move under the hot weather.
This statement brought back great memories!
I like to go to the other parks in the morning, take a lunch break, then finish the day in Magic Kingdom, soaking up the atmosphere. I find a nice place to sit and relax, get some ice cream, and people watch or read a book.
@@cubemissy you go to Disney world to read a book? Whyyyy
"TTC where time goes to die!" - LOL!!! Absolutely!!
I went to WDW a couple times as a child. Of course none of the inconveniences like driving, parking, waiting in line, are part of my memories at all. However, having only been to Disneyland/CA Adventure as an adult, I have to say how much easier it seems to enjoy the Anaheim experience than Orlando. Huge selection of affordable hotels in walking distance, and we watched the fireworks from the pool at our hotel. SO easy. We didn't park-hop but if we wanted to it would have been a few minutes walk from one entrance to the other. Not sure I'd want to try WDW now lol. (but I'd still not turn down an opportunity!)
Orlando is definitely a must do, I went to All the Disney parks in peak season which was August and I managed to ride every single ride in all the parks as the queues weren't bad at All! The longest I waited for a ride was around an hour max. Rides like Avatar flight of passage in animal kingdom which is one of their busiest rides only had about 50 minute queue which compared to now(3 and a half hours) is super Short! I'd definitely give it a go if you had a chance lol 😊
@@LittleSixxAugust is the slowest season. Try going early october.
10:00 can confirm, Journey into Imagination was the best thing at EPCOT Center. With the rainbow tunnel upstairs! It's so sad today, greed has sucked all the imagination out of that place.
All this technology that Disney is requiring of us for the parks and yet we are still waiting
We brought our own packed lunches, snacks and drinks, had a big breakfast before we arrived... and when the parade happened, we skipped watching it and were able to walk straight into the Haunted Mansion with zero wait time.
Fwiw, as someone who needs coffee in the morning, I usually grab Starbucks on my way OUT of the Disneyland parks (open until 30 minutes after park close) and take it back to the hotel to heat up in the morning and drink while in line for opening, but that's where we are walking distance to our hotel so not sure if that would work as well at Disney World. Just an idea!
I have severe ADHD and have had that diagnosis since i was 8. Im 34 now. Im telling you... no matter where i park... i have a honing device in my head that guids me back to my truck. It never fails.
As someone who used to worked at the skyliner I would cry before I head to work if check the weather there going to rain during my shift. I know if it's windings more then 35 miles per hour 2 miles away from disney we got to shut it .
The amount of times I get yelled at people 😒 to tell them the bad new. As if I could control the weather.
I get it you running late but thats not my fault
Some of you people might be too young to remember this, but there was a time that parking was not a problem, because Disneyland had each lot be of a different Disney Characters; it was SO AWESOME!!
I remember once parking in Pluto's lot and another in Chips' lot!
Disney World still has this.
@@1982pencil SEE... THAT IS AWESOME! Because here it is only Mickey and Minnie, so yeah... good luck finding your car, but at least by having the Disney Characters, you only spend 15 mins looking for your car instead of the hour you might here.
Although I'm now a cast member. Any time we came to Disney we only had a general agenda. The first time we came the kids were 8 and 4. No diapers, no stroller, no backpacks. We would wonder in when we were ready and take a break during the day to use the pool, nap etc. Then back to the park later in the day. The kids (and us) didn't have a breakdown and we always enjoyed every minute. Again, I'm a cast member and discover new things all the time and look forward to doing something new the next time.
If you don't have kids, just go when school is back in session. Big drop in attendance.
For food, my group usually makes a dinner reservation at a resort for the evening and we graze the park for lunch. The food kiosks in the parks are usually enough to keep us going during the day and we don't have the long wait. Mobile Order has saved us a couple of times when we were dying for a chili dog in Hollywood Studios. During an Epcot festival, we budget to hit the various food places and try whatever looks good (or is recommended by DFB). Small bites to eat throughout the day seem to work for us, but we don't have kiddos, so that will make a difference.
The biggest problem in a group is making decision. Real example - standing outside the Big Thunder Mtn queue for 45 minutes deciding if we are going to get on line because the wait is 45 minutes.
With the lightening lane pass, if you had one for the ride while it’s down you will get another and it will tell you what rides you can use it on, if you have already scanned, you will need to visit a cast member to get it back, I just went to Disney had this happen to me 3 times and each time I got my lightening pass returned to my app. Hope this helps!
Wasting time planning every single thing because it never works out the exact way you want it to - if you know the park layout to the parks don't plan - just enjoy the day - you won't get on every attraction so don't expect to - enjoy the time you have there rather than be stressed
After 13 trips to Disney World, it finally occurred to me that I no longer wanted to spend precious vacation time and way too much money mostly standing in lines. Never again.
people in the hood in NYC live and die on their same streets, and we got a dude right here who been to this place 13 times.. smh, Biden gonna destroy this whole country, good. It need to be destroyed. Fantasyass lifestyle. FAKE
For many years when I lived in Florida I have only visited Walt Disney World in early November during the final days of Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival. I have always loved it, and picked up some tips of my own. Case in point: The end of the day and the fireworks have ended. Do NOT be in such a rush to exit! EVERYBODY is trying to leave at the same time! I have been on my feet for hours and now is the appropriate moment to relax. All of the international pavilions in World Showcase have a secluded area you can chill-out while the masses rush to exit. My favorite location is the village park in the United Kingdom pavilion. It is set back away from the main foot traffic, so it is peaceful. I hang out there for thirty minutes; sitting on a park bench, resting my feet, listening to the music from the speakers. After thirty minutes, I can exit Epcot without being trapped inside a mass exodus.
I'm not spending money or time on park hopping. 1 park per day. Also, that waiting in line thing... Peter Pan is NOT worth anything more than a 20 min wait. Even Pooh. And unpopular opinion, Slinky not more than 35. It's cute but, meh. Totally willing to wait 60+ min for Rise though.
We used to park hop all the time, but we have littles. I think it’s a lot harder at WDW if the bus is your only transportation option. We skipped park hopping this time because we weren’t sure what to expect with the 2 pm rule and Genie+ and were fine with it! Maybe I’d revisit it we did Animal Kingdom or had older kids who can tolerate longer days, lol!
Another way to save time is to head in the right direction. The crowd heads to the right, so you head left. You will ride more and you will get to the back of the park before most of the crowd will.
After doing Disneyland Paris, I’ll never enter a Disney park again!
If you don't want to download a parking app. When you get parked open your map app of choice and drop a pin where you are. Share that pin with someone else there. This records the exact location. Then when you go to look you just click the pin in the message and it pops up and you can see where you are in relation to it
When we went in late September 2018, I brought disposable ponchos for everyone on every day. It rained one night in the week we were there. It was weird.
you can also mark your parking spot by dropping a pin in maps, always works for me!
Tip for not wasting time : go solo 😅
The end of every parking row is labeled with the lot name and row number on the ground, just take of that and you’re good
I love that you said “feed two birds with one scone”. I appreciate that.
lol had to rewind that bit bc i say the same exact thing! it's such a better way to say it!
Just got back from Disney with the kiddos a couple weeks ago. It rained for the first 72 hours of our trip. We were able to do our Hollywood Studios musts (RoR, Slinky Dog, Aerosmith, Tower of Terror and TS Mania) in roughly 2 hours one evening due to the inclement weather. We did need all the extra shoes (3 pairs apiece) and a pack of Amazon assorted ponchos. Although the weather wasn't ideal, it did create unforgettable memories and additional flexibility for the second half of our stay.
Rain storms pop up frequently in Florida. Buy your rain gear and pack in your suitcase. If your staying on a Disney site get your coffee/breakfast to go and eat while waiting on transpiration. There are also places to buy Mickey/Minnie ears before your trip for cheap!
Not gonna lie I'm guilty of standing in line for a (half) broken ride. It was back in January with relatively busy crowds and one of Tower's tracks was down leaving the one shaft. Turned a 30 min wait into an hour and in hindsight I should've just gone to another attraction or shopped down Hollywood Blvd in the meantime. Love the ride but hate wasting time for sure
What’s annoying is waiting for a ride and NOT KNOWING it’s closed. This has happened to us on many occasions. Cast members won’t even tell you it’s closed. You have to discover that on the app. Cast members will occasionally wait by exit doors to let anyone out that needs out, bathroom breaks, ADRs, etc., but they won’t tell you it’s closed, even when you start witnessing actual ride evacuations. They also used to give you an apology fast pass when you did finally give up, (which is probably why they didn’t want to tell you), but they don’t even do that anymore. Two hour wait? Sorry you wasted your time and money.
Honestly the simple gems are the best tips for me, this channel is so handy! Coffee fix is a must for me on those early park entry days!
Best Disney day I ever had was getting in early in the morning and leaving in the late afternoon but around Teo hours before the fireworks. Easy out and not as exhausting. Get a hotel that have fireworks watch rooms and save yourself the waiting or crowds when you are tired. Also, check the weather app and plan accordingly but make sure to have a dinner/late lunch reservation for around 3 to 4 pm afternoon, because that is usually the raining time, after 2 pm and before 5. So, having dinner or a big long lighting lane scheduled during that time will give you respite for the rain without being cramped in with so many people in small spaces all trying to get out the rain. Always carry ponchos, and do all outdoor rides during the morning. Use the my Disney experience but if you have a big crowd don’t spend the genie money unless you plan on waking up at 6 am and even then it is ridiculous how useless it is. If you can, might as well use pay per ride for like your main attraction, at least that way you have pre planed that time of your day way ahead. Virtual lines can be a great idea if they had more than the 7 and 1 chances to get a spot.
If the fireworks are a must for you, consider budgeting for a meal time around 6 to 7 pm so that you can eat before the show and it doesn’t feel like such a long wait afterwards, and make sure to Uber back to the hotel that day.
Never spend on an expensive resort just for all days in parks, because if you spend a day or two in the resort itself, it might be the most relaxing and fun day of your stay in terms of experiences and the money spend on it will feel less of a pain for you.
Getting any hotel with free breakfast is a great money saver for all days at the park guests, and consider resorts outside the Disney area with water parks and awesome pools as well as condo style if you have a car or don’t want to blow the budget in food. That full kitchen saves you a lot of money that could go into actual time savers like Uber or lift or parking closer to the entrance of the park. Or even the inside the parks reservation meal experiences.
How to "get out of Dodge fast" aka the Magic Kingdom, after the fireworks? Avoid having to find transportation at all by staying at the Contemporary Resort and walking home along the path. Also great for getting there for rope drop first thing in the morning. No need to wait for the bus or monorail, just use your feet and 10 later you are there!
I do really think waiting for the parade or firework show is a waste of time. You can find good places regardless if you wait or not. Some people get upset because they waited an hour and someone got in front of them. Well there’s no rule against it and if you left space for someone to get in front of you it’s kind of your fault. Maybe if you have kids or it’s your first time in the park it’s not a waste of time to wait for parade or night show. I rather just wait for rides and still find a good spot to watch fireworks/harmonious
There are ppl waiting for momentous at 5pm in HKDL, with the show ending the park's operating day at 8:30pm. I got you.
They may not give you lightning lane to that ride, but they will sometimes give you a free lightning lane at any ride that doesn’t have a top-tier wait if you agree to leave a top ride, such as Star Wars.
we have 3 weeks left until we are there!!!
lol I’m very serious about my coffee! I packed my own coffee in Ziploc bags along with filters and ordered milk/condensed milk on Walmart+. I made coffee in my hotel room and poured it over ice provided from the ice machines into a disposable plastic cup with lid and straw (or you can bring an insulated cup). It bought me several hours until I needed another pick up later on 😂! Sometimes I’d rinsed out and save the cup and lid so I can have a vessel for future iced coffees 😂. The cafes in the hotels don’t open until 7 am, and since we rope dropped the time didn’t work for us!
regarding #1- the my disney experience app now has a “car locator” feature! not a gps, but you can track the section and row you parked in!
Lol the great thing about Disney Land is that you don’t pay to go on rides… lol you pay to stand in line and wait 😂 You probably spend a total of 20 minutes on rides and the whole day waiting to get on them lol
Going to Disney World is a waste of time and money. Went there last year and it was awful. When you look around at everybody there, 98% of people look unhappy. The only reason to go to Disney World is to be super grateful to get home afterwards
Tip for Disneyland Paris Magic Kingdom : to avoid longer waits at Discoveryland front restrooms, use the new Gender Neutral Restrooms right next to ladies restrooms. This provides extra stalls for everyone.
I also remember wasting my time waiting at WDW restrooms because it only had two stalls despite being in a popular location, but I can't figure out which one it was.
If you are trying to do everything possible in a Disney park, you will not have nearly enough time to go to a second park in one day. There is enough in each park to keep you busy for days. The only time park hopping is smart is to go hit up one of the night time shows after Animal Kingdom closes for the day.