Best Disney tip you ever got!

[GatorAsh]

Two tips:

1. (For adults, probably traveling without children ) Take a break from MK in the early evening, go to the Grand Floridian to the bar in Citricos. Order a drink and take it down to the lobby; sit, people-watch, listen to the jazz band or piano player. Then head back to MK. The fireworks look even prettier!

2. Drinking around the world at Epcot? Exit out the back Boardwalk way and hit up the walk-up pizza window. Hits the spot.

(Can you tell it's just me and DB, no kids?! We sure have fun )

 

[BigRedDad]

Then I paid them via paypal just to make sure I would get my $ back if anything went wrong.

Just an FYI, PayPal offers no protection unless the purchase is made through eBay. I found out the hard way on a purchase (not a DVC rental). Just don't put your faith in PayPal protecting you. You are better off paying with a CC through PayPal and disputing the charge through the CC company.

 

[hiptwinmama]

Just an FYI, PayPal offers no protection unless the purchase is made through eBay. I found out the hard way on a purchase (not a DVC rental). Just don't put your faith in PayPal protecting you. You are better off paying with a CC through PayPal and disputing the charge through the CC company.

Actually you are incorrect, it provides you with a lot of protection... I own and online business and we offer paypal, not via ebay. I have not had many disputes, but I can tell you paypal almost always finds in the buyers favor even when they shouldn't. I am VERY well versed in their policies. You are however that if you pay via paypal with you CC and dispute it via the CC company you will almost always win.

 

[nc_disneyfreak]

i hope this hasnt been said yet, but when we took our first trip in 2010, I read that you should not try and fit everything into your trip. WDW is soooo huge that to do so, is futile. Its hard to plan NOT to fit alot in, but in the end, it was well worth it. We planned our days according to extra magic hours, got to the parks around 9ish, and went through at a good pace and got alot done. Take your time and there is always a next time!

 

[Hot Lava]

14. Adults: YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD FOR THE TEACUPS.

My husband and I LOVE the teacups. My husband is strong and can really get those things going super fast. I love it - the faster the better. He enjoys see me laugh my head off the whole time. I laugh so hard I get tears in my eyes, and those watching cannot always tell if I am laughing or crying.

Always laughing!!

Since our LO is getting bigger, we will have to take more rides on the teacups. Some with our son, and then some revved up turns for just mommy and daddy.

 

[Rainbow Dash]

My husband and I LOVE the teacups.

 

[DaddyDisneyMan]

The best tip I have ( found it here on WDWmagic ) is to take a break from the parks during the day. Go have fun and eat lunch at the park , go back to your resort , relax and take a nap or swim for a while , then hit the parks again refreshed and ready to enjoy it all ! I know some folks think that to leave the parks for a nap is a waste of money , but it made our trip SO much more enjoyable that we will always take time to do this from now on.

I couldn't agree with you more. We are heading down end of April with our 2 boys and we look forward to taking it easy. We really enjoy the parks in the evening. We enjoy doing the little things during the day; DTD, checking out other resorts, ect. Its never a waste of money if your smiling, laughing and have a blast your entire trip.

 

[jmorri26]

It's not really a secret or anything but the shortcut through Adventureland/Frontierland. My dad showed me that when I was a girl (I thought he was the coolest for knowing that!) and ever since it's always his go to if we're hustling. He still gets a big smile when we rush through that area!

 

[Jamie Floyd]

Mobile apps can help you save you time on your trip. One cool app I found for my iPhone was "Contacts for Disney World" - was surprised how many direct phone numbers I used.

 

[Andrew Burns]

Not sure if it has been posted yet.

Get a luggage set that you can nest the smaller suitcase inside of a bigger one. Then pack your clothes inside the smaller one (that is inside the bigger one). This way you only have to pay for one checked bag, AND have a whole 'nother suitcase for the return trip.

Slightly related.... If you are tight on space, don't pack diapers in your checked bags and DO NOT buy them on property. Make sure you have enough in your cary-ons to last the trip with some buffer. Then before your leave order a box from Amazon and have it shipped right to the hotel. You can track the shipment with Amazon and call the hotel to ensure it has arrived before you even get on the plane. My wife and I did this for our trip in march and it went absolutely smooth.

 

[jmorri26]

Slightly related.... If you are tight on space, don't pack diapers in your checked bags and DO NOT buy them on property. Make sure you have enough in your cary-ons to last the trip with some buffer. Then before your leave order a box from Amazon and have it shipped right to the hotel. You can track the shipment with Amazon and call the hotel to ensure it has arrived before you even get on the plane. My wife and I did this for our trip in march and it went absolutely smooth.

This does work great. We ordered baby food and diapers for our last trip but be careful if you're at a hotel with a conference center (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Yacht and Beach, Coronado, Boardwalk) The woman at the desk explained to me that other resorts just have a mail room but the mail for these go to a business center for sorting (since conferences require much more mail) that all mail- hotel and conference- goes to. She said packages for plain resort guests have a tendency to get lost or be much harder to track down. Ours took half a day to find but she said it was addressed correctly.

 

[Andrew Burns]

This does work great. We ordered baby food and diapers for our last trip but be careful if you're at a hotel with a conference center (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Yacht and Beach, Coronado, Boardwalk) The woman at the desk explained to me that other resorts just have a mail room but the mail for these go to a business center for sorting (since conferences require much more mail) that all mail- hotel and conference- goes to. She said packages for plain resort guests have a tendency to get lost or be much harder to track down. Ours took half a day to find but she said it was addressed correctly.

This is good to know. The past two times we had stayed at the Coronado; however decided to do the Caribbean Beach in March for a change.

In September we are staying at AoA and will probably do the same thing.

 

[The Mighty Tim]

Not sure if it has been posted yet.
Get a luggage set that you can nest the smaller suitcase inside of a bigger one. Then pack your clothes inside the smaller one (that is inside the bigger one). This way you only have to pay for one checked bag, AND have a
whole 'nother suitcase for the return trip.

But wouldn't you need to pay for a second suitcase on the return trip?

 

[Andrew Burns]

But wouldn't you need to pay for a second suitcase on the return trip?

Yes, but: #1 it is generally cheaper/easier than shipping the items back. and #2 You are only paying for two suitcases once, not twice.

If you don't have little ones or don't buy alot of souvenirs then this might not apply, I tend to buy alot of apparel so it works great.

 

[The Mighty Tim]

Yes, but: #1 it is generally cheaper/easier than shipping the items back. and #2 You are only paying for two suitcases once, not twice.

If you don't have little ones or don't buy alot of souvenirs then this might not apply, I tend to buy alot of apparel so it works great.

Yeah, actually it makes a lot of sense. My brain isn't firing on all cylinders at the moment. I think I need another WDW trip!

 

[sjbeachgirl]

Getting the last available reservation at the Rose & Crown and requesting an outside table from which to watch IllumiNations.

We were able to do this on our last trip...my family wasn't thrilled with the idea of eating there as the English are not known for their cuisine...however, everyone enjoyed the food and it worked out perfectly for Illuminations...at the end of the meal, my sister, who was the most vocal about NOT wanting to eat at R&C, said, "you know, this was a really great idea, thank you for planning it." Priceless.

 

[Violet]

Best tip I got was to remember you can always go back, you don't have to do it all, and to enjoy your resort as well

 

[dvcnut]

Some of these were already mentioned, but...

1. Make the first available breakfast reservation for Tusker House or Akershus. We do this every trip and end up finishing our meal before the park even opens. We walk straight to the ride that we want to go on (Safari, Test Track, etc.) and just wait. We're one of the first people to get on every time!
2. This ties in with my first tip, but try to go on the Kilamanjaro Safari first thing in the morning. The animals are usually out and active because it's not too hot out yet.
3. If you are known to suffer from blisters on your feet, try the following:
   • Double layer, thin socks (like WrightSock). They are expensive (very), but work miracles. In 2009, all of my toes had open blisters as well as my heel. In 2012, I bought these socks and had NO blisters.
   • I also applied Band-Aid Blister Block to all of my toes and other pressure points on my feet. This can also be used to prevent "chub rub".
4. Don't be afraid to complain if you receive sub-par service. Disney really goes above and beyond when it comes to righting a wrong. On a few occasions, we've received fast passes, VIP seating for Illuminations, free park passes, and a personalized tour of Mickey's house in Toontown (before it closed) by Mickey himself.
5. If staying in a DVC villa (one bedroom or larger) and staying for a week or more...only pack enough clothes for half of the trip. You can wash your clothes mid-week. This has helped us save room for souveneirs in our luggage and also save space in our car when we've driven down.
6. Have a list of go to places when you need a break from walking, stsanding, the sun, etc. My list includes: Hall of Presidents, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, and The Great Movie Ride.
7. While at Downtown Disney, you may want to visit the DVC headquarters. Aside from lemonade, cookies, and hand scooped ice cream...you may end up with fast passes or a gift card if you meet with a sales rep. Also...you get a complimentary ride in a passenger van to any Disney location following your visit.
8. If you are known to have health problems (i.e. knees, feet, etc.) be sure to get a doctor's note and visit the welcome center as soon as you enter one of the parks. I forget what they call it, but you get a pass that isn't considered a fast pass for every ride...but really is.

 

[Princess Jemma]

I have never heard of Kingdom Konsultants, how do you get in touch with them?
:king:

Just click on info on the top of this page...

 

[Princess Jemma]

I like this idea, but just doesn't feel right to take the kids out of school for a week to go to Disney.

Believe me, take them out of school for a week! Kids grow up quick. Give them something to remember...