Making the most out of your Disney Experience - TIPS?

[SewIn2Disney]

I don't have time to read through everyone elses responses, so I'm just throwing this one out there, and if it has been said already, sorry.....

Make sure you and/or your children are familiar with the Disney movies. Everything from the classics to the present Pixar films, as a lot of the attractions/parades/shows rely on you knowing at least a bit of the story line. I'm not saying you have to watch every movie, there are books out there too. Case in point. If you have never seen finding nemo, the show in AK is pretty much going to be lost on you.

That's my zip a de do dah tip for the day.

 

[ciscobee]

TIP TIP TIP

Thought of these when I was reading through the last few posts:

1.) DRIVE ...
Your probably thinking ... huh? RENT a CAR and DRIVE it everywhere. You can't beat the response time of your own vehicle. And if you have many people with you it can be a mobile base of operations. So ... you are never too far from your gear. Now ... it can stink to have to go back to the vehicle for something, but give that job to the Young agile outgoing member of your group. Driving is fast. By driving I can make it from the PopCentury parking lot, to the Front Door of MGM in like 10 minutes. With the bus ... there is Queue Time. And don't think that you can take a bus from resort to resort to resort. That doesn't work. You'll be there all day ... so if "Resort Hopping" is something you like to do on your trip ... a car is a must have. In my experience ... National has the best car's, and the best price (if you fumble with your online reservation looking for codes etc online) for the size and type of vehicle. One of my first Disney trips ... My folks took us down and my dad rented a car from "Value Car" and it was an off-site rental. It literally took us like 4 hours to get the car while me, my fiance, sister, and mother waited on the bench outside. Then my Dad finally pulls up in a Mitsubishi Galant which smelled like Cat p33. :hurl:

2.) RainGear ...
If you have something other than a poncho which is "Rain Proof" take it. Poncho's are cheap ... but they are HOT and a pain to deal with and wrinkly and hold water and a pain and HOT and ... well, you get the point. When we were there for our honeymoon, we purchased Helly Hanson coats. They are called HellyTech ... very lightweight, 100% water proof, and they are packable. It was a great investment as we have had them for 9 years now ... and they still look/work great. Plus ... with a jacket ... if you have a member of your party who is the "constantly on the brink of being either too hot or too cold" type, you can have them just tie it around there waist. BTW - Helly Hanson jackets are available at the Puffin's Roost in Norway. Stay focused when your in that store ... ELSE THEY WILL CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU NEED A 600$ SWEATER! (I think they purposely keep this store at 55 degrees for effect ... no proof though)

3.) Plan your meals!
This is something we always do. Plan your meals. Book a sit down restaurant for every day that you are there. Why you ask? Because even if you decide to improv ... and go somewhere else ... at least you have a reservation to fall back on. This has helped us avoid the "So ... what do you want for dinner?" conversations that I dread SOOOOOOOO much. Oh ... and buy a Safari Card at Rainforest. You'll be seated ... guarenteed in 30 minutes, + you get a 10$ gift cert, a free appetizer or 10% off your meal everytime you go and I think the membership is only 10$. So ... it's a wash. The best benefit is the seating time. While the rest of the world is waiting "By the Elephant" you will be in line for 15min and be at a table. It's not uncommon for the wait times at the Rainforest Cafe during peak season to be 2 + hours.

........I'll have to see what else I can think of.

oh yes ... and P.S. Do yourself a favor and get a DoleWhip. They are amazing.

 

[DisneyMarg]

I don't have time to read through everyone elses responses, so I'm just throwing this one out there, and if it has been said already, sorry.....

Make sure you and/or your children are familiar with the Disney movies. Everything from the classics to the present Pixar films, as a lot of the attractions/parades/shows rely on you knowing at least a bit of the story line. I'm not saying you have to watch every movie, there are books out there too. Case in point. If you have never seen finding nemo, the show in AK is pretty much going to be lost on you.

That's my zip a de do dah tip for the day.

Oh yeah. Agreed. I always have "assigned" viewing prior to a Disney trip to be sure we've seen the appropriate movies. In fact, just today I said, "we're going to have to see High School Musical so we know what that's all about".

 

[mickster]

Mickster, how could you say that expedition everest is not worth it. It by far is the best roller coaster at WDW!! When you go to Animal Kingdom first thing you must do is EE. We've been there early and the standby line is 10 to 20 minutes. We have a 7 year old who is tall enough to go on the ride, however, I thought it was too intense for him.

I think the only thing that really makes EE a so-called "must see" is that fact that it's still fairly new and it's been overhyped tremendously on these message boards. Naturally, this is going to make people curious to check it out. But I think it's the type of ride that if you had to wait in line for a really long time, you'd probably come away feeling like you'd wasted your time for a mediocre ride. That's why I would advise people to only ride EE if it had a pretty short line (i.e. no more than about 15 minutes). The good news is that I've generally seen the lines pretty short for it (which probably says something about it's low popularity with the average, non Disney fan, guest). So your chances of still getting to ride it without having to waste a lot of time are pretty good. If you see the wait time is more than 15 minutes, come back later. Go enjoy the beauty of this extraordinary park! Come back to Everest when the wait is shorter and ride it then. It's not the type of ride that is worth the time waiting.

 

[Gorjus]

I have a differing opinion on Everest. The first 2 times I rode it, I remember thinking that I wouldn't mind if the line was longer, because there is soooo much cool stuff in the queues to see and read, but I missed it all because I arrived 1st thing in the morning and then used a fast pass. It is one of the best themed queues and rides they have.

 

[mickster]

I have a differing opinion on Everest. The first 2 times I rode it, I remember thinking that I wouldn't mind if the line was longer, because there is soooo much cool stuff in the queues to see and read, but I missed it all because I arrived 1st thing in the morning and then used a fast pass. It is one of the best themed queues and rides they have.

I guess I'm missing something. I have never seen what the fuss is about with the so-called "elaborate" queue on Everest. Parts of it just look like a garage sale of used sporting goods equipment. It's a very LONG queue, which tells me that Disney was probably expecting long lines, but just because it's long doesn't make it elaborate. I just don't think there's much to it.

 

[KrazyKemp]

I've never been able to look at everything in the queue for Everest, (the lines weren't long at all). But I would have loved to take my time and look at everything...

Everest is a great ride, experience it and judge for yourself.

 

[Nansafan]

Most of everything from rides to shows at WDW has a pre-show. The queue at EE was designed as it's pre-show. I believe I read it on this site also that the stand-by and FP lines are designed with different things to see so that you can experience both pre-shows by waiting in both queues. We enjoy the ride and their is so much to see that the queues aren't bad either. One of the things I miss about using FP for the Jungle Cruise is the queue with the funny radio announcements going on during your wait. I also miss the TV monitors in the Space Mountaing queue which gave you all kinds of future news.

 

[Gorjus]

I guess I'm missing something. I have never seen what the fuss is about with the so-called "elaborate" queue on Everest.

It is like walking through a museum special exhibit. As you are walking, you learn about the Yeti both fact and fable. You find out about parties that have gone searching and never come back, etc. Then you go on a search yourself (the ride) and it looks like the same thing might happen to you. And while riding up the hill, you get some amazing views of the WDW resort.

So, to bring this back on topic, to make the most out of your Disney Experience, I would definitely get a fast pass for the ride, but, at least once, I would also do a standby line and be sure the standby says the wait is at least 15 - 30 minutes so you can enjoy the exhibit.

Again, it is the difference between those that don't care about queues and just want to get to the ride and just ride rides at the parks and those that want to be immersed in an experience. People who just want to ride thrill rides can do most parks in half a day.

Not for me. I could stand for hours on Sunset Blvd in MGM and listen to the background music and watch the "citizens of Hollywood" do their routines. Oh, wait, I do. And not only that, the pay me for it.
:drevil:

 

[mickster]

So, to bring this back on topic, to make the most out of your Disney Experience, I would definitely get a fast pass for the ride, but, at least once, I would also do a standby line and be sure the standby says the wait is at least 15 - 30 minutes so you can enjoy the exhibit.

Of course it's probably worth pointing out that there's no law that says you have to walk quickly through the queue if there's no one in line in front of you. I've had many experiences where an attraction has little to no wait, but I've still taken my time going through the queue. I just let people in front of me so I'm not holding anyone up. Given this, I would still say to only ride Everest if the wait is 15 minutes or less. Your odds are pretty good that you'll catch it with a short wait time like this. If you want to take your time going through the queue, then you still have the option to do that. But you can also just head to the ride if you start to get bored with the queue...best of both worlds! :animwink:

 

[bayoutinkbelle]

Here are my observations:

1. I don't mind eating in a crowded food court (like I have at Pop many times), but I'll usually bring breakfast bars with me from home. It's rare that I want a big, sit-down breakfast and these bars allow me to grab-and-go. For me, it saves time and money.

2. I bring "household" stuff with me -- laundry detergent, first-aid stuff, fresh fruits, sandwich stuff (if I'm requesting a mini-fridge). It's so much cheaper to buy stuff like this outside the "Orlando zone."

3. I'm fortunate enough that I can take a two-week trip to the World in the summers with my son. I sleep late if I want to. It's a vacation! I get up early enough when I have to go to work.

4. Luggage locks. I love these things. I carry a backpack with me in the parks and keep a lock on the compartments I'm not going into frequently. You never can be too careful, no matter where you are.

5. And those who already have mentioned research and planning are dead-on. A great trip to WDW (or anywhere else) are based on this.

 

[Big Cheese]

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER!

Buy the mugs at the value resorts and bring them back every year!
Starting our 7th trip since 2000 tomorrow and haven't paid for a soda since 2000!

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER! (unless of course you enjoy sitting in other peoples sweat!

The chicken and mashed potatoes at PC is better than the same at The California Grill!

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER!

 

[Craig & Lisa]

From what I've read, it seems that one tip has not been mentioned. If you are staying on property, go to a park in the morning when it first opens, and not the EMH park, stay for 4 to 5 hours then go back to your resort and TAKE A NAP!!!!!!! If you do not you will be dragging your saggy butt around the rest of the day and everyone will be snapping at everybody else and no one will be having a magical time. And it's not for the sake of the kids. The big kids need it too. :animwink:

 

[bayoutinkbelle]

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER!

Buy the mugs at the value resorts and bring them back every year!
Starting our 7th trip since 2000 tomorrow and haven't paid for a soda since 2000!

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER! (unless of course you enjoy sitting in other peoples sweat!

The chicken and mashed potatoes at PC is better than the same at The California Grill!

NEVER GO IN THE SUMMER!

I LOVE going in the summer, thank you very much. To each his own.

 

[Vernonpush]

One thing I forgot to mention. If you don't usually walk 3 to 5 miles a day then you should start walking before your trip, get yourself in shape for the 5 to 7 miles that you will be walking in the parks.

 

[mickster]

One thing I forgot to mention. If you don't usually walk 3 to 5 miles a day then you should start walking before your trip, get yourself in shape for the 5 to 7 miles that you will be walking in the parks.

I agree with this advice, and as crazy as it may sound, I'd also recommend trying to spend as much time standing as possible. The reason for this is not only will you do a lot of walking during your visit, but you'll do a lot of standing too, and you use more muscles doing that than you do walking.

 

[jfries10]

Make sure you break in those walking shoes before your trip as well!!

 

[bayoutinkbelle]

One thing I forgot to mention. If you don't usually walk 3 to 5 miles a day then you should start walking before your trip, get yourself in shape for the 5 to 7 miles that you will be walking in the parks.

:lol: Now that's a great tip!

My friend and I used pedometers on our October trip and found that we were walking at least five miles each day.

 

[swimmom]

Bring an extra pair of walking shoes. If you are there when it's rainy and your shoes get really wet, they sometimes don't dry overnight.

If you go around Christmas, bring strands of Christmas lights to decorate your room and/or balcony at your resort. Don't forget extension cords too.

As mentioned before, take your time, plan ahead, don't be in a rush. We always plan an hour for transportation anywhere we are going. I love to let Disney do the driving for me while on my trip. I do so much driving at home that this in itself is a vacation for me. Be creative with transportation. On our next trip we are planning a later start for one day that we will just do World Showcase that opens at 11:00. Rather than take the bus to Epcot and walk through the already crowded Future World, we are going to take the bus to MGM and then take the boat to the International Gateway.

Talk to people around you. We have met so many different people just by striking up a conversation while waiting for a parade, fireworks or a show.

 

[Juliaz3]

Tip for a simple break off your feet

Need a break in the Magic Kingdom? Ride the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority (once known as the PeopleMover). It's continuous so the line to ride moves rapidly, and you get great views of the park and you go inside Space Mountain and a couple of other rides. I found it to be so relaxing -- takes about 20 minutes roundtrip. If you're with someone who's never been on Space Mountain, get your FastPass, then ride the TTA and let them see the SM boarding area from above! It will certainly help them to tolerate the lines.