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Top Tips!!!
- Thread starter FamilyMagic
- Start date
AlwaysImagineer
New Member
Personally, I don't consider "Magic Hours" really anything special. I mean, almost everyone can do it :shrug:
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
The people staying at Disney represent a fraction of the day visitors.
toetheline29
New Member
We used to do Extra Magic Hours in the morning all the time. Now, though, we all like to sleep in a little too much 
. We tend to avoid the park that has early entry, because we figure most resort guests will go there (so if MK has early entry, we head to one of the other three), and because we can get an extra hour or two of sleep (it is vacation, after all:ROFLOL.
We still use the evening Extra Magic Hours, though, because you don't have to stay for the whole time in order to benefit from it. For example, if you do early entry at MK, you have to get there at the opening in order to enjoy reduced wait times, because as the morning progresses, more people arrive. If you do extended hours in the evening, though (so the park closes at 7 for non-resort guests, but 10 for people staying on property), if you only stay for a half hour you enjoy greatly reduced lines and fewer people overall because most non-resort guests will leave almost immediately (and more resort guests will leave as the evening wears on).
Plus, the main benefit to EMH in the evening, in my mind, is that they reissue Fast Passes. So even if all the Fast Passes have been distributed, once Extra Magic Hours start, more are issued for the Extra Magic Hours. We especially like this at EPCOT and DHS, where there are lots of rides that typically have long lines (Soarin', Test Track, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania). It's good too if you've been park-hopping, and thus were at a different park in the morning than the evening, because then you can ride the major rides at both parks without waiting very long.
. We tend to avoid the park that has early entry, because we figure most resort guests will go there (so if MK has early entry, we head to one of the other three), and because we can get an extra hour or two of sleep (it is vacation, after all:ROFLOL. We still use the evening Extra Magic Hours, though, because you don't have to stay for the whole time in order to benefit from it. For example, if you do early entry at MK, you have to get there at the opening in order to enjoy reduced wait times, because as the morning progresses, more people arrive. If you do extended hours in the evening, though (so the park closes at 7 for non-resort guests, but 10 for people staying on property), if you only stay for a half hour you enjoy greatly reduced lines and fewer people overall because most non-resort guests will leave almost immediately (and more resort guests will leave as the evening wears on).
Plus, the main benefit to EMH in the evening, in my mind, is that they reissue Fast Passes. So even if all the Fast Passes have been distributed, once Extra Magic Hours start, more are issued for the Extra Magic Hours. We especially like this at EPCOT and DHS, where there are lots of rides that typically have long lines (Soarin', Test Track, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania). It's good too if you've been park-hopping, and thus were at a different park in the morning than the evening, because then you can ride the major rides at both parks without waiting very long.
mousebymarriage
Active Member
I think you may be related to my family!!
mousebymarriage
Active Member
If you have a small child bring a little flashlight with you into all the parks (you can buy them at the dollar store and wal-mart etc.). Some of the rides and shows can be a bit dark for the little ones and a small flashlight that they can hold works wonders. I actually got the idea from a CM when my DD12 was about 2 1/2 and got totally freaked out about dark rides after going on the Snow White ride. He gave her a flashlight and she was fine on every dark ride/show.
wdwmomof3
Well-Known Member
Here are some tips that help me.
*Read the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
*Make ADR's at your 90 day mark
*Research & research some more
*Take Batteries with you, they are 16.00 at the park
*Bring your own gum
*Be at the park about 30 minutes before it opens
*Always, always use fast pass & know that you can use them anytime AFTER your return time.
*Bring small ziplock bags with you, you may need one for your kids.
*Stop & smell the roses. If you rush through the parks, you will miss the beauty of Disney.
The most important for us and many others, be sure to take a break in the afternoons. :animwink:
*Read the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
*Make ADR's at your 90 day mark
*Research & research some more
*Take Batteries with you, they are 16.00 at the park
*Bring your own gum
*Be at the park about 30 minutes before it opens
*Always, always use fast pass & know that you can use them anytime AFTER your return time.
*Bring small ziplock bags with you, you may need one for your kids.
*Stop & smell the roses. If you rush through the parks, you will miss the beauty of Disney.
The most important for us and many others, be sure to take a break in the afternoons. :animwink:
I don't think putting your kids in ziplock bags is a good idea.
Flashlights on dark rides - also not a good idea, if they are turned on. No flash bulbs/ flash lights are allowed on dark rides. If your kid is afraid of the dark, don't go on a dark ride!
WDW Veteran
New Member
My tips are
1.No children in ziplock bags
2.Hit good rides early because most families hit small rides first for the little kids
3.If your in a group and people dont want to go on one ride split up and go on two different rides
4.Don't bring a pack they make you look stupid and you wont need them if you bring a small back pack
5.If youve been there alot then you might want to bring a hidden mickey book to make your experience more interesting.
6.Dont follow these rules and the spanish speaking people will make fun of you because they know you wont understand it.
Follow these tips and you wont look like la idiota :hammer:
1.No children in ziplock bags
2.Hit good rides early because most families hit small rides first for the little kids
3.If your in a group and people dont want to go on one ride split up and go on two different rides
4.Don't bring a pack they make you look stupid and you wont need them if you bring a small back pack
5.If youve been there alot then you might want to bring a hidden mickey book to make your experience more interesting.
6.Dont follow these rules and the spanish speaking people will make fun of you because they know you wont understand it.
Follow these tips and you wont look like la idiota :hammer:
abug'saunt
New Member
My tips:
Shoes: I am for wearing flip flops in the parks. In 2007, I wore walking shoes that were a year old and broken in. I got a blister on the bottom of each foot. This was by the second day! Luckily for me, I had bought these really crazy flip flops before our trip. If you can picture an egg crate mattress, you get an idea of what my flip flops look like. I got them to wear for airport security. I ended up wearing them everyday and my blisters luckily fit into the holes. No rubbing or pressure so the next 8 days of the trip were relatively pain free. One blister popped but put on a band-aid and no more worries. I will be wearing them again for our trip in 36 days. I will also bring my crocs and Teva sandals. Personally, I'm a barefoot person at home so less on my feet, the better.
Packs: Been there, done that. Our first trip (2003), used a pack. by the end of each day, I was carrying it like a purse or stuffed it into the stroller with my 2 1/2 yo niece. The next trip (2005), I used both a fannypack and a backpack. Of course, I always over packed them (wallet, chap stick, sun screen, first aid kit, gum, snacks, camera, video recorder, rain pancho, Nintendo DS, PSP, mp3 player, guide book, reading book, jacket, etc). And again they too ended up being stuffed in with my poor niece at the end of the day. Last trip (2007), my DH took a hydration pack and I took a small backpack and a nalgeen bottle. Yes, my poor niece ended up with my stuff crowding her out yet again. And don't get me started on refilling the nalgeen bottle. This trip it's just DH and I going. I too have a hydration pack now and have severly pared down what I plan to take in the parks - wallet, camera, gum, iTouch, spiral index card book with ADR's, granola bar, pancho, and my PassPorter guide/planner/organizer/journal book. Tested this when I joined niece on field trip last month, worked great. On a side note, DH and I are overweight people and packs that fit us tend to be bigger and bulkier than those that fit regular people (no offense intended to anyone).
ZipLoc bags: I use quart size freezer bags. I find the freezer one less likely to get torn. I store my electronics in one, PassPorter, index cards, and pancho in one, and food stuff in the last. I also have one for my lanyard and pins. Should make bag inspection easy.
EMH: I say this really depends on if you like to get up early or sleep in late. DH and I are night paople so we tend to do nights rather than mornings.
Misc:
Staying on property?: Definetely use the delivery service for purchases. I liked that I could buy stuff and not have to worry about something getting bent or broken when riding a crowded bus everynight returning to the resort. We have lots of people we bring stuff back for (mostly family and co-workers) and it tends to add up. Resort delivery is a life saver.
Refillable mugs: With our family, these paid for themselves by the second day. DH, my mom, and DH's dad could get their coffee and my sister, niece, and I could get sodas or hot cocoa in the mornings. FiL would go back to rest and get a soda in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we'd all fill the mugs with soda before returning to our rooms.
Parades and Rides: We usually spend enough time at WDW. Trips are usually 10 - 12 days including travel days, we fly and it takes almost all day with layovers. So we get at least 2 days to visit each park (we don't do water parks) and 1 for DTD (shopping and a movie). The first visit we will try to catch the parade and the second we do rides.
One last thing: If you are easy going and like to take things really easy (or even if you're not :lol, try people watching. Depending on the park, we usually get a dole whip, turkey leg, or Mickey ice cream bar and sit in a nice shaded area, and just watch. Last trip, my niece saw another girl her age dressed like her - only the shorts were a different color. She thought it was great. We always find that a little break like that always refreshes the soul as well as the body.
Shoes: I am for wearing flip flops in the parks. In 2007, I wore walking shoes that were a year old and broken in. I got a blister on the bottom of each foot. This was by the second day! Luckily for me, I had bought these really crazy flip flops before our trip. If you can picture an egg crate mattress, you get an idea of what my flip flops look like. I got them to wear for airport security. I ended up wearing them everyday and my blisters luckily fit into the holes. No rubbing or pressure so the next 8 days of the trip were relatively pain free. One blister popped but put on a band-aid and no more worries. I will be wearing them again for our trip in 36 days. I will also bring my crocs and Teva sandals. Personally, I'm a barefoot person at home so less on my feet, the better.
Packs: Been there, done that. Our first trip (2003), used a pack. by the end of each day, I was carrying it like a purse or stuffed it into the stroller with my 2 1/2 yo niece. The next trip (2005), I used both a fannypack and a backpack. Of course, I always over packed them (wallet, chap stick, sun screen, first aid kit, gum, snacks, camera, video recorder, rain pancho, Nintendo DS, PSP, mp3 player, guide book, reading book, jacket, etc). And again they too ended up being stuffed in with my poor niece at the end of the day. Last trip (2007), my DH took a hydration pack and I took a small backpack and a nalgeen bottle. Yes, my poor niece ended up with my stuff crowding her out yet again. And don't get me started on refilling the nalgeen bottle. This trip it's just DH and I going. I too have a hydration pack now and have severly pared down what I plan to take in the parks - wallet, camera, gum, iTouch, spiral index card book with ADR's, granola bar, pancho, and my PassPorter guide/planner/organizer/journal book. Tested this when I joined niece on field trip last month, worked great. On a side note, DH and I are overweight people and packs that fit us tend to be bigger and bulkier than those that fit regular people (no offense intended to anyone).
ZipLoc bags: I use quart size freezer bags. I find the freezer one less likely to get torn. I store my electronics in one, PassPorter, index cards, and pancho in one, and food stuff in the last. I also have one for my lanyard and pins. Should make bag inspection easy.
EMH: I say this really depends on if you like to get up early or sleep in late. DH and I are night paople so we tend to do nights rather than mornings.
Misc:
Staying on property?: Definetely use the delivery service for purchases. I liked that I could buy stuff and not have to worry about something getting bent or broken when riding a crowded bus everynight returning to the resort. We have lots of people we bring stuff back for (mostly family and co-workers) and it tends to add up. Resort delivery is a life saver.
Refillable mugs: With our family, these paid for themselves by the second day. DH, my mom, and DH's dad could get their coffee and my sister, niece, and I could get sodas or hot cocoa in the mornings. FiL would go back to rest and get a soda in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we'd all fill the mugs with soda before returning to our rooms.
Parades and Rides: We usually spend enough time at WDW. Trips are usually 10 - 12 days including travel days, we fly and it takes almost all day with layovers. So we get at least 2 days to visit each park (we don't do water parks) and 1 for DTD (shopping and a movie). The first visit we will try to catch the parade and the second we do rides.
One last thing: If you are easy going and like to take things really easy (or even if you're not :lol
, try people watching. Depending on the park, we usually get a dole whip, turkey leg, or Mickey ice cream bar and sit in a nice shaded area, and just watch. Last trip, my niece saw another girl her age dressed like her - only the shorts were a different color. She thought it was great. We always find that a little break like that always refreshes the soul as well as the body.
wdwmomof3
Well-Known Member
:ROFLOL:No, I don't think so either. :lol: What I was trying to say is you may need one to put a left over snack in or wet clothes or whatever. :lookaroun They do come in handy.
WDW Veteran
New Member
I wouldn't bring one at all and I'm in Disney right now going to EPCOT:ROFLOL:No, I don't think so either. :lol: What I was trying to say is you may need one to put a left over snack in or wet clothes or whatever. :lookaroun They do come in handy.
WDW Veteran
New Member
Wouldn't that choke people?
BTW: If your going to get food then relax and eat it. Don't save it for later. That's just gross and that's why food isn't aloud on rides. :brick:Get it into your head
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Loud food should never be allowed on rides.
wdwmomof3
Well-Known Member
:roflol:
wdwmomof3
Well-Known Member
OK, don't take one! Have fun at Epcot!!:ROFLOL:
LiveyMouse22
Active Member
Thanks to everyone who already replied! I have been going to WDW at least once a year since I was born and know a lot but it seems still not enough and some of your comments that I read were new and really informative to me so thanks! One suggestion that I didn't see too much was to make a grid or calendar of which park you are going to visit on which day and also where you are eating and the extra magic hours that are available. It is really helpful for newcomers to WDW because I recommended it to some people going to WDW for the first time and it really helped map out their trip. It may seem kind of annoying to have everything set but when you go and want to experience all of the magic it's a really nice way of going about it. Of course everyone is different but my family prefers to have everyday set on which park we're going to and where we are going to eat, it really saves time for us to get around and everything. I hope this helped! Thanks again for all of your tips also!:sohappy:
One suggestion that I didn't see too much was to make a grid or calendar of which park you are going to visit on which day and also where you are eating and the extra magic hours that are available. It is really helpful for newcomers to WDW because I recommended it to some people going to WDW for the first time and it really helped map out their trip. It may seem kind of annoying to have everything set but when you go and want to experience all of the magic it's a really nice way of going about it. Of course everyone is different but my family prefers to have everyday set on which park we're going to and where we are going to eat, it really saves time for us to get around and everything. I hope this helped! Thanks again for all of your tips also!:sohappy:
I_heart_Tigger
Well-Known Member
- After more than one occasion watching my parents argue if we were parked in Donald or Goofy my sister and I now text each other with our parking location.
- eat at off times...ie lunch between 2 and 4 and supper after 7pm so you're not in the major crowds (may not help at all times of year but it can make a difference)
- Go visit at least one resort that you're not staying in. Whether it's for a meal or just to walk around. My family has stayed at 9 different resorts on property because we liked visiting them on a previous trip.
- Get your picture taken with at least one character even if you're not "into" characters. My boyfriend isn't into characters at all but he showed everyone the picture of him with Pinocchio :shrug:
- Don't buy the first crappy little t-shirt you come along. Wait until you find a park or attraction that you love and get a shirt that speaks to you. You can get Disney t-shirts everywhere so get one that reflects "your" experience
- If people in your party are all getting tired and cranky and you find yourselves bickering over stupid things then....1) STOP! Sit, relax and decide what you want to do. Don't rush around to the next attraction when you're in this mood and.... 2) It's OK to go back to the hotel. Go for a swim. Leave the park and decompress a bit. Go to Downtown Disney instead or go visit a resort. You'll be glad you did.
- Get at least one picture with everyone in it...even Mom who likes to take the pictures and doesn't like to be in them. A Cast Member will be happy to take it for you and it may be the best souvenir of your trip. My last trip I have the picture from O'hana and it's the only picture of all 8 of us together
- take a notebook with you and jot down a couple experiences here and there or at least at night when you get back to your room. Helps if you're doing photo albums or scrapbooks later. Also jot down the name of any Cast Member that you felt went out of their way to show you a magical day so you can let Guest Services know or write an appreciative note to Disney when you get home
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
Be flexible!
If you are tired, sleep in or leave a park early.
If it is supposed to rain on Animal Kingdom day then go somewhere else.
I don't know about you but I cannot enjoy myself with a rigid vacation. It's supposed to be FUN and RELAXING
I disagree, if its rain at AK - STAY!! The best time in the park is in the rain.