Disney World Do's and Don't's

[The Interpreter]

Our insider’s guide to Orlando’s Walt Disney World shows you how to take on the town—and avoid the mousetraps....

http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20090323/d...s-and-donts.htm

[XGatorHead 8904]

Wow, there's a few things I disagree with here...

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...o-dos-and-donts

Do: Splurge on a guide

No one skips the lines at Disney, but with an official VIP leader (wdw.vip.tours@disney.com) you leave the crucial strategizing, reserving, and fast-pass punching to someone else. Prices start at $175 per hour with a minimum of 6 hours, for up to 10 people.

Some people may like this, but not me. I LOVE planning out my own trips. I think Avatar may share my mindset on this...just take a look at his wonderful itineraries!

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/5

Don’t: Chase after discounted tickets

Advance purchases from Disney or third-party wholesalers knock off only a few bucks. (However, Universal Orlando, 10 minutes from Disney World, regularly posts excellent deals at universalorlando.com.)

Why not? Sure, Disney typically offers very few discounts, but if you can save money, why not do it? As the old saw goes, a penny saved is a penny earned.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/6

Do: Spring for a “deluxe” resort

Disney has eight “deluxe” resorts, such as Disney’s Polynesian Resort, if you’re after convenience and comfort. They’re fancifully designed, well-situated, and, like all on-campus hotels, offer guests early entrée to a different park each day, free parking, and sometimes free airport shuttles. Less expensive, if a bit less thrilling: Starwood’s Dolphin, Starwood’s Swan, and a Hilton—three of the better non-Disney-owned hotels that have sprouted right on Disney’s turf.

As much as I would love to stay in a Disney deluxe resort (or even a moderate one), for many people on a budget that's just not possible. When we go, we're typically in the room just to sleep, and the value resorts' pools and amenities are just fine for my family.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/9

Don’t: Opt for Disney’s budget digs

Disney’s Pop Century Resort and three Disney All Star hotels—which all offer “value” category accommodations, the lowest price point of the lodging options—are a great bet, especially during school breaks. Yes, they’re on park premises, which has its pluses, but they’re crowded and as far from the action as scores of cheaper hotels on U.S. 192 and International Drive.

See my comment above. I'm at WDW, I expect it to be a little crowded. But the three times we've stayed in the value resorts, the crowds there haven't been horrendous. And sure, there are "cheaper hotels on U.S. 192 and International Drive", but if you stay at those you don't get the ERT available to all Disney resort guests.

Other than these items, there is some good advice here.

[The Interpreter]

Well, that and the article's preposterous advice to avoid the Disney bus system and instead rent a car. Pish posh. The buses are fast, reliable and convenient. And traffic around the parks can be horrendous. Besides, you can also take the monorail where it runs, an experience not to be missed.

[violakat03]

Not to mention if you aren't staying at one of the resorts, parking is $13.

We miraculously got to park for free at Epcot when we did DiveQuest (the only thing we were going to the park for) because a friend of ours was staying at Shades of Green. We all carpooled over and used her resort pass.

[The Interpreter]

Ah, yes...Shades of Green...the one resort where membership of a different sort is required...and pricing depends on one's rank.

[CedarPointer]

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/5

Don't: Chase after discounted tickets

Advance purchases from Disney or third-party wholesalers knock off only a few bucks. (However, Universal Orlando, 10 minutes from Disney World, regularly posts excellent deals at universalorlando.com.)

Why not? Sure, Disney typically offers very few discounts, but if you can save money, why not do it? As the old saw goes, a penny saved is a penny earned.

However, if you buy tickets at some of these places, you run a risk of buying fake tickets. Many vacations have been destroyed for families that way.

[The Interpreter]

A somewhat different view, Disney World Size Awes and Intimidates:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11978020

[XGatorHead 8904]

Well, that and the article's preposterous advice to avoid the Disney bus system and instead rent a car. Pish posh. The buses are fast, reliable and convenient. And traffic around the parks can be horrendous. Besides, you can also take the monorail where it runs, an experience not to be missed.

That's so true. When we go, we have a rental car anyway because we're driving from Daytona Beach every time. We use the bus to go to MK, and they are fast and reliable... however if you stay until park close and you're staying at a value resort, expect to wait awhile for a bus to take you from MK back to the resort. This has been our experience the last three years there, and our last visit we waited 45 minutes (while holding a very tired little girl) for the bus back.

A car is nice to have if you want to visit the other resorts, which we did during our last trip, since the busses don't travel from resort to resort (you would have to go from resort to a park and then hop on transportation to the other resort you want to visit). We drive our car to all the other parks except MK, but I would have no problem taking the resort transportation as it's very reliable. And as Terpy said, the monorail is not to be missed. We did the complete monorail circuit on our resort visit day.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/5

Don't: Chase after discounted tickets

Advance purchases from Disney or third-party wholesalers knock off only a few bucks. (However, Universal Orlando, 10 minutes from Disney World, regularly posts excellent deals at universalorlando.com.)

Why not? Sure, Disney typically offers very few discounts, but if you can save money, why not do it? As the old saw goes, a penny saved is a penny earned.

However, if you buy tickets at some of these places, you run a risk of buying fake tickets. Many vacations have been destroyed for families that way.

That's true too. I've read many reports online about, and have had to deal with personally, people being sold fake tickets. It happened on multiple occasions during my time in Admissions at KI, and we unfortunately had to tell the people who bought them that they were basically out of luck. We would do whatever we could for them, such as possibly offering a discount, but there was no way we could let them in on fake tickets, or tickets that had been sold to them that turned up as already used. You just have to be smart about where you buy them, make sure it's an authorized seller for the park such as AAA, which the casual or first time Disney visitor might not know to check first. As a rule of thumb, Ebay is not a good place to buy park tickets from. There are even people who sell coupons on there and try to pass them off as admission tickets. Caveat emptor!

[Diamondback FOF]

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/6

Do: Spring for a "deluxe" resort

Disney has eight "deluxe" resorts, such as Disney's Polynesian Resort, if you're after convenience and comfort. They're fancifully designed, well-situated, and, like all on-campus hotels, offer guests early entrée to a different park each day, free parking, and sometimes free airport shuttles. Less expensive, if a bit less thrilling: Starwood's Dolphin, Starwood's Swan, and a Hilton—three of the better non-Disney-owned hotels that have sprouted right on Disney's turf.

As much as I would love to stay in a Disney deluxe resort (or even a moderate one), for many people on a budget that's just not possible. When we go, we're typically in the room just to sleep, and the value resorts' pools and amenities are just fine for my family.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows...dos-and-donts/9

Don't: Opt for Disney's budget digs

Disney's Pop Century Resort and three Disney All Star hotels—which all offer "value" category accommodations, the lowest price point of the lodging options—are a great bet, especially during school breaks. Yes, they're on park premises, which has its pluses, but they're crowded and as far from the action as scores of cheaper hotels on U.S. 192 and International Drive.

See my comment above. I'm at WDW, I expect it to be a little crowded. But the three times we've stayed in the value resorts, the crowds there haven't been horrendous. And sure, there are "cheaper hotels on U.S. 192 and International Drive", but if you stay at those you don't get the ERT available to all Disney resort guests.

Yeah, I would totally agree with you. We stayed at a value resort. We would leave the room around nine in the morning, eat, and then we would go to one of the parks. Then, we wouldn't get home until 11:30 or after midnight, so we took a shower and slept. For us, there is no since in going to a deluxe resprt.

[Touchdown]

Only reason I would go to a deluxe resort was if it was a monorail resort, for ease of travel. When Ive gone to Disney in the past with my family (5) we have stayed at Old Key West because we could all stay in one room there (and have our own bed) and it had a full kitchen so that we could have breakfast there every morning. When I go by myself if I can afford it, Ill stay at a monorail resort otherwise Ill be staying at a moderate or value resort.

Staying on property is the only way to do Disney though, it allows you to truly escape the world and enter fantasy, you get EMH hours, and you can buy the dining plan. That last fact makes them worth it by themselves.

[Avatar]

FREE DINNING 09 ALERT!!!!!

Some May know this by now but on Monday 3/30/09 Disney will offer their Disney Dinning Plan for FREE, for stays of 3 nights or more and everyone in the room will need to purchase a minimum of a one day ticket. The dates are for check-ins from 8/16-10/3/09 with a maximum stay of 14 nights, you can stay past the 10/3/09 check-in time but you must check-in on or before 10/3/09. Unless you get a 40% code for a deluxe resort the free dinning is the best savings discount Disney offers. I suggest this to others but they say they have friend/parents in the area (I do as well) so they will stay with them to save money. I can honestly tell you it is MUCH cheaper to stay at Disney Value resort with the free dinning plan than it would be for me to stay with my brother for free. It would be like Disney offering you; If you will eat at one of our counter service and one sit down restaurant and purchase one snack per person per day, we will pay for your room that night and give you $45.00. Just another way to look at it adds up the same.

That's so true. When we go, we have a rental car anyway because we're driving from Daytona Beach every time. We use the bus to go to MK, and they are fast and reliable... however if you stay until park close and you're staying at a value resort, expect to wait awhile for a bus to take you from MK back to the resort. This has been our experience the last three years there, and our last visit we waited 45 minutes (while holding a very tired little girl) for the bus back.

Gator you give good advice as we hardly ever in 3 years had any issues with the buss service, in fact we have not rented a car in our past 3 trips. You can rent a car on Disney property and the car company will transport you to and from the car agency, friends of ours did this a couple years ago. As far as leaving any park at closing you will be waiting and for the buses with little ones and you may be standing on the buses. TIP always plan to leave 30 minutes after the park closes, find a nice bench share a snack or story with each other then leave in a very uncrowded main street and you can be assured a nice seat while holding the young ones back to the resorts, unless you enjoy rubbing body parts against other tired irritated park goers. In other words while many are standing in line for a bus others are sitting patently and waiting for the park to clear out, but make no mistake both groups are waiting somewhere, in the end one may get back 10-15 minutes before the other. Also I have stayed at a Disney Moderate and when leaving at park closing there was still a wait.

A car is nice to have if you want to visit the other resorts, which we did during our last trip, since the buses don't travel from resort to resort (you would have to go from resort to a park and then hop on transportation to the other resort you want to visit). We drive our car to all the other parks except MK, but I would have no problem taking the resort transportation as it's very reliable. And as Terpy said, the monorail is not to be missed. We did the complete monorail circuit on our resort visit day

We have found with a little planning ahead that the no resort to resort bus line was only a minor inconvenience. Such if we spent the day at a water park we would shower and change there then get in the bus line to a deluxe resort to go to dinner as we usually already have a reservation for, then tour that resort and enjoy it's amenities. Going back is taking a bus to the park closes to your home resort and transfer or sometime we take a bus to Downtown Disney and tell the bus driver as we enter that we are trying to get back to POP Century and about 75% of the time the driver will radio his dispatcher and get permission to make his next stop after the Downtown Disney stop to be the POP Century so we don't need to change buses again. Never hurts to ask, Disney wants you happy and awed.

I believe in the free dinning promotion so much that if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask and in fact I know some great tips to maximize that plan even more in some cases, I just can not reveal on an open forum.

[Gabe]

I seem to recall an industrious math geek person (sorry Kat!) who, after meticulous research at Disneyland about ride capacities, fastpass, time of day, time of year, etc. invented an algorythm software program whereby you entered into the program the rides you wanted to ride,along with your time entering and leaving the park and the program spit out an itineray for you to follow to avoid the lines..it cost 20 bucks, so I figured I'd use it on a trip to DL a few years ago..surprisingly, it worked like a charm! The program didn't guarantee no lines, just that the lines would be short. At the time, he was working on a sim program for wdw..in essecnce, here were the basics of his program:

1. do Fantasyland early..rides are low capacity and long lines..esp if you have little ones..also, at the same time, have 1 member of the group get fastpasses for every ride you can..most rides are linked so that you cant have more than a few FP at one time, but I recall some (Mansion, Pirates) not being on the system, whereby you could basically get those as bonus passes and not have them count aganist your allotment.

2. The FP for big rides run out early on busy days..usually by lunchtime all the FP have been issued for the day; however, what you can do is get a fastpass and use it AFTER the time alloted on your tix..the Cast Members are trained to frown upon that practice, but they will not stop you from riding after your alloted time.

3. Time lunches for off hours-11 or 1 pm..and NEVER around parade time, when crows gather at various points. Also, despite popular myth, not everyone sees the parade, so the lines for popular rides arent really affected that much

4. for the fireworks show in the eve--the best view of them wo having to fight the masses is at the top of the Treehouse in Adventureland..there is a clearing at teh top where you can look out over the castle and get a tremendous view

I used to work there, so I have other tips as well..if anyone wants more advice, feel free to pm me.

[Avatar]

Thanks Gabe for the information, I have wanted to go west and tour the parks for some time now maybe in the next 2-3 years. Also for everybody else keep in mind Gabe was talking about Disneyland and not Disney World, similar in many ways but a few differences between the parks and expectations.

You brought up a very good point Gabe about planning guides, if you plan to spend thousands of dollars for a trip you may want to invest in a paid informative resource to give you some great valuable tips. I have been a member of Tour Guide Mike for some time and knowing now how great my yearly vacations have been I would pay handsomely for that advice and will be willing to shell out $20.00 to make any vacation to any destination in the future go more smoothly.

[Touchdown]

The Guide that worked best for me was the Unofficial Guide. It was great for planning those early trips, but now that Ive been enough, I can make the plans on my own. Ever since Fastpass has come out, Ive never waited in a line at Disney World more then 30 min, ever. Its quite easy to manage, especially if Dumbo, Tea Cups and the other low capacity standard rides like that you are ok with skipping (or waiting until 3 am to do them.) Its just common sense, every park has headliners that have to be rode right after opening or Fastpassed (MK-3 Mountains, Epcot-Sorin, Test Track, Mission Space, Disney Studios-Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Animal Kingdom-Expedition Everest, Killimanjaro Safari, Dinosaur,) low capacity rides that you should do immediatly after your fast pass or ride the headliners (MK-3 Fantasyland dark rides, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, Epcot-ok Epcot doesnt have any of these, Disney Studios-Star Tours, Animal Kingdom-Primeval Whirl) and the rest of the rides are all high capacity champs that shouldnt have long waits, provided you use your standard theme park knowledge (ie go back to front, go left to right, ride water rides early or late, keep track of the parades and know when they are and use that to your advantage, etc.)

The other thing is to use Fastpass to the fullest, you dont have to come back to a ride by the end of your window, you can get another Fastpass when your window for your previous one starts or after 2 hours whatever comes first, get Fastpasses for the headliners early they sell out, always arrive at the park before opening, if you arent a resort guest dont go to a park when it has EMH as more people will be there, even if you are a resort guest consider going to that park for EMH and then hopping to another, etc.

Its not rocket science, it just takes a plan and requires you to know about the attractions at those places before you go.

[Diamondback FOF]

Wow. Thanks for all of the knowledge everyone. Last year I went to WDW for the first time and we used the FlashPasses but we still had to wait a while for some rides (Space Mountain, and the other roller coaster mountain [the name slips my mind at the moment], Jungle Cruise, and I think that is all). Even still having to stand in line it was a very enjoyable time! I think we may go back in a couple of years

[Gabe]

Yeah, at busy times, there is still about a 15 min wait even with fastpasses..and I know from working at wdw that during busy times, they can 'speed up' some rides like spalsh mtn..normally, the ride is about 15 min long (it's not your reg flume ride..its one of the best rides they;ve ever built, IMO), they can speed up the current so your boat sails through in about 7 mins if need be. There are differences btwn DL's MK and WDW's MK..and in my opinion, WDW got cheap copies of all the great DL rides--esp Pirates and the HM! Although Splash is much better at WDW than at DL.

[The Interpreter]

I couldn't possibly agree more. I like WDW. I adore Disneyland.