| Here are 10 catchphrases to help you remember
some important tips when visiting Walt Disney World. These reinforce some
previously discussed ideas and introduce some new ones. Just remember that
since many of these are based on WDW's current policies, they are subject
to change.
Tip #1 - Room Rate Rollover Syndrome
If your reservation crosses over from one seasonal period to another,
your room rate rolls over and remains as it was for the first night
of your stay. For instance, if the first night of your week-long stay
costs $100, you are charged $100 per night even if on your fifth night
is the start of a cheaper value season. To get the lower rate, make
two reservations so that the second reservation begins on the first
day of the value season.
The Junior Suite at Wilderness Lodge... Don't pay more than you have
to!
Tip #2 - Media Supplies: Save Now or
Pay Later
Before your trip: A few weeks before your trip, determine what you
plan to see and do on your trip, and what you want to tape and photograph.
Then buy more film, videotape, and camera batteries than you think you
will need.
Replace your camera battery before leaving on your trip.
During your trip: Get into a routine of always charging your batteries:
when you wake up in the morning, if you come back to the room in the
middle of the day, as well as just before turning in at night. This
ensures that you will not be caught short.
During the day: Keep at least two extra rolls of film, videotape, or
sets of batteries with you at all times, especially if you go all day
without a break. If you forget, Mickey's merchants will gladly charge
you an arm and a leg for whatever you need.
Shops in the parks sell film and so on, but you pay dearly for the convenience!
Tip #3 - Exercise the E-Ticket
E-Ticket passes are offered in the Magic Kingdom, and allow resort
guests with multi-day passes to enjoy select E-Ticket rides in the park
after regular visitors leave for the evening. E-Ticket passes look like
resort IDs, and are trades in for wristbands at the Magic Kingdom. You
can do at Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, or between City Hall and
the firehouse. Only a limited number of tickets are available per night.
You should always plan to purchase your E-ticket as soon as possible.
I don't mean hours ahead but days ahead. Don't wait to purchase your
ticket on the day of the event...you may be shut out.
Tip # 4 - Think Quick! Think Fastpass!
I cannot stress enough how much time you save using the Fastpass. Would
you rather wait in a queue for an hour, or do something else then return
and not stand in line to ride an attraction?
Fastpass is a great way to minimize line waiting time
The Fastpass lets you make good use of your time because it gives you
your own personal window of time to designated attractions. Thus you
will not be idle; something neither guests nor the WDW folks want you
to do while in one of the theme parks.
Tip #5 - The Early Bird Gets the Mouse
You've heard it before. Now hear it again. If you sleep in, you pay
the price with a long day. If you get an early start and put in a productive
morning, you can break up your day.
I know what you're saying. "Hey Mike! What about the Fastpass?"
Well, you are right about the Fastpass helping those who aren't early
risers, but keep in mind that there are only so many pockets of time
for every Fastpass attraction. Some attractions are known to run out
of Fastpass tickets for the rest of the day.
For example, for those show attractions like "Who Wants to Be
a Millionaire?" there is a set limit of shows and a finite number
of seats. This means only so many Fastpass opportunities.
Tip #6 - Making the Most of the Magic
Kingdom Nighttime Parade
I love this tip. It worked for me the first time I tried it, and it
has for everyone since that first night.
First, you must be in the Magic Kingdom on a night when the nighttime
parade has two showings.
During the first parade showing, take in your favorite attractions.
Most of the guests are watching the parade while you get in some quality
attraction time. The parade ties up the park for about 45 minutes and
in that time you can get into the more popular attractions faster than
you would have ever dreamed.
At the later showing of the parade, you can do the same thing or relax
and take in the parade, with fewer guests jockeying for viewing room.
Tip # 7 - The Fantasmic! Dinner Package
On those days when MGM is showing Fantasmic!, you can secure some special
seating by booking a dinner at either Mama Melrose or the Brown Derby.
If everyone in your party orders an entrée, you receive a special orange
pass for special seating for a Fantasmic show.
The Hollywood Brown
Derby, one of restaurants that offers the Fantasmic! Dining Experience
Now this may not sound like a big deal to you but keep in mind that
people start filling up that 10,000-seat stadium as much as two hours
prior to show time to get a good seat. By booking this dinner package,
you can show up 30 minutes before show time and still get good seats.
Book as early in the day as you can, as the seating fills up fast.
If you do not get the package and still want good seats, try to get
to the stadium about an hour before the show and sit either to the right
or to the left of the stage. If you sit in the middle you cannot see
one of the water screens that plays a large part in the show. If you
do sit in the middle, you see the right portion of the left screen and
the left portion of the right screen. I prefer the right side myself.
Tip #8 - Jumpstarting your Priority
Seating
Unlike a reservation, where restaurants hold a table for you before
you arrive, WDW restaurants use priority seating system, where your
party is seated at the first available table. For this reason, you are
asked to arrive five minutes before your slated time to give you a good
chance of being seated within 15 minutes of your time. Request priority-seating
times of about 20 to 30 minutes before the time you want to actually
start eating. This way, you get seated well before that time and actually
begin your meal at the time you aimed for.
Tip #9 - One-Stop Souvenir Shopping
This tip comes not just from personal experience but from those who
have also learned the hard way. While on vacation in WDW, you may come
across a piece of clothing, a trinket, or some souvenir that catches
your eye. Do not wait until the end of the day-or worse, the end of
your vacation-to pick it up. Purchase the items when you see them.
The Agrabah Bazaar
is one place to buy trinkets in the Magic Kingdom
Many people mention how they wished they had bought "this cute
ring" or "that cool shirt" on the spot, instead of waiting
to purchase it later. One person I know who waited 14 years to buy a
ring she kept on putting off buying until she figured it out.
Tip #10 - Cast a Question Towards a
Cast Member
This is probably my best advice to you, and it comes with my wife's
strong approval. If you are unsure about any attraction, do not hesitate
to approach a cast member to ask if there are any options to viewing
the show.
Disney Cast Members
are usually very helpful and knowledgeable
The Cast Member may describe exactly what to expect, offer suggestions
about your attending the attraction, and help you deal with problems
you may see. Cast members are there to help everyone, and they really
enjoy helping people who are quick to say thank you.
Tip Resources
These are just a few tips to help you enjoy your Walt Disney World
vacation. At least some, if not all, may work for you. The best resource
for obtaining a tip is anyone who has recently been to Orlando and who
is willing to share his or her experience.
Why not read some of the trip reports collected here in MousePlanet
to discover those tips that are not mentioned here?
Speaking of trip reports, if you want some tips on putting together a
Walt Disney World trip report, do not miss our next session: How to Do
a Trip Report.
Happy New Year! and Class dismissed.
|
Photos on this page by
Brian Bennett unless otherwise noted
MousePlanet's WDW Trip
Planning Guide has a ton of information about trip planning that you may
want to look over. These pages, especially, cover the kinds of things
that Mike has discussed in this article: Planning
Your Trip | Accommodations
| Walt
Disney World Primer | The
Parks
Here's a list of the trip
reports that Mike has written that are part of MousePlanet's archives!
Also, don't miss Lani
Teshima's column, "The
Trip Planner" for more travel planning information!
Brian Bennett, author of MousePlanet's
WDW Trip Planning Guide
(and publisher of the Disney
Trip Report Archive), writes:
The first Disney trip report that I ever
read was a report by Mike Scopa that I downloaded from the America Online
travel library in late 1994. The report was a detailed description of
the Scopa family's trip to WDW in the summer of that year.
As soon as I was done reading it, I was
hooked.
I picked my own brain and documented my
own trips and the things I'd learned from my own experiences. Then, in
1995 I actually wrote a report as the trip unfolded. I took a laptop with
me and spent some time in the evenings documenting what had happened that
day. (I've repeated that process for my own reports ever since.)
In July 1996, I started my Disney
trip planning Web site. Besides including my own reports, I asked
for permission from the authors of several other reports and added them
to the offering. Since then, the number of reports has expanded greatly.
In 1997, I added an information summary for each report to make it easier
to sort through the reports that are available.
I still 'blame' Mike for hooking me on
this Disney habit.
Thanks Mike!
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