Regarding the discussion on theme park etiquette Tim writes:

I enjoyed your column as always. The sad part is that the people who should brush up on their public manners will never read or follow your advice! (You know the type; the ones who behave boorishly.)

Keep up the great work.

PS I was planning to visit Disneyland sometime, but after reading how bad is has gotten (Disney's California Adventure, upkeep, etc.), I think my next Disney will be to Paris.

Thanks for the kind words, Tim. Your letter makes a very good point. If you feel strongly about something that happened to you while vacationing at Walt Disney World, contact Guest Services to let them know how you feel. You may be helping a future guest avoid the same situation.

In the following letter Jeff from Anaheim takes issue with some of my etiquette guidelines. He writes:

I'm a first-time writer to MousePlanet but a longtime reader. I just had to write to you about your Theme Park Etiquette piece; precisely, "Please slide all the way down... " I have a problem with this (some of your readers may agree with me and some may not).

You stated "Does being in the center of the row really mean that much to you?" My answer is "Yes!" Why else would I arrive at an attraction early and "waste" some of my valuable time waiting to be seated? So the other guests who arrive behind me, or worse, late can get the better seats?

Absolutely not!! And I'd have to disagree with you that "Disney is very good about engineering the theater seats to make sure everyone has a good view." We all know that the center seats are the best seats in town. Why else would we jockey for these seats. We've all had the other seats where the view was obstructed or we had to crane our necks to the left/right to see the show/enjoy the attraction.

Here's my solution, which may be in use at other places in the world, just not at the Disney Resorts (but enlighten me if I'm wrong). Build entrances, with large audiences, with multiple openings where the middle seats are occupied first. 1) It will fill the seats quicker and 2) it should make the people who arrived and waited and waited and waited to be seated happy that they got the best seats in town.

One other thing you actually didn't mention, which I found surprising. Why in the world do cast members make us slide over to accommodate more room for others? Sure there are spaces to fit onesies or twosies but I don't like feeling like a sardine. Do you? Not to mention feeling the heat from the stranger sitting next to me. Ugh!

Well, Mike, that's it. I chose my battle. Maybe it's not the right one, but I consider myself to be polite and do follow the rules. I just have a problem with being accommodating so that the guests who do arrive after me for one reason or another get the better seat. We've all experienced this.

Jeff -- Thanks for the note. I appreciate your arguments.

I think your suggestion about how guests should enter theaters is an excellent idea. I think that all Disney show attractions should have the guests enter from the rear of the theater and then split up and half go to the right and half go to the left. The seats should have a divider in each row so that those who are first in line are rewarded for being early birds.

I'm with you on the sardine theory, but alas, that is not the case and although you and I can make valid arguments for taking the center seats, it is not what we are being asked to do. We are asked to slide over to prevent potential injuries from people climbing over others and to accommodate as many guests in the performance as possible. I learned early on to not rush into a theater but instead to hold back. In most cases, I usually end up in the middle third of each row. When you get a chance, give that a try.

I strongly support the sliding-over policy for the monorail, trams, and trains and would like to see all guests comply with this request.

Hopefully the Imagineers will design show attraction entrances in the future so that use early birds will be rewarded with good seats.

Sally, who made the following great point, sent one of the best letters I received on theme park etiquette:

As someone who spent the summer working in a non-Disney tourist location (but one that seemed to follow highly Disneyesque standards of customer service and friendliness), I just wanted to add one small caveat to your recent article on theme park etiquette. While I agree that, in the right context, calling an employee by the name on their badge can be friendly and appreciated, men (especially older men) should use a little caution when doing so in conversation with young women. Even if it's meant with the greatest good will, many of us can't help but find it a little bit patronizing -- or even offensive, depending on the tone of voice.

Hi Sally,

You make a very good point. It's unfortunate that in today's world we have such caveats but if you place yourself on the other side of the fence it's easy to understand why.

I agree that we need make good judgment as to when and where to call cast members by their first name.

Readers are always the best source for information and tips. Virginia writes:

I've just now got around to reading this article (on dining deals) and noticed that you recommended the Columbia Harbour House in the Liberty Tree area in the Magic Kingdom. I've never visited that restaurant, but last time I went to Walt Disney World (the summer of 2000), my best friend and I ate at the Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner.

We were both surprised at the quality of the food and the amount. It was a fixed price meal and was served family style so you could have as many servings as you wanted. Also, the food was very good and we both couldn't resist seconds on many of the courses. We couldn't manage dessert.

And as a bonus, it was a character dinner so we got to see Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. I think Pluto might have been there, also. Anyway, that is one of my lasting memories from that trip because the quality of food was above what we had expected, and because it was a perfect way to relax and refresh before going out into the hot park again. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for the tip Virginia. The character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern has grown in popularity over the last several years, and this character meal is another example of the Walt Disney World responding to requests for more character interaction.

Character meals serve many purposes, including the benefit of having characters come to you instead of you seeking them out in the theme parks.

I think of character meals as time optimizers. You can rest from your park touring, refuel with a meal, and still have photo opportunities with the characters. That saves time to do other fun stuff.

The family-style meal approach used in the Liberty Tree Tavern has also been used at other restaurants such as Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge and more recently at the Storybook Princess Breakfast at the Restaurant Akershus in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot.

Angela had a question on birthday doings at Walt Disney World and writes:

I thought I saw something a while back, but what sort of birthday perks are available? We will be visiting Disney and were curious to see if there is anything we can look out for.

Angela -- Right off the bat, I'd suggest going to Hoop Dee Doo on your birthday. There's a real good chance you'd be chosen to participate on stage, especially if they know it's your birthday and if you are wearing a special birthday button.

I believe you can take a special birthday IllumiNations cruise but be advised that you need to plan well in advance for that.

If you go to a park on your birthday go to Guest Services and request a birthday button. Fun things happen when you do so.

Fun restaurants to be in for your birthday include Chef Mickey's, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Prime Time Cafe. I'd call ahead for a priority seating and ask if you can have a special birthday cake prepared.

Last but certainly not least is to have someone other than the birthday person mention to the front desk of your resort as to when your birthday is... the staff will do something special for you.

Even mentioning that it's your birthday throughout your day will bring lots of attention.

I have been to Walt Disney World four times on my birthday, and each time was great.

As prices increase so do the concerns of those planning trips. Johnny writes:

On our last trip to the Disneyland Resort (Summer 2001) we were amazed at the price increases and the lower quality of food. Feeding a family of four has become prohibitive for a multi-day visit. Our next trip is scheduled for next summer and we are looking for ways to cut food costs. Eat in the park as little as possible seems to be the obvious answer.

Are the Florida parks doing a better job of offering more value for our money?

Johnny,

I'm going to give that question a yes answer because there are many more places to choose from in Walt Disney World than in DL. I think everyone has to keep in mind however that with a few exceptions, the food quality is pretty consistent throughout.

I will say that sometimes the fast food establishments give you less quality food for the money than the sit down restaurants.

Belena sent me a message with a question on July 4 at Walt Disney World:

Do you have any suggestions for the best way to approach July 4 at Walt Disney World? We are semi-veterans (this is our fifth trip in six years, but have always gone in early June; never on a holiday.) We hear the crowds on the Fourth are unbelievable, but we are thinking Walt Disney World might be kind of inspirational this Fourth after 9/11.

We are thinking that Epcot will be more our style for the fireworks. Our son is 12 and isn't as inclined to want to be at Magic Kingdom anymore. Do you think it's a mistake to not be there? I am big on the symbolism the Magic Kingdom represents, but don't know if I can handle the gridlock -- or is it gridlock everywhere?

Belena,

The thing with Fourth of July gridlock is the Magic Kingdom. The crowds there are huge because there are fireworks from both ends of Main Street USA. If you want to see those fireworks, I suggest you stand outside the turnstiles that evening and watch the display.

My own personal option would take me to the Disney/MGM Studios. You may want to double-check this, but I'm pretty sure they will show "Sorcery In the Sky" that evening, and maybe show an extra bit of fireworks after the show. If you have never seen "Sorcery," then you may not want to miss this opportunity.

Of course I always love letters from readers just back from The World. When Belena returned she sent me this note:

I promised that I would write and tell you how the 4th of July went at the Disney/MGM Studios.

First, let me say thanks for encouraging me to take in the fireworks show at the Disney/MGM Studios rather than the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. By all accounts from people on the resort bus the next day, the Magic Kingdom was absolutely jam-packed -- evidently by 9:30 a.m. For crowd control when people left the park that day, they were directed out through back entrances, rubbing a little magic off the experience, if you ask me.

Anyway, on July 4 they let resort guests into Epcot and the Disney/MGM Studios early (8 a.m.), I guess to ease the crowding at the Magic Kingdom. We decided to go right to the Disney/MGM Studios and we stayed there all day (giving me no excuse to not ride Tower of Terror for the first time, after five trips to Walt Disney World, and probably 20 visits to the park)... but never again... fortunately, my husband and son loved it).

Anyway, the crowds at the Disney/MGM Studios were really manageable right up until "Sorcery in the Sky," and even then we had no problem getting a very good view of the show. By the way, the crowds everywhere were much more like early June crowds; only the Magic Kingdom and the water parks seemed to have any measurable gridlock, but nothing unbearable (we were at the World from July 1 through 7).

With Fastpass and a good strategic approach, we never waited more than 15 to 20 minutes for any attraction. And we even had time to walk slow enough to drink in the entire atmosphere and chat with folks from all over the world: My favorites being a young couple from Birmingham, England, who had won an all-expenses paid eight-day trip. They were in the most wonderful daze!

"Sorcery in the Sky" started promptly at 9, and the fireworks were held right over the Wizard's hat icon. No inflatable Wizard Mickey, but that was OK. The hat has its own special lighting effects, and combined with the fireworks display, I thought it was spectacular. The music started with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and included other famous movie music like the themes from "Star Wars" and the "Bridge Over the River Kwai." The last few songs jumped to the 4th of July celebration but keeping with the movie theme -- so we heard "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Over There," etc. The program lasted about 15 minutes, but in my estimation, was just the right amount of pyrotechnics and visual thunder. The temperature was a nice 85 degrees with virtually no humidity (even though we had the usual Florida afternoon storm around 3 p.m.).

I did hear that the Magic Kingdom's fireworks literally surrounded you and that Epcot had a double dose with Illuminations and then a 4th of July extra bang at the end. But I was still glad we went to the Disney/MGM Studios. Earlier in the day, we spent a good hour in the "One Man's Dream" exhibition (since I'm an art museum director, the educational and entertainment aspects of the exhibit were especially interesting). With this being the 100-year celebration of Walt Disney's birth, I felt that being in the park that celebrates the magic of movies was appropriate. In a way, being there at the Disney/MGM Studios, closer to the work of the animators and the ideas that show up on the big silver screen made me feel like I was celebrating the 4th with Walt himself. It was a very memorable way to celebrate this special holiday during this special year. Thanks again for your advice. I really appreciated it.

That's great news Belana. I'm glad you got to see Sorcery in The Sky. I have been second guessing myself regarding my trip this year and I am thinking about going down next year around the 4th to also see Sorcery In The Sky.

I'm always asked about what to do on the 4th and I sometimes hesitate in giving advice for fear that it may not work out. I'm glad in your case everything worked out well.

The Magic Kingdom is not the place to be on July 4, Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving.

It still remains the most visited theme park in America, and I know that there are plans to possibly revamp portions of the park to accommodate more guests, but those plans won't be realized for several years.

The Disney/MGM Studios is fast becoming a favored park, and along with the Magic Kingdom should probably be avoided on Mondays.

Again, I'm happy that everything worked out good for you and I appreciate the note.

By the way, they are planning on offering a new princess character breakfast later this month. This is to be held in Norway. I got the scoop earlier this week and real soon we'll see an official notice on this. This may draw some of the guests from The Magic Kingdom to Epcot, something that Walt Disney World officials have been trying to do for a long time.

Earlier this year I received a letter from Wendy who was asking for some guidance on park touring:

I have been reading your trip reports and articles on MousePlanet. They are so helpful. We (my husband and my two children, ages 6 and 9) are leaving on June 26 for seven nights at the Beach Club. We are very excited. We are going to the parks Thursday, June 27 through Tuesday, July 2.

I figure we will let the kids pick where they want to return for the last day. We would like to spend at least the morning in each park. Which park would you go to on which day? I have read all kinds of different things and am unsure how to plan this.

Hi Wendy,

Traditionally, Mondays and Tuesdays are pretty crowded at the Magic Kingdom.

Here's my suggestion:

• On Thursday, go to The Magic Kingdom in the morning, take a break from 1 to about 4, then spend the evening at Epcot.
• On Friday, start the day at the Disney/MGM Studios, take your break again, and finish up at the Magic Kingdom.
• On Saturday, I'd go to Disney's Animal Kingdom in the morning then go to the Disney/MGM Studios at night. See Fantasmic.
• On Sunday, go to the Magic Kingdom in the morning, take a break, and then finish up at Epcot.
• On Monday, take the family to Disney Quest in the morning, and the Disney/MGM Studios at night.
• On Tuesday, start the day with Epcot, and finish your trip with an evening at the Magic Kingdom... an E-Ride night.

This schedule gives you a morning at every park, but two at the Magic Kingdom, which is the best one for your children. It also gives you a chance to see each park at night (Disney's Animal Kingdom is not open at night), and also offers the option of doing an E-Ride night.

Here's a suggestion: Start a family tradition. Start and end your family with the same attraction. We do that with Pirates of the Caribbean.

Have a great vacation and let me know how it works out for you.

I received a very nice letter from Stephen in Fort Lauderdale, FL who writes:

As a Disney fanatic, I always look forward to your columns on MousePlanet. I want to especially commend you for your cheerful tact in dealing with letters from your readers. You show remarkable skill.

I think your advice to get to the parks is a great one for most folks, but of course not all. Although Fastpass is wonderful, it doesn't always work like magic (especially on crowded days). Congratulations on a great column and for handling your readers in such a friendly way.

Stephen,

Thanks for the note and the kind words.

I think we all have to recognize that not everyone agrees with everything we say, or in my case, write. I don't want to speak for the entire MousePlanet staff, but I can pretty much vouch for the staff as having somewhat of the same philosophy.

We are very careful when putting any information together, and we value the reader responses. It would not be in the interest of our readers or ourselves to ignore letters that disagree with a statement we have made. It would also not be a good thing to fuel the fire. A good debate will bring strong points to the surface for both sides thus giving readers more information from which to make the best choice for them.

Your point on Fastpass is well taken. I think as the day goes on the Fastpass "windows" are adjusted and eventually they run out. It's kind of funny to think that someday a MousePlanet columnist may actually write something like "You need to get to the park early so you can get your Fastpass." It could happen.

From the West Coast comes another complimentary letter from Rick, who commented on the mug policy discussion earlier this year:

Just read your latest column and I want to compliment you on your gracious reply to each and every writer. It must be frustrating at times to have such animosity directed at you. After all, you're just the messenger. I am amazed that simple things like a soda refill policy can create so much angst in people. When they say that Southern Californians are "laid back," I guess they mean that we don't get so excited about such things.

Although I have never been to Walt Disney World, I am a Premier Annual Passholder holder at the Anaheim Resort. We visit about once a month. I have experienced everything at the park from being threatened and "stared down" by gangbangers to unbelievably rude cast members. We just take these things in stride and keep going back because the overall experience is just so delightful. Any time you get such a large group of people together from all walks of life, there are bound to be some problems.

I certainly don't hold this against the Disney Company. As far as their business decisions go, that is exactly what they are - business decisions. They look at the numbers, consider the issues, and then make a decision. I may or may not agree with their decision, but I personally don't have all of the information. As an independent businessman, there have been many times when my decisions have been questioned by my staff or my customers. Most of the time, the questioners did not have all of the information. And ultimately, it is my decision to make -- I am the one who will profit or lose because of the decision.

The writer who said she would go to the grocery store to buy her sodas was exactly on point! Disney makes a policy and implements it. It is then incumbent on each of us to decide how that policy affects us and what our actions will be because of it. Ultimately it is our reactions to their policies that will determine their success or failure. If enough people react by not purchasing mugs, then the new policy will have a negative impact on sales and will be changed. All the hand wringing and moaning will have absolutely no effect on the policy!

Rick,

You're absolutely right. Moaning and complaining about these policies won't change them; actions will. I think that if enough changes are made to irk the customer base we may see the real barometer that the folks at Disney will pay attention to... resort bookings.

Of course not all letters are complimentary, but that's what keeps me on my toes. Regarding the article on desserts, Darren writes:

Not very well written, nor very informative. Good try, though.

Darren,

Thanks for the note. It's very hard to please everyone. I do appreciate your taking the time to let me know.

To his credit, Darren replied with this message:

In retrospect, I think my note was a bit snotty, so I apologize for that. I do appreciate the time and effort - so let me clarify my remarks. If your intention is to provide us with a guide to eating cheap in the parks, then how about a price comparison between the more expensive desserts and the ones you recommend? At least that way we have a baseline; as opposed to you just saying which ones you think are yummy. Know what I mean?

Darren,

Don't worry about that first message. I understand your point and it's well taken. The first two parts of this series discussed cheap eats but the desserts piece didn't and now I understand why you sent me that note.

When the time is right I will put together an article that addresses your request and hopefully will help you out.

When you get a chance drop me a line as to when you are next visiting Walt Disney World and that will give me a good time frame to meet your needs.

That occasional trivia-type question comes across cyberspace. Here's one from Bill in Illinois, who writes:

Loved reading your articles. Planning a trip in December. Having a trivia challenge at work and one question was (and I looked everywhere).

What Disney theme park attraction has guests picking one of three endings? I appreciate you help. Keep up the good work.

Hi Bill,

I'm guessing that this question is asking about Horizons. On that attraction guests were given options on how they were to end their journey and I think the three were air, land, and water... but it's been a while and unfortunately Horizons is gone.

Give it a shot and let me know how you made out.

Finally, for those of you who know about my passion for Dole Whip comes this note from Laura:

Having not been to Walt Disney World in a few years (I was on Pleasure Island for New Year's 1999), I was thumbing through your column, hoping to talk my darling husband into a return trip. Then, he saw the dreaded Dole Whip! I drove him insane for two days of the vacation whining about getting some Dole Whip. It's even gone so far as now that we live in California, and have annual passes to Disneyland, we have to make an obligatory stop at the Tiki Room Juice Bar for some Dole Whip or Dole floats. He made me promise if we do take the return trip I've been bugging for, I can't say "Dole Whip" at any time while we're in the Magic Kingdom. Just thought you'd want to know.

Hi Laura,

No one should underestimate the power of Dole Whip!

That's it for this visit to the mailbag. Keep those cards and letters coming as all questions and comments are very much welcomed. Also, don't hesitate to drop me a line to say, "Hey Mike why not write an article on..."

For our next session we will look at a suggested one-day touring plan for The Magic Kingdom. Touring plans need to adjust just as theme parks adjust and we'll be looking at a The Magic Kingdom touring plan for 2002.

Class dismissed.