# Are you kidding! [Disney]



## AlbertaTravel

So I've been asking questions on this board and exchanging board because my kids and their kids want to go to Disney world.  Great I thought.  I'll go on tug and get info about exchanges.  No problem.  As usual got info with no problem.  So I took kids to Disneyworld in 82 so I don't need much info about that because after all I've already been there.  You drive to Disney world, park (for free if I remember correctly) walk in the park, line up for a few minutes then ride.  Walk into a restaurant, wait a couple minutes and then sit down.  Too easy.  So maybe I should read up a bit on the Disney board.  Maybe things have changed slightly.
Are they kidding.  You get a fast pass.  Not for the day but by the ride.  Seriously. You have to reserve all your sit down restaurants 60 days ahead.  Please tell me I'm reading all this info wrong.  How can anyone be that organized with 5 young kids not to mention 6 adults.  How do people do it.  I thought getting a hotel would be hard.  Heck it's nothing compared to all the rest of it.


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## DeniseM

Well…. 1982 was 33 years ago!  

We've only been to Disney in Orlando once, and it pretty much required the skills, tactics, and planning required for a military invasion.


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## jlp879

Yes, the things you are asking about are for real.  One almost needs some sort of special or advanced education to maximize the value of a WDW vacation. 

There are tons of websites that help one plan for that special Disney trip.

Here are my favourites:

disboards.com

passporter.com

allears.net

disneytouristblog.com

Disney Parks Mom's Panel
disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/tag/moms-panel

Or go to your library and get the latest edition of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.  

You will do way more research than you want to.  Advance dining reservations are a must for sit down restaurants.  Fast passes are a good way to optimize the most popular rides.  You can get some help here, but the best forum is the disboards.


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## Ken555

Just go. It will work out. Be flexible. Or, go nuts and plan for days...


Sent from my iPad


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## DeniseM

Ken555 said:


> Just go. It will work out. Be flexible. Or, go nuts and plan for days...



Honestly, Ken, it's gotten so complicated that I don't know if you can do that any more.  Well you can, but it's likely to be very frustrating and disappointing.  Especially with a large group like the OP has.


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## Ken555

DeniseM said:


> Honestly, Ken, it's gotten so complicated that I don't know if you can do that any more.  Well you can, but it's likely to be very frustrating and disappointing.  Especially with a large group like the OP has.




I was last at Epcot a few years ago for a day, as I was in Orlando for a conference. We walked in, did some rides, had lunch etc...not much wait and plenty of restaurants open without a wait. We didn't stay for dinner. Prior to that I was there about five years ago for 3-4 days and similarly had no issues. I think we made dinner reservations in the morning of each day (and we had a group).


Sent from my iPad


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## DeniseM

Ken555 said:


> I was last at Epcot a few years ago for a day, as I was in Orlando for a conference. We walked in, did some rides, had lunch etc...not much wait and plenty of restaurants open without a wait. We didn't stay for dinner. Prior to that I was there about five years ago for 3-4 days and similarly had no issues. I think we made dinner reservations in the morning of each day (and we had a group).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad



Were you there during a school holiday?  That makes a big Diff.


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## Tank

You can wing it, plenty to eat burger /fries / chicken , trying to make plans for that many would be a nightmare anyhow. 
Gonna cost a bundle , plan on it and enjoy the time.
Micky and friends are available , just wait in line. 
Dinners with them are nice, but pricy , 60 days ahead for this part

go in positive and enjoy !


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## Ken555

DeniseM said:


> Were you there during a school holiday?  That makes a big Diff.




Yup, since we had some little ones with us...


Sent from my iPad


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## VegasBella

I haven't done DisneyWorld yet but I've done Disneyland. And I learned really quickly that if anyone has expectations then planning is absolutely necessary. Try to keep the expectations low, make no promises, plan at least a little, and then try to be relaxed the day of. 

[Off topic comments removed.]


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## Vacationfuntips

jlp879 said:


> Yes, the things you are asking about are for real.  One almost needs some sort of special or advanced education to maximize the value of a WDW vacation.
> 
> There are tons of websites that help one plan for that special Disney trip.
> 
> Here are my favourites:
> 
> disboards.com
> 
> passporter.com
> 
> allears.net
> 
> disneytouristblog.com
> 
> Disney Parks Mom's Panel
> disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/tag/moms-panel
> 
> Or go to your library and get the latest edition of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
> 
> You will do way more research than you want to.  Advance dining reservations are a must for sit down restaurants.  Fast passes are a good way to optimize the most popular rides.  You can get some help here, but the best forum is the disboards.




When I plan a Walt Disney World trip I have gone to each of those sites above to help me plan. www.disboards.com and www.allearsnet.com are at the top of my list.

Here is another one that I really like for discount tips and suggestions:

www.mousesavers.com

Cynthia T.)


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## chriskre

It's really not that complicated.
They have an app and you can keep track of everything on the app.
Plus they give you these magic bands now which are your keys to the kingdom so you don't need tickets or room keys anymore.  You can charge with the band, open your doors, open the gates, get into the parks all with the magic bands and then you reserve your dining ressies and fast passes on the app.  

It's all very magical.


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## Ty1on

Vacationfuntips said:


> When I plan a Walt Disney World trip I have gone to each of those sites above to help me plan. www.disboards.com and www.allearsnet.com are at the top of my list.
> 
> Here is another one that I really like for discount tips and suggestions:
> 
> www.mousesavers.com
> 
> Cynthia T.)



Also download the Mousewait app.


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## MichaelColey

If you want to wing it, do Disneyland instead.  (Or Universal, if you're set on Orlando.)  DisneyWorld takes quite a bit of planning if you want the best experience.


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## Ty1on

MichaelColey said:


> If you want to wing it, do Disneyland instead.  (Or Universal, if you're set on Orlando.)  DisneyWorld takes quite a bit of planning if you want the best experience.



I think DLand can be just as bad at peak.  You can invest an entire day in 3-4 attractions.


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## MichaelColey

MichaelColey said:


> If you want to wing it, do Disneyland instead.  (Or Universal, if you're set on Orlando.)  DisneyWorld takes quite a bit of planning if you want the best experience.





Ty1on said:


> I think DLand can be just as bad at peak.  You can invest an entire day in 3-4 attractions.



At peak the waits can be bad, but in general you can do DL with virtually no advance planning.  That's much harder to do at DW.

With either (and most other theme parks), a few things help:

1) Plan your trip for a slower time, if possible.
2) Arrive as early as possible (often half an hour before opening).
3) Know which attractions should be done first, which ones should be done earlier, which ones should be done with FastPasses, and which ones can be done at any time.

If you don't want to plan, Universal (especially if staying on site to get Express Passes) can be done with virtually no planning.


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## vacationhopeful

Ty1on said:


> I think DLand can be just as bad at peak.  ....



That "Dland" caused a FLASHBACK ... I lived in "D(e)land" just north of Orlando for 2.5 years over almost 4 years in the beginning of the 1970s ... did a road trip for 18 months in the middle of my term.


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## Bailey#1

My suggestion if you have kids with you is go to a park early then take a 3-4 hour back at the room, pool break in the early afternoon (if you are staying onsite) then go to the parks again. Eat breakfast in your room, make lunch your main meal, and understand how FassPasses work.


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## presley

From what I've read about Disney World in Florida, you do have to plan it out and make restaurant reservations 6 months in advance. That isn't my idea of going to a theme park. If you don't plan out the fast pass rides ahead of time, you can still go on them, but you may have over an hour wait for the ride. 

Disneyland hasn't come to that, yet. It has become much more busy and I did try to make reservations for any sit down restaurant about a week in advance and they were all full, but we still managed to go for the day, eat the quick service food and go on a lot of rides. We got fast passes for one ride and decided to skip anything that had longer than a 30 min wait. We've been there so many times, that we didn't care if we missed anything. If it was my first trip in over 30 years, I'd be disappointed, but I also would have gone for longer than one day.

You will pay to park every day.


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## bnoble

It's not nearly as bad as it sounds. You could do zero planning and still have a great time, lots of people do. But there are a few things you can do to make things easier.

First: decide why you are there.  I'm there to have a great time with my family, the parks are just the backdrop against which we do that. I don't base how much fun I'm having on how many times I get to ride some ride. Once you have that attitude firmly in place, it's a lot easier to spend time at the pool without feeling like you are "wasting time."  And, for us, time relaxing back at the resort has been some of the best parts of our vacation, because it has kept us from needing a vacation to recover from our vacation!

I can't overstate the importance of the first hour or two each morning. That's prime touring time with the shortest lines. Keep a pace that allows you to get up and be at the park before it opens at least three out of every four days. That means spending less time in the parks than you think you can handle for the first half of your trip so that you have the energy to keep going in the second half.  Take afternoon breaks, don't stay out too late, etc. Every so often it's fine to have a late night followed by a sleep-in day, but don't make that the norm.

It's worth having an idea about which parks you'll visit on what days so that you can get some FP+ in advance.  Even the night before is helpful.  Some FP+ attractions book up earlier than that, but you can visit those during your morning hours when lines are short, and save the FP+ reservations for when lines are longer: either late morning/early afternoon, or maybe the evening to return after a break at the pool.

Likewise, it's actually quite easy to get a reasonable place to eat reserved the night before or even day of, because Disney now has a cancel penalty---if you reserve a meal but don't show up for it, you are charged $10/pp. You have to cancel at least by midnight the day before to avoid this no-show fee. That means lots of interesting places will suddenly become available at the last minute. For example, I managed a Cape May Cafe dinner reservation for Christmas Day that popped up just two days earlier. Granted, it's hard to book the handful of super-popular places this way, but your vacation will not be ruined if you don't eat at those, trust me. Magic Kingdom is the one park with far too little table-service capacity, but the nearby resorts have some really excellent choices that are very convenient, and provide a nice break from the park as well.

I used to be an uber-planner, but I've since taken a much more relaxed approach to things, and I'm finding that I enjoy them much more that way. It's less of a battle plan and more of a vacation, and we still have a great time.


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## mdurette

Nope....the mouse is not kidding.   I think he may be a secret control freak!

We go to Disney more than I would like (but the family loves it).  So I know how to work the system to ensure we get done what we want to get done.

But...it does annoy me to know end that in order to do what we want to do the mouse makes me not only plan months in advance what day I will be in what park, where I will eat and now what hour I will be on a particular ride.

Since you haven't been in so long....all will be "new" to you and whatever you come up with will be great.  Don't stress about doing it all.

My advice to people to manage Disney planning:
1.  pick which park, which day first....then it will all fall into place
2.  Make dining reservations (6 months in advance)
3.  Make FP reservations (60 days in advance for onsite - 30 days for off site)


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## bnoble

Beefnot said:


> Yelling, hitting (depending on context and degree), threatening, etc., are not necessarily negative parenting. That can also be responsible parenting.  For those who coddle their kids or let their kids run sh-- which is all the rage nowadays, I could see how responsible parenting is very uncomfortable to watch. It on the other hand ruins it for me to watch passive, feckless parenting.



It is perfectly possible to have firm expectations, with real consequences when they are not met, without yelling at or hitting your kids. Likewise, I don't threaten.  I promise.


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## elaine

Actually, if you do a few hours of pre-planning, your entire week will be MUCH smoother. You can always canx a restaurant 24 hrs in advance (48 for a few) and change your FP+ anytime, but at least the night prior is better to ensure getting most of the rides you want. So, it's some pre-planning and then you can be flexible when you get there.
Our crowd plan, which has worked for 10+ years during peak times: unless you can go to AM extra magic hour (EMH), do not go to the park with extra magic hours in the AM (except if MK has EMH all week, then it doesn't matter which day). You can look on disney's webiste under park hours to find out which park has EMH a few months in advance. The park with EMH will be more crowded than the other parks. Also, we get our FP for midday, when the park will be very crowded, and go about 9am (or earlier) and just stand in the shorter lines. Rides near the enterance and in Fantasy land will fill up first, if you go straight to the back of tomorrowland or over to adventure-frontier land, lines will be shorter in the AM. Even at peak spring break times, we usually wait less than 10 minutes for jungle cruise and pirates or alladin before 10am. If it's super crowded, we do rides from 9-11am, then use a noon FP, eat lunch, use a 1pm and then 2pm FP and then just leave and enjoy the pools, etc. We get a FP before we leave for later in the night and sometimes we go back in, use that FP and walk around, shop, get a special treat/dessert. It makes WDW much more fun and relaxing. 
Also, if you have an Elsa fan and you cannot get a FP spot, go VERY late at night on standby (45 minutes before Elsa closes). Most of the younger kids have gone to bed.
If we are going to pm EMH, we usually sleep late, hang out at resort and go into the parks at 4 with FP at 4,5,6pm, then dinner in the park. EMH pm can last until midnight or later, so you need to pace yourself. Or you can go from 9am-noon and have your FP for after dinner. Come back to resort for lunch/swim and then hit the parks right after dinner for 6 more hours.
We always get FP for Soarin (never seen it with under 1 hr wait--but we go in high season), EE (but there is usually a single rider line), Rockin Roller (sometimes single rider line) or Toy Story ride, Splash and Big Th. You MUST have a FP for 7 dwarfs--or wait 60+ minutes. After those, Star Tours, Dinosaur, Lion King (better location). We never FP Safari, but go 1st thing in the AM. If you go later than 10:30, FP Safari. We never FP Pirates or Jungle.
you have to choose between Soarin and Test Track--but there is a single rider line for TT (but you don't get to make a car). I would rather go straight to TT at opening and have a FP for S. Same for Toy Story--you have to pick TS or Rockin. My kids love Rollers, so we get Rockin FP and if there is a single line, they rider again. But, I have been there when the single was not avail and the wait was close to 60 min.
You need to get your tickets in advance, either through disney or an authorized broker (mapleleaf or undercover tourist), b/c you need the ticket or voucher # to make your FP. If you stay onsite, you can make FP at 60 days, 30 days for all others. Elaine


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## geekette

holy crap.  I mean, freaking holy crap!  I'll stick to the traditional amusement parks, this sounds like way too much work, way too much expense, drama and exhaustion.  I bow to those of you who have this down to a science, say hey to Mickey for me as no way I'll ever go meet him.

best of luck to all.


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## Jason245

geekette said:


> holy crap.  I mean, freaking holy crap!  I'll stick to the traditional amusement parks, this sounds like way too much work, way too much expense, drama and exhaustion.  I bow to those of you who have this down to a science, say hey to Mickey for me as no way I'll ever go meet him.
> 
> best of luck to all.


Bush gardens..smaller crowd. .free beer.. who could ask for more?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


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## geekette

Jason245 said:


> Bush gardens..smaller crowd. .free beer.. who could ask for more?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk



WHAT?  FREE BEER??!??!  Dag, haven't made it to any of those (B Gardens), but was otherwise headed back to Cedar Point, THE roller coaster park.   Thanks for prompting the rethink...


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## Jason245

geekette said:


> WHAT?  FREE BEER??!??!  Dag, haven't made it to any of those (B Gardens), but was otherwise headed back to Cedar Point, THE roller coaster park.   Thanks for prompting the rethink...


Technically I think you are supposed to only get 2 free beers.. but if you take your drinks..walk out and happen to wonder back into the beer area a half hour later..well..

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## Jason245

Crap.. it looks like they stopped in 2009... grrrr no more free beer..but they do have sesame Street area for kids..

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## elaine

once you spend an hour or two of planning, WDW with FREE fp+ is pretty awesome. We actually have a much better experience now at peak times than we did 10-15 years ago.  We can always do at least 7+ rides in a day, as we can do 4 rides in the AM easily with little to no wait and then 3 FP rides midday and then another few in the pm, if we decide to stay. I would never stand in line for more than 30 or 40 minutes tops--that's not a vacation to me. At Univ., during peak times, we would have to pay $300 per day EXTRA for a front of the line pass for a family or 4, or stay onsite at $479 per night! 
At WDW we mix it up with 1/2 days in the parks and do other stuff @ WDW, like archery, camp fire, kids crafts, riding bikes, even fishing. We aren't die hard mouse fans (sometimes we only go into the parks 1-2 days of a weeklong trip)--but we do really like WDW b/c of the overall good value (IMHO) for a family vacation that the WDW resort area provides.


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## Deb & Bill

Book your table service dining 180 days ahead.  You'll need a credit card to make a reservation(ADR).  Without an ADR, you might not be dining sitting down, but only doing counter service.  

60 days out, you book your Fast Pass+ if you are staying on Disney property.  30 days out if you are staying offsite.  But you have to have your tickets entered into My Disney Experience on their website to select FP+.


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## Jim Bryan

Deleted Message


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## Ken555

Jim Bryan said:


> As a Native Floridian (about 45 minutes from Park) I tired of Disney years ago.




Are you suggesting we take our financial contribution to your State elsewhere? 


Sent from my iPad


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## Jason245

Ken555 said:


> Are you suggesting we take our financial contribution to your State elsewhere?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad


Please come..Florida is great.. don't forget to max out your credit lines and spend your entire home equity line of credit on your way out. And remember,  the six percent sales tax you pay saves floridians from paying a state income tax.. so the more you spend the more you help.. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


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## Ken555

Jason245 said:


> Please come..Florida is great.. don't forget to max out your credit lines and spend your entire home equity line of credit on your way out. And remember,  the six percent sales tax you pay saves floridians from paying a state income tax.. so the more you spend the more you help..
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk




Naw...I'm tired of Disney, so I'll spend my money elsewhere after all. Thanks for the prompt to do so.


Sent from my iPad


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## Luanne

Ken555 said:


> Naw...I'm tired of Disney, so I'll spend my money elsewhere after all. Thanks for the prompt to do so.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad



If I go to Disney, I'm going to the original one in California, the one I grew up with.


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## silentg

Jim Bryan said:


> As a Native Floridian (about 45 minutes from Park) I tired of Disney years ago.



We live close to Disney, have seasonal pass, tables in Wonderland, went on Thursday to see Osbourne Lights at Hollywood Studios. We brought our own food and water. Had fast pass for 3 rides parked at Boardwalk stopped in at ESPN paced ourselves, when you live nearby you learn to navigate and try to enjoy the special perks of being a Florida Resident. If we didn't live here, we would do a package deal that includes, tickets,hotel, meal plan or DVC. People complain about Disney, but the crowds keep coming no matter how much the price rises.Spent a fun time with DD and friends!
Silentg


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## Vacationfuntips

Ty1on said:


> Also download the Mousewait app.



Yes, this is a BIG must have.  I always am checking that app when I go to Disney.

We go to Disney often.  I used to plan out every detail. Days for each theme park.  What days were Extra magic Hours. What restaurants we would eat at using the Dining Plan.  Which days we would go to water parks, Downtown Disney, etc... It took a lot of my time.  

I really don't do that anymore.  I only plan a few dining experiences and few are at a theme parks. This works out better for us now.  The new Magic Bands are great.  I add my theme park tickets and add the FP+ options for Must Do things.  You can get more FP+ options once you have completed your 3 FP+ experiences.  So schedule close together versus far apart and you can get more!  Just go to the Kiosk or use the regular Walt Disney World App or website at www.waltdisneyworld.com. and go to MY Disney Experience. 

Plan ahead which attractions interest you most to do.

We go to Disneyland in California too.  I never planned a thing.  We just went and had fun! 

Another tip: 

Request the FREE DVD Planning Guide From Disney  
Here is a link to get one sent to you at No Charge:

https://www.disneyvacations.com/?

Have a fun time at Disney!  

Cynthia T.


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## dioxide45

Jason245 said:


> Bush gardens..smaller crowd. .free beer.. who could ask for more?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk





geekette said:


> WHAT?  FREE BEER??!??!  Dag, haven't made it to any of those (B Gardens), but was otherwise headed back to Cedar Point, THE roller coaster park.   Thanks for prompting the rethink...



I thought that Busch Gardens ended the free beer back in 2009? The parks are also no longer owned by the same company that owns the beer company.


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## dioxide45

We haven't been to Disney World since 2009 and I have come to the realization that when we return again it will requirement a re-education. So much has changed in just the last six years, I can't imaging going back after more than 30 years. Back in 1982, there was only one park until Epcot opened later that year. I think it would be very naive to think nothing had changed since then.


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## bnoble

dioxide45 said:


> I thought that Busch Gardens ended the free beer back in 2009? The parks are also no longer owned by the same company that owns the beer company.



Correct.  Sadly, the Beer Schools at the Busch/Sea World parks are long gone.  It was great fun though!


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## DeniseM

A number of posts containing off-topic bickering have been removed.  Let's stay on topic, folks.


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## VegasBella

Posted again because it was removed...

Get there early and enjoy the first hour or two. Arriving late will seriously limit many of your opportunities.


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## DeniseM

I missed a couple of off-topic posts, and will remove them as well.

A couple of reminders from the posting rules:

-Refrain from name calling and *behavior lectures*. 

-In addition, do not enter complaints about moderation into BBS messages. Such posts will be considered off-topic and will be removed. Any such complaints or discussion should be communicated to the bbs staff directly via email or personal message.


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## moonstone

bnoble said:


> Correct.  Sadly, the Beer Schools at the Busch/Sea World parks are long gone.  It was great fun though!



Busch Gardens at Williamsburg VA also had free beer many years ago. An employee there showed DH the "back way in" (avoiding the brewery tour & go directly to the hospitality room via a 'special' parking lot). So guess where we had to stop in every time we drove by!   We saw lots of people (mainly delivery guys) there every time we went.

Ahh the good old days! 

~Diane


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## shellmo1

*Whatever you do-- go in "off" season*



AlbertaTravel said:


> So I've been asking questions on this board and exchanging board because my kids and their kids want to go to Disney world.  Great I thought.  I'll go on tug and get info about exchanges.  No problem.  As usual got info with no problem.  So I took kids to Disneyworld in 82 so I don't need much info about that because after all I've already been there.  You drive to Disney world, park (for free if I remember correctly) walk in the park, line up for a few minutes then ride.  Walk into a restaurant, wait a couple minutes and then sit down.  Too easy.  So maybe I should read up a bit on the Disney board.  Maybe things have changed slightly.
> Are they kidding.  You get a fast pass.  Not for the day but by the ride.  Seriously. You have to reserve all your sit down restaurants 60 days ahead.  Please tell me I'm reading all this info wrong.  How can anyone be that organized with 5 young kids not to mention 6 adults.  How do people do it.  I thought getting a hotel would be hard.  Heck it's nothing compared to all the rest of it.




My take on Disney-- every family should go once.  Twice?  Only for the really hardy soul with a bottomless pocketbook.  We took our girls when they were in elementary school and then our grand kids 2 years ago, they were preschoolers.  We took our girls out of school for a week in May back in the day and it was wonderful!  In between the Spring Break crowds and before the summer vacation crowds.  Only vacation we ever took them out of school for but it was SO WORTH IT!   That was before the days of fast pass.  2 years ago we went in Sept.  Was able to get a gigantic 3 bedroom condo 1 mile from Magic Kingdom.  We are II members so no Disney properties to trade into..  We let each kiddo pick a special meal.  My granddaughter chose the Princess dinner at the castle and my grandson chose the character breakfast with Disney Jr. characters.  They were pricey but we made the reservations many months in advance.  We just ate when we were hungry the rest of the trip.  Ate breakfast and some dinners at the condo to save $$$.  I personally would never ever do Disney at peak times.  Have a great trip and don't obsess too much...


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## jparker10508

Just a note on parking.  Not free anymore -if you're not staying on the property it's just been raised to $20.00 per car, so with 5 kids and six adults plan on at least $40.00 a day if taking two vehicles.


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## Talent312

With that crew in tow, you're gonna be miserable, no matter how much you plan.
Plan on that. There's only one way you could enjoy it yourself...

Assign the kids to the other adults and tell 'em they're on their own.  <ducking>

.


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## FLDVCFamily

This family with young kids doesn't do it. We live locally and we've really stopped going...no more passes after this year. We don't like all the planning ahead. Universal and Sea World are still as you described. That's where we go now.


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## glmyers

*Different but still a great place to go.*



AlbertaTravel said:


> So I've been asking questions on this board and exchanging board because my kids and their kids want to go to Disney world.  Great I thought.  I'll go on tug and get info about exchanges.  No problem.  As usual got info with no problem.  So I took kids to Disneyworld in 82 so I don't need much info about that because after all I've already been there.  You drive to Disney world, park (for free if I remember correctly) walk in the park, line up for a few minutes then ride.  Walk into a restaurant, wait a couple minutes and then sit down.  Too easy.  So maybe I should read up a bit on the Disney board.  Maybe things have changed slightly.
> Are they kidding.  You get a fast pass.  Not for the day but by the ride.  Seriously. You have to reserve all your sit down restaurants 60 days ahead.  Please tell me I'm reading all this info wrong.  How can anyone be that organized with 5 young kids not to mention 6 adults.  How do people do it.  I thought getting a hotel would be hard.  Heck it's nothing compared to all the rest of it.


Yes, things have changed over the years, but it is not as bad as it may seem to you at first glance. Technology can greatly simplify the process. Step one is to download and utilize the Disney App to get updates on line times and manage fast pass reservations. Link your tickets with an account online so one or two of you can manage reservations for all. Link a credit card to your "magic band" so you can avoid carrying credit cards or cash in the parks (do utilize a safe at your resort for these.) Sometimes it is possible to get in a "sit down" restaurant without a reservation, but it is best to have one. The "Be Our Guest" restaurant was experimenting with a "fast pass" style reservation when I was there last year and I was able to get that on the same day we ate there.

I first visited the Disney World in 1976 and have visited each year for the past 20 years (several times a year when we lived in Florida.) My daughter is now 22 and made her annual visit this year without my wife and myself. Other amusement parks are fun and we certainly visited them all over the years, but Disney is the one that produced the memories my daughter cherishes most. Worth every penny and all the hassle from my perspective. (Note there are some tricks to avoid or reduce parking fees the easiest being stay at a resort that runs a free shuttle.)


----------



## Paumavista

*Plan for a week long visit*

If you're coming in from out of town...Plan your visit so that you can spend as many days as possible (it gets cheaper per day when you add days - so plan a 7-10 day visit if you can).....Also, you won't feel this pressing need to do as much as possible each day, you can just plan to come back to the park later in the week to re-visit your favorite ride/activity or hit those you missed.  And you can even take days off and do other activities in the area if you plan to visit a park at night.

We only visited the park once each day and always got there when the "rope dropped" and returned to the resort by early afternoon.  Our group did divide up each day and just met back at the resort to enjoy the remainder of the day and share stories/pictures.  Little ones could nap and we all enjoyed the pool.  

We did plan dinner together either with reservations or cooking at the resort.  We spent LOTS of time each day enjoying each other because we didn't deal with any of the park hassle together.   

I LOVE planning so it was a wonderful trip and we had a great experience.


----------



## MichaelColey

To me, if you want the experience of short lines, plan-free touring, and more affordable prices, it's tough to beat Universal.  The last time we went, annual passes were about $200 each.  We got one pass that was more expensive (under $300) so we could get free parking.  Although we stayed off site in a 2BR timeshare, we used AP rates to get an on-site hotel (1 night only).  While the night was expensive, it gave us Unlimited Express Pass for two days (both the check-in and check-out date), early entry, etc.  With the Unlimited Express Pass, we were able to walk on just about every ride as many times as we wanted.  There are only a handful of rides not included, and we hit those first.  Other than that, we had no "plans".  We just did what we wanted.


----------



## elaine

just got back from WDW the week after Christmas--peak time, peak crowds, no worries! Never got to a park earlier than 10 am. I got fast passes for 3 rides and we did those rides and then left the parks most days. We did stay late on 12/30 and used FP later in the evening and then stayed til midnight. We also had a great day at Epcot. Got FP for 2 rides, went to single rider line at test track and then walked onto Soarin with our FP--with a 120 minute wait for others, then walked/ate at the countries. Never felt too crowded using a reservation for dining and FP. They key is to use FP midday or later and then leave when it gets too crowded. Be Ok with only being in the park for 3-4 hours--if you go for a whole week, 3-4 hours per day is plenty. Vary morning vs. evenings to get a different experience. DH and I even park hopped on day with no FP at 2 parks and it was fine. We did standby Safari (50 min), single rider Everest, pool for 4 hours, then Beauty/Beast show at DHS with Osborne lights, then over to MK @6pm, dinner and then FP for Big Th, 7 dwarfs and space, plus Haunted Mansion (40 min) and Tea cups (10 min), Pirates (20 min) and Hall of Presidents and then NYE fireworks (they show them on 12/30 and 12/31). Granted, I know all the tricks. But, one of the top 5 busiest days of the year at MK, pretty good. Only reason we won't go back next year is we had 80+ degrees every day and I know next year it would be in the 40s if I went back!


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## akp

I'm in the minority, but I've never been a planner when it comes to Disney.  We just walk in, do what we are able to do, do our best with Fast Passes, and call it good.

I know most plot it out like a military invasion but our family's travel style is  more "wing it".  

We were never as large a group as OP (2 adults, 3 kids) and it definitely had its frustrations but good experiences still.

That said, I'm taking our two daughters in March.  We'll be at a disney resort so we'll have the magic bands, and to take advantage of those you definitely need to be more planful.  So we already know what park we'll go to each day, and will be getting our fast passes in a few days.

I'll report back because I'm very interested to see the difference in the experience this way vs winging it.


----------



## elaine

we used to wing it also. But that is tough with the new FP system at peak times, b/c at peak times the FP might be gone for top rides, so you cannot just go at 9am and get a fp for soarin, toy story, or safari for later in the day (they were all gone a few days prior on our trip). Wait times were 120 minutes for many rides, even minor rides were 50+ minutes. However, it's very easy to wing it if you just get 3 FP for midday and then do whatever in the AM and PM. I like the new FP better, b/c of being able to get those midday FP and then getting to the parks when I feel like it--9am and do a bunch of rides before it gets crowded, or sleep in and roll in at 11 am (knowing I have a noon FP and don't have to rush or wait in line). The new FP is esp. great with teens, who don't think a vacation is getting up at 8am. I am glad that WDW offers FP+ to all for free (for now at least).


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## MichaelColey

If you're satisfied doing just 3 rides a day, that could work great.

Back before FP+, we usually did almost every ride (and our favorites multiple times) in whatever park we did for the day.  And were usually done not long after lunch.  I think my record (excluding special circumstances) was doing Toy Story Midway Mania (my favorite) 5 or 6 times in a day.  We were almost always able to ride twice at rope drop and collect at least two sets of fast passes.


----------



## bogey21

chriskre said:


> They have an app and you can keep track of everything on the app.



Not everyone owns a smart phone.  My phone is a clamshell with text messages and voice mail disabled by ATT at my request.  It makes and receives phone calls which is all I want.

George


----------



## nikkiwu

I'm a Disney travel agent and will pipe in.

Yes, Disney has changed a lot. I find it is much harder to just arrive and go if you have any expectations. Dining is planned 180 days out, Fastpasses at 60 days. Other misc recreation items are between 60 & 90. It's complicated.

For my family and for anyone I've helped, I've found that having some dining and some fastpasses provides a structure that helps make everything slightly more enjoyable. 

For my family - including four kids between 19 & 6 - we plan everyday's meals and Fastpasses to keep our sanity and our framework. There's nothing to argue about because that's the plan and my husband stops and gets a beer midafternoon when we are all starting to burn out :hysterical:


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## wed100105

nikkiwu said:


> I'm a Disney travel agent and will pipe in.
> 
> Yes, Disney has changed a lot. I find it is much harder to just arrive and go if you have any expectations. Dining is planned 180 days out, Fastpasses at 60 days. Other misc recreation items are between 60 & 90. It's complicated.
> 
> For my family and for anyone I've helped, I've found that having some dining and some fastpasses provides a structure that helps make everything slightly more enjoyable.
> 
> For my family - including four kids between 19 & 6 - we plan everyday's meals and Fastpasses to keep our sanity and our framework. There's nothing to argue about because that's the plan and my husband stops and gets a beer midafternoon when we are all starting to burn out :hysterical:



We take a similar approach. I don't plan every minute, but we do plan which park and table service restaurants we will go to each day. 

I miss legacy FP though. We rode so many rides. I am not looking forward to reserving our FP+ and missing out on riding multiple times on Toy Story Mania is a huge disappointment for us.
I have to plan things when we travel. Otherwise, we sit around the unit and can't decide what to do and I go crazy.


----------



## nikkiwu

wed100105 said:


> We take a similar approach. I don't plan every minute, but we do plan which park and table service restaurants we will go to each day.
> 
> I miss legacy FP though. We rode so many rides. I am not looking forward to reserving our FP+ and missing out on riding multiple times on Toy Story Mania is a huge disappointment for us.
> I have to plan things when we travel. Otherwise, we sit around the unit and can't decide what to do and I go crazy.




Yes - the same here. Without that framework (it could be one meal or one fastpass even) - we sit in the unit and can't decide.

I wish you could intertwine the new FP system with the old one. I like that ahead of time I know I am getting Toy Story or Soarin without "hoping" we make it in time, but I wish you could get paper passes as needed.


----------



## wed100105

nikkiwu said:


> Yes - the same here. Without that framework (it could be one meal or one fastpass even) - we sit in the unit and can't decide.
> 
> I wish you could intertwine the new FP system with the old one. I like that ahead of time I know I am getting Toy Story or Soarin without "hoping" we make it in time, but I wish you could get paper passes as needed.



AMEN! I would even be happy with the option of picking FP for different parks on the same day. 

I'm having a heck of a time figuring out our FP+ strategy with park hopping and rider swap! 

Plus, Disney has yet to release any info on AK's Rivers of Light show times and park closing. (Right now AK is still closing at 5...) Elsa and Anna are rumored to move to EP on May 1. Still no fast pass info on them either.


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## pedro47

We are just a couple, that liked to visit Disney main streets, shows, the various parades and fire works displays.  Will this be a problem or will need an electronic pass? Just kiddding!


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## cpnuser

*DisneyWorld*

To get the most for your value in money invested in tickets, hotels, etc., do not go during the busy seasons(summer, Christmas, other holidays).  During the summer, it is very hot & humid and the lines are very long.


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## Saintsfanfl

nikkiwu said:


> ...Dining is planned 180 days out, Fastpasses at 60 days....



Fast passes are only 30 days out for the vast majority. Only those staying at a Disney resort can book 60 days out.


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## Saintsfanfl

cpnuser said:


> To get the most for your value in money invested in tickets, hotels, etc., do not go during the busy seasons(summer, Christmas, other holidays).  During the summer, it is very hot & humid and the lines are very long.



Disney just implemented surge pricing so now the value of going during the off season is even higher. Peak times are now very expensive.

The blackout annual passes are back to including parking. Not including parking was a complete ripoff and made the blackout pass actually more expensive if you went enough times. We always had one regular non-blackout just to get the free parking. There is now also two types of blackout annual passes. Once with summer blocked and one without. Great improvement on the annual passes.


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## Carol C

*Predator Mouse*

My cousin went to Epcot thinking 97 bucks is alot but she'd never been to the flower show. She turned around after paying for parking and standing on long line to have cashier tell her one day entree fee is $130! And $97 is what they still advertise on their website! They should be sued for false advertising! I don't know how families can afford it but they must be Fla residents or related to Retirees in Fla! Food isn't worth waiting in line and souvenirs are ridiculous! Coffee mugs made in China cost 12 bucks. Parents should buy their Disney souvenirs at CVS and other stores beforehand. Buy character teeshirts and mouse ears in a drugstore or cheap souvenir store your first day to build your kids excitement and next day they can wear the discounted character apparel to the park. (Disney hasn't banned customers wearing character stuff bought off site...yet...but dont cart in packed lunches or juices or bottled water lest you want them confiscated. I was there in Jan and will never go back...on principal...it's a ripoff now. Must keep executives and stockholders happy thx to the happiest place on earth! Now for some ideas of free or cheap things...

Go to botanical garden or a museum like the Morse in Winter Park with its huge collection of Tiffany glass

Go to a county fair...research ahead of time...soon Seminole Cty will have its fair with rides and games and even FREE parking so skip Disney and go to Sanford just off I-4 for fun

DVC owners will get mad at me for leaking this hot tip but you can drive into a cool DVC resort like Animal Kingdom Kidani under the guise that you're going to their restaurant. That will get you past the nice gatekeeper. Then go park for Free and enjoy the beautiful African art collections in lovely lobbies...like visiting a cultural museum...and then go out to look for graffes and zebras and more. You could easily spend a half day enjoying the ambience...it will make your kids feel like they're on an African safari. If you do intend to dine there is fast food that's pricey and mediocre. Their African themed sit-down restaurants are pricey but worth it...exotic fare so picky eaters beware. BTW reservations a must!

Sorry for the long post but wages have not kept up with theme park inflation so families saving for kids college might want to make a strict budget for an Orlando trip. Heck go to the Smithsonian museums in DC that are free and Williamsburg for theme park fun...Disney honestly ain't all that!


----------



## tashamen

Carol C said:


> My cousin went to Epcot thinking 97 bucks is alot but she'd never been to the flower show. She turned around after paying for parking and standing on long line to have cashier tell her one day entree fee is $130!



I was in Orlando the week before last and had also thought about going to the Epcot flower show.  The price deterred me too, especially since it was in the 90s every day I was there.  Too hot to wander around looking at flowers.  I went to a spring training game instead at ESPN at Disney for about $30 and sat in the shade.  Food wasn't bad either!


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## silentg

tashamen said:


> I was in Orlando the week before last and had also thought about going to the Epcot flower show.  The price deterred me too, especially since it was in the 90s every day I was there.  Too hot to wander around looking at flowers.  I went to a spring training game instead at ESPN at Disney for about $30 and sat in the shade.  Food wasn't bad either!



We live in Orlando Area and have a weekday only seasonal pass, works out for us. We go a few times a year and when we have family visit. I usually go on the Disney website and make reservations for lunch usually later in afternoon and fast passes depending on what we want to see. After living here a while you learn when to go and not to go, it is not as easy as it used to be.
Silentg


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## gmarine

Carol C said:


> My cousin went to Epcot thinking 97 bucks is alot but she'd never been to the flower show. She turned around after paying for parking and standing on long line to have cashier tell her one day entree fee is $130! And $97 is what they still advertise on their website! They should be sued for false advertising! I don't know how families can afford it but they must be Fla residents or related to Retirees in Fla! Food isn't worth waiting in line and souvenirs are ridiculous! Coffee mugs made in China cost 12 bucks. Parents should buy their Disney souvenirs at CVS and other stores beforehand. Buy character teeshirts and mouse ears in a drugstore or cheap souvenir store your first day to build your kids excitement and next day they can wear the discounted character apparel to the park. (Disney hasn't banned customers wearing character stuff bought off site...yet...but dont cart in packed lunches or juices or bottled water lest you want them confiscated. I was there in Jan and will never go back...on principal...it's a ripoff now. Must keep executives and stockholders happy thx to the happiest place on earth! Now for some ideas of free or cheap things...
> 
> Go to botanical garden or a museum like the Morse in Winter Park with its huge collection of Tiffany glass
> 
> Go to a county fair...research ahead of time...soon Seminole Cty will have its fair with rides and games and even FREE parking so skip Disney and go to Sanford just off I-4 for fun
> 
> DVC owners will get mad at me for leaking this hot tip but you can drive into a cool DVC resort like Animal Kingdom Kidani under the guise that you're going to their restaurant. That will get you past the nice gatekeeper. Then go park for Free and enjoy the beautiful African art collections in lovely lobbies...like visiting a cultural museum...and then go out to look for graffes and zebras and more. You could easily spend a half day enjoying the ambience...it will make your kids feel like they're on an African safari. If you do intend to dine there is fast food that's pricey and mediocre. Their African themed sit-down restaurants are pricey but worth it...exotic fare so picky eaters beware. BTW reservations a must!
> 
> Sorry for the long post but wages have not kept up with theme park inflation so families saving for kids college might want to make a strict budget for an Orlando trip. Heck go to the Smithsonian museums in DC that are free and Williamsburg for theme park fun...Disney honestly ain't all that!



Disney is very expensive but imagine the crowds if it wasnt this expensive. Yes, one day tickets are definitely pricey. This is part of Disneys marketing where they make it cheaper per day the longer you stay. The reason the ticket to Epcot may have been more than anticipated is there are different prices for peak and off peak and the prices listed online do not include tax.


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## vacationhopeful

I have gone to Disney World many times over the years ... within the first months of it opening. I got unlimited park tickets for $5 (not the A coupon thru E coupon)... tickets they paid the college performers with during the GRAND OPENING broadcast on the "Wonderful World of Disney" on a Sunday night in October, 1971.

I have pictures taken when my dad and youngest sister came to Florida in May 1972 ... very few people, empty lots and looking at a stand alone Haunted Mansion ... a block away from any other building.

Yes, prices have gone way up over the years. But the multiple parks are full of rides, activities, food, shops and entertainment from 8AM til as late as  midnight every day of the week. At first, you either took a boat to the entrance gate or WALK from you car. Today, there are trams and buses from your onsite hotel but only the Contemporary Hotel existed then and room rates were really HIGH for back then. 

In the early years, there was NO I-4. NO unbroken I-95. We travel on 2 lane state roads, Highway 17/92, to get to _the_ park. Yes, "THE PARK" was just the Magic Kingdom (for over 10 years) until Epcot opened.

And I am not a fanatical Disney person ... I could take it or leave it. Just like, some movies in the theaters are not worth those ticket prices, but I might watch when shown on broadcast TV channels.


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## Talent312

I'm about in the process of burning ~$7K on a Nordic tour and Baltic cruise, so WDW prices seem like chump-change at this point.

Nonetheless, tongue-in-cheek, I hope that one day, WDW will raise it's prices high enuff that that the unwashed masses will turn away in disgust and go to Seaworld or Bush Gardens instead. This will make lines shorter for those of us willing pay an exorbitant amount. After all, the kids don't deserve an inheritance, anyway. 
.


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## elaine

$7K is an amount that many families with a WDW hotel/dining/tickets package pay, esp. at Deluxes. My boss said her spring break Poly trip (7 years ago, before the big price hikes) for 2A/2kids cost more than her 2 week honeymoon to Hawaii (20 years ago) including airfare.


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## carl2591

my daughter's boyfriend was working at disney as intern this past thanksgiving holiday and was amazed at the amount of people in the park. They actually stopped selling tickets on a couple of days. 

We go to orlando every 2-3 years and have done so for the past 15 yrs. My kids school schedule, year around, was different than normal schedules so we enjoyed the parks, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Universal and Islands of Adventure at NON peak time and it was great. 

If I had smaller kids, under high school age and wanted to do the parks I would just take them out of school for the week and enjoy the parks with less crowds, less long lines etc. Plus with the cost of a disney, and with universal starting to get pricey, it make sense to get the best value.

We pack a backpack with energy bars, sandwiches, chips, apples etc and get the one free refill cups ($12.95 and $7 next day for unlimited refills every 10 mins) and the cost is much lower to go "parking" for us.. 

Now we will buy ice cream cones or get a large fries to share at teh park but for the most part our in park cost are less than 30 bucks. 

You can go and not plan and expect to spend $70 a day to eat etc plus parking is $20 (universal, IOA) so figure 100 bucks for family of 4. I prefer to use my money to buy dividend producing stock not buying mediocre food and overpriced made in china CRAP..

but that is me.. :ignore:

got to go we are packing to leave orlando and head home with "new" 2005 airstream 30ft travel trailer we bought in Sarasota.


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## rickandcindy23

Talent312 said:


> I'm about in the process of burning ~$7K on a Nordic tour and Baltic cruise, so WDW prices seem like chump-change at this point.
> 
> Nonetheless, tongue-in-cheek, I hope that one day, WDW will raise it's prices high enuff that that the unwashed masses will turn away in disgust and go to Seaworld or Bush Gardens instead. This will make lines shorter for those of us willing pay an exorbitant amount. After all, the kids don't deserve an inheritance, anyway.
> .


Their plan is to raise tickets like that!  :rofl:

Are you doing a Viking Cruise?  We are looking into that for next year, around early May.  Too bad we have so many timeshares to use.  Honestly, that is keeping us from Europe.  I need to find timeshares to stay in Europe, so we aren't spending as much in hotels.  Even staying four days in a timeshare via exchange would be a bargain over hotel prices.


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## Talent312

rickandcindy23 said:


> I need to find timeshares to stay in Europe, so we aren't spending as much in hotels.  Even staying four days in a timeshare via exchange would be a bargain over hotel prices.



Last year, we actually had 5N booked at HGVC at Borgo alle Vigne in Tuscany, Italy, but couldn't go.

Maybe it's sour grapes, but we put Italy on the back burner for now. Our thinking is that a visit to Northern Europe (RCCL cruise out of Copenhagen) will give us a break from the sauna that is Florida in the Summer.

Segway: With WDW only a 2-hour drive, it's kind'a ho-hum for us.

.


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## PigsDad

Whenever someone complains about how expensive it is to vacation at Disney, I want to compare it to another popular family vacation option that is popular around here: skiing.

Disney still has a long way to go to catch up to the price of skiing.  This winter, single-day lift tickets at Breckenridge were *$164*.  Vail was *$175*.  And unlike Disney, there is little to no discount for multiple-day tickets (Breck gave a discount of $10 for a 3+ day ticket vs. the daily rate).

Now let's do some comparisons.  Lifts typically run from 9am to 4pm (7 hours), whereas during high season you can spend upwards of 12-14 hours at a Disney park if you wish.  With skiing, you need to own or rent special equipment -- that can add several hundreds of $$$ for a family vacation.  Food?  While not cheap at Disney, it is absolutely obscene at a major ski resort.  It takes $25 to get you a basic hamburger, fries and drink (I'm not kidding).

Then there is lodging.  Plentiful and relatively inexpensive for a Disney vacation.  I would venture to say that the typical family spends twice what they would in Orlando for comparable accommodations at a major ski resort.

I shudder to think what a family of 4 spends on a ski vacation here in the West.  Disney is a "cheap" vacation, relatively. 

Kurt


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## elaine

yes, skiing. Going to a very marginal place 3 hrs from DC and skiing 2 days in super crowded conditions and staying at a Hampton Inn for 1 night was going to be $1500 for the weekend for 4 persons--NOT. I feel badly for my kids, as we were avid skiers. DS went with a friend's family to Vail last winter for 6 days. It was almost $2K for airfare/food/lift/lessons and that did not include free lodging. 
We spoke to a family last week that went to Universal Studios for 2 days over spring break and got the quick queue passes. It was $1500 for 4 persons! Wow! We barely spent $1500 for 6 days @ WDW with 2 base passes for kids and 2 days for us, including 2 dinners @ sit downs for us (counter service for kids), not including lodging (DVC).
Our cheapest recent trip for the family was actually Bermuda! Go figure.


----------



## Knightmare

Carol C said:


> My cousin went to Epcot thinking 97 bucks is alot but she'd never been to the flower show. She turned around after paying for parking and standing on long line to have cashier tell her one day entree fee is $130! And $97 is what they still advertise on their website! They should be sued for false advertising! I don't know how families can afford it but they must be Fla residents or related to Retirees in Fla! Food isn't worth waiting in line and souvenirs are ridiculous! Coffee mugs made in China cost 12 bucks. Parents should buy their Disney souvenirs at CVS and other stores beforehand. Buy character teeshirts and mouse ears in a drugstore or cheap souvenir store your first day to build your kids excitement and next day they can wear the discounted character apparel to the park. (Disney hasn't banned customers wearing character stuff bought off site...yet...but dont cart in packed lunches or juices or bottled water lest you want them confiscated. I was there in Jan and will never go back...on principal...it's a ripoff now. Must keep executives and stockholders happy thx to the happiest place on earth! Now for some ideas of free or cheap things...
> 
> Go to botanical garden or a museum like the Morse in Winter Park with its huge collection of Tiffany glass
> 
> Go to a county fair...research ahead of time...soon Seminole Cty will have its fair with rides and games and even FREE parking so skip Disney and go to Sanford just off I-4 for fun
> 
> DVC owners will get mad at me for leaking this hot tip but you can drive into a cool DVC resort like Animal Kingdom Kidani under the guise that you're going to their restaurant. That will get you past the nice gatekeeper. Then go park for Free and enjoy the beautiful African art collections in lovely lobbies...like visiting a cultural museum...and then go out to look for graffes and zebras and more. You could easily spend a half day enjoying the ambience...it will make your kids feel like they're on an African safari. If you do intend to dine there is fast food that's pricey and mediocre. Their African themed sit-down restaurants are pricey but worth it...exotic fare so picky eaters beware. BTW reservations a must!
> 
> Sorry for the long post but wages have not kept up with theme park inflation so families saving for kids college might want to make a strict budget for an Orlando trip. Heck go to the Smithsonian museums in DC that are free and Williamsburg for theme park fun...Disney honestly ain't all that!




You do realize that Disney is a for-profit company with a limited amount of space correct?  The only way to curb the crowds is by pricing correctly so that not everyone who wants to go can go.  I don't remember seeing anywhere in the vacation bylaws that every family was entitled to go to Disney.  If you can't pay you don't get to play.

And one slight correction to your rant... Feel free to bring in as much food and beverage as you'd like, theres no limit.


----------



## Pardytime

I totally agree with the OP's title to this thread:  Are you kidding!
Reading this thread back in December got me wondering if I could get an exchange into a Disney Resort, and fast forwarding to today, I have now spent many, many hours on prep work for the resulting trip coming up in May.  The whole planning process seems to have taken on a life of its own, with websites like TouringPlans.com that will map out the optimum route within a park based upon what you personally choose to see.  Fortunately, I have the time to do this.  Not everyone does.

I can't help but think the marketing people at Disney must be pleased at how this is all playing out.  By exposing me to their full offerings on-line and having to make FastPass and restaurant reservations so far in advance, I couldn't help but become committed much earlier to visiting their parks than I expected.  eg you have to buy tickets before you can get the FastPasses.  And whereas I was originally only planning to casually drop by a few parks, I am now planning on going 5 days. So, throughout all this exposure and planning required to get what I want, I have gone from a 'drop by a couple of parks' attitude to the 'Dumbo or Die' category.  

Now it's all done, and all I have to do is show up, follow the schedule (more or less) and enjoy.  I do wonder though how much less enjoyable it would be if I had just 'shown up'.

And, I would like to add that timesharing has made this trip and many others feasible.    Thanks, Tuggers' for your advice throughout the years.


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## elaine

well, if you go at peak times, just showing up means that you don't get major rides unless you stand in line for 2 hours, so you stand in line for 1 major ride and then go on much less popular rides with 45-60 minutes waiting time. They got there around 11 AM. We were in the parks the same day as my cousin (didn't know they were going) voer Christmas and compared notes later. We rode 4 rides that were walk ons from 9-11am, then used our 3 FP later for major rides with 90+ minute waits. Another night, we walked in and ate at a restaurant with 10 minute buzzer wait, vs. waiting until 9pm to eat or getting turned away from 6-8pm (which they were doing). Cousin had a fun time, but it would have been a lot better if they had know to make FP, even a few days prior.
At nonpeak times, doesn't matter nearly as much.


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## Jason245

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic/


Now they are selling partial extra magic hours for $70 Per person and giving you a pastry. 

You can now show up at the park at 7:30, pay $130 for admission + $70 for the early morning deal. 

$200 for one day


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## vacationhopeful

Amazing ... what the prices are! For 2 parents or grandparents with 3 kids is $315 plus tax for an extra HOUR of rides while trying to grabbing their breakfast. These do not appear to be a Character event.

Yes, actual full admission tickets to the park are required for each person.


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## Ty1on

vacationhopeful said:


> Amazing ... what the prices are! For 2 parents or grandparents with 3 kids is $315 plus tax for an extra HOUR of rides while trying to grabbing their breakfast. These do not appear to be a Character event.
> 
> Yes, actual full admission tickets to the park are required for each person.



The price is insane, but if you stay in a Disney resort for 5 nights to get EMH for 2 of the days, You could pay a lot more than $630 over a comparable offisite resort.

I don't think either is worth it personally, BUT if you have only one day and it is  during peak, you could see a whole lot more of MK if you pay the extra money.  Some might look at it as squeezing a 2-day pass into a single day.

During peak days:

7 Dwarf Mine Train wait is over two hours midday and over an hour by one hour after park open.  Almost literally, every person busting the gates open at rope drop follows the rope straight to 7DMT.

Meet Anna and Elsa approaches and sometimes exceeds 2 hours in peak.

Peter Pan is over an hour.

That's 3-5 hours of waiting saved right there if you get in on EMH.

The downside is that, depending how many EMH tickets they release on a given day, those are added to the resort guests who get EMH, and at some point Disney might be dealing with livid resort guests.  None of there recent policy, however, gives any indication that they care.

Edit:  I just saw that they only have Winnie, Peter Pan and 7DMT open for this "special event."  That also indicates that they would NOT do this on a standard resort EMH morning.  Winnie wait is never that bad, so you could end up down $70 per person for access to 3, count them, 3 rides, and possibly to save 2-3 hours of wait time.  I suppose you could ride 7DMT over and over for 75 minutes.


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## Lisa P

7:30 AM - Event guests hit the turnstiles.
7:45 AM - Event guests are escorted to Fantasyland with 3 children's rides open.
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM - Event guests may have a table service breakfast in Pinocchio Village Haus, normally just a quaint counter service stop.  Be Our Guest or Crystal Palace, it is *not!*

Meanwhile, the rest of the park opens for a non-EMH morning, typically the best time to get onto all the other popular attractions with short lines, without paying an added fee.  But more likely, your family will be sitting in Pinocchio's Village Haus during this prime touring time.    For a one-day visit to MK during peak school breaks, with this special event added to try to make the most of the 1 day visit and deal with crowds, you will pay:

$132.06 /adult, age 10+ ----- $125.67 /child ----- One Day MK Ticket Admission
$ 73.49 /adult, age 10+ ----- $ 62.84 /child ----- Event Ticket
---------------------------------------------
$205.55 /adult, age 10+ ----- $188.51 /child

Plus, add $20 /car parking, since only Day Guests would purchase all this.

*Family of 4 = $808.12 for one day's visit to MK including breakfast only.* _Cha-ching!_ 

_Perhaps_, your Elsa & Anna fans will be able to get in the front of the line that forms for their 9:00 AM character Meet & Greet... that is, *if* they quickly fly through breakfast and their 3 rides within an hour.     Seriously?


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## Jason245

Lisa P said:


> 7:30 AM - Event guests hit the turnstiles.
> 7:45 AM - Event guests are escorted to Fantasyland with 3 children's rides open.
> 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM - Event guests may have a table service breakfast in Pinocchio Village Haus, normally just a quaint counter service stop.  Be Our Guest or Crystal Palace, it is *not!*
> 
> Meanwhile, the rest of the park opens for a non-EMH morning, typically the best time to get onto all the other popular attractions with short lines, without paying an added fee.  But more likely, your family will be sitting in Pinocchio's Village Haus during this prime touring time.    For a one-day visit to MK during peak school breaks, with this special event added to try to make the most of the 1 day visit and deal with crowds, you will pay:
> 
> $132.06 /adult, age 10+ ----- $125.67 /child ----- One Day MK Ticket Admission
> $ 73.49 /adult, age 10+ ----- $ 62.84 /child ----- Event Ticket
> ---------------------------------------------
> $205.55 /adult, age 10+ ----- $188.51 /child
> 
> Plus, add $20 /car parking, since only Day Guests would purchase all this.
> 
> *Family of 4 = $808.12 for one day's visit to MK including breakfast only.* _Cha-ching!_
> 
> _Perhaps_, your Elsa & Anna fans will be able to get in the front of the line that forms for their 9:00 AM character Meet & Greet... that is, *if* they quickly fly through breakfast and their 3 rides within an hour.     Seriously?


In all honesty,  I am waiting for the day they start selling fast passes instead of letting you have em for free.. that day is comming. .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


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## K2Quick

PigsDad said:


> Disney still has a long way to go to catch up to the price of skiing.  This winter, single-day lift tickets at Breckenridge were *$164*.  Vail was *$175*.  And unlike Disney, there is little to no discount for multiple-day tickets (Breck gave a discount of $10 for a 3+ day ticket vs. the daily rate).



You can get a season pass that will get you a nearly unrestricted number of days skiing at Breckenridge/Heavenly/Park City and many others plus 10 days of skiing at Vail/Beaver Creek for $609 (and less for kids depending on age):

http://www.snow.com/epic-pass/Passes?INTCMP=SP000072

Skiing is definitely an expensive hobby, but it can be done way cheaper than Disney.


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## dansyr2514

It is a little crazy if you're not used to it.   However, alot ( not all) of the changes they've made actually make your day a little easier with some pre planning. If you need help, feel free to message me.  I'm just came back from my 3rd trip this year and I planned one of them for my dance competition team  so I am very familiar with planning.


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