I don’t know if you have mentioned it before, but when we went to Disney World, we had bought a cheaper stroller on amazon and had it delivered to our hotel. We used it for our trip and paid it forward and gave it to another mom before we left asking her to pass it on when she is done. It was actually cheaper than renting our whole trip and we didn’t have to check it at the airport 👍🧡
You are very kind to do such a thing..great consideration..my husband and I are going to celebrate our son's birthday next year he will be two..we are so excited
I’m going but not for a little over a year! But I woke up at 4am, can’t sleep and my brain won’t stop going on things that I really don’t wanna think about. Disney makes me happy so I’m here
Oh man... It's 2:24 a.m for me, and I'm not planning a Disney trip any time soon, and I have to wake up early as well... But like. I can't stop watching.
Good list, but also: 1) Check park maps for locations of rides when making fast passes. Nothing worse than going back and forth around the park to make fast pass times. 2) You can make more fast passes after you've used your 3 for the day, 1 at a time through My Disney experience app 3) Take advantage of photo pass photographers, even if you don't buy memory maker. They will take pictures with your camera in addition to theirs. 4) You can have food delivered to your hotel room (bottled water, fruit, snacks, etc.) From grocery delivery services or Amazon 5) Cast members do move strollers, so don't panic if it's not exactly where you parked it. We always attach a balloon or colored string to ours to make it easier to find.
Another one is to take advantage of a family member with a broken ankle or something to skip ahead lines. When avatar came out the lines were over 2 hours, we only waited a couple minutes thanks to my cousin and her broken ankle lol On a side note she was in a wheel chair so she didn’t have to walk around the park in crutches
"It Will Rain." Absolutely, especially in summer!! The summer storms are amazing. The ones I remember are 30-45 minutes long, with monsoon downpours. It's wonderful... If you're sheltered 😂
Ziplock bags! We were at Flame Tree BBQ for lunch and the kiddos were fast asleep in their strollers so they didn’t get a chance to eat and we had a bunch of ribs left over. I pulled out a ziplock bag to put them in and tossed them into our backpack. My sister was shocked and was like, “Wow I did not think about that!” Once we got back to the resort for our mid day nap the kiddos were up and ready to eat. That happened again in MK and we got hot dogs from Cassie’s Corner. I made sure to pack a variety of sizes of ziplock bags because who knows what could happen. A kiddo can wet themselves and I would just need a bag to keep the wet clothes apart from the dry items.
Zip Lock Bags are good for everything! The gallon bag you can roll your clothes...shorts, shirt, underwear and shoes for the day. You can fit more in the suitcase, clothes are less wrinkled and you do not think...just grab the bag and get dressed. Good for toiletries. Snacks. Get the free cu of water and put leftover ice in the bag. Then use for injuries or to cool a sweaty child.
One thing to add (a die-hard camper told me this): if this is your first ever trip and you have about a month to kill, make sure you have a good, solid backpack. Stuff a dictionary or old magazines in it until it feels heavy. Practice walking around the house or the neighborhood with it for about an hour every 2-3 days. That way your back and legs get used to the weight. Oh, and of course, wear the shoes you plan to take with you. It surprises me how much of a difference it makes.
I think for ppl that are NOT used to wearing back packs then they will prolly give up on it half way thru the day. Especially if you pack several water bottles in it? holy cow that back pack is like a sac of rocks after an hour!
Shoes, don't go in a pair of flip flops and expect to have happy feet at the end of the first day. You are going to spend several thousand dollars there, spend $50 more before you go and you will have happier feet.
Sorry I disagree. I had flip flops the first day, shoes the second day and decided that my flip flops were more comfortable so the rest of the week I was in flip flops. Everyone for their own so I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m use to walking a lot at my job so by the end of the week my feet were fine while the rest of my group were dead sore.
Yes! It requires some training for sure! I recently went to DLR with my husband and we were there for just one day so we really tried to pack it all in. We were there at rope drop and left right before the fireworks. We clocked in 30k steps. That's a little bit shy of what I walked when I climbed a 14er. It's a lot of exercise and standing!
Why do I need to ask a podiatrist when my feet aren’t sore? It’s different for everyone and my personal experience were sandals. I did my research and so I brought comfortable shoes that were well broken in and I preferred my sandals.
MyLady22 I can't do shoes there. My feet get way too hot and it's miserable. I bought a pair of Croc flipflops and wore them for my entire 10-day trip. My feet were cool and comfortable the whole time. :)
I love Walt Disney World, but this is absolutely true: After walking around for three or four days straight, you really need a day off. Sometimes, I book a seven day hotel stay, but buy a five day park ticket. There is still plenty to do if you decide to rest for a day.
King Hill the girl literally looks like she could be my sister. We would meet at Disney world. A place so crowded that even if something illegal were to take place, everyone would see it. It’s the 21st century. I met my husband online...
In going there next week too!! The only thing is I live in ohio and were driving and I'm getting out of tech day then my parents are legit picking me up and were getting out lmao!!
One thing my mom learned when I was little was that if you have a kiddo who doesn't like fireworks and you're at the magic kingdom, hop onto it's a small world. You can just barely hear them, and there is often no line because everyone is at the fireworks.
Evan Almighty Last time I went the boats backed up and we were stuck in the middle of the ride for 30 minutes. I never noticed how scary those dolls were until I had to stare at them for that long.😣
I’m almost 60 years old and Disney Parks at my all time favorite place in the world!!! My 2 year old was amazed and happy all day with (myself and her father were as well). She is 32 now and it is the only place I have saved for more than 2 years to visit alone with my 50 something girlfriends. There has never been another place in the world that when I see the Magic Kingdom I cry walking towards this beautiful, majestic structure. I can feel it welling in me at this moment . BEST PLACE ON EARTH, hands down. Every Sunday watching “THE MAGICAL WORLD OF DISNEY” I’d ask my mother if we were going there someday? I’d always get a loving “yes”. I knew it would never be (9 kids 😌I knew it would be in my time). Again, it’s my favorite place in the world! And when I plan my vacations it’s my first heartwarming thought. Innovation. Education. Disney exudes love from everywhere especially when you enter with fantasy, a lighthearted imagination of youth gone by and you step into Mr. Disney’s magnificent dream from imagination to illustration of fabulous details of things that you are AMAZED by. I say over and over to myself with eyes as wide as my 2 year old when she saw Mickey for the first time. PRICELESS!!! Thank you Walt Disney 🥰 . The love and excitement of children NOT crying! Parents staring lovingly at their offspring knowing it’s ALL worth it!
My first ever Disney trip is two weeks from today.. I watched almost all of y'alls videos and have learned so much in the 12 months of planning.. just wanted to say thank you!
Quick tip that really helped my family when we went around Christmas last year: check out TouringPlans (they have an app called WDW Lines). They're a group of statisticians that correlate a TON of factors to figure out what wait times will likely be like for each ride throughout the day. You can then list the rides you want to see each day, along with your FastPasses and dining reservations, and it will build an optimized route for you. You can then check items off throughout the day via the app, and re-optimize your route as they get better data from the park and as your plans change. They charge a fee to use the system, but the time it bought me (the type-A planner of the family) was more than worth it, especially because it got a lot harder to agree on what to do next now that my family is all adults.
From experience, the best time to ride the rides you want is during parades. Parades are line breakers. Once saw a 45 min wait for Space Mountain with a parade scheduled 15 minutes later on Main Street. People left the line to go see the parade and I was in and out in 20 minutes. Fast passes are nice but use them wisely!
Or on a gloomy rainy day. Armed with our ponchos and umbrellas, my family and I ventured out in the pouring rain and rode all the rides without waiting no more than a few minutes. Would not recommend in a lightning storm.
Also single riders. If you don't HAVE to ride with your spouse or friend or whatever. My grown daughter and I went and saw Everest was a 110 minute wait. She didn't want to wait for it, didn't really want to go that bad. Yet the single rider wait line said 5 MINUTES! I walked up, stopped long enough to say 1 and hopped on. I was off the ride before she could finish buying me pin that showed my courage!
I can not express how useful opening a park can be. Last time I went, my Dad and I went to one of the last Star Wars weekends. We opened the park and managed to go on Star Tours 3 or 4 times before we had to wait more then 10 minutes.
Nicole Harris when you say open the park are you referring to being there before it opens or the extra magic hours? My family and I are heading to Orlando and plan to hit Hollywood studios for the opening of Star Wars. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
I go to Disney almost every year and I've been doing that since I was 10 (I'm 19) I agree with all of this! And here's a few more: Disney only allows 3 fastpasses a day BUT if you use one, sometimes on the app it will let you get another one. Note that I say sometimes. Totally worth the try. Also, Disney allows you to have food in the park as long as it isn't like a full course meal. So what my family did was, my mom would cook us breakfast at the resort (around like 6am) we'd have a snack around 3pm, then get dinner at 6pm whether at a small window service or a full fledged restaurant. We also brought our own water and refilled it at the park (they have water fountains) Prep for the parades like 30 minutes to an hour early, and if you go to Hollywood Studios, Fanstasmic plan about 3 hours early. It will take you that long to get in there and get seated. Then you can buy snacks or run to the bathroom inside Fantasmic. Also at Magic kingdom they do the firework show twice, one at I believe 8 or 9pm then another at 10pm (when they're open that late) it's smart to ride some quick rides during the first firework show (my family and I rode Space Mountian and waited 10 minutes during that time)
As you promised, some good reminders and new tips here for me, even as a Disney vet. I'd suggest taking a light jacket with zipped pockets and leaving everything else behind in order to qualify for the no bag lines at the entrances. No rain gear, of course, and not sure how feasible this if for parents, but my husband and I use it to bypass the (usually) longer line for security bag check.
My mom took me to disney this year. Being a seasoned vet myself, i knew pretty much all of this. I will add a tip, cause most people get worried about this. My mom often gets what's known as "disney rash". It develops on your ankles, and is painful. The shops at the parks, all of them, sell advil and Tylenol if you need them. The meds are usually under the check out counter. And disney rash is not contagious, and it will go away. Do not put scented lotions on it, that makes it worse. Just wear good shoes and socks, and ice your ankles when you get back to your room. Also, if you buy anything in the parks, you can have it sent back to your hotel as long as you are staying on property. Use the photopass!! You will not be disappointed. And to those questioning the Be Our Guest restaurant, if you go, the grey stuff really is delicious. I could post about a thousand more tips, but I'll just ask, DFB, are you guys hiring??
DrRiverWho I got Disney rash too!! I was wearing absolutely the wrong socks and shoes because I was eight and wanted to wear a dress and Mary Jane's to the freaking park... 😂 Luckily my grandma had hydrocortisone cream in her purse! 😂
Disney Rash? Been over 20 times (THANK YOU FLORIDA RESIDENT DISCOUNTS. Not last two years. Too much construction) But DONT buy expensive advil and tylenol at shops. First aid gives them out for free. Husband had bad headache. Gave several individual asprin and also sinus medication. Two of the sweetest ladies in there.
I bring a water bottle with and refill all the time. Stay hydrated. If you don't mind drinking fountain water however concerned about the difference in taste regionally, I bring flavor packets or squirt liquid to add a hint of flavor to the water.
Wendy, yes you can bring a water bottle in, but i'm sure due to health codes, they can't fill your water bottle at their drink stand. you'll still get the cup. You can fill up your water bottle at water fountains.
Ryan F that is an option, if you have the dining plan. or you can just buy a bottle. but you never know how clean the filling plants are. and you can't be so sure about the ice machines/fountains/sinks at the hotel, as who knows what kind of cleaning they've undergone. personally, i've been to WDW twice in the last 2 years. both times making frequent use of the water fountains to fill my bottle. i didn't have any issues. but your mileage may vary. do what you think is best.
We would bring one water bottle into the park, and when we ate a snack or lunch-fill the bottle with the water cup given to us if we didnt drink it all. Worked out perfect. I dont do the dining plan and a water bottle is only $3 not too bad.
tip!!! get there at rope drop, i cannot stress this enough!! (shortest lines then plus not too hot in the morning) then around 2 or 3 when everyone starts to get tired and the temperatures/crowds are at their worst, go back to the hotel so everyone can rest for a few hours. then when everyone hits their second wind, go back into the park for dinner, fireworks, and typically slightly shorter lines. my family has done this the last few times we’ve gone to disney and it worked really well for us
“Don’t be like me, don’t be type A” Lol 🤣 that’s totally me 😬 I spend hours planning our Disney trips. I like to plan every single detail. 😓 I need to learn how to relax a bit but I enjoy it so much.
I remember rushing to make an Anna & Elsa Fastpass greeting and after it was over I actually sent a text to my friend telling her I might be getting divorced. My husband thought I was a crazy person lol. I will attempt to relax this year.
My planning is odd. I make all these detailed plans with my family and the only one that takes part is my sister. Then when it's go time, seconds in I toss out my plans and run off as she shouts in annoyance at me.
I just came home last night from my 3rd Disney World trip, and one thing I didn't know before was that I could book more Fastpasses after my 3 pre-booked were done. So this time around, I booked the 3 as early on in the day as possible, and that way I was able to book 5, 6 or even 7 fastpasses in a day! It was fantastic!
Great tip about the ice water! Did not know that! In addition to the small ponchos, pack a chamois cloth - remember seats on rides and in outdoor eating and attraction viewing areas also get wet when it rains!
Don't forget to at least ASK the front desk about freebies. It never hurts. I didn't even know (at the time) that Westgate Lakes lets people under 21 get free drinks from a soda fountain outside one of its restaurants. That was about 3 years ago. I don't know if the freebie is still available. But then, you can always ask...
Went to WDW twice a year until about 5 years ago. HOLY MOLY have things changed! Thank you times a million for your videos, and for these helpful comments as well!
And never wear new shoes!!! Break them in months before you go. And even the most comfortable shoes, your feet will still hurt and be sore. Flip flops and sandals are bad because it's so crowded and so many strollers, your feet are gonna get stepped on rolled over.
I bought good shoes and broke them in and still my good old crocks were the best. My feet stayed cool and my feet didn't hurt at all. However this didn't apply for everyone
In a little over a year, my sister and I are going to go for my niece's 5th birthday! In latin households we sometimes have this big parties called cincoañeras, kind of like a quinceañera but for 5 year olds. My sister doesn't want to spend over 2,000 dollars on dresses and food. We're gonna start planning in a few months but we already started saving. I know your videos will help so thank you in advance ❤
So true. My husband takes off several days before going back to work. It is a shock. I remember wearing my magic band on the way back, I tried to pay with it instead of slide my credit card.
I went to Disney at thanksgiving, and I went to animal kingdom and we got up at 5:30 and got to the park at seven, and they let us into the park at seven, we walked on every ride in the park including both avatar rides and was done by ten. Trust me it is worth it to go to rope drop. Avatar was constantly five hours the day we went. Get to the park an hour. Early cause when we got out of avatar when we walked on, it was a 3 hour wait. Everyone just filed into it.
My personal tip, don’t forget to utilise the My Disney Experience app at the parks too! I went for the first time since 2011 in October with people that had never gone before and thanks to the app we pretty much killed Magic Kingdom! I took charge, made a plan, we saw all the parades, all the firework shows and made every ride we wanted to along with a quick visit back to the parking lot to change into something a little warmer after it got dark! Couldn’t have done it without My Disney Experience telling us about closures, wait times and giving us routes to everything around the park
Our family of four (son 8, daughter 11) gathered before the morning opening to Animal Kingdom and were just standing around waiting, when some staff member asked if our children would like to hold the rope and walk everyone in. My daughter declined (not that type) so my son and I had the honor to lead everyone in. Lots of people!!! We had a blast and kind of "hamed" it up by skipping, swinging the rope and "dancing". Our reward was the staff let us be first in line if we wanted to do the jeep/ bus vehicle safari ride. We sure did!!! What a memorable start and experience! Thanks Disney!
The My Disney Experience app is a lifesaver! No more printouts of where and when and how to get there. I love it! That said, a must-have is a pile -- at least 3 or 4 -- battery packs to recharge your phone. Recharge them all in the room each night.
Something I always recommend to people travelling for the first time from the UK is to take a small jacket. We all think its going to be scorching hot so take the smallest clothes we have, then we go into the restaurants which have air con and we freeze. We are not used to having this temperature change and it can feel uncomfortably cool when you are dressed for 30°C+ temperatures.
Thanks for the tips! I wanted to pass along the good news that I was able to apply a discount weeks after booking my reservation and saved $238! Thanks for the tip 👏
when youre so canadian you go to disney and bring the cold with you (i went for a week last january, the day before i got there it was 78 degrees F, the day after i left it was 80 degrees F. the entire time i was there? low 40s, 30s, snowed for 20 minutes one day. what can i say, i have ice in my blood 💀)
Eat before you go guys, you’ll need the energy Or eat breakfast there I made the mistake of not eating and lost energy by going on shaky rides and go sick. Ruined me and my family’s experience
Bobby Slater Collect coins. Any change, into a jar. I know it sounds tedious and improbable but if you have enough or a big enough one, you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up. Doing that now while tossing in some paper bills. 20 bucks of paper, twenty bucks in quarters every payday. When I fill my four, five large banks, going to break them open and book accordingly.
Do you have cable or satellite TV? Getting rid of that alone for a year could pay for it. How often do you go out to eat? Often it is more about priorities than just cost.
Actually, no. Go to their website. Click “Price my Vacation” select Value Resorts. Tip: January is so cheap, it squeaks 😎 Understand, it’s not $499. But it’s not 10K either. I’m planning a January trip for me and my daughter. Her birthday is in January. Hotel accommodations, round trip airfare, transportation to and from the airport, and ALL MEALS for 7 days. Less than 4K. I’m serious
If you go on a bus tour like I did back in 1991, it's a lot less expensive and you don't have to worry about making reservations for a hotel or getting your tickets yourself, they do it all.
You can bring in your own food and drinks. Saved us a ton. We booked a hotel that had Disney transportation even though it wasn't a Disney resort which also saved us money. Buy Disney gear at a Walmart or Target or T-shirt stores on side of highway before going into the park or to get mouse ears, accessories, toys, etc.
I don’t use sunscreen. I’ve been to Disney 4 times, I was born and raised in Florida (the south of Florida aka south Florida) and I never use sunscreen
oof I can’t get skin cancer if I don’t go outside a lot, it’s way to hot to be outside in the sun too long, it’s very rare for me to put on sunscreen and I’m not the only one.
Excellent tips. The "resort day" one is key -- we did that on our last trip and it was absolutely vital, gave us a second wind. There's lots of great stuff to enjoy at the resorts and you might as well do it. Another one I'd add is single rider lines. Not many rides at WDW have them, but Test Track and Expedition Everest do, and as long as you don't care about riding with your party (obviously, parents with young kids can't take advantage), they could save you a FastPass that you use for some other big ride. (So does Rock 'n' Roller Coaster but I've heard that one does not provide much advantage, so maybe use a FastPass for that.) What else? The refillable souvenir drink cups are not a good deal. Too few places in the parks to use them.
I agree. My wait time was something like 10 minutes as a single rider. We went round twice and could still spot the same people in the line. (this was 2016 mind you)
Annoyingly, parents with small children do take them into the Single Rider lines nowadays. I have had the (bad) experience several times now where a pushy mum in front of me was holding everything up by demanding to ride with her young child that she had brought into the SR line. The Cast Members are (unfortunately) very accommodating in these situations as they don’t want anyone getting upset, so they just let them do it. Which makes the whole ‘Single Rider’ thing redundant.
I'm very tentatively planning a trip to WDW next year with my mom for a week, when during the trip would you say is the best time to have a resort day? I've only been once before, in 2011, but it was my senior trip for school and therefore it was only 3 or 4 days and i didn't feel i needed a resort day that time.
Rope drop is so worth it!! Don’t run though, they will get kinda mad. Pro tip: to get to the front of the line at magic kingdom, go on the monorail and then go into the shop closest to the monorail (left hand side when you are looking at the train station). Then just kinda cut everyone it works. Also, go to frontier land first (through liberty square) and DO THUNDER MOUNTAIN BEFORE SPLASH. Thunder mountain is a lot shorter ride (splash mountain is like 7 minutes) and splash mountain let’s more people on at once.
Big Thunder always has pretty short waits in the morning. On my first trip, we wasted an early FastPass on it but then immediately went around for a second go, and did Splash Mountain after.
One thing to know before going is to be prepared for every kind of weather. My family and I usually go during winter season before Christmas and we have experienced different weather. The best tip would be indeed bringing a poncho but also a good but not oversized jacket in case it turns cold but when the rain is over you can just tie it on your waist. Never bring fabric tennis shoes. If it rains you will have wet feet and the risk to catch a cold.
Great ideas. I think another key to the fast pass is reloading after you use the initial 3 in a day bc on slow or moderate busy days, you can go back on the app and get good fast passes again. My daughter I basically fast passed our way around the magic kingdom in May when we went and it was a huge time saver
A good tip if you're driving in for a day visit at Magic Kingdom is enter via Reams Rd - right near the gas station there's a little road that curves around BEHIND the parking pay booths (look on Google maps) so no parking fee. If you come in the front by accident you could try telling them you're looking for the campground which is also behind the booths.
I grew up going to Disney World in the 1990s, When I lived in Florida. There were no fast passes or 6 month reservations. You just went and enjoyed it, now it seems like u have to plan every aspect of your trip. Who wants to go on rides at 7 o’clock in the morning(Except kids)? What kind of people know what they’ll want to eat in 6 months? This whole system Disney has created to plan everything to death has taken the fun and spontaneity out of going.
Frank --- That's definitely a sentiment that many people have right now. But others, who are taking only one trip to Disney World ever and are packing in as much as they can, enjoy the planning aspect and the fact that they can guarantee that they'll get on the most popular rides. There are definitely pros and cons.
I like pre-planning, but 60 days for FPs and particularly 180 days for ADRs is just too much, especially for ADRs where you're reserving before you're even sure what hours the parks are going to be open.
DFBGuide that actually makes a lot of sense for people who only go once. I just wonder how they know what they’ll be interested in before they’ve been. Also it seems like it would make Disney kind of intense for people with season passes. I haven’t been to Disney World since 2006 so I guess everything has to change.
I totally recommend Animal Kingdom lodge! It has a great restaurant called Bona and another cheaper restaurant for on the go meals! The pool is AMAZING and if you stay in a suite you get to see the Savannah out side your balcony! Its so much fun!
I'm really glad you talked about character meals early on. Ohana and Garden Grill are two of my very favorites. We usually pick charcter breakfasts that get us deeper into the park for early access (like the Crystal Palace breakfast in Magic Kingdom with the Winnie the Pooh characters).
Totally agree with the rest an relax tips! When we took our daughter, who was 7, the first day, we arrived in the morning and stayed until 4 or 5. Day 2, we went in the morning, came back to the hotel to relax from 11 to 4, and then went back to the park to finish the day and watch fireworks. It was perfect!
I went in 2012 for the first time but I was with a big group (high school band), so we didn't get a huge say in the schedule. When I went for the first time in my adult life this past spring we tried to save money by only going 5 days. The first day we did Disney Springs (was also our travel day so we didn't make it to our hotel until 3ish). And then we did a park a day the rest of the days and I KNEW next time we go we CANNOT do that. I got so burnt out, overwhelmed, stressed out, etc. And I have no kids, so I can't imagine what that would have been like with kids. I think the biggest thing I took away from that is to wait to go back until we can afford to stay longer to do those relax and resort days. And to do what this video suggested and go early, and then go back to the resort and nap. I think we felt like that would be wasting money to nap at Disney World but looking back I think we would have gotten more out of the trip. Another thing I learned from this trip living in Illinois where it's still pretty dang cold in March and then going to hot, humid Florida is BRING A TON OF GATORADE/ELECTROLYTES. They give you LIFE and Disney sells them for close to $5 a bottle. Since they allow outside food and beverages (which also blew my mind since the closest theme park to me is Six Flags who has a strict no outside food/beverage policy) BRING YOUR OWN GATORADE.
Best tip on here is not to try to do too much and take some time to "reset". We just returned from a trip in the hot summer month of June, and this time we planned a water park between the traditional theme parks. Relaxing in the wave pool and lazy river at Blizzard Beach was the perfect way for the whole family to rejuvenate. Highly recommend.
To the poncho thing, I would like to add that while it's cheaper to get a poncho somewhere outside of the parks, if you buy them from the parks you get unlimited free replacements. I've found this useful because plenty of ours have had the buttons snap or the fabric rip, and you just run into any of the stores and they'll give you new ones. So that's something to consider that might save you money in the long run.
Tip: If you can afford it, get the dining plan. For years my family had to take time out of the parks to go eat because we could never afford Disney food. But with the dining plan, we could chose our resturant, get the meal and a desert afterwards, as well as a snack during the day. It's a three course plan, so breakfast at the resrort, lunch at the park, maybe even dinner at the park if you are going to be there till closing like my family usually is. It is worth it and saves money when you can buy it when it's discounted.
I like that I don't feel compelled to watch the prices and can basically order whatever I want knowing I have already paid for it. It may not be the most cost effective, depending on how you eat, but I really enjoy the all inclusiveness of the plan and not worrying about whether we can afford to eat in the parks (it's already paid for;-)
The one time we used it, I don't think I saved any money--BUT we didn't buy it at a discount, and we didn't put much mental effort into gaming it. With better strategy, I'm sure you could. (The one at Universal Florida is another story. Complete rip-off.)
The DDP can be worked so that you come out ahead, but I suspect most folks are losing money using it vs. going out of pocket especially if they already have an AP or TiW which give dining discounts. I've never heard of a discounted dining plan, though my understanding is the "free" DDP special they run sometimes requires you to pay rack rate for your rooms, so you would definitely need to account for whether or not you can get a discounted room only rate.
I'm also surprised that Disney Visa card holders forget that Disney Rewards Dollars can be used on almost anything in the parks. I saved up like crazy for months before my vacation. I paid with the Disney Dollars at lunch every day and STILL had $4 left on the card! I was shocked how much you can spend on dining even if eating ALONE.
What I found helpful especially if you have children. Make an itinerary of your trip for every day. Which park, which day, fastpass, meals, plan B if it rains. You can have all this on your smartphones under my Disney experience. Your smart phone has a gps in it and it shows where you are in the park and how to locate everything and all the events and wait times right at your fingertips. It is awesome. Be organized and you will will enjoy your trip even more.
I went to Walt Disney World in October 2017 and we weren’t staying in a Disney resort and we managed to get fast passes for flight of passage💝 so that proves it’s not impossible to do.
This video pretty much confirms my feelings about parks like these: Crowded, Busy, Expensive and lots of planning,waiting and traveling required. Ergo; Not a fun day at all. Rides and scenery are fun for sure but just get's overshadowed by all the downsides. I would like a fun relaxed day, and not need a video like this to be able to enjoy it.
If you're going to Disney during a busy time (ex. Spring Break), go knowing it's going to be crowded and have long wait times because if you go with that mindset it's not nearly as bad once you get there.
“Don’t be like me, don’t be type A”. I knew I liked you 😂🙌🏻 I was like, “wow, this is a really comprehensive and organized list.” That explains it! Great video.
Get the app and use it to check wait times for rides and order ahead for counter service restaurants! Also, familiarize yourself with the app before you go. And when you’re there, don’t let rain stop you from going to the parks. Wear a poncho and take advantage of the lower crowds!
I seriously love the way you present your information. You have such an eloquent voice. I've watched like 8 of your video's now to prep for our Disney trip.
The other thing about the Disney bus system is, it's hub-and-spoke. The theme parks are hubs. Going from a resort to there is one trip, but if you need to go from one resort to another (for a dining reservation, say) that's slower, because you have to go to a hub first. One of the best places to eat is Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge--but traveling between there and any other resort is a real hike. You might want to make a dinner reservation there on a day when you're visiting Animal Kingdom, because it's the closest park.
I'm upset because she revealed my secrets xD also more of the secrets she didn't share: Try going to the biggest parks first, AND ROPE DROP IS KEY! If you're going with a few friends and you don't have time for down time, riding the Carousel of Progress, People Mover, any of the shows or one of the dumb five minute wait lines are really nice to wind down and chill out. I reccomend the carousel of progress- it's twenty minutes, nice and cold, doesn't take very long to board, and really entertaining! These help you go through your bag, answer your text messages (please only do that on the People mover) and you don't have to sit in the heat of the day on a bench
And this is why I love HKDL; even though it's the smallest Disney park, it's easy to navigate and it isn't that expensive to do everything within one week.
And ALWAYS stay at the parks during the rain! Sometimes the parks clear out pretty nice, or if it's raining in the morning, a lot of people will wait to go, and you can go do all kinds of stuff while the parks less full
There's one main thing you should never forget- Have fun!!! It can get a little crazy, but as long as you can keep a positive outlook- it's definitely a good thing
Honey Ink Thank you so much. We are annual passholders at Disneyland and are,learning that Walt Disney World is so different. We are super excited! ♡ We're moving to Florida next summer so we can't wait to be able to go all the time.
If you go in the summer or anytime its really warm make sure you drink enough water. Went a few years ago kids got headaches. The park doctor said you should have to go every hour if you don't you're not drinking enough.
We learned in 2016 that one park a day is selected to stay open real late(usually about 11pm). Go to the fire works display that night. Stay after the display and ride your favorite rides again. Most every one is heading out, so the lines are short.
My small group of friends and I are planning to spend a day at Disney for our senior trip and this video is super helpful for scared newbies like us!! We're trying so hard to plan properly because we want this vacation to be organised and fun but minus the stress of not knowing what to do :-)
After the rain, people will "throw" away the Mickey branded Rain poncho by placing on the top of a trash can. Pick them up, hang them out to dry, fold them up, use a rubber band to keep small, put in your back-pack for the next time it rains. The poncho can be expensive. Oh yeah, bring a lightly packed backpack for those gems, small shopping items and a filtered water bottle. Fill up the bottle with ICE water; always drink thru the filter. The filter will take the "florida" out of the water. And drink a lot! You are drinking enough if you need to go to the bathroom. A hangover is essentially dehydration, don't get a hangover at WDW.
Some very good advise. All are very good tips. The only thing I would add is take a good pair of well broken in walking shoes. You’ll be walking and standing a lot. You’d be surprised at how many men in dress shoes and women in high heels we’ve seen. They always look so miserable. Thanks for sharing.
Another thing to know about Disney Is to always have something to cover your stroller with when u leave it at a stroller stop to go on a ride. I was there again this summer and when we came off Splash Mountain someone had a squirrel eating their food in their stroller. Luckily we had a plastic case over our stroller. Always have something to cover it with.
I'd like to give rain tips. My family came up with this idea on our 5th visit to WDW. You can ask for a shopping bag at any of the shops. Ask for a large bag, and cut a vertical slit in it along one of its sides. You can then pull the shopping bag over a backpack and slide the straps to your backpack through the slit, keeping your belongings nice and dry! Once the rain settles, stow away your wet umbrella in the bag and carry that separate. Trust me, it makes life in the parks so much easier when you can keep a dry hoodie and pair of socks with you, and you can easily shake the shopping bag off or wipe it off with a couple napkins to stow it away again for later. Personally, I *never* use a poncho in the parks. Getting a little wet actually helps keep you cooler once that harsh sun comes back out. Of course, if you get soaked, that's another story.
YES to the strollers! My kids are 3.5 and 6.5. They’ve almost never used strollers, but we ALWAYS bring a stroller to Disneyland! It isn’t as big of a pain as you’d think. We tend to bring it from land to land with us, rather than ride to ride. We leave our coats and snacks (nothing valuable or anything we would be devastated if it were taken) in there and it frees up what you have to drag around on you. I can’t recommend them enough. New Disney goers usually say “oh my kid is too big”... they’re not. We’ll bring a stroller until my youngest is actually too big. Another plus is they can take a nap in the stroller, rather than having to go back to a hotel. Seriously guys... strollers are your friend!
My best tip I have learn is to book early character dining near a park your going to that day that way you can take your person car show reservations at that resort and be closer to the park when your done eating like Ohana you mention and ride the Monorail to Magic Kingdom when your done!
Bring a portable battery for your phone. Disney also has the fuelrod kiosks. They're like 30$ and you can trade them out for a fully charged one. Also if you're buying shoes just to go to Disney in then buy them a few months in advance and wear them in before you go. You don't want to be breaking in new shoes while you're walking at Disney.
I haven't stayed at a resort in many years, but I am an annual pass holder and I have snagged fast passes for flight of passage for a family of four TWICE...I have also got Mine train, Frozen, Navi river journey and a few others you call "impossible" . Nothing is impossible if you want it enough..it's all persistence and timing. I would also like to shout out for Earl of Sandwich at Disney Springs..best counter service..EVER😋
We were so hungry by the time we stopped to eat that the places we ended up at were mainly just serving hambergers and chicken strips. We were all so sick of hambergers and chicken strips by the time we left. They had a cancellation at BE OUR GUEST at around 11am and were accepting walk-ins for a couple tables. Unfortunately, my family wasn't ready to eat yet. That was my regret for the whole vacation. I bought a poncho for each of us at Walmart before our trip. Much cheaper than buying a park poncho. *Also, we met a family and talked briefly on the bus from Port Orleans into the park....they had bought grocery snacks and pre-made food & water from Whole Foods off of Amazon and had it delivered right to their resort room. What a great idea!
I don’t know if you have mentioned it before, but when we went to Disney World, we had bought a cheaper stroller on amazon and had it delivered to our hotel. We used it for our trip and paid it forward and gave it to another mom before we left asking her to pass it on when she is done. It was actually cheaper than renting our whole trip and we didn’t have to check it at the airport 👍🧡
Great idea!!
That's awesome!
Ty
You are very kind to do such a thing..great consideration..my husband and I are going to celebrate our son's birthday next year he will be two..we are so excited
You're amazing!
Going to DW seems to require more planning than most wars.
Just there. So people treat each day like a battle.
At ‘rope drop’ it looked like a forced march to Flight of Fancy.
I AGREE!
Lol we refer to it as the Disney Death March.
Snailbarf hahaha
If you don't plan ahead, expect to spend more money and a lot wasted time lining up for the rides.
I need to sleep tonight and I am not going to Disney World any time soon what am I doing
A Green Squid Kid wishing upon a star? Like me...I wish I were going soon
I’m going but not for a little over a year! But I woke up at 4am, can’t sleep and my brain won’t stop going on things that I really don’t wanna think about. Disney makes me happy so I’m here
A Green Squid Kid mOOF
Oh man... It's 2:24 a.m for me, and I'm not planning a Disney trip any time soon, and I have to wake up early as well...
But like. I can't stop watching.
This is 100% me. Its 2h30 am and im poor
I’m watching this 15 years and advance and planning it as if I have kids and a family
Good list, but also:
1) Check park maps for locations of rides when making fast passes. Nothing worse than going back and forth around the park to make fast pass times.
2) You can make more fast passes after you've used your 3 for the day, 1 at a time through My Disney experience app
3) Take advantage of photo pass photographers, even if you don't buy memory maker. They will take pictures with your camera in addition to theirs.
4) You can have food delivered to your hotel room (bottled water, fruit, snacks, etc.) From grocery delivery services or Amazon
5) Cast members do move strollers, so don't panic if it's not exactly where you parked it. We always attach a balloon or colored string to ours to make it easier to find.
AMEN to marking your stroller. And wheelchair/scooter.
You may still "lose" your ride. Just keep your receipt in a separate place so you can get a replacement
Another one is to take advantage of a family member with a broken ankle or something to skip ahead lines. When avatar came out the lines were over 2 hours, we only waited a couple minutes thanks to my cousin and her broken ankle lol
On a side note she was in a wheel chair so she didn’t have to walk around the park in crutches
All good tips! Thanks
"It Will Rain." Absolutely, especially in summer!! The summer storms are amazing. The ones I remember are 30-45 minutes long, with monsoon downpours. It's wonderful... If you're sheltered 😂
Ziplock bags! We were at Flame Tree BBQ for lunch and the kiddos were fast asleep in their strollers so they didn’t get a chance to eat and we had a bunch of ribs left over. I pulled out a ziplock bag to put them in and tossed them into our backpack. My sister was shocked and was like, “Wow I did not think about that!” Once we got back to the resort for our mid day nap the kiddos were up and ready to eat. That happened again in MK and we got hot dogs from Cassie’s Corner. I made sure to pack a variety of sizes of ziplock bags because who knows what could happen. A kiddo can wet themselves and I would just need a bag to keep the wet clothes apart from the dry items.
also great for carrying a wet cloth, change of clothes, etc etc I never travel without the gallon sized bags. just love them
I always bring a sandwich bag to keep my phone in as well so it doesnt get wet if it rains or on water rides
Brilliant! I am a pro at Disney and never thought of that.
thanks ingenious idea, also great for cell phones :)
Zip Lock Bags are good for everything! The gallon bag you can roll your clothes...shorts, shirt, underwear and shoes for the day. You can fit more in the suitcase, clothes are less wrinkled and you do not think...just grab the bag and get dressed. Good for toiletries. Snacks. Get the free cu of water and put leftover ice in the bag. Then use for injuries or to cool a sweaty child.
One thing to add (a die-hard camper told me this): if this is your first ever trip and you have about a month to kill, make sure you have a good, solid backpack. Stuff a dictionary or old magazines in it until it feels heavy. Practice walking around the house or the neighborhood with it for about an hour every 2-3 days. That way your back and legs get used to the weight. Oh, and of course, wear the shoes you plan to take with you. It surprises me how much of a difference it makes.
largol33t1 very funny advice but thank you😅
Thanks for your video. Going to Disney in 2 weeks.😊
I think for ppl that are NOT used to wearing back packs then they will prolly give up on it half way thru the day. Especially if you pack several water bottles in it? holy cow that back pack is like a sac of rocks after an hour!
largol33t1 i train in school, everythings already heavy
Who the hell wants to do all of that?
People are Weird with a capital W.
Shoes, don't go in a pair of flip flops and expect to have happy feet at the end of the first day. You are going to spend several thousand dollars there, spend $50 more before you go and you will have happier feet.
Sorry I disagree. I had flip flops the first day, shoes the second day and decided that my flip flops were more comfortable so the rest of the week I was in flip flops. Everyone for their own so I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m use to walking a lot at my job so by the end of the week my feet were fine while the rest of my group were dead sore.
But buy them early and spend a few weeks breaking them in!
Yes! It requires some training for sure! I recently went to DLR with my husband and we were there for just one day so we really tried to pack it all in. We were there at rope drop and left right before the fireworks. We clocked in 30k steps. That's a little bit shy of what I walked when I climbed a 14er. It's a lot of exercise and standing!
Why do I need to ask a podiatrist when my feet aren’t sore? It’s different for everyone and my personal experience were sandals. I did my research and so I brought comfortable shoes that were well broken in and I preferred my sandals.
MyLady22 I can't do shoes there. My feet get way too hot and it's miserable. I bought a pair of Croc flipflops and wore them for my entire 10-day trip. My feet were cool and comfortable the whole time. :)
I love Walt Disney World, but this is absolutely true: After walking around for three or four days straight, you really need a day off. Sometimes, I book a seven day hotel stay, but buy a five day park ticket. There is still plenty to do if you decide to rest for a day.
I don't need a day off.
Going to disney for the first time in a week. Wish me luck!
blackberry_ blues me too! I’m 21. How old are you? Maybe we can link!
King Hill the girl literally looks like she could be my sister. We would meet at Disney world. A place so crowded that even if something illegal were to take place, everyone would see it. It’s the 21st century. I met my husband online...
In going there next week too!! The only thing is I live in ohio and were driving and I'm getting out of tech day then my parents are legit picking me up and were getting out lmao!!
How was it,
Jago Nexus good and space mountain was amazing
You have such an excellent way of giving awesome information without overloading or rambling!! So eloquent and pleasant to listen to!!!! ❤️
One thing my mom learned when I was little was that if you have a kiddo who doesn't like fireworks and you're at the magic kingdom, hop onto it's a small world. You can just barely hear them, and there is often no line because everyone is at the fireworks.
Liz I would but as a kid I was scared shitless of those dolls
Evan Almighty Last time I went the boats backed up and we were stuck in the middle of the ride for 30 minutes. I never noticed how scary those dolls were until I had to stare at them for that long.😣
I had anxiety when I went on small world last year I think it was the music and noise and it's one of my favorites
Liz True.when i was little (about 5) i was so scared of them!
Or bring ear plugs or noise canceling headphones for the little ones (or sound sensitive members of your party)
I’m almost 60 years old and Disney Parks at my all time favorite place in the world!!! My 2 year old was amazed and happy all day with (myself and her father were as well). She is 32 now and it is the only place I have saved for more than 2 years to visit alone with my 50 something girlfriends. There has never been another place in the world that when I see the Magic Kingdom I cry walking towards this beautiful, majestic structure. I can feel it welling in me at this moment . BEST PLACE ON EARTH, hands down. Every Sunday watching “THE MAGICAL WORLD OF DISNEY” I’d ask my mother if we were going there someday? I’d always get a loving “yes”. I knew it would never be (9 kids 😌I knew it would be in my time). Again, it’s my favorite place in the world! And when I plan my vacations it’s my first heartwarming thought. Innovation. Education. Disney exudes love from everywhere especially when you enter with fantasy, a lighthearted imagination of youth gone by and you step into Mr. Disney’s magnificent dream from imagination to illustration of fabulous details of things that you are AMAZED by. I say over and over to myself with eyes as wide as my 2 year old when she saw Mickey for the first time. PRICELESS!!! Thank you Walt Disney 🥰 . The love and excitement of children NOT crying! Parents staring lovingly at their offspring knowing it’s ALL worth it!
My first ever Disney trip is two weeks from today.. I watched almost all of y'alls videos and have learned so much in the 12 months of planning.. just wanted to say thank you!
Cindy Williams Awww! You are going to have so much fun!!!!
Cindy... you are going at the busiest time of the year. Pack your patience and Prioritize.
Quick tip that really helped my family when we went around Christmas last year: check out TouringPlans (they have an app called WDW Lines). They're a group of statisticians that correlate a TON of factors to figure out what wait times will likely be like for each ride throughout the day. You can then list the rides you want to see each day, along with your FastPasses and dining reservations, and it will build an optimized route for you. You can then check items off throughout the day via the app, and re-optimize your route as they get better data from the park and as your plans change. They charge a fee to use the system, but the time it bought me (the type-A planner of the family) was more than worth it, especially because it got a lot harder to agree on what to do next now that my family is all adults.
Cindy Williams Did you have a good time? It's one of my favourite places to go. Expensive, though! But we ALWAYS eat dinner at the Blue Bayou.
Cindy Williams was fun!!??
From experience, the best time to ride the rides you want is during parades. Parades are line breakers. Once saw a 45 min wait for Space Mountain with a parade scheduled 15 minutes later on Main Street. People left the line to go see the parade and I was in and out in 20 minutes. Fast passes are nice but use them wisely!
Or on a gloomy rainy day. Armed with our ponchos and umbrellas, my family and I ventured out in the pouring rain and rode all the rides without waiting no more than a few minutes. Would not recommend in a lightning storm.
Also single riders. If you don't HAVE to ride with your spouse or friend or whatever. My grown daughter and I went and saw Everest was a 110 minute wait. She didn't want to wait for it, didn't really want to go that bad. Yet the single rider wait line said 5 MINUTES! I walked up, stopped long enough to say 1 and hopped on. I was off the ride before she could finish buying me pin that showed my courage!
Stephen H Am I correct? You can only receive 3 fast passes per day, and each pass can only be used once.
@@BAR-ct7ti no , once your original 3 are used you can make more the same day
During fireworks too ..no lines
I can not express how useful opening a park can be. Last time I went, my Dad and I went to one of the last Star Wars weekends. We opened the park and managed to go on Star Tours 3 or 4 times before we had to wait more then 10 minutes.
Nicole Harris when you say open the park are you referring to being there before it opens or the extra magic hours? My family and I are heading to Orlando and plan to hit Hollywood studios for the opening of Star Wars. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
I go to Disney almost every year and I've been doing that since I was 10 (I'm 19) I agree with all of this! And here's a few more:
Disney only allows 3 fastpasses a day BUT if you use one, sometimes on the app it will let you get another one. Note that I say sometimes. Totally worth the try.
Also, Disney allows you to have food in the park as long as it isn't like a full course meal. So what my family did was, my mom would cook us breakfast at the resort (around like 6am) we'd have a snack around 3pm, then get dinner at 6pm whether at a small window service or a full fledged restaurant. We also brought our own water and refilled it at the park (they have water fountains)
Prep for the parades like 30 minutes to an hour early, and if you go to Hollywood Studios, Fanstasmic plan about 3 hours early. It will take you that long to get in there and get seated. Then you can buy snacks or run to the bathroom inside Fantasmic.
Also at Magic kingdom they do the firework show twice, one at I believe 8 or 9pm then another at 10pm (when they're open that late) it's smart to ride some quick rides during the first firework show (my family and I rode Space Mountian and waited 10 minutes during that time)
If you have finished all 3 of your fast passes you can make one at a time until park close
As you promised, some good reminders and new tips here for me, even as a Disney vet.
I'd suggest taking a light jacket with zipped pockets and leaving everything else behind in order to qualify for the no bag lines at the entrances. No rain gear, of course, and not sure how feasible this if for parents, but my husband and I use it to bypass the (usually) longer line for security bag check.
My mom took me to disney this year. Being a seasoned vet myself, i knew pretty much all of this. I will add a tip, cause most people get worried about this. My mom often gets what's known as "disney rash". It develops on your ankles, and is painful. The shops at the parks, all of them, sell advil and Tylenol if you need them. The meds are usually under the check out counter. And disney rash is not contagious, and it will go away. Do not put scented lotions on it, that makes it worse. Just wear good shoes and socks, and ice your ankles when you get back to your room. Also, if you buy anything in the parks, you can have it sent back to your hotel as long as you are staying on property. Use the photopass!! You will not be disappointed. And to those questioning the Be Our Guest restaurant, if you go, the grey stuff really is delicious. I could post about a thousand more tips, but I'll just ask, DFB, are you guys hiring??
DrRiverWho I got Disney rash too!! I was wearing absolutely the wrong socks and shoes because I was eight and wanted to wear a dress and Mary Jane's to the freaking park... 😂
Luckily my grandma had hydrocortisone cream in her purse! 😂
Disney Rash? Been over 20 times (THANK YOU FLORIDA RESIDENT DISCOUNTS. Not last two years. Too much construction) But DONT buy expensive advil and tylenol at shops. First aid gives them out for free. Husband had bad headache. Gave several individual asprin and also sinus medication. Two of the sweetest ladies in there.
Disney rash?!
screambluemurder101 what is that?
I only drink water, and the fact they give free ice water is AMAZING!
Can you bring a refillable water bottle so you don’t waste cups? (And can put it in your backpack and it not spill?)
I bring a water bottle with and refill all the time. Stay hydrated.
If you don't mind drinking fountain water however concerned about the difference in taste regionally, I bring flavor packets or squirt liquid to add a hint of flavor to the water.
Wendy, yes you can bring a water bottle in, but i'm sure due to health codes, they can't fill your water bottle at their drink stand. you'll still get the cup. You can fill up your water bottle at water fountains.
Ryan F that is an option, if you have the dining plan. or you can just buy a bottle. but you never know how clean the filling plants are. and you can't be so sure about the ice machines/fountains/sinks at the hotel, as who knows what kind of cleaning they've undergone.
personally, i've been to WDW twice in the last 2 years. both times making frequent use of the water fountains to fill my bottle. i didn't have any issues. but your mileage may vary. do what you think is best.
We would bring one water bottle into the park, and when we ate a snack or lunch-fill the bottle with the water cup given to us if we didnt drink it all. Worked out perfect. I dont do the dining plan and a water bottle is only $3 not too bad.
tip!!! get there at rope drop, i cannot stress this enough!! (shortest lines then plus not too hot in the morning) then around 2 or 3 when everyone starts to get tired and the temperatures/crowds are at their worst, go back to the hotel so everyone can rest for a few hours. then when everyone hits their second wind, go back into the park for dinner, fireworks, and typically slightly shorter lines. my family has done this the last few times we’ve gone to disney and it worked really well for us
“Don’t be like me, don’t be type A”
Lol 🤣 that’s totally me 😬
I spend hours planning our Disney trips. I like to plan every single detail. 😓 I need to learn how to relax a bit but I enjoy it so much.
I love the planning almost as much as the trip. But once I'm there I've to adapt when needed as well.
Yep agreed. Planning is part of the fun!
That’s so me! Even down to which snacks to eat!
I remember rushing to make an Anna & Elsa Fastpass greeting and after it was over I actually sent a text to my friend telling her I might be getting divorced. My husband thought I was a crazy person lol. I will attempt to relax this year.
My planning is odd. I make all these detailed plans with my family and the only one that takes part is my sister. Then when it's go time, seconds in I toss out my plans and run off as she shouts in annoyance at me.
I just came home last night from my 3rd Disney World trip, and one thing I didn't know before was that I could book more Fastpasses after my 3 pre-booked were done. So this time around, I booked the 3 as early on in the day as possible, and that way I was able to book 5, 6 or even 7 fastpasses in a day! It was fantastic!
Great tip about the ice water! Did not know that! In addition to the small ponchos, pack a chamois cloth - remember seats on rides and in outdoor eating and attraction viewing areas also get wet when it rains!
Don't forget to at least ASK the front desk about freebies. It never hurts. I didn't even know (at the time) that Westgate Lakes lets people under 21 get free drinks from a soda fountain outside one of its restaurants. That was about 3 years ago. I don't know if the freebie is still available. But then, you can always ask...
Went to WDW twice a year until about 5 years ago. HOLY MOLY have things changed! Thank you times a million for your videos, and for these helpful comments as well!
You should do a video on the cheapest 4 day wdw vacation for a single person
Honestly just to wear better shoes. I did so much food research before our trip but poorly planned my shoe selection.
Yup! If your feet are sore and blistered, no food is going to make up for it!!
Thanks for this comment. I’m so used to wearing flip flops, I didn’t even think about shoes. Bad shoes not only kill your feet, but your back too!
TENNIS SHOES ARE KEY! Make sure your comfortable in them too. Flip flops are a no go and so are flats
And never wear new shoes!!! Break them in months before you go. And even the most comfortable shoes, your feet will still hurt and be sore. Flip flops and sandals are bad because it's so crowded and so many strollers, your feet are gonna get stepped on rolled over.
I bought good shoes and broke them in and still my good old crocks were the best. My feet stayed cool and my feet didn't hurt at all. However this didn't apply for everyone
Don't forget Moleskin! It will be a lifesaver, I promise!
In a little over a year, my sister and I are going to go for my niece's 5th birthday! In latin households we sometimes have this big parties called cincoañeras, kind of like a quinceañera but for 5 year olds. My sister doesn't want to spend over 2,000 dollars on dresses and food. We're gonna start planning in a few months but we already started saving. I know your videos will help so thank you in advance ❤
AJ’s quote of the week- “Backlot Express is your only hope in Hollywood Studios” .... sad but true
You know you had a great Disney vacation when after you return you think “I need a vacation!!”
Oh yea. It took me about 2 weeks to finally settle back into the hang of reality again.
So true!!
So true. My husband takes off several days before going back to work. It is a shock. I remember wearing my magic band on the way back, I tried to pay with it instead of slide my credit card.
jackpast I
That’s how we discovered cruising lol. After a Disney trip my husband said for the next vacation he wanted to do something relaxing!
I went to Disney at thanksgiving, and I went to animal kingdom and we got up at 5:30 and got to the park at seven, and they let us into the park at seven, we walked on every ride in the park including both avatar rides and was done by ten. Trust me it is worth it to go to rope drop. Avatar was constantly five hours the day we went. Get to the park an hour. Early cause when we got out of avatar when we walked on, it was a 3 hour wait. Everyone just filed into it.
My personal tip, don’t forget to utilise the My Disney Experience app at the parks too! I went for the first time since 2011 in October with people that had never gone before and thanks to the app we pretty much killed Magic Kingdom! I took charge, made a plan, we saw all the parades, all the firework shows and made every ride we wanted to along with a quick visit back to the parking lot to change into something a little warmer after it got dark! Couldn’t have done it without My Disney Experience telling us about closures, wait times and giving us routes to everything around the park
Our family of four (son 8, daughter 11) gathered before the morning opening to Animal Kingdom and were just standing around waiting, when some staff member asked if our children would like to hold the rope and walk everyone in. My daughter declined (not that type) so my son and I had the honor to lead everyone in. Lots of people!!! We had a blast and kind of "hamed" it up by skipping, swinging the rope and "dancing". Our reward was the staff let us be first in line if we wanted to do the jeep/ bus vehicle safari ride. We sure did!!!
What a memorable start and experience!
Thanks Disney!
to do Disney world "right" you need a spread sheet of all your reservations and fast pass times.
The My Disney Experience app is a lifesaver! No more printouts of where and when and how to get there. I love it! That said, a must-have is a pile -- at least 3 or 4 -- battery packs to recharge your phone. Recharge them all in the room each night.
I am really excited but feel really overwhelmed
Something I always recommend to people travelling for the first time from the UK is to take a small jacket. We all think its going to be scorching hot so take the smallest clothes we have, then we go into the restaurants which have air con and we freeze. We are not used to having this temperature change and it can feel uncomfortably cool when you are dressed for 30°C+ temperatures.
You can find ponchos at the Dollar Store, yep...for a buck!
I have seen them in doller tree in packs of two
Sometimes I watch your videos, not for the content, but just for the visual. It's true.
Thanks for the tips!
I wanted to pass along the good news that I was able to apply a discount weeks after booking my reservation and saved $238!
Thanks for the tip 👏
when youre so canadian you go to disney and bring the cold with you (i went for a week last january, the day before i got there it was 78 degrees F, the day after i left it was 80 degrees F. the entire time i was there? low 40s, 30s, snowed for 20 minutes one day. what can i say, i have ice in my blood 💀)
Eat before you go guys, you’ll need the energy
Or eat breakfast there
I made the mistake of not eating and lost energy by going on shaky rides and go sick. Ruined me and my family’s experience
Amen to that!!!! I got sick as 5 dogs and ruined my kids day by not eating or drinking enough!
@Mike Holly, you sound hungry. ;)
Also remember to stay hydrated to avoid any possible fainting episodes
K
This made me cry. Dinsey is my most favorite place it like home to me and i miss it so much
Before going to Disney World, I would need to win the Lotto.
Bobby Slater Collect coins. Any change, into a jar. I know it sounds tedious and improbable but if you have enough or a big enough one, you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up. Doing that now while tossing in some paper bills. 20 bucks of paper, twenty bucks in quarters every payday. When I fill my four, five large banks, going to break them open and book accordingly.
Do you have cable or satellite TV? Getting rid of that alone for a year could pay for it. How often do you go out to eat? Often it is more about priorities than just cost.
Actually, no. Go to their website. Click “Price my Vacation” select Value Resorts.
Tip: January is so cheap, it squeaks 😎
Understand, it’s not $499. But it’s not 10K either.
I’m planning a January trip for me and my daughter. Her birthday is in January.
Hotel accommodations, round trip airfare, transportation to and from the airport, and ALL MEALS for 7 days. Less than 4K.
I’m serious
If you go on a bus tour like I did back in 1991, it's a lot less expensive and you don't have to worry about making reservations for a hotel or getting your tickets yourself, they do it all.
Then how you on TH-cam then Bobby Slater my family balling everyday Disney world everyday Disney world everyday by bobbylisha
You can bring in your own food and drinks. Saved us a ton. We booked a hotel that had Disney transportation even though it wasn't a Disney resort which also saved us money. Buy Disney gear at a Walmart or Target or T-shirt stores on side of highway before going into the park or to get mouse ears, accessories, toys, etc.
Yea I do all that too and save so much money.
Thanks for the tips.
two words; sun screen.
jutin the boi actually sunscreen is one word
I don’t use sunscreen. I’ve been to Disney 4 times, I was born and raised in Florida (the south of Florida aka south Florida) and I never use sunscreen
Cat Dog or both have fun getting skin cancer lmfao
oof I can’t get skin cancer if I don’t go outside a lot, it’s way to hot to be outside in the sun too long, it’s very rare for me to put on sunscreen and I’m not the only one.
jutin the boi I’m black.
Had a dinner at California Grill during the fireworks. Most memorable vacation memory I’ve ever made
Excellent tips. The "resort day" one is key -- we did that on our last trip and it was absolutely vital, gave us a second wind. There's lots of great stuff to enjoy at the resorts and you might as well do it.
Another one I'd add is single rider lines. Not many rides at WDW have them, but Test Track and Expedition Everest do, and as long as you don't care about riding with your party (obviously, parents with young kids can't take advantage), they could save you a FastPass that you use for some other big ride. (So does Rock 'n' Roller Coaster but I've heard that one does not provide much advantage, so maybe use a FastPass for that.)
What else? The refillable souvenir drink cups are not a good deal. Too few places in the parks to use them.
I agree. My wait time was something like 10 minutes as a single rider. We went round twice and could still spot the same people in the line. (this was 2016 mind you)
Personally I don't do days off but I do like to have a few early nights and many late into the park days.
Annoyingly, parents with small children do take them into the Single Rider lines nowadays. I have had the (bad) experience several times now where a pushy mum in front of me was holding everything up by demanding to ride with her young child that she had brought into the SR line. The Cast Members are (unfortunately) very accommodating in these situations as they don’t want anyone getting upset, so they just let them do it. Which makes the whole ‘Single Rider’ thing redundant.
I'm very tentatively planning a trip to WDW next year with my mom for a week, when during the trip would you say is the best time to have a resort day? I've only been once before, in 2011, but it was my senior trip for school and therefore it was only 3 or 4 days and i didn't feel i needed a resort day that time.
1 off day if you can do it.
Rope drop is so worth it!! Don’t run though, they will get kinda mad. Pro tip: to get to the front of the line at magic kingdom, go on the monorail and then go into the shop closest to the monorail (left hand side when you are looking at the train station). Then just kinda cut everyone it works. Also, go to frontier land first (through liberty square) and DO THUNDER MOUNTAIN BEFORE SPLASH. Thunder mountain is a lot shorter ride (splash mountain is like 7 minutes) and splash mountain let’s more people on at once.
Big Thunder always has pretty short waits in the morning. On my first trip, we wasted an early FastPass on it but then immediately went around for a second go, and did Splash Mountain after.
Right, they often host marathons and then freak out if someone is running.
One thing to know before going is to be prepared for every kind of weather. My family and I usually go during winter season before Christmas and we have experienced different weather. The best tip would be indeed bringing a poncho but also a good but not oversized jacket in case it turns cold but when the rain is over you can just tie it on your waist. Never bring fabric tennis shoes. If it rains you will have wet feet and the risk to catch a cold.
Great ideas. I think another key to the fast pass is reloading after you use the initial 3 in a day bc on slow or moderate busy days, you can go back on the app and get good fast passes again. My daughter I basically fast passed our way around the magic kingdom in May when we went and it was a huge time saver
Jonnyboy 7 4
Is it crowded in May and hot?
A good tip if you're driving in for a day visit at Magic Kingdom is enter via Reams Rd - right near the gas station there's a little road that curves around BEHIND the parking pay booths (look on Google maps) so no parking fee. If you come in the front by accident you could try telling them you're looking for the campground which is also behind the booths.
I grew up going to Disney World in the 1990s, When I lived in Florida. There were no fast passes or 6 month reservations. You just went and enjoyed it, now it seems like u have to plan every aspect of your trip. Who wants to go on rides at 7 o’clock in the morning(Except kids)? What kind of people know what they’ll want to eat in 6 months? This whole system Disney has created to plan everything to death has taken the fun and spontaneity out of going.
Frank --- That's definitely a sentiment that many people have right now. But others, who are taking only one trip to Disney World ever and are packing in as much as they can, enjoy the planning aspect and the fact that they can guarantee that they'll get on the most popular rides. There are definitely pros and cons.
I like pre-planning, but 60 days for FPs and particularly 180 days for ADRs is just too much, especially for ADRs where you're reserving before you're even sure what hours the parks are going to be open.
DFBGuide that actually makes a lot of sense for people who only go once. I just wonder how they know what they’ll be interested in before they’ve been. Also it seems like it would make Disney kind of intense for people with season passes. I haven’t been to Disney World since 2006 so I guess everything has to change.
This a DEATH CULTURE CREATION. EMPTY CONSUMERISM. a Total waste of time. Nothing beautiful or relaxing about this whole place. A LIVING HELL.
We didn't do fast passes and had a great time anyway.
I totally recommend Animal Kingdom lodge! It has a great restaurant called Bona and another cheaper restaurant for on the go meals! The pool is AMAZING and if you stay in a suite you get to see the Savannah out side your balcony! Its so much fun!
I'm really glad you talked about character meals early on. Ohana and Garden Grill are two of my very favorites. We usually pick charcter breakfasts that get us deeper into the park for early access (like the Crystal Palace breakfast in Magic Kingdom with the Winnie the Pooh characters).
Anderson Rothwell
Totally agree with the rest an relax tips! When we took our daughter, who was 7, the first day, we arrived in the morning and stayed until 4 or 5. Day 2, we went in the morning, came back to the hotel to relax from 11 to 4, and then went back to the park to finish the day and watch fireworks. It was perfect!
I went in 2012 for the first time but I was with a big group (high school band), so we didn't get a huge say in the schedule. When I went for the first time in my adult life this past spring we tried to save money by only going 5 days. The first day we did Disney Springs (was also our travel day so we didn't make it to our hotel until 3ish). And then we did a park a day the rest of the days and I KNEW next time we go we CANNOT do that. I got so burnt out, overwhelmed, stressed out, etc. And I have no kids, so I can't imagine what that would have been like with kids. I think the biggest thing I took away from that is to wait to go back until we can afford to stay longer to do those relax and resort days. And to do what this video suggested and go early, and then go back to the resort and nap. I think we felt like that would be wasting money to nap at Disney World but looking back I think we would have gotten more out of the trip. Another thing I learned from this trip living in Illinois where it's still pretty dang cold in March and then going to hot, humid Florida is BRING A TON OF GATORADE/ELECTROLYTES. They give you LIFE and Disney sells them for close to $5 a bottle. Since they allow outside food and beverages (which also blew my mind since the closest theme park to me is Six Flags who has a strict no outside food/beverage policy) BRING YOUR OWN GATORADE.
Great tips, Emily! Yep -- I think gatorade also has those little powder packs, which you could bring to the parks and add to the free ice water cups.
So you are allowed t9 bring your own food into the parks? Can we bring a cooler?
Amberlee Barker I don't know about that, but you can bring flavor shots and a reusable water bottle. Abuse the ice water.
Right, it’s best to have an off day between each park day...there are plenty of other things to do.
Best tip on here is not to try to do too much and take some time to "reset". We just returned from a trip in the hot summer month of June, and this time we planned a water park between the traditional theme parks. Relaxing in the wave pool and lazy river at Blizzard Beach was the perfect way for the whole family to rejuvenate. Highly recommend.
If you're Vacation Club, you can see the fireworks from the Baylake Tower bar!
To the poncho thing, I would like to add that while it's cheaper to get a poncho somewhere outside of the parks, if you buy them from the parks you get unlimited free replacements. I've found this useful because plenty of ours have had the buttons snap or the fabric rip, and you just run into any of the stores and they'll give you new ones. So that's something to consider that might save you money in the long run.
Tip: If you can afford it, get the dining plan. For years my family had to take time out of the parks to go eat because we could never afford Disney food. But with the dining plan, we could chose our resturant, get the meal and a desert afterwards, as well as a snack during the day. It's a three course plan, so breakfast at the resrort, lunch at the park, maybe even dinner at the park if you are going to be there till closing like my family usually is. It is worth it and saves money when you can buy it when it's discounted.
I like that I don't feel compelled to watch the prices and can basically order whatever I want knowing I have already paid for it. It may not be the most cost effective, depending on how you eat, but I really enjoy the all inclusiveness of the plan and not worrying about whether we can afford to eat in the parks (it's already paid for;-)
The one time we used it, I don't think I saved any money--BUT we didn't buy it at a discount, and we didn't put much mental effort into gaming it. With better strategy, I'm sure you could.
(The one at Universal Florida is another story. Complete rip-off.)
The DDP can be worked so that you come out ahead, but I suspect most folks are losing money using it vs. going out of pocket especially if they already have an AP or TiW which give dining discounts. I've never heard of a discounted dining plan, though my understanding is the "free" DDP special they run sometimes requires you to pay rack rate for your rooms, so you would definitely need to account for whether or not you can get a discounted room only rate.
I'm also surprised that Disney Visa card holders forget that Disney Rewards Dollars can be used on almost anything in the parks. I saved up like crazy for months before my vacation. I paid with the Disney Dollars at lunch every day and STILL had $4 left on the card! I was shocked how much you can spend on dining even if eating ALONE.
@largol33t1 could you explain further? I have a Disney Visa and it doesn't accumulate rewards, you just get a discount on certain things.
What I found helpful especially if you have children. Make an itinerary of your trip for every day. Which park, which day, fastpass, meals, plan B if it rains. You can have all this on your smartphones under my Disney experience. Your smart phone has a gps in it and it shows where you are in the park and how to locate everything and all the events and wait times right at your fingertips. It is awesome. Be organized and you will will enjoy your trip even more.
I went to Walt Disney World in October 2017 and we weren’t staying in a Disney resort and we managed to get fast passes for flight of passage💝 so that proves it’s not impossible to do.
This video pretty much confirms my feelings about parks like these: Crowded, Busy, Expensive and lots of planning,waiting and traveling required. Ergo; Not a fun day at all. Rides and scenery are fun for sure but just get's overshadowed by all the downsides. I would like a fun relaxed day, and not need a video like this to be able to enjoy it.
This channel always brightens my day.
If you're going to Disney during a busy time (ex. Spring Break), go knowing it's going to be crowded and have long wait times because if you go with that mindset it's not nearly as bad once you get there.
“Don’t be like me, don’t be type A”. I knew I liked you 😂🙌🏻 I was like, “wow, this is a really comprehensive and organized list.” That explains it! Great video.
Get the app and use it to check wait times for rides and order ahead for counter service restaurants! Also, familiarize yourself with the app before you go. And when you’re there, don’t let rain stop you from going to the parks. Wear a poncho and take advantage of the lower crowds!
You can also see them near the exit for pirates of the Caribbean!
I seriously love the way you present your information. You have such an eloquent voice. I've watched like 8 of your video's now to prep for our Disney trip.
The other thing about the Disney bus system is, it's hub-and-spoke. The theme parks are hubs. Going from a resort to there is one trip, but if you need to go from one resort to another (for a dining reservation, say) that's slower, because you have to go to a hub first. One of the best places to eat is Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge--but traveling between there and any other resort is a real hike. You might want to make a dinner reservation there on a day when you're visiting Animal Kingdom, because it's the closest park.
I love Sanaa and this is always what do!!
Or you can just take an uber nowadays. They're really inexpensive and pretty quick.
Uh, why would you make a reservation to a restaurant at a park that you didn't visit that day. You are always supposed to plan it out ahead of time.
You can get to any hotel from any park as well as from Disney Springs.
Thank you for validating those of us that have mobility issues no matter what our age!!!
I'm upset because she revealed my secrets xD also more of the secrets she didn't share: Try going to the biggest parks first, AND ROPE DROP IS KEY! If you're going with a few friends and you don't have time for down time, riding the Carousel of Progress, People Mover, any of the shows or one of the dumb five minute wait lines are really nice to wind down and chill out. I reccomend the carousel of progress- it's twenty minutes, nice and cold, doesn't take very long to board, and really entertaining! These help you go through your bag, answer your text messages (please only do that on the People mover) and you don't have to sit in the heat of the day on a bench
Annie Cox one of my favorite “nap rides” 😀
How do you rope drop? Like when you walk into the park do you ask or look for the rope?
Michelle V just follow the massive hoard of people into the park and you will eventually be stopped at the rope
And this is why I love HKDL; even though it's the smallest Disney park, it's easy to navigate and it isn't that expensive to do everything within one week.
Going to Disney Tues-Sat with the family! So excited! Watching all your videos!
And ALWAYS stay at the parks during the rain! Sometimes the parks clear out pretty nice, or if it's raining in the morning, a lot of people will wait to go, and you can go do all kinds of stuff while the parks less full
Great ideas! We are taking our first trip to Disney World in January and are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Thanks for the video and the great tips.
Gonnaebe teninarow Thank you so much. Appreciate your kind words and advice. ♡
Your going to have a magical time!!
Raymond Garcia Thank you so much! We are super excited!
There's one main thing you should never forget-
Have fun!!!
It can get a little crazy, but as long as you can keep a positive outlook- it's definitely a good thing
Honey Ink Thank you so much. We are annual passholders at Disneyland and are,learning that Walt Disney World is so different. We are super excited! ♡ We're moving to Florida next summer so we can't wait to be able to go all the time.
If you go in the summer or anytime its really warm make sure you drink enough water. Went a few years ago kids got headaches. The park doctor said you should have to go every hour if you don't you're not drinking enough.
We learned in 2016 that one park a day is selected to stay open real late(usually about 11pm). Go to the fire works display that night. Stay after the display and ride your favorite rides again. Most every one is heading out, so the lines are short.
My small group of friends and I are planning to spend a day at Disney for our senior trip and this video is super helpful for scared newbies like us!! We're trying so hard to plan properly because we want this vacation to be organised and fun but minus the stress of not knowing what to do :-)
Going to disneyworld in 45 days!! Super stocked! This videos help me out so much
After the rain, people will "throw" away the Mickey branded Rain poncho by placing on the top of a trash can.
Pick them up, hang them out to dry, fold them up, use a rubber band to keep small, put in your back-pack for the next time it rains.
The poncho can be expensive.
Oh yeah, bring a lightly packed backpack
for those gems, small shopping items and a filtered water bottle.
Fill up the bottle with ICE water; always drink thru the filter.
The filter will take the "florida" out of the water.
And drink a lot!
You are drinking enough if you need to go to the bathroom.
A hangover is essentially dehydration, don't get a hangover at WDW.
Some very good advise. All are very good tips. The only thing I would add is take a good pair of well broken in walking shoes. You’ll be walking and standing a lot. You’d be surprised at how many men in dress shoes and women in high heels we’ve seen. They always look so miserable. Thanks for sharing.
you should do a what movies to watch and which park they are at in order to prepare for disney and get you and your kids memory refreshed
Another thing to know about Disney Is to always have something to cover your stroller with when u leave it at a stroller stop to go on a ride. I was there again this summer and when we came off Splash Mountain someone had a squirrel eating their food in their stroller. Luckily we had a plastic case over our stroller. Always have something to cover it with.
Oh man ... I had a squirrel PEE in our stroller basket ... lol. It was quite an exciting addition to our day at Animal Kingdom.
Good tip Sorry that happened to u
I'd like to give rain tips. My family came up with this idea on our 5th visit to WDW. You can ask for a shopping bag at any of the shops. Ask for a large bag, and cut a vertical slit in it along one of its sides. You can then pull the shopping bag over a backpack and slide the straps to your backpack through the slit, keeping your belongings nice and dry! Once the rain settles, stow away your wet umbrella in the bag and carry that separate. Trust me, it makes life in the parks so much easier when you can keep a dry hoodie and pair of socks with you, and you can easily shake the shopping bag off or wipe it off with a couple napkins to stow it away again for later. Personally, I *never* use a poncho in the parks. Getting a little wet actually helps keep you cooler once that harsh sun comes back out. Of course, if you get soaked, that's another story.
Can not stress enough that transportation takes a VERY LONG time. This past Aug it took us almost 2+ hours to get from AK back o POP.
WOW! that IS a really long time! I think I might have called a cab? or uber? but I'm a backup to the backup plan kinda gal
Watching the Epcot fireworks from Rose and Crown is the best
Sunscreen and foot inserts/sneakers!
Rebecca Mayper lol
Glad I found this video before our WDW trip. It will be our first time there.
YES to the strollers! My kids are 3.5 and 6.5. They’ve almost never used strollers, but we ALWAYS bring a stroller to Disneyland! It isn’t as big of a pain as you’d think. We tend to bring it from land to land with us, rather than ride to ride. We leave our coats and snacks (nothing valuable or anything we would be devastated if it were taken) in there and it frees up what you have to drag around on you. I can’t recommend them enough. New Disney goers usually say “oh my kid is too big”... they’re not. We’ll bring a stroller until my youngest is actually too big. Another plus is they can take a nap in the stroller, rather than having to go back to a hotel. Seriously guys... strollers are your friend!
Kate Riggen is it better to rent one ? I don't want to bring it on the plane ✈
My best tip I have learn is to book early character dining near a park your going to that day that way you can take your person car show reservations at that resort and be closer to the park when your done eating like Ohana you mention and ride the Monorail to Magic Kingdom when your done!
Well, I just stumbled on the one channel that makes all of TH-cam worth it! Lol! 👍
Bring a portable battery for your phone. Disney also has the fuelrod kiosks. They're like 30$ and you can trade them out for a fully charged one. Also if you're buying shoes just to go to Disney in then buy them a few months in advance and wear them in before you go. You don't want to be breaking in new shoes while you're walking at Disney.
Another tip is to drop acid 45 minutes prior to Magic Kingdom. Makes it worth the hundreds of dollars
Yes. Drop acid or sunrooms to enhance your Disney experience
😂😂😂
I haven't stayed at a resort in many years, but I am an annual pass holder and I have snagged fast passes for flight of passage for a family of four TWICE...I have also got Mine train, Frozen, Navi river journey and a few others you call "impossible" . Nothing is impossible if you want it enough..it's all persistence and timing. I would also like to shout out for Earl of Sandwich at Disney Springs..best counter service..EVER😋
These are great tips for me whenever I get a chance to go to
Disneyworld
We were so hungry by the time we stopped to eat that the places we ended up at were mainly just serving hambergers and chicken strips. We were all so sick of hambergers and chicken strips by the time we left. They had a cancellation at BE OUR GUEST at around 11am and were accepting walk-ins for a couple tables. Unfortunately, my family wasn't ready to eat yet. That was my regret for the whole vacation. I bought a poncho for each of us at Walmart before our trip. Much cheaper than buying a park poncho. *Also, we met a family and talked briefly on the bus from Port Orleans into the park....they had bought grocery snacks and pre-made food & water from Whole Foods off of Amazon and had it delivered right to their resort room. What a great idea!
THX!!!!! ♡I have never gone!♡ I'm moving through so I'm gonna be a few hours away and I'm going for the first time!!!!!