Walt Disney World

[Gillseeker]

Any experts here? I am taking the family in November buring Fall break. Anyone know any tricks or tips for cheaper tickets or anything else I should know?

Dan

[fly on the wall]

The bass fishing on Lake Buena Vista is excellent. See if you can get stand by status. The guides will sometimes take you out for a couple of hours real cheap.

[Drifter]

Dan....you have my condolences.

[FlaTiger]

Gillseeker - I live in Orlando although I can't say I am the Disney expert but your question is one of those that books have been written about....

A good place for general stuff on Disney and Orlando is the TripAdvisor forums. While it's not as good as NGTO, they have folks ask all kinds of questions and the answers are pretty good.

[stardaddy]

Best thing is a guide book and plan - plan - plan. When we went a friend gave us one and it made our trip wonderful. Now-a-days probably can google things like Disney tricks -advise- plans that sort of thing too. Some thing that helped us I remember:

Write down were you are parked (Goofy 16 - Mickey 22) and put it in your wallet. Forget where you are parked and spend two hours at the end of your day walking around in the parking lot.

Leave a cooler with drinks in it in your car. Once you leave and get to your car it will be time to drink something cool.

If there is two lines to an attraction take the left line. Even though it may look as long it will always have fewer people cause most people, given a choice, go to the right.

Plan to go to the popular ride the first thing when you enter the park like space Mtn. You can walk right in, then do the least popular ones later. Also plan a early or late lunch and go to another popular attraction during lunch time when everyone is eating.

You can take the monorail or ferry boat into the park. Take the ferry boat. Monorail is faster but you spend a long time waiting in line where as the ferry is slower but you walk right on and really get into the park sooner. For other times into or out of the park take the rail.

There is a train that goes around the park and is an excellent way to get from one side to the other.

The list goes on and on.

[fishnpreacher]

Stay on site in one of Disney resorts and don't drive your vehicle. Trams and busses will get you where you want to be.

[jerry]

I second stay on their property. I have done that over 4 times and it is great. I never even moved the car on most trips with the family. You also get extra hours to the parks. It varies from day to day which open earlier and which stay open later but you are in the park and only people with proper id (usually a neon bracklet in the evenings) can ride the rides or go into exhibits (lines barely exist). If you buy items or have pictures taken you can have then sent to your room so you don't have to lug them around and you have transportation on everything Disney, boats, mono rail, buses, plus you can charge anything to your room and close your one bill when departing. Staying on their property makes it easy to go in the morning, back to the room, and again back in the evening. All their properties have some type of eating facilities and service is usually fast and pleasant plus resonable. If the cost isn't an object I like the Contemporary in the main building because the monorail goes right thru it. It is however the last stop depending on the direction of the rail. If you want a cheaper route I suggest the mid classed resorts. Port Orleans and the place next to it. The transportation from there would primarily be by bus but they run often.
Never ever go the week after Christmas or Thanksgiving week. The week after Christmas is always record crowds and lines.
Universal is cool for a few days and I would recommend paying the extra for their express pass. Their rides have two lines one for non express pass and one for express pass. Well worth the extra bucks for the quicker line. Make Universal a seperate vacation and stay on their property too. It just provides more perks and you just walk to the park or village.
Disney has a system (free of charge, or at least free if you stay on their property) where you get a timed pass, but you can only do one at a time so you may have an hour or longer to get a time from you last quick pass to the next one. If you stay on their property you can avoid almost any lines during the extra evening hours. The winter extra hours are sometimes less than the summer, but last year the evening hours in May were 2 hour one week night and actually 3 hours another week night at the Magic Kingdom. These extra hours vary week to week and usually between parks and nights.
Also since 9-11 you have to have all bags looked in before entering the parks. I carried my room key which was also my tickets, a spare credit card, id, etc and camera in a small mess camera bag and usually was sent right through unfortunatley everyone can't travel as light so it can get aggravating even though it goes fast. A mesh backpack would be better than solid material with tons of pockets.
Food prices in the park are high so take water bottles and snacks. They do have lockers and plenty of water fountains, but eating out of the parks is a big money saver. It is typical Florida and the short rain showers, so take cheap light (real light) poncho's or buy a Mickey poncho for a couple of bucks more in the park. If you go to the Magic Kingdom early, about an hour before it opens you can go in to the shopping area of Main Street and get coffee, breakfast etc., Or with a mini frig in your room pick up some breakfast stuff, sandwhich meat, etc and eat two meals in the room with what everybody wants and then eat out for dinner. Breakfast usually turned into a danish at the park, and lunch plus supper usually turned into a meal where we were staying so I brought groceries home the last time. If you are going for young kids the books will give some good pointers.
Personally waitng for the Safari ride at the Animal Kingdom was a waste of time for not much viewing. There is a pretty cool roller coaster there though. Fireworks are cool at any park, but I really like the ones at Epcot.

[fishnpreacher]

Ditto Jerry's post. We went Thanksgiving week many moons ago so my advise is based on years old experience. The early opening of specific parks is a major plus if you're staying on site. You have unlimited access to all of the parks and properties. We were in the Magic Kingdom on Thanksgiving day and it was getting crowded. We left and went to Epcot. It was night and day...no crowds, no lines.
One really cool thing was the night before Thanksgiving every park was redecorated for Christmas. Everything done overnight. It was awesome.
Concerning fireworks, try to get to the chairlift at MKingdom as the fireworks are starting. Seeing the fireworks from an elevated position is great. The lights of the MK are below you and all you see is the lights of the fireworks.

For cheaper tix, try booking through a travel agent....just a suggestion

[Gillseeker]

Drifter..LOL!!!!


We went for Christmas 5 years ago and stayed in the park. My dad paid for that trip so staying in the park was not a big deal. We were there for 11 days! There were 16 of us total and we stayed in the park and I swear I never even saw my truck until it was time to go.

This time it's my dime so I am trying to srimp and save as much as I can. I figure it's off peak season so staying outside the park won't be a big deal. Plus, it gives me access to a kitchen and a bigger room. Those rooms in the park are small.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I have to join a new forum. Maybe i won't get kicked out of this one!

Dan

[Trout8myfly]

Anyone ever use the Fastpath system? Does it cost more?

http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/d...dwfastpass.htm