WDW Prep To Go - a Disney World planning podcast

(Article last updated: August 4, 2014)

As the new FastPass+ system has rolled out, people have had lots of questions about how it works.

Today, I've got a list of pros and cons of the new FastPass+ system and a quick tip on how to remember your trip.

OVERVIEW OF FASTPASS+

The new FastPass system is called FastPass+ which allows on-site visitors to reserve rides up to 60 days ahead of time online (off-site visitors can reserve 30 days ahead of time), through an app or at a kiosk in the theme parks.

PROS OF FASTPASS+

  • It'll be easier to arrive later since you won't need to be there early to get FastPasses when they can be reserved at a later time ahead of time.
  • There are more opportunities to use FastPasses including Fantasmic, parade viewing, more rides and Be Our Guest lunch.
  • You won't have to zig-zag as much since the FastPasses are reserved ahead of time so you won't have to run across the park to grab them.

CONS OF FASTPASS+

  • You can only get FP+ for 1 park per day and 3-4 FP+ per day. (Update: this is no longer true.)
  • You will probably only be able to choose 1 headline attraction per day. (Update: tiers are in place at Hollywood Studios and Epcot, but not the other 2 parks.)
  • Less spontaneous, can't re-ride things.
  • Smartphones are sort of required.
  • Can't give or receive FP+ to other people.
  • Can't get FP+ for the same ride twice. (Update: this is no longer true after you use your first 3 FP+ reservations as your 4th FP+ can be any ride, including one you've already been on.)

QUICK TIP

Get a scented wall plugin with a smell that you've never used before. Take it on vacation and use it in your hotel room. After your trip, that scent will remind you of your vacation.

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Direct download: episode6.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

(Article last updated: August 4, 2014)

I like to save money but not to the point of looking like a cheapskate.

Today, I have 6 tips for you on saving money on your Disney World trip that will still allow you to get the full experience.

I also have a quick tip on what I think is the very best time to visit Disney World and pay the least while being able to do the most.

6 WAYS TO SAVE

The main expense categories for Disney World trips are airfare/gas to get there, park tickets, hotel and food.

Here are some ways to save on all of those categories:

  1. Book your trip during a less expensive season. Here are the seasons defined by Disney World, in order from least expensive to most expensive (season dates can vary by resort):
    • Value Season - most of January (except New Year's Day, Marathon Weekend and MLK Weekend), the first 2 weeks of February, August and the first 2 weeks of September
    • Fall Season - the last 2 weeks of September, most of October (except Columbus Day weekend), the first 3 weeks of November, the first 2 weeks of December
    • Marathon Weekend and MLK Weekend - these 2 seasons are about the same price. Marathon Weekend is often the 2nd weekend in January
    • Regular Season - last week of February, first week of March, all of April (except Easter week) and all of May
    • Summer Season - all of June and July
    • Columbus Day Weekend - this is just the 3 days of that weekend that have slightly higher rates
    • Peak Season - Valentine's Day, the week following President's Day weekend, the last 3 weeks of March and the third week of December
    • Thanksgiving - the whole week of Thanksgiving
    • Presidents Weekend - the 3 days for this holiday weekend have higher rates
    • New Year - applies to New Year's Day
    • Easter - the week before and after Easter weekend
    • Holiday Season - the weekend before Christmas through December 31
  2. Start your trip on a Tuesday or Wednesday since those days tend to have less expensive airfare. You can check bing.com/travel (update: kayak.com/flights is a better option now) for the best time to buy your airfare.
  3. Purchase your park tickets using the private link in the Mousesavers.com newsletter which is sent on the 15th of every month.
  4. Visit during a Free Dining period.
  5. Rent Disney Vacation Club points (I recommend doing it through DVCRequest.com). Details on how this process works can be found at https://wdwprepschool.com/how-to-stay-in-a-deluxe-hotel-for-moderate-prices/
  6. Stay at the Swan or Dolphin which have of the same benefits of on-site resorts but not all. Prices are similar to Disney Moderate Resorts. Guests can use Extra Magic Hours and on-site Disney transportation but can't use Magical Express or charge things on a room key. You can also use Starwood points to pay for stay at the Swan or Dolphin (info on using points to pay for a WDW tip can be found at https://wdwprepschool.com/how-to-get-a-7-day-6-night-disney-world-trip-for-free-using-points-and-miles/)

QUICK TIP

My quick tip: I think the way to get the best experience for the least amount of money is to stay at a Moderate Resort during Free Dining in September or October. That allows you to pay the least expensive nightly rates, get free food (including the Basic Dining Plan which is better than what's offered at Value Resorts) and visit during a less busy time.

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Direct download: episode5a.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

The title of this post is a recap of the subject lines of most of the emails I receive.

I have some info on who should use Free Dining and tips on making the best use of it.

I also have a couple of other tips for people wanting to use Child Swap and a room request tip for people staying at Art of Animation.

CAN YOU USE CHILD SWAP IF YOUR CHILD IS TALL?

If your child is too short or too scared to ride a ride, most rides that have a height requirement will offer a Child Swap/Rider Switch option.

To read more about how that works, check out my article on child swap.

ALL ABOUT FREE DINING

What it is
Free Dining is a promotion typically offered in the fall. It allows people to book a hotel and tickets and get the Disney Dining Plan for free.

 

Since 2009, Free Dining has been offered every fall (the dates have varied). Disney has also offered it twice at the beginning of the year (January - March) and once at the end of May for 1 week.

People who book a Value Resort will get the Quick Service Dining Plan for free during Free Dining (2 Quick Service credits per night of the trip). People at Moderate and Deluxe Resorts will get the Basic Dining Plan for free (1 Table Service and 1 Quick Service credit per night of the trip).

Who should use it
Most people will benefit from using the Free Dining promotion but people staying in Deluxe Resorts will save more money by using a room-only discount (a 30% off discount is often available).

Tips
Some things you should know if you want to use Free Dining:

  • People who arrive by the last day of the promotion can usually use it for their whole trip
  • You have to book all of your Advanced Dining Reservations way in advance if you're going during a Free Dining period
  • Book your package before Free Dining is announced. After it's announced, you'll need to call ASAP to have the promotion applied to your reservation. There are only a certain number of rooms available for the promotion. Just because you have an existing reservation doesn't mean you'll be able to use Free Dining. Call ASAP to get it.
  • The best deal during Free Dining is usually for people who book a Moderate Resort and get the Basic Dining Plan
  • If Free Dining begins in the middle of your trip, you won't be able to use it unless you book 2 separate reservations (1 before Free Dining and 1 during)

QUICK TIP

People staying at Art of Animation can request a room that's located on an upper level with a lake view. This allows people to have a great view and it means less noise since you'll be facing away from the swimming pools and away from the lower floors where it tends to be louder.

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Direct download: episode4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

 

 

 

PhotoPass can be kind of hard to understand. I've got some info on who should use it and what I think you should purchase from the PhotoPass service.

I've also got tips on planning Table Service meals and a way to make your child easier to find inside one of the attractions at Hollywood Studios.

CAN YOU GET AWAY WITH 2 TABLE SERVICE MEALS ON A WEEK-LONG DISNEY WORLD TRIP?

My friend Casey posed this question to me and I posted it on the Facebook Page. There were lots of replies and the consensus seemed to be that it's definitely possible (especially if budget is a primary concern), but not eating in the restaurants means missing out on a big part of Disney World. It also means missing out on a chance to sit down and take a break from the huge amount of walking involved with Disney World trips.

To submit your question, email podcast at wdwprepschool.com.

PHOTOPASS PROS/CONS AND SOME TIPS

PhotoPass is Disney's service where you approach photographers within the parks, they'll take your picture, scan a PhotoPass card and hand it to you. You can then go online or to a PhotoPass kiosk in the parks and type in that number to order things with your pictures.

Some good reasons to use PhotoPass:

  • All family members can appear in the pictures (instead of the photographer in the family always be missing)
  • PhotoPass photographers use high quality DSLR cameras which may be better than yours
  • The ability to have "magic shots" added to your pictures
  • Ride photos can be included if you purchase PhotoPass+

Some reasons you might not want to use PhotoPass:

  • It can be hard to locate PhotoPass photographers
  • The expense of ordering through Disney (although buying the PhotoCD tends to be the best value)
  • If you have a good camera, you might just want to use that. You can hand it to the PhotoPass photographers and they'll take pictures with your camera.

Some tips for people who want to use PhotoPass:

  • Buy the PhotoCD and print your pictures somewhere less expensive. You can save $50 by purchasing these online before your trip using the links below.
  • Be sure to order your PhotoPass products within 30 days after your trip
  • Take pictures of your PhotoPass cards so you have the number in case you lose your card
  • Share a PhotoPass CD with other families - enter all of your PhotoPass card numbers online and order a CD with all of the pictures (you can order multiple copies for a small additional fee)

For more info, please check out my article that has even more info on PhotoPass at https://wdwprepschool.com/how-photopass-works/.

QUICK TIP

If you plan to have your child(ren) play on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at Hollywood Studios, snap a quick pic before they go in so they'll be easier to find when it's time to go. Cast Members monitor the entrance and exit but kids can be hard to find. Having a pic to show the Cast Members will make it a quicker process.

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Direct download: episode3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

You don't have a whole week to spend at Disney World, so how do you fit it all into just a few days?

I've got some ideas on how to do that plus tips on using the dining plan and picking a room at The Polynesian.

WHAT MEALS SHOULD YOU PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET?

A reader named Mary emailed me with a question about how to decide which meals to pay for out-of-pocket if you're using the Disney Dining Plan but have more dining reservations than credits.

My 2 tips for choosing what to pay for out-of-pocket:

  • Pay for Signature Dining meals because they require 2 Table Service credits but aren't worth 2
  • Pick the cheapest meals on your list to pay for yourself

Be sure to check out my post on maximizing Disney Dining Plan credits for more info on which meals are the best value when using the Disney Dining Plan.

 

TIPS FOR FITTING DISNEY WORLD INTO 3 DAYS

The guys from Parkeology.com proved that all 47 rides can be done in 1 day (read about their WDW47 adventure), so we should be able to do it in 3 days.

Here's how:

  • Visit during a less busy time (use crowd charts to help pick those dates)
  • Define your must-see items and accept that you won't do everything
  • Do Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom in the same day
  • Use single rider which is available on Expedition Everest, Test Track and Rock n Roller Coaster (but I don't recommend using it on Rock n Roller Coaster)
  • Get up early and stay late (but only on short trips - need to pace yourself on longer trips)

QUICK TIP

People who want to stay at The Polynesian Resort should consider requesting the Tokelau longhouse for their room. The advantages of Tokelau include: having the largest rooms, every floor has a balcony or patio, and it's within walking distance of both monorail lines to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.

You can find lots of good info on The Polynesian at TikimanPages.com.

To submit your tip, email podcast at wdwprepschool.com.

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Direct download: episode2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30am PDT

Ever wondered how the heck you were going to tour Hollywood Studios and fit in all of the shows?

Today, I've got some ideas on how you can do that and a tip for when to show up to all 4 Disney World theme parks.

TOURING HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

General Hollywood Studios touring advice: show up at 8:15 because it normally opens at 8:30 a.m. (update: 8:50-9:00 is now the normal opening time), ride Toy Story Mania, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours and then figure out the rest of the day.

Advice on planning the rest of the day to include shows:

  • Narrow down the show list. The same people who want to see the toddler shows might not be the same people to see the stunt shows (but they might be!).
  • Check WDWent.com for show times to try to plan before your trip.
  • Eat a meal while attending an outdoor show to save some time. The outdoor shows include Beauty and the Beast, Lights Motors Action, Indiana Jones and Fantasmic.

Sample touring plan to include all shows (check times before your trip):

  • Ride Toy Story Mania
  • See Voyage of the Little Mermaid at 9:15 a.m.
  • Disney Jr. Live on Stage at 9:40 a.m.
  • Kill some time doing non-show things and attend 11:45 a.m. showing of Beauty and the Beast, stopping to get Quick Service food across the street beforehand
  • Walk briskly to Indiana Jones show at 12:30 p.m. (spread the shows out more if this schedule is too tight)
  • Lights, Motors, Action at 1:20 p.m.
  • In the evening, attend the 7:00 American Idol show (the last show of the day which has the winners of the previous shows)
  • See Fantasmic at the end of the night (if there are 2 shows scheduled, the last one will be less busy)

QUICK TIP

You should arrive to all 4 parks before they open. All of the parks open earlier than the posted open time except Magic Kingdom, but you still want to arrive there early to get in the front of the line. (Updated 11/18/2014: Magic Kingdom now usually opens about 10 minutes early as well.)

It's best to arrive to all parks by 8:30 or so when they have a 9:00 opening time.

HAVE A TIP OR QUESTION?

Leave your tip or trip planning question by calling 414-WDW-7900 or email podcast at wdwprepschool.com

SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES

There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep To Go.

Direct download: episode1.mp3
Category:WDW Prep To Go Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

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