Disney people

[Deleted]

Do you book meal reservations and fast passes ahead of time? I'm thinking they want to kill all spontaneity from the trip, but I don't want to miss a ride or wait three hours either...

[swamp]

I don't think you can book fast passes ahead of time.  I usually do one meal reservation.  The rest is quick serve stuff. 

[taz157]

If you are staying at a Disney hotel AND you already have Disney tickets, you can reserve Fast Passes 60 days before you'll be there.  Otherwise, it is 30 days ahead of time.

With meal reservations, I've never done it so no advice there.

[steph08]

We are going next week and yes, I booked fast passes and ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

The fast pass plus system only allows you to book three fast passes each day in only one park. So you can plan a morning or afternoon but not the whole day.

I would highly recommend ADRs if there is somewhere specific you want to eat and/or if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. Otherwise you might be limited to quick service, even though there are good ones.

I have reservations for Be Our Guest for lunch and Ohana for dinner. Those are some of the most popular places. Character meals are also popular, but I think your kids are older than the target range for those.

[justme]

If you want to use fast passes you need to book them ahead of time. The good times do fill up. You can book three in advanced and then you can book day of other ones after the rest pass.

Ie if you book your first three fast passes and your last one is at 6 pm you can't book your fourth pass until after 6. The morning ones book up first.

Dining you can do a bit of both. If there's really popular places you want to go you need to book them in advanced. So be our guest or the Canada restaurant etc you need to book those. But through the app you can book dining day off to be more spontaneous. You have to be flexible though - unless it's really slow or you have good luck you might have to book at an odd time or not your first choice.

[Tiny]

My info is probably really out of date - back in the dark ages - when at Disney World we made the "we cannot miss doing" dinner reservations the first morning of our trip... we then made the 2nd tier of reservations. Then on a daily basis in the morning we made any 'that day' reservations we wanted... This was the dark ages though and I'm sure things have changed.

I think the only relevant bit in there is if you absolutely NEED to eat/attend something I'd make that reservation as soon as you can.
I took my cute little gray haired Mommy! when I was 25 (and she was 70) (I was a late in life baby )  to Disney World and she agreed to have dinner at Cinderella's castle with Prince Charming and Cinderella. She also wanted to dine at a couple of the restaurants in Epcot. I made those reservations ASAP and then we worked around those days/times.    We had an oddly good time - even though we had a somewhat difficult mother/daughter relationship.  

Go for a mix of spontinaity and planned.

[Deleted]

My mom asked about Ohana, but unless we eat at 9:30 it isn't happening so far...

[justme]

Jan 27, 2016 22:20:05 GMT -5 oped said:

My mom asked about Ohana, but unless we eat at 9:30 it isn't happening so far...

I believe their lunch is the same thing. And I think lunch goes until 4 (depending on how you look at it) you could always go to an early dinner for Ohana and stuff yourself (all you can eat) and then head to MK afterwards (since it's on the monorail) and finish up the day there. Ohana is super popular though (personally I found it just alright, but my bro loves it).

If it's really something you want to do I would just pick random times to check again. People change their plans all the time. One help for searching is I think they only look 2 or 3 hours on either side of the time you pick. Unless you pick "dinner" or "lunch" and then they search that whole time. But like I said I think the last lunch reservation is at 330 or 4 and I'd often take that reservation with friends (when nothing else was available) and then just plan on ice cream or something for dessert later. 

[973beachbum]

Since you had to do it and send out the bat signal to AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP I will go ahead and help you.  He is our resident expert in all things Disney.

[steph08]

Jan 27, 2016 22:20:05 GMT -5 oped said:

My mom asked about Ohana, but unless we eat at 9:30 it isn't happening so far...

That was us too - I could only find a 9:35 reservation, but keep checking because as people get closer to their trips, they start rearranging things and cancelling reservations so that they aren't charged the penalty if they cancel within 24 hours. That is how I found a 5:15 reservation!

I find the app to be better for dining reservations - seems quicker and less cumbersome.  

[tractor]

I use the Disney app on my phone. You can reserve dinner time instantly, and find out what times are open. You can also use the app to reserve fast pass times, see park hours, and wait times for rides in any park. In essence the app does away with the need to wait in line to make reservations, whether it's daily or months in advance.

[MJ2.0]

Jan 27, 2016 21:35:56 GMT -5 steph08 said:

We are going next week and yes, I booked fast passes and ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

The fast pass plus system only allows you to book three fast passes each day in only one park. So you can plan a morning or afternoon but not the whole day.

I would highly recommend ADRs if there is somewhere specific you want to eat and/or if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. Otherwise you might be limited to quick service, even though there are good ones.

I have reservations for Be Our Guest for lunch and Ohana for dinner. Those are some of the most popular places. Character meals are also popular, but I think your kids are older than the target range for those.

O'Hana dinner was amazeballs!!!! So much food and it was all superb!

[chen35]

Fast passes absolutely. If you wait until you get there you'll probably not get one until after 4:00 or 5:00

[chen35]

I also highly recommend the fast pass bracelets. So much easier than trying to find everyone's card. They are a bit pricey, but they can be used for multiple trips.

[Deleted]

They already sent me like all in one braclets? Those are new from when we went 6 years ago.

[chen35]

Oh good! those are the ones. They get you into the park and keep track of your fast passes. They are really nice to have.


ETA: ours probably cost money because we didn't stay on a disney property.

[wyouser]

Personally I book ahead for at least one meal for each theme park. I go for the snack package too, and YES buy the fast pass ahead of time. This Wyomingite is not fond of long lines....

[justme]

Oh, and one thing I like is a lot of the resorts have lounges, a few are in the parks. It's all first come first served and does tend to focus more on drinks, but they all have at least some type of food menu and some of them are really good and not too bad a deal if you're not looking for a big meal or want to share with a group.

Oh and I know a trick to getting to eat at Tutto Italia if you want to eat there but can't get a reservation.

[mollyanna58]

Jan 27, 2016 21:35:56 GMT -5 steph08 said:

We are going next week and yes, I booked fast passes and ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

The fast pass plus system only allows you to book three fast passes each day in only one park. So you can plan a morning or afternoon but not the whole day.

I would highly recommend ADRs if there is somewhere specific you want to eat and/or if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. Otherwise you might be limited to quick service, even though there are good ones.

I have reservations for Be Our Guest for lunch and Ohana for dinner. Those are some of the most popular places. Character meals are also popular, but I think your kids are older than the target range for those.

Who wouldn't want to have breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends? (Magic Kingdom, Crystal Palace).  Or Mickey Mouse and crew? (Chef Mickey's, Contemporary Resort)?  When we go, we generally reserve one character breakfast and one table service place.  The rest are quick serves or out in the real world.

[steph08]

Jan 28, 2016 18:40:42 GMT -5 mollyanna58 said:

Jan 27, 2016 21:35:56 GMT -5 steph08 said:

We are going next week and yes, I booked fast passes and ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

The fast pass plus system only allows you to book three fast passes each day in only one park. So you can plan a morning or afternoon but not the whole day.

I would highly recommend ADRs if there is somewhere specific you want to eat and/or if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. Otherwise you might be limited to quick service, even though there are good ones.

I have reservations for Be Our Guest for lunch and Ohana for dinner. Those are some of the most popular places. Character meals are also popular, but I think your kids are older than the target range for those.

Who wouldn't want to have breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends? (Magic Kingdom, Crystal Palace).  Or Mickey Mouse and crew? (Chef Mickey's, Contemporary Resort)?  When we go, we generally reserve one character breakfast and one table service place.  The rest are quick serves or out in the real world.

Well you do, and I do too , but not everyone is THAT into disney. I wasn't sure if oped cared about that stuff.

[Deleted]

I can take it or leave it I did book a breakfast somewhere, but it was the gluten free Mickey waffles that attracted me, rather than the live characters

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jan 27, 2016 21:09:59 GMT -5 oped said:

Do you book meal reservations and fast passes ahead of time? I'm thinking they want to kill all spontaneity from the trip, but I don't want to miss a ride or wait three hours either...

It's not a normal vacation. It just isn't.  The challenge is this that there's a LOT to see- you will not see it all, not in five trips.  The other problems is that there will be crowds and wait times for popular attractions will be long.  The way to get the most out of your trip is to do as much research as you can ahead of time so that you don't leave and find out later that there was something you would have gone to if you'd known about it, and to definitely plan ahead.  Meals are up to you, but booking character dining in advance is a great way to kill two birds with one stone- you have to eat anyway, and the kids get to meet their favorite Disney characters.  If you otherwise are not that fussy about food-- Disney does allow outside food and beverage. We have two cooler back packs and we bring sandwiches - usually pick them up at Publix deli (an experience unto itself-- you'll be delighted) and keep food and snacks in one bag, and drinks in the other. Bottles of water & soda in the parks are close to $3 each as you might expect.

So, to recap- yes, book fast passes for things (and book NOW for Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios and others or it will be 90+ minutes by an hour after open and two hours + by lunch). If you're Star Wars fans- Hollywood Studios has a LOT of cool stuff going on right now.

I always tell people, this isn't vacation. It's Disney World.  To get the most out of it- PLAN, and make reservations and book fast passes.  The best routine in general is to get up early and gate crash, take a mid afternoon break-- go to the pool, take a nap, whatever-- then go back at night.

It's gonna rain. I  don't care when you come- it will rain. Buy things like rain ponchos somewhere besides Disney World.  Bring them with you NO MATTER WHAT the forecast says.

Bring a first aid kid- something for bites, stings, and minor scrapes. Disney is awesome, but it's a time suck if you have to use their first aid.

All Disney water fountains are cold- just about all the time.  I've had better tasting water, but whatever-- save those water bottles and REFILL them. It'll save you carrying a 60 pound bag, and save you $$$.

Check out www.allears.net

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jan 27, 2016 21:35:56 GMT -5 steph08 said:

We are going next week and yes, I booked fast passes and ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

The fast pass plus system only allows you to book three fast passes each day in only one park. So you can plan a morning or afternoon but not the whole day.

CAVEAT: when you have used your LAST FastPass for the day- you can visit a FastPass kiosk in the park and book more FastPasses.

I would highly recommend ADRs if there is somewhere specific you want to eat and/or if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. Otherwise you might be limited to quick service, even though there are good ones.

I have reservations for Be Our Guest for lunch and Ohana for dinner. Those are some of the most popular places. Character meals are also popular, but I think your kids are older than the target range for those.

Our favorite meal at Disney World is Boma for breakfast at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  First of all, the resort is a sight to behold-- there're animals, and it's just a beautiful spot.  Second, the breakfast is wonderful. It's a buffet, but everything is fresh, there are made-to-order omelettes, fresh fruit- everything you can imagine-- but do not miss the smoked ham and their specialty mustard sauce.  If you're a vegetarian or vegan, they've been serving Quinoa there since before anyone knew what it was-- and plenty of other options.  Leave yourself time to wander around the resort before or after your reservation. You'll love it.  Then, you can take the bus wherever else-- which reminds me:

DO NOT FEAR THE BUS.  This ain't Chicago, or D.C.- go ahead. Use the Disney transportation.

If you're not staying on property-- consider it.  you'll get the most out of your trip that way-- and that afternoon pool break I recommended is better when you don't have to get in the car and drive off property.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jan 28, 2016 19:23:56 GMT -5 oped said:

I can take it or leave it I did book a breakfast somewhere, but it was the gluten free Mickey waffles that attracted me, rather than the live characters

be careful. I know Disney's got this awesome reputation for being great with allergies and all, but they screwed up 3 different times on our trip last April. Thankfully dh has tolerance issues and not outright allergies.

[Ryan]

We went this past year and he's my advice in no particular order:

-I'm in the minority here, but I don't like wasting that much time eating so the sit-down meals were kind of a hassle.  I'd still do them, but if I had to pick 1 or 2 I'd go with Chef Mickey's and Hollywood and Vine.

-I'd probably not do the dining plan, even if you have kids...esp. if you have kids because they don't eat much.

-Even if you are unsure of your plans, make a rough estimate and then just book fastpasses.  It'll at least allow you to change them on your phone when you're in the parks.  

-I think Disney transportation sucks personally and I would just take cabs/uber everywhere if I had to do it all over again.  We stayed at Poly so Magic Kingdom was no problem, but even going to Epcot seemed like it just takes too long. 

-I would not book breakfast ADRs. I'd rather just do the parks and then take a long break mid-day to do lunch.  

[justme]

If you have a car driving yourself between parks will take less time if you're staying on property do you don't have to pay the 20 for parking.

But cab? It'd cost you 20 one way to get from Polynesian to epcot. And that's if there's no line at the parking gate. The cheapest uber might be 10 but you run into issues on whether they can get through the parking gate without paying the 20.

It sucks if you have to wait the full 20 minutes between buses and even more if they're running late, but short of your own car the other options suck worse unless you're made of money.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

We had a ridiculous experience on the monorail over the Christmas break as well as back in November.  I don't know if the thing is getting old, or what- but we got stuck on the damn thing twice-- once for more than 30 minutes- and both times with Disney personnel following "procedures" to a fault and making an already unpleasant experience an even bigger fiasco.



We are making it a point NOT to take the resort monorails. The monorail to EPCOT hasn't been an issue.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

If Uber / Cabs are even on your radar-- a better deal would be to just rent a car.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jan 27, 2016 21:21:08 GMT -5 swamp said:

I don't think you can book fast passes ahead of time.  I usually do one meal reservation.  The rest is quick serve stuff. 

We're annual pass holders, so maybe it's different? But we can book fast passes months out.  We live about 35 minutes away, so we keep looking for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and just book it when it's available, then we just drive out, ride it, and hang out for a bit.