8 Things I Learned on My Last Disney World Vacation

August 26, 2017

Though I visit Disney World several times each year, I always learn something new with each visit to pass on to my readers and clients to make your Disney trips as stress-free as possible. Having just come back from a 5-day end of summer Disney World vacation, I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve learned for those heading to the parks in the weeks and months ahead. With that in mind, here’s my list of 8 things learned during my most Disney trip:

1. The stand-by line for Flight of Passage is do-able but arrive nice and early. If you found it impossible to get a Fastpass reservation for Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, don’t worry, you are not alone. I have many clients who haven’t been able to secure these coveted Fastpasses even at the 60 day mark and I include myself in this list. So if you can’t get a Fastpass should you just write this attraction off completely? Not necessarily, it is honestly one of the best rides currently at Walt Disney World and is definitely worth experiencing. However, it does require a bit of effort. On my recent Pandora day, Animal Kingdom did not open up until 9am but I was on the 7:15 resort bus to the theme park and was in line in front of Animal Kingdom at 7:45. They let us into the park at 8:15 where a very large crowd made a mad dash to the front gates of Pandora. There were two lines, at the gates, one for Flight of Passage, the other for Na’vi River Journey. They officially opened Pandora at 8;45 and we were immediately led to the queue for Flight of Passage. By 8:50 we were inside the building and were in the second group to board when the ride officially opened at 9:00 am. For this reason it pays to get there early as the morning crowds move quite quickly. Most of the families in that first morning rush had less than 20 minutes to wait for this attraction. However, for families that arrive later, or where in the back of the queue, its a slightly different story. By the time we excited Flight of Passage, the standby line was at 90 minutes and the wait times remained high throughout the day. Riding standby is do-able provided that you get there early.

2. A few things to know about the Banshees at Pandora. One of the most sought after souvenirs at Walt Disney World, guests visiting Windtraders at Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – The World of Avatar, have the option of being able to adopt a small mechanical banshee. These creatures are designed to sit on your shoulders with a magnet and have a mini remote control that moves their wings, neck and mouth. Visitors can choose from a range of colors and styles. The first thing worth noting is that the prices of the toy have gone up since first release and they are now retailing for $60 per banshee. They are also not eligible for Passholder discounts. A piece of advice if you succumb to the pressure to by a banshee is not to lug them around with you all day. They come in a box that is the size of a large shoe box and pretty cumbersome. For onsite guests, I recommend having these shipped back to your room at the time of purchase, or for those checking out within 24hrs or staying offsite, you can also have the delivered to the front of the park (at the stroller rental desk) and you can pick them up on your way out.

3. Splash Mountain closes in two days for a lengthy refurbishment. Splash Mountain frequently tops the must-do lists for many Disney bound families so its worth noting that this headlining attraction will be closed for the majority of the Fall. The ride will officially close on August 28, 2017 and will remain closed until mid-November.

4. No luggage tags? No Problem. I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz lately about people not receiving their Magical Express luggage tags in time for their Walt Disney World Vacation. As a notorious last minute traveler, I rarely plan with enough time to have my luggage tags sent out but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use the luggage airport pick-up which is a main perk of using Magical Express. Should you unfortunately not receive your luggage tags, Disney still has you covered. When you arrive at your departure airport, check your bags as you normally would and hang on to the baggage claim sticker with barcode that you are given. When you arrive at Orlando International Airport, head directly to Disney’s Magical Express located on Level 1 on the B-side. When you check-in, hand them your baggage claim ticket and they will retrieve your luggage for you and have it delivered directly to your room. I had to do this on my most recent visit and it works a charm. I know this method isn’t as magical as having those green luggage tags delivered but don’t ever worry that you won’t be able to use this feature!

5. Don’t have breakfast at Be Our Guest at 10:30. Now let me start this off by saying that I am huge fan of Be Our Guest restaurant and will always try to eat here at least once during every vacation. However, when making my breakfast reservation this time all they had left was a 10:30 opening which is at the end of the breakfast service and pretty close to when the restaurant starts to prep for lunch. If you can avoid it, don’t book around this time for a couple of reasons. First of all, dishes I had ordered in the past where not as good during this visit. It appeared that the restaurant had run out of fruit meaning that instead a nice fruit salad I was given three blackberries, presentation was poor, food was not fresh and the bread was stale. The dining room was closed midway through my breakfast to diners and we sat in a pretty empty dining room while staff scurried around us to prep the dining room for lunch. It wasn’t the typical magical experience. I’ve never done the last seating at a Disney restaurant before but after this experience I would not recommend it.

6. All Star Music is an underrated resort – When most people are looking to book in the Value Category, Art of Animation, All Star Movies and Pop Century are usually the go to options. However, I’ve stayed at All Star Music during my last two visits and was so pleasantly surprised by how much me and my family loved it there. The staff, from front desk to management, are absolutely wonderful and in my experience customer service at All Star Music surpassed that of some of the pricier resorts. The property is clean, colorful and filled with fun details that really make you feel like you’re in the heart of the Disney magic. The central Food Court was refurbished not too long ago and is a bright an cheerful place to eat with a lot of nice options. The pizza counter also operates on a buzzer system which is perfect for avoiding those long lines that can build up during the dinner/late nights. The rooms are pretty standard with two double beds and basic amenities but our room was very clean and well serviced. The central guitar-shaped pool was a hit with my family especially the poolside ping-pong tables. For a special treat, I would highly recommend opting for a preferred pool view room. We stayed on the third floor of building 10 in the Calypso section and you could not have asked for a better location. The views of the pool were beautiful and we were just a short walk to central amenities. After being pretty impressed during both visits, All Star Music is definitely going to be our go-to Value Resort going forward.

7. Use Amazon Prime Pantry and save a ton on beverages – If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan than this may not be as relevant but for those paying for food and beverages out of pocket consider having items ordered to your room with Amazon Prime Pantry. You need to be an Amazon Prime Member to use the service but its a fantastic option that delivers grocery items directly to the resort for you. You can order two days in advance up to 2 hours in advance. The fees are minimal and tipping recommended though optional. You can choose from a wide array of items like snacks, breakfast items and treats to take into the park. But where I found it to be a real money saver was with beverages. For instance, a length of stay Rapid Fill Resort Mug will set families back $18 per mug. For me and my daughter that’s $36.00. For less than that we were able to have a case of water, a case of soda, Vitamin Water and juice boxes delivered to the resort and brought up to our room by Bell Services. This also meant that where as the mugs can only be used at the resort, we could fill up our park bags with beverages each morning and enjoy them throughout the day at the theme park. Here’s a link to the service.

8. Don’t waste Table Service Credits on Pizza Delivery. I saw several families doing this during my recent visit so I though it worthy of mention. A lot of the Disney Resorts offer a Pizza Delivery Service where you can have delicious pies delivered directly to your resort room which is pretty amazing. When I ordered a Pizza during my recent resort stay the cost was $19.99 for a large pie with breadsticks or two table service dining credits. Though I know the idea of using your dining credits sounds pretty appealing, don’t do it! Instead pay for your pizza out of pocket as it is actually such a waste of a dining credit. For instance. For one dining credit, you could have dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with the Disney Princesses or enjoy a delicious buffet at Tusker House. For one adult to dining at either of these experiences out of pocket would cost around $59.00 per person. So that’s nearly $120 for both dining credits. Why would you use the same credits for a pizza costing $20.00? You might as well throw away $100.00. The dining plan can be a tough one to figure out for a lot of first time visitors, so spread the word! Don’t fall into the pizza delivery trap!

I hope you find these tips from my last visit to Disney helpful and please feel free to share you own tips on how visitors can have a better Mouse trip!

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