Answering Disney World Questions | The Happiest Place on Earth
A dream is a wish your heart makes…
Doug and I recently went to Disney World! It was a quick trip, but felt amazing to be in warm (to us) weather, take a break, and of course soak up a little Disney magic. I put a question box up on my Instagram and wanted to share answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q: Is it still worth it if you aren’t a huge Disney fan?
A: There is a certain magic that comes when you know the Disney movies and music, but if you are going to be in the area or enjoy shows/rides, it’s a lot of fun regardless. There’s a little something for everyone regardless of your level of Disney fandom (ex: my favorite at Magic Kingdom is Hall of Presidents).
Q: How do I convince my non-Disney loving husband to go?
A: If he enjoys shows, rides, cute parks, there’s a lot to enjoy. There’s also fun restaurants and spots to grab cocktails if that is more his speed.
Q: How much are tickets nowadays?
A: The cost varies depending on the add-ons that you do (park hopping, how many days you’re staying, Genie+ etc.) but the 1 day park ticket starts at $109.
Q: How busy was it this time of year?
A: It was actually not terrible. The popular rides still had significant wait times, but the park felt less busy than usual which was nice.
Q: Recommendations on taking a 3 year old? Have a trip planned to the Orlando area in March
A: The app is your friend-it shows wait times for rides in real time, available dining options, and will help you plan your day so you don’t have a frustrated kiddo waiting in long lines. Stroller, stroller, stroller. There are great stroller parking lots outside the shows/rides but it’s a great way to store your stuff so you aren’t lugging things through the whole park. Plus, late afternoon we passed a lot of sleeping kiddos taking a break! Parks wise, I would say that Magic Kingdom would have the most in terms of rides and shows accessible for that age. Animal Kingdom is a nice break from the constant rides and feels like a zoo. Epcot is probably the most “grown-up” in terms of feel.
NODDEA
Q: What made your trip easier? Any booking tips?
A: One word=Noddea. She’s a friend and Disney enthusiast who plans and books trips for people. Basically, she makes magic happen so you don’t have to stress about logistics. Noddea booked our resort, tickets (linked them to our apps/each other), reservations for food and specific attractions…essentially made our trip seamless. She gets a small commission through the company she represents for booking your accommodations, but the service is completely free to you. I can’t recommend her enough. If you have any interest in contacting her for an upcoming trip, you can find her Facebook page here.
APP/GENIE +/LIGHTNING
Q: What are Lightning Lanes? Are Fast Passes still available? I’m so confused.
A: Lightning Lanes have taken the place of Fast Passes. They allow you to cut the line and plan out your day when it comes to rides and shows. You book them through the Disney World app. Individual Lightning Lanes are different. They are paid Lightning Lanes that are assigned to the most popular rides in each park. They function the same way, you just pay for them individually (through the app) where the others are free.
Q: Did you get the Genie +? Did you use it?
A: The Genie+ was great. It allows you to book Lightning Lanes as of 7 am on the day of your visit which is huge considering a few of the big hitters were sold out by early morning. It allows you to plan and navigate your day really efficiently (ex: in Magic Kingdom we waited in 1 line for 30 minutes the entire day). It was great to be able to check it for wait times, planning out Lightning Lanes we wanted to use/book, and dining reservations.
Q: What’s the Genie+ cost?
A: Anyone who downloads the Disney app can use the “normal” Genie version for free to help plan your day through the Tip Board. Genie+ is $15 per ticket, per day. This allows Lightning Lane arrival times (which is what really helped us map out our day) and access to booking those at 7 am (ex: Rise of Resistance in Hollywood Studios books quickly. Right at 7 am we were refreshing and booked a Lightning Lane for 10:30 am. By 9:02 am, all Lightning Lanes for that ride for that day were gone).
MAGIC KINGDOM EVENING SHOW (ENCHANTED)
Q: What time did the fireworks start?
A: The show starts at 8 pm. Disney doesn’t mess around with scheduling. Whenever we have gone, the show starts right on time. Even if you have younger kiddos, make sure they stay up for this show. It’s truly my favorite part of the day at Magic Kingdom.
Q: Any tips on grabbing a good seat for the show?
A: People start gathering in front of the castle pretty early (around 6 groups were already congregating). If it’s time for a break and you want to hang out for a beat, great…but don’t do it solely for a “good spot.” We walked over around 7:50 and there were plenty of spots up front/in the middle, whatever you’re looking for. Any vantage is fantastic so again, unless you want to relax don’t spend your evening hours at the park waiting for a spot (the ride times were also much lower during this time so it’s a great opportunity to hop on a ride that’s had a long wait time).
FOOD + DRINK
Q: What is going on with the online reservations and ordering? Do you need to do that?
A: If you want to eat at a specific restaurant, it’s a good idea to get a reservation. When we looked on the app, many were completely full. It’s worth checking back in throughout the day though as a couple had random openings that popped up. If you’re flexible with where/what you eat, you can get away with choosing a place that is offering online ordering. The app gives you a list of places offering online ordering and then select your food and pick-up window. We did notice that a lot of the stands where you can get grab and go items had longer lines. If you have a family or bigger group, you will probably want to book reservations ahead of time.
Q: Favorite food you had while you were there?
A: This might sound odd, but we ended up doing lunch in Magic Kingdom at The Diamond Horseshoe. They happened to have a walk-up reservation and we only had to wait about 5 minutes. They serve everything family style-you start with a salad (the dressing was fantastic) and then have roasted turkey, green beans, potatoes, warm rolls etc. It was somewhat of an odd thing to eat in the middle of the day, but it was delicious. It felt like being at your mom’s house for a home cooked meal which was a welcome break from eating out. Plus, it was a nice break from the other park-typical food. It was also great, we were stuffed so didn’t need dinner that night.
ACCOMMODATIONS + TRANSPORTATION
Q: Would you suggest staying on property or off?
A: I would suggest staying on Disney property. Logistically, it’s a dream: they offer shuttles to and from the airport, managing your bags if you want, contactless entry to your room (your phone is your key), and have constant transportation heading to and from the parks. Additionally, you are able to get entry into the park a 1/2 hour before it opens to the public which is a great leg up if there’s a ride you want to get on or attraction you would like to see.
Q: What was the gondola ride you were on?
A: That’s actually the Skyliner. A few of the Disney properties have stops for the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. It was such a fun (and fast) way to get to and from the parks. No traffic, no crowded buses, just gliding along in a gondola in the sky!
Q: Recommendations on where to stay as kidless adults?
A: This past time we stayed at Art of Animation which was a lot of fun mainly because we got to ride the Skyline. For kidless adults I would suggest Contemporary Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, BoardWalk Villas, Polynesian Villas, Yacht Club Resort, Riviera Resort, Grand Floridian. Noddea was a huge help in figuring out what was available and providing transportation information from the resorts to the parks we were heading to.
GALAXY’S EDGE IN HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Q: Did you make it onto the Rise of Resistance ride? Any tips?
A: I touched on this in the Q+A section on the app, but yes! Doug was a tad nervous so we were pumped. We woke up early and were refreshing the app right at 7 am. We snagged a Lightning Lane at 10:30 am. Right after booking, we head to the Skyliner to get on a gondola to the park. They allowed people in (we arrived around 7:30 am) and walked directly to Rise of Resistance. They allowed us to get in line and opened the ride at 8 am. We walked right on. So, we rode it then and went back for our slot at 10:30 am. It’s FANTASTIC.
Q: How much was the Lightsaber experience? Did you book it in advance?
A: The experience costs $219.99 plus tax. For a Star Wars die hard like Doug, it was an immersive, magical experience worth every penny. Due to sticker price, it probably isn’t an experience you will want to do if you don’t love Star Wars. Noddea booked his experience for us; our time slot was 10:20 pm. The park itself closes at 9 pm, but they allow appointments beyond park hours. It worked out amazingly well as he didn’t have to carry it around all day plus, he got to walk out of an empty park with it at night.
Q: Where were the drinks you got in the Star Wars area? The fizzy one?
A: Oga’s Catina is a bar located in this area. Again, Noddea booked us a reservation which was great since they were fully booked and not allowing walk-ins on the day we visited. It’s fun to see the Catina and the drinks were tasty. Mine was the one smoking and Doug’s numbed his mouth (purposefully, he was not having a reaction). It isn’t something you need to bank loads of time for, we were in and out in about 1/2 hour.
COVID
Q: Heading there in April and a little nervous re crowds because of COVID. Less crowded than normal?
A: It did feel a bit less crowded, but that could be due to the fact that we went in January which can be a slower time for them. They are definitely limiting things in terms of dining and food carts (see above).
Q: What is the mask requirement there?
A: Right now, masks are required in any indoor spaces or rides. Some people wore them throughout the park, others did not.
LINKS
Q: Could you link Doug’s mask?
A: I got these for Doug for work and our trip. They’re the official masks of the NBA which made him feel extra cool. He was thrilled. Bless his heart.
Desavo Obsidian Black Masks
Q: Could you link your masks?
A: I wore a few different ones on the trip. The Suite Jennifer masks were perfectly convenient for long days in the park where you’re doing a lot of taking on/off. Plus, she has the most vibrant, playful patterns to choose from. The Rifle Paper floral masks were my go-to in the airport because they have really soft, stretchy ear loops. I have gotten a few of these at Rebel which is a local store in Grand Rapids, but recently ordered a similar one on Etsy that has the additional fold outs.
Suite by Jennifer Masks
Etsy Rifle Paper Fabric Mask
Q: Could you link your tennis shoes?
A: They’re a dream! I wore them all day long in the parks and had no problems.
Cole Haan Grand Pro Tennis Sneaker
Disney is fantastic, but also a huge influx of information. I hope this helps you navigate the waters a bit as you plan your trip. If you have other questions I can help you with feel free to message me! Or I will send you in the direction of the true expert, Noddea ;)
Wishing all of you a day of pixie dust.
Sincerely,
Ashley