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Disney World Itineraries and Trip Planning – What We Recommend

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Disney World Itineraries and Trip Planning – What We Recommend 

Walt Disney World Itineraries are a great way to uncover aspects of the parks and resorts that you may have never thought about attempting or exploring during your Walt Disney World vacation. I started developing itineraries for the parks about a year ago and based a vast majority of the information on stays that we had faced recently and information we had gathered over the years. In doing so and from personal experience, I tend to suggest that a 6 or 7 day Disney World vacation is the sweet spot for touring the parks. 

I used to suggest a 5 day trip, and that probably still is the most cost effective and realistic option, but with new openings in the parks it really does help to have that extra day or two to revisit and explore in greater depth your favorite aspects of your vacation. That last day or two can make all the difference and really give that extra cushion of time to enjoy your resort, head to the pool or a waterpark, or even revisit some of your favorite attractions before returning home. 

Disney World Itineraries and Trip Planning - What We Recommend

Do you want to use an itinerary at Disney?  

Honestly, I’m a firm believer in the fact that a spontaneous day at Walt Disney World can be absolutely incredible because you never know what to expect. However, at the same time, there’s a certain level of planning that Disney World in particular has essentially required of guests that didn’t used to be a part of the travel planning process. Today, when you visit Disney it’s somewhat of a multi-phase process. You book your reservation months in advance, set up your fastpasses 60 days out, and a majority of guests will book their dining reservations 60-180 days out from their travel dates. While some of this is optional, with the Magic Band system and Fastpass+ it is quite a bit harder to book a trip without any sort of formal plan for your stay. That’s where we come in! 

There is no “one stop shop” Disney World Itinerary and truth be told there’s no tried and true perfect plan for every guest  but that’s a good thing! As we set out these plans of touring the parks, it allows for a certain level of manipulation. For example, maybe we list Magic Kingdom for day one of a 7 day trip. We list that particular day for a reason, but if it doesn’t fit how you want to travel, you can manipulate and change the plan for what works best for you. Consider these itineraries as vacation itinerary outlines that can be changed and manipulated but are, at the same time, tried and proven ways to successfully tour the parks and make the most of your vacation. More than anything, I hope these plans give you something new to try during your trip or offer up a different scenario the you may want to try for yourself one day. 

If you’ve never been to the parks, print off one of these itineraries (they should be relatively printer friendly) and fill in your must do attractions in the margins, and you should be well on your way to your first Walt Disney World vacation. If you want some more personalized help, feel free to email me (as always – I’m not a travel agent but happy to help where I can at no charge – guide4wdw@gmail.com) or contact our recommended authorized Disney travel planner (also at no charge). 

Long story made short, itineraries aren’t for everyone and sticking to a schedule isn’t for everyone, so if that’s you this article may not be for you and your travel needs. On the other hand, if you like to know what you’re doing and where you’re going each day of your Disney trip, this may be right up your alley!

A Word of Caution for Any Disney Itinerary

Without a doubt, I know these plans work and have worked for us in the past, but I say that with a certain level of caution. Don’t be that guest that obsesses over their “to-do” list so much that they get to the end of their trip and feel like they never took the time to simply enjoy being there. Disney World Itineraries and touring plans are great sources of information, but if you don’t throw the plan aside for a few moments to take it all in and enjoy the simplicity of just being their, you’re going to miss out on one of the greatest joys of going to Walt Disney World. 

I’ve had the privilege of talking to other guests over the years (even before the site was created) who had returned home from Disney trips and all they could say was how “stressful” the experience was. Immediately, after hearing that, I could pick out what they were going to say next… “It was fun but I don’t know if we’ll go back.” A majority of those same guests went unprepared or vastly over-prepared. Neither one of those options is a good situation in my opinion when you’re talking Disney World Planning. If you don’t plan at all, with the requirements of the fastpass+ and My Disney Experience system today, you’re going to be playing catch-up for a portion of your stay. On the other hand if you over plan and figure out what exact attraction you’re going ride for each and every minute of the day, you’re probably not going to be happy with the end result either. 

We’ve found that there’s a certain sweet spot in the middle of both options. Plan the necessities and avoid the aggressive planning. Truth be told, you need to plan these things on your Disney World Itinerary: 

  • Table Service Dining Reservations
  • Your Theme Park Tickets – If you haven’t purchased tickets as a package, I always recommend The Official Ticket Center (clickable link) for the best prices I’ve found on multi-day and single day tickets. You may even catch an upgrade or extra ticketed day when you purchase through them) 
  • Your Resort Accommodations 
  • Your Fastpass+ Selections 
  • Your “Must-Do” Attractions 
  • What Day You Want to Visit Each Park (be sure to look at extra magic hours) 

If you can lock down those decisions, you’ll be set for a flexible yet planned Disney World vacation experience. I mention “must-do” attractions because it makes things easier. If each guest in your party picks one attraction or experience they want to do more than anything else for each day of the trip, everyone is happy. For groups of 2-10 guests or so, this works out great. Most days it’s possible to check off that “must-do” for each guest and everyone is happy because they accomplished what they wanted to do the most. It’s manageable, measurable, and keeps everyone happy while remaining vastly attainable during most lengths of stay. 

As mentioned above, I consider this the sweet spot for Disney World Itineraries. You’re not booking too much, but not booking too little. For example, on our trip that’s coming up in a few short weeks, our group only booked two dining reservations, our hotel accommodations, and our park days. We wanted to do a lighter trip with less commitment to plans and simply planned what we were doing from a big picture perspective for each day. Basically all we know is our fastpass+ selections and what day we want to be where. Truthfully, that’s less than what the average guest will need. 

Obviously, we’ve been doing this for a while and many of you have been as well. As you travel more, and tour the parks more, a returning guest opposed to a first time guest tends to be less worried about trying to do everything. Spoiler alert: It’s impossible to see and do everything at Walt Disney World. I’ve literally been traveling to the parks my entire life and haven’t seen and done it all. That realization is what often sets apart returning guests from first time visitors. We know we’ll be back, and we know there’s no sense in trying to do everything on property. It wont happen, but that’s not a deterrent but rather a blessing that there’s always something new to return to and explore trip after trip. Don’t worry about doing it all, just focus on making the most of the time you have. That’s what our itineraries tend to focus on, and if that sounds like something you can get behind, here’s a closer look at some of our top itineraries for Walt Disney World.

Disney World Itineraries and Trip Planning - What We Recommend

Short Stay Disney World Itineraries

A stay at Walt Disney World that is shorter than 4 days can be relatively tough. Inevitably, you will feel a bit rushed. With that being said, our last trip in March of 2018 at the Boardwalk Villas was only 3 and half days in length. If you make the most of it, you can do far more than you could ever imagine. If you want to see every park, it will require a park-hopper, and even with our experience working in your favor you will miss out on a few things along the way. But, a short Disney trip is certainly better than no Disney trip at all so be sure to check this one out if you’re looking to make the most of your time in the parks.  

If you’re really short on time or doing other things in the area and only have one day to spend at Walt Disney World, we have a few itineraries for that as well. The one day trip is never an ideal situation, so there’s a heavy focus on getting things done and making the most of the entire day in the park for these plans, but they’re also great to add into a multi-day itinerary so that you can circle back at the end of your stay to revisit what you may miss along the way. If you’re careful and willing to get up early I’m pretty confident these 1-day itineraries will allow you to enjoy the majority of what the park has to offer. 

Long Stay Disney World Itineraries 

Longer stays in the parks can make all the difference in the ability to relax a bit more during a Disney trip. You have a bit more time and that extra aspect of the vacation can afford you the time to step away from the parks and explore without giving up quite as much as you would during a shorter stay. Longer stays put a certain level of freedom into the planning mix that is unmatched by anything except being a local Orlando resident. You can set up a morning in the parks, head back to the pool at lunch, and maybe even go catch another park’s fireworks show later that night. You’re not confined by the thoughts of losing out on time in the parks or the disappointing thought of missing a favorite attraction because you know you’ll have plenty of time to head back on another day later on in your 7 day stay. 

There’s so much freedom added to the longer stays simply because of that aspect of extra time and with Disney Springs nearing completion, you can take the time to explore that area in depth which you likely wouldn’t on a 4 day or shorter vacation. Planning your days out is a bit less important for these loner stays but if you want some help and want to see how we handle these longer trips affectively, be sure to check out:

If you’re looking for even more info on the parks and resorts, along with some hidden gem experiences, be sure to check out WDW Magazine! Their print release is coming out soon! Join the wait list. 

Unique Disney Itinerary Options 

When you really think about it, two things dictate a Disney parks Itinerary, cost and time. It’s no secret that Disney trips can be incredibly expensive and just keep getting more expensive year after year. The increased costs do come with an increased level of entertainment, but it would be wrong to avoid the fact of the matter that these are vastly expensive vacations. Disney trips are expensive, but at the same time it doesn’t have to be absurdly expensive and that’s why we came up with the following itinerary options.

The first option, and perhaps the link that I feel is most important out of this entire article is a closer look at how to make Disney work for your situation and your budget. We’ve been in your shoes. Over the years we’ve toured the parks on string budgets, and we’ve toured the parks with large budgets. No matter what, there’s always a budget and staying within that budget can make or break your ability to head to Walt Disney World. Ultimately, that’s the step that should precede everything in this article. A Disney trip is great and well worth the investment of both your time and money to create memories that really and truly will last a lifetime, but at the same time, no trip is worth risking your financial security. Definitely check out a few ways to cut costs and make your vacation work for your both in that article and on other sites throughout the Disney online community. 

The second article listed is a way to tour what Disney has to offer without ever stepping foot in a park. I really only recommend this to guests who have been to the parks time after time, but a more relaxing stay at one of Disney’s world class resorts can be an incredibly relaxing trip that will rival nearly any other vacation destination. Often times when you cut out the park tickets or even just cut your amount of park days the savings may surprise you and may even allow you to put that money into staying at the resort you’ve always dreamed of spending a few nights in. 

Disney World Itineraries and Trip Planning - What We Recommend

Why Should You Care? 

Inevitably, I can guarantee that at least one of you is asking this question. Either you’re the one planning the trip despite not wanting to go or you’re weighing the costs of the experience and requirements of planning against another vacation destination. Ultimately, I’ll share one message with those of you who are in this position. Disney is a place that has a bad reputation for being a place for kids or young families. When you tell someone you write about the Disney parks, you typically get two responses. The first is a blank stare and then a comment like, “aren’t you too old for that” or something of the sorts. Or you get a second response and that is “We love Disney and have been going for years!” The first response is what keeps me doing what I’m doing today. I know that sounds like quite the opposite of what should happen, but bear with me. 

I share on this site to help people plan and experience Disney on a deeper level. There’s not a doubt in my mind that the “you’re too old for that” response is typically from someone who doesn’t understand the parks and resorts. Truthfully, that’s what I enjoy sharing with them. When you tell those same people that Disney has select world class dining options, impressive nightlife, PGA tour level golf courses, bowling, Broadway-esque caliber shows, and incredible story telling capabilities, they tend to look at you with a different thought process. Many times it’s a changed perspective and a newfound desire to tour the Disney property in a different way than the media tends to portray it. 

That may sound like I hold myself to this ultimate “manipulative authority” or that I’m a Disney public relations drone trying to drum up business, but it’s not intended to sound that way (again, I’ve never worked for or even with Disney directly at this point). I share those things and ultimately these itineraries to share with others something that has been a big portion of my life and that has created memories that will truly last a lifetime. I want everyone to have that same opportunity in some facet. The moments that create these memories may not be the same for everyone, but Disney as a whole is a place that creates opportunities for guests to create their own story and experiences time and time again. It sounds hopelessly corny in writing but it’s true and one of those things so many of you reading this understand and have experienced first hand.            

Your Thoughts


As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Disclosure – This post does contain affiliate links that help us out monetarily when you use our partners over at Destinations to Travel and purchase from WDW Magazine or the Official Ticket Center. We recommend these groups because we know them and have talked to their owners personally who stand behind their products and services.     

Our Top 5 "Hidden in Plain Sight" Locations of Walt Disney World

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our Top 5 “Hidden in Plain Sight” Locations of Walt Disney World 


A few short days ago I was talking with a reader that mentioned a certain area of Epcot that they felt was entirely underrated and a “hidden gem” of sorts of the Walt Disney World experience. To me, this seemingly simple moment of discovering a “hidden gem” spot during a WDW trip is something that is a bit hard to describe. 

As you travel through the parks, occasionally you’ll come across a spot that just clicks with you and is something you really enjoy for a shockingly trivial reason. To me, that moment and type of location is oh so often found in the simplest of experiences in the most trivial moments of the vacation experience. For instance, you wont find an attraction on my list in the generic sense of the term but at the same time you may find little tucked away areas of the parks and resorts that many entirely overlook. They’re not big, exciting locations, but sometimes there’s beauty in true to life simplicity. A moment sitting on a bench away from the crowds or simply away from the attractions can open up a world of possibilities. Sometimes it frees your thoughts and allows you to escape, even to a greater sense than the parks do on a daily basis for many of us.

If you’re one of those people that goes all out and does nothing but jump from attraction to attraction your entire trip, truthfully this list may not be for you. But, for the rest of you, keep reading and you may discover a little area to uncover during your next Walt Disney World trip. If that sounds like a good plan, keep reading and we’ll share a few of what we consider “Hidden in Plain Site” locations in the parks.

1. Swiss Family Treehouse 

For years, if I’m completely honest, I looked at the Swiss Family Treehouse as nothing more than a lot of stairs and that’s certainly a regret of mine, but at the same time a blessing in disguise. On a relatively recent trip, heavy crowds forced us to think outside of the box and take the time to enjoy a few of the simpler aspects and attractions of Magic Kingdom. In doing so, I convinced myself to give the treehouse another chance and I’m glad I did. As you embark in climbing the multitude of stairs leading to the top, you’re greeted by some of the most spectacular and vastly overlooked views in all of Magic Kingdom. From your vantage point high in the tree, you can see Space Mountain clearly in the distance and can witness Adventureland from an entirely new perspective. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a few minutes at night, the views are improved upon and changed in a unique way in the dimly lit light of the staircases and classic lamps of the structures that make up this impressive treehouse structure.        

2. The Gardens of the Japan Pavilion

Once again, this garden is a bit tucked away and out of sight of the average guest. Over in the Japan Pavilion of the World Showcase, a little garden welcomes guests into a sensory experience of wonderful smells and the gentle sounds of water flowing over rocks and through little streams slightly elevated above the World Showcase promenade near Katsura grill. 

If you’ve not taken the time to at least quickly wander through the garden, it’s worth a few minutes or even potentially longer to enjoy a moment of true simplicity and beauty in the classic nature of the situation Imagineering so expertly developed. It’s culturally representative of Japan but at the same time features that uniquely “Disney” touch that makes all the difference in setting the scene for a memorable moment in the parks.     

3. The Canada Pavilion Waterfalls and Gardens


The Canada Pavilion is, in my opinion, the most overlooked and glanced past pavilion in all of Epcot. If you ever take a moment to watch guests at this point in the World Showcase, you’ll typically see them glance up at the pavilion and keep on walking. Honestly, that’s a huge mistake. The Canada pavilion is far more diverse and far more unique than most guests give it credit for. As you walk up the stairs and head towards the back of the pavilion you’ll find a small staircase that leads towards a large waterfall. If you walk right up near the waterfall you’ll find a small path leading the way to the gardens of the pavilion that open up to the area near the entrance to Le Cellier steakhouse (a must-do if you’ve never tried it!). Shockingly, the area is very peaceful and is also a great place to catch a glimpse of Illuminations from a new perspective. You will miss out on some of the low level fireworks, but the atmosphere is, in many cases, worth the trade off.      


4. East Center Street 

Much like the Carolwood Room mentioned below, East Center street is a place where you can sit back and escape the crowds for just a few minutes while enjoying a bit of Disney history hidden in plain site. For example, a select few of the unique historical elements you can find here are: 

Magic Kingdom is a treasure trove of Disney history but East Center Street is unique in that many guests walk past it day after day and trip after trip without any recognition or recollection of what it is or may hold. Don’t get me wrong, in essence East Center Street is a narrow street jutting east about half way down Main Street USA across from the Emporium. The street itself literally goes nowhere and simply ends after about 15-20 yards, but it’s clever seating area and hidden touches create a great “escape” from the park. You can sit back on a bench or small table and listen to the sounds of Main Street, the singing lessons hidden in the cracked window above, and watch the guests hustle and bustle around Main Street.


It is, without a doubt, a simple pleasure of the Main Street experience but one that can be enjoyed in just a few minutes or you can sit back and relax for hours on end. If you can spare the time, this could be an incredibly good place off the beaten path in the parks to think and take a step back from the troubles of the world for even a brief moment.    
  

5. The Carolwood Room 

If you’ve been following along with the site for a while you likely know how much I enjoy this simple piece of the magic. Tucked away over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, this vastly overlooked little room unveils the real history of Walt Disney’s train obsession that often culminated into larger than life theme park steam engine iterations. It was no secret that Walt loved steam engines and Walt’s Carolwood estate was perhaps the most striking example of that larger than life love of a hobby that we can still appreciate today. Walt’s Carolwood estate was perhaps one of his most unique projects. Around the home, Walt built an incredibly elaborate miniature railroad and this little room in the heart of the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge is a tribute to that hobby of the man who started it all. 

The Carolwood room is cleverly placed out of site of most guests. As you enter Wilderness Lodge head out the right exit near the gift shop and follow the path down to the Villa lobby area. As soon as you enter the door head to your right and you’ll be in the heart of this classic room. I wont go into vast detail because I did that in our article – Outstanding Disney History Hiding in Plain Sight: The Carolwood Room. However, this little room is an incredible place to escape for a few brief moments. There’s a beautiful fireplace, big comfy chairs, and you’re steps away from one of the most incredible views of Bay Lake you’ll find anywhere on property! Don’t forget to stop by Geyser Point for a great cheeseburger and an even better atmosphere.  
As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?


Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside? – A Closer Look

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside? – “A Closer Look”

Today’s topic is one that pops up almost weekly on social media and one that I even get asked directly from time to time and typically give the same answer. However, what I choose is oftentimes what works for me and the people I travel with and may vary from what is best for you. So, today I’m going try and hold off on a final “verdict” until the very end of the article as to not try and sway you one way or the other without first considering a variety of factors.

Honestly, in the realm of moderate tier resorts at Walt Disney World, Port Orleans is one of the most overlooked properties in my opinion. The property is excellent, and while there are  a few slight qualms to the overall guest experience that set it apart from feeling quite like deluxe resort (for obvious reasons), I like to put these two properties in what I like to call a “moderate+” category. It’s a term that is completely and utterly made up, but at the same time I see incredibly fitting for the property as a whole. Both sections of the overall resort area bring a lot to the table in the areas of dining offerings, transportation, and even resort recreation. On top of that, the layout lends itself to a better guest experience in comparison to some of the other moderate tier accommodations. 

Riverside
(Pictured: Riverside – Photo: Disney)


In my option, there is no one best resort for each guest or family traveling to the parks. It’s an impossible task to try and peg that ultimate “one stop shop resort” that is going to have everything that meets your needs. Price is inevitably going to be a big factor for many guests, and Port Orleans as a whole falls into what I would call the “affordable” category at around $200-$250 per night currently. It’s not a budget buster for a majority of guests, but at the same time it’s not going to be quite as budget friendly as the value tier in most cases. At the same time though, if you book it on a bounceback offer as we mentioned in our Disney World Discount – How We Saved 27% With One Phone Call article, it may fall in price to the point where it may work out for even the tightest of budgets.

If you’re looking at both resorts from a cost standpoint and trying to choose one that way, you’re typically only going to save a few dollars and the resort that typically remains cheaper is almost always a toss up. Personally, I’ve seen French Quarter listed at a more budget friendly rate recently when their is not a big discount offer available.

For example, consider the discount currently available for Summer 2018. If you book a room for July 22nd the cost is $252.00 for Riverside and $252.90 for French Quarter. There’s very little difference in price but our friends over at Destinations to Travel could weigh the options for your particular dates. As always, you’ll find a quote request form for them at the bottom of the page and thanks for supporting those who help support us.  

If you are considering staying at one of these two resorts, here’s what I recommend you consider before price, mostly because price tends to be a fairly negligible difference. I will pick a winner for each category simply to give an idea of why I prefer one over the other for each category.

Theming- My Pick – Port Orleans Riverside

Truth be told, I literally just typed French Quarter, then deleted it and wrote in Riverside. This one really is a bit of a toss up, but I’ll tell you the one main reason I chose Port Orleans Riverside for theming. When you walk in that resort and out of the main lobby to the waterfront area with the big mill wheel rotating and the water glistening with the reflection of the main building, it’s one of the few moments out of all the moderate resorts that makes you step back and think “wow, that’s incredible.” Sure, you have similar moments as you walk out to the main pool of Caribbean Beach, and maybe even walking past one of the towering statues at a value resort like Pop Century, but this is different. That “wow” moment  is developed by an incredibly subtle yet largely classic and inspiring elegance that really sets the stage for the resort experience.

As guests, we all tend to talk about this “transformative experience” we get to enjoy at Disney. The parks transform your state of mind and put you into your favorite film, or even into a location that you’ve always dreamed of visiting, and for a brief moment you’re there! Sure, you’re not in New Orleans, but for many of us it’s about as close as we may come and even if it’s not a perfect iteration of the original, it’s an excellent ambiance nonetheless.

To me, the edge goes to Riverside for that view in it’s entirety, because in all reality, the two resorts are quite similar in regard to the resort room interiors. Riverside rooms are bit brighter with lighter wood accents and slightly different decor but the furnishings and set up are near identical with one main exception. At Port Orleans Riverside, you do get a child size pull down bed in non-royal rooms. It’s a nice bonus to squeeze another person into a room that would typically only accommodate four guests.

Port Orleans Riverside does offer, as mentioned, what are called royal rooms. The rooms themselves are different in that they feature touches of princess decor and a more elaborate theming than other rooms on the property. It kind of feels like a toned down version of staying in Cinderellas Castle, albeit a much less luxurious version. It is a fun option for kids or those of us who are kids at heart, but to me it seems like a bit much and is quite difficult to justify the $30-$70 increase in nightly pricing.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with French Quarters theming, and the lobby of the resort is quite impressive as well, but in many ways the “wow factor” is more subdued, but for what it lacks slightly in “wow factor” of design, it more than makes up for in “wow factor” for beignets! More on that later!      
         

Transportation- My Pick – French Quarter (marginally)

Transportation is impossible to pick a “winner” for a few reasons. First, they share busses sometimes and either way you’re going to be riding a bus to all four parks. However, what’s nice about French Quarter is that the bus stop is literally a few steps away from the main lobby and dining location Floatworks. Due to the smaller size of the property at French Quarter, a majority of rooms will be a shorter walk to the bus. It isn’t a make or break difference, but even a few steps could make a difference. Additionally, both resorts offer boat transportation to Disney Springs which is an excellent option for guests looking for a greater variety of shopping and dining offerings without having to ride yet another bus. French Quarter is the shorter boat ride to Disney Springs by about 7-10 minutes, but either way it’s a pretty relaxed and enjoyable ride to Disney Springs with some incredible views along the way. 
Port Orleans boat dock
Be aware, these are boats that are a fair amount smaller than the Friendship boats over in the Epcot resort area, and also a different style than the boats of the Magic Kingdom resort area. I’ve never heard a reason why, but this watercraft transportation uses a pontoon-esque boat to transport guests. For most, it makes very little difference, but as you sit still at the docks, the rocking motion of the boat when it is not in movement is a bit more noticeable.           

Size- My Pick – French Quarter (without a doubt) 

This is and was the deciding factor for us time and time again. Port Orleans French Quarter features just over 1,000 guest rooms. Riverside is home to well over 2,000 guests rooms. That variation in and of itself makes a huge difference in the scale of the resort. In turn, Riverside is much more spread out. It’s not quite as spread out as Caribbean Beach or Coronado Springs, but it is a noticeably longer walk from various points of Riverside to common areas and the main pool when compared to French Quarter.

For our vacations, that makes all the difference. We’re known for running to the resort food area to grab a snack on the way back to the room at night or to catch a meal by the pool and the convenience factor really starts to come into play if you plan on using the common areas of the resort to their full extent. If you’re just going to the parks and not spending much time at the resort, I wouldn’t worry about this too much because it may not effect you all that much in the end result.

Dining- My Pick – French Quarter 

Some of you may find this a bit odd, but I vastly prefer the food at French Quarter compared to Riverside. In all fairness, Floatworks at French quarter is perhaps my favorite counter service restaurant on property for a few reasons. First and foremost, they offer large meals at reasonable prices by Disney standards. The menu is massive and with 5 different “shops,” each featuring a different set of food offerings, it’s hard to go wrong. Between the Po’ Boy shop with it’s catfish and shrimp sandwiches to the carving shop with an array of meats, chickens, and even a create your own option it’s truly a must do for us on nearly any vacation.

Perhaps the kicker to it all is the Beignets. These little fluffy pillows have an almost donut like consistency to them with a slight crossover flavor to the funnel cake world. It’s a French Quarter icon of Walt Disney World and genuinely near the top of my must-try desserts list for prospective guests.

Beyond the food itself, French Quarter’s food court area is a bit more quaint in nature and seems more open and welcoming in my opinion. There’s nothing wrong with the Riverside Food Court and it is quite a bit better than some food courts on property but it is rather large and when it is crowded it’s an entirely different atmosphere than Floatworks.

Beignets at French Quarter WDW

On the other hand, the location’s size could work in your favor when looking for a table, but in my experience that is sort of a non-issue. As far as Table service goes, there is only one table service option and that is over at Port Orleans Riverside and is Boatwright’s Dining Hall. Truthfully I’ve never taken the time to go over there and try it out. I have heard good things about the food offered and the quality of the experience, but to me it seems like a place I’d go on a rainy day if I didn’t want to leave the resort. It’s not particularly special, but not bad in any regard. The atmosphere is pretty unique but it’s not something that will blow you away. All things considered, if table service is a big thing for you, jump on a boat and ride to Disney Springs for a larger variety of offerings and this becomes sort of a non-factor for most guests.

Perhaps one of the most iconic experiences in all of Walt Disney World is housed over at Riverside, Yehaa Bob. His performances at the River Roost lounge have become a truly hidden gem of the Port Orleans Riverside experience and are something I’ve been trying to make time for during our next trip. His piano and singing performance gets the audience involved in a show that is unlike any other. Just be aware that he is not there every night so be sure to check before making the journey over or planning a night for the show.                  

Pools- My Pick – Riverside 

Riverside’s pool takes the win here for a few reasons. First, it’s larger. Second, it’s more elaborately themed. Third, the French Quarter Pool feels a bit outdated to me. There’s nothing wrong with the elaborate serpent type dragon slide and decor of French Quarter but the pool is fairly small in comparison to other resorts. The location of the pool at Port Orleans French Quarter is excellent in that you are literally a two minute walk to the food area and mug refill station, so that’s a big bonus in my book. 
Riversides Pool is fashioned to look like an old swimming hole and it’s classic nature is incredibly fitting to the look and feel of the overall resort. It puts you “into the story” in a way that French Quarter’s pool really seems to lack. 
A more unique selling point of Riverside is a legitimate fishing area that allows guests to fish in a catch and release manner. It’s one of those little elements that builds story around the experience, and while they didn’t have to add it in, it makes all the difference in a distinctly Disney manner. 

My Overall Pick – French Quarter    

To many this may be a surprise but here’s the thing… When we travel to Disney we do so for two main reasons. We travel to enjoy the parks, or to enjoy the resorts. For longer trips we tend to split up the time pretty evenly, but for shorter trips we devote a majority of our time to the parks. Either way, this resort fits our needs. It’s exciting enough and there’s enough to do at the resort that we could spend a good amount of time there, but if we want to spend a lot of time in the parks, the cost is low enough that you don’t feel bad about missing out on some of what the resort has to offer. As always, we recommend a deluxe resort instead, especially if budget is not a problem. If you want to spend some time exploring and enjoying your resort in depth, my top pick is Wilderness Lodge. If you want to go all out, try Club Level at Wilderness Lodge. However, if you want to stay at a fairly budget friendly resort with the best bang for your buck on property, I certainly suggest French Quarter. If you’re looking at the moderate tier, this is my pick hands down. It’s better than Caribbean Beach in many ways (and we’ve likely stayed at Caribbean Beach more than any other resort as a result of the low prices quite a few years ago), and while that resort is a great experience this one far outweighs it in the realm of “luxury” and comfort for a few extra dollars a night (at least until Caribbean Beach construction is completed).
Wilderness Lodge
(Pictured: Wilderness Lodge)
Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 

Ready to Plan?


Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Disney World Discount – How We Saved 27% With One Phone Call

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Disney World Discounts – How We Saved 27% With One Phone Call

Starting out today, I’ll be completely honest with you. This is not a special Disney discount code or a trick to capture a special “pin-code” or even a limited time offer discount. Well, actually in some ways, the 27% discount we received on our next booked Disney vacation was slightly time sensitive, but I’ll share how we got around that in one simple way. Long story made short, good Disney World discounts are hard to come by these days and, with the rising costs, finding ways to get back to the parks at a cheaper rate is incredibly important to so many of us. 


While many of you may have heard of the discount we’re sharing today, I was shocked by this individual scenario and rather than focusing on the discount itself, I wanted to share our experience and how much money it actually saved us. We have the numbers and we will share the real world numbers. Also worth mentioning is that these are real numbers that you can find on Disney’s site as of Sunday, May 20th, 2018. Lastly, I would be out of place if I didn’t tell you “your results may very” as unfortunate and cliche as that sounds. 

The key to this article to me is not to say “Hey, look what we got!” but rather to be real with you all about the discount. As always, nobody pays us to say these things, we aren’t given “special discounts” by Disney as media (contrary to popular belief – believe me… Disney hardly acknowledges we exist at this point lol), and as always this is a pretty raw and unfiltered expression of our thoughts. 

How We Saved $1,000+ On Our Next Disney Trip   

This is likely what you all came for, but believe it or not we saved 27% on a “bounceback” offer. Typically, that is an extremely common discount if you take the time to seek it out during your trip, but our situation was a bit different. For those of you who may not know, Disney offers what is called, as mentioned, “bounceback” discounts. When you’re on a Disney vacation, you’ll occasionally find a card placed in your room with info about booking your next trip at a discounted rate. According to the info provided by the resort, you must book your next stay before you leave from your current stay. That’s where the possible “limited time nature” of this offer (mentioned above) typically comes into play. Truth be told, that’s the only way to guarantee your discount. The actual discount will vary by resort and resort category/type but the offer is nearly always available for at least some variety of dates if you can book your stay before you leave. From my experience, the easiest way to do this is to call from your resort phone and ask about the offer, even if the discount card does not appear in your room. At one time these cards were everywhere but they have appeared less and less frequently in recent years. 

Here’s where our case gets a bit strange. We did recently return from a trip to the parks and a stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, but we did not book our trip before we left. Obviously, at that point we wouldn’t typically qualify for the discount. At this point, we didn’t think we had even the slightest chance of securing a bounce-back rate. Instead of worrying too much about it, we decided to try and book under one of the discounted rates available for our dates of travel that were straight from Disney and available to everyone. Before we booked, a member of our travel party decided to call up Disney and ask about anything that could be tied to our name. In the past we’ve ran into free dining (a long time ago) and unique one time discounts long before this site was a reality. This particular call ended in a similar result. 


We inquired about any other discounts that may be available, and were shocked when, after a few minutes on hold, they offered up a discount that took a Boulder Ridge Villa at Wilderness Lodge from a price that was well out of reach for our finances down to a cost that was far less than the rate quoted to us for Saratoga Springs on Disney’s website. This is one of many reasons I recommend calling to book your stay or talking with our recommended travel agency. As always, it helps us out when you book through them and we appreciate your support, just tell them Guide4WDW sent you! either way, you may be surprised at the discounts you can get or what a real person can find for you opposed to booking online. 

As you may have noticed, I didnt call the discount a bounceback offer at this point, because honestly they didn’t even tell us that was the offer they booked the discount under. Considering this was 2 months after we checked out of our resort, which they knew, the thought of it being that discount never crossed our minds. It wasn’t until we made a rookie mistake and forgot to pay our deposit after holding the reservation and losing our entire reservation, that we found out the rate we were booked under originally. See…. even those of us who have been doing this for years miss something every once in a while…. To rectify our classic oversight mistake, we called in desperation to try to get the reservation back. Thankfully we got to talk to a supervisor who was incredibly nice about the issue and who told us that they had went ahead and originally booked us under a “bounceback” offer. It was a stellar recovery for our mistake in the end result but just goes to show that Disney can still be very accommodating if you go about things a bit more creatively than you may originally think to. If you think it’s been too long since your last stay to try this, give it a shot anyway, the worst they can do is say “no.” You’ve got nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time!  

The Real World Numbers  

All of this could be made up without real numbers and proof of concept, so here’s the breakdown of our savings. We booked a discounted room at the Boulder Ridge Villas in a one bedroom villa. The cost for that room was $5047 originally for a 6 night stay. Keep in mind, every rate you see here is a part of a package we booked with a 2 day ticket included for 4 guests. After the discount was applied, the cost dropped to $3697 for an overall cost difference of over $1000 dollars and a legitimate 27% discount! Its not an “up to 30% off discount,” those are real numbers and real world results. If that’s not a good discount, I’m not entirely sure what is.

Things to Consider     

Perhaps the best part about these offers is that they apply to the exact same cancelation policy as any other Disney reservation. So, in essence, you could book your stay and hold your stay for a $200 deposit for your package or one nights stay for a stand alone room booking that will be refundable if you decide to cancel more than 30 days out from your travel dates. Also worth noting is that this offer does not prohibit you from utilizing future offers that debut if they are better than your currently booked discount. The offers cannot be combined or layered though. It’s a one or the other type of decision. 

With all of that being considered, first – never hesitate to ask about other discounts you may be eligible for, and second – if you can generally pick dates for your next stay, book a second stay for the future during your Walt Disney World resort stay. If you have to change your dates, you can typically take the bounceback rate to your next set of dates, assuming it’s not a drastic change. if all else fails, simply cancel your reservation and you’ve lost nothing if you do it early enough before your next trip. 

Wrapping Up

I know this isn’t the ideal discount we all hope for, but it was a surprise nonetheless and something that I thought I would pass some info on to you all about for future bookings. As always, these are simply my tips and what may work for me, may not work for you and your vacation planning style. I share this because it’s real results. It’s not a sugar coated TV commercial, and you know we only share what has been tried and proven. If you’re looking for more info like this, and you’re an annual passholder check out our tips on “ticket bridging” in our Disney Annual Pass: When Is It Worth The Money? post.

As always, I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your day to spend a few moments with us. Your time is an incredibly valuable resource and one that there’s never quite enough of in this day and age, so we honestly and truly appreciate you spending a few minutes here with us. We’re coming up on 1 million page views across the sites history and that is truly a mind blowing number to me and something I never thought I would ever see when this website project began. We’re not the biggest site, but if you told me back in 2016 that I would have made the friends I have made through this endeavor, I would have never believed you but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for being here! 

Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.


Flight of Passage – A Motion Sickness Perspective

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Flight of Passage – A Motion Sickness Perspective   

Today, I’m doing something that I hope to do more of here on the site from time to time, I’m revisiting an old topic to cover it in just a bit higher level of detail in light of more recent experiences. Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom once again, but this time with a new group of individuals who had never seen the land before. While that in and of itself is an experience, it was incredibly helpful in covering today’s topic.     


Today I’m bringing you an article that I know very few Disney writers have or are able to cover. It’s also a story I looked for myself for weeks before my first trip to Pandora (a short time after it debuted last year) and came up with no definitive answer. So, today, we’re taking a look at Pandora’s Flight of Passage attraction and the ins and outs of the attraction from a motion sickness perspective.

To add a quick backstory, personally, I struggle heavily with motion sickness. In a typical day  simply driving to and from the local store with another driver can become a problem quickly. Whenever I travel with friends, I always volunteer as the driver to avoid motion sickness. Strangely though, I can handle many Disney attractions. For example, my limit is typically around the Space Mountain level of “thrill” without feeling sick. I’ve never been able to do Star Tours without feeling awful afterwords, Rockin’ Roller Coaster is strictly a “no-go,” and Expedition Everest I have done once, but it wasn’t the best experience (I was fine, but really didn’t enjoy it). 


I know the question most people tend to ask is how Flight of Passage compares to Soarin’. After riding the attractions one day apart, I can honestly say there’s no true comparison between the two. Soarin’ is one of those attractions that on a typical day I’ll be fine unless I look around to the sides too much, then it tends to get to me. Also, it’s one of those attractions that tends not to bother you once you know what to expect. Flight of Passage honestly did not bother me. Yes, as many have said, it is a thrill ride, but the environment you’re in doesn’t expose you to the motion sickness as much as you would expect. Rather than a tight and confined space with little circulation, Flight of Passage features a constant breeze flowing past your “banshee” and at times even sprays a gentle mist over you as you flow through the experience all while remaining relatively stationary. 


Opposed to the typical slight rolling action of Soarin’ or the slightly jerky nature of many coasters and Star Tours, Flight of Passage is a different movement type. Throughout the attraction, the “Banshee” (ride vehicle) emulates a type of hopping motion that probably rises and falls around 10-15 feet at most combined with tilts and sways as the on screen film is played in 3D. Of course Disney mixes up the motion according to the on screen projections and it is quite honestly a breathtaking experience to say the least. There is no true comparison to this attraction, but I will say I took a motion sickness medication at the start of that day, as did a guest traveling with us who gets horrible motion sickness, and neither one of us had serious problems. To be quite honest, I have felt worse in the past getting off of Dinosaur than I did this attraction. 


Fast forward to our March trip of 2018 and we found ourselves traveling with a friend that also gets motion sickness who has struggled with simulators (not unlike me) for many years. They got on the attraction with full expectations that it could bother them, but they were determined to see it and try it for themselves at least once. Upon exiting the ride they did mention that closing their eyes to remove the on screen perception of forward movement really helped them when they felt uncomfortable for a short amount of time during certain parts of the experience (If you’ve ridden it you can guess which parts but I wont ruin it for anyone who has yet to ride it). Even in that situation, as they walked out of the exit queue they had a smile on their face and were beyond happy that they rode this incredible attraction.     


Unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee you won’t get sick if you struggle with similar problems, but the three of us all agreed that it was more than worth the risk. Nothing truly compares to the crazy realism of the attraction. The second guest of the first trip (who also happens to be my father) did mention that he did not know if he would ride again, but was blown away by the experience and was glad that he took the chance and rode it at least once. 

Here’s my personal advice. If you can do Soarin’, Star Tours, Expedition Everest, Mission Space, or Rockin’ Rollercoaster, you should, at the very least, be able to get through the attraction without any problems. If you’re worried, take a motion sickness medication before you ride and that will likely solve a lot of your problems. 

Something worth mentioning here at the end of this article (our May 2018 update), is that Disney has been passing out cards/pamphlets warning those with motion sickness not to partake in this attraction as you enter the queue. It also mentions certain medical conditions and circumstances that would prohibit you or that they advise against partaking in the attraction if they apply to you. Personally, I see this as a bit much for an attraction that I’ve never heard of someone getting physically sick on while partaking in the experience. My best guess is they learned they’re lesson in the early days of Mission Space and wanted to lay out all of the warnings. This attraction is no where near as intense as Mission Space and I will not even consider riding Mission Space during a trip to the parks. The entire set up of that attraction is not a good mix for motion sickness but Pandora is entirely different and isn’t quite was restricting as the capsules guests are put in for Mission Space. 

Pandora, at least in my opinion, is a freeing experience. It’s hyper realism is unparalleled and, for the briefest of moments, you’re soaring over Pandora and you just feel free! (Did anybody else’s mind just go straight to The Shawshank Redemption while reading that… nope… just me? — In your best Morgan Freemen Voice, “and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.”— but I digress) You are flying on the back of a Banshee soaring over Pandora in a way that is indescribable in words. You have to see it to believe it, and you wont be disappointed. 

If you want even more Disney in your day, be sure to check out our friends over at WDW Magazine as their print release is rolling out soon! Join the Wait List For the Print Version Here As always, thanks for supporting those who support us in return.  

               

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As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Disney in the Rain – How to Make the Most of a Rainy Day at Walt Disney World!

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Disney World in the Rain – Making the Most of It! 

A rainy week at Walt Disney World is something we all dread seeing pop up in the weather forecast for an upcoming trip. At times it can be frustrating to set up all the resort reservations, tickets, dining, and all the other details of the trip to arrive to a week of rain in the parks. Sure, it’s not ideal, but at the same time it opens up the door to new experiences that you otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to enjoy. Admittedly, that’s easier to say sitting behind a computer screen than walking through Walt Disney World with thunderstorms looming or a constant trickle of rain falling from sky, but it can be quite true in reality. 

Here’s the thing about rain at Walt Disney World. Most guests and sites are going to say to avoid the parks because it’s “miserable” to trek around in the rain and that you should go to an outlet mall or go do something else in Orlando that is inside and away from the rain. I’m going to tell you to do the opposite. Sure, rain can be uncomfortable at times and your shoes will be wet and inevitably you’ll stay pretty damp throughout the day, but I’d recommend you go to the parks anyway and enjoy the moment and a new experience you may or may not have had before.

 If you can get behind that concept, keep on reading and we’ll dive into it a little deeper, but if you really despise rain check out our final tip which will be how we’d recommend avoiding the rain altogether. For the rest of you, here are a few things I’d think about and recommend for a rainy Disney trip.   

France - Disney in the Rain
Before we get started, I will say that rain is just something you’re likely to face on any Disney trip. Chances are, it’s going to happen and it’s more of a matter of when it is going to happen rather than if it’s going to happen. Unfortunately it’s a part of the warmer weather that is characteristic of Florida and a rainy season unfolds as a result. Don’t let it ruin your vacation, simply adapt and overcome to make the most of the experience, even if it’s not your “ideal” plan for a Walt Disney World vacation.           

One Solution – Don’t Worry About the Rain (Let Me Explain…)  

Thankfully, rain “all day” at Walt Disney World is typically the exception rather than the rule. In the rainier seasons of late spring, summer, and early fall, chances are it’s going to rain at some point if you’re planning a week long trip to the parks. With that being said, chances are vastly in your favor that it will not be “all day” rain. A vast majority of the time, you’ll be walking through the park, enjoying a beautiful morning, and then as 2 or 3 o’clock rolls around storm clouds will fill in and you’ll catch an aggressive downpour that lasts anywhere from 1 hour (or less) to 4 or more hours. I’m not local, but from my experience a majority of the afternoon thunderstorms last a couple hours and fade away as the sun sets unveiling an incredible sunset reflecting off of the passing storm clouds. 

Truth be told, there’s a huge upside to these rain showers, particularly in the summer months. If the storms are short, the temperature will drop aggressively as the rain rolls through the area leaving behind a far less aggressive temperature than the 85-90+ degree early afternoons that tend to be the preface a big storm. 

These afternoon rain storms aren’t just a Florida phenomenon, but tend to happen more frequently and predictably there. Here in Kentucky, we’ve faced almost identical weather the last few days to what you’d expect from a Florida summer day. This morning it’s 85 degrees here and yesterday it was 90 at about this time. This afternoon we’ll catch a pretty aggressive rainstorm that will develop but in Florida, a similar weather pattern occurs almost daily. If you are in the parks this week (the week of May 15th 2018) it appears to me as if you will be facing an uncharacteristically rainy week with a fair amount of continuous rain, but I’ll let the local readers confirm or deny that one.      

Epcot - Disney in the Rain


However, the kind of rain that is typical of these Florida months isn’t a vacation ruiner and I’d argue that no type of rain will “ruin” a Disney vacation. Don’t be like many guests and avoid the parks, just avoid the rain when it comes around.   


Avoid the Rain, Not the Parks 

When the rain starts to come down at Walt Disney World, there tends to be two types of guests. The ones that run for the resort and hang out in the lobby or watch TV in the resort room and the ones that embrace the rain and head to the parks anyway. Honestly, it bothers me a bit to see guests huddled in the lobby “waiting out” the rain when a somewhat rare rainy morning develops. Most of them have already paid for their day in the parks and simply don’t realize how much fun you can have touring the parks in the rain. It’s not the situation you look for and wish for, but nevertheless it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. One of my greatest memories with a group of friends arose from a rainy day in the parks. 

It was a rather simple day, and we had started the day at a park other than the one we planned to finish our day in, but we had secured a reservation for Le Cellier at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot for a late afternoon lunch. Well, it was summer, so at this pointing in the article you know what that means for an afternoon reservation. You guessed it, rain! When we left our first park for the day (which for the life of me I can’t remember what park it was) we knew we were going to be cutting it incredibly close to make our reservation, or even our grace period before they gave away our reservation.

As we approached Epcot via the Monorail the skies opened up and a rainstorm broke loose that was one of the worst I’ve seen in all my years touring the Disney parks. It was a sideways rain that is incredibly difficult to deal with but we were determined to make the reservation. We arrived at the front entrance already late for the reservation, but knew they’d hold it for a short time. Me, being around 16 or 17 at the time decided I would just run and see if I could make it to the restaurant to at least prove that we were in the park, even if the whole party wasn’t there to be seated…. Now, before I finish this story this is a great time to say I DO NOT RECOMMEND doing this lol. Truth be told it’s a great way to get hurt and is frowned upon by Disney… For those of you who know Epcot well, you know that the front entrance to the Canada Pavilion for this reservation is not a short journey. At this point, I had about 5 minutes to make the trek. Long story short, I saved the reservation by about a minute and a half. 

You may be wondering how any of this applies to a rainy day at Walt Disney World, but I share this story for one reason and one reason only. This is a story we share and talk about among friends and family time and time again. It was so absurd that it was hilarious and out of the ordinary for any place other than Disney that it’s utterly comical to replay in our minds time and time again. It’s a strange memory but one that has stood the test of time.  However, it’s one that would have never happened if we didn’t just embrace the rain and enjoy the moment no matter what the weather threw at us.  

I know this is a hard suggestion to implement, but if you’re prepared for the rain (see below), you’ll have an incredible day that vastly exceeds sitting at the resort and waiting on/watching the rain fall outside the windows. The resort staff does an excellent job of entertaining guests and creating fun, limited time, events indoors for guests to enjoy but don’t pass on a park day just because of the rain. Enjoy the resort and what it offers on rainy days but do that in the afternoon or during a break from the parks to change clothes or dry out for a little bit, don’t make it the focus of your day. 

Honestly, many of the resorts, especially the Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, and Polynesian, take on a warm and inviting persona as the rain falls outside or a storm passes which can be incredibly relaxing. Enjoy those moments but also take the time to enjoy the parks we all know and love despite the circumstances and the weather of the world around you. Enjoy that escape from reality and enjoy a few minutes playing in the rain like you did when you were a kid. A little water falling from the sky never hurt anybody, and you may be surprised at what you can get done with lower crowd levels, and that unique situation opening up a variety of new opportunities.  
                          

Attractions to Focus on In The Rain 

If you take my advice and head to the parks anyway, you’ll likely be able to avoid the rain more so than you may expect. Magic Kingdom and Epcot are particularly good parks to tour in the rain. The experiences and attractions are very close together. At Magic Kingdom, take  Tomorrowland for example. When the rain begins, jump in line for Space Mountain, make a quick walk over to Carousel of Progress, jump in line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, head to the Laugh Floor, and finish things off with a ride on the Peoplemover. By the time you do all that, you’re looking at likely over 2 hours of awesome entertainment that will get you through a big storm reasonably dry. 

Here’s a few other attractions to take part in in the Magic Kingdom: 

  • The Country Bear Jamboree
  • Splash Mountain (you’re already going to get wet, and it’ll run if no lightening is in the area)
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 
  • It’s a Small World 
  • Peter Pan’s Flight 
  • Philharmagic 
  • Prince Charming Regal Carrousel 
  • Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Pirates of the Caribbean 
  • and so many others! – Not to mention how much time you could spend strolling through the stores of Main Street. 
Little Mermaid - Disney in the Rain - How to Make the Most of a Rainy Day at Walt Disney World!


Epcot is a bit different: 

  • The Land Pavilion is a great place to spend some time riding Soarin’ or the Land attraction itself. You may even want to look into a “Behind the Seeds” Tour for a closer look at the greenhouses, especially while the rain falls outside.  
  • The Seas with Nemo And Friends is an incredible place to hang out for a bit as a passing rain shower rolls through. The pavilion is vastly underrated and could easily take up a great bit of time during an Epcot day, but very few guests take the time to fully explore it. 
  • Last, but certainly not least, you have the World Showcase. The showcase is full of stores and indoor experiences that allow you to take a few steps in the rain and then right back inside to enjoy the next store or experience. Don’t forget to book a dining reservation or to stop for a great counter service meal somewhere to experience the culinary aspects of some (or a few) of the countries. 

As a bit of a seemingly odd suggestion, don’t count out a day at the waterparks if there’s no lighting in the area. The water parks are great and you’re going to get wet anyway so just stick your towels and change of clothes in a locker to keep them dry and go enjoy the slides!           

What Park to Avoid in the Rain – Here’s Why 

If you’re going to try the Disney parks on a rainy day, here’s the one park I don’t recommend, Hollywood Studios. Now, this recommendation is a bit strange because it is a very small park, but there’s really no good way to navigate Hollywood Studios without having to trek through large areas of open space where you simply cannot avoid the rain. Additionally, the Indiana Jones Stunt show is typically cut short because two of the sets are exposed to the elements, and even with the Toy Story expansion set to debut, there isn’t too terribly much to do in the park when it rains. The Star Wars Launch bay is a great place to be indoors for a bit, along with Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Tower of Terror, but there’s really no good way to navigate the park and get from place to place without getting soaked at some point or another. At Epcot and Magic Kingdom multiple things are attached or only  a few steps away from each other, and that doesn’t tend to remain true at Hollywood Studios. You may know a better way to make it work but I’ve never had much luck with Hollywood Studios in the rain.

Disney in the Rain - How to Make the Most of a Rainy Day at Walt Disney World!


To me, Animal Kingdom is also particularly tough in the rain due to the layout of the park, but its rainy day activities have improved with the new attractions of the Pandora expansion.
         

What to Pack and How To Prepare 

This is the key to this whole article and finding ways to make Disney “work” in the rain. A few simple things can make or break the way you can or cannot handle the parks in the rain. Here’s a few quick suggestions. 
  • Make sure you have a change of clothes somewhere. In your bag, at the resort, or somewhere near by. 
  • Pack a good rain jacket. In my opinion, ponchos are terrible. While they are vastly convenient, if you know rain is inevitable, a rain jacket is far more comfortable and keeps you far more dry than the glorified plastic bag with three holes cut in it. Never buy Disney ponchos unless you’re a collector of ponchos (yes, they do exist lol… you know who you are) or are just incredibly desperate. They’re horribly overpriced and while they are nice ponchos you’ll likely never wear them again so a $1 poncho from the dollar store could essentially serve the same purpose or one of these compact individually packaged ones off of Amazon.
  • Have an extra pair of shoes ready at the resort. Wet shoes are not fun, so having an extra pair is a nice way to freshen up after a day of making the most of the rain. (Pro tip: if you get desperate, carefully slide a hair dryer into your shoes to dry them out faster in your resort room or consider opting for waterproof shoes or even flip-flops on a rainy day.)
  • Consider taking a hat. In many cases it will shield your eyes from the heaviest of rain showers and keep your hair dry along the way. 
  • Carry with you some extra plastic bags for electronics just in case. I know most iPhones are water resistant or at least claim to be at this point in time, but other cameras and phones may not be. 
  • If you are carrying a camera through the parks, consider picking up a nice camera bag, especially if you’re carrying a more expensive DSLR or one that isn’t sealed. Personally I recommend and use a Lowepro Photo Hatchback because it fits everything I need and it has an All Weather Cover that conveniently fits into a pocket of the backpack itself in the chance that a huge rainstorm develops that could ruin my gear. For more on my park bag/gear, check out my Disney Packing List – What I Take to Disney World – If anyone wants to hear more about my photo gear in particular just let me know and I’ll get something written up. It’s a pretty budget friendly setup at the moment.  

If You Despise Rain, Try This

If you’ve made it through this whole article and still think a day in the rain at WDW doesnt sound even remotely appealing, that’s okay! Here’s a few recommendations: 

  • Consider resort hopping. Head to Magic Kingdom, jump on the Monorail and spend the day touring the resorts on the Monorail loop. There’s plenty of shopping and dining to keep you occupied for quite some time, and you could even make a day out of it. 
  • Go see the legendary Yehaa Bob perform at the River Roost at Port Orleans Riverside. Be sure to check performance dates and times first. 
  • Enjoy your resort and explore it in much greater depth than you likely would have without the rain. If you don’t know where to start, ask a cast member at the front desk and I would almost guarantee they’ll have a great suggestion! 
  • Book a last minute Table Service Meal and go try something you’ve never experienced before. It may become your new favorite dining location! Resorts are great places to look for dining reservations but oftentimes you can pick up hard to find reservations in the parks on rainy days as guests cancel and opt to stay in the room opposed to touring the parks. It’s their loss and your win in that case!         


Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Need help planning your vacation? Let our friends over at Destinations to Travel (FREE – no obligation quote request form below) help you out at no additional cost to you! Their services are free and a great way for you to help out the site at no extra cost to you! Here’s a closer look at why I recommend an Authorized Disney Travel Planner!
Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Why I Think Everyone Should Visit Walt Disney World – How to Make it Happen!

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Why I Think Everyone Should Visit Walt Disney World – How to Make it Happen!  

Every once in awhile you have one of those days that makes you really appreciate the little things in life. You have that moment where you realize that no matter what, it could simply all end tomorrow. Now, I know that sounds a bit sad, but at the same time it’s one of the greatest blessings life gives us. In many ways that simple thought encourages us to enjoy every moment and make the most of any and every situation life throws at us. It could be a terrible day, but it could always get worse and no matter what there’s a silver lining to each and every moment in life. 


It’s About More Than Just the Parks

You may be wondering what this has to do with our topic for the day, but to me it has everything to do with today’s article. To me, more than anything else, Disney is a place that makes you appreciate every moment. The place creates memories that are unmatched by any other location. As I’ve said many times, to me its not about the attractions, it’s not about the food, and it’s not about the many joys of the parks themselves, but rather the moments we share with those who we care the most about. That’s what makes Disney different. It’s a place that fosters incredible memories with a cast that exceeds expectations and stories that many of us hold close to our hearts. 

All of this sounds rather simple, but those of you who have been traveling to Walt Disney World for many years likely know exactly what I mean. That single point, in and of itself is a reason I recommend a Walt Disney World trip to anyone and everyone. Even if you’re traveling alone, there is this incredible online Disney community that will often invite you into their lives like family and help you create memories no matter what your situation is in life may be. It’s a group of like-minded people and while there are a few exceptions, so many of us aren’t in it for the money (trust me, if I was, this would have ended a long time ago lol), but rather for the interaction we get to share with Disney fans and friends each and every day. 

There’s Something For Everyone

In an entirely different way, I recommend a Disney trip to anyone and everyone because it is a place that exceeds expectations and truly offers something for everyone. If you’re into food, there’s plenty of world class options if you take the time to look for them, if you’re into thrill rides, there’s something for that, if you like golf, there’s that too. Even if you hate Disney and everything about it, you drive ten minutes and you’re surrounded by a city of so many things to do that you wont know where to start. 

In all reality, it’s kind of shocking when you think about it, and while we’ve covered many different things to do inside and outside of the parks, there’s no way to cover it all. We continuously strive to share new experiences with you day in and day out, but here are a few of our top recommendations and articles with some unique options to add to or take part in during your stay. As always, if you want to see us cover even more, just let us know and we’ll try it out and let you know what we think! One of the things you history buffs may want to take part in is learning the legacy of this incredible organization and while Walt Disney World isn’t the “original” park, you may be surprised at the history of Walt and the early days of the parks you can uncover even today!   


Unique Activities: 

History of the Parks and Beyond! 

This array only scratches the surface of what’s available on Disney property and a couple of options beyond the parks and resorts. I’ve said t before and I’ll say it again, there’s something for everyone, it’s just a matter of finding what you love and doing it the “Disney way” with a level of quality that exceeds expectations time and time again. 

In regards to how you can make it happen, it may not be as difficult or as expensive as you may expect. Disney can be done on a “shoe-string” budget, and we’ve done that many times ourselves for various reasons, or you can go all out and create the luxury vacation of a lifetime. 

Many of you may be facing another issue, or simply an obstacle to overcome, of a family member that isn’t convinced that Disney is for them. Honestly, you’re not alone. That happens to many prospective guests I know and have tried to convince to head to the parks time and time again. The key to it all is making a special effort to share with that person the one part of Disney that they’ll enjoy more than anything else. Oftentimes, their mind automatically jumps to noisy kids and Mickey Mouse when Disney World is mentioned. Truth be told, you will face both of those in the parks, but that’s not what it’s all about. When you unfold the realm of possibilities for guests, you may be surprised at how their thought process and view of a Walt Disney World vacation changes. 


If you’re concerned about the actual trip planning process, you have a ton of options. First and foremost we have a series of itineraries here on the site (listed below) that can get you started but Disney is pretty good about walking you through the process if you choose on-site resort accommodations. Also, you could consider an Authorized Disney Travel Planner (here’s the one we recommend) to do the majority of the work for you or as much or as little of the planning as you’d like. Disney trips can be intimidating for sure, but when you get the right help and do the research it gets far easier and you continually grow upon your past experiences. If you’re looking for even more Disney trip planning info, don’t forget to check out our friends over at WDW Magazine and their new in print magazine featuring all kinds of awesome Disney content debuting soon (online version already available). As always, we appreciate it when you support those who support us!        

Itineraries:
I know this short article has a lot of links to other articles in it, but I do that for one main reason, and that’s to show that there’s no perfect way to do Disney and there’s no one way to tour the parks or even tour Disney property as a whole. It’s all about what works for you and what you want out of your vacation experience. When it comes right down to it, that’s what it’s all about. Use the knowledge you get from research and apply that to your trip to develop the ultimate vacation experience for you and your family. 

One last thing you may want to consider is that Disney spans the globe. So, if Walt Disney World isn’t your thing or you can’t find what you love in Orlando, head to California, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris, and so many other unique locations. If you’re not a theme park fan, take a Disney Cruise, or check out one of the truly incredible offering by Adventures By Disney to many parts of the world under the watchful eye and leadership of that Disney comfort and level of service. Disney service is part of what keeps me going back time and time again.      

Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Alcohol At Walt Disney World – A Few Thoughts

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Alcohol At Walt Disney World – A Few Thoughts  

After a recent announcement of alcohol arriving at Crystal Palace and and the Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, a bit of debate was sparked in the Disney community. While I do have mixed feelings on the issue, the one main thing that stands out to me is that these two restaurants are in the heart of Magic Kingdom and have been somewhat “staples” of the magic for many years. Before I express my thoughts on this seemingly trivial issue, I just want to say that I plan on covering this from a wide variety of angles and I’ll even throw two pivotal stories in the mix. Honestly, a vast majority of this post is going to be my option. My opion likely isn’t the “best” opinion, but as conceited as it sounds I do believe a select few of you (likely a very select few lol) value my opinion to at least a certain extent. On the other hand, I hope Disney reads this. I highly doubt they will, but I hope they see these comments and inevitably many of your thoughts in the comments on your favorite social media platforms. 

As we get started for the day, I want to look at the issue from a few main perspectives: theming, guest experience, history, and something I’d like to call “what we’ve seen so far.” Of course, this is largely pertaining to Magic Kingdom, because the other parks have already made the leap to alcohol at various locations.   


Theming 

Theming is an interesting part of this situation. First and foremost, I don’t see Crystal Palace or the Plaza being a dining location that will sell any quantity of alcohol. Very few people want to drink with a buffet or a place that serves burgers and other pretty heavy food before heading back out into 90 degree heat. I could be wrong, but for these two locations I see this being a “non-issue.” At the same time, it does raise a certain level of concern for the future. At what point do you water it down enough that you can grab a Margarita at Pecos Bill’s? I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that would be the tipping point for most life long guests and Disney fans in being “okay” with alcohol in Magic Kingdom. Not to mention, this gets away from the original reasoning Disney rationalized getting alcohol into the parks in the first place. To me, the theming no better lends itself to alcohol in these locations than it would if they opened a beer cart at queue of Dumbo (which obviously isn’t likely to ever happen). Case in point, it’ll be interesting to see how they rationalize this one with a press release or if they just let it ride. The claim of it being necessary for theming has pretty much been tossed out the window.    

On the other hand, if used carefully and tactfully, adding alcohol to other locations could be interesting from a theming perspective where it makes sense. Think, for example, an expansion or new offering in the future of something like the former Adventurer’s Club of Downtown Disney or even something like Trader Sams making its way into the parks. That wouldn’t be all that bad if done very very carefully in my opinion. Those locations have never been a huge issue because it was designed to be more about the experience than the alcohol itself (and they’re outside the parks). While I can’t share all that I may or may not know, this may be the direction Disney could be easing into for the future but not with these two specific locations mostly because they already exist. As always, I don’t like to spread rumors, no matter what they may entail, but this could be leading to something that may arise in the next five years or less. For lack of a better phrase, Disney may be “testing the waters” before they try something new. Just keep your ears open for more on that in the future.   
         

Guest Experience

The guest experience as a whole is what tends to concern me more than anything and to better explain I’ll have to share the first of two personal stories included in this post. On our last full day in Hollywood Studios, we were traveling with family and boarded a bus late one afternoon to head back to the resort and a dad and a daughter stumbled onto the bus. The dad was doing all he could to keep his daughter, who was probably around 30 or so, from hitting the floor. I don’t know the situation, but she had obviously had a bit too much to drink. At times, the bus ride was almost humorous as she mumbled random phrases that nobody could understand and swayed back and forth in her seat narrowly avoiding falling in the floor multiple times. 

But, as a I looked around, there were far too many young children present for that type of behavior. Truth be told, it bordered on uncomfortable for everyone witnessing the situation. I want to make clear, this isn’t the usual situation and we have had hundreds and hundreds of incredible experiences at Walt Disney World and truly love the parks and resorts. If I didn’t care about the parks and the joy and memories they bring to guests I wouldn’t write about it on this site day after day. I voice this story not to discourage anyone from going to the parks. (Honestly, GO!) If you haven’t been you’ll absolutely love it. At the same time though, I voice these situations because they are honest concerns of preserving that “Disney Difference” that we talk about day in and day out. 

Alcohol is inevitably a revenue generator but at rare times and in exceedingly rare situations, there’s going to be a negative impact on the guest experience. It also could be beneficial for the guest experience in some cases, but is the trade off really worth it? I’ll leave that decision up to you. I can only share my own thoughts based on experience. You may have an entirely different opinion and I encourage you to voice it. I may not agree with it, but you may be surprised at what Disney listens to even if they don’t necessarily care to admit it. I love this company and I love these parks but if I’m completely honest I’m incredibly torn on this topic.                     
  

History

Out of all the reasoning many guests give for keeping alcohol out of the Magic Kingdom (which became a lost cause a few years ago), this was and always has been the “hot button” topic of discussion. When Walt designed and built these parks (at least the very early concepts for them – besides Disneyland) he had a main goal in mind as the very first inclination of his grand theme park project unveiled itself. As Walt sat on a bench in Griffith Park as his daughters rode the Merry Go Round, he came up with this revolutionary idea of a place where adults and kids could have fun together. The biggest issue behind that logic was cleanliness of the parks. Even Walt’s own wife doubted that it was possible to create a truly clean theme park. To my knowledge the answer was a massive custodial staff and a cast that had pride in their park. 

There’s an image of Walt that pops up from time of the man himself bending over and picking up a single piece of trash in Disneyland. That photo should be iconic well beyond the publicity it gets from time to time. That photo shows much more than a humble man who created this incredible place we still enjoy to this day, but transcends that simple concept to show a man that was truly forward thinking. 60 years ago, nobody thought his ideas were possible, they thought Disneyland would fail, but Walt knew he could make it great. He was truly a visionary well before his time. Regarding this issue, a few rare quotes exist about how he didn’t want alcohol in his park. To the best of my knowledge. his reasoning was rather simple in that he personally didn’t need alcohol to relax and enjoy a great day at Disneyland. It was something he might do at home after along day at the office, but wasn’t necessary for the experience.

That simple idea is what I consider a lost concept in today’s world. I’m a college student, and see first hand a portion of society that sees alcohol as the only way to have fun. Now, I completely understand that’s not even close to the whole generalization of the population, but that small group tells a bigger story. Disney is a place that you can go to escape reality for a while and while alcohol may be something guests enjoy, I don’t see it at all necessary for the experience. If anything, it detracts from that original and simple goal of a place where parents and kids can have fun together. 

Where does the slippery slope end? When do we start having to have “no alcohol beyond this point” signs going up in the Magic Kingdom? When does this concept get so watered down that we’ve got carts on Main Street selling alcohol to guests before the fireworks? 

On that last question, I believe that’s where things will eventually stop or will begin to face some serious backlash from first time, but also an incredibly number of life-long Disney fans. The bright spot to all this in my opinion is that the alcohol prices are astronomically high and for good reason. In all reality, it vastly limits the potential for guests to drink too much and negatively affect the experience of the parks on a large scale. But, that brings me to our next topic of discussion…

“What We’ve Seen So Far”   

No matter if you’re a participant or an observer, every guest that has visited Epcot in the last 5 years has noticed on growing trend, namely “drink around the world.” Disney by no means encourages the behavior or the “goal,” but it would be ridiculous to say that it has not affected the Epcot experience, at least for me and my family. Epcot has sold alcohol for years, but with other factors of social media and growing “entertaining” trends that go viral, this has become a rather large issue. On some nights and certain holidays, the situation borders on inappropriate. 

For a personal example, one night we picked a spot for Illuminations on the bridge between the United Kingdom and France. After standing there for around 30 minutes and eating a few snacks as we waited, a man and a crew of about 6 other adults rolled in and stood right behind us each with a beer in hand and we’ll just say it was obvious that it wasn’t there first, second, or likely even third… and so on. They were using profane language and were a bit too out of it for a Disney park. Now, I’m one of those people that can typically let a situation like this roll off my shoulders and I can just move on. But, with that being said, I’m a college student. However, two feet away from us was a stroller with two young kids and their parents who had been patiently waiting and enjoying their night setting up for a great final finale to the day with Illuminations. I couldn’t help but think, what if this was there first vacation? What if this was the one experience they had and the one memory they had of a night in Epcot and of the incredible Illuminations performance? I don’t think that’s quite what is portrayed in Disney’s advertising campaigns. 

Of course, this group was the minority out of all the guests at Epcot, but it’s a situation worth thinking about. It turned out, after talking with the other family with the two kids, that they were local and could return another day. At the same time not everyone is and personally that’s my take on this whole issue. As a company, you don’t invite things into the environment you create that could negatively effect the guest experience. I’m sure Disney’s done their research on this and I hope that they are successful in their pursuit to keep things enjoyable for guests, but I can’t help but see this as a bad idea in the end. I don’t have problem with alcohol, but at the same time one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.  

Wrapping Up 

I dont want to paint a gloom and doom picture here, so on a positive note I can say that I’ve never seen any issue whatsoever with the alcohol that is already present at Magic Kingdom or at Animal Kingdom and have only had one issue at Hollywood Studios (which was outside of the park). That particular guest may have even been asked to leave. Epcot is really the only consistent issue I’ve seen. 

Also worth noting is that Disney likely has a procedure in place to quickly deal with these types of situations, it’s really just a matter of making it known so that it can be properly taken care of. 

At the same time, as it sits and as it stands today, this will not affect the vast majority of guests visiting the parks. The presence of alcohol is so minuscule at this time that it’s not likely that it will create any problems. I only write this article out of a concern for the future and a concern for the legacy these parks have created. I encourage anyone and everyone to head to the parks no matter what your background is or your travel goals. Disney is place that caters to so many diverse audiences and so many different facets of entertainment that it truly is that “one stop shop” iconic destination fit for just about anyone.
  

Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Need help planning your vacation? Let our friends over at Destinations to Travel (FREE – no obligation quote request form below) help you out at no additional cost to you! Their services are free and a great way for you to help out the site at no extra cost to you! Here’s a closer look at why I recommend an Authorized Disney Travel Planner!
Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

An Interesting Disney Bus Transit Experience – A Surprising Cast Member Role

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

An Interesting Disney Bus Transit Experience – A Surprising Cast Member Role 

Transportation at Walt Disney World tends to be a big factor in your vacation experience overall. From the Monorail transportation, to watercraft, to the upcoming gondola system, and certainly the classic bus transport, Disney truly provides for guests in basically every way. 

On our very early stays on property, many years ago over at Caribbean Beach, we relied on Disney bus transportation each and every day of our journey. It was a way not only to easily get to the parks, but also an opportunity to talk with friends or family we were traveling with, park the car for a bit, and really and truly just enjoy that “Disney bubble” so many of us have grown to love over the years. 


There really is something special about being able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, as the trained cast member carries you on your way to your desired destination. Of course, the bus system isn’t without flaw and at times can be a bit crowded or hectic. With that being said, it leads right into our topic of discussion for today. 
On a recent trip to the parks, we boarded our bus from Disney’s Boardwalk Resort early in the morning in hopes of arriving at Animal Kingdom right before park opening. While we didn’t quite make it in time, we had the opportunity to interact with a unique cast member in an even more surprising role. As we stepped onto the bus, we noticed something a touch out of the ordinary (at least compared to our past experiences) in that there were two bus drivers on the actual bus. While this isn’t all that unusual in and of itself as driver changeovers do occur from time to time to give breaks, or even just switch shifts, this was a bit different. Rather than leaving the bus, this second driver stayed and talked to guests. 

I know that seems ridiculously simple, but upon inquiry he shared with us that this was his actual roll with the company and that he was hired to simply improve the guest experience. I must say, he did an incredible job. Throughout the whole journey, he told jokes, shared stories, and got to know just about everyone on the bus. Obviously it wasn’t a grand production, but it was certainly one of those unique moments that made me think, “only Disney would do this.” To other organizations, this would be an absurd concept. In essence, they hired an older gentleman with an excellent personality to ride around with the sole purpose of making guests days a little bit brighter and just a touch more memorable. 

For the life of me I can’t remember the cast members name, but it was a prime example of someone going above and beyond in a cast member role. As we reached our destination, everyone on the bus had a big smile on their face and were ready to enjoy the day. None of us ever anticipated that extra touch of magic in our day, but I’d have to openly and honestly admit it put everyone in my group in an even better mood. 

Sure, buses aren’t the ideal solution to the transportation situation at Disney and while I would be willing to bet we’ll see more than just the Skyliner system unveiled in the coming years, it’s interesting to see attention being brought to the bus system. 


At the end of the short trip, as I stepped off that bus, I had one overwhelming thought enter my mind. I had just experienced a small part of the “old Disney” mentality. For those of you who remember Disney 10 or so years ago, this was the quality of service you expected every minute of your trip and often times that expectation was met or exceeded day after day of your trip. Disney has slowly trickled away from that earlier mentality but still manages to create magic for guests day in and day out. At the same time it was neat to see an experience like this resurfacing in even a small way.     

Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Need help planning your vacation? Let our friends over at Destinations to Travel (FREE – no obligation quote request form below) help you out at no additional cost to you! Their services are free and a great way for you to help out the site at no extra cost to you! Here’s a closer look at why I recommend an Authorized Disney Travel Planner!
Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

New Photos and On-Ride Video Emerges Ahead of Toy Story Land’s Debut!

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

New Photos and On-Ride Video Emerges Ahead of Toy Story Land’s Debut! 


Some of the best details are finally here for one of my most anticipated expansions of the year coming to the Disney Parks and Resorts. Ahead of the opening of Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s Toy Story Land, new images and a short video were debuted on this morning’s edition of Good Morning America. 


As many of you who read this site fairly frequently may know, I’ve been following this project pretty carefully and highly anticipate the new expansion. Today, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning. The photos rolling out are exceeding my expectations and honestly nobody is asking or telling me to say that. I’ve been a huge Toy Story fan for years and truly believe this could be the “sleeper” addition for Walt Disney World. Many are upset about the “scaled back plans” or changes made along the way, but personally I fall into the category of trusting Imagineering and look forward to seeing what they have developed for guests of all ages. 


To me, that’s the key to this entire project. Not only is it a larger expansion than the Toy Story influence found in other Disney parks around the world, but it also welcomes devoted  guests of all ages and backgrounds. Sure, the rollercoaster doesn’t look like a big ticket thrill ride, but that’s not necessarily what it’s designed to be. In essence, this appeals to nearly every generation. Any young adults under the age of 25 or so dont even know a world without Toy Story and it has a cult following that is only beat out by the likes of Star Wars and certain Marvel series. However, it also has one thing going for it that those other franchises don’t necessarily focus on and that is that it also appeals to very young children and gives adults and kids alike the opportunity to have fun together in the world of the Disney Parks. 

While at this point we’re not entirely sure if we’ll be there for a preview event or not, we look forward to touring the land sooner rather than later if we can make it happen! Until then, here’s a closer look at what was shared today! 


Oh and one thing I forgot to mention, there’s going to be a giant Wheezy animatronic that  sings and dances as guests leave the soon to be vastly popular Slinky Dog Dash Attraction!  

For more on that, head on over to the Official Disney Parks Blog. 

Toy Story Land debuts to guests June 30th! 


Truth be told, that was the goal from the very beginning and will be and has been one of the many successful aspects of Walt Disney World and what tends to set it apart form all the rest. In the end, this will likely draw incredible crowds and I believe it will exceed Disney’s expectations in the financial realm. Think about it. Who doesn’t like Toy Story?? Even if they dont’ like it, chances are they have a friend or child that adores the franchise and would love to go see there favorite films brought to life on the greatest stage the them park realm has ever known. Disney has a way of putting you in the moment and this expansion should do just that. Looking at these pictures, it appears as if this expansion could exceed all expectations. 

Your Thoughts

As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are! 


Ready to Plan?

Need help planning your vacation? Let our friends over at Destinations to Travel (FREE – no obligation quote request form below) help you out at no additional cost to you! Their services are free and a great way for you to help out the site at no extra cost to you! Here’s a closer look at why I recommend an Authorized Disney Travel Planner!
Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.

Source and Photos: Disney