Tag: Tips

5 Things Most WDW Guests Don’t Take Full Advantage Of

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

5 Things Most WDW Guests Don’t Take Full Advantage Of

Disney entertainment these days, especially in regards to Walt Disney World, is so incredibly all encompassing that it’s often quite difficult to fully take advantage of all that is available to you as a guest during your stay. Even with as much as we tour the parks, there’s always something new to see and do that you’ve never done before. I was just talking with a few friends on Facebook about how I’d love to do DiveQuest in the Seas Pavilion at Epcot. It does require scuba certification, but I can only imagine it would be something truly mind blowing to experience in person. While that would be a dream come true, it is perhaps one of the better examples of that same aforementioned concept. I’ve been touring the parks literally my entire life and there’s still hundreds of things I’ve never made the time to do, but that’s part of the fun of going back time and time again. 

These tips hinge on that same general idea, but in a slightly simpler iteration. Today we’re talking about things at Disney that so many guests don’t take full advantage of while they’re visiting Walt Disney World. However, just to be clear, we’re not recommending you try to “take advantage of Disney” in an unethical way, but rather sharing ways to make the most of the resources Disney wants you to use and offers up to you as there designed benefit. This won’t be a list of ways to “work the system” but rather things that most guests simply overlook and could potentially utilize more effectively during their vacation experience.   

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Free Water 

This is by far the simplest item on our list but it’s here for good reason. If you’re not already aware, Disney still provides glasses of ice water to guests entirely free of charge at most quick service locations across property that have a fountain drink machine. All you have to do is walk up to the counter, ask for a glass of ice water, and they’ll typically hand you at least one with no questions asked. Water bottles are typically expensive so if you’re willing to drink tap water, it can save you hundreds of dollars in a week long vacation in those peak-heat summer months. 

As of race weekend at WDW in January of 2019, about 50% of the ice water in the parks appears and tastes like it is being filtered through a Coca Cola machine which offers a far better taste than in some previous years. Every once in a while you’ll get a glass that tastes like that “classic Florida water”, but that is getting more rare than it once was. if you’ve never experienced “Florida water” it’s an odd blend of tap water flavor and a slight saltiness that is difficult to explain. It’s not the end of the world, but can be a little surprising if you’re not used to it. 

Either way, this is one of the greatest money saving options you have that is oh so incredibly easy to implement throughout your stay. We drink water almost every time we eat in the parks and I can’t tell you how many hundreds of dollars we’ve saved over buying soft drinks or water bottles and truthfully you need its hydrating capabilities in the heat of those warm Florida days more than just about anything else. It’s a quick cure for a heat related headache and I cant tell you how much staying hydrated can benefit you in the parks.     

The Pathway to Hollywood Studios/Epcot 

Again, this is an incredibly simple overlooked gem of Walt Disney World. Between Hollywood Studios and Epcot there is one long walkway that very few guests know exists. The path wanders casually along the edge of a lake and weaves its way a short distance over to the Boardwalk Resort. Once you get to the Boardwalk, you can enter the resort at the ground level (or walk around following the path) and cut through the air conditioned resort out to the waterfront boardwalk itself which leaves about 10 minutes more of walking to arrive at the back exit of Epcot called the International Gateway. A boat also offers guests a ride along the lake/river but so many guests over estimate the length of the walk. When we’ve stayed at the Boardwalk and the Swan and Dolphin we’ve walked the distance many times. Because of the layout of the paths, it is a much further walk to the Swan than the Boardwalk and the same is true for the Yacht and Beach Club, but it is no means out of the question to walk it rather than waiting on a boat. 

In my opinion, (given that I am 22 years old) it’s a very easy walk and unless it’s 100 degrees in the heat of the summer it’s a quite pleasant walk and one of the most picturesque spots in all of Walt Disney World.      
   

Last Minute Fastpass+ Changes 

As we move into a few of the less common items on our list today, perhaps the best takeaway from this article is the fact that reservations (dining and fastpass+) are something you should never stress about. If you cant get your desired fastpass+ selections on day one of your booking window, don’t worry about it. One of the greatest “secrets” many returning guests and local Disney fans have figured out is that it is quite possible and quite easy to secure popular fastpasses 24 hours or less before your desired time in the parks. As guests vacations get closer, people cancel their trips, check in dates move, and things in life just get in the way and at the last minute they’ll bail on their fastpasses. If that happens, they pop right up on the my Disney Experience app and they’re yours to grab. Often so many guests get so transfixed by their previously set plans that they don’t even bother looking days or even hours before their time in the parks. If you’re not overly picky about what times you want to ride certain attractions, it’s quite doable to pick up Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash, and even Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fastpass+ selections at the last second.

Perhaps the greatest example of this I can give is from last summer. We booked a last minute trip (a few weeks after we returned home from WDW) to return to the parks after the debut of Toy Story Land. Our fastpass booking window had obviously already started and many selections were already completely booked. However, two days before our day in Hollywood Studios we managed to snag a Fastpass for Slinky Dog Dash literally a couple weeks after the attraction first debuted to the public.

 If you’re willing to look multiple times and even quite possibly sit on the couch with the TV on and simply refresh your fastpass+ selection time search page for 20 to 30 minutes you will be blown away at how fast people add and drop selections and as a result what you can pick up! If you put in the time and check even at the last minute, a lot of things can move in your favor!             

Last Minute Dining Reservations 

Dining is the same situation as mentioned above. Don’t get caught up in booking your dining reservations 180 days out right down to the minute. Unless you’re traveling with a massive group or want a vastly coveted reservation at Victoria and Alberts or something of the sort, 99% of the time it’s unnecessary to worry about booking at that exact 180 day mark. I have never once booked a meal 180 days in advance. I don’t usually know what I want to eat tomorrow, let alone 6 months from now. If you find booking these things fun and it helps you look forward to your trip and build anticipation than by all means go for it! However, don’t sweat it if you don’t enjoy doing things super far in advance. 

Just back a week or so ago we booked a trip to WDW beginning March 9th. We went ahead and made our dining reservations and every single time and location we wanted was still available. And… on the off chance it isn’t available, just be flexible and check back a few times and it will pop up more often than not. 

As perhaps the greatest hidden tip surrounding this topic, don’t forget to watch the cancellation window. Disney requires all guests booking table service dining do so with a credit card on file. If you don’t show up, and fail to cancel your reservation you will be charged a $10 per person fee. However, you can avoid the cancelation fee by canceling the reservation at least one day prior to your scheduled meal. As a result, tons of dining reservations pop up the day before your desired meal time and location. Believe it or not, I’ve seen Be Our Guest reservations pop up the day before and even the day of our time in  the parks and the same is often true for Cinderella’s Royal Table. I personally don’t recommend either of those dining locations unless you’re going to experience the atmosphere or have kids that really really really want to go, but that’s a story for another day. 

Long story made short, don’t stress about dining reservations. If I’ve learned anything from my friends that are locals it is that dining reservations are no big deal and that if you’re even remotely flexible with times/locations, you can find just about anything your heart desires super last minute with the sole exception of super high traffic days like Christmas day.
              

Your Time Outside Of the Parks

I emphasize and overemphasize this point at length on this site time and time again but for good reason. If you’re going to Walt Disney World, take at least a part of a day on a multi-day vacation to enjoy your resort, a different resort on property, or even to do a “Monorail tour” of the Magic Kingdom resort area. The “Monorail tour”, as we like to call it, is essentially jumping on the resort monorail at Magic Kingdom or the Ticket and Transportation Center and then riding it to each of the resort stops. At each stop get off and explore the resort, grab a meal, check out the stores, or enjoy the little details of the experience. It is, without a doubt, one of the simplest things you can do at WDW that will create some of the best memories. It’s budget friendly, it’s uniquely Disney, and truthfully it’s one of the things we enjoy the most on our WDW trips time and time again.


Another great thing to do is to enjoy what special activities your resort offers or at a resort near whatever location you choose. For example, many resorts have fire pits and marshmallows to roast at night, many offer movies under the stars, others offer live performances by cast members (ex: street performers at the Boardwalk and the legendary YeHaa Bob at Port Orleans), and even a select few offer scavengers hunts completely free of charge! If you don’t know where to start or what to look for, head to the front desk or the concierge and they’ll break down the weeks activities for you!  

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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!


Need a Travel Planner?

If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.

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.

Five Simple "Hidden Spots" Most Disney World Guests Never Uncover

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Five Simple “Hidden Spots” Most Disney World Guests Never Uncover

As strange as it may sound, the more we travel to Disney World the less time we spend worrying about riding attractions. I know that doesn’t entirely make sense to many of you reading this but stick with me for minute and I’ll explain. 

Inevitably, Caitlin and I have had the incredible ability to travel to and tour the Disney parks essentially our entire lives. While that is an incredible blessing, and one that I know many of you have in common with us, it’s also a strange frame of thought for many first time guests embarking on their first Walt Disney World vacation. You see, for us Disney isn’t about the next big thrill coming to the parks but rather uncovering those little details that are hiding in plain site that so many guests entirely overlook. 

I’ve said it before, but it’s the little things that truly set Walt Disney World apart from all other vacation destinations. From the very beginning, Disney World in Florida was designed to be the vacation kingdom of the world. It was a place with nearly unlimited space, but also was designed in theory to be the end all, be all vacation destination. Of course, there are other destinations around the world that so many people tour time and time again, but none have that same reputation as a place that has ultimately become a “right of passage” as a kid in this modern world. 

I hate to say that the societal expectation is a good thing, but at the same time I can’t say it’s a bad thing either. Disney is a rare place where you can experience something, learn pieces of history, and inevitably do so without realizing you’re learning in the first place. Now, at this point, you may be wondering what any of this has to do with today’s article. I share all of this because to us Disney isn’t just about the attractions, or the food, or the incredible array of activities Disney has developed in their “vacation kingdom,” but rather the memories this place helps create. 

Almost by coincidence (okay… maybe it wasn’t a coincidence at all), today’s list wont mention a single attraction. It won’t list the perfect way to ride every attraction in the park in one day, and ultimately it isn’t going to be an article that appeals to everyone. My goal here more than anything else, and my goal for anything on this site is to be completely and utterly authentic with you all. I’m not going to tell you something is amazing when it’s not and I’m not going to tell how the next latest and greatest attraction will change your life. Instead, I hope to convey one thing and one thing more than anything else and that is that no matter how incredible these parks get, it’s the simple moments that stick with you the longest. I know so many of you reading this are skeptical but the other group of you know exactly what I’m trying to convey. If you go to Disney, you’ll have a moment and a moment when you least expect that will exceed your wildest expectations. 99% of the time that moment has nothing to do with an attraction but rather the smile on a family members face, a moment that makes you laugh, or simply an interaction you’ll never forget with a cast member or even possibly a complete stranger. It’s not about the place but rather the people. At its core, Disney isn’t a memory generator, but rather a place that helps you create memories of your own. It’s the playground and we are the students that populate it. That is what it’s all about! 

So… why do we have a list of “Hidden Spots” to share today. To be quite honest, these are the places that are simple, but at the same time they are the places that can help create memories that you least expect. 

In all reality, these places may not translate in writing (and that’s one of the reason we started our podcast) but if you visit them you’ll understand the quiet nature of the locations, the story they tell, or even quite possibly create new memories of your own. Take the time to step away from the attraction “run” and make time for a little bit of magic hiding in plain site. It may not seem ideal at the time but these little tucked away moments and special experiences can help yield the most incredible memories.   
                    

1. The “Hidden Fireplace” of Wilderness Lodge 

This “hidden spot” is one that is the near perfect example of a simplistic location that can yield incredible stories. It’s no secret that I love Wilderness Lodge and the experience it creates through the vast and intricate theming, but it took me nearly 8 years to uncover this little gem of a hideaway located in plain site. It’s so off the radar in fact that I do kind of have trouble spilling the info on how and where to find it (but I’m going to anyway).

On the floor above the grand atrium lobby level this little alcove area is quite literally hiding right in front of your eyes. It’s not a place you’ll simply stumble into in a high traffic area of the resort but rather one that you have to explore a bit to uncover. It’s not a grand spectacle but rather a quite spot that is a near ideal place to escape for a few minutes after a long day in the parks, a place to sit and do some work (or photo editing in my case), or perhaps a spot to gather with friends to tell stories and enjoy the moment. 

As you sit in front of the fire (which is far smaller than the one in the lobby below) the worries of the world seem to melt away as you sit in a comfortable chair and the subtle music of the lobby overflows into this quaint space. At its core, it’s a feeling that cant be explained in words. Much like the Carolwood Room, this spot will always be a “hidden gem” in my opinion and a spot that consistently exceeds expectations.        


2. Canada Fireworks Viewing – The Pyrotechnics Guy In The Chimney 

Moving in an entirely different direction, we have the most overlooked pyrotechnic “secret” of Disney, “the Chimney guy.” You may be asking why this makes our list but it’s simply because you have to be in the right place at the right time to see it unfold. 
If you’re waiting for Illuminations, or looking for a viewing spot, head to the Canada pavilion. At the top of the main staircase take a step to your right and there will be a chest high rock wall. Not only is it a near perfect spot to view the show, it’s also the perfect place to catch this little known Disney secret hiding in plain site. The view of Illuminations certainly speaks for itself in the image below, but the reason this makes our list is because of the “chimney.” I know that sounds absurd but stick with me. 
If you’re standing in this spot, turn around and you’ll see a small building at the top of the hill. About 3 minutes before showtime, watch the top of that building and what looks like a chimney facade. Minutes before the show a door will open at the top of the “chimney” and a controller for the show with what I assume would be a pyrotechnic specialist background (or at least I hope lol) will pop out, lay out his controls, and remain in that position the entire show. He’s wearing all black, is typically wearing what looks like some type of vest with any number of technological devices hooked to him, and truthfully I have no idea what he does. My guess is he controls the show or monitors intently for safety reasons, but I don’t entirely know the details of the role. Either way, it’s something neat to experience. 
About 2 minutes after the finale, you’ll see him climb down out of the chimney, walk quickly and causally to the front of the pavilion, and then briskly walk around the World Showcase promenade to disappear backstage somewhere. If you time it just right, you can occasionally catch a small crowd that’s “in the know” greeting him with high fives and thanks for an awesome show. Typically he just smiles and quickly acknowledges the crowd but it’s one of those subtle looks “behind the curtain” at the magic that you’ll likely remember visit after visit.                  

3. The Second Floor Balconies of the Grand Floridian 

In a similar way to the aforementioned Wilderness Lodge spot, the second floor balconies of the Grand Floridian offer a near ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of your vacation to simply sit back and enjoy the moment. To access this “hidden spot” hiding in plain site, head towards the grand main staircase of the main lobby, walk to the second floor and turn around. As you do you’ll see two sections of windows and a balcony on the other side of the windows. Many guests assume the balcony is simply decorative but it is usable and the space is quite large. It’s the perfect spot to watch the monorails roll by or a place to enjoy a spring or fall breeze on the days of near perfect weather Florida is known for. 

Again, it’s a vastly simple experience that provides a needed escape from the crowds and it’s just a short monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom!       

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4. The Wyland Gallery 

The Wyland Gallery is perhaps the least talked about gem of an experience (mostly for adults) anywhere on property. The gallery, which is a true fine art gallery showroom is located over at the Boardwalk resort. It’s a fairly inconspicuous storefront behind the surrey bike rental area of the Village Green and near the tunnel to the main pool. It’s not heavily Disney themed but rather acts as an incredibly classy art exhibit of sorts that flies under the radar of most guests. It is quite pricey and opposed to the Arribas Brothers style locations, this is far more wall art focused. 
Personally, I’ve never bought anything here but it is a beautiful spot to look around and enjoy for a few minutes while enjoying all the Boardwalk has to offer. Even on the most crowded nights down on the water, this hidden gem remains fairly quiet. Nobody is going to try to pressure you into buying a $1,000 piece of art but the staff typically has a certain passion for what they do and are more than happy to explain various things to you about the location and what you’re looking at in the moment. 
If you’ve never visited the gallery, certainly add it to your list!        


5. The Beaches of the Yacht and Beach Club    

As perhaps the most mainstream item on the list, I have to say the beaches surrounding the Yacht and Beach Club are perhaps one of the most under appreciated gems of Walt Disney World. Sure, they’re not an ideal place to watch fireworks like the beaches of the Polynesian but at the same time they are home to one of the most incredible nightly views in all of Disney property. From the glimmering water to the Boardwalk lights, this is without a doubt one of the most picturesque resort offerings you’ll find anywhere in the country. If you are looking for fireworks viewing, you can catch glimpses of certain Hollywood Studios shows and even subtle glimpses of Illuminations if you time it right. 
The greatest key to this is the fact that the adults can relax in a swing or lounge chair while your kids head to the pool, roast marshmallows around a fire pit, or even play in the sand near by. It’s a large open area and truthfully one that very few take the time to appreciate. Chances are you’ll be the only one on the beach (with the exception of a special event) and it is perhaps one of my favorite places in all of Walt Disney World. Part of that is because this area is a photographers dream, but another part is that it creates a unique feeling being there in the moment that is indescribable in words.           
As with many of the items on our list, you truly have to witness it in person to fully understand it! If we missed your favorite “hidden spot” be sure to contact us via email at guide4wdw@gmail.com or reach out to us in the comments on your favorite social media platform! This is far from an all inclusive list and more than anything we appreciate you taking the time out of your day to spend a few moments here with us! Have an incredible day wherever you are and we hope to meet you in the parks one day! 

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!


Need a Travel Planner?

If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.




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.

My Disney Parks Rumor "Predictions" for 2019 – A Few Thoughts

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

My Disney Parks Rumor “Predictions” for 2019 – A Few Thoughts  

By this point in my article sharing most of of you have likely noticed that I rarely share rumors that roll out of the Disney parks rumor mill. However, I do tend to comment on a fair amount of the speculation and essentially that’s my plan for today. 

Inevitably, Disney changes drastically from year to year so instead of looking back at what has happened over the last year, I want to take a look at what could be next in the coming year with hopeful optimism of what could be just around the corner. With some of the greatest expansion in Disney history on the horizon and the grand debut of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge looming for summer (in California) and fall (for Orlando) of 2019, it will certainly be big year for the Disney parks and resorts once again. It’s almost mind blowing to think that Star Wars Galaxies Edge is so close to a debut! It seems like just a short time ago the official announcement was made. Star Wars is just one of the many changes that have been made official, and certainly others have been announced that I’m sure you’re already aware of if you’re reading this.   

However, rather than looking back and waxing poetically about the impressive feats of both engineering and all other facets of the changes, I wanted to look today at what hasn’t been officially announced and what possibly may never become a reality. So many things roll out of the rumor mill of Disney entertainment so I figured why not share a few of my own thoughts today. 

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First and foremost, I want to reiterate that none of what I’m sharing is official and these are simply my thoughts with no “insider” information. I won’t claim “leaked” news or anything of the sort and I don’t intend to create rumors with this. Instead, these are simply my thoughts on the future of Disney Parks and potentially what we could see or what is already floating around the internet. I hope to share my input on the validity of some claims, but also share a few of my own general thoughts along the way. So, without further rambling, let’s get right into it. 

Epcot Changes: 

Perhaps the biggest announcements throughout the next year will revolve around Epcot and it’s great reimagining. Of course, we do have many announced changes well under way including the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster, the space themed restaurant, the new Innoventions area, proposed redesigned “hub” area, the new show replacing Illuminations, and many others. At the same time, we still have rumors surfacing of new pavilions in the world showcase, potential new attractions, and even speculation of something happening with the Wonders of Life Pavilion. 

A United Kingdom Attraction

Call me skeptical, but when the rumor rolled out that a Mary Poppins themed spinning style attraction like Dumbo rolled out and started to circulate I didn’t believe it in the slightest. Truthfully, I still doubt that it will happen, but from a deeper thought process I can see why it could be a viable rumor. First, it would be a crowd eater. It’s not a big expensive attraction and it’s not an E-ticket debut, but it would be something for guests to do to occupy their time in the park while announcing something new and minimizing costs. The “budget” is the key to all of Epcot and these rumors overall. Disney will be pumping a lot of money into the project over the next few years and I highly doubt they’ll add any big ticket, costly, attractions to the construction lineup until some of the current projects finish up. Walt Disney World may be more expensive than ever to visit, but just like any company they do have budget constraints.


Epcot Pavilions    

The rumors of new Epcot pavilions in the World Showcase and beyond have been around since the Equatorial Africa Pavilion was scrapped soon after Epcot’s opening day. Today, the latest rumors focus on a Brazil pavilion or an India Pavilion. Both possibilities do have a certain level of merit, but I personally believe neither will even be announced this year. If they are it will almost certainly be at D23. If you asked me about this rumor a year or two ago, I would have guessed that construction would have already been well on its way by this point in 2018. Obviously that didn’t happen but the validity of a new pavilion coming in the future still holds plenty of potential but I do doubt it will begin construction this year. 

Again, it all comes back to resource allocation. As a company, you can only take on so many projects at one time. 



Tying into the pavilion speculations, let’s talk about Wonders of Life. If you are an old school Disney fan chances are you’re well aware of the virtually abandoned Wonders of Life pavilion. Over the last year, Disney has been slowly yet surely making changes and updates to the pavilion which almost immediately put it firmly into a piece of the Epcot of the future. What its roll in the redesign may be is largely unknown. It could still be used as event space, but it was even featured in the new Epcot concept renderings.

If I had one guess as to what this pavilion may hold in the future, I would assume Disney could bring some type of character IP into this location. My thoughts immediately go to a reboot of Cranium Command (especially with the odd Buzzy rumors that came out of nowhere), but while integrating Inside Out or even quite possibly rebooting the classic experience to appease the nostalgic Disney fans. 

In a round about way that brings me to perhaps my greatest piece of personal speculation in this article. If I had one guess for the future of Epcot, it would be that either this year or next year we start to see a nostalgic phase of Epcot. With the interim Illuminations replacement “Epcot Forever” debuting and featuring classic Epcot music, I can’t help but think this will be a collaborative theme of the park as a whole, even if for a very limited time. 

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As Epcot changes, there will be a lot of push back from nostalgic Disney fans. It’s inevitable when a classic part of the magic changes. I personally think Disney will make a certain effort to ease into a “new Epcot” by harkening back to the days of the early Epcot experience so guests can relive even a small piece of that experience all over again. 

In a similar way, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an update announced for the Imagination pavilion this year at some point. The attraction may not change (as much as I wish it would go back to a more original iteration), but I do believe an ImageWorks overhaul is well overdue. It would theoretically be a budget friendly redesign, and if a sponsor for the project was brought onboard, costs may not be a huge factor when compared to the speculation of entirely new attractions/pavilions at Epcot.

Making a long list of rumors a bit more concise, Epcot is going to be changing and the extent of those changes will likely be the biggest series of announcements in the coming year. 

Magic Kingdom Changes:  

Magic Kingdom may not see anything overly exciting announced for it this year. However, there are a few things in progress that may “change” for lack of a better word. 


The Tron Project

As you probably know by now, the Tron coaster is coming to Magic Kingdom by 2021. Construction is well under way but I do believe there may be more to this project than meets the eye. I’ve spectacled for years that changes will be coming to Tomorrowland and this would be the perfect time to do something new and entirely unique. Tomorrowland is well overdue for a table service dinging location and the space is there and accessible for such a thing to come to fruition. Will it be announced this year? Maybe not. Will a Tomorrowland “refresh” begin this year? Without a doubt. 

If you walk into Tomorrowland today, you can already start to see theming changes taking place. From new paint to attraction closings (Goodbye Stitch’s Great Escape…), changes are already happening and I do believe this is only the beginning and there may be more to Tron than meets the eye. 

A New Nighttime Parade 

A new nighttime parade is long overdo at Magic Kingdom. I thought we’d already have some kind of parade announcement for 2019, but I genuinely believe we’ll have a new nighttime parade in Magic Kingdom by the end of 2019. I have absolutely no idea if it will be a new parade or a borrowed parade from another park internationally, but it simply feels strange for the park to be without an ongoing nighttime parade. 

I still believe Paint the Night could be modified just enough to function in the Magic Kingdom, but I doubt it will actually happen. 

Hollywood Studios Changes

Outside of Star Wars and the Runaway Railway, I would not be surprised if we see some more changes unveiled for Hollywood Studios this year. The theming is all over the place and something is going to have to change and change quickly to control the crowds after Galaxy’s Edge debuts. The sheer nature and design of the park could make near capacity crowd levels brutal if new areas aren’t expanded or better utilized to occupy guests. 


Hollywood Studios rumors are surprisingly quiet right now but I don’t see that trend sticking around for very long. Look for something to be announced this year to further that park in more than one way. 

Animal Kingdom Changes

As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think we’ll see much announced or new in 2019 for Animal Kingdom. All rumors circulating currently seem too far fetched in my opinion. Pandora is still doing quite well and continues to exceed most guests expectations. The crowds appear higher than in previous years and truthfully this is the best version of Animal Kingdom I’ve experienced first hand. The nighttime entertainment is great and I’m not entirely sure what they could improve to better the park.  
  

DinoLand Re-Imagining (not likely) 

There has been a recent push surfacing a rumor of an Indiana Jones overlay to Dinosaur. If you change Dinosaur you basically have to change or re-theme all of DinoLand. Ironically, and what many people don’t know about DinoLand, is that it’s designed to be a down home parody of the Dino Institute housing Dinosaur. So, if you change Dinosaur, you likely have to change all of DinoLand and I doubt that will happen.  

Pandora Expansion (not likely)

Another rumor that’s floating around is that Disney plans to expand Pandora. In my opinion this is the most far fetched rumor and, at the very least, far too soon for speculation if a project is evening the minds of the folks at Disney making those calls. I could be completely wrong but I doubt this will happen at all or at least anytime soon.   
              
                                         

Disney Resorts 

Disney resorts are certainly an area where Disney is allocating major resources in order to prepare for both Star Wars and other expansions coming in the future. Crowds are higher than they’ve ever been from a guest perspective and keeping those guests on property will inevitably be a focus of Disney’s intentions in the coming years. At the same time, with the exception of resorts that have already been announced or that are nearing completion, I doubt we’ll see any more lodging expansions rolled out this year. Disney has added a ton of rooms this year and are working to add more so my best guess is that they’ll be putting future resorts on hold until they really see how Star Wars draws crowds and how the accommodations situation unfolds over time. 
  

New DVC Villas 

The one exception to my “no-new resorts” mindset is the fact that I do believe Disney will continue to add DVC accommodations to moderate tier resorts and even potentially Port Orleans in particular in the not so distant future. Is it likely to happen this year, probably not with the expansions in place for Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs already nearing completion, but I do believe updates are inevitable for Port Orleans at some point.

Another fitting DVC expansion in my opinion would be waterfront cabins at Fort Wilderness. Not only does it fit the theming but after seeing how well they were done at Wilderness Lodge I could see it being a huge hit with guests. 

So that about wraps it up. I’m sure I’ve missed something along the way, but that should cover just about everything I expect in 2019 going forward. Will it all happen? I certainly doubt it, but at the moment this is everything that makes sense to me. Either way, be sure to share your thoughts for the new year with us in the comments on your favorite social media platform. As always, hope you all have a great new year and we can’t wait to share some new content with you in entirely new ways going forward!   

  

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.

   

   

Our Ideal Disney World "Resort Hopping" Day! 9 Resort Visits in One Day!

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our Ideal Disney World Resort Hopping Day! 9 Resort Visits in One Day! 

If you’re a Disney parks fan or even simply a casual traveler to Walt Disney World, you’ve likely heard of the term “resort hopping.” In essence, resort hopping is = going to resorts other than your home resort to visit, shop, dine, and ultimately explore a little piece of Disney that each resort offers in new and unique ways. It’s a great way to expand your horizons at WDW and an even better way to find resorts to stay at during your next trip or new places to dine that you never would have considered. 


However, at this point in the article, I feel somewhat obligated to mention that this is not a list of ways to work the system and visit other resort pools and the many other practices that Disney heavily frowns upon. Instead, this is a list of ways to explore the unique dining, hidden gems, gift shops, and unique theming of resorts, and it’s actually something Disney tends to encourage rather than the alternative. Leave the pools, guest rooms, and guest exclusive areas of the resorts to the guests staying at the resorts, but be sure to explore the theming and intricate details of these expertly designed resort common areas. 

Rather than repeating much of what we’ve shared in other articles, today we’re sharing what a typical resort hopping day looks like for us and how it is extremely possible and quite stress free to visit 9 resorts or more in one day outside of the parks. 

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It’s been a growing trend among our family to take the time out of each vacation to set aside one day (on week long trips) to step away from the parks to explore the resorts in more and more depth. Not only does it save a few dollars in the overall budget, but it also tends to be one of our most enjoyable days of the trip time and time again. 

Characteristically, a resort hopping day for us will begin at Wilderness Lodge’s Whispering Canyon for breakfast. It’s not unusual for us to be staying at the resort or its accompanying Boulder Ridge Villas, but even if you choose another resort, Wilderness Lodge is typically only a few minute Uber ride away (we shared a few tips on that service here). The breakfast is great and we even did a full review of it after the fact due to our multiple visits and even went as far as to call it a “hidden gem” breakfast on Disney property. If you know us, you know that is about as high of a rating as we could give any Disney dining location. It truly is one of the best values on property. 

Circling back to Uber, the service does play a role in our resort hopping plans but only a very slight role. In the past, I’ve been a critic of the service for various reasons but with the ever changing nature of the parking situation at Disney parks and resorts, it’s often easier to use Uber/Lyft/Minnie Vans and provided Disney transportation than trying to drive from place to place. It’s quick, it’s convenient, and ultimately is worth the money, especially if you use one of the referral codes both Uber and Lyft provided us with which will get you and us a discount on your ride(s). 

(Works anywhere in the country.) 

However, while Lyft and Uber are always quite convenient, don’t overlook Disney transportation and that’s ultimately how we get from place to place during the day as we move from resort to resort. Getting to the first resort of the day tends to be the problem when resort hopping. If you go to a resort for breakfast, it can be quite tricky to get to your destination without an Uber or Lyft. Typically we would catch a bus to the closest park from our home resort for the week and then catch a bus at the parks bus stop to the resort destination of our choice. Breakfast tends to be a tough timeframe for doing this because the parks aren’t always open early enough to get to your breakfast reservation by that particular route. As a result, ride sharing services due come into play. 

Wilderness Lodge

Once breakfast is over, consider taking a walk around Wilderness Lodge. The resort offers some of the most picturesque views on property. From the main lobby to the tucked away fireplaces, quiet overlooks, and tucked away spots, every where you turn there’s something unique to see and uncover in the vast details of the resort’s story. Additionally, the resort’s gift shop ‘Mercantile” is home to some of the more unique resort specific merchandise. If you really want to uncover some of the more overlooked details, make the short walk outside and down the covered path to the Boulder Ridge Villa lobby. It’s a tucked away spot but one of the greatest tributes to Walt Disney’s past you’ll find at Walt Disney World hiding in plain site. Look for the Carolwood Room sign and you know you’re in the right place. If you’re into Disney history, it will likely exceed your expectations. 



Once you wrap up your visit to Wilderness Lodge, head out to the boat dock to make your way to the next destination that always makes it on our list, the Contemporary.

To get to the Contemporary you’ll want to catch the resort loop boat. It’s a short trip, completely free, and gets you there in about 10-15 minutes (sometimes less). Simply use the signs at the dock and ask your captain to verify they are headed to your desired destination. The views from the boat are spectacular, and while the photo below was taken at sunset, picturesque views can be found throughout the year nearly every day! 


The Contemporary Resort    

The Contemporary is rather unique in that most of your entertainment and dining is no where near the lobby. Instead, as you arrive at the fourth floor, by means of elevators, staircases, and escalators, the atrium unfolds and showcases one of the more impressive buildings that can be found on Disney property. The wow factor for the contemporary isn’t in the lobby like Wilderness Lodge, but rather this grand atrium that constantly wows guests at first sight. 


In the main grand concourse itself you’ll find unique shopping and dining including Chef Mickey’s (a decent buffet offering – somewhat overpriced), The Contempo Cafe, the Fantasia gift shop, and Bayview Gifts. Each offer something unique and around the holidays you’ll find festive displays all around. As a partially unique part of the experience, consider stepping out onto the large balcony overlooking Magic Kingdom in the distance. It’s a spectacular view and perhaps one of the little overlooked “hidden gems” of the experience that many resort guests and visitors miss entirely.

Once you’ve had your fix of the Contemporary, hop on the monorail and ride two stops over to the Polynesian Village resort. 
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The Polynesian Village 

The Polynesian is always a guest favorite resort that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a tropical hideaway perched on the sand with Cinderellas Castle off in the distance. The views are stunning, the smells put you in the story, and the sounds of the tropical music and subtle chatter of guests drifting in and out of the lobby make for an excellent multi-sensory experience. 

Inside the resort you’ll find four incredible dining options. The pinnacle of all the dining is the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show which brings a Polynesian Luau to the heart of central Florida. The experience is pricey ($66-$78 for adults) and only offered on select dates and select times. However, it is perhaps the most unique dining option for a day outside of the parks. 

Other dining options include Ohana (the family favorite meal for most guests), Kona, and Captain Cooks. Each have their strengths and weaknesses but each are well worth experiencing at least once and the vast array of options accommodate many different price points. 

The Polynesian also offers two uniquely themed gift shops with resort specific merchandise that is well worth checking out. Last but certainly not least, grab a Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai and walk down to the beaches for a stroll in the sand to complete the Polynesian experience. 

The Grand Floridian 



When it’s all said and done, make your way back up to the monorail, ride one stop and explore all the Grand Floridian has to offer. Without repeating what’s already been mentioned above, the Grand Floridian offer it’s own array of wonderful dining and gift shops, but also has an array of high end merchandise in select stores ranging from Vineyard Vines to Lilly Pulitzer apparel and many others. 

The Grand Floridian is particularly wonderful around the holidays with Christmas music being played by a live band or piano and decor that looks like something out of a Hallmark movie complete with a larger than life gingerbread house that is always a pleasure to see in person. 

Port Orleans

As perhaps the greatest benefit of this resort hopping strategy, you can jump on the monorail one last time and head to Magic Kingdom. Without entering the park you can leave the monorail, head to the bus stop, and board a bus to your desired destination. One of my personal favorite spots to go at this point on our resort hopping days is Port Orleans French Quarter. The bus ride is only about 10 minutes long and once you arrive, having completed the other resorts on our list, it typically turns out to be around lunch time and Floatworks at French Quarter is a near perfect quick service lunch option. Once again, French Quarter offers a unique shopping experience and the theming really is one of the best resort themes anywhere on property regardless of resort tier. 


Disney Springs or Crescent Lake 

From that point, you have two great options. First, you could continue your day by heading over to Disney Springs for the night via a boat provided by the resort just steps from the lobby, or you can continue on your way to other resorts! Our next resort pick tends to be the  Crescent Lake resorts and Epcot resort area including the Yacht and Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin, and Boardwalk resorts. It is fairly difficult to get to these resorts from French Quarter but, as mentioned before, you can always hail an Uber or head to a park using the resorts busses and then switch busses to get to your end destination. 

In my opinion there is no better first stop than the Yacht Club. The little intricate details of the lobby and external resort grounds are wonderful to explore. As an added bonus, the spacious and comfortable lobby is a great place to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle of your Disney vacation. If you have a bit of extra time, a quick 10-15 minute walk along the lakes edge and through the Swan and Dolphin will lead you right over to Fantasia miniature golf. It’s a great way to spend some time with family, it’s fairly budget friendly, and it is truly unlike any miniature golf you’ve played before. When you’re finished, consider stopping by the Fountain’s walk up window on the bottom floor of the Dolphin for some of the best ice cream on property!


If it’s late enough in the day at this point, consider eating at Cape May Cafe. The tucked away seafood buffet dinner is one that we failed to eat at for years on end. It does require a reservation most of the time but reservations tend to be plentiful. The meal is incredible and is housed in Disney’s Beach Club Resort. It’s not necessarily the most budget friendly offering (more on that in our Cape May Cafe informational post), but it is truly one of my favorite meals anywhere on property and is one of the best kept WDW dining secrets.

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At the end of the night, after your meal, consider making the short walk over to Disney’s Boardwalk resort to enjoy the glistening lights of the real boardwalk experience on the edge of Crescent Lake, potentially a movie on the village green, or even some live entertainment by incredibly talented street performers. The sights, the sounds, and the overall environment is well worth your time. As day turns into night and the nightly performance of Illuminations takes to the sky at Epcot nearby, the view from the boardwalk (while partially obstructed) is one of the most picturesque views you’ll find anywhere on property. The reflections off of the water create a show stopping experience for guests and it’s something you won’t want to miss. 

At the end of the night hail an Uber and head back to your home resort for the week and you may very well have experienced a fun filled day with very little expense and uncovered hundreds of things you never would have gotten the chance to explore on a typical Disney vacation! Enjoy every moment, try something new, and you’ll never be disappointed with resort hopping! Use our plan or create your own plan with resorts you’ve always wanted to visit. This post only scratches the surface of all there is to see and do, but we hope that this at least gives you the motivation to try this vastly important part of our Disney vacations.   

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.
                   

The One Thing So Many First Time Guests Overlook About Disney

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

The One Thing So Many First Time Guests Overlook About Disney 

When you think of Disney World, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s interesting to me to hear answers to this very question because the answers vary depending on who you ask but in particular, there’s one main separating factor among all the answers… if you’ve been to Walt Disney World or not. So many prospective guests have this fixated expectation of what they are going to get out of a Disney experience and more often than not, the experience they receive vastly outpaces their expectations. Perhaps the best example of this is simply the answers to the aforementioned question.

Pose that initial question to a friend of yours that’s never stepped in a Disney park or hasn’t done so in the last 10-15 years and you’ll likely get the answer… “attractions, fireworks, characters, hotels,” and the list goes on.

The Lunching Pad - First Time Disney Guest Tips
If you ask a Disney guest who’s been to the parks time and time again that same question the answer typically varies drastically. Their answer is rarely about the attractions or the shows or even the world class dining but rather some story about their kids, a memory they shared with friends, or even perhaps a hidden piece of the history of the parks they found hiding in plain site. You see, the overlooked thing about Disney is that it’s not just another amusement park. Sure, there’s attractions, world class dining, incredible fireworks shows, and the list goes on and on, but one thing sets it all apart and much of it circles back to story and the vastly important influence story has on the “Disney Experience.”

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No matter if it’s story in a literal sense of the stories attractions help portray, stories in the sense of the real life history of the parks themselves, or even quite possibly your story that develops from those deeply rooted experiences with friends or family in the parks year after year. The secret that sets Disney apart from all the others isn’t in the attractions but rather in the stories developed that exceed your wildest expectations. 

Wilderness Lodge - First Time Disney Guest Tips
Boulder Ridge - First Time Disney Guest Tips
It’s not every day that you get to walk down Main Street with your family no matter how young, old, or young at heart they may be. It’s one of those simple pleasure in life that often gets lost in our daily lives. Disney, and in particular Walt Disney World, has a way of slowing things down and offering a true escape from reality. It’s something that every repeat and life long Disney guest understands and more importantly the one thing every prospective guest should make a cognitive effort not to overlook by mistake. 

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It’s so easy to get caught up in technology, our jobs, and invariably our increasingly busy lives, but the ability to disconnect and consciously take in that moment and escape from reality with friends and family with no fear of judgement is something that only Disney has been able to provide so many of us over the years. Walt said it best years ago when he said that essentially Disney World may not hold all the answers but happiness will be at the forefront of the project. Of course, in classic Walt fashion, his description was exorbitantly more polished than my iteration of the concept, but I feel that it’s still a near perfect representation of what Walt Disney World does for guests. It’s not your standard amusement park but rather an experience that is so incredibly hard to put into words. I keep saying it’s more than the attractions but that ultimately downplays the experiential nature of the vacation destination. The Disney parks are a vastly transformative experience that surround you and transport you to different places and different stories, but the key to it all is in the opportunity the place creates for you to create your own Disney story. That’s what it’s all about and in the simplest of explanations, that’s the main thing so many prospective guests rarely expect and ultimately overlook. 

Pandora - First Time Disney Guest Tips
Disney at face value may not be your idea of a dream vacation, but when you dig a little deeper, the Walt Disney World resort truly is a World of different varieties of entertainment. There really is something for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes to look beyond the obvious to uncover the one thing Disney offers that will help you create your ideal story. If you’re new to the parks, or simply looking for something new to try on your next WDW vacation be sure to check out some of our favorite posts and recommendations below:

     

Magic Kingdom - First Time Disney Guest Tips
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.

Disney World Mistakes and Terrible Tips To Avoid

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Disney World Mistakes and Terrible Tips To Avoid

It’s no secret that there’s no one set way to do Disney and to plan a Walt Disney World vacation. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but there is no perfect way to tour the parks and resorts. Every person is different, every vacation style is different, and most importantly what I want out of a vacation and what you want out of a vacation may be two vastly different experiences. With that being said, there are some tips and mistakes that can be made that all guests should try and avoid if at all possible. There’s no all inclusive list but today we just wanted to take a look at some of the more common mistakes many first time and even some returning guests make in addition to a few of the terrible tips we’ve heard shared over the years. 

Don’t have time to read all of these or just want to listen instead?? Why not listen on the drive to work to get that “Disney fix.” Be sure to check out this weeks podcast where we cover this exact topic in greater depth! Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe to Guide4WDW Uncut on iTunes!  

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There’s one thing I don’t want this article to turn into and that is a vastly negative post. This isn’t designed to bash anyone or call anyone out. Those types of posts you’ll never find on this site because no one benefits from them in any way. I’m here to share tips to help you enjoy every minute of your Disney vacation and to hopefully open your eyes to the vast nature of all that Disney has to offer along the way.

I will say though that much of this list correlates to our personal travel style. Typically we travel in a group of four, we’re all adults in the given group and all over the age of 22. We’re not the type of people who focus heavily on attractions, and we’re not the type of guests that travel on a shoe string budget most of the time. We have traveled on very limited budgets, but it’s not out of the ordinary for us to eat a table service meal almost every day of our trip, for us to stay in Deluxe tier resorts, and for us to splurge on a few things throughout the vacation experience. On the other hand, we’re not the guests who stay club level every vacation or the type of guest that regularly hires VIP guides for our time in the park (although that is a great opportunity for many).

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Also worth mentioning is the fact that we are able to visit Walt Disney World multiple times per year so we go at things from a slightly different perspective. If a wait time is extremely long, we simply move on to a different attraction. It’s rare that we wait more than 30 minutes for an attraction and tend to enjoy the simpler elements of the experience beyond the attractions themselves. 

If you appreciate that mindset, travel in a similar manner, or wish to travel in a similar way, I think you’ll really enjoy this list. If not, there’s still quite a few things to consider on the list that I hope you’ll think about before your next vacation either way.               

Mistake: Forgetting the Deposit  

This particular mistake is first on my list for one reason and one reason only, we have made this mistake before and have almost made this mistake on many other occasions as well. If you’re booking a vacation package or any other type of on property resort accommodations there is an option for a courtesy hold without payment. However, if you do not pay the initial fee to hold the reservation within the allotted time frame the reservation ceases to exist. Paying that deposit is easy to forget about so my recommendation is to at least pay the minimum amount required to hold your reservation until payment is required 30 days out from your travel dates. It’s typically a relatively small portion of the total payment and more than worth the peace of mind. 
       

Terrible Tip: The Quick Service Haters

I may ruffle some feathers with this comment but don’t listen to the people who say quick service dining at Disney isn’t worth your time. These people exist and honestly they tend to be food snobs in my opinion. Disney quick service at one point in time was relatively lack luster. However, today’s quick service offerings are outstanding if you simply take the time research and learn about some of the better offerings that may be hiding in plain site. If you’re looking for some of the better options, consider looking at the following articles: 

I’m one of the largest proponents of table service dining you’ll find in the Disney community, but even I absolutely love some of the counter service locations in the parks and more importantly at the resorts. The Polite Pig holds it’s own when compared to table service, Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge does as well, and I could write an entire article on how much I enjoy Floatworks over at Port Orleans French Quarter! Don’t overlook quick service meals! Even the simplest of meals may exceed your wildest expectations. 


In a similar conversation, don’t eat exclusively at quick service locations if you can avoid it. So many guests are scared away from table service meals due to the price point, but they don’t have to be expensive. One of my favorite articles I’ve ever written was a quest to prove that idea all on it’s own when I shared 10 Excellent Entrees Under $15 at Walt Disney World. Nearly half of the items on that list were from table service locations. A great sit down meal doesn’t have to be pricey and it doesn’t have to time consuming. There are options that meet both needs.   

Terrible Tip: The Fireworks “Camp Out”

Every Disney guest has done this at some option in time. You stake out your fireworks viewing location well over an hour in advance and you sit and you wait… and you wait… and you wait some more. Then, at the last minute, a random 7 foot giant wedges into a tiny space right in front of you. While that may be a bit of an exaggeration (even though I’ve seen it happen first hand), I can’t stress enough how rare it is that you have to spend over an hour of your time in the parks staking out a fireworks viewing location. Magic Kingdom during peak crowds may be the sole exception to this rule, but it’s not unusual to find a good spot 30 minutes before show time in a majority of cases if you know where to look. We even made a list of the better spots in our 5 Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Tips for 2018/2019 article and even shared a few great viewing locations outside of the parks in our 5 Incredible Spots to View Disney Fireworks Without a Park Ticket post.

Epcot is the ultimate example of this. Illuminations, and likely whatever show replaces it in the coming year, is viewable from nearly anywhere on the World Showcase promenade. You can stake out your spot right up against the waters edge or you can enjoy an extra hour of your night grabbing dessert or exploring the pavilions and settling for a near equal view of the show by finding a spot 15-20 minutes before showtime. Hollywood Studios fireworks shows are even more convenient because of the Echo Lake area. If you’re “late” to claiming a spot, simply move over to the lake side of the Chinese Theater and you can see most of the show if you stand near the front of the lake no matter what show it may be. Chances are, you’ll miss a few of the projections, but for the vast majority of the show you’ll be perfectly content with the viewing angle.

My sole exception to this rule is Fantasmic and if you’re a photographer and want a particular shot of any of the shows. Fantasmic fills to capacity long before show time nearly every night when crowds are above average. From a photography standpoint, if you plan on using a tripod for long exposure shots and want a particular view of Happily Ever After or the nighttime shows, you will need to claim your spot and hold your ground not only to protect your gear but also to create enough space to avoid guests bumping into your tripod/monopod during the show. A great way to avoid that problem is to try and find a spot near a railing so that no one can stand in front of you and you’re at least guarded on one side from a run away stroller and so that you can try to avoid disturbing anyone else’s viewing experience along the way. 

Mistake: The Over-planned Disaster

If I had to pick just one thing to avoid when planning your Disney vacation, it would be this 1000 times over. I can not stress enough how detrimental this can be to a Disney vacation experience. If I had my choice of planning as much as possible or as little as possible I’d take the little as possible option time and time again and here’s why. If you plan every detail of every day in the parks, you’re inevitably going to spend more time trying to stay on schedule or catching up with your schedule that you’ll miss out on the simple joy of just being there in the moment and enjoying whatever happens, whenever it happens. 

Look around you when you’re in the parks next time. Chances are the group of guests that spontaneously rolls up to a parade or a dance party in the streets and just go with it and have an incredible time living in the moment are the people creating the most memories. Take a note from them and enjoy just being there! Plan what you have to. Plan your fastness selections, plan what day you’ll go to each park, and plan your meals, the rest of it you can get by with going with the flow.    
      

Mistake: The Open to Close Attempt

While quite similar to the over planning disaster, trying to push yourself to the limit and hitting the parks sun up to sundown and well into the night can lead to disastrous results. As you head to the parks day after day it slowly starts to catch up with you and by the time you get to your last day of your trip you need a vacation to recover from your vacation. 

If you really want to make the most of your days, arrive at the parks early, stay until just before the crowds peak in the early afternoon hours and take a break during the middle of the afternoon. Head to a resort in the area and relax in the lobby or do some shopping/dining. Head to your own resort and enjoy to the pool or relax in the room and then as the afternoon starts to turn into early night, return to the parks just before or just after dinner to close out the night. The break may seem like a waste of time but more often than not it’s the needed change of pace you’ll appreciate and need to get through those long hours in the parks (especially in the peak summer/spring season when park hours can be from 8am to well after midnight depending on the day).    

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Terrible Tip: “Don’t Bother With Deluxe Resorts”

I have been and likely always will be a firm proponent of at least trying a deluxe resort if you’ve never done so before. So many guests go by the thought process that is often forced upon them by other guests that staying deluxe “isn’t worth the money.” Honestly, I disagree. The experience of a deluxe resort is simply different than any other resort accommodations and resort experience you’ll find anywhere else around the country. It truly is a transformative experience that immerses you in theme and story that changes how you view all other resorts. Now, I completely understand that many guests simply can not make a deluxe resort economically smart for their given situation but there are a few ways to overcome the typically high costs associated with deluxe accommodations.

First and foremost is booking larger rooms and traveling with larger parties so that you can split costs and overall make the accomodations a bit more budget friendly. Another option is to book at off peak times when possible and to watch for seasonal discounts which tend to be abundant and offer up to 30% off resort accommodations. Lastly, consider booking with DVC points that can be bought through third party points resellers. David’s Vacation Rentals is one particularly popular option but no matter which reseller you go with you can save a vast amount of money when booking far enough in advance. The only downside to the DVC resale route is that cancellation is pretty much non existent without purchasing travel insurance. No matter how you make it work for your situation, at least consider deluxe accommodations, because there genuinely is a difference between moderate, value, and deluxe accommodations. All are great options but deluxe is inevitably a cut above the rest. It’s not just a place to stay but rather a place that engulfs you in story and changes the feel of your vacation.      

Mistake: Overlooking Resort Dining

If you’ve been to the parks multiple times, you’ve likely figured this mistake/tip out. If you’re not eating at your resort or other resort locations, you’re truly missing out on some of the very best dining available on all of Walt Disney World property. From excellent quick service like Floatworks at Port Orleans French Quarter to high end table service like the Yachtsman at the Yacht Club, there is something for every price point and often times food outside of the parks is even better than the food offerings available inside the parks. 
  

Mistake: Booking Last Minute 

I can firmly categorize this as a mistake because I’ve done it time and time again. Booking within the last month before your stay or even last two months before your travel dates is a huge disservice to your planning experience. Back in July we booked a trip roughly four weeks before we would arrive in Orlando. Was it stressful, absolutely. Was it doable, certainly. However, we’re not the average guest. We’ve been doing this for quite some time and it was still one of the tightest turn around times we’ve ever faced. 

Let me reiterate that it is certainly possible to do, but at the same time it is rather difficult to do and do so effectively if you’re a first time guest. You’ll inevitably have to be pretty flexible with fastpass+ selections since availability will likely be very low. Resort accommodations are going to be very few and far between and likely more expensive than usual. Lastly, some select dining reservations will be difficult to secure. It has to be a much more go with the flow planning style and travel style. 

My best recommendation would be to book any Disney vacation at least 3 months in advance of your travel dates. If you are doing things a little more last minute and even if you’re not, I always recommend Destinations to Travel for your booking needs because it’s not only free to you but also helps us out here on the site along the way.  
         

Mistake: Never Leaving the “Bubble” 

I know it is incredibly tempting to arrive at Disney and never want to leave the parks and resorts to enter the “real world” but if you’ve been to the parks many times, consider switching things up and heading off site to enjoy a great meal, a trip to the outlet mall, or even another vacation destination like Discovery Cove. You may even want to make the drive over to Coco Beach for the day! Every once in a while it’s a nice change of pace. For more on Discovery Cove consider checking out our article all about it from a Disney minded perspective -> An Honest Comparison: Discovery Cove From a Disney Perspective

Terrible Tip: “Just Stay Off Property”

It’s no secret that I tend to prefer to stay on property at Walt Disney World. In my opinion the benefits vastly outweigh the occasional (never guaranteed) marginal cost savings of staying off property, even when staying at the more convenient off-property resorts. I somewhat generalized this commonly suggested “terrible tip” but at it’s very core, you very very rarely save money in the long run when staying off site despite how common it is for guests to suggest to other potential visitors to skip on-property accommodations. 

On paper, a $99 – $120 nightly room cost may look better from a savings perspective than WDW resorts, but once you add in the transportation costs from the airport to the hotel (which Disney would provide), transportation to the parks (potentially Uber or rental cars), and parking fees at the resort and the parks, the cost savings become rather small in the grand scheme of things. On top of that, you’re going to lose out on being in that “Disney bubble” and the experiential factors that “bubble” tends to develop for you and your friends/family. 

This is a heavily debated topic but for us, but as guests who have stayed on and off property multiple times, it’s just not worth the trade offs to stay off property. On average it saves you very little money in the long run and you may end up even paying more for you accommodations than if you would have simply considered Pop Century or even select moderate tier resorts on property. 

If you absolutely feel the need to stay off property, consider the Double Tree near Disney Springs. If you’re a Hilton Honors member, occasionally the points booking offer can work in your favor and the location is better than most off-site hotels (recognizing that this is technically “on-property” but to me anything not owned and operated by Disney is off property with the sole exception of the Swan And Dolphin Resorts due to their unique partnership with Disney and Disney transportation).

             

Mistake: Listening to the Self-Proclaimed Disney Expert

Very few things truly bother me when it comes to vacation planning and Walt Disney World (unless you compare that statement to this list… but that’s beside the point), but one thing does more than anything, self-proclaimed experts. If you’re a long time visitor to the Disney parks, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the person you meet at the bus stop, or that colleague from work, or that random town car/Uber driver you started talking to on the way to the airport that thinks they know everything about every little detail of the Disney parks, but they’ve only really been twice… Often times, they’re the same person that believes every rumor that comes out of the Disney parks rumor mill and is still convinced that a monorail line will be coming to the Swan and Dolphin (a widespread rumor that resurfaces every few years due to the pattern on the side of the building – it’s been confirmed for years that it was never an intended “addition” and simply a part of the architectural design). Why does this bother me? 
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The answer to that question really has so many different facets but perhaps the greatest level of concern I have with it is that the “tips and tricks” they share are typically vastly outdated, untrue to begin with, or simply terrible tips to share with prospective WDW guests that will adversely affect their Disney experience. 


I know this all sounds a bit ironic considering I write about Disney almost daily and many might even go as far as to call me an “expert” on the subject matter, but I cannot say that of myself and likely never will. From a literal standpoint, 10,000 hours of experience doing something is the commonly accepted frame of time and effort that needs to be put forth to truly become an expert in a subject matter. Personally, I buy into that theory because it makes sense in practice. If you add up the 21 years of experience I’ve spent traveling to the parks and the time I’ve been writing on this site over the last two years, a conservative hour calculation is around 7,000 hours. There are very few true experts in the Disney online community and even those who are like Lou Mongello, Jim Korkis, and Tom Bricker would never claim to know everything there is to know about the Disney parks. 

Be careful who you take travel advice from and in all honesty, your common sense observations are typically the best judge of how experienced someone truly is.        

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.

             

5 of Our Favorite "Hidden Gem" Spots in All of Walt Disney World – 2018

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our Favorite “Hidden Gem” Spots in All of Walt Disney World – 2018  

Most of the time when you see a title like this you’ll be met with “favorite” attractions with short wait times or even quite possibly a few dining locations thrown in the mix, but today I want to do something a bit different and hopefully something a touch more creative. Today, I hope to share quite the opposite perspective and share a few of the somewhat “little known” locations at Walt Disney World that aren’t attractions, stores, or even dining locations (which will be hard to leave out!) in order to focus on an even simpler aspect of the parks and resorts in the realm of not only theming but setting and experience beyond what you may expect. So, rather than trying to explain what I mean, it’s a bit easier if I just show you and bring you along on a photo journey through “spots” I consider to be hidden gems of Walt Disney World. 

You see, about 8 months ago I started photographing the Disney parks. While at first it was just something I wanted to try, I slowly realized that the age old saying of “a picture being worth a thousand words” is not only true but rather an under exaggerated statement that should potentially carry more weight than it does. As I started sharing photos from the parks, the response was different than what I expected. Not only were readers incredibly complimentary (which I truly appreciate as a very amateur photographer) but many mentioned how the photos took them back to Disney and made them feel like they were there for even just a fleeting few seconds.

From the beginning that concept was something I wanted to bring to this site/blog (or whatever you’d like to call it). I wanted to create a place that took you back to the parks for even just a brief few moments somehow or some way each and every day. So, when I thought up this concept for an article my mind didn’t entirely go straight to attractions but rather to those photos and those “spots” at the parks and resorts that so many guests overlook entirely. To me, it’s those more creative and perhaps less iconic photos that I enjoy sharing more than anything else, because if you know these spots and you know that experience as a whole they have a way of taking you back to that moment no matter what the quality of the image may be. A picture may be worth a thousand words but at the same time it captures a story that transcends my own personal experience and opens the door to the stories I get to hear from readers. We all perceive things just a touch differently, but at times those differences allow us to see things in entirely new ways. 

That concept is my goal for this article more than anything else. If I can share just one new hidden gem “spot” for you to explore and create a story of your own in experiencing it for the first time, it will be a success in my mind. Before I officially “begin” I do have to add that some of these are far more “hidden” than others and truthfully what may be “hidden” to me may very well be a staple of every trip you’ve ever taken to Walt Disney World. My goal is a variety spots that give every guest something new to look forward to and a good blend of truly unique spots with a couple I simply see as underrated or under appreciated. With that out of the way, let’s jump right into it! (If you’re on a mobile device and want to see these photos in higher quality, simply tap the photo). 

1. East Center Street 

In the early years of Walt Disney World, Main Street U.S.A. was a very different place than what it is today. Many of the storefronts were actual stand alone shops, and the layout lended itself to a city style atmosphere that was a touch more eccentric in shopping offerings for lack of a better word. From the Hallmark Card Shop to the House of Magic and those massive plants sold at the Greenhouse Flower Shop, Main Street was a different world but the true change arrived when West Center Street was officially filled in. Truthfully I can only vaguely remember seeing West Center Street in person because it really wasn’t around that long in the time period when I was old enough to remember it. After closing for the expansion of the emporium in 2001 the entire street was essentially lost. However, a casual hidden gem remains on the east side of the cross street splitting Main Street U.S.A. (ironically named East Center Street.) The street is a touch tucked away but the history it holds and shares with guests in an oh so subtle way is hard to put into words. 

From a views standpoint it truly is spectacular at night. The glistening lights of Main Street and the guests strolling about completely unaware of this little side street makes for an excellent location to sit back and relax for a few moments as the music plays and the sights and sounds of main street surround you. 


2. The Gardens of Japan

Epcot’s Japan pavilion is perhaps one of the more unique hidden gems on this list for a couple of reasons. One, you wont find it laid out specifically as an “attraction” on any park map and two, because it’s one of those things many locals know about and would love to keep to themselves. I’m not a local but can completely understand why they would want to keep this spot a hidden location in Epcot. On any given day you enter the main area of the Japan pavilion, take a few steps off to the left hand side and up a short hill to be surrounded by a gentle flowing stream, grab a quick snack (the more popular area of the garden), and enjoy a few quiet minutes taking in the sites and sounds of the garden. 

You can see Spaceship Earth in the distance but it’s largely a transformative experience and one that makes you feel, even for the briefest of minutes, that your away for the hustle and bustle of the parks and Orlando as a whole to enjoy a few minutes of peace. It sounds so strange but this little garden area has a very calming essence to it and is one of many places at Walt Disney World I’d love to have the time one day to just sit down and enjoy for a few hours. Of course, that luxury of time is something only a select few have as we tour the parks and resorts, but nonetheless a cool spring or fall night in this spot for a few hours will always be a “wish list” item for me if I ever end up being a local.  

     

3. The Boulder Ridge Villa Lobby 

As many of you may know, this is and likely always will be my favorite hidden gem in all of Walt Disney World. I’ve raved about this little quiet spot for well over a year here on the site and I don’t see the praise stopping anytime soon. To me, this “hidden” simple experience is one that every true Disney fan should experience at least once and one that only the most obsessed of us will likely appreciate at first glance. It is, without a doubt, the definition of a hidden gem. 

The Boulder Ridge Lobby is spectacular in a very subtle yet vastly recognizable way. As soon as you step through the doors (just a short walk from the main Wilderness Lodge Lobby) you’re surrounded by a quaint woodsy feeling lobby with a high peaked ceiling and recognizable smell that is incredibly difficult to appreciate without experiencing it first hand (“smellovision”, or rather “smellonet” in this case, can’t come soon enough!). The beauty of the lobby paired with large soft chairs, ample seating and a crackling fireplace lends itself to a sensory experience that is rivaled by very few. 

As wonderful as this location really is, miraculously it’s vastly overlooked by nearly every guest visiting wilderness Lodge that isn’t staying in the villas. It’s a bit amazing really. even with hundreds of guests making their way to their villas each night, it’s rare to see more than four or five guests sitting in this spot. Perhaps it simply gets overshadow by the far larger and slightly grander lobby just a short walk away in the Wilderness Lodge, but to me this smaller area has so much more character than it’s “larger brother.” 

On top of all that, there’s a certain history to this place that is perhaps the reason I appreciate it so much in the first place. As mentioned in my Outstanding Disney History Hiding in Plain Sight: The Carolwood Room article, this is one of the very rare places in Walt Disney World where you can actually see something that Walt physically laid his hands on and something that wasn’t necessarily about the parks but rather his personal joy and passion from his daily life. You see, all the attractions and all the details Disney can develop in the parks can show you so many things and take you to so many different places, but only one is dedicated to Walt’s personal passion and a part of something that was once in his very own back yard. This room, attached to the lobby is a window into Walt’s life and a window that opens the door to the exploration by guests into who Walt really was. It gives perspective to the statue on Main Street so many guests pose for photos with each day, and it allows guests to uncover something truly unique. In my opinion that’s the true essence of a “hidden gem” in it’s finest form. So many guests have sat in this room or walked by this seemingly simple display of props but only a select few dive deeper and uncover a piece of the true Disney Magic hiding in plain site.    

    


4. The Boardwalk at Sunset    

Moving in a slightly different direction, if you’ve never took the time to step away from the parks and catch a sunset at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort area, it is worth every second of your time.  I don’t know why and I don’t know how but sitting on that Boardwalk and those carefully placed wooden planks over the water sets up the most picturesque sunsets you’ll ever witness in your life. It’s not every night, but as if by clockwork, if there’s clouds in the sky you can expect a truly spectacular unveiling of colors across the sky. With the view over the Yacht and Beach Club in the distance, and the Swan and Dolphin perched high on their accompanying resorts, the light reflects off of the buildings and the water and the worries of the world seem to slip away as the sky explodes with color. On our last trip I spent a little over an hour trying to capture this setting in a photo and thankfully ended up with two that come somewhat close to sharing those fleeting minutes of color with you all in a photo. It’s impossible to fully capture but hopefully these encourage you to take that leap and step away from the parks to enjoy a more laid back night embracing the beauty of Walt Disney world in an entirely new way. (Again, feel free to click on the photos to see a higher resolution image on mobile.)     


5. Magic Kingdom After Close  

As perhaps the most obvious of locations on our list, Magic Kingdom after close makes you rethink Disney in a way that only a few truly appreciate time and time again. A few of you might be wondering how it is possible to get in after the park closes for the day, but in reality you just postpone leaving as long as possible. As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s quite normal for Magic Kingdom to be open up to two hours after the posted closing time. Slowly but surely they clear the lands but Main Street U.S.A. is open for quite some time. If you can stick it out and wait until the bitter end, you’ll be surprised at how the Magic Kingdom transforms. For the nostalgic Disney fan it’s a dream come true. The crowds slowly trickle out of the park and while a few late diners or final riders of the day wrap up, you can walk around a fairly empty hub, enjoy a quiet Cinderellas castle view and enjoy a moment you never thought you’d get to. It is, in its simplest form an “empty” Magic Kingdom and for a brief few minutes you get to feel what Walt must have felt as he walked through Disneyland late at night as his dream slowly but surely became a reality. Security can be a touch aggressive at times and on rare occasion a bit touchy, but if you’re friendly and non-confrontational, savoring those final minutes of the night can be one of the most memorable moments you’ll ever experience at Walt Disney World.

You see, often times a “Hidden Gem” spot can be something oh so incredibly simple and I’m a firm believer that the simplest moments tend to be the things we remember the most years down the line. It’s what keeps us coming back and trying new things in a way that is incredibly difficult to describe without experiencing it first hand. Enjoy every little moment because you never know what will stick with you years down the road.  

I am far from a professional photographer, but I hope at the very least these photos help put you in the scene for even just a brief moment and may have even taken you back to a moment in time where you experienced your own iteration of these stories portrayed by our “hidden gem” spots. Perhaps more importantly, I hope this gives you something to look forward to in the future and a look behind the lens (for lack of a better word) at some of the stories behind my various photos shared over the last month or so on Facebook and Instagram. If you have questions or simply would like to contact me directly, feel free to email me at guide4wdw@gmail.com with photography questions, comments about this post, or any suggestions you may have for the site. This isn’t my site, it’s yours in every way shape and form and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Have a question about planning or while on your trip? Feel free to send that my way as well!  

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!


Need a Travel Planner?


If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.


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.

Our Ideal 1-Day Walt Disney World Itinerary for 2018

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our Ideal 1-Day Walt Disney World Itinerary for 2018 

For many of us that have been to Disney time and time again, it seems a little strange and a bit weird to think about having one day to spend at Walt Disney World. Many of us spend a week or more touring the parks and resorts and still don’t mange to get done all that we hope to accomplish. It’s an inevitable reality that presents itself time after time, but I don’t say that to discourage you from taking a day to explore Disney World, even if you just have  single day or even a few hours to explore a small portion of what there is to offer on property.

Many of you reading this will find yourself on a work trip in the Orlando area or on an extended layover at Orlando International Airport at some point and may just have one day to get away for a while and enjoy some time in the parks. Again, it’s weird for many of us who vacation to the parks year after year to think about, but there are tons of guests arriving at the gates of the parks each day that only have one day to spend at the happiest place on earth.

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A majority of those guest come unprepared, don’t have tickets, and have no idea what they’re walking into, but they all have one thing in common, expectations. Disney World is one of the most sought after destinations in the United States and for fairly obvious reasons, but in today’s Disney planning scenario, it can be tough to set up one day and vastly enjoy all that even one park has to offer. 

So, as a result we’re taking today to look at what we’d do if we had only one day to spend in one park. I will preface this with the fact that we’ve been in this situation before and while it isn’t ideal, you’ll be surprised at how amazing your day can be with the limited amount of time available to you. However, to make the most of the time, you have to arrive with a plan and this is the plan we’d go with. 


What Park Do You Go To?

If I had never been to Walt Disney World I’d have to spend the time I had exploring Magic Kingdom in 2018. Now, I say in 2018 for one reason and largely one reason only. As the parks grow and new expansions are unveiled over the next 2 years, including Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge, my opinion on which park to visit could likely change. Honestly, I would even consider going to Epcot and originally that was my pick for this 1 day itinerary. As I thought about that decision, I took a step back. I redirected my thoughts and considered the scenario once again from a different perspective. If I was a first time guest, what park would leave a lasting impression on me?

The answer I came up with wasn’t ideal, because what came to mind was our 7 Day Itinerary. Then I realized one more thing and that was that the point of one day at Disney isn’t about doing everything but rather taking the time you have and making the most of it. It’s not going to be the perfect trip, but for one day you get the opportunity to escape the world for a few minutes and enter a place of pure happiness. So, the answer I came up with wasn’t my favorite park, Epcot (with our Our Tried and True “Epcot in a Day” Touring Plan), but rather a place described best as where you can “leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy,” the Magic Kingdom. 

What Ticket Do You Buy? 


Honestly, you’re only going to need a one day ticket to the park and the cheapest place and most reliable place (other than Disney themselves) I’ve found to buy that is the Official Ticket Center online. It’s quick, it’s convenient, and you may save a few dollars along the way. For longer stays, you may even catch a free upgrade through them, but I recommend checking out our 2018 Discount Disney World Tickets post before you dive too deep into the ticket buying process for longer stays.

Our Ideal 1-day Disney World Itinerary - Crescent Lake

All things considered, I’d go with a base one-day ticket *without* the park hopper option if you’re only doing one day in the parks. Truth be told, you won’t have time to park hop without wasting a lot of unnecessary time in this situation. This one tip alone goes against just about everything I talk about in our 2018 Disney World Vacation Planning Tips article when talking about tickets, but in this rare case I can genuinely say to avoid the park hopper (it kind of hurt me to say that lol). Save the money you would have spent on that add-on and see if you can find a table service dining reservation at any location in the Magic Kingdom on the My Disney Experience App.  It can be tough to secure a reservation at the last second but use our last minute reservation tips and you should be able to come up with an excellent meal even on the day of your time in the park.

If you’re looking for meal suggestions, I highly recommend looking into:

–Crystal Palace – For a fun filled family character meal with Pooh and friends. There are a ton of great options on the buffet for both kids and adults and the atmosphere is quite elegant as you look out the glass windows towards Cinderella’s castle. At the same time, the dining location remains extremely kid friendly and is a place for the whole family to enjoy.

–The Plaza Restaurant – If you’re looking for a slightly more budget friendly offering without going to exclusively quick service locations, the Plaza offers a nice blend of classic cheeseburgers and sandwiches of different varieties while mixing things up with a Honey Barbecue Brisket Macaroni and Cheese. If you get the chance to talk with the chef, he’ll make your day and share a few culinary tips with you along the way. Ask about his secret to getting rid of that “Florida water” taste! It’ll blow your mind and he’ll likely remember your visit and you for years to come. We met with him years ago about an allergy some of our friends deal with and he remembered us literally 8+ years later!

–Liberty Tree Tavern – Liberty Tree tends to be a guest favorite of Magic Kingdom. If you’re looking for classic Thanksgiving-esque style food, this is an excellent option. Honestly, I haven’t been to this one in years, mostly because an extremely heavily meal rarely intrigues me on a sunny Florida day, but it’s definitely worth a look if you’ve never tried it before!     

How to Make the Most of Your Time – Our Ideal Itinerary 

If you clicked on this post or Google brought you here, you likely came for what I’m about to share. I appreciate you having confidence in our planning abilities that are based on experience, but I will say that you’ll likely have to modify our plan slightly to fit your needs. Everyone wants to do something different when they head to Magic Kingdom. We all want to see different attractions, eat at different locations, and honestly just see different things. With all of that under consideration, I can say with confidence that if you use this plan, I can nearly guarantee you’ll have an excellent day that will be memorable for years to come. 

With that, we’ll dive right into it and share exactly what we would do and have done to make the most of a limited amount of time on Disney property. 

First and foremost, if at all possible, get there when the gates open, if not a few minutes before they open. The Magic Kingdom welcomes guests before it’s official opening and allows the earliest of individuals to explore Main Street before the attractions and other areas of the park officially debut for the day and the welcome show is performed on the castle stage. If you get there early enough, you’ll have plenty of time to scout out some hidden gems of Main Street (like these below) or many others you may uncover on your own that can be found in the “history” section of this site: 
I share these not to build page views to those article (ok, well maybe I do to an extent lol), but rather to share with you an aspect of the parks that many guests miss on one day trips that could leave you with a much greater appreciation for what you experienced during your day in Magic Kingdom. The history of the place is what sets it apart form many other parks across the country and the attention to detail is unparalleled when you take the time to take a closer look. Additionally, those extra few minutes allow you a bit of time to explore the gift locations of Main Street and get a better idea of some special souvenirs you may want to take home with you to commemorate the experience or share a piece of the magic with a friend or family member back home.

Our Ideal 1-day Disney World Itinerary - Epcot Monorail


Ideally, after catching the opening show at the castle, you’ll head to one of your favorite attractions and begin the process we’ve used to Ride 6 or More Attractions in 90 Minutes or Less: With Only 1 Fastpass+! That detailed process is one that we’ve been using for years and it’s the key to taking full advantage of the first hour and a half to two hours after the park officially opens. 

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Once you get done with all of those attractions, we recommend trying to find a way to eat breakfast or lunch at Crystal Palace. It is a tough reservation to secure at the last minute, but if all else fails attempt to do a walk up and ask if you can wait for a table. They wont always let you wait, but it’s worked for us time and time again over the years.
I recommend Crystal Palace for a few reasons. First and foremost, we’ve had great experiences over the years there. Second, it offers a buffet that most guests can find something they’ll really enjoy eating. Lastly, it’s a great way to escape the heat of the summer months as it begins to build in the late morning and early afternoon. You’d be surprised how much of a difference an hour or two in the AC opposed to a few hours in the Florida summer heat can make. In the long run, it’ll give you more energy for the rest of the day and you get the chance to eat at our favorite Table Service Breakfast on Property.  

After that meal, I’d recommend heading to a few attractions with shorter wait times (typically its a small world, The Peoplemover, or even the Magic Carpets of Aladdin for a quick set of attractions before the afternoon parade begins. (If you’re looking for spot for the parade, I highly recommend the center hub of the park near the Partners Statue or up near the Car Barn at the front of the park. 

Once the parade ends, you’ll be well into the peak crowd level for the day and it’s a great time to head back to Main Street to do some shopping and cool off again in the air conditioned stores rather than spending that time in an attraction queue. As night starts to set in, catch a few more attractions like Haunted Mansion, or even visit Tom Sawyer Island before catching a quick service dinner or a snack. If you can manage it, try to set up your remaining fastpass+ selections for this point in the day.  

I know, it may be very difficult to get exactly what you want if you buy your tickets last minute or if you didn’t plan on visiting the park originally. Either way, take what you can get when you can get it. If you can buy your ticket further ahead of time, do it and then immediately book your fastpass+ selections at the 30 day window for non-resort guests or 60 days for resort guests.

At the end of the day, you’ll want to catch one last thing before leaving the park and that’s the Happily Ever After Fireworks. It’s an excellent show and one I highly recommend so grab an ice cream sandwich at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and claim your spot about 30 minutes before the show (or an hour+ if you’re picky about your “spot”). When the performance in the sky is complete, don’t do what most guest do and head for the exits. Stick around the park and head back over to some attractions (if the park is remaining open) for a few last minute attractions. Once the park officially closes for the day, you’ll no longer be able to get in line for attractions, but continue to stick around until about 30 minutes to an hour after close for the Kiss Goodnight and to close down the park. The collaborative experience is something you wont want to miss and is truly the perfect way to end a one-day itinerary. 


Wrapping Up


At the end of the day, you’ll likely have experienced nearly every attraction in the park, and if all worked out as planned you’ll be eager to return at some point in the future. Many guests will leave the Magic Kingdom with a series of memories, a positive outlook, and a greater appreciation for the place created by a man with a dream. It’s an empowering experience and one that encourages you to take a step and pursue that one thing you never thought could become a reality. I say this for a reason, but also as a motivation. Two years ago, I never thought I’d be where I am today and doing what I’m doing right this second. The theme park experience not only gave me a place to explore but a location that has brought so many people into my life that I never expected. Once you visit Disney, you become a part of this community that is so difficult to explain. It’s a wonderful group of people and a community like nothing else. 


Walt said it best, it takes people to make a dream a reality. At the time when that was first shared, he likely didn’t know what that simple phrase would become to so many. He created a place not only for cast members to grow and learn, but also a place that fulfills dreams and creates an escape from reality for so many of us time and time again. I share all of this for one reason and that is to encourage you to take whatever amount of time you have to visit the park and to make the most of every minute. You may not have enough time for a full day at Magic Kingdom, but take the time you have and make the most of it. You never know when a simple experience may develop a new favorite aspect of your life and a place that you want to return to 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!


How Do I Create These Posts? 

Every once in a while I get questions about my gear. This is what I use and highly recommend at the moment in the realm of content creation. This list is varied and tends to change from time to time, but this is my current set up of gear used to create these posts. If you have any questions or need some tips in the site building process, feel free to message me on Facebook!

Computer: Macbook Pro  
If you get one of these you’ll inevitably need dongles (The USB-C Struggle): 
Main DSLR Camera: Nikon D3400 
Tripod for Night Photography: PrimaPhoto Traveler 
Photo Editing Software: Lightroom 6 Stand Alone Version (Not Creative Cloud) 
Secondary Camera: iPhone 7 (Older Photos on the Site) 


Ready to Plan?

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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 Incredible Bay Lake Sunset – The Story Behind the Shot

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin Kendall

An Incredible Bay Lake Sunset – The Story Behind the Shot 

If you’ve ever read one of our articles here on the site, you’ve likely noticed that I’ve relatively recently started getting into theme park photography. While I’m far from an “expert” I tend to get asked quite a few questions about photography and in particular night time photography. So, rather than strictly planning articles for making the most of your Walt Disney World vacation, I thought I’d start sharing a few stories “behind the shots” along with some simple photography tips and tricks for the parks from time to time. 


My very first photography article – Disney World Pictures – Our Photography Guide for Walt Disney World – is perhaps the most inclusive of the write-ups I’ve done so far, but a more recent post dove into my top tips on night photography in How To Take Quality Empty Parks Photos at Disney – From a Photography Perspective. Today’s article, while similar to those two posts, is going to share a story behind one particular experience that produced some of my personal favorite sunset photos I’ve ever been able to capture at Walt Disney World. So, that’s what we’ll start with today, the story “behind the shot.” 
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Over the last 8 months or so I’ve had the opportunity to spend around a month at the Disney parks and resorts on various vacations. While every Disney trip is unique and picturesque, the summer nights we were lucky enough to spend on property were some of the most picturesque I’ve ever experienced. The nightly sunset glow continuously exceeded expectations as the afternoon summer thunderstorms drifted away and made way for a beautiful summer night time and time again. 
On this particular day (June 10th of 2018), a typical Florida summer day unfolded in the early afternoon. The morning was full of sunshine and beautiful blue skies, but as the afternoon heat rolled in huge rainstorms developed and stuck around for hours on end. As always, heavy rain is rarely what you want to face during your vacation, but it’s something we’ve grown to expect on summer trips. It’s an inevitable part of the experience but on this particular day it set up perhaps the most incredible sunset I’ve experienced at Walt Disney World in recent years.
This particular Disney trip was one in which we planned to take the time to enjoy the resort and a little time away from the parks for a few days out of the week. Just by chance, this particularly stormy day coincided with a really relaxing day out by the pool in the morning followed by resort hopping in the rain that afternoon. The afternoon led to a quick return to the resort to dry off and grab a quick meal before heading to the Contemporary to view the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Almost by pure luck (or as I’d like to claim… pure ingenious planning lol), the storms passed as we returned to the resort. Just as we boarded a boat from Wilderness Lodge to make the loop over to the Contemporary to catch the fireworks from a distance, the following scene exploded in the sky. 
At first, as we stood waiting for the boat, a relatively normal Florida sunset started to develop with a pretty standard yellow “glow” (well at least as “normal” as sunsets can possibly be in the beautiful sunshine state). As we boarded the boat, the sky exploded with orange, blue, and purple creating spectacular reflections off of Bay Lake.                     
The closer we got to Fort Wilderness (in route to the Contemporary), the greater the sunset grew in depth of color. As we passed the former Discovery Island, one particular boat happened to cross paths with the sunset. It was one of those moments where I couldn’t have asked for a better composition. Thankfully, I was in the right place at the right time and on the right side of the boat to catch this shot. I leaned back, my sister leaned forward (since she was sitting against the external railing of the boat), and I braced the camera on the railing. I honestly thought I had missed almost every one of the photos found in this article due to the motion of the boat and the awkward angles required to give myself a shot at it… no pun intended lol. When I got back to the room that night, uploaded the photos to my computer, and pull them up in Lightroom, they exceeded my wildest expectations.   

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For the photographers of the group, the shots seen here were taken with the Tokina 11-16 dx II lens at 16mm and f/11 at 1/125 second on the shutter. Chances are I should have set the shutter speed slightly higher, but in the moment I was just firing shots to catch as much of it as I possibly could.
Upon arriving at the Contemporary, this was about all that was left of the 20 minute array of colors in the sky. It was a near perfect conclusion to one of those moments you never quite expect to unfold before you. I’ve said it time and time again, but those moments you expect the least while on a Disney vacation are typically the ones that stick with you for years on end. It’s not about the parks, and it’s not necessarily about the resorts, but rather those moments with friends and family that you never could have expected.                
As the day rather quickly turned to night, we made our way up to our original destination high above the fireworks viewing balcony in the external staircase. To my surprise, the sunset had one more picturesque view to share and the following bluish purple sky slowly lead to darkness right as Happily Ever After began for the night. It was a night to remember!       

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!

Need My Help?

Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or free-lance work at Guide4WDW@gmail.com. If you need a landscape or theme park photographer, feel free contact me with photo requests or contracts. All theme park writing and photos will be assessed on a case by case basis. 
For anyone else looking to give me a shout or to have their questions answered by me, feel free to contact me anytime via that same email address! I never charge anyone to answer a question and I do answer all of my emails personally.      

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If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.

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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. 

Our Guide to Disney’s Pandora in Late 2018

by Guide4WDW

by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our Guide to Disney’s Pandora in Late 2018

It’s almost shocking to think that our first Pandora article was well over a year ago at this point. Without a doubt, it’s a land that has changed the entire Animal Kingdom park and more importantly the Animal Kingdom nightlife overall. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I was one of the skeptics of the project when it was first announced. I didn’t feel that Avatar was a good fit for the Disney parks and honestly the whole project failed to interest me until the massive scale model of Pandora debuted at the D23 Expo. 

After seeing the model and various videos and press releases, my opinion of the project started to change. While I wasn’t quite convinced that Imagineering’s big ideas for the project would ever actually become a reality, the project did still start to spark my interest. Later on, as the construction grew above and beyond the construction walls, the project became even more intriguing, but it wasn’t until opening day that I really got on board with the land. I was the perfect example of one of the skeptics, but after entering the land first hand, not too long after it’s debut, I have to say it exceeded my wildest expectations and I instantly figured out the role it played and the void it filled at Animal Kingdom. 

To this day, I’ve only seen about 30 minutes of the movie and the cool thing is that it doesn’t even matter if you’ve seen the film or not. No matter what, this is and will always be a transformative experience that truly takes you to a different world. From the sight of floating mountains, to the sounds you hear all around you, to the subtle details in every inch of the land, it is one of the most impressive additions Disney has ever made.

However, it seems that many guests took a similar thought process and outlook towards this land as I did. Many appear to have been skeptics and either avoided the land or denied the hype and stayed away from the new land early on. When the first debut crowds finally died down slightly, there was a slight lull in wait times and opening procedures became somewhat manageable. At that point in time it wasn’t out of the ordinary to arrive at park opening time at Animal Kingdom and get on Flight of Passage within the hour. Today, that’s a near impossible feat unless you’re there an hour or more before the park opens. I’m not entirely sure if this has been the case for everyone, but in our experiences it’s almost more difficult to ride Flight of Passage at “rope drop” today than it was a few short months after the attraction first debuted. Thankfully, during the first hour or so of park opening, Navi River Journey’s line is pretty short in comparison, but a fastpass is always your best option if you can secure a pass for one of the two Pandora attractions (it is not possible to get both).

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So What’s the Strategy? 

If you are set on riding both attractions, the priority should be to secure a fastpass+ selection for Flight of Passage if at all possible as soon as your fastpass+ booking window opens up (60 days out for Disney resort guests and 30 days out for non-resort guests). If you can’t get a Flight of Passage fastpass, snag a Na’vi River Journey pass or even a Kilimanjaro safaris fastpass if nothing else. 

If you can’t secure a fastpass for either attraction, consider riding them really late at night and getting in line just before the park closing time or getting there as early as you possibly can the morning of your Animal Kingdom day. Both options will shrink your wait time considerably compared to late morning or mid afternoon attempts. The main goal should be to ride Flight of Passage first and then Na’vi before the line builds. Sometimes it’s possible, other times it may not be. Either way, ride whatever attraction is more important to you first. That’s the key to all of this. 

If you really, really don’t want to wait, try this method to increase your chances of getting a fastpass+ selection. If you have an hour of free time watching TV or doing some other pretty simple task, open up your computer or iPhone app and go to the day and current array of fastpasses you have selected. Click on the option to “modify a current fastpass.” This part is really important. You don’t want to replace your current fastpass selection completely or delete it. Instead you want to attempt to modify your current pass. If you go to the modify screen and no desired fastpass selections are available you can simply back out of the process and keep what you currently have. If you’re looking for something in particular, pick  a one hour window (as mentioned above) and refresh your modify page time and time again. It’s amazing how fast things can change if you’re determined and willing to check many times in quick succession. In order to get the best results when trying this, attempt to do this two to three days before your park day. It’s not a “fool proof” solution and nothing is guaranteed but this is what has worked for us in the past and likely will work for you as well. 

If you can’t get a fastpass and you can’t get there early on or stay late, there is one solution… just wait. I know that’s not what you want to hear but I can guarantee you that when you get off of Flight of Passage for the first time you will not care how long you waited. It is mind blowing and really is one of the few things at Disney I’d say is 100% worth the wait. I’m one of those people that refuses to wait more than 30 minutes or so for an attraction. At a certain point we’ve seen and done the attractions so many times that they’re not necessarily a priority for us anymore (as strange as that sounds). With that being said, I would wait well over an hour for Flight of Passage any day and be thrilled that I did each and every time. 

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What are the Must-Do’s?

Based on my previous comments, you can likely guess that Flight of Passage is certainly a must do attraction if your stomach can handle it. It is truly mind blowing and for a brief moment you really do feel like you’re flying on the back of a Banshee. It’s an unexplainable sensation and one of the most authentic experiences I’ve ever been able to experience first hand. Na’vi River Journey is excellent as well, and while I do wish it was a bit longer, the level of detail is still extraordinary and seeing the animatronic shaman is worth the wait on it’s own. 


Perhaps the biggest selling factor of Pandora is the landscape. I can not say enough about the immersive nature of the environment. You feel like you truly are on a different planet or at the very least in a place that you could have never imagined in your wildest dreams. I know this all sounds like an over exaggeration but it’s something you really have to see to believe. I’d recommend visiting Pandora during the day and at night at least once. If you have to choose one time, start your night in Pandora at sunset and experience the sights and sounds as day turns into night. The area at night is mind blowing and it really is one of those things you have to see in person to fully grasp. Photos are great, but there is no substitute to being there and seeing the intricate details in person. 

Take Time to Explore the Rest of the Park

It’s only natural that guests gravitate towards Pandora at night, but taking the time to explore all the new offerings of Animal Kingdom at night is something that you really should take the time to do. Take a moment to see the Tree of Life Awakening. The projections are stunning and the casual aspect of the show is unique and different from everything else. The nighttime live entertainment and music is excellent as well, so don’t be afraid to stop and enjoy some music on the “streets” of each land. Last but certainly not least, go and experience DinoLand at night. The atmosphere of that land all lit up after dark brings a whole new feel to the area. The carnival-esque lighting brings a more nostalgic and fitting glow to the area and as an added bonus, the crowds tend to be incredibly soft here as the night gets later and the park approaches closing time. 

Wrapping Up 

Overall, Pandora should be a part of every Disney vacation in my humble opinion. It’s a place that young guests and old guests can enjoy no matter what. There is something for everyone in a way that is notoriously “Disney.” It’s a place where parents and kids can have fun together, and that was Walt’s goal from the very beginning. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a Pandora skeptic, but the end result fits Walt’s original goal in nearly every way. For Walt it wasn’t necessarily about a “Disney” character-based attraction, but rather a means of conveying a story in real life that is a multi-sensory experience. At it’s very core, Pandora meets and exceeds that simple goal and it has become a must-do part of any Disney trip for us.

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!

Need My Help?

Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or free-lance work at Guide4WDW@gmail.com. If you need a landscape or theme park photographer, feel free contact me with photo requests or contracts. All theme park writing and photos will be assessed on a case by case basis. 

For anyone else looking to give me a shout or to have their questions answered by me, feel free to contact me anytime via that same email address! I never charge anyone to answer a question and I do answer all of my emails personally.     


Need a Travel Planner?

If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.

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.