- Parks -
General information that applies to amenities across all the Parks/WDW.
•Lightning Lanes- Multi Pass & Single Pass
•Photopass Services (Memory Maker)
•Quick Service vs. Table Service Restaurants
I believe that no one can tell you better than Disney themselves….so I have provided links to the Disney World website(s) for any clarification and/or more in depth reading on each topic. I believe my list if nothing else is a straightforward list of links to assist you in finding what you may need. I can't stress enough on how important it is to
"Know Before You Go".
✨️Disney Websites & Apps✨️
This could be a book of its own, there are so many websites and apps it's crazy. First, if you don't have an account with Disney, start there. Which I believe is best on the MyDisney Account website. I also want to point out that Disney wants to use the same Email and password across all of its platforms, i.e., Disney.go, Disney Store, Disney+, etc. Keeps things fairly simple. I believe Disney wants to make this as simple and straightforward as possible. It's just that there's so much it can be overwhelming, but only if you let it. But back to the MyDisney Account website. Once your account is set up you can access all kinds of other websites and apps within the Disney family with that same login info, some free and some not. Your MyDisney Account is the best place to manage your general account information, log out of devices, update Email preferences, etc. You'll also find a list of various services and experiences on the homepage of the MyDisney Account website.
Then what I really believe is the next best website to visit is the Disney World website. Here you can access all kinds of information on anything within Disney World. Plus do things like buy Park tickets, book Resorts, make dining reservations, and tons more. Within the Disney World website is the My Disney Experience, which is where you can book vacation packages straight from Disney.
But I wouldn't plan on walking on the Walt Disney World property without downloading the My Disney Experience app. This app is critical for utilizing Virtual Queues, Lightning Lanes, Mobile Ordering, and for having Guest Services right at your fingertips. One of the cool parts to having all the Disney apps and websites linked together is that they work interchangeably fairly seamlessly. Your My Disney Experience app is linked to the Disney World website, MyDisney Account, etc.
Another in Park must is the Play Disney Parks app. Especially if you plan on going to Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios. They have a handful of interactive games throughout Batuu. You do have to have the Magicband+ for one of them. Play Disney Parks even has a "At Home Fun" section you can enjoy anytime. With trivia and games to keep the Magic in your every day if you want.
The list goes on….Disney+, Disney Movie Insiders, Disney Store, ect. I don't plan on covering them all here and now. But I figure it's enough to get you going for the Disney World property.
✨️I can't stress enough how just fiddling around with the My Disney Experience app is one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for the day at the Park. It's most interactive during regular Park hours, but you can get on there anytime and nose around. From the Map to Dinner Planning, it's pretty much all there at your fingertips. Great for Mobile ordering food or a swift Mobile Checkout at certain shops throughout WDW. I've used the Mobile Checkout quite a bit. Pretty straightforward, open in the app….point at the tag and the app will do the rest. If you have any discounts like Annual Passholder or Vacation Club, etc. Then they should be applied automatically. Then head to a Mobile Checkout, show your QR code, and you're good to go. They'll even have bags at the Mobile Checkout.
Mobile ordering food is great for on the move. I commonly will order food as I'm making my way across a Park, will hit the "I'm Here" option just before getting to the Fast Service Restaurant….or wait till I get to there and find sufficient seating….then hit the "I'm Here" option on the app. They'll notify you when your food is ready and you go pickup your food.
✨️ If you're planning a Walt Disney World vacation I would highly recommend checking out the PlanDisney website. The main purpose of this website is for people to ask questions that are answered by experienced Disney Resort Guests. You can also search existing Q&A's that have already been answered.
✨ If you're hunting a particular product that you believe is being sold somewhere in the WDW Parks. You can head to any Mobile Checkout stand and ask the Cast Member to search for you. The tablet that they have has access to the entire WDW inventory of products for sale in WDW and can tell you where it is being sold.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
•Link to My Disney Experience app page;
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/my-disney-experience/mobile-apps/
•Link to the Walt Disney World website;
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
•Link to PlanDisney;
https://plandisney.disney.go.com/
•My Disney Experience;
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/
•MyDisney Account;
Play Disney Parks;
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/play-app/
✨️Virtual Queues✨️
Fairly straightforward stuff here. Virtual Queues cost nothing extra. As of right now there are only two Virtual Queues in WDW, one in Magic Kingdom and one in EPCOT. You can make your first booking at 7am the day of your visit (valid admission is required and select admission types may also require a theme park reservation), and another at 1pm (as long as you're inside the Park where the Virtual Queue will be utilized). You can only hold one Virtual Queue per Guest at a time.
✨ ️TRON Lightcycle / Run is no longer on Virtual Queue as of September 9th, 2024. Now it's Stand-by & Single Pass Lightning Lanes only.
✨️ Cosmic Rewind (EPCOT) is also on the Lightning Lane Single Pass option.
✨ One tip is to be ready on your app a couple of minutes before the distribution times come at 7am and/or 1pm. Then right before….like 6:59:30am or 12:59:30pm, refresh the page, wait a few more seconds, the app will update and offer selections at that distribution time. You need to be ready….You need to be swift, especially on a busy day. These Virtual Queues can go fast, and if you're per say only at the Magic Kingdom one day and wanna get both Virtual Queues in, you don't want to miss a window of opportunity.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/virtual-queue/
✨️Lightning Lanes✨️
Multi Pass & Single Pass
First let's start off with some of the basic details that are applicable to all Lightning Lanes across WDW.
First and foremost is when you can purchase Multi or Single Pass Lightning Lanes. If you are going to be staying at a Disney Resort while visiting Walt Disney World you can purchase and choose your first 3 Attractions upto 7 days in advance of your stay. All other Guests can purchase and choose their first 3 Attractions upto 3 days in advance to your Park visit.
•Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Varying in costs according to Park and time of visit.
You can choose 3 Attractions in advance for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. For Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, & Hollywood Studios there are two tiers to choose from. Once purchased, you can select 1 Attraction from the upper-tier and 2 from the lower-tier Attractions. You can choose all 3 of your Attractions from the lower-end tier if you want. Animal Kingdom only has a single list (tier) to choose from.
Once in the Park and you have utilized a Lightning Lane Multi Pass entrance, you can choose another Attraction. At that point you can choose from another Park as well if you have Park Hopper option with your Passes. You should be able to maintain 3 Attractions lined up throughout the day until they book up and no more Attractions are available for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Keep a close eye on the hot Attractions though, they will book up fast. One good thing is that you can browse availability of the Attractions before you decide to drop the bucks.
This is a topic that can be confusing and cause anxiety if you let it. But it is pretty straightforward stuff that I encourage you to read up on, especially if you're new to the Lightning Lanes.
•Lightning Lane Single Pass
Lightning Lane Single Pass is good for two prime Attractions in Magic Kingdom and one in each of the other Parks. These Lightning Lanes are purchased individually and vary in costs.
✨️ Cosmic Rewind (EPCOT) is also on the Virtual Queue.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/lightning-lane-passes/
✨️Rider Swap/Child Swap✨️
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/
✨️Photopass Services✨️
(Memory Maker)
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photopass-service/
✨️Magic Band+✨️
I can't imagine going to the Parks without a MagicBand+. I mainly use it for Park entrance and Lightning Lanes. But also good for collecting Attraction badges, playing Play Disney Parks, and more.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magicband-plus/
✨️Enchanted Extras✨️
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/enchanting-extras-collection/
✨️Quick Service vs. Table Service Restaurants✨️
Quick Service Restaurants are my usual. I like to utilize Mobile ordering for various reasons. These restaurants are a lot like fast food. You can get more customized orders if you get in line and order in person though. For example, when my Wife and I go to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café (MK). A lot of times we like to get the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which comes with bacon, a cheddar spread, crispy onions, and Coca-Cola cherry- barbecue sauce.
But…..we don't get all that.
We order it with bacon only, add American cheese. Lettuce and tomatoes are offered on the side.
You can't do that on the app, so we do this fancy ordering in person.
But some places have food offerings that are straightforward and are great for Mobile ordering. One place that I commonly hit and use Mobile ordering is Pinocchio Village Haus. We usually get the Pepperoni Flatbread and we don't get fancy there. Mobile ordering is good for a handful of reasons.
Just the other evening the Wife and I were going from the Magic Kingdom to EPCOT via the Monorail. Headed to the Connections Eatery for our pizza meal we like. I started our order on the Monorail and once in the Eatery and have a table I hit the 'I'm Here' option in the app. Usually a short wait for the food to be ready, and a good time to fetch silverware, napkins and whatnot.
Table Service Restaurants are your sit down style restaurants that vary from buffet style to steakhouse and more. Just know that if you're planning on going to the Parks and want to do a nice sit down type meal, you better make reservations ahead of time. You will also wanna pay close attention to dress codes and other details when it comes to sit-down type restaurants. Some are themed and may not be up your alley. Again….you just gotta….
"Know Before You Go".
✨️ When staying at the Resorts you can get a Disney Dining Plan that includes meals and snacks. They have deals for Quick Service and Table Service or a combination of the both.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
✨️Park Hopping✨️
Park Hopping is Awesome!!! I can't imagine not having it at this point. I even have a to-go coffee cup I got from the EPCOT that says, "Park Hopping is My Cardio".
I've had experience Hopping around the Parks since the mid to late 80's myself. But it's definitely not the same as it was then. First and foremost the number of Parks within the Walt Disney World property and another great thing about Park Hopping is getting to use the Disney transportation system like the Monorail, Skyliner, and the Friendship Boats.
As I have mentioned before, I like to go to the Parks a lot. At one point I was going to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT on the weekends and would Hop back and forth between the two, and half the fun was goin back and forth. The first weekend I got into doing this I really only planned on going to Hollywood Studios, and I had Genie+ Multiple Parks (old Lightning Lanes title). I decided I wanted to hop over to EPCOT and I used the Skyliner to do so. On my way back I switched up and used a Friendship Boat. The next weekend I decided to walk from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT. Which involves a nice little stroll through the Disney Boardwalk area. Then used the Skyliner to go back to Hollywood Studios.
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/park-hopper/
✨️Ropedrop'n✨️
Ropedrop'n is a common and oldie that is usually good for a couple of key/busy Attractions first thing in the morning. For those that don't know the term (and may have even done it without knowing the term), it's where you are at the Park nice and early at the gate/rope ready for the 'rope to drop' at initial opening. The idea is to rush to the main Attractions before the masses do and the lines become crazy long. It can be fairly common to see rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train have an hour and a half to a two hour wait by 11am.
✨️Cost (tickets, food, etc)✨️
Ticket Costs is the first thing that I wanna cover when it comes to cost, and the wildest part is I'm going to do this without ever having a ticket price. Mainly because the prices vary so much from day to day, there's so many different discounts that can be applied, various ticket packages, and I can go on, but I believe you get the idea.
Now mind you, at this point I am pro Mickey, and I may seem biased. But I did the math near the beginning of this new endeavor and my thinking was different then too. But when I went to the Magic Kingdom that initial day, I had gone looking to pay at the gate. In order to get us into the Magic Kingdom that Easter Sunday (2023), I had to buy 2 day tickets for the three of us. It cost me just under a thousand dollars. Like 970-somethin. At first that may seem like a steep price. But!!! I have done some math….
When my Wife first called me about going to the Magic Kingdom I was at work. I brought up some of the prices to some co-workers that day, and one of them had started to break it down by the hour…..I had never thought of it like that. But now that I'm in the Park, caught a couple rides ropedrop'n….I've had time to think about it and do some math. It was only costing something like 12 dollars and some change per hour, per person…..& to me….to be in the 'Most Magical Place on Earth'……I'm Down!!! And well worth every cent. Even then....before my Disney Obsession. Now keep in mind these are rough numbers at the time and did not include any of the extras.
Now, Can it be expensive??? Of course!!!
One might even argue that the food is expensive. I disagree there too. It can be, but it doesn't have to. Especially if you know where to look, so if you're looking to be frugal and/or you're tight on money, do your research, as I mentioned before about the My Disney Experience app. There's tons of resources at your fingertips there. One of my favorites is the Connections Eatery in EPCOT. You can get two large slices of pizza for just under 12 dollars. A Coke is a little pricey at about 5 dollars. But come on, that's a meal for under 20 dollars and to me that's not that bad, considering. Besides, you'll pay close to the same price at a decent fast food joint off property. There's more places throughout WDW that have decent cost on food as well. You just gotta "Know Before You Go" & nose around on the My Disney Experience app.
When my Wife and I go to Connections Eatery at EPCOT, we usually each get a pepperoni pizza plate, share a fountain drink (here is a self-serve soda machine…..so plenty of refills), and a Liege Waffle for $35.75.
Another way you save on some cost is by buying the Popcorn Buckets WDW offers. The everyday kinda Buckets (and what I mean is the not special event type Buckets…..they cost more). These "everyday" type Buckets are 13 dollars and the best part is you can have them refilled for only $2.25 while in the Parks. This can save a lot if you're trying to only buy a meal or maybe two while in the Parks.
Another thing to keep in consideration is where you buy your fountain drinks from. Usually the cost of a Coke is the same across all the Parks, but some places serve larger drinks….like example being…. Casey's Corner has larger fountain drink cups than per say the popcorn stand in the Plaza at the Magic Kingdom. Some places sell there Cokes in the bottle. Some places have self-serve fountains, sometimes with a little more options….like EPCOT's Regal Eagle Smokehouse (The American Adventure in World Showcase) has self-serve soda fountains and they have other flavors like Cherry Coke which most places in the Parks do not offer.
✨️ Another little gem most won't tell you about is the Speedway at the Care Care Center. It's near the Magic Kingdom and can be found on the Disney map via the app. The Speedway has a decent Café inside, as the Speedway puts it; "grab-and-go food". If you're looking to save money. This is a good place to buy food before entering the Park(s). They do breakfast, sandwiches, pizza, etc. I go to the Magic Kingdom a good amount on weekday evenings and like to stop in there once-n-while for a bite to eat before I go in. Especially if I'm trying to keep costs down. The steak and cheese panini is really good. I also hit there all the time for a cup of coffee before I head towards home. Just a great little spot.
✨ ️ There's also a McDonald's on the Walt Disney World property near Animal Kingdom you can hit on the way in or out. The McDonald's is especially good for when you're leaving the Park(s) at the very end of the day, cause the Speedy Café won't be available at the Speedway that late. Plus there's the Kissimmee area right as you're leaving Walt Disney World property. I find Google maps to work well for hunting places outside Disney World, but to each their own. Again I would suggest doin your homework, regardless of what kinda money you plan on spending.
✨️Parking✨️
Parking is not free at the Parks. Once you pay at one Park for the day, it's good for all of the Parks for that day. There are electric vehicle charging stations and disability parking areas. You can even upgrade to Preferred parking.
✨️Standard parking; $30 per day
✨️Oversized vehicle parking; $35 per day
✨️Preferred parking; (seasonal and will vary)
$45 to $55 per day
Park parking is included for guests of Disney Resort hotels and select Annual Passholders, and you can upgrade to Preferred parking for $15 to $25 per day (varying according to season).
👇Details @ Disney's website👇
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/
✨️Taxes✨️
Everything in the north end, and majority of the Walt Disney World property is in Orange County. Which includes all the Parks, Disney Springs, and Most on property Resorts the taxes there are 6.5%.
Anything in Osceola County, the Most southern parts of Walt Disney World will be subject to a 7% tax.