“If you don’t know how it works, you’ll probably waste two or three days trying to figure out what’s what,” said Keiris, a copier salesman who lives in a Philadelphia suburb. Ta.
Disney has always been a planner’s paradise and a disorganized person’s nightmare. When is the best time to go? How can I save money? Is it possible to avoid long lines?
David Semanoff, who owns a public relations firm and has been visiting Disney parks since he was a child, has written a 10-page primer with tips on rides, food, character interactions, and what to do if it rains. I am handing them out to friends (“Pack your ponchos and let’s go to the park!”). Reactions to his advice vary.
“I think some people are already overwhelmed by the idea of traveling,” he says.
Travel agents, YouTubers, influencers, bloggers, experienced friends, Disney experts, and paid services such as: touring plan We’ve filled the knowledge gap and helped exhausted families make their dream vacations a reality, despite rising costs. Some visitors take VIP tours, which can cost $450 to $900 per hour for park admission. Some people use the services of independent guides, which Disney strictly controls.
The pandemic has added new complexities. Then a new upheaval occurred. The company has replaced its old, free ride booking system with one that costs money, requires early wake-ups and drains your phone’s battery life. His introduction of Genie Plus in 2021, which allows travelers to book rides all day long starting at 7 a.m., has turned vacation organization into almost a competitive sport. And we’ve created new lanes for tipsters, content creators, travel advisors, and knowledgeable patrons.
One of them is Brooke Raybould, a social media content creator who sells a 200-page digital book.Mom’s Guide to Disney World” For $40.she tick tock An article about her family’s early morning commitment to Magic Kingdom, arriving at the park at 7:20 a.m. with their four sons, went viral last year.
“We have a complete system for doing Disney World the right way,” she said.
@BrookleyBold Magic Kingdom early park admission strategy! Before that, she only has two days left to get a discount on her 200-page guide I wrote to help moms plan their Disney trip, “Mom’s Guide to Disney’s Her World.” Comment the word “MAGIC” to get a link to the guide (sneak peek) and use code “MAGIC2023” to get $10 off at checkout. Notes on early morning park entry times: 5:00 AM Wake up 5:15 AM Workout 7:00 AM Book an UBER 7:15 AM Leave @fsorlando with UBER 7:30 AM Arrive in front of Disney’s Contemporary Hotel 7:00 AM 30 Use the walkway to Magic Kingdom! 7:35 AM First in line at the kiosk 7:45 AM Enter the park, Main Street US is open. Note: Take a photo in front of Cinderella Castle while the park is empty. 7:50 AM Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in line for rope drop 8:20 AM Rides open and rides begin. …And I ended up staying until 8:15pm! General Magic Kingdom notes: We roped off the Seven Dwarfs mine train. This is the only way to ride this ride without waiting in line or paying. Next we rode Peter Pan, It’s a Small World, and Ariel. Fantasyland was completed and the park had just opened. If there is a sign in The Seven Dwarfs that says he will wait 75 minutes when dropping the rope. Ignore it! The lines are actually shorter if you arrive early. They just follow that sign by default. Our first Genie+ Big Thunder Mountain was ready to ride at 10:15am. TRON is great and Magic Kingdom has become one of our favorite parks. Skipper Jungle Canteen for dinner – the food was amazing. The atmosphere was… ok. …and we decided to surprise the kids and do his EPCOT on Monday. Check out my story tomorrow! For those asking, we are staying at the Four Seasons @fsorlando and love it.
For the average Joe, nomenclature A trip to Disney World can be confusing. Lightning lanes allow you to bypass long standby lines and get to your ride faster. Genie Plus is only available on certain vehicles and is the way to access it unless you’re paying for a separate Lightning Lane that doesn’t require Genie Plus. Reservations can be made at 7 a.m. for resort guests and at park opening hours for all other guests. The virtual queue for the newest and most popular rides is free, but reservations open at 7 a.m. and often fill up quickly.
“I knew it would be complicated, but I never imagined the Disney-industrial complex would be this complicated,” said Theresa Brown, a New York City resident who went on a family trip to Disney World in August. ” he said. Email. “Just understanding the Disney terminology and scenery is incredible.”
Kirsten Andrade, Concierge Travel Planner favorite grumpy tripI recognized the need for it when I created it. Genie, Genie+, Lightning Lane tips and tricks 2021 Facebook Group — Currently over 200,000 members. After a few months, she decided to launch an interactive service. online classthe price is $39.
“It’s like a combination of Zoom and remote college classes,” said Andrade, who is based in Pittsburgh. “It has a little pop quiz built in.”
Planning forums are full of stressed-out newcomers trying to decipher virtual queues from lightning lanes and worrying about what will happen if the technology glitches, as it so often does.
“Some people called me crying,” said Jackie Murphy, a travel planner in Wilmington, North Carolina. Kingdom Elite Travel.
Jessica Mickelson, 39, worked as a family therapist for many years and is now applying those skills to her Disney planning business. Well, hello magic. Her catchphrase is “Minimize her parent’s stress at Disney Parks.”
“Everything has a therapeutic touch woven into it,” she said.
A mother of four children between the ages of 3 and 12. “Magic Made Easy” Course is $139, free for a short period of time park guide, YouTube channel, podcasts, blogs, and social media accounts. Mr. Mickelson is not a travel agent. She doesn’t book travel for anyone. But it does include tips for choosing an agency, sample itineraries, Disney apps, and tips on what happens if all else fails.
“Then I talk about realistic expectations. That’s the therapist in me,” she said.
She prefers family trips to be low-key and flexible, combining parks, hotels, and other activities. Still, her husband, Jerrod, can’t help but get involved in modern Disney activities. Before 7 a.m., she tests her Wi-Fi speed to make sure she has a strong connection so she can make her reservation on time.
Expensive and time-consuming benefits
Murphy sees the value of Genie Plus, but would like to see more transparency with visitors about pricing. Prices vary at Disneyland, but start at $30. At Walt Disney World, prices vary depending on the day and park. For example, Tuesday service fees are $17 at Animal Kingdom and up to $27 at Magic Kingdom or multiple parks.price reached $39 According to the Disney Tourist Blog, it will be held at Magic Kingdom around Christmas.
“I think the biggest thing that bothers people is not knowing upfront how much it’s going to cost,” Murphy said.
David Gordon, a theater journalist in New York City, said his wife works for a Disney subsidiary and gets free tickets, but on a trip to Disneyland he would have to pay $25 to ride a Star Wars attraction. I bought a quick entry, or individual ticket for Lightning Lane. And his family used Genie Plus to avoid ride lines with his young daughter during their Christmas vacation at Walt Disney World. He called this an “absolute game changer.”
He said he understands Disney is trying to get people to use its app. But many park fans don’t want to watch their trips on a small screen.
“It’s only once in your life that you want to look around and see all the sights and smell the flowers,” he said. “The fact that you’re so tied to an app and have to bring extra batteries to make sure you’re on the rides you want to ride takes away from the entire Disney experience.”
Disney said it is considering customer feedback. The company established its own advice-giving team in his 2008, now called an online forum. plans disney.
“We know that everyone vacations differently, and with hundreds of iconic Disney attractions and experiences at Walt Disney World, we listen to what our guests have to say. “We offer many options and ways to customize your visit to suit your needs,” a Disney World spokesperson said. Jackie Waller said in a statement.
in blog post The company acknowledged last year that guests want to use its Genie Plus service not only in real time but also to plan their day before visiting the parks, and said it may be possible in 2024. Stated.
“Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning at the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family,” the blog post reads.
Mickelson likes to visit the park in late August or September, when kids are back in school and the crowds tend to ease. “It’s like trading heat for the level of the audience,” she said. She plans a midday break and rest day so her family can take advantage of the resort’s non-park facilities.
Her biggest tip is to understand the park geography so you can ignore Disney FOMO (fear of missing out). When booking Genie Her Plus, it’s important to know which rides sell out quickly, start with the high-demand ones that her family wants, and then try other attractions in the same area. she said.
“Thanks to Genie Plus, I never had to zigzag across the park,” she said.
Murphy recommends that park-going guests bring an extra power bank or cell phone charger because they spend so much time using their cell phones. She also recommends “playing around” with the My Disney Experience app to become familiar with all its features prior to her trip to Walt Disney World.
On the day of your Disney World visit, Murphy suggests a triage approach that starts at exactly 7 a.m. First, join the virtual queue and ride the most popular new rides without paying extra. Then use the Genie Plus service (available as early as midnight) to choose your first attraction. Ideally, attractions can be booked quickly. Finally, those staying on Disney property can score up to two separate Lightning Lanes. Others will have to wait until the park opens to reserve their slot.
Semanoff’s top tip is to book a room at a Disney resort. He said it’s worth the splurge for reasons other than being able to pay spot fares for the most popular rides at 7 a.m. Staying on-site “enlivens the whole atmosphere” and allows guests to avoid morning traffic. He said it can be avoided.
His recommendations conclude with perhaps the most difficult tip to follow. It can get stressful and annoying, so remember to breathe and enjoy. ”