Money & Time Saving Tips
Walt Disney World Disney Do’s and Don’t
1) If you are having trouble getting reservations for the rooms or nights that you want at a Disney Resort, call the Walt Disney Reservations center the first thing in the morning. This is when all of the changes and cancellations are added to the system. Be persistent, if the room or hotel you want isn’t available, keep calling back.
2) At the moderately priced hotels (Port Orleans, Dixie Landings, Caribbean Beach, and Coronado Springs) the only difference between the most and least expensive rooms is the view from your window. The rooms are exactly the same size and contain the same amenities.
3) If your kids are not looking forward to the World Showcase at Epcot, buy them a World Showcase “passport”, available at any of the gift stores. The passports are signed and stamped by a staff member in each of the countries visited.
4) Any time is a good time to see the animals on safari. The biggest attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Many guests are told that the best time to see the animals on safari is the early morning hours because the temperature is the coolest. This is not true and this fictitious information creates lines 1-2 hours long until about 10:00AM. In the dozen or so times that we have “went on safari”, we have seen the most animals during the mid-afternoon. In fact, we rode the safari several times in a row and saw different animals each time. The best advice is to ride often and at different times during the day.
5) The Festival of the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks are two of the “Must See” attractions in the entire Walt Disney World Resort Complex. Each show combines live actors and performers, fantastic stage set-ups, and great music. These shows are very popular, so you should plan on arriving at least 30-45 minutes before showtime.
6) Here are three free souvenirs from Disney. At Innoventions East, guests can send a 10-second, video-email message to friends back home. (Video D-Mail booth located at the Innoventions Internet Zone.) At Innoventions West, guests can send a picture postcard of themselves by e-mail, provided by IBM’s Networked Living Exhibit. Also in the West pavilion, guests can have a full color picture and special greeting made at Pixography in the Knowledge Vortex by Xerox.
7) If we had to choose between Disney’s two miniature golf course complexes, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland, the latter would win hands down. In general, the courses at Winter Summerland are somewhat easier than the ones at Fantasia Gardens. Winter Summerland offers two choices, the Snow Course and the Sand Course. Disney cast members told us that the Snow Course is about two strokes easier than the Sand Course, so it’s a better choice for families with small children.
8) FastPass Tip: If your wait time is less than two hours, you can get a second FastPass the moment your first FastPass window opens. Windows are usually 30-60 minutes. Therefore, if your ride window is 10AM to 11AM for Winnie the Pooh, rush over to Space Mountain at 10:05AM, get a FastPass there and then go back and ride Winnie the Pooh.
9) When you are choosing a day to visit the Magic Kingdom avoid the weekend days. Saturdays and Sundays are extremely busy as the park is packed with locals and other Florida residents.
10) IllumiNations are the best Disney nighttime production ever. The show starts at 9:00PM nightly. The best places to view the show are from the bridges between the United Kingdom and France. Another good spot is the second floor balcony of the Mitsukoski Department Store in Japan. Canada, Mexico, and Showcase Plaza (at the entrance to World Showcase) are the most crowded.
Brought to you by: Mouse Tips – The Unofficial Newsletter of Walt Disney World
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