Tips and Tricks- Part 1: General Tips

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog. I have for the most part said everything I needed to say for the College Program. If you have any questions on that please tweet me @ltddream1. But it is time to move on to more general topics for everyone! So I thought I would share some tips and tricks I picked up while I was a Cast Member. This is part one of just general tips. The next couple parts will be specific to that park. ( I will do a future post with money saving tips.)

General Tips

Do Your Research:

By reading this blog you are on the right track, but there are many people who pay to come to Disney and have no idea what anything is, or how it works. I know I wouldn't spend that much money not knowing what I am getting myself into.

Use Common Sense:

This kind of goes along with doing your research but don't come up to me asking what this attraction is, when there is clearly a big sign behind me with a name. I can't tell you how many times people came to my attraction asking what this ride was. It would probably happen at least 20 times a shift. And all I could do was point behind me to the giant sign. And this leads up to..

Grab a Map and Times Guide:

These are essential to your day. Especially if you are a first timer. Use these to read descriptions of rides and attractions or to find bathrooms etc. And the Times Guide gives you times when characters come out (as well as location) and times for different shows and parades. Please, please, please, ask a cast member as a last resort. It might be the first time you ask where the bathroom is, but it's our hundredth time hearing the question that day. Same with rides and what they are. There is a description on your map of what the ride is, as well as a sign posted outside of each attraction describing what it is and if it has any height restriction. But if you still are confused or cannot find something,then ask a Cast Member. End of Rant...

Take Advantage of Extra Magic Hours:

 Extra Magic Hours are basically extra hours that the park will be open to resort guests. So if you are staying in a Disney Hotel on property, you can take advantage of them. You can find out which parks are offering the EMH a couple months ahead of time, which helps when planning an itinerary..

Make an Itinerary:

This might be common sense to natural organizers (like myself) but it's hard to go through the day at a Disney Park, without some sort of plan. It doesn't mean that you have to plan out the order of rides you are going to go on and when you will have bathroom breaks. It just means that you generally know when you have to be somewhere at what time. This will be different for everyone. But what I recommend is that you at least include any reservation times and fast pass times.

Book Reservations Ahead of Time:

 A Disney trip is NOT something you can plan at last minute. If you want to have certain reservations at a certain time, you must make them as early as possible. Usually Disney allows you to make dinning reservations as well as fast pass reservations at least 6 months before your trip. And in doing this you have more of a chance at getting what reservations you want at the time you want.

Use the My Disney Experience App:

 This App was one of the most useful things I could have used while working at Disney. You can make an itinerary on the app as well as view you reservation and fast pass times. It can also be used as a map to view wait times for rides, and a way to change reservations or find an open one easily. I know that you can be as prepared as possible but sometimes plans change, and the My Disney Experience App can make it a little easier.

Raining? Don't Leave.

Usually in Florida there is always a rainstorm sometime in the afternoon. I like to call it the 2 o'clock rain, You find that when it rains most people decide to leave because a lot of the outdoor attractions shut down, but I see this as an oppurtunity to take advanatge on the short wait times on the indoor rides. So next time you see rain in the forcast, pack a poncho or umbrella and wait it out.

Bring Your Kids at a Good Age

I know that everyone has their own opinions on this, but the perfect age I think is 9-10 years old, and here's why...

1) You don't need to deal with strollers. Most attractions don't allow strollers in their queue lines, so you would be carrying your child anyway. Plus they take up some much space on the buses, monorails  and you have to find places to park them etc. It would just make your life a lot easier if you didn't need to haul it around.

2) Your child will most likely be tall enough to go on all the rides. I had a friend who worked on Splash Mountain and she said that some parents would stuff socks in their child's shoes to try and make them tall enough to go on the ride. She said the reason they have a height requirement is so that when the logs slow, sometimes they jerk around, and if you aren't tall enough, you can bang your head on the safety bar. ( So please obey the rules for your child's safety. They don't just add the rules to make you miserable) But you wouldn't have to worry about that if your child was tall enough anyways.

 3) They can carry their own stuff. Give them a backpack to carry water in, and any souvenirs and then that's one less bag for you to carry.

4) They will most likely remember your trip. It amazes me that parents can spend so much money on a trip that their child will never remember. And I know some people think that once their child gets older, they won't be into the princess stuff etc.. I will tell you that as a college age student, I am still into Princess stuff. Once your child gets to Disney, they WILL be too.

Stay tuned for Part 2!


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