The Newest & Best Pro Tips for Disney World

time to turn you into a Disney World Pro for 2023 join us as we talk about hot and fresh tips for getting on the newest Disney coaster finding the perfect seats for a popular returning show and navigating a new realm of Disney's latest price increases [Music] hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food blog and it's time for an updated list of pro tips for your 2023 Disney World vacation we love Pro tip videos because it gives us a chance to not only prep you for your vacation this year but also a chance to tell you things we learned this year that you can apply to Future trips from here on out but since we're going over a lot of different points in this video that you're definitely going to want to remember as you get to planning we've got a full PDF of everything we're talking about here today just send us your email at disneyfoodblog.com 2023 Pro tips and we'll be like Red Rover Red Rover and send it on over alright let's get on with the show we are going to start with that coaster and no we're not talking about Guardians of the Galaxy that's already here 2023 is gonna bring you Turan that's right Tron lightcycle run is set to open in Magic Kingdom in Spring 2023 and there's a lot of build up leading to this one after all we first heard about it during the 2017 d23 convention so yeah to say we're excited to finally see it running after all this time is an understatement but if we've learned anything about new Disney World rides over the past couple of years it's that not everyone will get the chance to experience them even if the newest ride is open during the time you decide to visit in the past that could have been because the physical ride cues were just too long not all guests who were in The Parks for one day and one day only wanted to wait five hours to experience one ride no matter how new it was now however new rides keep their physical cues closed until crowds are easier to manage instead you've got to get a boarding group number and enter into a virtual queue found on the My Disney Experience app that's how Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic rewind currently operates it's what happened for Remy and for Rise of the resistance a virtual cue system can be fantastic because it means you don't have to physically stand in a queue and waste your whole park day you'll still be able to explore other areas of the park as you wait for your phone to notify you and let you know it's your group's turn to experience the hype but not everyone will get to enter these virtual cues because they sell out asked so if you want to better your chances at getting a boarding group number for Tron which we assume is still going to be the way Disney world is going to play crowd control for this new Tomorrowland coaster there are five points you need to remember number one know where to go to score a virtual cue spot on the My Disney Experience app you'll need to make sure you're signed into your Disney account and have the following things already linked one valid admission tickets two your Disney park pass reservation so for Tron you're going to need reservations for Magic Kingdom and three the accounts of any family and friends who are visiting the park with you and want to be in the same boarding group if you've got all those things already set up congratulations then your next step is finding where you need to go on the mde app to actually get a boarding group fortunately Disney makes this part easy you can either select join virtual queue on the home page of the app which should be listed right below your Park reservations or you can tap on the hamburger button the three horizontal lines at the bottom right hand corner of your screen and find the virtual cues Link in the list of options now our next tip is setting you up for Success there are two parts of the virtual cue process first you'll need to confirm all your party members who will need to be in your boarding group and second is well actually joining the queue but in order to save some time because like I said before these virtual cues fill up fast and have the tendency to book up in seconds literal seconds after going live you can actually get the first step out of the way beforehand virtual cues open at 7am on the dot but you can confirm your party starting as early as 6 a.m that way you don't have to worry about that extra step when 7am rolls around and you can immediately select the join Q button so step one know where to go step two get everything set up before the virtual queue opens step three try again if you miss your chance to get a virtual Queue at 7am you'll still have one more opportunity to try again when 1pm rolls around if Disney does the same Jam that they did with Guardians of the Galaxy the big difference however is that you'll need to be in the park to make that one em reservation whereas you can be pretty much anywhere even the airport to try your chance at the 7am one and step 4 connect to strong Wi-Fi sometimes your biggest downfall for getting a boarding group has nothing to do with you but everything to do with how fast your internet connection is and that can be super frustrating check your internet speed before you try getting a boarding group you can run an internet speed test just by typing in check internet speed into the Google search bar if you notice your internet speed is a bit on the slow side which could definitely be the case from your Disney hotel room if you're in a building that's kind of far away from everything you may want to turn off the Wi-Fi and rely on your phone data if you think it's going to be stronger or you can try heading over to the resort Lobby for a potentially stronger connection than even that and you can always buy your way on worst comes to worst they'll more than likely be an individual lightning Lane that you can purchase to skip the virtual cue system altogether but we're going to talk about that option in Greater depth later on in the video so hold tight stay up to date remember we're basing these tips off of of what we've seen for boarding groups and virtual cues in the past but that doesn't mean Disney won't switch things up when spring rolls around and Tron is raring to go so if any major boarding group changes do happen we want to be able to let you know about that as soon as possible fun fact if you drop us your email at disneyfoodblog.com 2023 Pro tips you'll not only get the PDF of today's list but you'll also be signed up for our newsletter which means immediate Disney World updates tips reviews and Tron light cycle run virtual cue information as as well as direct access to the hectic recesses of my thought process as I navigate life because sometimes I really really want to tell you about the newest documentary I just watched don't worry it doesn't happen very often just on Fridays and our newsletters are completely free and you can unsubscribe from them at any time and we won't even take back the PDF list I promise the next new hot off the presses Pro tip for 2023 you gotta know how to get the perfect seat for Fantasmic okay I'm not crying you're crying Fantasmic is back in business over at Disney's Hollywood Studios For The First Time in Forever sorry that's totally mixing up my shows and we couldn't be more thrilled with the updated scenes that go along with the classic moments we've been missing terribly over these past couple of years so if you're just as excited as I am about fantasmic's prodigal return keep these Hot Tips in mind first get in line for the show ahead of time Hollywood Studios will let you start getting in line to enter the amphitheater as early as 90 minutes before the show but I don't really recommend getting in line an hour and a half early like you definitely can but that's an hour and a half you could have been doing something else like riding a ride instead maybe get in line 30 to 40 minutes before the show starts especially during this busy season when the show's hype is still at its peak second tip the front row is not necessarily the best row as much as you may like the idea of sitting as close to the action as possible you may come to find the first couple of row seats to be distracting and cold because Fantasmic uses a lot of water techniques throughout the course of the show so the first couple of bleacher seats will get misted that may not be a huge deal to you but if you're planning on seeing the show in the winter or even in early spring those Orlando evenings can get chilly and chilly weather and constantly being misted equals a soggy and cold way to end your evening well Fantasmic also uses pyrotechnics throughout the show so when you're not getting misted on you'll be feeling the Flames of the fire which could be a nice contrast in the winter but may not be quite as nice when you've already sweated through your shirt that day also front row seats also mean you'll have a limited vantage point of everything going on it's like sitting in the front row at a movie theater you're not going to get the best view of the entire picture instead aim to get seats in the dead center of the amphitheater but in the higher up rows that way you'll get a clearer view of all the action and effects next tip for Fantasmic keep an eye on the show times currently Fantasmic is showing at two different times each evening once at 7 30 and once at nine that doesn't mean every night's gonna have multiple showings and it also doesn't mean those showtimes are going to be the same every time you visit after Christmas these show times start to switch up and in mid-January Fantasmic will start pulling back to only one show per evening happening around 8 PM so always make sure to look at the Fantasmic Showtime calendar before your visit so you don't accidentally miss out and if you are visiting Hollywood Studios when two showings are happening I highly recommend getting in line for the second one historically speaking the first show times are usually the most crowded since guests want their kids to see the show before they Zonk out for the night so if you can hold out for a later time you might have a much better chance at getting a good seat you can also guarantee yourself a seat with the Fantasmic dining package want to make sure your view of Fantasmic is crystal clear and have a nice meal to go along with it well not at the same time you eat before but anyway think about purchasing a Fantasmic dining package the Fantastic dining package can be purchased for any of the following Hollywood Studios restaurants 50s Prime Time Cafe Hollywood and Vine Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano sci-fi dine-in theater restaurant and the Hollywood Brown Derby Prices range between 49 and seven to three dollars per adult depending on which restaurant you choose and come with an entree an appetizer or dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage or a full Buffet if you choose Hollywood and Vine instead and as it says in the name you'll also get a guaranteed seat in the Fantasmic Amphitheater in a special reserve section of bleachers you'll be able to make reservations on the Disney World website but be warned these reservations go fast not interested in the show that's okay you can still benefit from its return during Fantasmic lines for the rides typically die down they don't completely Flatline but they become more manageable so this could be a good time for you to revisit those rides that you didn't want to wait in a super long line for earlier in the day my next new new Pro tip is something you're gonna start hearing a lot here on dfb guide the word of the day is surge pricing technically that's two words but regardless they work together to become a key element for all your 2023 Disney World trips and Beyond think of surge pricing like gas prices sometimes gas prices are ridiculously high and sometimes they drop still high but just a little less so it all depends on the outside circumstances that I'm so not going to get into today because that's a lot to unpack all you need to know is that surge pricing is becoming very prevalent on the Disney scene we've seen it impact Disney Resorts Park tickets individually priced lightning lanes for a while now but surge prices have also started to impact the way we purchase things like Genie plus park hopper tickets and how we purchase one day tickets for individual Parks meaning surge prices aren't just going to depend on what time of the year you're visiting but also what park you're going to so here's a classic tip alongside a newish one to adjust to all the recent surge changes the class classic tip try to aim your vacation around Disney's slower seasons for surge prices that'll fall on the lower end of the cost Spectrum currently we're seeing lower prices for tickets and hotels in 2023 around mid-January end of August and throughout the month of September now the newish tip if at all possible avoid weekend trips and by avoid I mean aim to book your hotel stays around Mondays through Thursdays select the starting date for your Park tickets and reservations on weekdays and don't pay for those add-on Park Hoppers and Genie plus perks on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays when demand for these Parks will Peak let's look at two days worth of Park tickets in September for instance if I were to purchase my tickets starting on September 22nd a Friday I'll be paying around 136 dollars per person per ticket but if I purchase Park tickets for September 18th instead a Monday I'll be paying around 107 dollars per ticket this isn't necessarily A foolproof plan since discrepancies do happen but if you kind of get a feel for what surge prices will look like for all the different elements of your trip just by checking out the Park ticket price calendar on the Disney World website ahead of time then you can sort of see what price ranges are going to look like around the time you're planning on visiting and seeing the difference in price when I had to add a Friday onto my trip recently and stay an extra night in a hotel I'm gonna say you can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by paying attention to the weekdays only tip all right I am super proud of this video we've got a lot of new tips for you this year there's been a lot of changes you know that so the next one is going to be for you to be aware of changing an updated cancellation policies surge prices aren't the only things changing in 2023 cancellation policies are also receiving big updates you'll need to keep in your back pocket for future reference so let's look at three different cancellation policies that could either play in your favor or against you depending on the decision you make previously if you needed to cancel a dining reservation at Disney World less than 24 hours is out you wouldn't be able to without paying a ten dollar per person no show fee but on November 15th Disney updated this policy now guests can cancel dining reservations up to two hours in advance without any sort of cancellation fee to worry about this rule does not however apply to select restaurant experiences like Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical review at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort Victoria and Alberts Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Monsieur Paul at Epcot so before you finalize that cancellation make sure the two hour leeway applies to the restaurant you're needing to ditch next up lightning Lanes lightning Lane cancellations have been the same for a while now but let's review because honestly we've had to cancel ours a lot this year if you need to cancel the lightning Lane that you made through the standard Genie Plus premium service which will give you lightning Lane access to over 40 different attractions that's easy peasy but I'm gonna show you how to do it because when I first had to figure it out I found myself Googling how to do it first you're going to want to select the my Disney Genie day option on your Disney Experience app from there here you can see what lightning Lane you've already selected next to the reservation you'll see a tiny little cancel option on the right press it and Bam no more lightning we tend to cancel our lightning Lanes if we notice that another ride or even the same ride has a better return time now listed and we want to choose the closer return time window instead as far as individual lightning lanes are concerned AKA those lightning lanes available for each Park's hottest rides which you can buy at a daily surge price per person per ride you're not going to be able to cancel these once the purchase has been made this is a very very important Point you're going to want to choose these carefully because you can choose the exact time you want to ride so you're going to want to think about what else you're doing that day and when it makes sense to ride the only way you're going to be eligible for a refund on one of these is if the ride you purchased breaks down for the rest of the day before you're able to use your reservation if that's the case head to the Park's Guest Services located at each Park's front entrance so that a cast member can help you get your your money moving on let's talk about Airlines and hotels now that the more relaxed cancellation structures due to the pandemic are starting to be phased out for Airlines and hotels canceling one of these travel-based Necessities might prove to be more difficult and costly in 2023. I don't know about you but I've gotten really used to changing my flights without a change fee but other airlines are extending their current cancellation policies to continue making potential change of plans later on down the road easier on passengers for example Delta Airlines will allow any passengers who purchased a main cabin ticket to cancel or change the date and time of their flight without any penalty fees the only extra fee you may incur is if you were to reschedule a flight that's priced higher than what you'd originally paid then you have to pay the remainder of the difference if you have a basic economy ticket however tickets will remain non-changeable and non-refundable for Southwest Airlines you'll be able to change your flight regardless of what type of ticket you purchase but again you'll have to pay the difference if you end up rebooking a more expensive flight on the other hand you'll also get a slight refund if you book a flight that winds up being cheaper and if you book a business select or any time ticket through Southwest you'll be eligible for a full refund if you decide to completely cancel your flight so there are a couple of examples but make sure you're checking your airline and hotels cancellation policies before booking especially if you think there's a bigger possibility the plans will end up changing leading to your trip next on our list let's talk character meals now that character meals have almost completely returned to the Disney dining scene it's time to look at them a little more in depth because not every character dining experience is one size fits all and they're not all back to completely normal yet either so let's break down how you can choose which character meal is going to be perfect for your family if you want to see a unique lineup of characters you won't see anywhere else you can meet Pooh in his Hundred Acre Wood companions at Crystal Palace off Main Street USA and Magic Kingdom for breakfast lunch and dinner Hollywood and Vine in Disney's Hollywood Studios has two different character experiences based on what meal you've booked if you're dining during lunch and dinner you'll be able to meet Minnie and other members of the Fab Five and holiday attire well seasonal attire it changes depending on the season but if you're coming here for breakfast you and your little ones will get the chance to see Disney Junior characters like vampirina Doc McStuffins Fancy Nancy and Roadster Goofy and if you want to say aloha to Lilo in Stitch you'll find this dynamic duo at Ohana in Disney's Polynesian Village Resort you'll also get to meet another classic Duo Mickey and Pluto at the same place if you want a more affordable character dining meal I've got one word for you breakfast if the character restaurant you're going to has a character meet and greet all day long you'll be able to meet that same gaggle of characters for a lot cheaper if you dine during breakfast rather than lunch or dinner for example dining at Chef Mickey's in Disney's contemporary resort to see Mickey and the Gang and their little chef attire will cost you 60 dollars per adult during dinner but 45 per adult during breakfast and tusker house and Disney's Animal Kingdom will give you the chance to meet Donald and crew in their Safari gear for 59 per adult during lunch and dinner but 45 during breakfast I will definitely take that money back thank you very much now if you're looking for a more peaceful character dining experience since these can get a little Rowdy you can join Minnie's beach bash breakfast at Cape May Cafe and Disney's beach club resort which may sound like a Rowdy time but the Vibes here are super chill especially since this character restaurant is one of the more underrated options out there and the newly reopened Acres Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot is your chance to meet a variety of princesses all at once in a down-to-earth castle-like setting princesses appear on a rotating schedule so you never know who you may see but in the past we've seen Arielle Bell Jasmine Snow White Princess Aurora and Cinderella now this is currently the only princess character meal where you can see multiple princesses so if you have a little princess who needs to eat with princesses this is where you gotta go and if you're looking for a character meal with the best quality food I'll recommend Garden Grill at Epcot every single time not only do you get to meet Mickey Pluto Chippendale in this slowly rotating dining room but you also get heaping servings of all you care to enjoy comfort food like chicken mashed potatoes mac and cheese and Garden Fresh salads they're delivered directly to your table family style so you have to deal with a buffet and because this is such a small restaurant you get to meet Mickey Pluto Chippendale multiple times which really isn't going to happen at those bigger character meals another one that's good for really good quality food Topolino's Terrace at Disney's Riviera Resort that's a breakfast a la art with Mickey and Friends meaning you're going to see members of the Fab Five and artsy attire while also enjoying a spread of more unique breakfast options that go beyond your standard bacon and eggs you've got options like quiche gruyere sour cream waffles and Wood-Fired butcher steak at this one now to meet Snow White Dopey grumpy and even the evil queen check out storybook dining at artist point over in Disney's Wilderness Lodge this one also could have gone up there in the section about meeting characters you can't see anywhere else because you rarely see Dopey grumpy and the evil queen out in the Parks here you're gonna dine in an enchanted forest and get to choose option from a prefix menu which will tell just as much of a story as the characters do we love it here now I'm not trying to leave out the most popular character dining experiences on purpose Cinderella's Royal table and Be Our Guest restaurant over at Magic Kingdom those are still operating in a modified character meet and greet formats if you want to make reservations for these because of how gorgeous their dining rooms are then by all means go for it but if you're looking for a character dining experience where characters are going to walk up to your table and interact with you and take pictures you're not going to find that at those restaurants just yet doesn't mean they won't go back to normal later in 2023 hopefully doesn't happen before this video comes out but per the release of this video both restaurants have a character photo op and that's basically it next new Pro tip for you learn all those Park hopping rules if you decide to add a park hopper to your standard Theme Park ticket price you have to have the ability to visit multiple parks in one day then you're gonna need to know the following updates to make sure you're getting the most out of this extra expense first Power coppers are switching over to a date-based pricing system starting December 8th prices for Park Hoppers will vary by date so instead of regular Park Hoppers costing 65 every day and park hopper plus costing 85 every day pricing will now surge depending on what time of year you're visiting so you can likely expect it to be cheaper during the week and more expensive during Peak Seasons like Christmas so if you're traveling in 2023 during a time of year you know for sure will be busier than other times and you for sure know you want to add a park hopper to each of your standard tickets just make sure your park hopper budget has a little more flexibility second rule of Park hopping you can't park hop before 2PM this rule has been in place since parkhoppers returned at the beginning of 2021 and it's not going away in 2023 so if you buy a park hopper remember you won't be able to jump over to your second Park of the day until after 2 pm rolls around you'll first have to hit up the park that you've made a park pass reservation for and once the clock X2 you can hop around to your heart's content you can also use your park hopper to get more time in the parks are you currently at a park that's about to close up for the day the park hopper is going to allow you to jump into another Park to keep the fun going longer we often do this when we're at Disney's Animal Kingdom since that Park always closes before the others so instead of going home when the party wraps up we just jump over somewhere else to catch a nighttime spectacular or get one more ride in before it's time for bed this is also a great way to make the most out of a park day that's been cut short for example if Magic Kingdom is going to have their Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party on the day of your visit and you don't have a separate ticket for the party you'll have to leave Magic Kingdom by 6 pm to make way for party guests but with a park hopper you can still hop elsewhere like Epcot or Hollywood Studios to make sure you're still getting the chance to experience the parks after the sun sets and if you're Park hopping with Genie plus practice patience much like you won't be able to park hop to your second Park of the day until after 2 pm you won't be able to make a lightning Lane reservation for your second Park of the day either not until the return times for the park you're wanting to hop to reach 2PM or later okay real quick Genie plus lesson for you so that this rule makes more sense in order to bypass the main queues of rides you'll have to purchase Genie plus and make reservations for lightning Lanes but you can only make one lightning Lane reservation at a time still with me awesome I know this gets tricky but it's easier to figure out when you got these visuals in front of you you know when you go to make a lightning Lane reservation you'll be assigned the next available return time if you're using park hopper in Genie plus you'll only be able to start off making lightning Lane reservations in the park you have your park pass reservation for so the first Park you plan on visiting that day but when the second Park you're wanting to visit has all the morning lightning Lanes already snatched up and return times are now starting to list for 2PM and later that's when you'll be able to start making lightning Lane reservations for that different Park there's no set time when this change will happen it all depends on how quickly lightning lanes are being reserved at each of the parks you're planning on visiting so just make sure to check back every now and then and see what the lightning Lane return time Windows look like currently but direct your focus mainly on what you can accomplish right now AKA getting as many lightning Lanes as you can in the park you're currently in and your fifth tip on Park hopping decide on Park Hoppers later can't decide if a park hopper is actually going to be worth your time and money well hold off on purchasing one for now and just worry about getting your Park tickets and park pass reservations for the time being you can always tack on park hopper to your existing tickets at any time by going to the tickets and passes option on your My Disney Experience app and changing your ticket right there or you can upgrade your ticket to a park hopper the day of your visit by going to one of the ticket windows at the front of the parks or over at the Disney Springs Ticket Center in town center next on our list is a tip that's based on us making mistakes this year and noticing something really annoying about the way Disney has set up some of this stuff and this is hopefully something they'll fix soon but in the meantime we're gonna give you some tips around it now that cancellations for dining reservations should become a little more relaxed the stress of making it to your reservations shouldn't be as big of a deal anymore right not necessarily even with the new cancellation policy you're still going to be charged ten dollars per person if you're a no-show for your reservation that much still hasn't changed so what happens then if you want to grab a lightning Lane for a really popular ride but the return time for said ride just so happens to clash with the time frame of your dining reservation that you had to book two months ago well if you have to choose one or the other choose your dining reservation every time not only are the lightning Lanes through Genie plus free to cancel whenever you need to it's also easier to talk to a cast member about why you missed your genie plus time frame rather than try to explain your way out of why you missed your dining reservation time frame not to mention lightning Lanes will give you an hour return window whereas you only have a 15 to 20 minute forgiveness period for showing up late to your dining reservation overall be mindful of what your priorities are before starting your Disney Vacation planning if you know you're going to have several table service restaurants reserved maybe even in a single day if that's what you're into the genie plus return times could frequently clash with those dining times and may not be the best investment for your group but on the other hand if you want to try to get in as many rides as possible during your visit then making a table service reservation in the middle of the day could be less of a fun afternoon break and more of a burden and stress that's interrupting your day Different Strokes for different folks but keep this all in mind because we're seeing it happen since you can only book your genie plus lightning Lanes the day of but you have to book those really popular dining reservations two months ahead so there's really no way for you to foresee what issues are going to come up on the day you're there our next new Pro tip for you track down pickup locations plan on using ride share often to get around Disney World property I don't blame you the ride share services like uber and Lyft are a premium service they can often be faster and are definitely less crowded than what the complimentary Disney transportation will offer but ride share pickups can also send you on a scavenger hunt if you don't know where to look for them most of the time ride share pickup locations will be located behind the Disney bus stops at Disney's Animal Kingdom you can catch Lyft at the front of the park off to the right side of the parking lot Disney's Hollywood Studios has a ride share pickup spot in the last row of the bus station epcot's drop-off and pickup spot is right as you get into the parking lot on your left and at Disney Springs you can take Rideshare services at the marketplace Bus Loop on the east side or the surface parking lot on the west side and as for Magic Kingdom you'll have to catch your ride near the bus terminal at the transportation and Ticket Center yeah Magic Kingdom's Rideshare pickup location still requires you to catch a ferry or monorail to get over to where you'll need to be that is unless you book a minivan from the Lyft app minivans Are Disney's personal ride shares that will pick you up right at the front of the Magic Kingdom they tend to be pricier than regular ride shares but they do provide more convenience especially if you're attempting to navigate Magic Kingdom at the end of the night when Crowds Are absolute absolutely wild and exhausting to Wade in whatever you decide to do make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to whatever pickup location you need to be at so you'll be there when your driver arrives otherwise you could rack up charges for making your driver wait or your ride may leave without you and you'll be charged with a cancellation fee there we go with the cancellation fees again for someone who's notorious for running late these fees can become such a kick in the pants after a while next Pro tip figure out when you should pay for popular rides let's get back to talking about those individual lightning lanes for a bit because when you first hear about them they may not sound like the best deal ever having to pay to bypass the line for one ride yeah that concept doesn't have the nicest ring to it please give me my rides for free but individual lightning Lanes can be worth the price depending on your standpoint you may want to invest in individual lightning Lanes if you want another chance at getting on the newest rides if you missed your window of opportunity to get those boarding groups for Cosmic rewind or future speaker Tron and you don't want to risk not getting one when more boarding groups drop at 1 pm then you may want to consider buying an individual lightning Lane it makes it so much easier individual lightning Lanes also go live at 7am each day much like boarding groups do but they also have the tendency to sell out quickly just a little less quickly than the boarding groups but not by much it can be a gamble to decide which direction to stick with to improve your chances of getting on Disney's newest rides but individual lightning lanes are another option if you don't get your 7am virtual Q spot and you also might want to buy an individual lightning Lane if the park you're visiting is going to be super busy unfortunately this point works as a double-edged sword when you plan on visiting Disney World during Peak Travel periods like three day weekends run Disney races in the holiday season wait times for the rides are going to be Sky High so it can be nice to have that lightning Lane certainty to help you not have to wait in a forever long line when you're already swimming against a sea of people as is but remember those surge prices I was talking about earlier these are the times when that cost flexibility plays into Disney's favor because that's when Disney can sell their individual lightning Lanes at higher price points in the past we've seen individual lightning Lanes get as high as 17 per person per ride so yeah individual lightning lanes are nicer to have during busier times but they're also going to be more expensive you just have to decide if that extra expense is going to be worth not having to wait potentially two plus hours for something like rise of the resistance or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and you also might want to get an individual lightning Lane if you prefer investing to bypass a busy ride line rather than buy another souvenir to shove in your suitcase even at 17 bucks you may find the ability to bypass a ginormous line to be more worth your money than investing in another piece of merchandise if you're someone who prefers investing in experiences rather than Collectibles an individual lightning Lane could be a really good trade-off however you may want to skip those individual lightning Lanes if you have to pay for a lot of people in your group let's say you're a family of six two adults four kids individual lightning Lanes will range in price between 10 and 17 meaning for one ride you could end up having to pay 60 to 102 extra for one ride if your kids really hate having to wait in long lines then that expense could still be worth not having to hear are we there yet for the next 120 minutes but otherwise potentially paying triple digits just to bypass a ride line after already having to invest so much money to get into the park in general could wind up leaving a very sour taste in your mouth you also might want to skip those individual lightning Lanes if you plan on using your hotel benefits if you're staying at a Disney owned Resort or even if you're staying at select Good Neighbor hotels you'll qualify for early morning entry which allows you to enter the parks 30 minutes before they open to everybody else every single day despite 30 minutes not sounding like a whole lot of time it can be be just the right amount of time to get in line for one of those really popular rides and shed your wait time significantly without having to pay for an individual lightning Lane to do so and if you're going to be staying in a deluxe Disney World Resort you'll not only have the early theme park entry perk but also the extended evening hours benefit that means at certain parks on certain days you'll be able to stick around after the parks close for all the other guests giving you and your group the chance to conquer more rides with lower wait times for one to two hours longer so if you're already paying extra to stay in a deluxe Resort for this benefit you really don't need to pay extra extra for an individual lightning Lane too you may also want to skip those expensive lightning Lanes if you just don't mind waiting yep waiting can be a drag but it doesn't have to be the worst experience ever take flight of passage in Animal Kingdom for instance there are parts of that queue that are really really cool to experience like the blacklight forest and the research lab with a full-size Navi animatronic Hank in the tank chilling in a giant water-filled chamber there's also a bathroom Midway through the queue in case you need a pit stop and a water bottle refill station plus the majority of flight of Passage is Q as well as rise of the resistances queue take place indoors so if you're looking for a place to chill in the shade for a bit you can always do so while waiting in line for a super cool ride not to mention if you download the play Disney Parks app you'll find free games and interactive activities that can help you and the people in your group pass the time while still keeping immersed in the story of the ride also here's a little tip from me I always have a book in my backpack so I can just read all the way through the queue line I love it or I just queue up a podcast on my phone and I listen to that is it weird to be listening to details of the battle between Henry VII and Richard III and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty while I'm waiting in line for a ride that takes place in the middle of a different galaxy sure but works for me next new Pro tip for you for 2023 uncover the secrets of park pass reservations you know what's not a secret park pass reservations can fill up and fill up fast so let's look at what park passes for the month of December look like per the release of this video just to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about between December 24th and 26th Magic Kingdom is booked solid between December 27th and 30th Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios are booked uptight and on December 31st Magic Kingdom and Epcot are a no-go basically if you want to visit Magic Kingdom at the end of December you are out of luck at the moment or are you now my go-to advice here is to always remember to book your park pass reservations as early as possible like as soon as you purchase your Park tickets but what happens if you try booking park pass reservations a month out and you're still coming up dry first off you should know that there are three different park pass reservation calendars yep heard me right park pass availability calendar that you're seeing on the main Disney World webpage when you go to purchase your tickets isn't the only calendar that will show you park pass reservation availability to access all three you're going to need to go to the specific Theme Park reservation availability page on the Disney World website from here you'll be able to see park pass reservations for different groups of people those with regular tickets those who are staying in Disney hotels and those with annual passes if you're booking under a vacation package and you have a hotel double check both the ticket and hotel reservation calendars and see which one's going to give you the best availability during your trip still not having any luck with the park you're really wanting to get a reservation for okay go ahead and book whatever you can get once you've locked in a reservation you can keep looking to see if your preferred park opens up because sometimes Disney does add in more availability but if you don't book anything you could run at a time and be locked out of all the parks completely like I said Disney has been known to add more Park availability every now and then even during holiday weeks so there's still the possibility that you can switch over and get your preferred Park later on but overall you're going to want to have something anything already booked just in case and if you don't mind your day being cut a little short you can always Park hop over to the park you were originally wanting a reservation for so let's say you really want to get into Magic Kingdom but the only reservation still available on the day of your visit are for Animal Kingdom if you grab those Animal Kingdom reservations you can upgrade your single day tickets to park hopper tickets that way you'll still be able to hop over to Magic Kingdom after 2 pm since you don't need a park pass reservation for the parks you decide to jump to later on in short don't give up you have options next Pro tip befriend those walk-up wait lists throughout 2022 the dfb team and I have really expanded our love for Disney World's lounges the love has always been there but it's definitely been Amplified especially when so many table service restaurants have reservations that book up so quickly the great thing about lounges is that many of them don't need a reservation for you to drink and dine there Epcot space 220 Lounge being the exception to the rule instead you'll just need to put your name on a walk-up wait list the downside depending on how popular the lounge is you might find that walk-up waitlist is full by the time you get over to the area and ask a host to add your name to the list if you want to jump and the walk-up waitlist line before you get up to the lounge you might be able to do so thanks to the dining tip board on the My Disney Experience app the dining tip board can be used for a lot of things you can see which quick service has the next available return time you can find out what table service restaurants have last minute dining reservations and lucky there you can add yourself to a lounge's walk-up waitlist if available on some table service restaurants as well that way you won't need to make the extra Trek over to the lounge itself you'll just need to head on over when the app notifies you that your table is ready this was super useful when I was in Animal Kingdom the other day I was over in Asia walking through the Maharaja jungle truck because I always do that and I saw that Nomad Lounge had a walk-up waitlist option I went ahead and signed up for it it told me a table would be ready in 45 minutes so they get me plenty of time to go see the Tigers and go check out a couple of other things and then wander my way over to Nomad Lounge in time for my table next let's talk about upgrades listen up annual pass holders I have got a super Speedy tip for you but first a little little refresher there are four tiers of annual passes the incredi pass is the priciest of the bunch holds up to five park pass reservations with no blockout dates Sorcerers pass is the next step down from that still holding up to five park pass reservations but with limited block updates and then you got the pirate pass which holds up to four park pass reservations and has blockout dates for peak times and holidays then you got the cheapest option of the bunch the pixie dust pass which holds up to three park pass reservations at a time and has blackout dates for peak times holidays and weekends the only annual pass non-florida residents can purchase is the most expensive the incredipass but currently every pass except for pixie dust are unavailable that being said you can definitely continue to renew your already existing annual pass and you can renew it into a higher level you can upgrade with your renewal so here's my tip for all you Florida residents out there if you purchased a pixie dust pass you can actually renew your annual pass into a higher tier level if you'd like I'm not sure how much longer annual passes will continue to be put on hold for purchase but if they're still in limbo even a year from now this little trick can be a great way for new Florida residents who don't yet have an annual pass to still be able to eventually upgrade to a higher tier with fewer blockout dates later on next Pro tip escape the stress are the park crowds becoming a bit much for you then you're going to need to know where to escape to When the Crowds feel too suffocatingly thick in Magic Kingdom look for the really low key and chill attractions like Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress Hall of Presidents Walt Disney's Enchanted tiki room and Country Bear Jamboree and of course the People Mover which I will just ride all day every day more often than not you're going to be able to walk right on up into these attractions no problem and once you're inside you can sit back relax and enjoy a classic Magic Kingdom show in the good old AC now people mover you might have to wait for I'm not gonna lie it's really for a more specific Escape try heading over to the Gazebo tucked away in Liberty Square you can find this area right before you get to yield Christmas shop during events like Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party there may be a character meet and greet here but during normal park hours absolute peace now this last Magic Kingdom one's a weird one but I've got my reasons The Hub may be in the heart of the park AKA a really really busy section of the park the grassy areas of the Hub during the day are pretty relaxed crowd wise now if you're trying to escape the heat along with the crowds then I don't recommend these but I must say there's nothing quite like finding yourself a patch of grass to sit on and just take in the views of Cinderella Castle there are worse places to profusely sweat for sure over in Epcot typically the Morocco Pavilion is a safe bet for some much needed Stillness in your day but I would take it one step further and check out The Fez house The Fez house is modeled after a typical Moroccan home so expect to see a lot of Mosaic tiles and carvings but don't expect to see a lot of people when the odd the C Center isn't hosting anything this spacious building is a nice place to step out of the Sun and rest up a bit you can also often find Epcot festival booths here too if you need a snack while you hang out and time for a wild card suggestion the Pixar film festival close to journey into imagination with figment is a very underappreciated area where you can just literally go and watch Pixar short films not much to it but it'll give you a nice breather bonus tip this same location is also a lesser known area where Mickey holds meet and greets so if you need a quick hug from The Big Cheese himself you may find less of a weight here than you would at other locations in Disney's Animal Kingdom board the wildlife Express train and head over to rafiki's Planet watch this is a section of the park you're not going to be able to get to by foot it's just that secluded when you're there you'll be able to take a drawing class at the animation experience where you can learn how to sketch an animal from a classic Disney film you can watch scientists work in the science center as they care for the animals on property and pet some lovable furry friends over at the affection section because what what better way to regain your inner peace than by petting the very pig that was used as a model for Pua and Disney's animated film Moana the harambe market can get a little peopley around lunchtime but more often than not this is a nice little open-air quick service with spaced out seating and African inspired Cuisine a decent price and I've got to throw in a classic option now because it has yet to fail me the different animal Trails like Maharaja jungle truck and the gorilla Falls exploration Trail and the Discovery Island Trails these all offer peaceful walks through the surrounding Greenery while you also get to see a bunch of the exotic animals that live in the park over in Disney's Hollywood Studios I like to go all the way down Sunset Boulevard take a right toward Tower of Terror and instead of riding Tower of Terror you just rock right on pass and on over to the Joffrey's coffee kiosk this is one of the least busy places to buy a drink in the park not to mention you can hang out under the Tower of Terror awning right outside the gift shop and slurp your coffee down then and there and pizza Rizzo might not be our favorite place to grab a slice of sauce but I do have to give him credit for their super chill second floor area you can either dine on your pillowy pizza inside Among The Muppets themed Decor or out on the balcony either way you're more than likely not gonna have to be shoulder to shoulder with other guests next on our newest and best pro tips list try the newest water hack nope not talking about refilling water bottles and free water from Quick services this time though those are still solid tips and you should so totally follow that classic advice this water hack has to do with the plastic bottles of water and how you can get them for way cheaper then you'll find them in the Parks when you order water in bulk from grocery delivery services like instacart or Amazon Fresh you're gonna pay less for more even with those potentially High delivery fees let's say I wanted the same bottles of Dasani you can get inside the Disney parks if I order two 24 packs of 16 ounce dasanis if I'm not using any type of savings these 48 waters are going to cost me around 22 bucks again I can knock this price down with promo codes and potential daily deals but for now we'll stick with the 22 estimate 48 bottles that are 16 ounces each that's 768 ounces of water purchased now let's head into the parks a 20 ounce bottle of Dasani at the Disney quick services and kiosks are going to range in price around four to five dollars each so instead of getting 48 bottles of water for 22 bucks that same price is going to get me maybe four or five bottles on Disney World property five bottles that are 20 ounces each equals only a hundred ounces of water total it's easy to just buy bottled water in the Parks when it's right there but with a little extra planning you can have so much water at a much more reasonable price point all that said still refill your refillable water bottles because then you're going to not use so much plastic and that's all right 2023 is gonna be a year of new challenges and new excitement and I'm guessing lots of new changes and I don't just mean in a Disney sense it's gonna be a great year for you I can feel it but if you need even more Pro tips as you continue to plan for that 2023 Disney World vacation or even 2024 we are gonna be here for you and don't forget if you want a complete digital copy of everything we covered today reach out to us at disneyfoodblog.com 2023 Pro tips and we can send you that PDF of pro tips and get you signed up for the dfb newsletter right away thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching as always this is AJ for Disney food blog and we'll see you real soon [Music]

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 109,310

Keywords: disneyfood, disney, disney world, disneyland, disneyvideo, disneyvacation, food, disney parks, disney travel, disney tips, disney guides, disney planning, disney trip, disney how to, disney vlog, disney vlogger

Id: MyRmt4ErzF8

Length: 45min 57sec (2757 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 30 2022