The Festival of The Arts is finally Back at Epcot. This is one of the Shortest running festivals at Epcot but that doesn’t mean its not worth going to. The whole Aesthetic of Epcot changes and becomes an immersive experience with art work hidden around every corner, photo ops, art displays and so much more! I will go over the essence of this whole festival!
When is it:
This festival runs from January 17th until February 24th 2025.
Know before you go:
This festival is not a special ticketed event with the price of admission to Epcot You can participate in many of these activities for free. If you want to enjoy the special food, merchandise, demonstrations, etc., those may come at an extra cost.
Festival Of The Arts is full of activities for everyone to participate in. Just a few to mention are (the ones listed below are free)
A Paint By Numbers Mural
Leave your mark at Epcot by Picking up a brush from the Expression Section booth Then, paint a few squares of the massive mural that correspond with your chosen paint color. *Booth is open from 11am-5pm daily*
Artists & Art Displays
Observe many pieces of artwork throughout your trip around Epcot. you can observe artist at work or even inquire about their pieces.
Kids Chalk Art
Kids, may create Their very own chalk-art
Where: experience is offered at the bridge to World Showcase Plaza from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
Chalk Art
As you stroll throughout Epcot be sure to keep your scout for chalk drawings of Disney characters around World Showcase.
From Abu to Jiminy Cricket, an array of familiar faces wait to be discovered.
Chalk Art Galleries
Watch chalk artists at work—taking inspiration from great art and the world around them. Chalk art galleries are located along the bridge to World Showcase Plaza. Check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes.
Animation Academy
Have you ever wanted to Learn how to draw a Disney Character? this is your chance by a real Disney animator! Featured artists include:
Luke Consolo
Matthew Dewater
Justin Dring
Will Gay
Hannah Loflin
Alex Maher
Michael Montgomery
Sarah Schmidt
Lon Smart
When & Where Animation Academy takes place in America Gardens Theatre at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM daily.
Additional Festival fun (Participation may require a purchase)
There is a “Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine” activity you can participate in by Using your Festival Passport which you can pick up for free at different kiosks throughout the park. This passport will be your guide on this food journey featuring 7 tasty dishes. Once you’ve tried at least 5 Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine items and collected a stamp for each you can bring your Festival Passport to Deco Delights Food Studio to receive a complimentary Artist Palette Cookie.
Outdoor Kitchens: Treat your tastebuds to mouth watering bites and sips—made with a creative genius! Explore a variety of food kiosks serving art-inspired cuisine. Plus, discover limited-time menu items at select dining locations around EPCOT.
Scavenger Hunt: Figment’s Brush with the Masters
Help Figment learn about art on this scavenger hunt around World Showcase. To get started, purchase your map and stickers (available while supplies last) for $9.99 plus tax at one of the following stores:
Then, search for Figment hiding inside art inspired by famous works at each World Showcase Pavilion—just look for the Figment-themed picture frame. Every time you find Figment, add the corresponding sticker to the Pavilion on your map. When your journey is complete, return your map to Disney Traders, Creations Shop or World Traveler by February 24, 2025, and receive a little keepsake!
Conclusion:
This is a festival that will get your creativity going rather that’s through your tastebuds or in the artwork itself. It is Epcot’s shortest festival but as you can see from above it is a colorfully packed month long celebration of art in all its forms. there is something here for everyone in your group!
The Food and Wine Festival has finally arrived at Epcot and it is sure to make your mouth water. This festival at Epcot brings foods and wines from all over the world. I want to go over the essence of this festival and also include in this post Pro Tips on money savings and festival hacks.
When is it:
This festival runs from August 28th until November 23th 2024.
Know before you go:
This festival is not a special ticketed event with the price of admission to Epcot You can participate in many of these activities for free. If you want to enjoy the special food, merchandise, demonstrations, etc., those come at an extra cost. There will be specialty booths throughout the world show case that will offer a range of foods and drinks from their respected countries. These booths do not open at park open but at 11am and serve until park close.
Epcot Food and Wine Fest at Disney World runs for several months this is to help crowds spread out a bit. Annual Passholders and Florida Residents are regular weekenders to the festival because of the food choices and the wide array of alcohol available. This leaves weekdays when families are vacationing at Disney a little less crowded. The evenings at Epcot will always be crowded during this time period because there are different bands throughout the festivals entirety and extended hours that draw out the locals. I recommend if you can to avoid attending the festival opening weekend and the last weekend those times typically are the most busy.
Festival Passports Photo from WDW News today
Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Passport
Just like the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival you get a “passport” at the Festival Center and select retailers for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. The passport includes menus for each kiosk, drink lists, and stickers you can use to mark off each country that you’ve visited. I love the passport as part of this experience. It’s a great free souvenir and makes the journey through the country fun. If you’re looking for Kid-Friendly foods at Epcot just look for the pear in the passport, or the letters KF ( kid-friendly). You’ll also find gluten-free and vegetarian markers throughout the passport as well.
Planning Your Festival Adventure
To get the most out of your trip you’ll want to do a little pre-planning. You can definitely just show up, get your foodie passport, and take to the countries without a plan. I like to be a little more prepared with my food choices, if there is something i really want i make sure to note that in my passport book as booths can run out of specialty items. Click here to go to official Disney site to view all the Food & Wine festival menus A plan will also help out your budget. Pro tip* Get a Disney gift card add the amount you want to exclusively spend on food and drinks and ONLY use that card for those transactions this will greatly reduce your risk over going over budget which believe me can be so easy to do at these festivals for any foodie because you are tempted to try everything!
Additionally click here for Disney Allergy friendly menus for the festival booths
How Much Does Food Cost at an Epcot Festival?
Photo From Disney World Website
The Booth foods at the Food and Wine Festival generally cost between $5-$15 dollars each. Most of the foods are usually around that $6 mark. Generally, these are single-serve dishes. The size portion is done strategically by Disney so guest my partake in more booths. Pro Tip we’ll grab several dishes and then share them all. It’s a great way to experience more for less money. For Disney adults over 21, you can plan to pay about $5- $12 for beers and wines. Other alcoholic drinks can go up to $20 depending on what you get.
Using Disney Dining Plan(DDP) at Festival
Since Disney Dining Plan is finally back at Disney World you are able to use your Disney Dining Plan (DDP) snack credits at Festival booths.Pro Tip: If you’re traveling during a festival at Epcot and have a dining plan. You can use those snack credits for meals at booths around the world showcase. Keep in mind only select items on each menu will be available to redeem a snack credit for. i recommend always redeeming your snack credits for the most expensive item so you are getting “more” for your money spent on buying the DDP. *Note* Alcoholic drinks are NOT include to use a snack credit for and would need to be paid with out of pocket but using your snack credits from your DDP for this event could really save you money that you could use to buy some festival exclusive merch or more margarites your choice.
Pay with Disney Dining Plan Credits
If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) and have your snack credits just let the cast member at check out know you are using your DDP credits and they will charge them accordingly. I went ahead and have snips of a few of the menu boards from the festivals if you see the area I have outlines in red these are items with the DDP icon next to them that are eligible to redeemed DDP credits on. if you are ever unsure be sure to ask a cast member.
Entertainment
Okay we have discussed Foods lets talk Entertainment! Entertainment at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival happens throughout the day. You can expect to see the JAMMin’ Chefs, Mariachi Cobre, Voices of Liberty, and more just by strolling throughout your day there. However, if you’re up for staying for an evening concert, then the Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Series is something to see!
Location: America Gardens Theatre – American Adventure Pavilion
Dates: Fridays through Mondays from August 30 through November 18, 2024
Showtimes: 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM
click here to direct you to Disney Worlds official list of bands and dates! a few highlights of bands coming this year are Sugar Ray, Yellowcard, Switchfoot, Boyz 2 men, Smash mouth and so many more.
Family Fun at Epcot Food & Wine Fest
Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Game
As part of the Food and Wine Festival, you can play the Remy Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Game. This scavenger hunt game has small Remy statues hidden in each World Showcase country. You can do this completely for free or if you want to keep the kids engaged with the game and win a prize at the end you will need to purchase the Scavenger Gameboard at the Port Traders shop as you go through the show case and find his statue you can ask cast members for a sticker to show you found him. Once completed you can bring the gameboard back to the Port Traders gift shop to redeem your prize. Game is typically $9.99 each and the prize you receive is usually worth about that.
Emile’s Fromage Montage Challenge
where are my cheese lovers? if you Purchase any 5 cheese
Photo From WDW News
dishes from select outdoor kitchens across the World Showcase. *The select dishes are listed in the Festival Passport* you simply collect a stamp at each kitchen. Once completed you can head to Shimmering Sips to collect your special prize! this prize is typically a specialized cup or reward of dole whip!
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt
you can celebrate Halloween at EPCOT with Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Search for hidden decorative pumpkins based on popular Disney characters throughout EPCOT. First, purchase a game board and stickers at select merchandise locations, including:
Whether you choose to hunt for pumpkins or not, return your game board to Disney Traders or World Traveler for a spooky surprise.
Food and Wine Festival Merchandise
Photo From Disney World Website
Merchandise for Food & Wine Fest Feature food, wine, beer, Figment and of course other Disney characters usually make an appearance! Mickey and Minnie are usually cooking up a storm, and Tiana too, and you can usually find Remy on tons of Food and Wine Festival Merchandise. Click here to go to Disney’s official listing of EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Merchandise
Conclusion
Hopefully, this Food and Wine Festival Guide has given you many of the answers to your questions. While there is so much to do, see, taste and sip it helps to have a list of what to know before you go. I love the Epcot festivals and hope to run into you there!
If you enjoyed our post on Epcot Food and Wine Festival Click here to check out out our post on Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party for 2024!
Walt Disney World enjoys keeping us on our toes over their FastPass+, Genie+ and now Light Lane systems. In this blog post I will go over what a Lighting Lane multi-pass and single pass is. Lighting Lane Abbreviation (LL)
First These systems, if you are not familiar with the lingo are the expedited lines or ques for rides within Walt Disney Worlds 4 parks. Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood studios and Epcot.
Lighting Lane refers to the physical que/line you wait in at the attractions. This expedited line is where you can breeze by those folks in the *standby line* at many of the attractions through out the parks.
What is Lighting Lane Multi Pass?
Lighting lane Multi-pass or just Multi-pass
is the system that has replaced Genie+
Allows you lighting lane access at multiple attractions across all 4 parks
Price per person/per day (Price varies per park per day)
currently i can see via the My Disney Experience App. through August Magic Kingdom average price for the Lighting lane Multi-pass is $27, Epcot $19, Hs 24, DAK 17. A few days throughout were higher with Magic kingdom being 29 and the lowest i found was Magic Kingdom for $25.
*Magic Kingdom will always be the most expensive park while Disney Animal kingdom will always be the cheapest.*
*A new difference here between the previous systems and the new Lighting Lane Multi-Pass is You DO NOT have to pay for the park hopper options on the Lighting Lane Multi-Pass. if you purchase the multi-pass and your Theme park ticket already has a park hopper capability you will be able to use this system at multi parks in the same day without and extra few.*
Currently there is NO cap on the fee for this service. Looking back at last year Christmas time Genie+ got up to $39 that may be the forecast at how high this new service could get during peak times!
When you purchase this service it also unlocks the capability to download your ride photos. Meaning any ride where an image is taken during it, you can download to your phone via the My Disney Experience app. without having to have purchased the “Memory Maker”.
What’s the difference Between Genie+ & Multi-Pass
Its not a next available system, its a choose your own time like the Previous FastPass+ System
you can book your first experience DAYS in advance.
you can see what’s available BEFORE you purchase.
Attractions are in Tiers based on Popularity
What are Tiers?
This is a system similar to what was used with FastPass+ where attractions are dived into tiers 1 or 2. Tier 1 will be your most popular rides Ex: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter pan’s Flight ,Tinas bayou, Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom.
You can book 1 attraction from tier 1 up to 7 days prior to your booking and 2 from tier 2 OR you can book all 3 lighting lanes from tier 2.
*There are NO TIERS at Disney Animal Kingdom.*
Worth Note:
There are some attractions that were one Genie+ for expedite wait but are not available on Light Lane Multi-pass this includes ANY character meet n greet, Enchanted tales with belle, parade viewing. fingers crossed some of these return to Lighting Lane availability.
Booking Windows before arrival:
WDW resort guest which includes Disney hotels, swan & dolphin, shades of green) can book 7 days in advice of their first day for their entire trip (up to 14 days) Example : *if you have a 5 day stay you can book the ENTIRE trips lighting lanes 7 days in advance for your trip!*
Non-WDW resort guest (staying off property) can book 3 days in advance if you have a date based multi-day ticket. you can book for all days of admission at once. all other tickets such as annual passes can book one day at a time.
Booking window opens at 7am ET. 7 days prior to your trip
*notice if you are a international traveler you will be unable to book your lighting lanes until you are on US soil, this was not a WDW decision but a software issue that hopes to be resolved in coming months. Best advice here is if you are traveling to US for a Disney World trip but you plan to do other things during your travel do your WDW trip LAST, towards the end of your US visit so you have more time to be able to make your lighting lane selections.*
How to Book Multi Pass
Before your 7 days window opens Make sure you are linked up with all friends/family who are traveling with you.
At 7 Am ET. when your booking window opens, you will use The My Disney Experience app to book*You MUST use the app to complete this you can not complete via laptop/desktop*
Open the My Disney Experience App and you will see at the top “purchase” Multi-Pass/Single Pass
select date & select park
next screen select your party members her is where you will select All those going for this trip.
you will chose up to 3 attractions in that park you are interested in booking *system will automatically recommend times for you based upon what is already on your itinerary. example you have a dinner RSVP at 5PM for Be our Guest the App will not recommend times for multi-pass during that time frame.*
You can edit suggested times to earlier or later. *you only have 5 mins in this screen i recommend making your selections quickly then moving on you can Modify these later as well*
once you have completed the above you will proceed with payment
afterwards you will be prompted for “purchased for another day” or “view my day”. if you have multiple park days you are visiting and want to purchase lighting lane for those this is where you would proceed with this.
See Video Below for Visual:
A few things to remember when booking:
You are booking for everyone in your party and will be charged for everyone in your party at the end of each selection of the light lane multi pass for the ENTIRE party
You must book everyone on the SAME attraction, once you’ve purchased you can modify for select people in your party to another attraction. *Example you are going to Hollywood studios and 5 out of the 8 people going are wanting to ride tower of terror in your initial booking you will book the ENTIRE party for tower of terror then go in and Modify for the 3 folks who do not want to ride it. you may change their ride selection to another available attraction.*
How to modify?
Works like Genie+ you will go to your tip board select that attraction. you will be prompted with a modify button from there it will show more times for that attraction or show you other attractions you can change to.
Sticker Shock:
You may have sticker shock when you are purchasing your lighting lane multi-pass or single pass for your trip. As instead of waking up every morning at 7AM to book and pay each day you will book and pay for all your park days at once. the total can/will be scary but this way you have all of this completed and no morning rush at 7am each park day to grab rides/attractions. Girl Math it and by the time you get to the park its basically free cause you already paid for it.
In The Park:
Once you have tapped into your first multi-pass attraction you can immediately book another one.
there is no more 120 minute rule! as soon as you tap in to that attraction you can book another!
There is no limit on how many Light Lanes you can book
You can only book each attraction via the lighting lane system once *example you book Haunted Mansion but you wanna ride again you can not go in and book same attraction for another time.*
Once you have Tapped into your first ride inside the park REGARDLESS what tier that ride/attraction is you can book another attraction from ANY tier! Meaning if you are tapping into your first ride at Haunted Mansion(Tier 2) and you go to book another LL you can pick a tier one attraction even if you still have no tapped into the tier one attraction you already have.
*Tapping into your first attraction is how you unlock the park hopping capability *if you have park hopper with your park day ticket*
What Is Lighting Lane(LL) Single Pass?
Single Pass is what Genie+ Called “induvial lighting lanes A la Carte Selections” essentially these are your “Fancy Rides” the most popular ride in each park and to access this LL you Must pay per person for each of the rides in this category you want to enjoy.
In Magic Kingdom:
Tron average cost $22
Seven dwarf mine train average cost $12
In Epcot
Guardians of the galaxy cosmic rewind average cost $17
In Hollywood Studios:
Rise of the Resistance average cost $25
In Disney Animal Kingdom:
Avatar flight of passage average cost $16
Booking windows for Singe Pass:
These rides are the same as purchasing the Multi-Pass and can be purchased at the same time as your multi-pass! *IMO this is a great new feature no more waking up on your park day at 659am to try to grab these*
There is a MAX of 2 Single Pass rides per day per person. The rides do not have to be in the same park. so regardless its MAX 2 per day.
You do not have to buy multi pass to buy single pass.
Cost for these rides vary day to day
You can now modify these ride times
you can also modify what single pass ride you go on. Example you bought Tron but decide you want to go to Epcot for dinner and you want to switch that ride for Guardian’s you can do that form your app! However if you purchase a cheaper ride say seven dwarfs mind train and want to switch to guardians the app will prompt you to pay the difference in the amount for the ride. if you switch form a more expensive ride to a cheaper one you will NOT get a refund of the difference.
NOTE:
If you are the person booking for a large group and not everyone wants to ride the single pass ride book the multi-pass LL FIRST then in a Separate transaction select those who want to ride the “Fancy ride” and proceed to check out. if you complete this in ONE transaction you will pay for everyone in the selected group to pay for that singe pass ride!
If you found this Lighting Lane Multi-Pass & single pass what you need to know post helpful and you know someone traveling to Walt Disney World soon who would benefit from knowing these tips, please share my post with them! you can also find us on Instagram @haleyeverafterco_ & on Fb at Haley ever after co!
Resources: Mammoth Club Walt Disney World Wed site WdwMagic.com
Halloween is approaching quickly for the Walt Disney World parks and It’s my personal favorite time of year in the parks between the decorations, food and Parties. I just can’t get enough of it!
Magic Kingdom throws the best Halloween party with Mickey and his pals as your host! Below I will go over the essence of the most coveted party at Walt Disney World.
When is it:
This MNSSHP runs from August 9th until October 31st 2024.
(happening on select nights only, they are listed below)
August – 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 and 30
September – 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27 and 29
This Party is a special ticketed event with a required separate ticket purchased. Ticket prices for this event range from $119 to $199. the price will vary depending on the date you choose to attend.
The limited-capacity, nighttime event starts at 7 p.m. and allows guests to experience shorter wait times for attractions, special entertainment, merchandise and more. Below is a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide for everything you need to know before you go.
*you may enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4pm during this specialty ticketed event*
Lightning Lane Multi Passand Single Pass service will not be available during the official party times of 7:00 PM to midnight.
Event HIGHLIGHTS:
Guest may Dress up. That is right even us kids at heart can dress in costume! LINK HERE official guide lines on costume
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! Catch the Sanderson Sisters and their Disney Villain Friends in this musical show performed on the Cinderella Castle Stage. *Tip: This stage show happens several times throughout the night and tends to get less and less crowded as the night goes on with the least crowded show happening at Midnight.*
Bust a move at the DescenDANCE Dance Party at Rocket tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland * Available throughout the entire party.*
Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular: Hosted by Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, this Halloween Fireworks Show includes classic scenes from Disney films on the castle, haunting music and pyrotechnics galore.
Little ones can get their jam on at the Disney Junior Jam at Storybook Circus.
Rides that get a Halloween upgrade EXCLUSIVELY during the party.
Mad Tea Party Tea Cups. The teacups on the Mad Tea Party will now have a cool new lighting effect for riders during the Party. The light will change colors and you might even too! Sound a bit mad? Nah, we are excited about this fun little addition to this classic ride.
Space Mountain. On Space Mountain, riders will be treated to a new soundtrack. So if you’re already a huge Space Mountain fan, you’ll definitely want to check that out during the party.
Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor. complete with a Halloween theme, the laugh floor gets extra spooky during the evening’s shows.
Haunted Mansion. While the ride itself doesn’t change, the cast members get dressed up in their best Halloween garb. and be sure to keep an eye out for Ghostly performers on the lawn of Haunted Mansion throughout the night.
Exclusive to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2024, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be available without a Virtual Queue! Meaning you can enter the standby line at any point during MNSSHP.
Best day to go?
Tuesday is the best day to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, offering the cheapest party ticket costs, and lower crowds. When planning for a special event at Magic Kingdom Park I always recommend weekday evenings as your best bet. Since locals and vacationers typically attend on weekends, the weekday crowds tend to be less.
Best month to attend?
September is typically the best month to attend this Disney Party at Magic Kingdom. Weather is still hot, but it won’t be as hot as August. As soon as October arrives, there are often higher crowds.
Hours & Entry
In 2024, MNSSHP Hours are from 7:00 pm- 12:00 am. So you have a full 5+ hours However, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party guests can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 pm. Be sure to grab a wristband as soon as you get to the park. Disney Vacation Club Members (DVC) can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 2:00 pm. Note, that if you are heading to rare character meet and greets, lines for these characters sometimes open early! *If you want to meet Jack & Sally I recommend getting there at4 asking a cast member where they will meet and head straight there to wait this line can become LONG and you don’t want to waste party time waiting in it*
Discounts: Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party—valid only for event nights in August and September. Cast Members can also save on select nights. More details can be found on Cast Life Web or My Disney Today.
Where to check in for the party?
Magic Kingdom Main Entrance Gates
Near Tortuga Tavern in Adventureland
Near Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland
Fantasy Faire Gift Shop near Mickey’s Philharmagic in Fantasyland
Liberty Square Ticket Office in Liberty Square
WHEN YOU CHECK-IN, YOU’LL RECEIVE:
Event Exclusive Wristband: You’ll want to wear this for the entirety of MNSSHP as it lets Cast Members know you’re a part of the fun! The seperates you from the guest without a party invite
Trick-or-Treat Bag: provided with a Halloween-themed treat bag to fill up with as much candy as you’d like from the trick-or-treat locations all throughout Magic Kingdom!
If you have an allergy, let a Cast Member know and they’ll provide you with a special teal trick-or-treat bag!
Consider bringing a more substantial and sturdy treat bag. *Bag is very small*
Official Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Party Map: This will be your guide to everything happening at MNSSHP! Here you’ll find:
Showtimes for parades, fireworks, and stage shows, Character meet-and-greet locations, Trick-or-treat locations, Parade routes, Photo Pass locations, Specialty food & beverage locations, Event-exclusive merchandise spots
FIREWORK TIPS
To view both the whimsical castle projections and the full fireworks performance, you’ll want to be close (but not too close) to the front of Cinderella Castle.*Look for unobstructed views in the Cinderella Castle Hub between the end of Main Street, U.S.A., and behind the statue of Walt and Mickey.*
For an up-close view of Jack Skellington with a minimal view of castle projections and fireworks, you’ll want to be close to the very front of Cinderella Castle.
Plan to arrive at least 30-45 minutes prior to showtime to secure your spot.
Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade
The BEST no contest parade WDW has is the “Boo-to-You”, parade and you better be prepared to have this song stuck in your head! This parade starts with the Headless Horseman riding horseback down the parade route and continues with festive floats filled with favorite Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best!
appearances from countless rare characters like Disney Villains, spirits from the Haunted Mansion (EPIC don’t miss), and even Pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean. Truly, this parade is not one to be missed!
Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party Character Meet-and-greet Tips:
You do not have to wait for the party to officially start to get in line for these exclusive character appearances!
Consult your MNSSHP map for your list of must-see characters and head to their location before the party begins to be among the first to visit them.
the first parade showtime is so popular, use this time to visit with characters.
Don’t forget your autograph book
Know that most character meet-and-greets close before the party finishes around 11:00 PM, so don’t wait to get in line if they’re on your must-do list.
MNSSHP Trick-or-treat tips
Consider bringing a more substantial and sturdy treat bag.
Save trick-or-treating until later during your party to avoid having to carry around heavy candy bags.
Trick-or-treating is unlimited
Allergy-Friendly Trick-or-Treating
If you have a food allergy, you can ask a Cast Member for a teal-colored treat bag. When candy Cast Members see your teal bag, they’ll issue you a teal token that can be exchanged for allergy-friendly treats at designated areas called Allergy-Friendly Centers. You’ll find the Allergy-Friendly Centers located on your MNSSHP map.
*Allergy-friendly treat options include Beanfields Bean Chips, Enjoy Life, free2b, and YumEarth Organic Candy Company. There are even non-candy-related options available!*
Things to keep in mind if you have small ones.
This is a 7pm-midnight party I suggest doing the party on your day “off” from the parks
let your little one take a late nap so they are recharged for this party
make your next day a later park day say like Epcot and don’t go until 11-12pm!
If you loved this 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) What To Know Before You Go, post and found it helpful and if you know someone traveling to Walt Disney World soon who would benefit from knowing these tips, please share my post with them! you can also find us on Instagram @haleyeverafterco_ & on Fb at Haley ever after co!
The most beautiful time of the year has finally arrived at Epcot and it is the Flower and Garden Festival 2024. This is the longest running festival at Epcot and it’s my personal favorite. The whole Aesthetic of Epcot changes and becomes this immersive botanical garden that comes to life with the buzzing of bees, the silent flap of butterfly wings and the aroma of spring in the air. I want to briefly go over the essence of this whole festival and also include in this post a complete list of the topiaries and where you can find them.
When is it:
This festival runs from February 28th until May 27th 2024.
Know before you go:
This festival is not a special ticketed event with the price of admission to Epcot You can participate in many of these activities for free. If you want to enjoy the special food, merchandise, demonstrations, etc., those come at an extra cost.
I recommend if you can to avoid attending the festival opening weekend and the last weekend those times typically are the most busy.
Flower and Garden is full of activities for everyone to participate in. Just a few to mention are (the ones listed below are free)
Topiary Displays, Exhibits & Gardens
Discover spectacular topiaries of beloved animals and Disney characters, cultivated with care by Disney horticulturists. Fun fact: Disney horticulturalists work for around three months per topiary and they make multiples of the same one so if anything were to happen to one while on display they have one to replace it! Has your favorite character been turned into a plant? See below!
Asha, Valentino, and the Wishing Star from “Wish” – *NEW* – Main Entrance
Butterflies – Main Entrance, Scentsy Garden, Butterfly House and World Showcase
Figment – World Celebration Plaza near Imagination!
Huey, Dewey, and Louie – World Celebration Plaza
Donald Duck – World Celebration Community Garden near Connections Cafe’
Bambi and Friends – World Discovery near Imagination! and Refreshment Port
Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy” – *NEW* – Near Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Buzz Lightyear – Near Mission: SPACE
Woody, Bo Peep and Her Sheep – Near The Land Pavilion
Simba and Friends (Rafiki, Simba, Mufasa, and Sarabi) – Between Imagination! and The Land Pavilion
Pumba and Timon – Between Imagination! and The Land Pavilion
Goofy – Rosewalk
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Chip, Dale, and Pluto – Bridge to World Showcase and World Celebration
Mirabel, Antonio, Isabella, and Luisa from “Encanto” – World Showcase
Miguel and Dante from “Coco” – *NEW* – Mexico Pavilion
Anna and Elsa – Norway Pavilion
Troll – Norway Pavilion
Pandas – China Pavilion
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Germany Pavilion
Lady and the Tramp – Italy Pavilion
Princess Tiana – The American Adventure Pavilion
Dragon – Japan Pavilion near Torri Gate
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy – Between France and Morocco Pavilion
Beauty and the Beast – France Pavilion
Lumiere and Cogsworth – France Pavilion
Butterfly and Flower Towers – International Gateway
Winnie the Pooh and Friends (Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger) – United Kingdom Pavilion
Tinker Bell’s Fairy House Garden – United Kingdom Pavilion
Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Tick Tock Croc – Between the United Kingdom and Canada Pavilion
Geese – Canada Pavilion
Butterfly Landing Presented by Advent-Health
Observe many species of butterflies up close in a kaleidoscope of color. Located near Imagination! in World Nature. This enclosed space is absolutely breathtaking you can spend hours here watching butterflies hatch and admire their beauty. Great experience for all ages.
Global Gardens 2024 at Epcot:
These gardens are a way to learn something new and immerse yourself into different cultures. Tip: Check the daily time’s guide for when the Global Gardens are open as many of them close at dusk.
*NEW* China Penjing Garden: “Discover ancient Chinese art that recreates miniature landscapes”
Located in the China Pavilion
*NEW* Gnome Garden: “Discover topiary versions of magical garden gnomes, originating from German folk tales.
Located in the Germany Pavilion
Blossoms of Fragrance Presented by Scentsy: “Follow your nose to six scent stations and form lasting memories with the help of fresh, unforgettable fragrances”
Located on the World Showcase Bridge
The Community Garden: “Connect with the earth and each other at this celebration of a diverse and thriving communal garden plot.”
Located at World Celebration
Songbird Meadow Presented by Wild Birds Unlimited: “Songbirds are an important part of many ecosystems—including the one in your backyard! Discover simple steps you can take at home to help these feathered friends thrive.”
Located in World Discovery
Floating Gardens: “Peer upon more than 150 petite plots drifting on the ponds that border the bridge to World Showcase”
Located at World Nature
Bonsai Collection: “Learn about the art of bonsai, some of the finest living sculptures. Bonsai masters carefully shape and tend these miniature works of art, creating pace and balance with the earth”
Located in the Japan Pavilion
English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings: “Unearth the history and art of tea-blending at this elegant English tea garden featuring plants used in some of Twinings® finest blends”
Located in the United Kingdom Pavilion
Family-Friendly Camp Get Out ‘N’ Play Garden Presented by OFF! – World Discovery
Explore a camp-themed garden where little ones are invited to jump, play and climb.
PLAYGROUND LOCATIONS
Outside behind Creation Shop towards Test Track
Outside walkway between the Canada Pavilion towards Figment and Disney & Pixar Short Theatre
Inside Mission: SPACE ride queue
Inside Test Track’s ride exit
Songbird Meadow – World Discovery Songbirds are an important part of many ecosystems—including the one in your own backyard! Discover simple steps you can take at home to help these feathered friends thrive.
Free Concerts:
Move your feet to some of the hottest beats during Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Concerts take place at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure Pavilion. Check this link to WDW official site for list of bands and when they are playing. If you want to guarantee yourself a seat check out the WDW site for their concert packages! Bands range from Simple Plan to Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone
Additional Festival fun (Participation may require a purchase)
There is a Garden Graze activity you can participate in by Using your Festival Passport which you can pick up for free at different kiosks throughout the park. This passport will be your guide on this food journey featuring 10 tasty dishes. Once you’ve tried at least 5 Garden Graze items and collected a stamp for each you can bring your Festival Passport to Pineapple Promenade, where you’ll receive a specialty treat! In addition to the Garden Graze Activity there will be festival-exclusive Outdoor Kitchens all around Epcot, each offering a specialty menu of creative cuisine and libations. Last year the Specialty treat was a Mango-Lime Dole Whip which you can not get anywhere else and is only available by completing this challenge.
click here to direct to WDW website for the full Garden Graze menu
Outdoor Kitchens, a.k.a. food and beverage booths do not open at the same time as Epcot – They open at 11:00 am daily.
Some menu items may sell out so be sure to prioritize your must-try items earlier in the day. You can note what you would like to try inside your Festival Passport which will list the menus for all the outdoor kitchens!
Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration
Spike, the cute little bumble bee and Flower and Garden Festival Mascot–can be found hidden in the Global Gardens during the festival. Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration is a fun scavenger hunt throughout Epcot where once completed, you win a special prize! Searching for Spike is a fun activity for everyone in your party–even if you don’t want to pay $9.99 to receive a completion prize.
This year you may also participate in the Egg-Stravaganza Hunt: Embark on the hunt for eye-catching eggs each resembling a beloved bunny; this experience only lasts till Easter and a little bit after.
Image from WDW website
Exclusive Merchandise:
And of course Disney has Merchandise exclusive to the festival that changes every year. EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival merchandise is Typically features Figment, Mickey and Minnie, Spike the Bee, and Orange Bird.
*NEW* for 2024
Orange Bird Collection: Spread the sunshine with adorable Orange Bird keepsakes in this collection featuring apparel, accessories, garden décor and more.
Coco Collection: Keep the inspiring words “Seize Your Moment” top of mind with this Coco-themed collection that includes apparel, headwear and home décor.
Butterfly Collection: Flutter through the butterfly garden alongside Minnie Mouse with items from this flowery collection.
Annual Passholder Collection: Enjoy Festival treasures featuring Spike the Bee on apparel, accessories and trading pins exclusive to our Annual Passholder family.
Disney Hack: You can purchase a gift card for your snacking & drinking around the world. This is the best way to keep yourself on budget! Details on this hack below.
Purchase a Disney Gift Card featuring a unique festival-themed design.Scan your mini festival gift card to pay for food, merchandise and more. These cards can be activated with as little as $15. You can find mini festival gift cards at any festival kiosk throughout the park, Disney Gift Cards can be reloaded at any merchandise location owned and operated by Disney.
Spaceship Earth Show During Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Each night at Epcot—even when there isn’t a festival going on—you’ll find a nighttime light show projected on Spaceship Earth (aka the Epcot Ball).
Last year, Disney debuted “What Else Can I Do?” from Encanto to replace the former “Colors of the Wind” Spaceship Earth show from Pocahontas.
The “Encanto” nighttime show is exclusive to Flower and Garden Festival and should be at the top of your must-do list!
The best spot to view the Spaceship Earth Show each night during the Flower and Garden Festival is from the World Celebrations gardens. These are a part of the new area located behind the Epcot Ball with World Showcase Lagoon to your back. Here you’ll be able to see pylons that coordinate with the nighttime show as well as lights in the floor tiles. It just elevates an already spectacular show into something even more special.
After you watch a few cycles of the soundtrack, be sure to grab one more festival snack before heading to your spot to watch the “Luminous – The Symphony of Us” fireworks taking place around World Showcase Lagoon.
Taken during visit of Flower & Garden 2022
Conclusion:
This is a festival you won’t want to miss, I promise. It has a little bit of something for everyone in your group! This is a festival that will embrace all 5 of your senses! You can see all the beauty of spring as far as the eye can see, hear the sound of the gardens coming to life with nature, smell all the delicious foods and flowers, taste something grown right in Disney World, touch the world around you and take some of that feeling of prosperity and growth home with you to your own flower pots and gardens!
This system is no longer valid at the parks please check our NEWEST blog post on the NEW lighting lane multi-pass & single pass system for WDW parks click here
updated Genie + 2024
Disney has not made it easy on us with all the fine print of using Disney Genie+ Service and I’m afraid that has continued to ring true into 2024. This brief post will go over the changes and updates to Genie+ service for 2024. I will link to our blog post here for the complete instructions, hacks and tips onnavigating genie plus.
The Major Changes to Genie + are as follows:
Prices will vary by park. As per when Genie+ first came out at Walt Disney world the price was $15 no matter what park you went to. it changed later to $20 a day and now in its current state it varies on the “popularity” of that park and each given day. Magic Kingdom will always be the most expensive due to its popularity and over the holiday season in 2023 the price shot up to $39 per person. It is anticipated to see this number as high as $45 in the 2024 holiday season. Animal kingdom will always be the cheapest with Epcot in next place and the Hollywood studios under Magic Kingdom for Price.
Genie+ service can sell out, This typically happens during peak seasons, for example Christmas and Thanksgiving. If you plan to go during this time and you want to purchase genie+ you can do this at 12am the morning of your intended park day. I recommend purchasing it as soon as you (12am of your park day) as you can get it for a lower Price than what it will be at 7am, which is when most folks go on to purchase.
Anyonestaying on Disney property or off property may now book their first Genie+ experience at @ 7am. This is a great improvement for those staying off property to also get the opportunity to get lighting lane passes for popular rides.
OnlyDisney resort guest can purchase the Individual lighting lanes starting @ 7am. *Individual lighting lanes are à la carte rides.* This is primarily the most popular or newest ride in each park. You would purchase this ticket separate from your Genie+ service. You do not have to purchase both Genie + and the Individual lighting lane (ILL) to be able to do either. The Disney Resort guest do get the upper hand here as the Rise of the Resistance is the most popular Disney World ride, which is located in Disney’s Hollywood studios. The Rise of the Resistance is worth the purchase of the ILL or even the stand by as this is a 22 minute experience. This Attraction is number one for any star wars fan! This Individual lighting lane typically sells out right at 7am. Do not lose hope, always periodically check your app to see if more become available. You can also ride this by joining the standby line now available instead of the previous virtual queue.
The Virtual Queue is still available for either Tron in Magic Kingdom or Rise of the guardians cosmic rewind in Epcot. The Queue opens up twice a day once at 7am and then 1pm. This gives you a virtual spot in line and the app will send you a notification when it’s your turn to go to the ride and stand in line. This does not mean you will not have to wait in an actual line. I have done the virtual queue and still stood in line for about an hour.
Below is a list of all the Individual lighting lanes(ILL) for each park.
Epcot: Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (Also offers virtual queue)
Hollywood studios: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Also offers Standby)
Individual lighting lanes for non Disney resort guests can be purchased at the time the park opens.
*pro tip be sure to be up and book your first Genie+ attraction at 7am*
7am this needs to be your priorities: depending on your preferences and where you are staying
Join the virtual queue
Purchase genie +
Purchase individual lighting lane
The above is only a recommendation if you are not interested in the most popular rides you don’t need to worry about the virtual queue. Purchase your Genie+ and book a Lighting Lane for what you do want to ride.
Genie+ can run out of lighting lanespots so when booking at 7am be sure you are picking your top priorities.
These attractions below are going to be priority lighting lanes as these will run out and can be harder to get later in the day. I highly recommend if these are on your must do try to schedule these first.
Slinky dog dash in Hollywood Studios,
Jungle Cruise. Peter Pan’s flight in Magic Kingdom,
Remy’s adventure in Epcot,
Na’vi river journey in Animal kingdom.
A feature so many of us die hard Disney goers missed was the modify button. Say you have a lighting lane for 4pm-5pm for Slinky Dog but you wanted to do late lunch around 4 and push the Ride window time back, beforethis modify option was added you would have to check the app and see if another slot was available. You saw there was another later arrival window, you would have to cancel your current plan go back in and try to get the 7pm-8pm slot that said it was available now this issue caused a lot of headache as you may or may not get that slot and now your out of luck because you canceled your original! Disney heard our pleas and gave us a modify button. Now you select the experience you want to modify, then it will take you to a screen that will display all Genie+ experiences with times available and display your current one and what other time is available for that one. if you “fiddle faddle” by refreshing this screen a few times you make be able to get a better or sooner time you are looking for!
PRO TIP
you can book your next Genie+ lighting lane when one of the following happens:
As soon as you have scanned your ticket into the first one
if you miss you window for the attraction
it’s been 120 minutes since booking your first one. (not 120 mins from the return time for your next one but 120 mins from when you booked it.) For example, you booked your first ride at 9am for a slinky dog and your arrival window is 1pm-2pm. You can book your next ride on Genie+ for 120 minutes from 9am which would be 11am. The my Disney experience app will have that time you can book your next one at the top but will not send you a notification to book one so i recommend putting an alarm on your phone for 120 minutes(2 hours) and that way you don’t miss your window.
If weather or technical difficulties occur making the ride shut down and you have a lighting lane booked for this ride during the time it is closed the app will take care of it for you. The app will issue you a “multiple experiences pass” which you may use to skip the wait when that specific ride is back up OR you can use it on another experience to skip a line. This pass does have stipulation and it will tell you what/if there are rides you can not redeem it on. You can not use it in any other park if you are park hopping. This “pass” must be redeemed in the park that the ride went down in. If you are having any trouble with your app or Genie + there are always cast members throughout the park who will gladly help you.
Pro tip: if a ride goes down for any reason and you are issued the “multiple experiences pass” you can instantly go back into your app and book another Genie+ attraction without having to wait.
Last Pro tip is pinning your favorites to the top of your pin board on the My Disney Experience App. You will go into the App and click on set up my day and you can pin your favorite attractions to the top of your list so when you open the app it will show your personal favorites first! If later in the day you have already completed your top attractions you simply hit edit selections at the top and change out for your next must do rides you have in mind!
This was a brief update for what has changed or been updated for the Genie+ i will again link here to the full post that explains how to best utilize and navigate genie+
Well this is awkward right? You are in the middle of a conversation with someone whos’ spewing Abbreviations and Acronyms at you and you hesitate to stop them and explain so you jus nod and go along with it. Don not worry I have got your back babe!
Example:
“Hey I moved our LL to SDD to 5pm so it would not conflict with my ADR for OC. I could not switch that time b/c I want to head over to MK to find a spot in time to see HEA.”
and your like um excuse me what?
What this person is actually saying is “I had to move my Lighting Lane time for Slinky Dog Dash to 1pm so it would not conflict with my advanced dining reservation for Oga’s Cantina. i could not switch that time because i wanted to head over to magic kingdom to find a spot in time to see happily ever after fireworks show.”
Note that some abbreviations have multiple meanings, and some destinations have multiple abbreviations. Below is a full lists of the most common Disney abbreviations and acronyms so the next time your caught in a conversation or trying to decipher a map, blog, or someone’s post you know where to find the answers!
DISNEY ABBREVIATIONS
7DMT – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (aka SDMT)
AA – The American Adventure AA – Audio-Animatronics [The *robot* characters in the attractions.] ADR – Advance Dining Reservation AE – AllEars® AH – After Hours DAK/AK – Disney’s Animal Kingdom AKL – Animal Kingdom Lodge AKV – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas [a DVC Resort] AoA – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort AP – Annual Pass AP – Artist Point APer – Annual Passholder AS – Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort AS2 – Alien Swirling Saucers ASM or ASMu – Disney’s All-Star Music Resort ASMV or ASMo– Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
BatB – “Beauty and the Beast” – Live on Stage B&C – Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club BB – Blizzard Beach water park BC – Beach Club Resort BCV – Beach Club Villas [a DVC Resort] BLT– Disney’s Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary [a DVC Resort] BOG – Be Our Guest Restaurant (Magic Kingdom) BTM/BTMR/BTMRR – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad BRV – Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge BW/BWI – Disney’s BoardWalk Inn BWV – Disney’s BoardWalk Villas [a DVC Resort]
CB – Character Breakfast [Breakfasts where Disney Characters show up.] CBJ – Country Bear Jamboree CBR – Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort CCV – Disney’s Copper Creek Villas & Cabins (DVC – Wilderness Lodge) CG – California Grill CM – Cast Member [An employee of the Walt Disney Company] Cont – Disney’s Contemporary Resort CoP – Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress CP – Candlelight Processional CP – Crystal Palace CR – Disney’s Contemporary Resort CRO – Central Reservations Office [handling Dining and Resort reservations] CS or CSR – Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort CS – Counter Service meal [part of Disney Dining Plan]
DAH – Disney After Hours DAK/AK – Disney’s Animal Kingdom DAKL – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge DCA – Disney California Adventure DCL – Disney Cruise Line DD – Disney Dollars DDP – Disney Dining Plan DFB – Disney Food Blog® DHS – Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) DL/DLR – Disneyland DLH – Disneyland Hotel DLP – Disneyland Paris DTD – Downtown Disney (in Disneyland, Disney Springs at Disney World) DRC – Disney Reservations Center [handling Dining and Resort reservations] DS – Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) DVC – Disney Vacation Club
EP – Epcot ECV – Electric Convenience Vehicle (electric wheelchair/scooter) EE – Expedition Everest EH – Extended Hours ELP – Main Street Electrical Parade (electrical parade) EMH – Extra Magic Hours EMM – Early Morning Magic EWP – Electrical Water Pagent EE – Expedition Everest
F&G – Epcot Flower and Garden Festival F&W – Epcot Food & Wine Festival FF – Flying Fish FLE – Fantasyland Expansion (Magic Kingdom) FotA/FARTS – Festival of the Arts (Epcot) FoTLK – Festival of the Lion King (Animal Kingdom) FOP – Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom) FoF – Festival of Fantasy Parade FP – FastPass (no longer available) FP+ – FastPass Plus (no longer available) FtW/FW – Fort Wilderness FW – Future World (part of Epcot)
GE/SWGE – Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge GF – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa GMR – The Great Movie Ride (closed/no longer available) GoH – Guest of Honor [written as GoH ’76 meaning the first year you visited WDW] GOTG/GOFTG:CR – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind GR – Guest Relations [at theme parks and Disney Springs] GS – Guest Services [at water parks]
HDD/HDDR – Hoop Dee Doo Review (Fort Wilderness Campground) HEA – Happily Ever After Fireworks Show at the Magic Kingdom HH/DHHIR – Disney’s Hilton Head Resort [a DVC Resort] HISTA – Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (closed/no longer available) HM – The Haunted Mansion HM – Hidden Mickey HoP – The Hall of Presidents HS/DHS – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
IASW – “it’s a small world” IG – International Gateway IN – IllumiNations (closed/no longer available) ITTBAB – It’s Tough To Be A Bug (at Animal Kingdom)
JC – Jungle Cruise JIYI – Journey Into Your Imagination
KRR – Kali River Rapids KJS – Kilimanjaro Safari KTTW – Key To The World card [old Disney resort ID card] KV – Kidani Village – section of Animal Kingdom Villas
LBV – Lake Buena Vista LC – Lobby Concierge [the former Guest Services at the resorts] LL – Lightning Lane LMA – Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (closed/no longer available) LTT – Liberty Tree Tavern LWTL – Living with the Land
M&G – Meet and Greet MB – Magic Bands MB+ – Magic Bands+ MDE – My Disney Experience (mobile app) ME – Disney’s Magical Express (closed/no longer available) MI – Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor MK – Magic Kingdom MM – Memory Maker MMRR – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway MNSSHP – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party MS – Main Street USA MS or M:S – Mission:SPACE MSEP – Main Street Electrical Parade MV3D – Muppet*Vision 3D MVMCP – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party MYW – Magic Your Way tickets and/or packages
NE – No Expiration [formerly added to Magic Your Way tickets] NoJ – Night of Joy NOS – New Orleans Square NRJ – Na’vi River Journey (Animal Kingdom)
OKW – Disney’s Old Key West Vacation Club Resort
OPR – Old Port Royale (at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort)
PAP – Premium Annual Pass PC – Pop Century Resort PH – Park Hopper [ticket add-on to theme park tickets] PH – Planet Hollywood (part of Disney Springs) PHP – Park Hopper Plus [ticket add-on to theme park tickets] PI – Pleasure Island (formerly part of Disney Springs) PO – Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, now Port Orleans French Quarter PoC – Pirates of the Caribbean POFQ – Port Orleans French Quarter Poly – Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort POP – Pop Century Resort PORS – Port Orleans Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings) PotC – Pirates of the Caribbean PPP – Pirate and Princess Party PV – Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
QS – quick service (part of Disney Dining Plan)
RC – Rainforest Cafe RnRC – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster RoL – Rivers of Light (closed/no longer available) RoR — Rise of the Resistance RR/DRR – Disney’s Riviera Resort RS/PORS – Port Orleans Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings)
SB or SAB – Stormalong Bay [pool at Yacht & Beach Club] SDD – Slinky Dog Dash SDMT – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train SE – Spaceship Earth SGE – Stitch’s Great Escape SM – Space Mountain SoG – Shades of Green Resort SP – Seasonal Pass [available only to Florida residents] SplM – Splash Mountain SSE – Spaceship Earth SSR – Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort [a DVC Resort] ST – Star Tours SWW – Star Wars Weekend
TDS – The Disney Store(s) THV – Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort [a DVC Resort] TiW – Tables in Wonderland (closed/no longer available) TL – Typhoon Lagoon TLR/TRON – Tron / Lightcycle Run ToT – “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” TS – Table Service meal [part of Disney Dining Plan] TSL – Toy Story Land TSM – Toy Story Mania TSI – Tom Sawyer Island TT – Test Track TTA – Tomorrowland Transit Authority TTC – Transportation and Ticket Center
UoE – Universe of Energy (closed/no longer available)
V&A – Victoria & Albert’s VB – Disney’s Vero Beach Resort [a DVC Resort] VGF – Disney’s Villas of Grand Floridian [a DVC Resort] VWL – Disney’s Villas of Wilderness Lodge [a DVC Resort]
WDTC – Walt Disney Travel Company [handling Dining and Resort reservations] WDW – Walt Disney World Resort WDWRR – Walt Disney World Railroad WL – Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort WLV – Villas at Wilderness Lodge WoD – Disney’s World of Disney WoL – Wonders of Life WPF&M – Water Park Fun & More [formerly an add-on to Magic Your Way tickets] WS – World Showcase (part of Epcot) WS – West Side (part of Disney Springs) WWoS/WWS – Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Y&B – Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort YC – Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney World vacation planning is constantly changing with the price fluctuations, Genie+ changes and new deals and discounts being offered. In this post I will go over some of the best ways to start pre-planning and then execute that plan for your 2024 Walt Disney World Trip(WDW).
Walt Disney World is HUGE. The entire Walt Disney World Resort is almost 25,000 acres! That being said you will not get everything accomplished that may be on your to do list while you are visiting and that is okay! Doing your research beforehand and narrowing down to the things you absolutely want to do is the best policy! You are already reading this so you are on the right track!
Walt Disney World Resorts is made up of four major theme parks, two water parks, 20 Disney operated hotels, DownTown Disney (also called Disney Springs) this is the shopping and restaurant district and a few other things in between that are not that note worthy for me to mention (golf courses)
While planning your vacation, pick your dates. I recommend Avoiding June, July, August, and some of September if you can. These months when visiting can feel like you are visiting the sun instead of the most magical place on earth. If you cannot avoid those times of year due to children’s schooling or your own job that is totally fine with the right planning you can have a wonderful time even in July.
Weigh your options staying on property or off. We, as a family of 3, stay on property. I prefer staying on property so we can purchase the dining plan. We go to character meals with our son and this package pays for itself after just two table service meals. This plan is only offered to guests staying on property. I love the immersive feeling of being on property and how the cast members go the extra mile to make your day magical. If this upcoming trip staying on property is not in your budget that’s okay! You can spend a day visiting the resorts and see which one you would like to stay on your next trip! You can schedule a meal at a resort or just tour them. My favorite to visit and eat at is the Polynesian resort. We have breakfast there and get to dance with Mickey, Lilo and Stitch!
Properties are broken up into 3 Tiers of Disney Hotels
Value resorts starting around $130 per night,
Moderates around $275,
Deluxe around $450. When Disney offers deals, some prices see reductions that can be over 20%.
3. Consider getting one of the two Dining Plans. Disney World has more than 50 table service restaurants, over 100 quick service locations, and even more snack carts throughout the parks. The dining plans are a way of paying for your meals before you get to Walt Disney World. When you get a Disney dining plan, you are purchasing a meal plan which turns into dining credits that you can use at Walt Disney World during your stay. When you book your Disney vacation package, you’ll be given the option to add either of the two dining plans. Pricing ranges from about $24 per night for children on the Quick-Service Dining Plan to $94 per night for adults on the Standard Dining Plan.
Be our Guest Restaurant in MK
If you opt for a dining plan, when you purchase food or beverages at Walt Disney World, you will need to tell the Cast Member you are ordering from the dining plan. The Cast member will clarify any questions you have about how your credits can be used at the specific restaurant. Depending on your plan you purchase you can use your credits on drinks, snacks, quick service meals(without a waiter) or table service meals.
I recommend keeping track of your credits per person on a notes tab in your phone and this plan can help you plan ahead to know what/where you are going to eat for dinners or lunch so you can use your credits accordingly.
Dining credits are linked to your reservation, so you’ll “pay” using your Magic Band or room key. You need to inform a Cast Member that you’re using the dining plan in order to use it for a given meal.
*Pro Tip We personally never use all of our snack credits so at the end of our trip we use them collectively to purchase souvenir snacks for gifts. The rice crispy treats, bagged candies and chocolate bars travel well!*
4. Pick theme park days. As I said above the property for Walt Disney World Resorts is thousands of acres and doing everything in one week is impossible and I highly do not recommend trying to do it all. I am speaking from experience here, do not make my past mistakes. Make yourself a list of things you want to do in each park such as 1-2 dining experiences in each one, top 3 rides, mix in some shows and down time to rest your feet. If you are constantly rushing you will exhaust yourself. Your family will be cranky and everyone will fuss and NOBODY wants that.
5. Lastly you may need to budget in for Disney Genie + service. This service replaced Disney’s previously free FastPass service(may it rest in peace) This process can be complicated but with the right research prior to your trip you can handle it. (click here for our blog post dedicated to just Genie+)
The price of Genie+ varies by the day. It begins at $15 (plus tax, so about $16) per person per day, but prices have hit $39 in 2023 and it is expected to hit $45 by the end of 2024. A typical day is priced around $20 to $25. You can buy it any time after midnight for use that same day and that day only.
When I went for a solo trip in April of 2023 I purchased Disney Genie+ every day for my trip and the highest I paid was $21 for Hollywood Studios the others were $15. You also do not have to purchase Genie+ for all of your park days. If you get to
Epcot early enough you can complete all the rides you want by standing in line and then spend your afternoon wandering the world showcase. I personally will buy the Genie+ every time because I have used it enough to understand how to get my money’s worth and also it’s a tremendous help to be able to skip lines with a toddler and family in tow.
Each park besides Magic Kingdom has 1 Attraction that has an individual lighting lane which must be purchased outside of the purchase of Genie+. You do not have to purchase one to purchase the other. These individual Rides are the newest/most popular Rides. I have listed those rides for each park below, In addition these individual rides can varies daily on price from $20 to $12 (These prices are based on stats from 2022)
Magic Kingdom Individual Lightning Lanes
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
TRON Lightcycle / Run
EPCOT Individual Lightning Lanes
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Hollywood Studios Individual Lightning Lanes
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Animal Kingdom Individual Lightning Lanes
Avatar Flight of Passage
I recommend booking at 12-9 months out and below is a break down of my rough draft for that upcoming trip.
Example of Walt Disney World weeks plan: at 12-9 months out Dates: June 9th – June 16th 2024 Staying at All Star Movies Resort (Value) Disney Dining Plan-This is the top tier plan and includes table service meals where we can do character meals.
Rides: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Nav’i River Journey and Expedition Everest
Shows: Festival of the Lion King
Epcot to dos:
Food: Visit the Food Booth in the world Showcase! In June starts the Food & Wine festival which will have an outdoor food booth to entice your palate to try a little of everything.
Rides: Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth , and Soarin’ around the world
Rides: Toy Story Mania, Slinky Dog Dash, Mickeys & Minnie’s Runaway railway
Shows: Fantasmic two different show times 8pm and 9:30pm
That is it a simple list
Example at 2-1 month out from trip: I would pick my days/dates for specific theme parks at my 60 day mark as this would coincide with making RSVP for table services. You can make RSVP for your dining up to 60 days in advance *for those staying on property, *off property 30 days in advance* This may be what truly helps you decide on which park on what day for the week. Planning what park to visit at your 60 day mark is just fine and if you change it up because a RSVP for dining you really wanted came up for another day that is also fine!
Example in 2022 I had our Family week planned with RSVP by 15 days out, however the week before we left I got the RSVP I wanted for Tusker house but on a different date then I had originally planned so I was easily able to switch my Epcot day for our Animal kingdom day. I also always leave a day or two in the week where nothing is truly planned. I like to do this in the middle of the week so we can rest, enjoy our resort amenities and go do some shopping at Disney Springs.
Below I give an example of a week in Disney’s plan for a family of four with the dining plan, staying on property and how I would prioritize the must dos. the plan below does not include The individual lighting lanes rides that are not included with the Genie+ Service.
Here is the week of our trip Example Plan
June 9th arrival day
June 10th Animal Kingdom
Purchase Genie+ for Park day and scheduled first Genie+ Experience at 7am
Park opens at 7am , get there at 6:30am for rope drop and to enjoy as much park before midday heat wave.
Scheduled next Attraction while waiting to get on the first attraction *you can schedule your next genie+ ride as soon as you scan your Magicband or App which redeems your Genie+ reservation.
Break for lunch @ Flame Tree Barbecue.
Fill in your day with the Genie+ on your Walt Disney World My Experience app. Genie will also be on the app to help make suggestions for you.*if for any reason you need assistance, something is not correct on the app, you deleted something etc.. Throughout the park there are blue umbrellas set up where you will find cast members who are there to help with any questions you may have!*
Dinner @ Tusker House meet Mickey,Minnie, Donald,Daisy and goofy in their safari outfits!
Watch the Tree of Life come alive at night!
June 11th Unpack relax day
June 12th Magic Kingdom
Purchase Genie+ for Park day and scheduled first Genie+ Experience at 7am per our must do list trying to schedule Jungle Cruise *pro tip- when you schedule your first ride it will not show you your time slot for the ride until after you have booked it. The time slot may be for 9am, 12pm or even 4pm. Do not worry you can check back and refresh your App to then edit the time slot for another that is close to the time you want.*
While Commuting to Magic Kingdom on the Disney My experience app you can order your breakfast from sleepy hollow and select a pick up window! This is my favorite advice as we don’t have to wait for breakfast when everyone is already hungry!
Park opens at 9am. Try to get there at 8:00am for rope drop. This is a great time to get beautiful park pictures without crowds and to get on a ride before the crowd. *Resort perk! if you are staying on property you can get into the park 30 mins before non resort guests!*
Ride Haunted Mansion at rope drop! then you will not have to schedule it with Genie +
Schedule Big Thunder Mountain while waiting to get on the Jungle Cruise attraction! you can schedule your next genie+ ride as soon as you scan your MagicBand or App for your first one! *If you can not get time slots close together using Genie+ that is okay if your Jungle Cruise time slot is 3pm-4pm. You will need to wait 2 hours from the park open to book your next ride. This can be complex buthere is a link to a video I refer to for Disney Genie+ break down to understand it!
depending on weather may take a break from the park for 2-3 hours back at resort for a little recharge/downtime
Back to the park to secure a spot for the fireworks show Happily Ever After (H.E.A.) typical show time is at 8pm and park closes at 11pm. This is a great time to watch the show and then hang around the park. Most folks leave the park right after H.E.A! Perfect time to ride attractions, meet n greets or just enjoy the glow of the castle and lands at night.
June 13th
Rest day! Pool day/Shopping
June 14th Epcot
Purchase Disney genie+ at 7AM then booked the first ride of the day Frozen Ever After.Park opens @ 9am arrive at the park around 8 as a resort guest we get in 30 mins early and can get some great picturesque shots while the park is empty. *Upon arrival grab a Food & Wine Festival guide. Review to find the food booths to be sure to hit on our world travels*
*Do not ride Spaceship earth first thing in the morning. It’s right at the front of the park and it typically slammed in the morning. Wait until midday to escape the sun to ride this!*
Set out to Ride Soarin’ upon arrival to the park no need for a Lighting Lane RSVP if you got there early it will be a walk on.
Genie+ Secure your Remy Ratatouille Adventure ride!
Then take the day in strides! Walk the world showcase and explore the different pavilions. Speak to the cast members at each pavilion as they are from that country and love answering questions about their homes and culture.
*Mexico pavilion is my favorite and you can meet Donald duck outside to the left of the pavilion!*
Visit the Morocco Pavilion and relax in the fountain area, rest your feet and get some shade from the sun.
Find the best treats at the Food & Wine festival and check out the outdoor kitchens!
Grab a snack and drink and find a good spot for the show
Shows: Epcot forever Firework 9pm
June 15th Hollywood’s Studios
PurchaseDisney Genie+ at 7AM then booked the first ride of the day I would book Slinky Dog Dash the window for the ride will probably be later but this ride RSVP go quick and it’s on my must do list!
Park opens @ 9am arrive to park around 8 as a guest we get in 30 mins early and ride Mickeys & Minnie’s Runaway railway at
Visit Olaf for a picture op!
Wonder through Batuu (Galaxy’s edge) and maybe run into Chewie and grab drinks at Olgas and get some out of this universe drinks.
Lunch at Woody’s lunch box *PRO TIP-Mobile order this in advance this is a POPULAR place for lunch as its delicious! and can have long waits!*
Use Genie+ and Book Toy Story Mania. *try to scheduled everything in Toy Story land after midday as it barely any shade areas*
pick some filler shows to rest from sun EX: the little mermaid play, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, Disney Junior Dance party
Dinner at Hollywood & Vine around 6-6:30pm meet Minnie, Goofy and Donald!
Pick Show time for Fantasmic (8pm or 9:30pm) I would go with the later one and while the first is happening to ride one the other rides with less wait!
June 16th
Departure day! Sleep in if you can have a last breakfast of mickey waffles and head for home!
Yes, you read that title right I went to Disney World alone but before I spill the tea on how I conquered Disney World alone below is a bit of background about myself for reference and then i will divulge how i picked my resort, dates, parks, and then finish with how my itinerary went for my stay!
I am a 28 year old wife, mama, blogger, content creator, small business owner and a full time employee. Last year in 2022 I took a trip with a girlfriend and she made the comment why don’t you come by yourself sometime. I instantly had a lightbulb go off in my head why had i never thought about coming by myself. I started making a pros and cons list in my head. I was filled with anxiety and excitement all in the same time. I discussed it with my husband and he fully supported my endeavor and with that here is how I made the most magical memories for myself on my solo Disney World trip!
First thing was picking when to go:
I knew i wanted to go in April due to its my personal favorite weather in Florida. My trip dates set for April 20th through April 25th. I made my plans 8 months in advance which gave me time to pay for the trip in payments.
Second Booking where to stay:
i knew i wanted to stay on a Disney resort due to how much safer i personally felt staying on property. I compared prices of resorts and landed on All-Star Movies! It was in my budget and i had not stayed there before.
Thirdly how to get to Disney World and to the Resort:
i knew i wanted to fly! I live in North Carolina which is about a 9 hour drive to Orlando and i did not want to drive that far alone and a flight is 1 hour and 45mins no brainier i was going to fly. i flew with Spirit airlines which offers cheap flights, i will add here that these flights can become more or equally as expensive as American airlines if you add on things such as picking your seat, multiple bags, in flight snacks ect. My round trip flight with 1 checked back and 1 carry on was $211.00. I also got ground transportation to the resort via Sunshine Flyer which i had used before and was highly satisficed with, i booked this 2 months in advance and was able to secure this for $15 round trip, due to they were running a special on their transportation prices. This trip usually cost $35. I know some folks swear by uber/lyft but traveling alone i personally wanted to use a trusted Disney Transport.
All Star Movies Resort Impression:
All Star Movies was fun and truly made me feel like a kid again with its exterior theming. The resort offers 5 different themed sections. i got the pleasure of staying in the love bug building which was themed to Herbie the Lovebug! i also wondered the resort and really enjoyed the interactive theming of each building. The resort also include a cafeteria which served an array of foods from hamburgers to pot roast dinner. it really had something for whatever you were craving. During my stay i did not spend much time at my resort due to i had packed my weekend trip with park time but the time i did get on my resort was a great experience.
Friday, Arrival day:
After unpacking and settling in i caught the Disney Transport bus from my resort to Disney Springs and grabbed a bar seat at The Edison which is steam punked themed with American cuisine. I had an exquisite time! My bartender was spectacular and I highly recommend the Strawberry Fields Forever drink this drink was so smooth and perfect combo of tart and sweet that i ordered 3 even with the $18 price tag! my main coarse was The Edison, which is their Signature Beef Blend of Sirloin, Short Rib, and Brisket topped with White Cheddar, Crispy Onions, Smoked Bacon, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato, Special Sauce, with Fries and oh my goodness it was delicious.
Saturday:
I took a trip around the world showcase of Epcot. Epcot is a absolute breath taking park but especially at this time of year due to Epcot celebrating the Flower and Garden festival which brings nature to you right on a plate or in a drink. I took my time getting ready that morning after i had woke up at 6:55 AM and purchased Genie + for the day and purchase my Individual lighting lane ticket for Guardians of the galaxy rewind (need to understand Genie+ link here to our blog post). I took the resort bus to Epcot. I was not rushed for time this park day and the resort bus is free and i was fine leisurely arriving at the park. The buses arrive and depart about ever 15-20 mins give or take if any the buses are delayed. there was a coinvent board that would updated about every 5 minutes and let guest know when next ETA was for whichever bus. Once at Epcot I made my way to all the rides i wanted to complete. I wanted to get the rides done early so i could just enjoy the park. Epcot during flower and garden offers so many unique drinks, foods and exhibit i didn’t want to miss any time exploring those options by standing in line for a ride. My purchase of genie+ for the day was well spent. I enjoyed a variety of snacks and drinks throughout exploring the worldshow case. personally my favorite drink was the La Vie en Rose Slush which returned again to this year’s Flower and Garden Fest It’s made with Grey Goose Vodka Orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice. Its an expensive choice but well worth it! My favorite Snack was the Beef Tenderloin Tips found at the Canada booth, this was made up of a mushroom bordelaise sauce, and whipped potatoes with garden vegetables. It was mouth watering! I ended up leaving Epcot around 7:30pm as i had an early morning planned for Sunday at Magic Kingdom (MK).
Sunday:
I ventured to Magic Kingdom. Which is the one park most folks think of when they hear Disney world. Magic Kingdom is more family friendly with over 40 rides and attractions with not many of them having any height limitations. **I got to Magic Kingdom 1 hour before park opening** this is a huge pro-tip this is how i got some great castle shots before the park was overflowing with people! I had a breakfast reservation at the crystal palace to eat with Pooh bear and his friends. I was late for this by almost 30 minutes due to the resort bus had a break down and had to send another bus to pick up. This was frustrating but again when using a free services there is only so much you can complain. When going again i will use an uber or lyft when i need to be there on time.
The weather this day was astonishingly. It was sunny and 75 with a breeze i truly couldn’t have had a better weather day! Magic Kingdom is typically opened the latest so to prepare myself for that i went in that morning with a plan to do my top 6 rides and then head back to my resort at 2pm relax change clothes and arrive back at the park by 5pm and it worked out perfect sticking to this plan. I felt refreshed and no sore feet or overly fatigued. I really enjoyed engaging with others on their magical vacations. I offered to take others photos often and in return they would take a few for me. I met a lovely family with their daughter, who were visiting for their first time and we had great conversations waiting on the fireworks to start. Watching them watch their daughter as she took in the magic for the first time truly brought me to tears. I took photos of them before and during the show and airdropped them the images and the mom was crying with gratitude and i was just over joyed to be able to bring some magic to their trip! After the fireworks I wondered around the park and Let me just tell you if you can manage to hang around even just 1 hour after the fireworks you wont be disappointed! Mainstreet will be swamped with folks shopping and exiting the park but the other lands are empty and i was able to get amazing shots of the park at night. I also spent time just soaking in the atmosphere, people watching and just the magic that can be felt in the park itself. I headed towards the buses about and hour before closing as the line for resort buses at park close can be extensive.
Monday:
Hollywood studios was my last stop on my solo Disney trip! I started my day here with a warm hug from everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. Grabbed a Joffrey’s coffee and a huge doughnut and sat Infront of runaway railroad and people watched. I also got to ride Mickey & Minnie’s runaway rail road for the first time and it was so adorable! A must do if you have small children or as a solo Disney adult as i did! Afterwards i spent the next 4 hours in Galaxy’s Edge. I had drinks at Olgas canteen which was fabulous. I did try nearly every drink but the outer rim was my favorite. I spent so much time in this area really living out my Star Wars fan girl fantasy. I had dinner at the new Woody’s BBQ Roundup in Toy story land. The food was impeccable but way to much food for just one person and i felt terrible leaving so much uneaten food. Toy Story Land is my favorite land at night. The auroras of the Christmas lights from above and the screams of laughter from Slinky Dog Dash pulls me back to my childhood and i cherish that feeling every single time i visit. In true Florida style it started to pour rain so i actually go a table Olgas again and had a few drinks. Olgas experience is truly above and beyond, Especially for someone whos’ a die hard Star Wars fan. I am not a fan of the bar food as it is more adventurous then my taste buds are but the drinks are amazing and the cast members go out of their way to make you feel special and truly transport you to another galaxy far far away. As i took shelter from the down pour at Olgas i met a plethora of other Disney adults and struck up conversations about the drinks, food and atmosphere of Galaxy’s Edge. Once the storm dispersed i headed back to my resort to prepare for my next day of traveling home.
Tuesday:
Departing day, because i used the Sunshine flyer for a round trip to and from the airport on the day prior to departing day they sent me a time as to when i should be at the front door for pick up and this time can be multiple hours prior to your departure due to they pick up from other resorts. This part was discouraging as i had a 1pm departing flight but i had to be on the bus at 7am. I believe my next trip i will use them for arrival but not departing as i would’ve liked to have slept in, enjoyed breakfast and shop some before arriving to the airport. I will also say that the bus will leave if you are not outside at your appointed time. on my previous trip i was literally one minute late and the bus driver was about to pull away and i had to bang on the door, so if punctuality isn’t your thing maybe look into alternatives transportation.
Big take aways from this trip:
Using Disney transport is cost effective but can burn so much time, Next trip i will consider using uber/lyft for transport on the mornings I’m looking to get somewhere at a certain time. Buses fill up and they get delayed often, I was trying to stay on a budget this past trip and used the free options which did save me money but cost me some valuable patience and park time.
Spending time with cast members was a delight. I made it a point in asking them questions, advice or just small talk. I made keychains prior to my trip and put a little thank you note with them and I handed them out to cast members and it truly delighted them. It made my heart happy to give back to them as they do so much to make everyone else’s day perfect! I will definitely continue this tradition.
This was the very first time I ever went back to the resort in the middle of the day and took a rest. This was huge and so important for me on my Magic Kingdom day. I don’t believe i will do this when i have a large group due to how hard it can be to get people up and going again but with no one else to wait on but myself i will do this again.
Buying Genie + , I bought it for my entire trip and i bought two individual lighting lanes. My thoughts on this one are money over time spent waiting in line. I am someone who wants to be able to plan out my day and know what to expect next. I miss the FastPass system so much when it comes to this due to i was able to know 60 days prior to arrival what rides/attractions i had booked however i will say that i was able to ride more rides with Genie+ than the FastPass system but its such a give and take because i spent so much time checking my phone for availability which this wasn’t a big issue when it was just me but on my previous trip with my family i felt i was missing out on family time because i was looking at my phone constantly. I would still buy Genie+ again on my next solo trip.
I packed 3 park days into my 5 day trip and it left no time for relaxing or shopping. My next trip i will either do only 2 park days or book a late flight on my departing day so i can spend time lounging and enjoying Disney springs.
I will stay at a value resort again. I know some people swear by staying at a Deluxe resort but for me I would rather save the money to enjoy dinners, experiences or purchasing souvenirs then pay for a more luxurious resort.
This whole experience was so liberating to not wait on anyone else. When i wanted a break, i took one. I wanted to take 150 pictures of everything so i did. I wanted a snack, i got one. This trip was absolute bliss. I was so scared going into my first park day that i would be lonely or stick out among the multitude of families vacationing together but i truly enjoyed my time watching folks, exploring each country and taking in the atmosphere. If you have every considered a solo trip i highly encourage you to do it!
There are infographics all over social media, but they aren’t always easy to find when you need them. I decided to create a Infographic blog entry to give you a one-stop shop to find what you’re looking for.
Look through the list below and grab whichever one you are looking for! be sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly for new infographics!
**Infographics is a visual representation of information. Infographics examples include a variety of elements, such as images, icons, text, charts, and diagrams to convey messages at a glance.
Below Infographics for Rider Switch what to do while you wait!
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Below are my recommend info Graphs of must dos in Magic kingdom and the attractions respected location.
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Below are Toddler/Child Approved Rides with no height requirement/shows at each of the four parks be sure to screenshot these for quick reference on your phone
As part of the Food and Wine Festival, you can play the Remy Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Game. This scavenger hunt game has small Remy statues hidden in each World Showcase country. You can do this completely for free or if you want to keep the kids engaged with the game and win a prize at the end you will need to purchase the Scavenger Gameboard at the Port Traders shop as you go through the show case and find his statue you can ask cast members for a sticker to show you found him. Once completed you can bring the gameboard back to the Port Traders gift shop to redeem your prize. Game is typically $9.99 each and the prize you receive is usually worth about that. 
The most beautiful time of the year has finally arrived at Epcot and it is the Flower and Garden Festival 2024. This is the longest running festival at Epcot and it’s my personal favorite. The whole Aesthetic of Epcot changes and becomes this immersive botanical garden that comes to life with the buzzing of bees, the silent flap of butterfly wings and the aroma of spring in the air. I want to briefly go over the essence of this whole festival and also include in this post a complete list of the topiaries and where you can find them.
Individual lighting lane ticket for Guardians of the galaxy rewind (need to understand Genie+ link 
enjoyed engaging with others on their magical vacations. I offered to take others photos often and in return they would take a few for me. I met a lovely family with their daughter, who were visiting for their first time and we had great conversations waiting on the fireworks to start. Watching them watch their daughter as she took in the magic for the first time truly brought me to tears. I took photos of them before and during the show and airdropped them the images and the mom was crying with gratitude and i was just over joyed to be able to bring some magic to their trip! After the fireworks I wondered around the park and Let me just tell you if you can manage to hang around even just 1 hour after the fireworks you wont be disappointed! Mainstreet will be swamped with folks shopping and exiting the park but the other lands are empty and i was able to get amazing shots of the park at night. I also spent time just soaking in the atmosphere, people watching and just the magic that can be felt in the park itself. I headed towards the buses about and hour before closing as the line for resort buses at park close can be extensive. 
