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August 6 2024

Lighting Lane Multi-pass & Single Pass (Genie+ Replacement) What you NEED to know!

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks disney tip board, lighting lane, magic kingdom, multi pass, single pass, walt disney world

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. que sign 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

January 31 2024

Walt Disney World GENIE + UPDATE 2024 EDITION

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks DISNEY WORLD, genie, genie +, HACKS, Hollywood studios, magic kingdom

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 on navigating 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.
Anyone staying 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.
Only Disney 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.

Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarf Mine Train, Tron (Also offers virtual queue)

Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage

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 lane spots 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, before this 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+

Copy of Copy of Beige Modern Food Pinterest Pin

January 12 2024

Walt Disney World Common Abbreviations and Acronyms List!

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks best bites, disney abbreviations, HACKS, Hollywood studios, magic kingdom, money savings tips

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

January 12 2024

Are You Planning A Disney World Vacation? A 12-Month Out Breakdown on Planning your 2024 WDW vacation! Here is the Tea for 2024.

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks

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.

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.

Magic Kingdom to Dos

Breakfast from Sleepy Hollow (Click here for my lists of MK bite sunder $10)

Rides: The Haunted Mansion, Thunder RailRoad and Jungle Cruise

Shows: The Happily Ever After Fireworks show at 8pm.

Animal Kingdom to dos: DISNEY 8

Food: Lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue dinner at Tusker House (character meal) (click here for my List of the best 10 AK bites)

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

Shows: Epcot forever Firework 9pm

Hollywood Studios to dos:

Food: lunch at Woody’s lunch box and dinner at Hollywood and vine (Character meal) (Click here for my lists of HS best bites)

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 but here 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!

November 3 2023

I Went To Disney ALONE And These Are My Pro-Tips For Your Trip!

Haley Bradley Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, More Disney Hacks disney tip board, DISNEY WORLD, Epcot, Hollywood studios, magic kingdom, money savings tips

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!

July 31 2023

Disney World Infographics

Haley Bradley Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, More Disney Hacks disney tip board, DISNEY WORLD, disneyworld info, disneyworld inforgraphs, Epcot, HACKS, magic kingdom, money savings tips

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!

Below are my recommend info Graphs of must dos in Magic kingdom and the attractions respected location.

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

March 9 2023

Conversation Starters for Character Meet & Greets at Disney World

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks Animal kingdom, Epcot, HACKS, Hollywood studios, magic kingdom, meet and greet, walt disney world

Meet & greets with characters at Disney World are my absolute favorite things when I visit. The way I think about meet & greets is that any amusement park will have thrill rides and roller coasters but nowhere else is going to have Disney characters you get to create one of a kind interactions with and memories you and your family will talk about for years to come!

I can remember the first time I took my husband to Disney world and we met Gaston and Gaston would push my husband out the pictures to get pictures with just me. We laughed and had a great time or when we took my son for his very first trip and he was obsessed with Mickey and he ran to him and Mickey got down to his level and was so patient with him and made us feel like there wasn’t a line of 150 people behind us waiting.

I reflect on these memories often and I encourage everyone toddlers, teens, young adults, adults and the elderly to meet their favorite characters!

Conversation Starters for Character Meet & Greets at Disney World

Meeting characters can be overwhelming for anyone and especially as an adult, we overthink things way too much! I’m here to help you navigate those feelings, push them out the window and have the best memorable moment you can when meeting your favorite characters!

I’ve compiled a list below of great interaction starters for face characters (typically Princesses) and costume characters (example Mickey Mouse). These little tips will help you relax when you have that anticipation of what to say or how to interact with someone who can’t talk back to me.

First thing let me go over what characters can speak back to you or which ones you need to use your imagination a bit more.

Face character definition is Face characters are those cast members who dress up in costumes that allow you to see their faces. You then have what they refer to as “Fur characters” (the fully costumed characters, i.e. Mickey) these cast members are not allowed to speak as their animated voices are too distinctive. They have character attendants who speak for them (think translate) and can assist interpret what the character is gesturing for ect.

We are going to start off with a visit to see Mickey Mouse! Mickey does not speak verbally but he is the highlight of our trip every time!

A few things to do get great reactions from Mickey are:

Wearing Mickey ears
Wearing anything with him on it!
Play a quick game hide and seek
Asking for his signature
Give high fives

Conversation starters:

Mickey where’s Minnie?
Mickey, did Minnie make your outfit?
Mickey, are you excited for the fireworks?
Mickey, who’s your best friend?

I highly recommend having one of these in mind while you’re waiting in line.. This will help prevent awkward interaction and help make a special memory for you and/or your family!

Face character interactions were harder for me as an adult but once I always went with a plan they became less awkward and much more fun!

So let’s say you are going to visit Anna and Elsa in Epcot (this is a great meet and greet because you get to meet both individually for the same wait time as one!)

Things to ask Anna:

How’s Olaf doing?
How are the trolls?
What’s your favorite chocolate?
What’s your favorite season?

Things to ask Elsa:

Are you still loving being in the enchanted forest?
Who’s the best at charades? Olaf? Kristoff or Anna?
Do you miss being queen of Arendelle?

When you’re interacting with any face character they will only act as if they know things from their movie or time period. They won’t be up to date in real world problems or politics.

Men meeting princesses please act as if you are a prince. You will be asked to stand beside her. The Princess may lock arms with you or place a hand on your shoulder. Please don’t be that guy who’s inappropriate with Elsa. These are talented young ladies who are doing a phenomenal job and can not break character to protect themselves so as Cinderella says be kind.

*You may be asked to leave the park if you exhibit inappropriate behavior with any of the characters.*

Characters also can not hold your child so please do not ask or try to force them to do so it will just make everyone uncomfortable. Additionally, while their costumes may seem sturdy, they’re not a jungle gym. So, if you notice your little one pulling down too hard on Donald’s bill, yanking on Minnie’s ear or tugging on Pluto’s tongue, tell them to stop – they’re likely hurting the performer.

All that in mind I have a list below with some great to dos and conversation pieces for the rest of the characters you can find around Disney World!

Here’s a list of things to say to a few different characters:

Woody: Act alarmed and tell him there’s a snake in his boot;
Jesse: Has Buzz taught you any dance moves?
Chip and Dale: Who is the better dancer?
Buzz lightyear: ask if he had any run-ins with Zurg lately?
Ask Minnie Mouse how many dresses she has (preferably if Mickey or a cast member is nearby, or ask her to strike a pose.
Daisy: ask her to Teach you how to walk the catwalk
Donald: want to see him get embarrassed? Ask if he’s going to propose to Daisy!
Goofy: Ask him to show you some dance moves
Call Mushu a lizard
Meeko: tell him you saw some good biscuits at (insert a restaurant name)
Ask Pocahontas to teach you how she says hello in her native language
Cinderella: Are Glass slippers comfortable?
Rapunzel: shoes do you love them or hate them?
Aurora: say to her first things first do you prefer pink or blue?
Snow White: So how do you feel about apples?
Tiana: Ask if she is excited for her own themed ride?
Ask Tinkerbell if she likes Wendy now
Ask Tigger for a bouncing lesson!
Ask Ariel how many thingambobs she has
Belle: ask what current book she is reading
Peter Pan & Wendy: Ask what their happy thoughts are
Stitch: Ask him to dance like Elvis
Alice and the Mad Hatter: tell them it’s your unbirthday!
Ugly Stepsisters: ask them to sing

Posing Ideas:

Curtsying with any lady icon
Saluting or standing with hands on your hips with Buzz Lightyear
Patting your tummy with Winnie the Pooh;
Asking Gaston to show off his muscle, then squeeze his biceps for the photo!
Clasping your hands under your chin with Cinderella’s stepsisters;
pretend to Kiss your favorite character
pretend to tell them a secret.

Conclusion:

Have Fun! Enjoy yourself and your family. We are all kids at heart and this is the perfect place to embrace it! Check out our other blog post for a FREE website that can help you score the most popular Disney World reservations!

February 6 2023

How to Score Disney Most Popular Reservations

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks best bites, disney tip board, HACKS, magic kingdom, money savings tips, snacks

I have found the ultimate tool to utilize for my Disney vacations to make sure I get the reservations for the must do things for my family and I am here to share that secret with you, the best part about this secret tool is it is 100% free. You ever wonder how folks get those amazing dining reservations or are able to do some of the experiences that are always unavailable, this tool is how they do that! This is something you can utilize even when you’re staying off Disney World Resorts.

This well kept secret tool is Mouse Dining. This website is your ultimate tool to get reservations on anything at Walt Disney World or Disneyland from dining, special experiences and behind the scenes tours. This guide below will walk you through how to best use this tool and pro-tips on getting your reservations.

Mouse Dining is free for anyone to use and you can set up to 6 alerts at a time for different reservations you want to be notified when they become available. You will be notified via email with the free plan. Travel agents who use this site are members and get notifications via text message. My best advice for you to be able to beat the agents to getting your reservations is to turn on notifications for email alerts on your phone so as soon as something is available you are notified. You can also set multiple notifications for the same dining experiences. Example would be you really want to get a rsvp for character dining at Chef Mickeys and you don’t care rather it’s breakfast or dinner so you would go into your alerts tab and type in Chef Mickeys, select date, pick number of guests, and then select breakfast. This will set an alert to notify you whenever a time is available for breakfast at Chef Mickeys. You would then go back in and set another alert but change instead of breakfast for dinner so either way if a time slot becomes available you will know!

Pictured above is a screen grab of what setting your alert will look like.

Not Just Dining

You can also set alerts for other things besides just dining! You could set an alert for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! If you are browsing through the activities and click onto Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique it will take you to a calendar which shows you dates that there are already openings! This can save you from evening setting an alert!

Pictured above is the different activities you can set alerts for.

Pictured above is an example of the calendar you will see when browsing for openings.

When you set alerts and are made aware of a possible reservation you will open the email you got from Mouse Dining and click the link to “book RSVP” this will take you to Disney’s Official site and you proceed with booking. Pro-Tip checks your emails at random times, say you wake up in the middle of the night, check it! I was able to score a lot of my reservations this way because people were canceling things late in the evening or early morning hours.

If you have multiple alerts set for the same activities or dinning and are able to get a reservation for breakfast instead of dinner you can go in and cancel that dinner alert to free up your allowed alerts so you can set more! Pro-tip if you got a breakfast reservation but truly wanted a dinner reservation for Chef Mickeys leave the alert set for dinner and you can easily switch to a dinner instead of breakfast if one becomes available!

I can not express enough how amazing this tool is. On our family vacation in November of 2022, we stayed offsite and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get my dad the build a lightsaber experience or my mother in law the 50’s Prime Time Café booking but with this website I was able to do those things and more! We even got a reservation for Hollywood studios capture your moment and a 6 person rsvp for Oga’s Cantina!

Pictured above is from our Capture Your Moment at Hollywood Studios.

When you are going to Disney World it should be a magical time and as stress free as possible, by utilizing this tool and referring to our pro tips you will be prepared and ready to tackle anything Disney World has to throw at you! Be sure to also read our Park Bag Essentials post to prepare you for your park days!

January 26 2023

4 Instagram Worthy Poses to Try

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks disney outfit ideas, disney tip board, HACKS, magic kingdom, pose

If your like me and treasure your Disney photos and want them to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible then this post is for you! I have a few tricks I’ve learned while trying to get the best Instagram worthy shots in the theme parks. This post will give you the basic outline on 4 Instagram worthy poses, how to over come the “feeling dumb” anxiety, and some must have tools on how to capture those photos at the theme parks!

You are allowed to bring a tripod into the parks as long as it follows these guidelines.(Tripods or monopod stands that cannot fit inside a standard backpack or that extend over 6’ (182 cm) are not allowed) I highly recommend a small tripod like this one. I love this tripod because it comes with a blue tooth remote so you can set it up and walk away and snap your shots! This is a great tool when traveling alone or with friends, family and you want everyone in a shot together!
Bring your patience pants when trying to get good shots in the theme parks. Crowds are everywhere and come in waves. if you wait long enough in one spot you can snap a few shots without a mass of folks in them.
“Feeling Dumb” anxiety is a real thing and I still experience it, when I’m causally hanging in an area waiting on folks to move or a crowd is walking by and I feel the stares as I’m take pictures. My best advice to overcome this is to remind yourself that you paid your own money to be in this magical place and if you want 50 shots in front of the floating rocks or 100 shots with Cinderella’s castle then take those shots. I have came home from trips before and felt so disappointed that I didn’t take more pictures or I missed photo spots I really wanted out of fear of “feeling dumb” and that is something I don’t want anyone else to experience. The folks passing me in the crowds may roll their eyes or look annoyed but hey I paid just like everyone else to be there and by Mickey I’m going to have a great time and I’m going to take all the pictures!
Download a good photoshopping app or editor and mess around with it! I highly recommend these two apps called Lightroom and YouCamPerfect both are free to download with a ton of free editing tools already available, you can pay a fee to unlock all the features for editing photos. I personally thought the $10.99 was worth the purchase to unlock all the features due to how often I use the application and how well it works. Pro-tip take multiple photos of the same pose, I would say 10 at least. Doing this gives you more opportunity to photoshop people out of an image without it looking overly photoshopped. I will show an example below. I removed the people from this picture by using the “cut out method” of taking pictures from the same time frame and using pieces of those picture to cover the people. If you were to see the photo on the right without knowing I had removed anyone would you be able to tell or would you notice?

4 Easy Poses To Try

Kick the camera!

How to achieve: have your tripod or friend lower then you and point your foot towards the camera lens. This pose is a great way to make you look taller, grab peoples attention and show off your whole outfit head to toe! Examples below.

Movement!

How to achieve: Don’t be stagnant in your photos move around. life is fluid and photography should be to! Examples below.

Lean In!

How to achieve: Stand from a distance, lean in towards the camera lens, let the camera focus then snap a few photos. This is a great way to capture a good portrait shot. Examples below.

Candid

How to achieve: This pose gives a more natural unposed look to a photo by fiddling with your necklace, shirt ect. Examples below.

Conclusion:

This is your vacation don’t let other peoples opinions ruin it, honest you wont see them ever again anyways right? taking photos is supposed to be fun and create a way to hold onto lasting memories the first few shots wont be perfect and that’s okay! I mean look at a snip of my cameral roll below. its full of some the most awkward snapshots but all great memories. Remember to enjoy yourself , let your hair down and, eat all the snacks!

January 16 2023

Disney Outfit Inspiration

Haley Bradley More Disney Hacks disney outfit ideas, disney outfits, disney tip board, magic kingdom

I am extra in the fact that I always have my outfits planned for my Disney trip months in advance. I also pick my Mickey ears out first then I put the rest of the outfit together.

Haley Ever After Co. doesn’t just write about all things Disney but I also create all sorts of Disney inspired stuff from earrings to floral and fabric Mickey Mouse ears! In the outfits idea lays below all the ears were handmade by me and will be linked out to my Etsy shop for purchase. In addition to being a small business myself, I wanted to make these outfit ideas lays a compromise of both small shop items and Amazon finds and I feel I was able to do just that!

Please Note: if any item has become unavailable I have attached a new link to another small shop offering similar items!

A outfit perfect to transport you to another planet

I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

𝓢𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽 From small shop perfect tee time

𝓢𝓴𝓲𝓻𝓽 Amazon Find

𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓽 From small shop Sundays on main

𝓜𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓮𝔂 𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 From Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

𝓢𝓱𝓸𝓮𝓼 Amazon Find

𝓑𝓪𝓰 small business Zizi and Me Designs

This is a perfect outfit for any park day! This is a outfit you change just one piece of and it would be perfect for whatever park day you have in mind or even for Disney springs!

I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

Mickey 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐬 Pictured from Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 From Small Shop My Caffeinated Chaos

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭 From small shop Sundays On Main

Shirt From small shop Next Stop Main Street

𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤 From small shop Friendly Mousie

𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐳𝐲 From small shop Once Upon a Cozy

I’m obsessed with all the versatility of these ears! This outfit is inspired by my love for celebrating my birthday in Disney style of coarse!

I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 Pictured are from small shop Superfluous designs this shop has closed but you can find similar earrings with the same amazing quality at small shop called Mommin with the Mouse.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙩 From small shop Sundays On Main

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 From Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩 Pictured is from Imprinted Dreams on Etsy and is no longer available so I found a similar one which is from another small business J T L Accessories

𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠 Picture is from Blue Bird Supply Co and does not currently stock this item but you can visit Friendly Mousie small shop to find something similar

𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨 From small shop Shoes Pek

𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 Amazon Find

Outfit lay worthy of royalty this is inspired by our “paint the roses red” Mickey ears (which are available & ready to ship in our shop) I love how this all pieces together!

I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

Shirt From small shop Death by Decaf Designs

Skirt Amazon find

Shoes Amazon find

Bracelet no longer available from small shop Say Like Yay but found something similar at Colie and Co Goods

Earrings From small shop Conversation Clay

Mickey Ears From Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

Let’s talk marvel?! So who’s your favorite!! I can’t have just one favorite so my favorites are iron man, Spider-Man & captain American. I appreciate all the characters but these are definitely my top 3.

Want this marvel look? I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

ᴇᴀʀʀɪɴɢꜱ : no longer available with Far Far Away Factory but found similar at Pattys Tea Shop

ꜱʜɪʀᴛ : From small shop Perfect Tee Time

ꜱᴋɪʀᴛ : Amazon find

ꜱʜᴏᴇꜱ : from small shop art scribbles *($45)insane price for hand painted shoes!

ᴍɪᴄᴋᴇʏ ᴇᴀʀꜱ: Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

ʙʀᴀᴄᴇʟᴇᴛ: from small shop Sundays On Main

𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕀 𝕨𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕗 𝕄𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕗𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞?!

I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 From small shop Fairest of Them All 87

𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁 From small shop Sundays On Main

𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁 from small shop 3 Girls and a Mouse

𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 From Sew Minnie Style no longer has the small red balloon wristlet bag but does not offer a Mickey waffle bag!

“𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆”

I love animal Prints and this outfit definitely is made for animal kingdom! I got this entire outfit from the shops below which are hyperlinked to the listing for your convenience!

ᴇᴀʀʀɪɴɢꜱ from small shop Little Rose Studios

ʙʀᴀᴄᴇʟᴇᴛ from small shop Sundays on Main

Mickey ᴇᴀʀꜱ Haley Ever After Co small shop called Beauty and Creation Co

ꜱʜɪʀᴛ from small shop Tay Craft USA

ʙᴀɢ From small shop Zizi and Me Designs

ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ ᴄᴏᴢʏ from small shop Once Upon a Cozy