disney tip board

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

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

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

January 2 2023

Navigating Disney Genie

Haley Bradley Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, More Disney Hacks disney tip board, fastpass, genie, genie +

Disney has not made it easy on us with navigating all the fine print of using Disney Genie. Rest In Peace free fast-pass days! If you didn’t know, Walt Disney World (WDW) used to offer a fast-pass system you could schedule your rides 30-60 days in advance of your trip and it was free! If your anything like me (a Disney planner fanatic), then you know how devastating it was losing this and going to a system not only you pay for but you can only schedule same day passes! Don’t panic though because I’ve got you! I have spent countless time researching and then putting into action the Disney Genie system while in WDW.

I have some great tips and tricks on this system and how to really utilize it to your best ability. This post is a long one but it will lay the ground work for you to conquer using Disney genie and it’s services.

In true Genie fashion granting 3 wishes, you get 3 options to Disney Genie:

Genie planning tool	This comes with your park admission for free
Genie+	The optional paid service to make ride reservations for the majority of attractions at each theme park
Individual Lightning Lane	selection for high-demand rides not included in Genie+ for an additional cost per ride

What is Disney Genie?

Disney genie is a free tool offered to every park guest that is accessible through the My Disney Experience App. This tool offers suggestions based on items you select under the “My Day” tab. You can pick things you really want to do, see, eat and experience. Making these selections will then populate suggestions in the “tip board” tab. As you move through your day and you’ve accomplished things that were at the top of your list you can go back to your “My Day” tab and remove those and add new experiences that you want updates on. You can complete mobile food orders, join virtual queues and join a restaurant walk up wait list through Disney Genie. If you have questions, you can always ask the virtual assistant for help.

I highly recommend messing around with Disney genie prior to your trip. To do this, you will need to purchase tickets and link them to the My Disney Experience app first. Reminder, the free Genie tool is all suggestions and NOT set reservations.

*PRO-TIP the night before your park day, go ahead and set up “My Day”. Go into the Disney Experience app and click “set up my day” and then it will prompt you asking what park your looking at, for what date, what attractions etc.. This will pin your top picks to the top of your tip board for the day and then at 7am the following day, your top picks will be right there at the top for you to be able to make your first lighting lane selections. More about lighting lanes below!

Genie +

This is an optional paid service for guests with valid park admission and valid theme park reservation. You may elect to buy this the day of your park visit at 7am (whether if you are staying on a Disney resort or offsite) you can then select your first lighting lane, which will give you a first come first serve time window to report to that attraction.

Service highlights

Pricing varies by date and park starting at $15 (the price will not display until the day of your park visit).
You can book as many lighting lanes(LL) as you want based on availability.
Lighting lane(LL) arrival windows are first come first serve. It will give you the first available time.
This service grants faster access to over 40 attractions and character greetings across all 4 parks.
You can make Your initial Genie+ selection beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit.
Once the initial selection is redeemed or the arrival window has passed or it’s been 120 minutes since making the most recent reservation, guests can make another selection up to park closing. (I will elaborate on this more below)
UPDATE-Lightning Lane (LL) selections made with Genie+ can now be modified, allowing you to change the time or even pick another attraction in the same park.(modifying your selection DOES NOT reset your 120 minute rule!)
Selections can be made across theme parks for eligible park hoppers.
Has augmented reality photo lenses within the my Disney experience app.
Audio experiences tailored to specific locations throughout the lands.

Okay let’s get into the fine print of Genie + and how best to use it!

You can book your first Lighting Lane(LL) selection at 7AM

You can book your second LL selection if one of these three things happens:

After you’ve scanned in at the attraction/experience for your first LL
The first LL expires, meaning you didn’t use it or missed the arrival window.
It’s been 120 minutes since you booked your last selection

Genie+ is first come first serve arrival windows for attractions. When you go to book something it will only give one time slot. Select it! Disney has recently changed where you can now modify these times without having to cancel the current LL selection.

The 120 minute rule doesn’t start until the park opens. Example you are going to magic kingdom for the day and it opens at 9AM you have already made your first lighting lane (LL) selection at 7AM. You will have to wait 120 minutes from 9AM to make your next selection *PRO-TIP: you only have to wait if you haven’t used your first lighting lane (LL) selection yet*

If you make your first Lighting Lane (LL) selection and it gives you a time window for that attraction between 9AM-10AM and you arrive at the attraction at 9AM and scan your ticket, then you have just redeemed your Lighting Lane (LL)! That means you can immediately go to your app and make another selection without having to wait for 120 minutes!

Now when the 120 minute rule really takes effect is when you make a selection but the first available time was later in the day say between 3PM-4PM you now must wait 120 mins from the time you booked that lighting lane to make another selection. So say it’s 9AM you booked lighting lane for 3PM-4PM you must wait 120mins from 9AM to make your next selection since you will not be able to redeem that selection sooner then 120 minutes.*PRO-TIP: set an alarm on your phone for 120 minutes so as soon as your eligible to make another selection you will know! The My Disney Experience App has updated and does display the next time when your eligible to make another selection, but it will not send you an alert for this!

Individual Lightning Lane

This selection is for high-demand rides not included in Genie+ for an additional cost per ride! Think of these as the most popular rides that always has a line.

Prices for individual lighting lanes will range between $7 to $25 and vary based on day and demand.

Here is where those Disney resort guest shine. Disney resort guests may book their first Individual Lightning Lane at 7AM. While non resort guests must wait until that park opens! That in mind, if you are a resort guest book, your Individual Lightning Lane FIRST before making your Lighting lane selection. I suggest this because Individual Lightning Lane can/will sell out quickly. If you are a non-resort guest, don’t panic, there is still hope! Disney has recently started cutting off Individual Lightning Lane purchases early in the morning. Which will then say “unavailable” in your My Disney Experience app then later on in the afternoon or evening they will pop back up again for purchase. I believe they have started this in hopes to help offsite guests. So be sure to check back periodically to snag any Individual Lightning Lane you wanted and missed.

You can book a maximum of two Individual Lightning Lane attractions per person, per day, and you can’t book the same attraction twice.
Times are not able to be changed or modified on Individual Lighting Lanes. Keep this in mind if you have dining reservations!

Unlike Genie+ Lighting Lane(LL) selections which are next available times only, you can pick individual lighting lanes for any timeframe that is available throughout the day. You can overlap your Genie+ Lighting Lane(LL) and individual attraction selections without any issue! Example you purchase a Individual Lighting Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind for 1:30pm-2:30pm, and overlap your Genie+ lighting lane for Frozen Ever After at 1pm-2pm, this way you could scan into the Frozen ride and while your in line book your next selection, then go ride Cosmic and have another ride afterwards!

Each park has there own Individual Lightning Lane

Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarf Mine Train

Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage

Epcot: Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood studios: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

You do not have to buy Genie + to buy an individual lighting lane. These are a la carte and you can use both services together or separate.

When booking individual Lightning Lane selections, note that the person making the RSVP will be the person paying and everyone in the party will be automatically linked. If your party consists of groups that would need to pay separately, you’ll want to edit the members of your party. The only problem is that you could potentially end up in different time windows for your ride reservations, especially if it’s a busy day and times are getting selected quickly. If you want to ensure that everybody rides at the same time, then book together and have individuals send money via Venmo (or some other money-sharing app) to the purchaser. I used this method when I went on both my recent trips. The my Disney experience app is literally WDW at your fingertips and making all our family plans and meal orders in one place was easiest and I just gave each person their individual bill at the end of our trip and they paid me back.

PRO-TIP: If you are having trouble with your My Disney Experience app or have a question seek out a guest relations cast member. They are located at the front of the park and can be found throughout the park, usually under a blue umbrella that states “Guest Relations” . They will happily assist. I’ve personally had some issues arise and the cast member helped me out no problem!

Conclusion:

Disney Genie can be an overwhelming system, but if utilized correctly it can be a efficient day planner for you and your family. I hope this post helped answer some questions, enlightened you with some pro-tips and you will refer back to for future reference. If you have questions or comments please leave them below!