“Adventure is Just Bad Planning.” Part II
October 1st, 2008 @ 12:39 pm by Miss Flip Flop
A continuation of helpful tips for any of you planning on honeymooning at Disney World!
Top 10 low-energy things to do in the parks: (i.e. for grandmas and napping children)
1. It’s a Small World (Magic Kingdom). It’s a great ride and it’s seven minutes of gliding along, happy as a clam.
2. The Great Movie Ride (Hollywood Studios). This one is actually loud at parts, and a little scary in one scene, if you’re a kid. It’s a great ride, though, and worth it to see animatronic figures of John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart.
3. Ellen’s Energy Adventure (Epcot). I love Ellen and I love Bill Nye and anything they want to do together is great by me.
4. Festival of the Lion King (Animal Kingdom). I love love love this show and even though Mr. Flip Flop wasn’t a huge fan, he loved it when we saw it this past trip. It’s just really well done and it’s the perfect thing to do if you’re hot and tired at the park (Animal Kingdom is the hottest park due to the humidity of all the vegetation). I especially recommend catching the late show if you’re there for the Extra Magic Hours.
5. Finding Nemo the Musical (Animal Kingdom). This was a new show and it was WONDERFUL. I’ve seen other musical-type shows at the parks, but this was by far the best. I would pay to go and see it if it was touring. It would be higher on the list if we hadn’t been seated by a cast member in the front row (damn those bride and groom ears). We had a great view, but then they started the smoke machine and Mr. Flip Flop and I spent the next two numbers trying to find oxygen as the smoke poured off the stage and into our laps.
6. Mickey’s Philharmagic (Magic Kingdom). I love this show too, although it’s a 3D show, which means you have to put on 3D glasses. The glasses aren’t really my thing, which is too bad because the show in itself is really spectacular. If you don’t mind the glasses, you should check it out.
7. The Canada movie. (Epcot) The new 360 degree Canada movie is actually really good and it has Martin Short in it, which probably makes it about 400 times better than it was when I worked there.
8. Lights, Motors, Action Stunt Show (Hollywood Studios). This show is so cool that they did a special about it on the Discovery Channel. I really don’t have to say much more than that.
9. Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios). This fireworks show is exciting, but I count it as low energy because you have to show up early and wait around forever in order to get decent seats. I’ve actually only seen it once in my life because I don’t like the wait. The show is great if you don’t mind the wait, though.
10. The Liberty Square Riverboat (Magic Kingdom): A boat straight out of the days of Mark Twain. You sail around Tom Sawyer’s Island and laugh at all the little people running from place to place through the streets of Adventureland and Frontierland. This is also a rather romantic little activity if you’re looking for a quiet place to chat.
Top 10 ways to “buy in” to the Disney magic:
1. Pin trading: trading pins was huge when I worked at Disney and I was actually a little surprised to see that it had gotten even more popular since then. Pin trading is basically just that—some cast members wear lanyards and guests can trade pins to get the ones they want. There are about a bazillion pins out there, so the possibilities are endless. You can also buy pins, but unless you want one particular pin and you just have to have it, it’s more fun to buy cheap pins and “trade up”. Pins run anywhere from $4.99 to $20 and up, and cast members can’t tell a guest that they won’t trade a particular pin, so if you have a $5 pin and the cast member has a $15 pin, it’s obviously a beneficial trade for the guest. Guests can also trade with other guests, although you likely won’t find it to be as profitable.
2. PhotoPass: I wish PhotoPass had been around when I worked there because we would have had a ton more pictures of us in the parks. Photo pass is a pretty genius idea, although it can get expensive. Basically, when you go into a park there will be photographers in white shirts and tan vests that offer to take your picture. They take three or four pictures and then they scan a little card. You keep that card, and every time another photographer wants to take your picture, you hand them the card and they scan it. The idea is that you can go to the photo center at the front of the park and either buy a few prints, or buy a CD with all your images on it. The best part, though, is that you can take the PhotoPass card home and still see and order prints for a couple months after your vacation. We got the free Disney Visa Cardmember 5×7 (it’s in your reward details). Additionally, as a little tip—if you lose your card, your pictures aren’t lost forever. As long as you can tell them a place you were standing at a general time of day, they can find all your pictures and give you a new card.
3. Souvenir mug: I mentioned this earlier, but it is worth repeating because it makes the resort stay much nicer and Disney makes the most amazing hot chocolate ever.
4. Pressed pennies and quarters: I was a major consumer of pressed pennies when I was little, so I bought a ton of them when I worked at Disney. I didn’t come close to getting all of the ones available, but if you were interested in conquering the world of pressed coinage, here is a list of all the pressed pennies and quarters available on Disney property. You can also buy albums to keep them in.
5. Autographs: Theoretically, this is the cheapest way to buy in to the magic, but I still consider the time spent gathering autographs to be an investment. You can buy an autograph book or bring a notebook from home and get autographs from all your favorite Disney characters. They all have to take classes in getting the signature just right, so you’re nearly guaranteed to get a signature that really fits the character, which makes for a fun little memento.
6. Drink Around the World (Epcot): The object of the game is to get an alcoholic beverage in each of the 11 countries showcased at Epcot. We tried to do this, but you really have to have the cash to invest and we overdid it in the United Kingdom. Therefore, neither of us have ever done it, because we weren’t old enough to drink when we lived down there. This next trip will probably be the one, however, and I’ve heard that it’s quite the challenge. Each country offers a beverage from its quick service counter, so you don’t have to worry about trying to get a table. It’s nice of them to make the game so easy, no?
7. Pal Mickey: For $60 you can buy a stuffed Mickey that not only plays games and tells jokes, but also gives you information about the parks. They’re supposed to give you park wait times for the rides and such, but ours mainly just gave us interesting information about different rides. It was sort of fun to have, but ours will probably be hanging out with my grandma on the next trip, if that gives you an idea of whether or not you want to run out and get one.
8. Character Breakfasts: If you get reservations early enough, you can eat breakfast while Disney characters wander around the restaurant and interact with guests. This is a good way to get into the parks before they open and an easier way to collect autographs. Unfortunately, I have a phobia of characters in “heads” which comes and goes in its severity, so I’ve never done one. I’ve heard they’re fun, though.
9. Dessert Around the World (Epcot): This is the PG version of the drinking game. A different dessert in each country—you get the idea. Watch out for Norway… some of their stuff is great but I had a triangular shaped thing once that will haunt me forever!
10. Bippidi Boppidi Boutique: My newest over-commercialism favorite. Now you can get your little girl a princess makeover, complete with a new outfit and a big Miss America-type sash. You can even get a professional portrait taken to remember her day as a princess. It’s a little over hyped, but I loved seeing the little girls running around the parks in their outfits and they got a LOT of attention. I’d say it’s worth it once, as long as you can do it without your kid thinking it was a regular part of visiting the parks. Your little boy can also get a makeover, but he’ll have to go to the barber shop at the Magic Kingdom, where they’ll spray color his hair and put glitter in it.
Top 10 things to remember while you’re there:
1. Don’t let the other guests get to you. There will be rude people there who don’t care about your vacation, whose germy kids try to touch you for no reason, who actively try to cut ahead of you in line or knock you down while moving from place to place… you must ignore these people. I see people all the time who are either fighting or grumbling because somebody did something. I also have felt the stress of knowing the person behind you is trying to do that weird line thing where they actually try to get ahead of you and then act like their entire group of friends and family also has a right to go first. It’s weird how little things like that can get to you. We’ve only had two bad interactions that really soured our day—one was when a guy shoved Mr. Flip Flop because he thought we were trying to get past him (we were trying to walk around him to go somewhere else) and another was when a group of teenagers soaked us on Pirates during a water fight. Both events took a couple hours to wear off, and unfortunately I remember both more clearly than I remember anything else that day. My advice is try to let it go… it’s not worth it to be pissed off about it all day.
2. Don’t expect the extra magic. The other mistake we fall into is that we expect amazing extras to happen all day, whether it be super nice treatment from cast members or overcompensation when a ride breaks down. If you don’t expect it, you won’t be disappointed when your expectations aren’t met and you’ll be that much happier when it does happen. We actually got a year of a million dreams prize when we were down there, but it was a line bypass on the Tower of Terror, and two free ice creams, not the Cinderella Suite dream package we were hoping for. And honestly, we were disappointed, which is stupid when you think about the fact that we actually did win free ice cream. You might as well enjoy what you get instead of looking for the big payoff.
3. Slow Down. You will get tired. If you’re there long enough, there’s no reason to try to do it all every day. We’re usually die hard park people, but we started heading back to the hotel during the high point of the day (1-5ish) so that we could nap and chill before going back out, and it made all the difference. Even if you don’t leave the park, at least take the time to rest and people watch while grabbing a snack. You’re on vacation, after all.
4. If the wait time is more than a half hour (and it isn’t Expedition Everest), you’re probably in the wrong line. If you’re riding rides, you have to do Fastpasses. Basically they have machines that let you stick your ticket in and it will give you a ride pass with a certain window of time on it. Return to the ride during that time and go through the Fastpass line. You can only get a certain number of Fastpasses per day (you have to wait before getting another one) but it makes the time between rides a lot better. Plus, depending on when you are there, there will always be something with a short wait. There’s no point to spending your vacation in line. It also helps to hit big rides (like Expedition Everest) first thing in the morning when the parks open, so you can get them out of the way.
5. Eat breakfast. I used to forget this all the time. Nothing sucks more than suddenly wanting to pass out in Fantasyland. At least grab a granola bar.
6. Don’t buy something for everyone you know. It’s one thing to pick up a little something for someone back home. It’s another thing to spend hours at the gift shops looking for thirty perfect presents. I’ve done both and honestly, people usually are happy with a postcard.
7. Don’t yell at your kids. Of course they’re spazzing out. They’re in Walt Disney World. They’ve been up since dawn, you’ve fed them nothing but sugar, and they can actually see Cinderella. If they’re being annoying, take them aside. Don’t stand in line and threaten to beat them while the people behind you awkwardly look at the ceiling.
8. Don’t try to get your money’s worth. If you spend the whole day thinking about what you paid to be there, you’re already cheating yourself. It’s expensive, but you’ve already spent the money.
9. Be in the right place at the right time. That might mean getting good seats for the parade or the fireworks, or it might mean riding big ticket rides while everyone else is getting good seats for the parade or fireworks. I’ve seen Wishes from Main Street and I’ve seen it from Big Thunder Mountain. Both are pretty cool.
10. Be safe. This covers everything from not running to not riding Mission Space if you think it might kill you. (Honestly, Mr. Flip Flop and I don’t ride that one anymore and we’re pretty healthy people). Whatever you’re doing, it’s so not worth not feeling good. Slow down, watch out, don’t eat all the hot dogs you can get your hands on, and abstain from taking that 19th thrill ride. Otherwise the only thing you’ll remember about your vacation is that you got sick on the coaster and ended up in First Aid.
Do you have your own Disney Park tips to share?
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19 Responses to ““Adventure is Just Bad Planning.” Part II”
I’ve been to WDW twice - once when I was in third grade and once in 5th… I’d say I was overdue for a magic vacation. I’ve never been to Disneyland though, and REALLY want to see Sleeping Beauty’s castle (I’m a huge Sleeping Beauty fan). The only tip I really can think of is this: if you go to WDW in December, remember to pack a jacket. My 3rd grade trip, my sister told my mom she was crazy because she packed a couple of sweaters & a jacket for me. She ended up being the crazy one when we got there and there was a cold front in Florida and her kids were borrowing my warm clothes. In other words, live by the Girl Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”
Here’s my tip:
If you get a fastpass you can use it anytime after the time it says you can get on the ride. Let’s say that it says you can come back between 1:05 and 2:05, and you miss getting there by 2:05, no problem! They will still accept it! And make sure you check the bottom of the fastpass to see what time you can get another fastpass, it’s not always the same as the time you can get on the ride!
Very good couple of posts! I think you’ve covered almost everything. I’ll be thinking of you next time I’m at WDW 
haha.
Awesome tips Miss Flip Flop!
I went to Disney World recently with my DH as part of our honeymoon.
Get the “Just Married” pin if you are going on your honeymoon. I know for a fact that it got us a free water and bumped up in a couple lines that day. Plus majority of the cast members were really nice and we were told “Congratulations” a zillion times.
For anyone staying at the Animal Kingdom lodge I would HIGHLY recommend checking out Boma, their African buffet. You MUST get reservations but it is so worth it.
You’re bringing out the Disney nerd in me Miss Flip Flop
Visit the water parks! They are our favorite, particularly Typhoon Lagoon.
I could not agree with you more on your tip about not yelling at your kids. When we were undergrads, DH and I lived 10 minutes away from Disneyland, had annual passes, and went often. I can’t believe the amount of kid-reprimanding I’ve witnessed! Seriously, your kids are at Disneyland. OF COURSE they’re going to be over-excited versions of themselves. Maybe you should take that into consideration before berating them (in public) for being “too loud,” “too hyper,” “too whatever.”
dude, that one scary part of the great movie ride, I still have to close my eyes b/c it freaked me out so much as a kid, lol.
I didn’t know Canada had a new movie, I have to add that to my list of things to see
I gotta say this tip:
“8. Don’t try to get your money’s worth.”
definitely the best. I know people who think they have to get there when the park opens, stay until the park closes and go on every single ride because they paid for it. No, you paid to have fun. Forcing yourself to have fun, IS NOT FUN.
Totally second the “Just Married” button. We were given a whole IASW boat to ourselves because of that button!
Love your posts! Makes me jealous we couldn’t afford to Do Disney Nuptials!
The photopass is great for couples, the last time I went to Disneyland we found out about it on the last day. It is great because you can get pics of the two of you without giving your camera to some random person. Beware the flash if it is dark, being pale one of our pics turned out bad (I’m talking you couldn’t see my face) but other than that it was great. The photos can be expensive but great quality.
A good tip is to just be flexible, you can try to make a game plan like we want to definately ride X today. Especially if you know it is a must but don’t stress. We really wanted to go on the new Nemo ride at Disneyland but the line was like 3 hours even for the early bird (sorry no).
I’m really enjoying reading your posts - I used to work at WDW too! (January -May 2002 at the MGM Studios, as it was called then). Hubs and I are planning a vacation to Orlando next year, I can’t wait to show him where I used to live & work!
Ha! You forgot to add that it rains every single day in Orlando during the summer for about an hour and a half at around 12:30…perfect for lunch time and to let the kiddies take a nap! I LOVE Epcot and Disney and this post makes me miss it!
I’m beginning to suspect you’re a viral marketer for disney and this is all one giant advertisement..
We are Honeymooning at WDW, we are so cal natives, and have annual passes to Disneyland, so it is the prefect honeymoon for us!! I’m totally excited about reading all your tips!! YAY!!!
And we are SO doing a photopass!! MrEeyore isn’t a picture guy, but I’m gonna make him for this trip!! Gotta remember everything!
Thanks for all the tips We leave Monday for honeymoon part 1 in Disney and are SO excited. Your tips in part 1 reminded me of some things I totally forgot to pack!
I’m glad you’re all enjoying the tips! It’s nice to see so many people honeymooning at the happiest place.
@HCT: you know, I’ve actually never been to Typhoon Lagoon. Isn’t that awful? I missed it somehow the whole time I worked there and when we go we usually have just enough time to do everything we want to do in the parks. Maybe if we go next summer…
@Colleen: I wish! I’m sure being a secret viral marketer for Disney pays a lot better than being a Disney bride WDW-aholic. So, if anyone from Disney is reading…I’m available!!
I’m DYING to go to the park now. I couldn’t get enough of these tips!!! Thanks for sharing your sage Disney advice!
Another small tip that would help a lot: Buy good sneakers and wear them in before you go to WDW. It is a LOOOOOOOT of walking. Your feet will be sore. Training for it helps, too (like training for a marathon only with walking).
Love it! I’m there right now. I packed a coat and my mom laughed at me. It’s 40 degrees out. Who’s laughing now?
Miss Flip Flop, Columbus
Age and Occupation: 25, Government
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Marketing
Engagement Date: December 18, 2007
Wedding Date: January 2009
Blogging Since: September 25, 2008
Venue: Disney's Wedding Pavilion and Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World
About Me: Mr. Flip Flop and I are both huge Disney fans and we actually met while working at Walt Disney World on the college program. Six years later, we're tying the knot (where else?) at WDW. We're having a Disney wedding with close friends and family, a reception in Napa for my family and another reception back here in Ohio for his family. Three wedding receptions in two months? No problem! When I'm not planning our celebrations I'm usually playing Wii or doing other craft projects, although my favorite thing to do is curl up with a huge bowl of popcorn and watch old movies.
I am a Disney nerd, hence my long reply:
1. My fiance gets sick on rides, so this list is excellent so he can enjoy himself at the parks, since he hasn’t been since he was a teenager. I LOVE Mickey’s Philharmagic!
2. I’m afraid to see the new Canada Movie. I have that CD with all the songs from Disney and EPCOT and I know all the words to the Canada song, so I hope they haven’t changed it.
3. I love the pressed pennies, I have a couple from a past trip buried in some box.
4. Norway has those great sweet pretzel thingies. SO. GOOD.
5. I hate going to other amusement parks now because they don’t have Fast Pass. I am a person who goes to Disney in the off season, but even then I usually get Fast Passes just to get through the lines quicker.
6. I do think your best tip is to not let other guests get to you, which isn’t always easy. I’ve been annoyed by groups of large Brazilian tourists, obnoxious brats whose parents encourage their bad behvior and other just general rudeness. It is important to not let it get to you.
My #1 Disney tip is to go at an off time. Less people to possibly annoy you, and shorter lines at the rides. I’ve been to DW in February, September and my Disneymoon will be in November.