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Archive for November, 2011

Getting around Disney during busy Holiday Season

Posted on: by Orlando Vacation No Comments

The busiest time to visit Disney World is during the holiday seasons, such as Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays. Although the parks are very busy at these times of the year, they also are some of the best times to visit as all the attractions are open later, special events and shows are put on, and spectacular firework displays are happening. You might pay a little more for your Disney World vacation, because the hotel rooms are a little more expensive but overall the price shouldn’t be that much different than if you were coming during the slower times of the year.

A lot of people will choose to visit Disney World out of season so they can enjoy the quieter times and shorter queues, but for many that is not an option. In particular if you have children, you will have to brave the busy periods as this is the only time you will be able enjoy Disney.

One of the greatest things about visiting during the busy holiday season is the late opening times. If you don’t mind staying up late then you should make the most of this extended park time, you will get more for your money as you can stay in the park much later. Plus towards the end of the evening the rides get quieter and people tend to disperse from the most popular locations, making it easier to get around and enjoy the park without all the mayhem.

The best way to make getting around easier during these busy periods is planning. Planning really is essential for a successful trip to Disney. If you want to ensure you get to enjoy all the main attractions then you will need to put a strategy in place.

One thing you can do is make the most of the fast passes. Get to the park early and get in line for your fast pass ticket and then later in the day you can get straight on to your favourite rides. Although a lot of people know about this it is still a great tip.

If seeing some of the afternoon parades and events are not that important to you, then using this time to get on the rides is another great tip. Everyone will head off to watch the show, resulting in much shorter queue times.

During lunch and dinner is also a good time to make the most of smaller crowds. When everyone is eating you can get more rides in and generally enjoy the park without thousands of people blocking your view. Make sure you don’t miss out on lunch though, if you have a specific restaurant in mind, that you want to visit you will need to book ahead.

Are Extra Hours At Disneyworld Worth It?

Posted on: by Orlando Vacation No Comments

When you’re a member of DVC, there are some perks when going on your Disney World vacation.  One of them is the fact that you can get an extra hour here and there tacked onto your day at certain parks.  This varies day by day and what time of the year it is and between an am hour or a late night one.  Usually, the early am hour is the best. That way it’s a true extra hour in the park, with only a few hundred people and not thousands upon thousands.

The extra hours at WDW are a lot of fun.

Late night ones are less effective because leftover daily guests are still there and although some do leave, they often hang around and no one, of course, is going to tell them to get out.  You get a wristband when you’re on this type of “perk” and that lets staff know you are legitimate.

 Where an extra am hour comes in handy is getting breakfast before anyone else, or being able to go to FastPass and get a couple of tickets to a favorite attraction, or just strolling around without having to avoid waves of people exiting or entering rides or waiting in lines.   Not all rides and attractions to Disneyworld utilize FastPasses so you can take that ride or attractions after getting your FastPass for other things, then get a head start on everyone else.  New attractions are usually packed while others retain their popularity for years.  Here are some popular attractions at all four parks:

Animal Kingdom — Head straight to the back of Africa and get a FastPass for Kilimanjaro Safaris.  This is a terrific half hour or so of a real ride through herds of animals like zebras and giraffes and elephants.  What you see will vary each time, because they are live animals.  Make a reservation early at the Yak & Yeti in Asia, if they have space left.

Disney/Hollywood Studios — Make a beeline towards the back of the park and get a FastPass for the Toy Story 3D ride.  This one is popular.  You can also see when the first American Idol show starts.  They interview early for each show and it could be your chance to win a golden ticket which guarantees you an audition in front of judges at real American Idol auditions.

Magic Kingdom – This park, which is most like Disneyland, is packed on Saturday and Sunday.  Use extra hours to get FastPasses to your favorite rides.

Epcot – This  a favorite of adults and there are many popular rides and events here.  One of them is a simulated hang glider ride called Soarin’, over California and this attraction can be found in The Land, bottom level, which is to the right as you enter Epcot.

These extra hours are only available to guests staying on Disney property and at Walt Disney World hotels and resorts.